Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Thirty: Who Does She Fancy?

December arrived and the weather proved to be colder than November. Professor McGonagall had herded all of the Slytherins and Gryffindors who were in fourth year and above into a classroom where the desks were pushed aside. She put girls on one side of the room and boys on the other. "Please don't tell me this is sex ed," Maddie whispered, causing me to cover my mouth to stifle my giggles.

"Attention everyone. Now I have brought you all here to inform you about a traditional event that is part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. On Christmas Day, in the evening, there will be the Yule Ball." McGonagall explained. Whispers flew through the crowd, excited girls and complaining boys. "The ball will be for fourth years and older unless you wish to bring a younger student, which is quite fine. Now, Mr. Weasley."

"Yes?" replied Fred, George, and Ron.

"Ronald Weasley. Come out here and I shall demonstrate how to ballroom dance." Ron and McGonagall dancing was a very amusing sight. The twins made it even better by making fun of Ron. I watched them pretend to dance from across the hall and forced myself to keep my giggles quiet. George caught me watching them and winked at me. "Alright now Professor Snape, for somewhat selfish reasons, has asked me to teach the Slytherins to dance too."

"I know why. Do you think my dad would ever dance?" I whispered to Maddie. She giggled.

"So we shall take this opportunity to bring you two houses together. I want all of you to partner up to practice dancing. Gryffindor girls must partner with Slytherin boys and vice-versa."

Groans of complaints were heard throughout the room. The first person to offer to be my partner was Harry, so I accepted. Shortly after agreeing, George had come over to me and was going to ask me to be his partner. When he saw that I was already with Harry, he walked away. "Sorry, Georgie!" I apologized, feeling bad.

I forgot about it once we had to begin dancing though."So who are you going to ask to the ball?" I asked him.

"Oh, well I was thinking of asking Cho Chang."

"The Chinese girl in Ravenclaw?" He nodded. "I think she fancies you too. You should totally ask her."

"Really? Well who do you want to go with?"

"Oh, I was hoping Draco would ask me." Both of us turned to look over at him and Hermione. The two of them had sour expressions.

"I think he'll ask you."

"Really?"

"I may be his enemy, but anyone can tell he fancies you."

I blushed and looked down at our feet. "Katie!" Blaise caught my attention while he passed by with Lavender Brown. He jerked his head to the right and I followed the gesture to find Maddie and Fred Weasley laughing and dancing together.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath.

"That's enough practice now. Everyone is free to go."

I watch Maddie say goodbye to Fred before motioning me to follow her into a corner of the room. "Fred asked me to the Yule Ball! We're a couple now!"

Oh shit. I smiled a false smile and said, "Great."

"So let's go eat. I'm starving."

"Go ahead. I need to do something."

"OK!" She left the room with a spring in her step.

I turned around to go talk to Blaise, but found George walking over to me instead. "Hey Kate, would you mind walking with me to the Great Hall?" he inquired.

"I'd love to, but I need to have a word with Blaise. Sorry!" I replied.

"Oh, alright then, no problem."

"What happened?" Blaise asked, walking up behind me as George left. I silently took his hand and led him to a broom closet a little ways away from the classroom. "Are you gonna tell me?"

"Fred and Maddie are now dating," I told him cautiously. He looked like someone just slapped him in the face. "Lo siento."

"What?"

"It means I'm sorry in Spanish."

"Oh. It's OK. I'll be fine, I guess. At least me and Maddie are friends."

"Way to be positive." We stepped out of the closet and I hugged him before we started towards the Great Hall.

Draco's POV:

I watched as Katie and Blaise left a closet and then embraced each other. Instead of catching up to them, I turned around and took a quicker route to the Great Hall.

"Hey Draco, did you hear about Fred and I?" Maddie asked as I took my seat across from her. I nodded. "What's wrong?"

"I saw Katie and Blaise come out of a closet together and then hug. Are they dating behind our backs?" I asked.

"No, they would never do that."

"Yeah, you're right, but she must fancy him though."

"Katie doesn't fancy Blaise," Maddie shook her head.

"Yeah she does. Look at the signs! So much for asking her to the Yule Ball."

"Draco, she does not fancy Blaise." Maddie repeated in a slow voice you would use with a toddler. "And you should totally ask her to the Yule Ball. Just don't wait too long or she'll have already found a date." Blaise came in and sat down next to her. "Hi Blaise, where's Katie?"

"Krum met us on the way in here. He wanted to ask her something," Blaise explained.

"He's probably asking her to the Yule Ball! Would she say yes to him?" I gasped. "Maybe it's him she fancies."

"I don't know, mate. She's friends with him."

"Yeah, but-oh wait. She likes a Slytherin 4th year so she can't like Krum," I muttered to myself.

However Maddie heard me. "You're the one sending those love notes to her?"

Dang it. "You can't tell her," I begged.

"I won't."

"Me either," Blaise chimed in just as Katie came in and sat down.

"Hey guys," She greeted.

"What did Krum want?" Blaise asked her.

"He needed help knowing the name of a girl he wants to ask to the Yule Ball," she told us.

"Who?" I asked.

"I can't say."

Katie's POV:

We met Viktor along the way to the Great Hall. He asked me to talk with him alone so Blaise continued walking.

"There is this girl I vould like to ask to the Yule Ball. However, I don't know her name," he explained.

"OK, what does she look like?"

"She has curly hair and is a Gryffindor. She's always in the library. I've spent most of my time here in there and noticed she's there almost all the time."

"Oh, well that would be Hermione Granger."

"Hermy-own?"

"No Her-my-own-nee," I spoke slowly.

"OK. Thank you so much Katie."

"You're welcome. I'll see you later." I left and headed to the Great Hall.