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It’s like the Yule Ball all over again.
Harry couldn’t ask out the girl he likes, seeing some other guy beat him to it.
Harry is running out of options, sure he has a larger pool of potential partners to ask in accompanying him to Professor Slughorn’s Exclusive Christmas Party. But that’s the thing– it’s exclusive. He doesn’t want to be stuck with someone that would bore him to death in a social networking party he didn’t want to attend in the first place yet needs to since Dumbledore tasked him to be close to the professor.
Harry needed to find a girl, who can keep me sane among the overload of ass-kissers most certainly present at the event. How hard can finding that perfect lady be?
~~~
Usually when they’re in the library, Harry is the one getting scolded for being too loud. Although lately, he and Hermione seemingly have switched places.
"He’s at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes. I really couldn’t care less."
Ever since Ron and Lavender became a thing. Harry had to endure these mini jealous rants from Hermione — or in her words ‘opinions', because even as smart as Hermione. She is too blind to see that she is in love with Ron.
These rants have only gotten more frequent when the couple became totally comfortable with full-on making out every second they get and in all honesty, this has led to Harry joking in on Hermione's rants.
This gave him an idea, he could still survive the party.
"Was I under the impression that he and I would be attending Slughorn’s Christmas party together?” Hermione continued. “Yes. Of course, now, given the circumstances, I’ve had to make other arrangements."
Harry almost bumped into her when Hermione abruptly turned. "Have you?"
"Yes. Why?" Hermione questioned, letting the last book levitate back to its place.
"I just thought, you know..” Harry shrugged. “since neither one of us can take who we’d really like... maybe we’d go together. As friends."
"Why didn’t I think of that?" Quipped Hermione, internally scolding herself for not having thought of the idea.
"So who are you taking?"
Hermione crosses her arms, how she wishes she could just fold into herself and disappear for the rest of the term. "Um... it’s a surprise. Besides, it’s you we need to worry about. And you can’t pick just anyone."
"Why not? It's not like I haven't had experience asking a girl out?" He said defensively, he successfully asked Parvati to the yule ball, albeit mumbling. "I bet loads of girls would love to go out with me!"
Hermione sighs. "We need to find someone who is not only interested in you because they think you’re the Chosen One and get their fifteen minutes of fame. You know that, right?
Harry's eyebrows narrowed, forced together into a pronounced frown. "But I am the Chosen One."
Hermione cocks her head at him, exasperated. “HARRY!”
Earning him a hit on the head. Damn her arms are strong. "Okay. Kidding. I’ll just ask someone I like. Someone cool."
~~~
"Someone cool, someone cool…" Harry muttered to himself as if chanting the words again and again would magically help him find the one.
“You know what would be cool, Potter.” You say, appearing behind the boy. Your hair is all out of place and your sweat-soaked sports shirt is sticking to you. “If the one who asked – no sorry begged for the seeker training boot camp to have actually shown up.”
Harry immediately stopped in his tracks, ‘shit shit shit!’ he thought. He was so dead. Turning ever so slowly as if it would delay your oncoming wrath. “Oh shit Y/N, that was today?!? I am so sorry! It totally slipped my mind.”
“Slipped your mind? Potter, you have pestered me for weeks to do this boot camp. And you just forgot?” Your voice was getting higher, anger close to a tipping point. “I would be hitting you right now if my arms weren’t so sore! Madam Hooch was relentless!”
“I know, there’s just so many things going on lately… designing quidditch strategies, oh and don’t get me started on Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party - there’s no escaping that and I’m sure I’m going to die of boredom there. Then there’s Ginny–”
Ginny? Hhmm what’s got his mind worrying about Ginny?
“And ahh the whole Ron - Hermione ordeal you know uhh of course… duh” added Harry, hoping you hadn’t caught on to his minor slip up.
“Yea of course.” It’s none of your business, besides he shared too much, a trait you had noticed happens when he is nervous or anxious. The whole school knows that Harry is basically an adopted Weasley. “I’ll let this slide, but that now makes it 2 favors you owe me.”
