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Astoria fully looks the part of a princess as well, her violet gown sporting layers of sheer, shimmering material over her shoulders and across her top.
The color accentuates her eyes perfectly. It flares out slightly at her waist to give her a more curvy-looking figure than her age allows.
Her shoes and jewelry are the same platinum and amethyst as my new cufflinks and studs.
Once again they appear in front of me before I even realize it.
"You're staring, William," Daphne says with a hint of a smile.
"I think you broke him," Hermione says, giggling.
"Pardon me, my ability to form rational thoughts has been forcibly suspended by the three goddesses around me," I say in a mechanical voice.
"I'm not entirely sure my brain hasn't melted trying to come up with satisfactory adjectives for your regularly-scheduled compliments."
"While he mops up his brain, I must say you look beautiful, Hermione," Daphne says, smiling.
This evokes an even deeper blush than either Harry or I got out of her. "Thank you, Daphne. You're even more beautiful than usual."
This breaks the logjam in my brain. "Damn it, Harry, we just got our asses kicked at our own game. By another girl, no less!"
"Language, William," Hermione scolds playfully. "There are ladies present."
"You've got it wrong," I say, "there were at most a couple dumbstruck mortals and a trio of minor deities within earshot."
"You look positively ravishing, Dav-nee," a heavily accented voice says from over my shoulder. I turn to see Daphne's hand lifted to the lips of none other than Viktor Krum.
A quick round of introductions follows. "Positively ravishing, William, does that cover it?" Astoria asks playfully.
"Actually, I'd already discarded mere adjectives as insufficient – no offense, Mr. Krum. How can a mere pair of words convey the depth of your divine beauty when the High Choir of the Seraphim itself would weep at their collective hideousness in your presence?"
"Truly, your gift of hyperbole is astounding," Hermione says as she and Daphne roll her eyes at me.
I laugh. "I call it the gift of truth, but your modesty is quite becoming, my dears."
"Mr. Lerner, if you would please make your way into the Hall; the Champions will soon be making their entrance," Professor McGonagall says. I'm startled to see that only the four Champions and their dates are still out here.
"My apologies, Professor," I say. "See you on the dance floor, ladies, gentlemen." I turn to another Champion.
"Mr. Davies; Ms. Delacour, may I say you look positively ravishing tonight." I keep my smile pleasant despite the choking sounds behind me.
A moment later Krum fully bursts into gravelly laughter. With a nod to a perplexed Cedric and Cho, I offer Astoria my arm and we enter our second Ball of the day.
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"Harry, I may need your help for this next one," I say, as we sit out another more energetic song.
I can fake my way through the slow ones, but my complete lack of rhythm destroys any chance of not looking like a fool during the fast ones. And hopefully we're about due for another slow one.
The bespectacled wizard raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
I nod. "After dancing with Susan, I've now danced with at least one girl from each of the four Hogwarts Houses."
Susan Bones is built rather solidly, like her aunt Amelia. So she was completely flabbergasted when I asked her to dance instead of the more lithe Hannah Abbott or one of the older, prettier Hufflepuffs that hang around Cedric Diggory.
Hannah had to give her a shove when Susan protested much to the same effect.
She was surprised when I knew that her aunt is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and she blushed as red as her hair when I told her I wanted to dance with her because I think she's pretty and I heard she was one of the few Hufflepuffs who never wore one of Draco's badges, not because of who her aunt is.
"And?" Harry asks, bringing my attention back to the present.
"Well, there are two other groups of students here," I say with a grin.
Harry's eyes widen. "You're not thinking of asking—?"
"I am. But I don't know if I'm up to resisting her aura...not for an entire dance. You are, though."
Harry frowns. "What about Hermione?"
I laugh. "Haven't you noticed? She won't have any trouble finding a dance partner."
"That's not what I meant," he says flatly.
"She just doesn't like Fleur because of how she makes boys react," I say, waving away the objection. "You don't react like that."
Harry sighs heavily.
"Besides, you're only one Hufflepuff short, Hermione will appreciate our attempt at fostering inter-school relations."
He snorts. "Is that what you call it?"
"Of course," I say in mock indignation. "What, you think I would try to dance with as many beautiful women as possible just for my own enjoyment?"
"Yes, who would in their right mind would do something like that?"
We slowly make our way across the Hall to position ourselves near the Beauxbatons delegation when Hermione spots us and gives us a questioning look. Harry shrugs and jerks a thumb at me and I give her a wink.
She rolls her eyes and goes back to dancing with Ginny, Dean, and Seamus.
I smile and shake my head. It's not fair that every single woman looks good when they dance, even one as bookish as Hermione or as bizarre as Luna. They must get a manual at birth or something.
The song ends and thankfully the next one is slow. Just as planned, a group of Beauxbatons girls is headed straight toward us with Fleur Delacour in the center. I'm beginning to sweat already. "Uh, Harry?"
"This is your show, William," he says with a chuckle.
"Next time talk me out of it."
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