Harry Potter and the Dream of Fate

Chapter Fifteen

*The Ball*

"That was so amazing!" Persephone squealed when she entered the castle. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Oh, so very much!!!" she said as she removed Harry's now muddy robes. Harry looked at her and had to stifle a laugh. She was covered in mud from head to toe. Her cheeks and the bridge of her nose where the most covered, and her hair was matted at the ends, but she had a smile that shimmered through all the mud. She was truly happy. "So sorry about your robes, though. I seriously didn't see that puddle--"

"No problem, now try to be quiet. We'll get in trouble if we get caught. Wow, it's already midnight,"

"We have to stop meeting like this, Harry, people might start to talk.." she said dramatically, giggling all the way back to the common room.

Harry entered the dormitory as quietly as he could, so he wouldn't wake anyone. When he got in he noticed that Ron's curtains weren't drawn back, but it was too dark to see if he was sleeping. He assumed he was since he was quiet.

Harry got into his bed and was about to slowly turn to fall asleep when, "And where were you?" Ron whispered.

"She knows how to fly now," Harry replied.

"Oh, I see," Ron whispered earnestly.

"Do you know who she's going to the ball with?" Harry asked Ron.

"No, who?"

"Draco Malfoy," Harry said heavy hearted.

"No way..." was all that Ron managed to say.

"She did it just to spite, me. I know she did. But she should have been smarter than that. I mean, he's just not right.."

"Harry, it's none of your business, really. After all, you did say no. Don't tell me you're having regrets..."

"No, of course not. But if she gets into trouble because of him, at least she can't say I didn't warn her."

"Right," Ron agreed drowsily.

"So, you had a date right away. Don't tell me there's something about you and Hermione I didn't pick up on..."

"Shut up, Harry! I just didn't want to get stuck going with Padma, again. Ugh, she can be so stuck up."

"Right," Harry agreed groggily.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"You're good, very good, but not good enough..." Persephone said.

"Not good enough? I believe you're wrong little girl, I've been playing chess ever since I was tiny."

"Persephone, come on! We have to get ready for the ball. You can play chess with Ron anytime," Hermione said dragging Persephone away from the game. It wasn't easy.

"No, but I was gonna win! Oh, I'm gonna win!!"

"Pity, really," Ron said as he waved goodbye to her.

"You're lucky, game boy, but tomorrow's another day!"

Hermione pulled Persephone up the stairs four hours before the ball began. Persephone didn't take this lightly.

"What are we going to do for four hours? Honestly, Hermione. I can only apply mascara so many times!"

Hermione chose to ignore her, and continued. "Those are your school robes," she said pointing at a black mound on her bed. "you should change them to some dress robes, you can do that, right?"

"No sweat," Persephone nodded and got to work.

"Very well, transfigure that into your dress robes, and grab some shoes to match. We've still got a lot of work to do."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Ron and Harry decided to get dressed about twenty minutes before the ball, as usual. Harry slipped his robes over himself as he thought about Cecile. She was so beautiful; surely he had the best date there. If she looked so wonderful in school robes, imagine all dressed up. He got very nervous. What if he didn't live up to her expectations, what if she only said yes out of pity, what if... 'I can't worry about that stuff now,' he thought to himself and descended the stairs with Ron.

They stood in the dormitory a while and decided to sit down. After a while of short conversation, they heard footsteps coming down the girl's dormitory stairs. However, it was neither Hermione or Persephone, or Parvarti or Lavender, it was two first year girls. One was in purple, the other in a pretty blue. They were all decked out for the ball, and when they walked by Harry and Ron, Ron choked on something. "What is that smell?" he gasped. The girl in the purple turned to face him.

"Oh, you must be referring to my new perfume," she said smartly.

"Perfume?" Ron choked, "That stuff could stun a person! Why do you put that on?"

She said in a high tone, "In order to be a princess, you must smell like one. Come on Michelle, Dennis and Kevin are waiting." After that a very nervous Dennis came down and accompanied both girls, the one in the blue was going with a Ravenclaw named Kevin Reeves. The minutes after that ticked slowly. Harry was supposed to meet Cecile at eight o' clock, but he still had ten minutes, and he didn't want to look desperate.

Ron looked very comfortable; after all, he was going with Hermione. A very sick feeling was creeping into Harry's stomach. One he had scolded himself for having, as he tried to shove it away. Persephone was going with Draco. Why did he care? Honestly! It was none of his business and...