“Yes ma'am”
“You can start by carrying my broom back to my dorm, my arms are about to give up any moment now.” you explained.
~~~
“Hey Y/N.” Harry started, gently leaning your broom upright against your trunk.
“Yup” You answered, not bothering to glance up from your plopped position on the bed.
The idea came up during the walk, it was different from your other encounters but was understandable. You were too tired to hold a conversation, but the silence between the both of you was comfortable, not awkward.
“About the favors, I actually have another to add.”
“What is it, Golden Boy?” You were done with the favors, but what is one more right?
“Do you want to be my date to Slughorn’s Christmas party?”
To that, your head shot up.
“What?”
“...as friends of course! It’s on Friday at 8pm, I’ll pick you up here at 7:30pm. Please y/n, you wouldn’t leave me to die of boredom, would you?” Harry puts on his best puppy dog eyes. He knows you’ll tease him for this later but he was desperate.
“uh fine…” Plopping your head back onto the pillow.
“Great!” Harry is ecstatic, this is good he doesn’t have to go alone. As he was about to close your door, he remembered a slight detail. “It’s a black tie event by the way.”
“What?” Your head leaving the comfort of the soft cotton cushion for the second time. “But I don’t have a dress.”
“Ohh…” The smile on Harry’s face went as fast as it came. “That might be a problem.”
“No shit Merlin!” Throwing the pillow at him. “I’ll have to get one from home, do you mind if I borrow Hedwig to accompany Harold?”’
Harold is the green-eyed tawny owl you got earlier this year. Harry found it annoying that you named your owl after him.
But he looks just like you Harry! And not to mention, he’s great at catching treats mid air! Bet he can rival you as a seeker! You teased.
You did not just compare me to an owl y/l/n!
No you dimwit, I compared Harold to you and your flying skills. There’s a difference.
“So… what do you say?” Your voice brings him out of his trance.
“Yea, sure. You’re like the only few people Hedwig trusts anyway. How did you do that? He’s normally pretty skeptical.”
“Quality treats, Potter. You gotta know the good stuff.” Patting his shoulder. “I better get started, if I want the dress to arrive on time. See ya at dinner?”
~~~
“Ready for a night of pretentiousness?”
“I will be as long as I have you by my side.” Harry truthfully replied. “You look amazing by the way.” You’ve only received the dress in the morning mail, thank Merlin for magic or else the wrinkles on the dress would have still been present.
“You’re not too shabby yourself, Potter.” Returning the compliment, the dress robe now eons better than what he wore to the yule ball two years prior. “Although your collar is a bit floppy–here let me.”
Just as he was about to thank you, a voice cuts him off.
“Harry m’boy!” boomed Slughorn. “Ms. y/l/n. Is she your date?”
“Yes sir.”
“Well why don’t you look at that, two of my brightest students. Come in, come in, there’s so many people I’d like you to meet!” Beamed Professor Slughorn, already gripped onto Harry as he approached the group of scholars.
Harry seized your hand, dragging you along with him as he was afraid he would lose you in the crowd.
20 minutes into the conversation, Harry has tried exiting to no avail. “Professor, would you excuse us to get drinks.” Harry says, already ducking out.
“Sure my’boy— Tansby! Could you get Mr. Potter and Ms y/l/n here a glass of…” Professor Slughorn looked towards the waiter then to you.
“One Butterbeer and one pumpkin juice, please.” You requested, seeing that face scrunched up in annoyance at his another failed attempt at escaping.
You thank the waiter for the pumpkin juice. Taking a sip, you mumble into the glass loud enough only for Harry to hear. “Watch and learn.”
“Professor, I’m afraid I would have to steal Harry away. I’d like to get at least a dance in before it gets crowded.”
“Of course, my dear. Go ahead. I’ll meet up with you, Harry , later. We’ve got more people I’d like to introduce you to.”
With that, you place Harry’s half empty glass down and lead him by the hand towards the band.
Even from here, Professor Slughorn’s voice could be heard. “Oh look at that young love, reminds me of his parents.”
