Love Is In The Air: The Angelic Witch And Draco Malfoy (Book 4)

The Yule Ball Dress

It turned out that Heroneka's plan was working. Charlie had written back to her, saying that he would love to be her partner and would be there at Hogwarts on Christmas Eve. Parvati, who shared the dormitory with her, was now flaunting a lot, not failing to mention that Harry had asked her out for the Yule Ball. What Hermione couldn't stop laughing at, was the fact that how Ron had agreed to go with Parvati's twin sister, Padma from Ravenclaw, even though she wasn't the most good-looking girl in the school. He had asked out Fleur Delacour, but she got scared of him because Ron had yelled at her. Then he had run away feeling embarrassed. Ginny Weasley had agreed to go with Neville because she was a third-year and wouldn't be allowed for the Ball if she didn't have a senior partner.

Heroneka had managed to get Pansy away from her Slytherin gang and told her about her plan.

"The boy will be at Hogwarts on Christmas Eve." She told Pansy. "I've invited him to be my partner for the Yule Ball. We can get his wand then."

Pansy seemed rather impressed. "You are smart." She said approvingly. "Does Draco know that you have a sex collar?"

"Yes, he knows everything about it," Heroneka assured her. "What else will we need for the plan?"

Pansy pouted. "You will have to be a bit bitchy. Play a little game."

"Like what?" Heroneka frowned.

"I will tell you during the Yule Ball." She replied. "Just keep an eye out for me. I will take care of the collar once we get hold of that boy."

Heroneka wondered if she should have told Pansy that Charlie wasn't some teenager. He was an adult! He was working with Dragons. But then, she felt like Pansy might back out so she remained quiet.

Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays. None of them was in a mood to work when the term ended and spent the week leading up to Christmas enjoying themselves as fully as possible along with everyone else. Gryffindor Tower was hardly less crowded now than during term-time; it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual. Fred and George had had great success with their Canary Creams, and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all over the place. Before long, however, all the Gryffindors had learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the centre.

Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savoury puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening (Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur). "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

Heroneka remembered what Pansy had told her about Fleur and said it for Hermione.

"She does!" Said Heroneka. "She looks at all of us - the Hogwarts girls - like we are some untouchable mud- I mean mud!! Dirty mud!" She has stopped herself from saying mudblood.

"Who are you both going to the ball with?" said Ron, staring at Heroneka and Hermione.

He kept springing this question on them, hoping to startle the girls into a response by asking it when they least expected it. Heroneka kept saying Nearly Headless Nick every time he did so.