Chapter 43: The Ball
The boys were all standing at the top of the stairs with frowns on their faces. Scorpius and Hyperion thought it was going to be the first year that their mother and grandmother would let them wear suits like their father to the ball, but to their disappointment, they were wearing dress robes like every year prior. Even their father was wearing dress robes.
"Both of you should wipe those looks off of your faces. Mother is going to be upset if you are mad all night. She is the Minister now, there are many more important people here tonight, of course, you will have to wear dress robes. Plus, you match dad anyway since he has to wear them too." Ara was smiling brightly in her dress that Mary had helped her pick out.
"You all look so wonderful," Cissy had come from around the corner and admired her three grandchildren. They looked so grown up, and she even happier that she would be a grandparent again. She selfishly missed taking care of babies, and watching them grow made her so happy.
"Well, we should be getting down to mother, don't you think, boys?" Ara took their hands, and they walked down the stairs and into the ballroom where their parents were starting to greet guests.
"Oh, look how wonderful the three of you look," Hermione hugged her three little ones close.
"Hey guys," James walked in, holding Lily's hand and Albus coming in slightly behind them, "How are you three?" Ara thought how James was looking unlike himself. Almost like there was something different about him.
"Great James," Hyperion answered, oblivious to the difference his sister was picking up on. Their other brother hadn't noticed it either.
"Yeah, except for these dress robes." Scorpius looked down at what he was wearing again and frowned.
"At least everyone is wearing them," James shrugged. He didn't much mind the dress robes. He was too preoccupied with how different Ara looked. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was like a light was shining on her, a spotlight that only shone on her.
"James, will you please take me to mommy, please?"
"Yes, of course, Lily, then I am going to come back to my friends, alright. Is that okay?" James smiled at his little sister.
"Yes," She smiled back at him, and they left through the crowd. By the time that he returned, Ara had forgotten about what she was thinking about the boy earlier. She was too busy discussing the news of her mother having a baby with Mary. Ara was so excited to tell her she could barely wait a whole minute after she walked in to tell her.
"Mate, what is going on with you?" Hugo was looking at his cousin with curious eyes. James seemed like he was preoccupied with his own mind. Normally he was so in the moment.
"Nothing," James looked at his cousin and hoped that no one was noticing how much he was looking at Ara. He didn't mean to be staring. She was just so beautiful, and he didn't think he had ever thought that about a girl before, let alone Ara. Someone he saw all the time. Knew really well. They were good friends, after all.
"Well, you are acting weird," Hugo looked at what James was staring at and couldn't figure anything out.
The adults had started dancing, and Ara was particularly thrilled when her father came over to dance with her. James didn't know if he was brave enough to ask Ara to dance. What would everyone think? What would she think?
"Hyperion," Mary was fiddling with her dress. The only reason she was doing it was that Ara had talked her into it. She kept saying that he would no matter what. Grandmother had drilled edict into the boys, and they wouldn't deny a lady a dance if she asked, "I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
"That would be nice," Hyperion offered his hand to her and led her towards the dance floor. Mary looked back at her best friend. She had a huge grin on her face, and Mary started to let out that breath.
"Do you think Ara would dance with me?" James was standing next to Teddy. James so looked up to Teddy. He was like a big brother to all three of them, and he figured that out of all of his friends, Teddy wouldn't mind if James asked Ara to dance, or at least he wouldn't think it was weird.
"Yes, but only if you ask her," Teddy was leaning up against the wall pondering exactly how to ask Victorie to dance with him when James came up to him.
"How?"
"You have to do it. Come on; I was going that way anyway." Teddy and James walked towards the girls standing next to the wall, and when they got close, he shoved James toward James. He, on the other hand, went straight up to Victorie and bowed. Lily giggled when he asked her to dance, and Victorie grabbed his hand, quickly shaking her head yes.
"Ara, where did your brothers go?" That is not the question he wanted to ask, but it is what came out.
"Well, Scorp is talking to Mother. No idea about what and Hyperion is out there dancing with Mary." She was beaming still.
"Oh, well..." He wasn't sure what to say next.
"I am sure if you went up to Scorp, Mother wouldn't mind." Ara assumed that he had wanted her brothers.
"Oh, I came over here to talk to you," Ara turned at James statement and smiled slightly.
"You never just talk to me James, is there something you needed?"
"No, I..well actually yes..." He was stumbling for words and didn't know what to do. This feeling was strange inside of him. When he looked into her eyes, he felt his stomach heat up. It was like he was going to be sick any second. What on earth was going on?