Harry wanted to learn more, did Slughorn have more memories of his parents? Were they part of the Slug Club? But there would be another time for that. Harry has no more energy to plaster a fake smile nor did he want to talk about something so personal with photographers and journalists around.
So instead, he concentrated on you. You were leading the dance, because the whole school knows what an awful dancer he is, he barely got by the yule ball routine for Merlin’s sake!
“How did you do that?”
“Huh?” Confusion sets on your face.
“How did you do that so effortlessly!” Harry asked again, his right hand briefly letting go of your waist, indicating towards the direction you just came from. “I’ve been trying to get us out of that awful kiss-ass of a circle for almost an hour! And you come with your first attempt and are successful!”
It was the first time since rumors of him being the ‘chosen one’, you’ve seen Harry relax. His shoulders aren’t in their normal tensed position and his eyes aren’t on full alert scanning the room over and over again.
“It’s easy really, find something that has no alternative.” You stated matter of factly, twisting his hair at the back of his neck. “You don’t expect for Professor Slughorn to take up my place and dance with you, now would he?”
“He might.”
You can’t help but roll your eyes at his remark, glad to see his sarcasm still intact.
It’s a nice change and you’ve decided to do everything you can to keep him this light at least for tonight.
“You’re staring.” Harry states, holding you to a stand still.
While your brain was running through scenarios on how to make this night unforgettable. Your physical self was lost in his green eyes.
The position you’re currently in is definitely not helping. Waltz music still playing in the air, couples slow dancing, yet here you both are frozen on the dance floor. Something has changed. One abrupt move could unleash the tension pent up inside.
Your hands are on his chest, his hands on your waist. Face close to each other’s, you can feel a hint of his each breath, no doubt he too could feel yours.
His eyes scanning your face. Your eyes darting around the room, internally pleading you can come up with a believable excuse than the cheesy truth.
His beating heart could be felt on your hands – it’s fast you noted, really fast.
“Umm uh you’ve got cake just about here.” You point to your mouth, having blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “You know what lemme get that for you, it’s quite distracting.”
Harry catches your arms after you wipe off the pretend cake crumb off the side of his lips. “Y/n we haven't eaten anything since we came here, so what’s been really on your mind?”
Having been caught, you wholeheartedly tell him the truth about your self made goal.
Harry, who has been feeling isolated and having not been able to spend much time with Ron and Hermione lately, had his perspective turned upside down.
He has been so tunnel visioned, that he hadn’t noticed that there are people around him that still care. That he is so caught up pinning over someone who is already with someone else, that he missed what is right in front of him.
“Y/n y/l/n, you are the coolest person I know. Be it on the quidditch field or in the halls, you never fail to brighten my day. Merlin, I didn’t know why stupid brain didn’t came up with the idea to immediately as you as my date. You’ve saved me from going insane at the party.”
“Date?” You quip, cutting him off his speech of you. You can listen to that later, but teasing him on his slip up, now that’s something you wouldn’t miss. “I thought we were going in as friends?”
Harry chuckled, he could feel his face getting redder by the second. “Yeah, about that..” Harry confession, closing his eyes as he leans his forehead against yours. Harry has battled numerous evil wizards without ever freezing up, yet here he is, even with his eyes shut, simply feeling your presence close is enough to make him go weak in the knees.
The atmosphere has changed, yes you’ve noticed that before. But now everything seems to fade away, the soft music is lost in the blur of the background.
All you see is him– Harry. With his hands wrapped around you, an expression of full vulnerability. He is still, but his pulse against your hand tells a different story. There is a smirk that you know all too well wanting to break through.
“About the favors..” Harry continued with a twinkle in his eyes. “I actually have another to add.”
A laugh left your lips before you could stop it, you play along with his antics “What is it, Golden Boy?”
“Do you want to be my date to Slughorn’s Christmas party?”
You pretend to roll your eyes, ultimately nodding.
“Not as friends of course.” Clarified Harry, as if that wasn’t clear enough.