↠ This chapter is dedicated to HPandPJOlover  for being sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo friendly (yeah, ik that is a lot of o's'). When Athena said she had recommended my story to her friend I felt like I was going to cry. All of you please follow her! She is the best. Anyway, let's continue! ↞
↠ Time fast forwarded to December 25th, 1994 ↞

I yawned and slowly got out of bed. It was snowing outside, everything completely  white; the sunlight made the snow look even beautiful as it glistened. I suddenly realized what day it was and jumped out of bed. It was December 25th. Christmas!

"Padma! Sue! Adidas! Cho!" I called out happily "It's Christmas!" The four moaned up and got out of bed. "Yeah!" Padma said clapping her hands "Present opening time!" Draco gifted me a box full of Chocolate Frogs, Padma had given a dark red pair of mittens embrodied with tiny golden snitches ("well, it does get cold in winters" she replied when I asked her why), Sue gave a packet of Exploding Bon-bons, Adidas and Cho gave a purple coloured mokeskin pouch and Mum and Dad had gifted me a white coloured gown for the ball. "That's a really pretty dress," Sue said looking at it. "Thanks, Sue. Where's yours?"

"Ugh.. here!" Sue said pulling out of a dress out of a package. "My God! That's---so-- beautiful!" Sue was holding up a royal blue silk dress with gold patterns of flowers on it; the dress was sleeveless and had a straight collar and coiled buttons. "Oh, this? This is nothing compared to the dresses I have back at home" Sue replied. I knew Sue's mother was from England but her father came from the city Hangzhou in China. "These are Cheongsam, Chinese traditional dresses" "Okay!" Adidas said annoyed pulling out a Sneakascope "We are not here to learn traditions, Sue! It's Christmas. Let us have a break!"

"Qù sǐ ba" Sue muttered and went to folding the Cheongsam. "Man!" Padma moaned holding up a green coloured vial. "What happened?" I asked her, glad to not be in the fight. "Parvati sent another hair colour changing potion!" she replied sulking "I don't know wher-- wait..." I raised my eyebrow in question.

"Leo, your dress is white, right?"

"Yeah.."

"Your favourite colour is green, right?"

"Yeah.."

"Make your hair green for the ball!"

"No.."

"Oh, come on!" Padma said excitedly "It'll look amazingo!" "Amazingo?" "Whatever! Just please! It's only for 24 hours!" "I personally think," Cho replied "you should do it, Leo" I looked suspiciously at the vial in Padma's hand and then at the dress Mum and Dad sent me. "Fine," I mumbled "I'll do it" "That's the spirit!" Padma cried handing me the vial "Drink the entire thing and the colour should come in 2 minutes maximum and will go away in 24 hours".

I popped off the cork lid from the vial and drank it in one gulp; it tasted strongly of chocolate and mint ice-cream, like the ones you would get at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour at Diagon Alley. "Mmm..." I said "tastes like ice-cream". "Yeah," Padma replied "we should go for Christmas breakfast so get changing, Leo!"

I pulled on my robes and when I got up, I saw everyone staring at me. "What's wrong?" I asked them "Did I wear something wrong?" "Umm.. no!" Sue said smiling throwing herself onto the bed. She had her Cheongsam on and was joyfully leaping across the room, wearing it. "It worked!" Cho replied "Look at your hair, Leo!"

Sure enough, my hair had turned a brilliant shade of emerald green almost like the colours on the Slytherin robes. "It'll look perfect with your dress!" Padma cried clapping her hands together "Come on, it's breakfast time!" "But--people--but--hair--" "Leo, are you planning to stay here until the ball?" Padma asked irked "People will notice it anyway, tonight". She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the Common Room. It was completely vacant except for Pennsylvania Marble who had her back turned towards us and was looking out the window.

We went to the Great Hall where the place was certainly in a Christmas-y mood and so were the students. Crackers were opening everywhere but mostly everyone was absorbed right into the food. Two huge Christmas trees were near the front of the Hall and myriads of golden baubles were floating in the sky. A few people murmured as I entered but I took no notice. Padma and I went up to the Ravenclaw table and took a seat next to Lisa Turpin and in front of Luna and some older girl who was not in Ravenclaw but Hufflepuff robes. "Hello, Leo! Happy Christmas!" Luna said blithe "Your hair look good in that shade of green!" "Thanks, Luna" I replied.

