Inferno | Draco Malfoy

020 | PickUp Lines & Mr McLaggen

It's officially December and if I thought November had been cold, then I was very wrong.

The Yule Ball should be coming up. How exciting, a bloody ball. It's a traditional ball that comes with the Triwizard Tournament. If I see one, a single, couple snogging in front of me, I will throw up. The downside is, the ball is on Christmas so, I won't see Mum and Dad again this year because they are forcing me to go to the event. The good thing is, Camden, will be here with me.

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly." I hear a voice from the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall.

Daphne nudges my shoulder, Weasley is holding a rather old-fashioned and frilly dress robe. Let me take a wild guess, from the nineteenth century? Granger snaps the boy out of his confusion and tells him they are for him, the dress robes.

"Seems like the ball is coming up!" Daphne squeals next to me along with the rest of the girls.

As you can tell, I'm just so incredibly happy about this that I just can't stop smiling. Dearie me, should I be nice and reject all the boys who will ask me or should I just be straightforward. Depends on who it is.

"... I expect each and every one of you to impress the other students. The dance will take up the whole night so, don't make foolery out of yourselves." Professor Snape says to us, Slytherins, unenthusiastically. Every student is having the same dance talk and practice with their Head of year, the others are having more fun I believe. "Pair up, test your dancing abilities." He tunes some classical music from the gramophone.

Before any boy could approach me, I grab Daphne who doesn't seem thrilled as I noticed that Blaise was about to ask her.

"You owe me." She rolls her eyes.

"Sorry, put your right hand on my waist."

"Wait, why am I doing the male lead-"

Daphne and I glide through the hall, being one of the pairs that are dancing as friends. Blaise is dancing with Tracey and Theo is with Milly, possibly because he is trying to escape Etain Haine who is dancing with an older year. Being a Lady, I was also given dance lessons when I was little so I don't stumble onto anyone's feet at a ball. Daphne herself must have also been taught, a wealthy family always provides lessons on pretty much everything.

"You know that a majority of the boys will want to go with you, Adria." She giggles. "Who do you want to go with? Perhaps Diggory?"

"I beg your pardon, myself obviously."

There is no way in Merlin's wildest dreams that I, the Lady of Willoughby — Adriana Harlow, will ever allow a boy to dishonour me. I've already set my mind on marriage and that is to not wed. Think about it, if I get married then I lose my position as Lady and I'll become a plain, "Miss". Men are at the bottom tier, nothing will ever be important as my power. Not a chance.

After Snape's boring dance lesson, we are sent back to our lessons. At least I got the chance to miss out on one period of History of Magic. It's not a bad subject, I love history, but with the ghost of Professor Binns, it's awful. (Yes, he's the only ghost who is teaching at Hogwarts. Rumour has it that he just forgot his body one day and left it behind.) His droning voice makes everyone tired and drowsy. But, to make things worse, Granger likes to speak up in his class. I do wonder if she's immune to his voice.

Sitting in the ghost's class, I now have a paper heart because it was flown to me. Already? It's been like five minutes since the official announcement. I unfold the heart quietly though, I doubt Binns would be able to hear me, he's pretty old.

I've never liked the colour green that much. Maybe if you let me look into your eyes under the Yule Ball's lights. I'll change my mind.

D. Thomas