yule ball

friends?

Draco was rushing to dinner, eager to tell Pansy about his progress, when he heard a giggle erupt from a corridor behind him. His curiosity taking over, he peered around the corner to see Potter talking to Cho Chang. He was blushing and stuttering something out, that Draco was too far away to hear.

Cho went red then, and sheepishly told him something. Potter's face dropped and he quickly put on a fake smile, waving goodbye to Cho and walking towards Draco. He quickly pretended to be walking in Potter's path.

They collided a bit harder than Draco had expected, and Potter fell to the ground with a yelp. He lay there for a second, rubbing his head, before Draco realized he should probably help and extended a hand. Potter took it and was on his feet in an instant.

"You okay?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Potter added as an afterthought, "Asked Cho Chang to the Yule Ball."

"Oh." Draco said. "I'm guessing she didn't say yes?"

"Yeah," Potter said. "And I don't exactly have anyone to go with, and the dance's in a couple of days, and I really need a partner, except there's no one who really wants to go with me... why am I telling you this?"

"Because we're trying to be civil, Potter."

"If we're going to be friends, we at least need to call each other by our first names, Draco." Harry half-smiled as he said Draco's name.

"Okay... Harry."

"That felt weird." Harry laughed.

"Yeah," Draco smiled, and Harry looked shocked. "Why so surprised, P- Harry?"

"You smiled." Harry said with disbelief.

"I've smiled before." Draco said indignantly.

"I wasn't sure about that." Harry shook his head.

The conversation lulled, and Draco thought, Now or never.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something." Draco braced himself. "I don't have a date to the ball either. So I was thinking that we could just go together, get it over with?"

Harry's eyes went wide, and he stepped back. "Okay, this is definitely a joke."

Draco held his hands out in surrender. "No, no, no, no. Absolutely not."

"You can't mean to tell me that you think it's a good idea to go to the ball together?" Harry said, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm just saying it might be funny-"

"To humiliate me in front of the entire school." Harry interrupted.

"To..." Draco grasped for a reason. "See their faces! Imagine how bewildered they'd be."

Harry looked skeptical. "How do I know this isn't a joke on me?"

Draco wanted to strangle Pansy.

"I'll ask you to the dance... in front of the entire school!"

Harry looked interested.

"They'll be so confused when you say yes. And then you'll know it's not a joke."

Harry paused. "I could never pass up on an opportunity to humiliate you. Fine. We'll go to the Yule Ball together." He laughed a little at his last words, as if he couldn't believe he was saying them. "But you better come up with the best way to ask me ever."

Draco nodded, but Harry had already turned around and started heading to the Gryffindor Tower, leaving Draco to wonder just what he had gotten himself into.