Dark

Chapter 19

Draco
“You should just ask her already.” Blaise said.
We were sitting in the Slytherin common room, finishing up end of term work before the holiday break began.
“Ask who what?” I asked him.
“Ask Eleanor to the ball.”
Not this again. I shot a glare at Zabini.
“I don’t know why you’re being so weird about this. I mean, yeah, she’s a Potter. But is she really? She doesn’t act anything like that other git.” Blaise rambled on. He couldn’t really be making an argument in favor of Eleanor, could he? “Hell, she practices Dark Magic in her spare time. She’s just about as unPotter as it comes. Except for the whole blood relation thing.”
“Look, I’m not –“ I started to say but he cut me off.
“Speaking of Potters, look who just walked in.” He said with a glance toward the common room entrance.
Sure enough, when I turned back Eleanor was just making her way through the entrance. My thoughts seemed to be firing off rapidly then. Something in me wanted to ask Eleanor about the ball, but another part of me wanted to be sick just at the idea of it. She was a Potter. Whether she acted like it or not, she was a Potter and she always would be. Even if Potter never accepts her. Blaise wasn’t wrong though. Other than her hatred of the term “mudblood” and the fact that she sticks up for Granger, she was nothing like a Potter.
Before I really knew what I was doing I had bolted up from my seat and approached her as she made her way for the dormitories.
“Eleanor.” I said loudly. As soon as her name left my mouth though, I realized that I had no idea what I wanted to say. I didn’t know if I wanted to ask her about the Yule Ball, I didn’t know if I wanted to simply insult her to piss her off, and I didn’t know why I had gotten up in the first place. It was a muddled mess now.
“Yeah?” she asked me as she turned back around.
“I just…wanted to ask you something.” I said lamely.
“Oh, good. I actually had something to ask you as well.” She said quickly.
I was about to open my mouth to say something but I didn’t get the chance.
“What do you know about breathing underwater for an hour?” Eleanor asked.
I hadn’t been expecting anything in particular, but I certainly wasn’t expecting a question like that. What did she need to breathe underwater for? Was she trying to find a way to spend even more time in the bloody lake with Krum?
“I…what?” was all I managed to say.
“I need to breathe underwater for an hour, I’m trying to find a spell or something for that, but...” Eleanor looked up at me again and she must have realized that I was lost because she change directions quickly, “you know what, never mind. It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll find something.” Then she turned around again to leave.
“Er, wait. You know, the Yule Ball –“ Why did I just say that? I didn’t need to sink as low as to ask a Potter to accompany me to anything. I didn’t know where I was going to go with the question as the words left my mouth, but Eleanor saved me the trouble when she cut me off yet again.
“If I hear one more thing about this ridiculous Ball, I’m going to lose it.” Eleanor turned to face me again, her expression filled with frustration. “Look, you should be in the Entrance Hall before the Ball starts. The champions have to line up or something for some big entrance. I don’t know. But I’m sure you’ll want to see McGonagall’s face when I inform her that I don’t have a partner. She’s going to be livid.”
“Wait…what?” I hate to admit it, but I was surprised that Eleanor didn’t have a partner already. She took down a bloody dragon and no one was impressed enough by that to ask her to a stupid Ball?
“When I tell McGonagall that I don’t have a partner for the ball, she’s going to be pissed off. The champions are supposed to open the ball with a big entrance, and then we’re supposed to open the dancing as well. It’s all ridiculous, honestly.” Eleanor rambled as her gaze strayed low to the floor.
“You aren’t going with Krum then?” I asked her. The way they were always training together, I had assumed that she liked him, even worried that he had wanted to go with her to the Yule Ball.
“Me? Go to a Ball with Viktor?” Eleanor looked utterly surprised by the question. “Of course not. That would just be…weird. Besides, Viktor already has a date for the Ball.” She said simply. “And don’t ask me who it is because I’m not going to tell you.”
Before my brain could catch up with everything that had just happened, Eleanor had turned away again and disappeared down the dormitory corridor.
As I took my seat next to Zabini again I was trying to figure out why I had even stood up in the first place. I wasn’t going to take Eleanor to the Yule Ball. That wouldn’t make any sense. Why would I want to anyway?
“Well, that wasn’t awkward at all.” Blaise said sarcastically from beside me.
“Shut up, Zabini.” I grumbled.
