Persuasive

forty-six

Harry and I finally arrived at the Yule ball, filled with beautifully lit decorations everywhere and a huge christmas tree with vivid ornaments, along with everyone dancing graciously to the music.
Harry took my hand and we sauntered inside with bright smiles on our faces.

"Let's go get something to drink i'm parched." Harry sighed as we made our way over to the snacks.
There was a gigantic bowl of 'party punch' and Harry grabbed a cup and dipped it in, filling his cup up.

"Is it good?" I chuckled as I watched him take a sip.

"Tastes like ass." Harry fake gagged and we started laughing even harder.

My mood was quickly ruined by the sight of Draco making his way towards us with a displeased look on his face.

"Might I ask what the fuck you're doing with my sister, Pottah?" he snarled as he grabbed the cup out of Harry's cup and chugged it down. He quickly spit it out and fake gagged. "Who the fuck made that punch?"

"Avalon's my date, so if you don't mind I really wouldn't like to be lectured by her ferret brother." Harry snatched the cup back.

"Say that again." Draco towered over him.

"I said..Avalon's my date so-"

Before Harry could finish, Draco grasped onto the huge bowl of punch and held it over Harry's head, spilling it all over him.
Everyone around us gasped, and I froze in terror.

Harry wiped his dripping wet hair out of his face and clenched his jaw, glaring at Draco with fury.
It was like Draco didn't even realize what he just did, and he sheepishly looked around at everyone staring at him.

"Thank you, you've officially ruined my night. I knew I should've never given a Malfoy a chance, I'm not sure what I was thinking." Harry sighed, and hurried over to the bathroom as his shoes squeaked on his way.

I wanted to go run after Harry and apologize, or at least help him clean his suit. But I knew I was the last person he'd probably want to see right now.

I was so frustrated with Draco that I felt like screaming and crying. Once again he ruined my night, all for what? So that he could look tough and intimidating?

Everyone stood there and stared in complete silence, waiting to see what was going to happen next. There was a huge pool of punch by Draco's feet and he just moved his eyes from the ground to the crowd of people, not knowing what to say.

Usually I would yell at Draco or push him out of anger, but I was too furious to even look at him. So I hurried away from the Great Hall and I sat on the floor in the corner of a hall, dropping my head into my knees.

Draco ruins everything for me, and this night was just complete and utter shit. So many thoughts racing through my head at once, and it felt like my head was going to explode any second.

"Avalon?"

I shot my head up to see Tom Riddle standing right in front of me, glancing down at me as I sat on the floor. He saw the miserable look on my face and sat down right next to me, not saying a word.

We both sat, glaring into the distance of the hallway as I held my knees. I leaned my head against his shoulder and he placed his hand on mine.
"What's wrong darling?"

I closed my eyes and my body eased up at the sound of his voice.

I squeezed his hand and wiped the tear that was strolling down my face.

"Nothing. It's just Draco, he's ruined my night once again." I sighed as I looked away, but he gently grabbed my face and wiped my tear.

"Don't ever let a guy ruin your day. Especially not Draco." he smiled at me with pained eyes as he continued wiping the tears off my face.

I chuckled for a bit, then laid my head back on his shoulder as I played with the rings on his fingers.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know how to comfort people." he whispered as he kissed my forehead.

"You're doing just fine simply being here with me."

We sat together for what felt like hours, but they were just a few minutes. Being here with him, sitting not saying a word, is better than being at a cheesy ball or at a party. He was my happiness, not Harry or Hermione or the Yule ball.
It's him who makes me genuinely happy.

"How about," he sighed as he stood up from the ground and held out his hand for me to hold. "We dance?"

I rolled my eyes with a sheepish grin on my face and grabbed his hand as he helped me up from the floor.

"And if Draco comes over and says anything to us I will personally beat the shit out of him." he grinned as he led me back into the Great Hall.

Eyes from everywhere watched us carefully, puzzled to see Tom Riddle here with a girl. All the girls at Hogwarts swoon over him, and nobody ever saw Tom and I together in public.

He interlocked his fingers with mine and grabbed my waist with his other hand as I rested my hand on his shoulder.

"I have to warn you, you'd be surprised at how good I am at dancing." he smirked as the tempo started getting faster.

"I thought you said these kind of things are cheesy." I raised my eyebrows at him.

He quickly twirled me around, spinning me so fast that when he finally brung me closer to him again, he placed his hand on my back and dipped me. My head was so low that my hair was nearly touching the floor.
"That doesn't mean I can't dance." he whispered.

He brung me back up, so we were now dancing faster, keeping our eyes locked.

We were now dancing at a faster pace than everyone else. Neither of us broke eye contact, instead our eyes were burning into each others. I thought I was going to have to be the one carrying the dance but he did it so effortlessly, not missing a single step.

"I never knew you had it in you Avalon." his breath fanned against my lips as we continued dancing, the whole room watching us.

He grabbed my waist and held me up high into the air, as I glanced down at him.
"You don't know a lot of things about me Riddle."

He brung me back down, keeping his eyes glued to mine as we continued waltzing. At this point it was a competition, who would back down first, but neither one of us did. Until finally, the song finished and he brung me close to him, breathing heavily as everyone around us cheered and applauded.

"Would Harry be able to dance with you like that?" his breath fanned against my forehead.

I stayed silent, glaring down at his lips centimeters away from mine.

He moved my hair away from my ear, bringing his mouth closer to it.
"Didn't think so."