Someone was coming down the girl's dormitory stairs. Harry couldn't recognize her at all, but she seemed familiar. She was wearing pearl colored dress robes, with a sheer chiffon lining covering the front. Baby pink rose petals floated aimlessly around the hem of the robes, and the sleeves grew out towards her wrists. Her hair was a mess of curly black ink, surrounded by a crown of small pink roses that sunk into her tresses. She had a golden chain that hung from her neck with a small pendant that rested neatly on her chest. Harry was completely taken aback. She fumbled with high heeled, thin-strapped sandals that were exactly the same color of her robes, as she clumsily came down the stairs. She smiled and her porcelain white skin glowed, and Harry released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

She was walking towards them, when it suddenly hit Harry who she was, like a giant speeding freight train. "Hey Persephone," he breathed.

"Hey!" she greeted them, as she twirled around, "What do you think?"

"Beautiful," Harry muttered but quickly changed his tone. "Not bad," he said, and smiled.

"Wow," Ron said, "you've changed..."

"Thank you, thank you," she said and clapped her hands together. "Now, I've seriously got to go, I don't trust Draco out there by himself. See you guys later, I guess," she said with a wave and got leaving. It just didn't seem right to Harry that she was going with Draco, and he had to admit, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Cecile would really have to be something to top that. Harry shook his head. He was supposed to be concentrating on Cecile, not plain old Persephone.

Hermione came back shortly after, looking absolutely stunning as well, however there was something about Persephone that he couldn't get out of his mind. "Must be hormones," he thought to himself with a laugh.

* * * * * * * * * *

Persephone walked out of the portrait hole and Draco was waiting for her, a few feet away from the entrance. However, he was not alone. Chatting away flirtatiously was Cecile, wearing blood red dress robes, which clung neatly against her well-formed figure. Persephone had to admit that she looked gorgeous. He hair was pin strait, resting on her shoulders, and flipped out towards the ends, she had a large red daisy behind her ear, contrasting with her golden hair. Her lips were as red as her dress, and she had silvery eyelids and very black, curled lashes. However, none of this made Persephone change her mind about Cecile. She was still plain weird.

Persephone said, "Hello, Draco..." as she neared him, completely ignoring Cecile.

"Hello," he said, in an irritated tone, "this is Cecile."

"Yeah, I know. Isn't Harry supposed to meet you at the Ravenclaw tower, or whatever?" Persephone asked.

"Yes, well, I decided to save him the trip, and Draco was out here, we were just talking about you," Cecile said and flashed a brilliant smile that Persephone didn't return.

"Good thing I didn't overhear you then, lessgo," she said and took Draco's arm and led them out.

"I take it you don't like Cecile very much," Draco said as they neared the Great Hall.

"I take it you're right," she replied.

"Well, at least you look presentable..."

"Yeah, you look nice, too."

* * * * * * * * * *

As Ron and Hermione greeted each other, Harry excused himself and told them that he would meet them at the ball, he just had to get Cecile. He just hoped that he still remembered where Ravenclaw was. But he didn't make it very far, because right outside the portrait hole, was her, wearing a red dress, just like she said she would. Harry let out a breath, this time he knew he was holding it. She smiled and so did Harry. She walked towards him and took his arm, and automatically headed for the ball. Harry was speechless.

"...But I was supposed too..." he muttered off, Cecile answered him.

"I decided to come here first, you're not mad...are you?"

"Of course not!" Harry exclaimed, and he started to relax again. But something was still bothering him. Here was Cecile, and she looked fabulous, and he liked her...but why wouldn't Persephone's image get out of his mind!

"Are you okay, Harry?" she said soothingly to him. "You look distracted."

"No, just a little nervous, I guess."

"You don't have to be nervous," she said with a giggle, "we're going to have a blast, I guarantee it."

* * * * * * * * * *

The ball was packed with students, and it was hard to just walk around. Ron and Hermione found Harry and Cecile at a nearby table and sat down. They quickly started a conversation, and before long, everyone was chatting like life-long friends. But something was still bothering Harry.

He scanned the perimeter to see where Persephone was sitting, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Cecile.

"Harry, what's the matter?" Cecile asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Harry said and shook his head.

"If you're looking for your friend," she said a bit miffed, "she's over there." She pointed to a large green table on the other side of the hall, half hidden behind the large mob of dancing students. Sure enough, Draco was there, Persephone at his side. She looked so out of place there, surrounded by the dark goons, and she simply radiated. She laughed a bit, but Harry could tell it was forced, he wondered if she was enjoying herself at all, when he saw Draco get up and walk towards the punch table. Cecile broke the silence.

"Let's go dance!" she said and dragged Harry up to the dance floor. Dancing was not one of his strong points, and he became very much flustered. He seriously didn't want to make a fool of himself, especially in front of Cecile, so he just listened to the music, and tried to move a bit gracefully. He wasn't really succeeding.

