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Millicent took a deep, shaking breath, rubbing her sweaty palms together. She was fine, this was fine, she was only about to change her whole life. No big deal, right? She just had to ask Harry Potter to the Yule Ball. Yeah, no big deal.
"Fuck, I can't do this" she muttered, turning towards the stone wall of the courtyard and resting her forehead against one of the cool, forgiving bricks. She leaned into the wall, running her fingers over it, between the bricks and moss, wondering when she became so foolish. She knew exactly what she looked like, taller than the other students her age, taller than most of the older students too at 6'3 and still growing. Built like an Amazonian her mother always said, so proud, but no one looks at the 15 year old girl that could crush your skull and smiles at her. Except him.
She noticed him looking when he thought no one else was, noticed him smiling at her behind her back, noticed him with that dopey look on his face for her, the one that all the pretty girls took for granted.
"An owl, maybe I can send him an owl, asking him to meet me, yeah, I can do that." She gently started bonking her forehead against the brick wall "who am I kidding, he's Harry Potter, he was probably looking at one of the Greengrass girls like everyone else" she slid down the wall, her side pressed against it to curl into herself as she crouched down, almost hidden between bushes.
"No, I was looking at you, only you," His voice sounded above her and her head snapped up, her mouth opened in a surprised 'o'. He crouched down beside her, a tiny shy smile on his face "just didn't think I had a chance." He tentatively reached for her hand "Millicent Bulstrode, you are a goddess on earth, your smile is like diamonds, your eyes are melted chocolate." He cleared his throat, blushing a bright red "I would be absolutely gob smacked and over the moon if you went to the Ball with me."
Millicent gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing as tears formed in her eyes "You're making fun of me" she finally managed, yanking her hand back and turning away from him, wrapping her arms around her knees, ignoring him vehemently shaking his head. "Just like all the other boys, no one actually wants to ask out tall, muscular, manly Millie, I hear all the whispers, had it thrown in my face since I was 10 and was already taller than my father. Amazonian blood mother says. Freak of nature everyone else says. I could crush your skull in my hands, you know."
Harry grabbed her arm, pulling her back to face him "I think that's bloody brilliant, you're so strong Millicent, you look so... dangerous, so bloody beautiful. Yes, you could easily crush my skull, but imagining your strong, muscular arms holding me? Imagining dancing with you? Laying in the grass next to you watching stars or clouds or whatever, just being with you?" He had that dopey look on his face again, that look that he said was just for her and she was melting. "Please go to the Ball with me, I don't want to go with anyone else."
Slowly Millicent started nodding, a tiny smile forming on her face "I'll embarrass you, might step on your feet, I'm so much taller that I'll have to lead..." she sniffled, rubbing at her eyes and nose "b-but if you insist, I will go with you to the Ball." Harry beamed at her and the wall around her heart, with its little cracks and holes from Blaise, Theo, and Pansy telling her how safe she always made them feel, cracked down the middle and a big piece fell out, a piece shaped like him, and she started to cry. "You... you really mean this don't you? You really like me, me!" she was wiping at her face again, turning away from him, no one was supposed to see her cry.
"God help me Millicent, but I do, there's no other person in the world I think that I could fancy more" he plopped down on the ground next to her unceremoniously, dopey smile on his face just for her.
"What about Granger, Lovegood, or.. or Weasley, small and delicate and pretty?" she demanded, still trying to figure out why her, turning back towards him, her tears having stopped again.
"I don't like small and delicate, I'm small and delicate enough, thanks." He made a face as she goggled at him "I know I'm supposed to be some big shot hero, but look at me, barely 5'1 and just over 7 stone, the Dork Lord could throw me in the bloody lake and I would probably catch hypothermia or drown or something!" Now she was giggling, her hand over her mouth. Harry gave her a wry grin "I'm skinny and short, I'm no hero," he held his hand out to her hopefully "besides, I think anyone that can't see how beautiful you are is truely blind."
"When did you get so suave? Never seen you talking to a girl like this before." She slid her hand into his, and he leaned in against her, fitting comfortably against her side, with a happy little sigh.
