"You… stepped on my foot again."
Nuzzling halfway into William's arms, Hermione muttered softly, "I thought you were taking Cedric as a role model?"
"Reading about it is too dumb..."
William grumbled, "Ahem, I mean, I didn't think this thing would be so hard. I thought it was just about holding each other and swaying... This is way harder than playing games with the Poacher..."
Hearing the last part, Hermione couldn't help but curl her lips up. Under the silvery light, the light freckles on her face looked especially cute, she smiled, revealing a sharp little fang.
"Then just follow my lead—"
The next moment, William felt the girl's gently firm arms, so he chose to comply. Finally, their previously rhythm-less dance steps began to slowly gain order, at least William no longer stepped on the girl's feet every two steps—"Even this, you've learned?"
"Hmm… I've dabbled a little?"
"Ah, suddenly I feel a strong sense of defeat."
William sighed expressionlessly. He led Hermione sideways to avoid Fred and Angelina, who were charging around the dance floor like a tank. The pair danced so wildly that everyone nearby hurriedly backed away to avoid being hit.
"Ah—what should we do about that?"
Hermione's eyes glimmered with amusement. Of course, she knew William was joking. Keeping a straight face while being abstract was something he excelled at.
"Good question—"
Just as William was about to reply, he noticed suddenly that the hall's ceiling, which had looked like a sky with twinkling stars, began to turn pink. The next moment, pink petals fell like a torrential rain, and a poser dressed in pink squeezed into the center of the dance floor. He let go of his dance partner—a confused-looking fifth-year Ravenclaw girl who was now staring dumbfoundedly at what was happening.
Daniel began a solo dance, ignoring his pale-faced partner. His professional movements instinctively led the quirky sisters on stage to adjust their tune—
"He's even used a Beauty Potion—for the sake of making a splash at the ball, he's really sparing no effort."
William twirled Hermione around, his gaze scanning the crowd until he found a certain blonde girl in a dark corner, who was dancing with Lupin. The man had a gentle smile on his face, obviously trying to comfort his dance partner—
Harry was also trying to comfort his partner. Unlike William, Ginny couldn't keep up with him at all, the girl felt like her feet were about to be stomped flat—
Even the most perfect "idol filter" will slowly crack with ongoing interaction, only Ginny's filter for Harry shattered faster. When the song ended, she finally couldn't help but sit back down, looking down at her little shoes covered with scuff marks.
Harry sat beside her, feeling at a loss, but clearly, he was not good with words.
"Hey, what's going on with you two?"
Ron appeared out of nowhere, and Harry realized he hadn't seen him since the champions began to gather.
"Uh, actually, it's no big deal..."
Ginny coughed lightly, cutting off Harry before he could speak the truth, "I'm just a bit tired. What about you? Where's your dance partner?" She looked at Ron curiously.
"… uh, well."
Ron seemed at a loss for words, blinking as he tried to rephrase. At this moment, George… or maybe it was Fred? Harry glanced at the dance floor and saw the familiar "bulldozer" charging around, confirming the red-haired boy in front of them was George.
"What's wrong, Ron? Weren't you going to dance with me?"
George said in a voice dripping with "tender charm," making Harry involuntarily clutch his arm, feeling a wave of goosebumps.
What is this? A gay bromance? Never imagined this development—
"He gave me Galleons, Harry."
Ron explained weakly, his desperate gaze seemingly trying to leave one last piece of his innocence in Harry's heart.
Still a money deal?
Harry's eyes widened further; he couldn't understand, considering George didn't seem like someone who would be without a dance partner. He could even knock Fred out and take his place.
"Because someone is declaring war, friends, look at that group from Castelobruxo, those verdant cauliflowers—"
George whispered, and the few of them instinctively turned to look, indeed spotting a group of fluffy-haired "green veggies" huddled together. They formed pairs, even the hero Piero was accompanied by a girl from their school, dressed in exaggerated and bizarre outfits. Harry even wondered why he hadn't noticed this group of broccoli before—
"They want to pull a big prank, I have to stop them, but no girl was willing to join me—there's no way I could dance with Peeves, right?"
George continued speaking words Harry couldn't quite grasp, while opening his arms to Ron, "Come on, Ron!" he cried fervently, as if they weren't about to dance, but rather heading to the final battle before the world ends.
