Henrietta Potter || Draco Malfoy

14 - The Girl in the Red Dress

"Oh my God, Hermione - you look bloody gorgeous!" I exclaimed as she came out of the bathroom, into our dorm.

She giggled in a very un-Hermione like way.

"So do you Etta, Cedric's not going to recognise you!"

The truth is I didn't even recognise me. I looked in the mirror at my reflection. My long red ballgown hugged at curves I never realised I had before. Instead of my usual messy knot, my hair hung loosely in black waves down my back. But the biggest difference was my glasses - I wasn't wearing them.

Hermione had persuaded me to wear contacts. I wasn't keen on them and felt naked without glasses sitting on my nose.

"Trust me - you look beautiful," Hermione assured me as I tugged nervously at my dress.

Together, we walked down to the Entrance Hall where everyone was gathering for the Ball. We walked right past Ron who was dressed in some really ugly looking dress robes. The dipstick didn't even seem to notice us.

I spotted Cedric and wished Hermione luck before drawing up to the handsome Hufflepuff and tapping tentatively on his back.

He span around and I noticed his eyes widen in amazement.

"Etta?" His mouth hung open as I nodded, smiling. "You - you look stunning."

"Thank you," I blushed, "you don't look too bad yourself, you know."

He leant in, kissing my cheek. I felt a tiny thrill zip right through me. "I'm the luckiest guy at the ball," he whispered in my ear.

My pulse started racing and I thought my heart would just burst through my chest.

And when the champions were called through, I allowed Cedric to place a hand to the small of my back as he guided me across the Entrance Hall, ready to make our grand appearance.

***

Draco Malfoy was disgruntled. He really wasn't looking forward to the prospect of a ball.

Pansy, on the other hand, wouldn't shut up about it. She kept dancing around him asking him how she looked.

She just looked like Pansy, but in a dress. What did the woman want him to say?

As they walked arm in arm from the Slytherin common room, Draco briefly wondered who Potter was going with.

No doubt she would steal all the attention as usual.

He looked over at the mass of students in the Entrance Hall, all dressed up and chattering excitedly to one another.

His eyes rested upon the girl in the red dress standing with Cedric Diggory. He could only see her from behind but he could already tell she was beautiful. Her long black hair fell in waves down her back and as she turned her head to except a kiss from Diggory, Draco couldn't help but notice the perfection of her profile.

He literally couldn't take his eyes off this girl.

He supposed she must have been from one of the visiting schools. He certainly didn't recognise her.

He looked on enviously as Diggory led her away towards the ball. Evidently sensing his attention was elsewhere, Pansy clutched tightly at his arm, reminding him who he was here with.

They followed the crowds into the Great Hall where the ball was set up. Draco sighed as they were instructed to line up to allow the champions and their dates to pass in procession. It was all such a bullshit production.

He looked around for Potter, wondering where she had got to. Typical that she wanted to make some kind of dramatic entrance.

The champions approached, Diggory leading with the girl in the red dress. Draco held his breath in anticipation as they neared, eager to get a closer look at her.

The girl turned to look at him as she drew up beside him. Their eyes met and Draco's mouth fell open in horror.

It was Potter.

***

I looked on in glee at Draco's shocked expression. He hadn't recognised me. It was a delightful feeling seeing him work out who I was.

I smirked as his jaw dropped. Pansy clung possessively on to his arm looking positively furious at me.

Feeling euphoric, I gave them both a little wave of my fingers as we moved in.

"Are you holding up okay?" Cedric asked, as we walked into the middle of the dance floor with the other couples.

"I think so," I smiled nervously as Cedric's hand went to my waist, ready to waltz. "I just hope I don't mess this up."

"You'll be fine," he whispered huskily in my ear, "just follow my lead."

As soon as the first notes of music sounded, he clasped my hand in his and began to expertly lead me into the steps. I kept my eyes firmly on Cedric's as I tried my best not to cock up.

I was relieved when the music came to an end. I was starving and just wanted to sit down and eat.

"You were brilliant," Cedric whispered in my ear as he lead me to the champions table. I giggled feeling rather giddy.

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but menus lying in front of each of them. I picked mine up uncertainly, looking around - there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"

And pork chops appeared. Wow - I was liking this very much. I glanced quickly at the menu in my hand and instantly saw what I wanted, "Lasagna!"

Cedric smiled at me as I instantly got stuck in, shovelling forkfuls of lasagna greedily into my mouth.

"Hungry?" He asked. He still hadn't even picked his menu up.

I slowed down, realising this wasn't a good look for a date. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and as I looked up, I was met with a pair of cold grey eyes from across the hall.

Draco was sat with Pansy at one of the little round tables and he was giving me an odd look. I couldn't read it, but he didn't remove his eyes from me until Pansy nudged him.

Shrugging my shoulders, I looked across at our own table. Hermione, who came as Viktor Krum's date was talking animatedly with him. Behind her, I saw Ron glaring angrily from a distant table, not taking his eyes off of Krum.

This ball was certainly making everyone act strangely.

I turned my attention back to my own date. Cedric was now tucking into a bowl of some sort of salad. I wrinkled my nose at it.

"That's not proper food!" I exclaimed. "Aren't you hungry?"

Cedric's eyes twinkled, and he put his fork down. "Truth be told, I can't eat when I'm nervous."

"But we've done the dance, we can just enjoy ourselves now."

"It's not the dancing that I was nervous about," he said, not quite meeting my eye.

"Oh?"

"It's you. I really like you, Etta," his cheeks turned a slight shade of red.

I didn't know what to say. I suddenly felt rather awkward.

"I quite like you too," I said quietly.

And, as Cedric and I exchanged coy smiles, the both of us blushing furiously, Draco Malfoy watched on scowling, wondering why he suddenly wanted to punch Cedric Diggory right in his pretty boy face.

***