The night’s excitement destroyed many decent conversations as Melody walked the halls of Beauxbatons. Little third year girls were frantically searching for some poor sap of a fourth year boy to take them to the ball while others had simply given up and had taken to moping. Even worse were the eligible girls that were fighting them for the remaining available boys.
The entire display sickened Melody as she unenthusiastically made her way up to her room to get ready. The entire event seemed utterly tedious at this point. Another opportunity for the administration to parade her in front of her classmates that at one time, years ago, she would have enjoyed, now had no appeal.
Her ball gown was draped over her satin sheets. It was far too beautiful to adorn such a melancholy girl, for the golden fabric’s glitter would only be dulled by Melody’s perpetually sad face.
As she stepped from her bedroom, zipping up the back of the dress, she was astonished to see Hermione turning to go back down the stairs.
“Hermione?” Melody asked as Hermione almost successful escaped.
“Oh, hello, Melody,” Hermione said looking a little distressed, “You look nice.”
“Thank you…but why are you running away?”
Hermione looked at the stairs and then back at Melody.
“Oh, I…didn’t think you…nothing.”
Melody stood for a moment trying to think of what Hermione could possibly be afraid to tell her, but instead moved to the mirror against the wall.
“Well, now you’re here so you might as well come in and stay a bit.”
Hermione gave a sheepish smile before gently sitting down on the couch facing Melody. Her purple gown floated around her feet as she glanced about the room.
“Excited for the dance?” Melody asked as she magically curled her hair.
“Yes,” Hermione replied mildly, “You?”
“Not at all.”
“You’re not even a little excited?” Hermione asked as Melody opened the door to her closet to pull out a pair of heels.
Melody shook her head as she took a seat across from Hermione to put her shoes on.
“You have to be a little excited. Those little third years would die to fill your shoes for the night,” Hermione laughed.
Resting her foot back on the floor, Melody replied with “They’ll get their chance.”
“How are you so sure they’ll have to tournament again?”
“They did it after a kid was murdered by Voldemort. They’ll do it again!” Melody paused, “Anything to make the public comfortable as they parade three teenagers in front of death. Of course they’ll do it again.”
“Do you feel like you’re being paraded in front of death?” Hermione asked as she leaned toward Melody.
“No,” Melody smiled, “But everyone else does for me.”
Melody again rose from the couch and crossed to the antique jewelry box resting on her dresser. When she had put all her jewelry on, she returned to the sitting room.
“It’s never going to be the same again, is it?” she asked as Hermione rose from the couch.
“What do you mean?” Hermione asked light heartedly.
“Hermione, we both know that this is uncomfortable. Don’t feel like you have to stay for my sake.”
Hermione looked into Melody’s lonely eyes for a second before she started to make her way to the staircase. Another companion was about to walk out of Melody’s life thanks to her isolation.
“Hermione!” Melody called out just as Hermione’s silver heel about touched the first step.
Hermione turned and faced Melody as Melody stepped closer and grabbed her at the elbows.
“You do look lovely,” Melody said before letting her hand fall back to her sides, “I do wish I could be there for you…with every ounce left.”
Melody joined the usual suspects in the foyer as she waited for instructions. These so called friends were far more concerned with the height of their heels than the world outside these walls and Melody stood in silence as they admired her dress.
“That dress is absolutely perfect, Melody,” Babette said despite her brooding twin that stood yards away.
Marcel was at Melody’s back facing his friends. His presence made her back tense slightly as she felt the point of his elbow grace her own. He had just slipped a hand around her waist when the champions were instructed to line up.
The parade dragged out as Melody crossed the ballroom to reach the main dance floor. She robotically took her place facing Marcel to begin the first dance and played her role until the very second the first song ended at which time she escaped Marcel and found a comfortable spot at a table.
Gazing over the crowd, it didn’t take long for her to notice a small commotion in the corner of the room. Sarah’s arms were flaring as Harry stood opposite her with his arms crossed and his face emotionless. Melody watched the rage erupt on Sarah’s face as she saw Harry refusing to react to her anger. The argument ended quickly but not well, for Sarah stormed away in a violent march leaving Harry in the corner still acting heartless.
Her moment of devilish happiness lasted only a moment, for Marcel had found her and pulled her to her feet. Without consent, he led her to the dance floor and locked her in his arms in a forced slow dance. To appease him, Melody played along as if she was enjoying herself and continued to for the next hour.
After he had tired of dancing, Marcel guided Melody to a table far off to the side. He freed her of his company only long enough to get them something to drink, but even then his eyes never left her. The burn of his staring eyes burrowed into Melody’s back as she watched her happy classmates.
He returned to the table and placed a glass of punch before Melody. The instant his hands were free again he used them to seize Melody’s chair and pull it toward his own. Their chairs were so close at this point that Melody’s legs were caged on either side by his. The look of discomfort on Melody’s face spoke for her.
“I’m really not that repulsive,” Marcel snapped.
Letting her eyes fall on Harry across the room, Melody replied, “I never said that.”
Marcel turned his head to see what had grabbed her attention. Seeing her idol, he reached out and gathered Melody’s face in his hands.
“Melody! You are here with me and it’s about time you started acting like MY girlfriend.”
With that he confined Melody in a kiss and began to let his hands fall freely. Breaking free for a second, Melody howled at him to get off her, but he wouldn’t be swayed as easily this time. Finally, his jealousy of Harry had turned into a flat out anger that he took out on Melody.
Fighting with her hands to begin with, Melody slapped Marcel and tried to stomp on his feet. Trying to pull herself to her feet, Marcel rose with her only to make the spectacle more noticeable.
Growing intensely upset, Melody pulled her mind from the havoc Marcel was creating to concentrate enough to expel him from her. With one burst of blue light from her hands, Marcel was thrashed into the table beside theirs. As he tried to rise from the ground, he was met by a solid black wand directed at his face.
Harry chest heaved as he grabbed the front of Marcel’s robes and held his wand inches from his face.
“Keep your filthy hands off her! She obviously doesn’t want them on her,” he shouted as Melody saw the school heads rising to see the uproar.
Knowing Harry’s placement in the tournament had been very controversial and that many people wanted to remove his name, Melody saw this as their perfect chance to expel him from the contest. She pounced on his arm immediately as the dancing students parted to make way for the approaching adults. Pushing him aside, she looked down at Marcel.
“Keep your mouth shut,” she hissed before pushing Harry out into the hallway.
“You have to be more careful than that, Harry,” she said as he took a seat on a bench, “You know they’ll throw you out of this tournament for something like that. Are you trying to ruin everything?”
Just then they were joined by a very concerned Sarah, who upon arriving furiously turned on her heels and returned to the dance. Harry rose to follow her but stopped after seeing her disappear into the crowd of people around Marcel.
“Apparently I already have,” Harry said softly before turning back to Melody.
It killed Melody to see Harry go after Sarah like he had. Her heart sank even lower as his green eyes watched her own fill with tears.
“I hope you’re happy, Harry,” she said in the last seconds she could fight the tears.
As she felt her cheeks flush, she ran down the hall and out into the yard. Once in the cold snow, she kicked off her shoes and felt the burn of the cold snow on the soles of her feet as she escaped to her suite.