It still didn’t make sense to me. Why would Eleanor not being go with anyone? I had seen how people looked at her differently now. It wasn’t just Slytherins either, people in other houses had been impressed by her performance in the first task as well. Surely someone would have asked her.
As if reading my thoughts, Zabini spoke up again.
“Have you not heard what people are saying?” he asked me, his brows furrowed.
“Saying about what?”
“About Eleanor.” He answered.
I tried not to listen to what people had to say about Eleanor. Good or bad, it always made me feel off for some reason.
“Look, no one wants to go with her because of her face. Plain and simple. No one wants to have to stare at those scars all night while they’re trying to have a good time.” Zabini said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Oh…” was all I could answer.
Did she know then? Did Eleanor know what people had been saying about her? Maybe that was why she wasn’t going to take a partner to the dance. Or maybe she figured it was so late now that no one was going to ask her, and she had no idea what people were saying about her. Either way though, it seems that she made up her mind.

Harry
"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked. He had been asking Hermione the same question at random moments for the past few days. It seemed as though he hoped to startle the answer out of her. It never worked though and the Ball was only a few days away now.
"I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me." Hermione said.
"You're joking, Weasley!" Malfoy said from behind us. I turned and there he was.
Eleanor wasn't far behind him either.
"You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?" Malfoy said.
Eleanor had just caught up to him and her expression immediately morphed into rage. Without hesitation, Eleanor whipped out her wand and set it against Malfoy's cheek. "Elpulsa" she said and Malfoy yelped in pain as his hand shot up toward his face.
"What the hell, Potter?" Malfoy yelled at her.
"Don't use that word again. My threat from the beginning of the year still stands. I will rip your tongue out, Malfoy. Now get lost."
Malfoy shoved past Eleanor's shoulder as he walked away, storming off toward the dungeons.
"Thank you, Eleanor. But you didn't have to do that?" Hermione said quietly.
"Er, yes. Yes she did have to do that." Ron said with a wide smile. "Did you see Malfoy's face? That was hilarious!"
"Well, bye." Eleanor said simply and walked away, following Malfoy's path toward the lower part of the castle. She had been avoiding me much as possible since the first task. According to Hermione, they didn’t sit together in Ancient Runes anymore and Eleanor hadn’t spoken to her either. So she and Ron had ended up lumped together with me in the cold shoulder club.
"Hermione," Ron said with a confused expression on his face, "your teeth…"
"What about them?" she asked.
"Well, they're different…I've just noticed…" Ron leaned in closer to Hermione's face and she seemed taken aback by it.
"Of course they are - did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"
"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you…They're all…straight and - and normal-sized." Ron said.
Now that he mentioned it, I noticed it too. How had I not noticed it sooner?
"Well...when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," Hermione said as we turned and began to make our way up the marble staircase. "And I just…let her carry on a bit. Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should - look! Pigwidgeon's back!"
Ron and I looked up and sure enough, the small Scops owl was twittering along in our direction.
"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed. "You bring letters to the Great Hall, not the corridor!"
Ron stripped the letter off Pigwidgeon and handed it to me before we rushed back to the Gryffindor common room. When we entered the room it was nearly full. Everyone seemed distracted though by the upcoming holidays though and we were able to grab a table in a corner of the room and read the letter undisturbed and unheard.
Dear Harry
Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitis Curse, but we got cut off before I had the chance. From what I've heard and read, Eleanor seemed to be thinking along similar lines. It sounds like you two were quite the success. Speaking of Eleanor, how is she doing?
Now about your name being put in the Goblet. I think you were right. Someone is hoping to get you hurt, maybe even killed, in this tournament. So don't get complacent. You've only completed one task so far. You and Eleanor need to stick close in this competition, keep a look out for each other. If both of your names were put in the Goblet, then you're both a target.
Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.
Sirius
"He sounds exactly like Moody," I said as I tucked the letter back out of sight. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls…"
"But he's right, Harry." Hermione said quietly. "You have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means…"
"Or Eleanor could just tell him what it is." Ron said grumpily.
"Maybe she would if Harry bothered to apologize to her." Hermione said shortly.

Eleanor
It had been two days since I told Malfoy that I wasn’t going with anyone to the Yule Ball. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him why. I had never been bothered before with people not liking how I look, but now it was different.