"Ooh! I just forgot! Leo, this is my cousin Ellen." Luna pointed at the other girl "Elle, this is Leo Malfoy" "I recognise her obviously but thank you, Luna" Ellen replied smiling broadly. Her voice was shockingly different from her cousin; Ellen had a deep and quite elegant voice, if I do say so. "Leo, I'm sure we haven't met before!" Ellen said grabbing my hand "After all these rumours by Rita Skeeter, one here is surely able to recognise you. After all, Skeeter is a quite caustic person" "I can quite agree!" I replied chuckling.

"Leo?" I turned around and saw Draco standing behind me, one eyebrow raised. "Hey, Draco!" I said smiling. "Umm... could I talk to you in private?" he asked jerking his head. "Of course!"

He took me to the corner of the Hall and looked at me, flabbergasted. "First of all, your hair look magnificent and secondly....Leo, you should know better than to talk to Ellen Lovegood!" "Thank you but what's wrong with talking to her?! Can't I choose who I want to be friends without you always interfering?!" "Ellen Lovegood," Draco elucidated "last year, was seen in the Forbidden Forest doing the"--he added in a whisper--"Imperius Curse!" "Oh, nice joke!" I replied annoyed. "What?!" he asked irritated that I didn't believe him "I'm telling you! Me and a bunch of other students, I think, Charlie John and maybe Theodore Nott saw her doing it on Lily Moon".

"Lily Moon?!" I yelped.

"Yeah, Moon. What's wrong with that?"

"Wasn't Lily Moon expelled last year?"

"She was, under Lovegood's cast," Draco replied "people say that the Moons and Lovegood don't have a really friendly past. Just ask Charlie John!" "Charlie and I aren't talking anymore. Anyway," I said cautiously "I'll believe you for now, Draco. See you tonight!" "See you, Leo" he replied, trying to hide his disappointment.

I went back to Padma who had started eating breakfast at my absence. I beckoned her to sit at the other side of Lisa Turpin, away from Ellen and Luna. She looked at me suspiciously, picked up her plate and slid at the other side of Turpin. "What happened?" Padma whispered stuffing a toast in her mouth. I explained her what Draco had told me and to my surprise, Padma replied: "Yeah, I heard. Personally, I believe it". "You do?!" "Of course, Leo" she said gulping down her toast "There's something shifty about Ellen Lovegood".

My eyes lingered towards Ellen who threw me a dirty look and went on to talking to her cousin. "So," I said changing the subject immediately "you've got a partner, right?" "Huh, oh yeah!" Padma replied "Asked them yesterday and said 'yes'. You're not telling who you're taking so I ain't either telling mine". "Ahh, well we are going to see them tonight so we will find out". Padma merely shrugged and burped softly.

"You're gross, Pam" I stated moving a little away from her. "Well, I feel sorry for you," Padma replied wiping her face with a napkin "because last year throughout the end of the term feast you kept burping on my face". "Did not!" I said annoyed "Nevertheless, aren't you going to try your dress to see if it fits?" "Nah," Padma replied getting up "even if it doesn't fit, I'll probably manage way to make it". I smiled at Padma's laziness. A small voice spoke inside my mind, What will people think about tonight? The presumed Death Eater with the Boy Who Lived?

Everything was going to be alright.

Probably.

I pulled on my black 'kind of' high heels and looked at myself in the mirror. Padma's idea to make me have green hair blended perfectly with my white dress. Just then, Padma appeared in front of me, wearing own light blue satin dress and holding her wand. "What are you trying to d—" "Shut up, Leo" she replied putting a finger on my lips "I'm going to make your hair!" She held her wand above my head and pulled it into two space buns and neatly topped it off with small green gems that camouflaged into my hair. "Perfect!" Padma replied with a happy grin stretched across her face. "Come on, Padma" I replied linking my arm in hers "It's almost eight".

We went to the Great Hall where a mob of students were gathered in front of the door, waiting it to open. Students were all around the place looking for their partners which seemed impossible to find in that that amount of people. Padma waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd, to find her partner. Just then, someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around and saw Harry behind me in his signature round glasses and a black dress-robe with his hair kind of flatten down. "Uh, Leo!" he cried, his eyes gazing on my green hair to my dress "You lo-l-look..... nice". His face was pale pink as I replied, "You don't look too bad yourself, Harry. C'mon!"

I put my arm in his and took him into the crowd as I suspected, it was tumultuous. I caught a glimpse of Draco's almost white hair among the people and once or twice I saw red hair which 99.9% belonged to one of the Weasleys.

