mirrorball

chapter ten

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn, almost as soon as Harry and Cho had squeezed in through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!" Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. Gripping Harry's arm so tightly he might have been hoping to Disapparate with him, Slughorn led him purposefully into the party; Harry seized Cho's hand and dragged her along with him. Clara made eye contact with her secret boyfriend. Harry smiled at her gently and Clara took Draco's hand in hers and walked to the other end of the room. 

"What's wrong with you?" asked Draco, stuffing an appetizer he had taken from one of the house elves' silver trays into his mouth.

"Nothing! It was just getting crowded over there, that's all."

"No doubt it's because of that wretched Potter, everyone wants his autograph now, especially after what happened at the Ministry last spring." Draco replied, still chewing. "Don't know why you hang about his crew, he's completely unbearable."

"Only when he's an oblivious fuck."

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's go talk to Blaise, he looks like he's about to tip over that ice sculpture."

After a good half hour of avoiding Harry and Cho, Clara met up with Hermione.

"Hermione! Hermione!" 

"Clara! There you are, thank goodness! Oh, hello, Malfoy." Draco nodded and his attention was soon on someone across the room.

"What's happened to you?" asked Clara, for Hermione looked distinctly disheveled, rather as though she had just fought her way out of a thicket of Devil's Snare. 

"Oh, I've just escaped — I mean, I've just left Cormac," she said. "Under the mistletoe," she added in explanation, as Clara continued to look questioningly at her. 

"You brought Cormac? Hermione, why-"

Clara was interrupted by two people rushing towards Hermione.

"Hermione, thank Godric."

"Harry! Hi, Cho!"

Cho waved at Hermione and Clara. In return, Clara fixed Cho with the meanest glare she could find, and soon moved that glare over to Harry.

"So," continued Clara, pretending as if Cho and Harry weren't there, "Why exactly did you bring Cormac?"

"You brought Cormac?" asked Harry.

"It's not polite to interrupt, Potter." snapped Clara.

"I thought he'd annoy Ron most," said Hermione dispassionately. "I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole —" 

"You considered Smith?" said Harry, revolted. 

"Yes, I did, and I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him, McLaggen makes Grawp look like a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall. . . ."

The five of them made their way over to the other side of the room, scooping up goblets of mead on the way, realizing too late that Professor Trelawney was standing there alone. 

Clara stood closer to Draco when they got to their destination, and slipped her hand into his. Harry's eyes dropped to their connected hands and met eyes with Clara, his face full of confusion. This confusion quickly turned into anger, and he pulled Cho close to him and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Clara's grip tightened and a yelp sounded from next to her. "What're you trying to maim me or something? I'm going to get some more mead, anyone care to join me?"