Playing With Potions

*3*

"Well, for one, call me Belle, not Ms. Malfoy. As for me being in just a towel, I was in the shower when Pansy used the toilet, and I told her not to flush, but she flushed the toilet anyway. So I jumped out, grabbed a towel, and chased her here." Belle replied she had wrapped the towel tightly around her. A slight shiver had gone down her spine. She was cold; the room itself was freezing.

"Well then, you shouldn't be running around in a towel. And I won't take points this time. So go get dressed and head to The Great Hall for breakfast," Severus said as he walked past her to his desk. He pulled out his chair and sat, grading a few papers on his desk before beginning his lesson plans. "Oh, and Belle," Severus said. "Don't ever call me that name again," Severus continued grading his papers.

Belle managed to make it back to her dorm without anyone noticing her. She quickly got dressed. Sprinting her way to the Great Hall, she forgot her robes on her bed. After breakfast, it was double potions and then Transfiguration. After the class, Professor McGonagall made an announcement.

'I have something to say to you all.'
'The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish –'

'Dress robes will be required,' Professor McGonagall continued, 'and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then –' Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class. 'The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to let our hair down,' she said disapprovingly.

'But that does NOT mean,' Professor McGonagall went on, 'that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. On the contrary, I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way.'

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor McGonagall called above the noise, ' Potter – a word if you please.' Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone and then said, 'Potter, the champions, and their partners –'

'What partners?' said Harry.

'Your partner for the Yule Ball, Potter,' she said coldly. ' Your dance partners.'

Harry's insides seemed to curl up and wither. ' Dance partners?' he felt himself going red. 'I don't dance,' he said quickly.

'Oh, yes, you do,' said Professor McGonagall irritably.

'That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball.'Harry had a sudden mental image of himself in a top hat and tails, accompanied by a girl in the sort of frilly dress Aunt Petunia always wore to Uncle Vernon's work parties.

'I'm not dancing,' Harry said.

'It is traditional,' said Professor McGonagall firmly. You are a Hogwarts champion and will do what is expected of you as a school representative. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter.'

'But – I don't –'

'You heard me, Potter,' said Professor McGonagall, in a final sort of way.

The rest of the week went by quickly, and with Yule Ball nearing, Belle hadn't picked a date. Harry asked Cho Chang when they ran into each other in a corridor, but she had already agreed to go with Cedric Diggory. Ron announced an invitation to Fleur Delacour under the influence of her Veela charm but then ran away. He then suggested that he attend with Hermione and Harry to take Ginny. Still, Hermione had already — and secretly — accepted Viktor Krum's invitation, and Ginny had agreed to go with Neville. Harry managed to get himself, and Ron dates with Parvati and Padma Patil.

As for Belle, she just tagged along with her brother. Draco's date was all over him. Belle was trying not to vomit, so she left them alone and sat at another table. Everyone was starting to go. Belle didn't even get to dance; she was slightly annoyed. She was about to leave when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw it was Fred.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked; she nodded in agreement; they danced a bit; it was getting late. Fred said goodnight to Belle. Draco had stumbled along somewhere Belle had gone to her room. She drifted away quickly and didn't mind that drunk Draco had crawled into her bed. She woke up the following day to a snoring Draco.