"Relax," Cecile whispered in his ear, "the secret is to just let it flow..." She moved around Harry, swaying her hips and shoulders to the music. Her moves were close to perfect, and Harry just parked himself in that spot and swung himself around as Cecile did all the fancy work. Then something caught his eye.

Draco Malfoy was standing over the punch bowl, with two glasses. One was on the punch table, the other in his hand, and he was stirring it with a thin glass rod that had not been on the punch table. Harry came to a halt, not something too difficult nor noticeable to do, and watched him closely. He walked back to the table, and handed Persephone a glass, the glass, the one he was stirring. Harry jolted from that spot, leaving Cecile spinning on the dance floor, and before Persephone could take a single drop, he knocked it out of her hands. Letting the murky red liquid spill over the lap of her pearly white robes.

First there was silence. Then there was loud laughter erupting from both sides of the table, and a loud exasperated sigh from the one on the left. "Brilliant, Potter, simply brilliant! Since you had to make a fool of yourself on the dancing, you simply had to make a fool of someone else. But one of your friends, Potter? One of the very few who--"

Smack

Persephone lowered her hand and put it over the spot in her robes. She could barely cover it with her hands, but she fidgeted with her fingers until she did. She closed her eyes and muttered a couple words, and slowly the red liquid disappeared into thin air. Persephone opened her eyes, a satisfied look on her face, and she wiped herself off. "Don't fuss about the little things, and everything is a little thing," she said to Draco, and a red mark was appearing on his cheek. "I'm sorry about that, really, but you didn't even give Harry a chance to explain himself. Harry," she said looking pointingly at him, "tell me why your almost ruined my perfect robes?"

"I, uh, I..." he didn't know what to say. He couldn't accuse Malfoy because he might have been wrong, and he seriously didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of all the Slytherines. But the clock was ticking, and Persephone looked impatient and he didn't have anything. "I need to talk to you, can we go for a walk?"

Persephone got up from her seat and looked at Malfoy. "Do you mind?" she asked him.

"Just go," he said, "it's not like you'd stay anyway." He took a seat. Persephone walked around the table and met up with Harry. They walked out of the doors and it was very calm and comfortable outside. There were winding bushes and benches and couples who looked quite busy, so they kept on walking until they found a spot where they'd be somewhat alone. They took a seat, and for the first time tonight, Harry was perfectly comfortable.

"So, what's up?" she asked.

"Nothing," Harry said.

"Nothing? You brought me all the way out here for nothing?"

"I saw Malfoy stirring your drink, so I reacted. He may have put something in it."

"Oh..." she muttered. "Thank you, I suppose, but why would he drug my drink?"

"I don't know, because he's Malfoy."

"Oh come on," she began, "just because he reacts without thinking doesn't mean he's evil, you know. I mean how many times have I --" She was interrupted because Harry put a finger on her lips.

"I really don't want to discuss Malfoy," he said quietly.

"Okay," she said softly and for a while they sat there without speaking, each lost in each other's thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Hermione, would you care to dance?" It took about every fiber in Ron's body to make him say that. He really didn't care much for dancing, but he could see Hermione eyeing the couples on the floor with a certain yearning in her eyes. He couldn't bore her.

"Yes!" she replied and took his wrist quickly and led him to the floor. Ron didn't know what to do, and Hermione, being as bright as she is, picked up on it. She chuckled a bit to herself and took Ron's hand. "Here," she motioned him forward and put his hand on her waist. It was a slow song, to Ron's liking, since it was much harder to dance to fast pace music. She took his other hand and held it, while she placed her right hand on his shoulder. His ears began to turn pink.

"Now all you have to do is step towards me," she explained, "I'll lead since your new at this." Actually, it went very well. Ron learned the slow dance quickly and only stepped on her feet a couple times. Hermione smiled as they made they're way around the other couples, lost in the music.

"I heard you didn't want to go with Padma," she said airily.

"Of course I didn't, she was very stuck up," Ron retorted.

"Uh huh," she said.

"It's the truth, she was always egging me on to dance with her, and I do believe her nose was a bit off kilter."

"Oh, come off it, Ron! Her nose was perfect! She was just too social for you, wasn't she?"

"Was not!" He replied quite loudly, since the music stopped at that moment. Once the fast music returned, there was a very awkward pause. Of which Ron suggested, "Fancy a walk?"

Hermione nodded and they headed outside.

* * * * * * * * * *

Persephone yawned and Harry looked over at her. She was leaning back against the bench, her hands where on her lap and she was fidgeting with her thumbs. She looked completely bored. She looked over at him and saw him staring. She smiled and then her eyes adverted to the side, and she let out a small gasp. "Harry let's go," she said quickly.

