Marauders - Always - Part One

CCXIV: A Fourth Task

The posters were on the bulletin boards in all four common rooms, outside the Great Hall, and randomly taped to the walls throughout the main lessons corridors. In a bit of fun from the Weasley twins, there were also several rolled-up copies found inside of the boiled eggs on the breakfast table.

The Yule Ball that had been promised as a part of the festivities accompanying the Triwizard Tournament was nearing at last, and someone had created a confectionary-pastel poster with a witch and a wizard dancing to remind everyone.

"Just imagine Filch making that! With all the soft and fuzzy colors and the like?" Michael McManus was saying as he and Malcolm Pearce played at a bit of quidditch in the corridor with a balled up copy they'd plucked from the wall.

"Oh PLEASE if there are gods above with ears to hear, if it is Filch who's made 'em, let me find out!" Herbert faux-prayed, flinging himself to his knees and clasping his palms before Cedric, who nearly tripped over his mate.

"You idiot," Cedric chuckled.

"Who're you going with, Ced?"

"I dunno, mate, it's over holidays. I wanted to go home and spend the holiday with my dad," Cedric replied.

"What and not go?" Michael asked, shocked enough he missed catching the paper ball snitch as Malcolm tossed it at his head.

Cedric shook his head. "Otherwise my Dad's all alone for the holiday..."

"I'm 'fraid you'll haven't a choice, Ced," Malcolm drawled. "It's tradition the Champions do some special dance at the thing."

Cedric stopped in his tracks and turned to Malcolm. "What on Earth for?"

"Got me beat," Malcolm said, catching the balled up poster as Michael lobbed it at him. "Probably showing off you're cultured as well as brawny or something."

"And what if he's neither?" Herbert joked.

Cedric was panicked looking, "I don't dance."

"Well on December 24th you will," Malcolm said, unfurling and waving the poster in all its horrid pastelness.

Cedric stared at the poster, coming to a stop in the hall, the others walking on. Herbert realized Cedric had come to a stop and turned back, flinging his arm about Cedric's shoulders. "Ahoy, are you alright, Captain?"

"I don't dance, Herbert," Cedric said, looking up at his friend.

Herbert grinned, "Consider it a fourth task."

Cedric scowled.

Herbert's eyes twinkled, "If you'd like you can have me as your date and my dancing will be so wildly ridiculous that no one will notice your robotic step-step-slide." He grinned as Cedric raised an eyebrow. "This is the rhythm of the night oh yeah, this is the rhyyythmn of my liffffe..." Herbert shook his hips and started dancing a bit of an imagined conga as Cedric wheeled away.

"You are - absolutely - absurd," he said between laughs as Herbert did a rolling motion with his arms and pranced after Cedric as they continued on to the Great Hall.

Cho Chang tugged on the ribbon she had magicked into her hair, staring into the mirror and assessing her appearance carefully. She tilted her head as though asking a question, then shook her head and silently played as though speaking with a friend, watching how the ribbon reacted to the movements. When it stayed in place, even having bent down to lift a stack of books and root through her book bag, she nodded at herself, satisfied with the no slip charm she'd cast, and slipped her bag - shaped like a rabbit - over her shoulders. With a flick of her wand she closed the shutters on her way out the door.