Sunday began with presents. Justin set up a small tree in our room, fortunately we weren't short on space. Since I woke up earlier than everyone else, as always, I got to the presents earlier too. There weren't many for me, but they all turned out to be somewhat... predictable, I guess—books. Books came from everyone. Charms, runes, advanced Transfiguration. Hermione had somehow procured a collection of charms and spells from the first aid category, and that was both pleasant and important. Daphne sent a file of copies of chapters from various books dedicated to the basics of chimeraology, or rather—the basics of working with living tissues using magic. Dug it up somewhere in her family library, no other way. But hardly anything secret—people don't share such things.
Having put all these useful books in my backpack, simultaneously tidying it up, I started my standard physical exercises. Well, and then... Just another day, what else is there? Around noon, a fairly large group of students went to play snowballs, but that didn't appeal to me, and judging by the colors of the scarves on the players, they were predominantly Gryffindors, which is not surprising—they are the most hyperactive guys in the school.
Until the evening, I managed to cross paths and chat with almost all the guys I knew, and even with Slytherins, although communication with them developed in a rather toxic and caustic key, and if I were younger in mind, I would definitely be offended by this game. But for many from my year, as well as for those with whom I belong to and duel in the club, this is just a game, social conventions.
By seven o'clock, everyone began to scatter to the common rooms, prepare, gather. The girls, of course, disappeared from the horizon much earlier, but should one be surprised at this? They always and in all worlds prepare for such events longer than guys.
The guys gathered in our room, dressed, worried, hiding jitters behind stupid jokes, fiddling with some part of the wardrobe, a sleeve for example, or just nervously sitting on a chair and tapping some intricate rhythm on the floor with the heel of a shoe. I didn't focus on such things, but simply changed clothes.
"Sir Justin, would you deign to let me to the mirror?"
"Oh, Sir Hector, please."
Examining my suit and robes of blue shades once again, I made sure that everything was excellent, the fabric was gorgeous, and its magical component was working normally and would protect me from various influences, except too sharp and aggressive ones. The cufflinks feel great and glow slightly blue, as, actually, do my eyes. The latter, true, do not glow, but they are very bright in themselves.
"Done admiring?" Justin smirked, having moved to other guys and joined the nervous jittering.
"I don't suffer from narcissism," I answered, checking other nuances of clothing. "But a little more, and that might change. Yeah..."
Turning to the guys, I looked at their suits. In principle, both I and they had variations of tailcoats and robes—the cut, fabric, shades differed slightly, but they were all dark, and underneath—white shirts, bow ties. And me? And I have a closed stand-up collar, but the edge of the same collar on the shirt was also visible. Only my shirt is black, as there was no place for white in the suit.
"Ready?"
"Not sure," Ernie responded, getting up from the chair. "But nowhere to retreat."
"It seemed to me that such events are familiar to purebloods."
"Familiar," the guy nodded, and we all went to the exit. "Only here everything is somewhat different. A completely different environment, different people, foreign guests."
"Yeah," Zacharias nodded. "Although I'm not a goer to such receptions, I've been a couple of times. The audience there is selected by interests so that political or any other opponents don't particularly intersect. And here everyone is in one heap."
Leaving the common room, we went to the entrance to the girls' wing—to wait for the girls.
"And won't you be late for the meeting with Delacour?" Justin felt surprisingly relaxed, although a minute ago everything was different.
"No. We agreed to meet in the hall five minutes before the start."
"Ah, I see. Zacharias?"
"Huh? What?" the guy was clearly in completely different thoughts.
"Where are you meeting your date?"
"Oh! Right! Completely forgot..." Zacharias hurried to the exit, but turned around halfway, making his way to us through the crowds of students from other years cruising from wall to wall. "Why are you knocking me off my thought. We meet in the hall in..."
Taking out his wand and casting Tempus, Zacharias nodded to himself.
"...ten minutes."
At that very moment, the girls of the entire house began to come out. Beautiful dresses, but thank god, not Victorian, but much more modern, pleasing to the eye, beautiful robes, a minimum of jewelry, hairstyles of various complexity.
Our guys quickly "snapped up" their girls, but some of them are going with guys from other houses, so they, like me, and even Cedric, have to leave the common room without a partner, but together with everyone, which we all hurried to do.