"What? Why?" He looked back and saw Ron and Hermione walking down the path. They sat down on a bench a few yards away from them; they hadn't noticed they were there. "Hey, it's Ron and Hermione," Harry said, "let's go say --"

"No, we are going," she said quickly and took his hand. Harry pulled it away.

"Why? Let's go say--"

"I'll explain everything when we leave, come on!" and she got up and without even touching him, Harry could feel a hug tug forward and was forced to follow her.

"Persephone, controlling other people is one of the Unforgivable Curses!" was all he got to say before his mouth clamped shut.

She led them farther down the trail until there was nearly no one there. And after apologizing for shutting his mouth and apologizing for the swelling on his bottom lip from the surge of magic, they were on speaking terms.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't think Ron and Hermione really want to be disturbed right now," she said quietly.

"What do you mean, they're our friends..."

"Harry, don't even tell me you don't see it! Oh my God, you don't! And he's your best friend, you mean, he hasn't even mentioned anything..."

"Mentioned what?" Harry said in pure bewilderment.

"Harry, next time you talk to Ron, alone, ask him about Hermione okay? Just ask him and look at his eyes and record what you see."

"You don't mean..."

Persephone put a finger to his lips, "Shh, we really shouldn't be talking about it." Harry looked at her, she looked wonderful, and yet she was out here, AWAY from the party. He felt a little guilty.

"Your bored aren't you? I'm sorry for ruining your night, you really should get back to the party," he muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Well, I kind of like it better out here than in there. I mean, Draco wasn't horrible or anything, but it was so uncomfortable with them watching my every move and everything."

"You didn't even get to dance, though."

"That's okay, I don't know how anyway."

"You don't?" he asked.

"No, I mean, I really didn't have time to pick up ballroom dancing in New York, okay?"

"No, it's just, I don't know how either." There was a small pause where Harry felt his face turn red.

"Then, um, wanna dance?" she asked him extending her hand.

"But we just discussed this..."

"I know, so I won't feel like an idiot, I get it if you don't want to."

"No, I guess you're right. Um..." It was very awkward starting off without music, but Persephone fixed that.

"Cause its a bittersweet symphony, that's life,

Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you die,

I took you down the only road I've ever been down,

You know the one that takes you to the places where all the things meet, yeah,

No change, I can change, I can change, I can change

but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold

but I'm a million different people from one day to the next

I can change, my mold, no no no no no"

She smiled and Harry felt totally at peace, and before he knew it, the audience was at peace too.

They swayed like her satiny black dress and her pin straight hair, as they heard her voice echo through the Great Hall. Harry couldn't believe that just yesterday, she was singing this to him as they floated through that garden. Harry didn't even know if he fell asleep that night, but here he was, cheering her on, as she continued..

"Well I'm here alright but tonight I'm on my knees yeah,

I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah,

I let the melodies shine, let it cleanse my mind,

I feel free now,

But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now,

No change, I can change, I can change, I can change,

but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold

and I'm a million different people from one day to the next,

I can change my mold, no no no no no

I can change...I can change

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, that's life..

Trying to make ends meet, trying to find somebody then you die,

I took you down the only road I've ever been down

You know the one that takes you to the places where all the things meet, yeah

Ya know I change, I can change, I can change, I can change,

but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold

And I'm a million different people from one day to the next

I can change, my mold, no no no no no....."

Slowly the music faded and Persephone disappeared into a cloud of smoke. After that there was massive applause and Persephone reappeared shortly after, in her chair, still in her slimming satiny black dress, little beads of sweat on the top of her forehead and she smiled.

"You were wonderful!" Hermione whispered. Persephone looked over at Harry and he simply nodded. She smiled and watched the other contestants.

*Author's Notes*

HUGE writer's block...well, perhaps a bit of laziness too. I really love my story, I do, but it's just that it took me forever to find words to put this chapter together... it would really make a great movie if you ask me. The transition between the lyrics for those who are confused... when the text is normal, she's in the garden with Harry, when it's italicized, she's on the stage singing, the night has already gone by and she's performing. I made it a transition because it was important I used the song for both scenes and that's the way Harry pictures it. He forgets the night even went by.

The song is very important for those who want to make predictions for the ending. I like the rhythm and the lyrics are practically a perfect match for the ending, so this song is a huge bit of foreshadowing. So if you skipped the lyrics, I suggest you go back and read them.

Thank you everyone for your support on this story, you messages of encouragement keep me writing, and for those who hate the story...no one's holding up a gun to your head to read it. This is my fan fiction and there are plenty other ones out there. THANKS!