Hidden Talent

Chapter 24

Christmas Day had seemed to sneak up on Jack rather quickly. After the disaster that was the shopping trip and his Mother finding out what exactly he'd been doing in his free time, Jack had been spending the last couple days leading up to the Ball studying and trying to get some of his mountain of homework done. Trying to work his way back into his Mom's good-graces again.

It didn't work obviously.

She wasn't about to let go of the fact that he'd spent nearly 3 years putting himself in danger constantly, but at least she was able to put it aside so she could be her normal, excitable self on his 'Big Day'.

"Oh, my Baby Boy looks so grown up!" Lucy squealed, pinching the Goth's already flustered cheeks as he entered the Living room in his new gold and black three-piece suit.

"You look so dapper!" she cooed, pulling a camera from her purse before taking a couple rapid shots of the teen "That Cedric boy wont be able to resist you in it!"

"Mom, quit it!" Jack groaned, readjusting his golden tie self-consciously for the fifth time since putting it on "We need to go; I promised the guys we'd meet-up before heading to the Ball"

"Aww~! Do you want to make a grand-entrance at the castle for your date, Sweetie?" Lucy asked as she straightened the teens gold-trimmed lapels. She'd wanted to do the same thing on her first date, wanting to make an awe-inspiring entrance like they do in movies. It's too bad expectations never lived up to reality.

"No!" Jack scoffed; he was gay, not some teenage girl! "Cedric went back earlier today and I have to meet up with my friends to make sure Johnny doesn't make a run for it!"

"Why would he run from something as fantastic as his first school dance?"

"He has a phobia of dancing" Jack stated bluntly.

"The poor boy is scared of people dancing?"

"No. he's terrified of making a fool of himself since he's a really bad dancer" Jack explained, heading towards the fireplace so they could Floo to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade "We found a charm that might help, but just in case we need to be there to drag him in"

"...If you say so, Sweetie"

--------------------------

Hogsmeade was a bustle of activity when the two arrived, hordes of students mingling around waiting for the school carriages to arrive and take them to the Yule Ball. Many of them having come by the Hogwarts Express or Apparition.

The Scottish school must of seemed pretty dead recently if so many of its students went home for the Christmas Holidays. Jack had to feel sorry for Fleur and Gabrielle since they and the other visiting schools were expected to stay there until after the Tournament.

After scouring mass of students wearing colourful dress robes Jack was finally able to spot his friends slightly off to the side of the gathering. It was only possible thanks to Hikaru's unusual choice of wearing a slick white suit and blue shirt, making the Japanese teen stand-out in a sea of dark robed male students.

"Hikaru, Johnny, Ling!"

"Hay, Jack!" Ling grinned, throwing an arm over the Goth's shoulders "Nice outfit" he stated, looking over Jack's gold-trimmed, three-piece suit.

"Thanks"

"Are these your friends, Honey?" Lucy asked, smiling sweetly at the group of 14 year old; happy to be able to meet the first friends her baby boy had been able to make. Her Jackie had always been such a shy boy and it was nice to know that coming to Hogwarts had a positive impact on him "Lucy Spicer, Jack's mother"