The scars across my face were difficult to hide without leaving my hair down and pulled over my left shoulder. Thankfully the scars on my leg were covered by the stockings I wore with my uniform, and the ones on my arm were covered by my robes. When it came to my face though, I suddenly felt vulnerable. Like there was now something that upset me each time I thought about it.
When Malfoy asked about the Yule Ball and about Viktor I just felt another pang in my chest. He was the last person I wanted to talk to about what people were saying behind my back. He has to know already, I’m sure he would have taken part in it himself. He made fun of my face before the first task, so why wouldn’t he do the same now?
In the end I was glad to have overheard that conversation in the library though. Now I was aware of what people were saying, so it couldn’t be a surprise later on. It also explained why no one had asked me to the Yule Ball. Now I didn’t have to wait around for someone to perk up the courage, I could just plan on showing up alone.
At least I was prepared for disappointment.
The one thing I wasn’t prepared for, however, was dressing for the Yule Ball. I was hoping that telling McGonagall I didn’t have a partner would be enough for her to me send back to the common room without having to step foot inside the Ball. There was always the chance that she would still make me enter with the other champions though. That meant that I would need a dress.
“Something wrong?” someone asked from behind me.
I looked over the back of the couch I was sitting on to find Malfoy standing behind me. There was one of those confident smirks on his face.
“No.” I told him simply, turning back to the book in my lap, Underwater Protective Enchantments.
“Good,” he said as he rounded the couch and took the seat next to me, “because I have good news.”
“And what would that be?” I asked, only half-listening to his babble.
“I’m going to the Ball with Pansy.” He answered.
“And that’s supposed to be good news?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “How?”
“Jealous?” He asked me.
“Of course not. Why would I ever want to go to a Ball with Pansy?” That one seemed to stump him for a moment.
“That’s not…” he stammered.
“Congratulations on your subpar date, Malfoy.” I muttered.
“Well you seem grumpy.” He retorted.
“And you seem annoying.” I snapped. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone?
“What’s wrong with you lately?” He sounded truly concerned for a moment there, but the ever present smirk on his face was enough to tell me that it wasn’t real concern.
“Nothing. I’m just busy is all.” I answered shortly.
“With what exactly?”
“Preparing for the second task.”
“That’s two months away still.” His gazed moved from me to the book in my hands. “Underwater Protective Enchantments? Why are you...” Malfoy trailed off for a moment and I could see his mind working away. “Wait, is that next task underwater?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I said, stuffing the book under one leg. “Anyways, you’re right. The second task is two months away, and the Yule Ball is in what, four days?”
“Yeah, but is that –“ Malfoy started before I cut him off again. The tournament was another thing I didn’t want to discuss with him.
“I should go find some books on transfiguration then.” I said quickly. “Turn my uniform into a proper dress.”
“Why would you need to do that?” Malfoy asked, but I noticed he wasn’t the only one to perk up when I mentioned a dress. I just barely caught the turning of a girls head from a nearby chair.
“Well I have to wear something for this stupid Ball, don’t I? I don’t really fancy being the only one to show up without a date and without a dress.” I said shortly.
“You’re a Potter, you’re loaded.” Malfoy said. “I mean, not like us Malfoys, but still…”
“No. Harry is loaded. I am not.”
“What is that supposed –“
“You don’t have a dress?” Someone asked from nearby.
I looked around and noticed that girl again, staring at me with her mouth open.
“No, I don’t.” I answered her.
The girl immediately jumped up from her seat and swung her long brown hair over her shoulder as she approached us. She look familiar, but I knew I didn’t have any classes with her. When she reached me she held out her hand.
“Astoria Greengrass. I believe you share a dorm with my sister.” The girl introduced herself.
“Hi, I’m Eleanor Pott-“
“I know who you are. I imagine everyone does.” She cut me off as I shook her hand. “Look, I’m a second year, so I’m not going to the Ball, but I do happen to have a dress you can borrow.”
“Really?” I asked her, unsure why she was being so kind. I may have gained a little bit of respect within Slytherin House for my use of Dark Magic and the way I took out the Hungarian Horntail in the first task, but that didn’t mean they were outright nice to me. They just seemed to finally tolerate me for the most part. Though some people still detested me. That was mostly Pansy. I’m sure I could add Malfoy to that list as well though.
“Of course!” she answered brightly. “Come on!”
With that I was being pulled away toward the dormitories.