The corridors of the castle were filled with the hum of voices and the clatter of many heels of both men's and women's shoes. The atmosphere around reigned festive, cheerful, and the lighting in the castle was slightly dimmed, which gave more mysticism and the atmosphere of an evening holiday specifically.
"...you look wonderful..." was heard from everywhere in different ways.
"...thanks, you too," sounded the answers.
Reaching the Entrance Hall, we began to merge into the general crowd of students in various festive outfits. The first thing that catches the eye was that girls had much more freedom in choosing dresses and robes. But for guys, the main liberties were in the slight difference in the cuts of suits and robes, but that's only at first glance. The hall was not lit as brightly as usual, and therefore it was not immediately possible to see that the guys' suits and robes differed in shades, but all without exception were dark. What can you do, such is the dress code. Although I am sure that Dumbledore will not change his habits and will shock the public with some colorful robe. Personally, I found it amusing that many guys and girls were without gloves, but purebloods from rich families familiar or simply known to me—wearing gloves without exception.
Standing with the guys and listening with half an ear to conversations, discussions, and hopes for what will be served at the buffet and how many places there will be to sit or gather a separate company, I looked around the wizards present.
"People," I addressed ours, attracting their attention. "And did the hero of national scale decide not to attend the event?"
"There is that," Hannah nodded. "They say he flatly refused to dance, and his friend Weasley decided to support him in this."
"Perhaps," Ernie picked up the thread of conversation, "they will come among others, just like that, without dates, to eat, drink and stare. Some decided to do so."
"And why not, logical," Justin thought, because of which he received a portion of suspicious looks from Susan. "I have a couple of acquaintances for whom there is no greater fun than to come to a social event, eat, drink and caustically discuss others present. Slash, I would say, with a sharp blade of satire and black humor..."
"Where did you go, buddy?" I smiled at my comrade.
"I'm at a ball in the mage world for the first time. Lost in conjectures what might happen. And I don't like the unknown."
"Calm down," Susan, holding her hand on the crook of Justin's elbow, touched him soothingly with her other hand. "Everything there is as they said—food, drink, music, dancing, conversations."
"Hope so..."
The doors to the castle opened, attracting attention. Through them, Durmstrang students began to enter accompanied by Karkaroff, and behind them—guests from Beauxbatons, in front of whom walked Madame Maxime in a light lilac robe, visible from any point of the hall. Although the doors closed behind them almost immediately, I managed to examine the transformed inner courtyard of the castle—there are rose bushes, no snow, only decorative elements from it, and from frost. I think the galleries around the inner courtyard, and the adjacent courtyard on the other side of the Great Hall, which still needs to be reached, are also decorated and lit accordingly.
Some of the newly arrived were already walking with a partner, some were just looking for her or him with their eyes, but one way or another, almost immediately after their appearance, guests from other schools dispersed around the hall—five minutes left until the start. My gaze caught on Krum, arm in arm with whom walked Hermione in a wonderful blue dress, and her eternally unruly hair was only slightly wavy, in a high intricate bun hairstyle at the back of her head.
The second girl I easily noticed was Romanova in a dark, almost black dress with burgundy elements, and a cape-robe on her shoulders. Gloves above the elbow, everything as it should be. All this harmonized perfectly with the shade of hair in a high hairstyle—dark chocolate. She was walking with her comrade, Polyakov.
I noticed Miss Delacour when Beauxbatons students began to disperse around the hall, and it's not that she is inconspicuous, but due to a completely banal thing—they entered last. Naturally, I immediately went in her direction. Her dress was silver-colored, but with a slight blue tint that steel has, and the decorative embroidery with monograms stood out with its deep blue.
"Miss Delacour," my bow was dictated by the desire to show my respect and quite natural, genuine admiration, and turned out somewhat Elven. "You are beautiful."
Elven—does not mean mannered or, Merlin forbid, foppish. The point here is in smoothness, precision, but at the same time in speed and acceleration of movements, however at the same time and their measuredness. Too many facets of one gesture from a complex of elusive movements to describe in one word. But, if I remember correctly from the shards, our movements were compared to cold steel. Ordinary fops and lovers of showing off were like an unbalanced sword made of silver, with a golden guard and a bunch of stones, pretentious and nasty. We are an ideal blade. Each movement has its own goal and purpose, just as each blade, dagger, sword, saber, or spear has its own.