"Never wanted to talk to any other girl like this. Wear red, the deepest red you can find, like blood," he murmered against her side, pressing against her "and I'll wear the darkest green robes I can find, the kind that looks black in most lighting..." and then he was gone, snoring softly as he snuggled against her. Millicent shifted, her arm going around him automatically. Gods, he fit just right against her. She sniffled, tearing up slightly because Holy Merlin, he really, really trusted her. Maybe this wasn't as dumb an idea as she had thought.
~~~~~~~~
"Millie sit still, Merlin and Morgana! If I end up sticking you with this hair pin and you get blood all through your hair, we'll have to redo the whole thing!" Blaise snapped, pins in his mouth and hands weaving Millicent's hair into a complicated updo, silvery flowers waiting to take their places.
"But what if he looks at me and realizes that he made a mistake?" She asked, her voice wobbly.
"Then he is the biggest fool in the world." Blaise answered kindly, tugging the strand of hair he was currently manipulating lightly. "If I were a straight man, he would have a fight on his hands tonight, Millicent Bulstrode."
"Well, I'm not a straight man, but if he hurts you tonight I'll hex him into the New Year." Pansy piped up from the next mirror where she was doing her own hair. "Hopefully Malfoy can keep his mouth shut for the night, but I doubt it." She made a face in the mirror, picking up the pink flower she had chosen and carefully weaving it into her hair along side the pearls she had already carefully woven in.
"Why did you even agree to go with him? Why do you fawn over him like you do if you hate him?" Theo demanded from the plush chair he was occupying, slumped down over the arm as he watched the girls getting ready.
Pansy gave Theo a sad smile before turning away to carefully dab at her eyes. "My parents, they want an in to the Malfoy fortune. You know that, you've known that every time you've asked me for the last 4 years." She sniffled quietly, trying not to smudge her makeup. "P-please, Theo, stop asking, they've already chosen for me."
"Draco doesn't even like it though! I'm rich too!" He burst out, throwing his hands in the air. "Why can't I-" Blaise threw a makeup pouf at him, scowling and he sputtered. "You're right, I know why. My father." He crossed his arms petulantly, "Still isn't fair."
Pansy gave him another sad smile, "Maybe if this works out for Millie, we can try? With Potter and Millie at our back, we could be ourselves." Her eyes sparkled with hope and unshed tears as she laid her hand on Millicent's arm.
Millicent nodded, squaring her chin. She wasn't doing this just for herself, she realized. Pansy was right, if this worked, it would open the door for all of them to be themselves. Even if she and Potter didn't work as a couple, if they could be friends the door would still be open.
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Harry was waiting in the Great Hall, nervously playing with the cuffs of his darkest of green over-robe, his dark green suit making his eyes stand out brilliantly. Cedric, Victor and Fleur were quietly talking, waiting for their own dates, but Harry ignored them. They in turn, kept looking over at him with pity, thinking he was going stag. That was, until a scowling Professor Snape appeared leading Millicent.
Harry looked past him to the vision that was Millicent in her blood red dress robes with their delicate black lace details and the silver flowers in her hair and broke out into a beaming grin. Fleur came over and nudged him, "She is here for you?" She whispered to Harry, who nodded. "No wonder no one from my school caught your eye, you already have the most beautiful woman here as your own." Fleur smiled at Harry, having struck a tentative friendship after he had saved her sister. Harry smiled back, giving her arm a squeeze before he moved to his date, and perhaps the rest of his life if he was lucky.
Millicent was standing apart from the rest of the group, fidgeting nervously with the black lacing on her dress robe until Harry came to give her the corsage he had picked for her, a silver rosewith glistening pearls as dew. "You look even more stunning than I imagined, let's go knock them dead." She grinned at him and accepted his hand.
"Hogwarts isn't going to know what hit it." She agreed, tucking his hand into her arm. She squared her back, then the doors opened, and Hogwarts changed forever as Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was led into the Ball by Millicent Bulstrode, Amazonian of Slytherin.