"If I was yours? Malfoy you know I will never be yours."
"And why's that?"
"Because we're too different. Come on, I've heard all about your family, I really don't think they'd appreciate you bringing a Gryffindor who grew up around muggles to dinner."
"Is that it? That can't be the only reason."
I took a deep breath. "Your family and all their friends are the reason that my father is dead. They murdered him."
The blood drained from Malfoy's previously flushed face. "So that's it. You think I'm just like them, that I'm a murderer."
"I didn't say that"
"You implied it."
"I'm just saying that you're better suited to someone like Pansy, and I'm better suited to someone like Harry. This would just end in fights and tears."
"There's no 'us' to end." That's when he got up and left me, alone and freezing at the top of the tower.
Harry didn't question me at all the next day. Turns out he'd been too preoccupied with admirers and trying to figure out how to open his egg that he didn't even notice I was gone. I didn't have to worry about hiding anything, as tonight was the night of the Yule Ball and the hall was buzzing with excitement. Ron was eating 6 slices of toast and complaining about his dress robes, Hermione was sat reading as always and Neville was wearing his dress shoes down to breakfast in an attempt to break them in before the big night. I didn't know this ball was happening or I would have prepared better, all I had with me was a simple black dress that mother had sent over, not that I needed anything extravagant, no one would be paying attention to me. No one mattered to me right now except for Harry, who was currently sat beside me reading The Daily Prophet.
The day dragged, we spent most of our time learning how to dance, with McGonagall screaming at us about the importance of representing the house of Gryffindor with grace and decorum. Harry had all the grace and decorum of an elephant, as he stood on my foot for the 10th time. "Sorry" he said, as he saw me wince.
"It's ok, I'm sure you'll get it eventually."
"How come you're so good at it?"
"I don't know really, comes naturally to me I guess."
"Is there anything you're not good at Tori?"
"Hmmmmm, nope!" We both erupted into laughter, which was met with a stern look from McGonnagall, to which Harry quickly grabbed my waist and pulled me towards him again.
After hours of dancing we all headed up to the dorms to get ready. "Hey Victoria, there's a parcel here with your name on it, I thought you already had a dress?" My brow furrowed in confusion as I saw the brown package on my bed.
"Well go on then, open it!" Katie Bell urged and I ripped the paper to reveal the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen in my life.
It was emerald green, silk and tight in all the right places. I slipped it on behind the curtain of my bed and looked at myself in the mirror. It fit like a glove and I loved the feel of the silk against my skin. I went to move the paper to the bin when I saw another package, a small one. I opened it to reveal a necklace. Not any old necklace, a ruby one, the one I saw in Hogsmeade that day with Malfoy. I gasped as I held it, taking in its beauty. I put it on, it completed my look perfectly. I let my hair lay long and straight down my back and headed down to where the boys were waiting for us.
Harry was stood fiddling with his bow tie when he looked up and took a deep breath when he saw me coming down the stone steps that led into the common room.
"Tori.......wow"
Noticing him still fiddling with his bow I stepped forward to do it for him and he didn't take his eyes off of me for one moment. "There" I said, and I looked him up and down. He was dressed in a black suit with a white bow tie, and he looked perfect. I slipped my arm in his and off we headed down to the great hall.
Seeing as Harry was a triwizard champion, we had to enter when everyone else was already in the hall. I took a deep breath and so did Harry as we walked through the crowd to the dance floor. Everyone cheered and I smiled at Harry, who was beaming with excitement. That's when I saw him.
He was stood towards the back of the crowd, but I spotted him easily. He didn't take his eyes off of me at all, as he stood, looking as handsome as I had ever seen him, watching me. That's when I saw her. Pansy Parkinson, clinging onto his arm and shooting daggers at me. How could he come to the ball with Pansy? He knows exactly how I feel about her. This was all to make me jealous, and it was working. Two can play at that game, and I kissed Harry's cheek as we walked past him, to which he looked away frowning and Harry smiled so big I thought he might burst.
Harry's dancing skills hadn't improved and as we waltzed, with everyone watching, we couldn't stop laughing as we tripped and fell all over the place, ending in a sort of dip, Harry's arms shaking as he tried to not drop me. I pulled him into a hug, still laughing, before I checked that Malfoy was looking and pulled Harry into me for a kiss, which he accepted softly.
It was a little while later when Harry had gone to get me a drink when I felt his presence behind me, his warm breath on my neck and his hand on my back.
"Trying to make me jealous are we Greenwood?" He whispered in my ear.