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The music in the great hall was reaching a crescendo and Harry once again inelegantly stepped on Parvati Patil’s foot. This time she didn’t make a noise, she just grimaced and forcibly looked away from Harry. For not the first time that evening Harry wished that the dancing could have been done on a broomstick, then he would have been graceful.
Harry’s gaze was firmly fixed on the top curve of Parvati’s left ear after she had turned her head. It made for a slightly better concentration point that the single lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead, Parvati had kept trying to catch his stare which had not helped his dancing abilities as he tactfully avoided her gaze.
How could anyone possibly make eye contact with their partner when they were trying to concentrate on what their feet were doing?
Parvati let out a gasp loud enough that Harry broke his ear-based focus. Across the magically snow speckled dance floor was a single couple in the throws of an exaggerated dip. The woman was giggling as her dark hair kissed the polished floor, while one heeled foot arched up dramatically to the sky. But it was the gentleman that caught Harry’s eye.
The man was tall and broad shouldered as a highlander, and even from a distance Harry could tell his was handsome. His partner in comparison looked as delicate as a porcelain doll in his arms, but somehow the glow of his beauty radiated over his partner and made them appear like a matched set. He probably could have made anyone feel like a matched set with a smile like that.
The man’s hair glittered with streaks of brass in his soft curls on the top of his head as he twirled through the flicker of the candlelight. The light danced over the prominence of his cheekbones casting shadows over the sharp edge of his jawline and the soft dip in his upper lip. It was as if even the light wanted to kiss the mystery dancer.
“Diggory really is a good dancer, isn’t he?” Parvati sighed wistfully as she turned back to face Harry, the music starting to fade.
“That’s Cedric?” Harry’s voice was only a whisper, somehow in their dancing they moved closer to the glittering couple.
“I would have thought it was obvious because he’s dancing with Cho Chang,” Parvati said, then added in a quieter voice. “I heard you asked her too.”
Harry was prevented from putting his foot in his mouth as his best mate Ron stumbled with Parvati’s sister toward them.
“I can’t remember a thing that McGonagall said in that dance class,” Ron said pulling Harry off to the side, and out of Parvati’s hold. “It doesn’t help that ol’ Diggory there is a natural, probably charmed his shoes to keep time with the music.”
“Do you think he would teach us?” Harry asked.
“Teach us what? How to charm our shoes? He’s a sixth year Harry, he can’t possibly teach us in before the night is over,” Ron said slumping into a nearby chair, “And if I were you, I’d be afraid of him hexing me to get ahead in the tournament.”
“Hex me?” Harry said pulling his eyes away the dance floor to look at Ron, “No I was wondering if you think he’d dance with me. You know…teach me.”
“Dance with you? Are you mental? He’s with Cho Chang.”
“And? Do you think she’d mind if I asked him?”
“I think Parvati would mind if you asked him,” Ron said nodded his head towards their dates who had escaped to punch bowl table.
“But he’s such a good dancer, and so handsome, I think that Parvati would understand.”
“Handsome? Harry, listen to yourself. Did someone from Slytherin slip you a love potion? Malfoy seems like he’d be up for that.” Ron said getting to his feet, “We need to get you some punch to dilute that nonsense out of you.”
Ron started to steer Harry in the direction of the punch table and their corresponding dates.
“Are you saying that you honestly haven’t thought about how good Cedric looks tonight?” Harry hissed to Ron, “He looks amazing in those dress robes of his.”
“I can honestly say that I haven’t noticed,” Ron said plainly. “I’ve been much to focused on how itchy my own dress robes are and how hard Padma elbowed me in the ribs after I stepped on her toe.”
“Guess it’s just me then.” Harry said with a heavy sigh as he cast a look over his shoulder and immediately found Cedric on the dance floor. Cedric was flushed with exertion a delicate curl falling over one of his eyes as he laughed.
Then as if he could feel the weight of Harry’s stare, his head turned a fraction and piercing grey eyes locked with Harry’s green ones. The intensity of the stare was so powerful it made Harry trip over his own feet. The warm bubble of heat bloomed up from his belly into his face.
It didn’t mean anything, he just needed more punch.