"The champions and their partners! Here please!" Professor McGonagall's voice called over the crowd. Harry and I headed to the front of the crowd where McGonagall and the other champions were there. Krum was with a girl in a blue * dress that I didn't recognize and Fleur was with Roger Davies, the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

(*Ik in the movies it shows that Hermione is wearing a pink dress but if y'all read the books, she's wearing a blue one, just like Padma)

"Champions please make a line!" Harry and I (after hours as it seemed of pleading Harry) stood in the front, Krum and unknown girl behind us and Fleur and Roger at the end. The doors swung open and the crowd burst inside, making a path for us to walk. A lot of people murmured at my green hair and Harry being my partner but I ignored them and went up to the top table. "Was this your idea, Padma?"

I twisted my head and saw Draco and Padma standing together, hand in hand (squeal!) . I gave them a look saying 'woah' and they responded back with Draco smiling mischievously. "Hungry?" Harry asked me. "You bet," I replied "I haven't ate anything since breakfast". Up at the table, Dumbledore, Bagman, the Professors, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and instead of Crouch, Percy Weasley were sitting waiting fo the champions to approach.

When we went up the table, I got a better look at the unknown girl with Krum and my mouth fell open, ajar. It was Hermione Granger but she didn't look like her at all. Her hair were silky straight, unlike her normal bushy and all over the place one on a normal school day. I looked over at Harry was gaping at her, exactly like me. "Is... that... Hermione?" I asked him. "Maybe"

She saw us staring at her and waved. I waved back but Harry was too shocked to even move his hand. "Harry!" I remarked with lace of anger in my voice. "Yeah, what?" he asked with a smug expression "I know what you're thinking at that can't be true"

"Oh, yes it can be!"

"Can not!"

"Oh, shut up now!" I replied annoyed "It's the Yule Ball and Christmas. Let's just be in peace for one day!" Harry rolled his eyes and slipped onto a seat, next to Percy Weasley; I knew that he was starting to regret bringing me to the Yule Ball but who could I blame? "I've been promoted," Percy told Harry "I'm now Mr Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him" "Why couldn't he come?" Harry asked looking at me through the corner of his eye as I kept my gaze on the crowd.

"I'm afraid to say Mr Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising— overwork. He's not young as he was— though still quite brilliant, of course," Harry snickered at this remark and I flashed him a quick grin "the mind remains as great is it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky or whatever she was called. Naturally, he dismisses her immediately afterwards, but— well, as I say, he's getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left. And then we had the Tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with— that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around— no, poor man, he's having a well-earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take this place".

Harry nodded at this super long answer from Percy and looked at the plate in front of him and then looked around the hall.

"Umm.. Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"How do we get food? There are no waiters" "Oh, Harry!" I replied chuckling "Look at Dumbledore!" He turned his head towards the Headmaster. Dumbledore looked at his plate, delightfully and said 'pork chops!" And soon enough, pork chops appeared on them. I ran my finger over my menu and looked down at my plate. "Chicken wings!"

Chicken wings spontaneously appeared on my plate as I munched onto them. "So, um," Harry said trying to strike up a conversation "who decided to dye your hair green?" "Padma" "Padma Patil? Parvati's twin sister?" he asked. "Yup!" I replied looking around the table "Look at Hermione and Krum". Harry's eyes darted from me to the pair sitting opposite us. Krum, because he was foreigner, or simply because he had a stupid accent, had difficulty in saying Hermione's name. Herminny, it was to him. "Well, personally, I never understand their accents" I added. "Yeah, feels like their talking gibberish" Harry replied. I gave him a big smile and sunk back in my seat.

Once everyone was done with their food, Dumbledore stood and waved his hand and magically (well, it was magic) the tables moved towards the walls and in front of the table, a stage arrived with a bunch of instruments on it and a dance floor. "Come on, Harry" I hissed at him "We're supposed to dance!" "Right, okay!" He tripped on his own robes trying to get up. I held his collar, pulled him up and linked my arm into his.

We walked down the tale to the floor and before I knew it, my hands were around his waist as we did a slow waltz. Harry kept looking around the room as everyone else came and joined us and quickly pulled me away to an empty table. "Hey!" I said annoyed "I started to enjoy the dance!" "Well, sorry" Harry replied sticking up a pouty face "Look, even Ron is coming over" Sure enough, Ronald Weasley came over to us and slipped into a seat next to his best friend. "I left Parvati in the crowd" Ron mumbled softly. "You went with Parvati Patil?!" I asked him. "Yeah, don't be too happy about it, Leo" he replied. I grabbed a glass of Butterbeer and quietly sipped on it as Harry and Ron kept talking.

