The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 18. The Surprise Ball.

Several dances into the evening, Elizabeth got bored. She had agreed to go with Montague so that every boy in Slytherin would stop asking her. She had had no idea at the time that Montague couldn't shut up.

Nadine was no help. She had no date of her own; Elizabeth wasn't even sure if she could dance. With the way Nadine always scoffed at the whole gala surrounding the dance, and never got into any discussions about it, Elizabeth was a bit surprised that she'd showed up at all.

Montague left to dance with someone else, and she spotted Michael heading to the table to get something to drink. On his way, he passed by Nadine. Elizabeth blinked. Nadine calmly extended her foot and tripped Michael. Then she spilled her punch over him.

Michael rolled and jumped up to his feet, wand drawn.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted.

"Is there a problem, Miss Zabini?" Professor Potter approached.

Elizabeth had to do something before a fight erupted and Potter docked twenty points from Slytherin. It wouldn't even be much consolation that he'd dock points from Gryffindor as well. She stepped up.

"Scourgify," she said, cleaning up Michael's robes. "Dance with me, Weasley," she demanded.

He blinked, and she took his arm and dragged him out onto the dance floor. He had no choice but to take her and dance.

He's a good dancer, she thought.

"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"What's wrong with your date? she asked.

"Nothing is wrong with Kate!" he protested.

"So why aren't you with her?"

"Promise to keep quiet?"'

"Uhm..."

"Not a word to anyone. Especially Zabini."

"Uhm..."

"If you don't promise, I can't tell."

"Fine. I will not tell anyone."

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Kate can't dance."

"Is that it?"

"She's feeling bad about it--"

"Oh, no..." Elizabeth whispered, cutting him off.

"What?"

"Turn around."

He did. "Whoa... your father... and Aunt Gabrielle?"

"Not afraid, Weasley?"

"Of what?"

"My father. When he sees us--"

"Who's the scared one, Malfoy? We Gryffindors are famous for our courage. Maybe I could lend you some."

"I am not afraid of my father, Weasley."

He let go of her and stepped back. "Prove it," he said.

"You're the one who's going to get hurt," she replied. Then she stepped forward, placed her hand on his shoulder, and started dancing again.

He smiled again. "I still didn't get an answer. Why did you demand that I dance with you in the first place?"

"I was saving Nadine from a Potter detention," she replied. He laughed. Potter detentions tended to be painful and memorable.

"Potter!" her father said, not quite shouting, but coming close. "Get over here!"

She watched Potter stride up to him. "Fancy seeing you here, Draco. I don't think you've seen my wife in a--"

"Potter, I want you to do something about that." He pointed at them.

"He won't do anything," Michael said.

"About what?" Potter asked mildly.

"That's my daughter!"

"Weasley, you're in--"

"Keep dancing," Michael said.

Oh. Great. My father is going to kill him and I'll have to do this tournament alone.

"I am quite aware of that, Draco, being her teacher."

"Dancing with a Weasley!"

"Is that a crime?"

"He thinks it should be," Elizabeth muttered.

"Potter, wouldn't you be disgusted if that was your daughter out there?"

"Considering that my oldest daughter is ten, yes, I would be. Elizabeth is seventeen, Draco."

"I think--"

"I think your date is getting lonely. Maybe you should rejoin her. Should I even ask how this happened?"

"Nothing's happened yet. Nothing is going to happen. Anyway, can we talk later? In private?"

Elizabeth saw Potter turn grim.

"Not that again..."

"Yes, Potter, that. You can't--"

"Like you said, Draco," Potter said in resignation. "In private."

"What do you think that was about?"

"No idea."

"Fuck you, Longbottom!" a voice said heatedly.

"That's Nadine!" Elizabeth said.

They stopped dancing and headed towards the arguing girls.

"I have no idea why--"

"Kate?" Michael asked. "What did she do?"

"Oh, I see," Nadine smirked. "What did I do? 'Cause Gryffindors are all saints who can do no wrong, right?"

Elizabeth grabbed her best friend and dragged her away. Michael stared for a moment as she pulled her towards the exit and out of the hall, then returned his attention to Kate, who had tears rolling down her cheeks, and led her away.

Furious, Elizabeth said nothing until they reached the Slytherin dorms.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. "First you trip Weasley, then you yell at Longbottom--"

"And you have a problem with either of those things? You never have before before!"

"That's not the point. The point is, I had to pull your ass out of the fire by dancing with Weasley!"

"You looked like you enjoyed it!"

"That's not the point, either. I--"

"I think it is! You're just mad I interrupted your little--"

"Oh, when did you become so stupid, Zabini?"

"You're calling me stupid?"

"Attacking Michael Weasley is stupid. You didn't even have your wand. That's--"

"And you did? Why--"

"Potter advised--"

"Do you always listen to Potter? If you do, how did you manage to get so many detentions from him? Perfect Potter--"

"Shut up! I don't know why you hate Potter, and I don't care! At least he's a competent teacher. Unlike Greengrass, who's supposed to be our head of house."

"Go back to the stupid Ball, Malfoy! Go back to Weasley!"

"Fine!" She got up. "If you won't explain what's wrong, don't expect me to help!" She slammed the door on her way out. She wished she had controlled her temper, but she also wished Nadine told her, plainly, what was wrong. And insinuating she liked Weasley in that way! The nerve of her! Especially since it couldn't be further from the truth.