"Thank you, Monsieur Granger," Delacour curtsied with a smile, and I immediately offered her my hand.
A moment, and we are already moving to other champions—McGonagall explained to us, and to everyone, in advance, beforehand, not only the list of dances, but also the order of who, where, when and how enters, where stands and other regulations.
We approached Krum with Hermione, who had already exchanged pleasantries with Cedric and Cho Chang, who wore a light dress with elements of Chinese style, which is not surprising.
"Hermione, little sister," I smiled at this sly person who kept everything a secret. "Unexpected."
"Sorry I didn't say," she apologized, but smiled, albeit somewhat tensely.
"Viktor," I extended a hand to the Bulgarian and he shook it in response.
Naturally, I didn't miss the opportunity to show myself somewhat rude, but am I a brother, or am I not a brother? Squeezing the hand harder, achieved that Krum answered the same. Only I am much stronger.
"Hurt Hermione—you'll go home in a matchbox," I continued to smile sweetly, and most importantly, absolutely naturally.
"Don't doubt it," he nodded, and the corner of his lips only slightly twitched, I assume, from pain.
"Hector!" Hermione was quietly indignant.
"Hahaha," Cedric chuckled. "Don't give anyone a break, do you?"
"Well, how else?" releasing Krum's hand, I waved it to the side. "Family is one."
"I can stand up for myself," Hermione informed everyone.
"Good girl. And I'll add if I have to."
Actually, we didn't stand apart. Other students with their partners were also around us—no one forbade being nearby. But one cannot deny that we were a kind of center of attention, because one way or another, but everyone either furtively, or literally head-on examined us, discussed, evaluated. Okay, not everyone, but the majority. Slytherins couldn't help but show themselves, because it is simply vital for them to be a kind of social center of attention. And while the older guys had already pacified their teenage aspirations and organized their inter-house interest clubs, my classmates were still quite impulsive, and therefore moved in a group in our direction. Not directly to us, but to stand nearby, close.
Draco and Pansy looked at Hermione and Krum with undisguised surprise—this couple, by the way, immediately became a sensation. Wow, will the local media chew on this topic—they won't let go just like that. Crabbe and Goyle showed phenomenal indifference, well, and the rest—polite interest. But what amused me was that Daphne dragged Theo almost in tow. It wasn't very obvious, but you just had to look closely. And when their couple stood literally half a meter from me and Delacour, it was generally just... excellent, can't say it otherwise!
The fact is that Daphne wore a dress in the same tones as me, only vice versa. If my shades went from black to blue, where dark-dark blue was the basis of the suit, then Daphne's—blue basis of the dress, and various decorative elements went into dark blue. The cape-robe was almost black, perfectly emphasizing the hair color. This was all especially noticeable, given the green shades of Nott's suit. Naturally, many noticed this, especially the champions, and Delacour completely suppressed a smile.
"Miss Greengrass," I smiled at the girl. "Mr. Nott. Unusual combination, I must say. But you look wonderful. Please the eye, one might say."
"Granger-r," Nott nodded displeasedly, and Daphne smiled.
Conversations began to subside—McGonagall appeared. Her robe was quite interesting in that red tartan served as the fabric. The Gryffindor Head of House began to re-explain who, where, and how will go, and I leaned slightly over Delacour's ear.
"Your reaction to Miss Greengrass surprises me."
"Monsieur Granger," Fleur smiled, in a quiet voice so no one would hear, answering the unasked question. "I'm not a stupid girl and understand everything. For some, it's enough to invite to the ball for them to paint the future for the next fifty years, family, children, grandchildren. It is more than enough for me that I can dance and enjoy the event in the company of a wizard who does not drool from the mere fact of presence nearby. Believe me, Monsieur Granger, in my case this is already very, very much."
"Thank you, probably. And I'm glad we won't have any misunderstandings."
Somehow imperceptibly for me, McGonagall led us all along a straight corridor to the doors of the Great Hall, and I only now realized how wide this corridor from the Entrance Hall really is—a crowd of students walked along it without any problems in a rather disorderly stream.
The doors of the Great Hall opened, McGonagall began to let other couples in, and we, the champion couples, have to enter last. Well then, let's start the social reception. Wonder how many problems tonight will bring us?
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