After the song ended, Hermione joined us, pink in the face. "Hello!" she said. Harry and I greeted her back but Ron didn't say anything. "I didn't know you were taking Leo, Harry" Hermione said taking no notice of the red-headed Weasley. "Yeah, well I was" Harry replied. "It's hot, isn't it? Viktor's just gone to get some drinks" "Viktor? Hasn't he told you to call him Vicky yet?" Ron asked Hermione sarcastically. I knew some type of argument was going to strike up any moment, mind you Draco and I argued all the time at the manor. "I'll just go" I whispered to Harry. The raven-haired boy nodded as I got up and left the threesome alone at sat at another empty table closer to the front of the room.

Clunk, clunk. I saw Mad-Eye Moody limping towards me on his wooden leg. "Malfoy" he growled. "Professor" I replied back. "I will tell you something about the egg that you will not tell anyone that I told you" Moody said "Understand?" "Totally, Professor" I replied eagerly. "Any night take the egg with you to the Prefects' bathroom when everyone is asleep. The password's Pine-fresh. Put it in the water and you'll get a clue for the next task. Won't say no more" he said and turned away towards the dance floor. My mind was swimming with what Moody just told me that I didn't notice Padma and Draco come over to my table. "Leo!" Draco called out that made me stir back. "Oh, hello" I replied pulling out two chairs for them "You know, Padma, you could've told me that you were taking Draco. He's my brother".

"Yeah, but I like to keep secrets" she replied slipping into a seat "You're brother is really sweet, you know" "Really?" Draco asked Padma, with a huge smile on his face. "Oh, really?" I asked sarcastically "I never knew that the boy I lived with for all my life was so sweet. How did I not notice?" Draco threw his arm on my shoulders and asked "What made you come with Potter, Leo?"

"Um, I can choose who I want to come with. You seriously don't h--"

But, my words were drowned from a bellow from a nearby table. "No it isn't! It's about winning!" Everyone turned to look at the source and saw Ron Weasley the same colour as his hair. "Saint Potter and Weasley" Draco murmured smirking. "Don't say that, Draco!" Padma said mixed in between with sadness and anger "I'll grab some Butterbeers for us" She got up and headed away from the table.

"Leo! Leo! Wait up!"

I halted in my steps and saw Harry running after me. "What do you want?" I asked him. "Come with me" he said grabbing my hand and taking me out in the gardens. "Yeah?"

"Did--I mean, did you enjoy the night? Did I ignore you or anything because if I did, I'm sorry because you know I wanted to avoid everyone because--" "You're the famous Harry Potter" I said rolling my eyes "I was fine, Harry. Seriously"

"You sure?" "Of course!" I replied getting annoyed by the second. "I'm just asking" he said "I've experienced a lot of things in life--" "OH, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF THINGS IN LIFE?!" I burst out, unable to control my anger "ONLY BECAUSE YOU SURVIVED THE KILLING CURSE AS AN INFANT YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING?! ONLY BECAUSE YOU SAVED THE STONE, CHAMBER AND SIRIUS BLACK, THAT MEANS YOU'RE SPECIAL?! THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO'VE LOST A LOT AS A YOUNG CHILD! MAYBE YOU LOST YOUR PARENTS BUT THERE ARE MORE STUDENTS HERE HIDING HUGE THINGS! FOR EXAMPLE, ME!"

I stomped on his foot and ran off with tears dripping down on my cheeks, glistening in the moonlight to the bathroom (I know, a weird place to go to). I splashed water on my face, washing away the tears and heard a muffled cry from one of the cubicles. "Boys," Hermione murmured softly.

And I couldn't help agreeing more.

↠ This is 3428 word chapter... what can I say? Um, sorry for not updating for sooo long. I'm getting busy with the school year soon starting and a few family members from abroad came over and they just left. Also, I've always wanted to do a row between Harry and Leo, so don't blame me! Also, here is how Leo looks at the ball: ↞

↠ Also, thank you to sunflqwers (Kacy) for the banner! Anyway, I'll see you all in the fifteenth chapter (whenever that is uploaded 😉)↞

Kaomi xx