"James, are you alright?" Ara was growing concerned and was thinking about which adult to get in case he wasn't alright.
"I just came over to see if you would want to dance," James looked at Ara for a moment before adding, "With me, I mean,"
Ara blushed at being asked to dance by someone other than her father or brothers. She wasn't sure why James was acting so unlike himself, but she thought it was sweet he had asked, "Alright," She grabbed his hand, and they walked over to the dance floor.
James just looked around at the other men and women dancing and copied how the men were holding the women they were dancing with. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He, of course, had come to all of these balls since he was little, but he had never actually danced at any of them.
"Just follow my lead," Ara smiled warmly at the boy in front of her, and he stumbled along for a couple of minutes before getting the hang of it. James was surprised how comfortable he was this close to Ara. He wasn't sure they really had anything in common; they hung out a lot when they were younger, but it was always with her brothers too, so it was not like they really spent any alone time together.
"You look really pretty," James blushed, saying it out loud.
"Thank you, James," Ara smiled wider, looking down at her dress again. It really was perfect for her. Mary had done an amazing job finding it.
The two danced for a couple more songs before heading back over to the wall they previously held up. Everyone else in their friend group didn't seem to notice that they had been dancing because neither said anything about it. Or didn't care enough to bring it up.
Hermione and Ginny, however, did notice and were smiling widely across the room.
"Can you believe what we just saw?" Hermione looked at her best friend.
"Can you believe my baby just asked your baby girl to dance? I am literally bursting with happiness right now."
"Well, what is going on over here?" Draco came up behind his wife and kissed her neck before looking between the two girls for answers.
"Well, your daughter just danced with a boy, and you missed it," Hermione smirked at Draco as his mouth dropped open. It didn't take him long to figure it was James since Hermione was giggling with Ginny.
"What do you mean she danced with a boy? She is just a baby." Draco didn't think he would have to worry about any of that for a couple more years. Where were Scorpius and Hyperion to keep James away from her?
"Also, your younger son danced with Mary. Still is, actually." Ginny motioned toward the dance floor when they were dancing.
"For Merlin's sake. What the bloody hell is going on?" Draco couldn't believe it.
"Come on, Draco, it is innocent. Plus, look how adorable it is." Hermione hugged her husband and put her hand on her belly. Soon they were going to add another little one to this mix, and she was so excited about it.
"That is my baby girl. I will have you know. I thought I was going to have a few years before I had to start threatening boys to have her home by a certain time and everything else."
"Well, no need to threaten James, you know that I will do that for you, Draco," Ginny started laughing again. She ran a tight ship, and everyone knew it.
"It is going to be alright, Draco." Hermione kissed his cheek, and the three adults went back to looking at the scene of all the kids.
"That was fun James, thank you," Ara stood back where they were standing before and started looking around at everyone. All the women had such beautiful dresses, and she couldn't wait to get older and wear something as they had on.
"I had fun too. Thanks for teaching me kinda how to dance."
"Of course, what are friends for," Ara realized that her father had mouth wide open looking from her to her mother and giggled, thinking about her mother had probably just told him she was dancing with James. She didn't know what the big deal was. They had known one another since they were born, and they were just friends. Always had been.
"Maybe we could do it again sometime," James smiled, waiting for an answer. He felt like himself again, and Ara smiled at him.
"Alright, James. Next year you'll have to save me a dance." Ara wasn't sure why she was saying the things that she was.
"Don't forget, alright. I'll be crushed." James and Ara laughed at how dramatic he was being, and Hyperion and Scorpius were coming over just as it was happening. They shot one another glances. What was going on with their sister?
"What are the two of you laughing about?" Hyperion stood closely next to Ara. She looked more like herself than in days past, but she was talking to James without them. She had never done that before. This was their sister.
"James is just his dramatic self. I found it amusing. Hyperion, please tell me you didn't leave Mary on the dance floor alone to see if I was alright. It is from James. We all have been friends forever. You look as concerned as a dad." Ara walked away from the boys and toward Mary, who looked happy and yet sad at the same time.
James didn't know why he was hurt when she said that they were just friends. He was so confused. He really had no idea what was going on, but he just looked at his two friends and quickly returned to reality.
"What was that?" Scorpius was the first to blurt out a question.
"Mate, we were just talking." James didn't want his friends to be mad at him.
Hyperion took a breath. They were being ridiculous. They were 11. What was James going to do to their sister? "Alright, mate, sorry."
James smiled at the other two boys, and they started walking back toward the other kids. That could have gone a whole other way. James wanted to keep these feelings to himself for now since he mostly didn't understand them.
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