"… I must be freaking nuts."
Ron mumbled articulately, gritting his teeth as he wrapped his arm around George's waist, and the two purple-red figures charged toward the green "vegetable basket" like warriors resigned to their fate.
"...Are they crazy?"
Ginny looked up somewhat blankly and asked.
"Probably..."
Harry couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, as George and Ron became the focus of everyone's attention the moment they walked in due to their loud entrance.
"I'm kind of regretting knowing them—though it seems like regretting doesn't do much good."
Ginny stood up and adjusted her skirt, "Anyway, I don't want to dance anymore. Do you want to go for a walk?"
"...Okay." Harry swallowed some saliva.
So, they pretended to get drinks, left the table, sidestepped the dance floor, and then quietly slipped out the door, arriving in the foyer.
The front door was wide open, and as they walked down the steps, they saw the fairy lights in the rose garden twinkling brightly, surrounded by low shrubs and ornate winding paths. Even Ginny could peek out from behind the bushes, so the girl held Harry's hand, and he could feel her palm seemed a bit sweaty.
"Shall we go inside?"
"...Sure."
Harry felt like he couldn't say anything else.
He could hear the splashing of water around them, which sounded like a fountain. From time to time, they would pass by carved benches filled with people or ghosts, and the two followed a winding path, walking through the rose bushes, with the surroundings getting darker. Harry felt his own palm starting to sweat too—
Or maybe it was him who was sweating all along?
Might something happen soon? He didn't know. Would Ron kill him later? He didn't know that either.
But just then, a voice he thought he might never forget suddenly sounded, and almost instinctively, he pulled Ginny directly into the bushes. Before she could let out a scream, Harry covered her mouth, but at that moment, Harry couldn't spare a thought for the soft lips sticking to his palm and the girl pinned beneath him—
"...You're overreacting, Igor."
He heard Snape say with some impatience—Igor, who was he? And who was talking to Snape? "Severus, you can't pretend none of this happened!"
Harry recognized it, though the latter's voice sounded anxious and hoarse, Harry still identified him, Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang, "Since the beginning of this year, it has become more and more obvious. I'm very worried now, I can no longer deny—"
"Then run away." Snape's voice grew even more impatient, "Run away—I will cover for you, but I want to stay at Hogwarts."
"You...you really think Dumbledore can protect you?" Karkaroff lowered his tone, sounding a bit vicious.
Snape didn't speak again, he snorted coldly, as if tacitly agreeing.
Harry looked through the mottled bushes at the two figures standing in the middle of the path; he stared with wide eyes, glaring at the two silhouettes, and after another few exchanges, Karkaroff stormed off, leaving Snape standing there, with his back to the bush where Harry and Ginny hid, his toes tapping the ground continuously.
Will he leave or not? Or does Snape know I'm here? Is he waiting for me to come out?
Harry couldn't help but start imagining all sorts, staring at Snape's back that remained completely still. If it weren't for hearing the other's voice just now, Harry would have thought it was a lifelike statue.
When everything quieted down, even though Snape was just five meters away, Harry couldn't ignore the girl pressed beneath him anymore. He lifted his damp right hand, looking at the girl's disheveled hair and flushed cheeks, and couldn't help but inch back—
Just when Harry couldn't resist wanting to jump out and surrender, Snape's voice sounded again.
"...I thought you weren't planning on finding me tonight?"
Who is he talking to?
Harry turned his head trying to look, but could only see Snape's back—unless that old bat was talking to himself, the person was clearly blocked by Snape.
Just as Harry thought, another voice sounded, "How could I forget you, Severus, you are the master's most faithful servant—"
"Haha, I don't think you'd speak well of me in front of the Dark Lord—"
Snape immediately retaliated with a sarcastic tone.
"But you've returned to his fold, haven't you? You've done well, the master is pleased. He wants you to continue lurking—we need a spy by Dumbledore's side, all our colleagues have left the United Kingdom for some reason, we're fighting alone now—"
"Why are you telling me this? To discourage me? To test my loyalty?"
"Haha, of course not, Severus..."
...
Harry couldn't remember what he heard after that, and after Snape left, he finally fell out of the bushes, looking at the pale face of the girl beside him, blinking his eyes.
I probably don't look much better right now, the boy subconsciously thought.