Call Me Em

A True Malfoy

Chapter Fourteen: A True Malfoy
***Embry's POV***

"With the Triwizard Tournament comes another tradition," McGonagall smiled at all of us as she spoke. She had gathered all of the fourth year Gryffindors in one of the larger classrooms. She had the girls on one side of the room and all the guys on the other while she stood in the center. I was seated between Hermione and one of Fred's friends from the Quidditch team named Alicia. "The Yule Ball."

"Oh no," I muttered as I let my head fall into my hands.

"It is a chance for all of you to be on your best behavior and to represent our school with honor." McGonagall continued. "It is first and foremost, however, a dance."

"No," I groaned along with some of the boys while most of the other girls squealed in happiness.

As soon as MaGonagall said the word dance I zoned out in unease. A dance meant being dressed up and being dressed up meant wearing a dress which didn't lay well with me. I still only wore long sleeved turtlenecks and pants under my school robes and during the summer. I didn't want anyone to see the marks of my past, for all Cedric knew the only scars I had were the ones on my face and the one from the World Cup, that's how I wished to keep it. I didn't want anyone to see the scars that covered most of my body and I highly doubted I could find a dress that would cover my arms, legs, back, chest, and neck. I really didn't like the sound of there being a dance. My train of thought was broken though when I found a hand in my face and I followed the arm to see that it belonged to George.

"Yes?" I frowned at him.

"We're supposed to be practicing." He nodded behind him. Sure enough I saw pairs of people dancing around the room. Well in some people's cases, Harry, they were struggling to.

"I don't dance." I shook my head as I glanced around the room to spot Hermione practicing with a guy that I didn't recognize, Fred was with Angelina, Neville was with a girl who's name I think is Megan, Ron with another girl I didn't know.

"McGonagall will have a fit if everyone isn't practicing." He shook his head as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. In a minute he was spinning me around and laughing as I struggled to keep up with him. "You really are terrible."

"I don't dance." I kept my eyes on my feet, trying not to step on his.

"Better learn quick for the Ball," his voice was a little bitter now, causing me to look up at him.

"What makes you think I'm going?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Seeing as how the campions have to dance with their date at the start of the Ball and you're Diggory's girlfriend I assumed that you'd be his date." His voice still had the bitterness but he also seemed amused at my obvious annoyance.

"How do you know that the champions have their own little dance?" I stopped dancing and just stood in place, staring at him.

"You really don't listen, do you?" He laughed, it was the first time I'd heard him laugh in a while. "McGonagall told all of us earlier, Harry went a little pale at the news. She even glanced at you, how did you not notice any of that?"

"I was thinking about how to get out of going." I half lied to him. "I was thinking about maybe talking Cedric into teaching me how to fly instead of going. I guess that idea's blown out of the water now though."

"I'd say so." He agreed. "I know a way you could get out of dancing in front of everyone though."

"Care to enlighten me?" I looked up at him expectantly.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" He gave a large smile but it faltered as I stopped dancing where we stood and just looked at him. We were having the first civil conversation we'd had in months and he had decided to go and ruin it like this.