3«Dancing Class

Dinner in the Great Hall the following Saturday was filled with excitement, like it usually was. There was a large meal of roast beef, ham, corn, carrots, and biscuits. Justine was eating happily, listening to Ron’s day.

The clinking of a spoon against a glass caught the attention of all the students to the teacher’s table. Professor Dumbledore stood up, his usually merry expression present on his face. “I have a brief announcement, for all sixth year students. Now, some of you remember a few years ago the sixth years had a dancing competition.” He looked over his half-moon shaped glasses. “Madam Winslow has returned to Hogwarts this year to hold the competition again.”

A few groans could be heard throughout the Great Hall, of course coming from the sixth year students. “Now, I have made a list of the students that will be in each class. You’ll have your dancing class three times a week after normal classes end. In a month, Hogwarts will hold the Sixth Year’s Dancing Competition. You will all compete, and the winners’ prizes have yet to be decided. More details are to follow when the classes start. You’ll all be receiving your days after dinner. Thank you.” Dumbledore sat down and took a sip from his golden goblet.

“A dancing class? Why?” Justine asked.

“This came up two years ago when we were in our fourth year,” Harry said. “Dumbledore says its good to learn some culture besides just learning how to fly and mix potions and turn things into other objects.”

“I heard it was a lot of fun, and I for one am eager to get started,” Hermione added.

“You would be,” Ron moaned as he pushed his carrots around on his plate.

After dinner all the sixth years were handed a small parchment with the days they would be taking the class. Justine looked down at hers and read to the others, “Monday, Thursday and Saturday.”

“At least you don’t have it two days in a row,” Harry said reading his. “Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, before dinner.”

“Well, I’m with you Justine, after dinner,” Ron told her. “How ‘bout you ‘Mione?”

“I’m on the same days as Harry, only after dinner.” She tucked the parchment into her pocket. “It can’t be all that bad, I mean I’m sure we’ll all have a good experience.”

Hermione couldn’t have been more wrong, however. Monday night, Ron and Justine traveled to the large music room to find that they were two of five Gryffindors. There were a few Ravenclaws, but the majority seemed to be Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. And to make things worse, Draco Malfoy was amongst them.

Malfoy sneered towards Justine and Ron, who each took a seat in the U of chairs. A tall, pointed faced woman came into the room, wearing deep plum robes and flower in her hair. She wore white gloves over her long fingers, and white high-heeled shoes.

“Welcome to your first dancing class,” she said cheerfully. “Now, I know that most of you think this is a waste of time, but I assure you it can be loads of fun if you stop complaining about it. The last classes I taught were marvelous and I had no problems.

“Now, I have taken our class list here and paired you up. Luckily we have an even number of ladies and gentlemen. Last time there were two boys that had to be paired up and they never took the lesson seriously.” She put on thin reading glasses and held the paper far in front of her. “Now, when I call your names, you’ll stand with your partner.” She adjusted her glasses. “Seamus Finnigan and Sally Neals.”

Seamus, from Gryffindor, and Sally from Hufflepuff joined each other in the back of the class. Madam Winslow read a few more names, including Ron who was paired up with a Ravenclaw. He had taken a sigh of relief, because at least he wasn’t paired up with some fat Slytherin girl.

“Justine Tidewater…” Justine held her breath, looking around the room at the boys that were left. She didn’t know many of them. “…and Draco Malfoy.”

Justine’s eyes widened and her heart dropped. Malfoy?! She yelled in her head. Malfoy didn’t seem in the least bit pleased either. However, not wanting to cause trouble, the two went to the back with the others, but didn’t stand that close together.

Justine caught Ron’s gaze, who mouthed the words, “I’m really sorry.” Justine sighed.

Malfoy turned to her slightly. “Look, I’m not any more happy about this than you are, so keep your mouth shut.”

“Take your own advice,” Justine said not bothering to look at him with her reply.

Madam Winslow rolled the parchment up and threw it in the air, making it disappear. “Now,” she started. “Will you all come out onto the dance floor here.” They all did so. “Good. Now, we’ll just start at the beginning. Ladies, you’ll give a small curtsy and gentlemen, you’ll give a small bow. Then, I want the gentlemen to take the ladies’ left hand with your right and walk a few steps to your left side.”

“We have to touch each other?” Malfoy exclaimed.

A few people giggled. “Of course, Mr. Malfoy. What did you expect with being paired into partners?” Madam Winslow looked away and clapped her hands. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Moaning, Malfoy looked at Justine, who gave a small curtsy. He was liking this less and less with every minute that passed. He barely bowed his head and held his hand out while looking away. Justine gently took a hold of his hand and they moved to the side.

“Now,” the teacher’s voice rang throughout the room. “Face your partners, gentlemen, place your free hand on her hip, and the ladies will place their free hand on your shoulder.”

“This is ridiculous…” Malfoy said a little louder than he had intended. Madam Winslow’s ears caught his words and she snapped him a look.

“Look here, Mr. Malfoy, I will not have you uttering things beneath your breath. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to teach every sixth year student how to do a formal dance, and I do not appreciate your comments.” Malfoy raised his brows slightly. He quickly turned and put his hand on Justine’s hip.

After they were in position, Madam Winslow demonstrated with her imaginary partner how to start the dance. She motioned for them to follow her lead.

Justine was trying hard to be careful with her footsteps, but eventually she stepped forward instead of back, while Malfoy went the opposite. They pushed into each other, Justine stepping on his foot.

“Watch what you’re doing!” Malfoy yelled at her. The class stopped and looked.

“Don’t yell at me! You’ve messed up a few times yourself!”

“Enough!” Hollered Madam Winslow. She marched over to the two who had separated from their dancing position. “I have had enough with the two of you. If you cannot get along now, then you’ll stay together and learn to get along after class. Both of you will spend detention with me everyday for a week. And you better show up!” She turned to leave but then stopped when she thought of something. “I want the two of you to stand outside the room until this lesson has been finished.”

Malfoy marched off immediately into the hallway, followed by Justine. They stood on opposite ends of the door and waited.

Justine couldn’t help but glance over at Malfoy a few times. There was just something about him…but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

Finally, the class ended and the students came hustling out. Ron stopped for a second to talk to Justine, but was shooed away by the dance teacher’s angry voice.

“Come with me,” she said. Justine and Malfoy followed the teacher back into the room and stopped in the center. “Take your positions. Well, c’mon now! In position.”

The two took their dancing positions, neither looking at the other. “Walk towards the windows.” They did so, making sure they didn’t get any closer than necessary. “Now, walk to the opposite wall.” The two were forced to do this little routine for an hour straight. And they would be doing similar things for the next six nights.

«««

“That’s terrible,” Hermione said to Justine the next morning. “She’s making you take private lessons with Malfoy plus the time in class?”

“Yeah. And you can never look in his direction without getting an attitude from him,” Justine commented poking her sausage with her fork.

Ron stuffed bacon into his mouth. “That’s why you don’t look at him. Besides, he’s nothing to look at in the first place.”

Justine blushed a bit. “Well, I don’t think he’s bad looking at all…”

There was silence amongst the four teens. Harry looked at the others and then back to Justine. “You can’t possibly mean that, do you Justine?”

Hermione closed her books and turned to her friend. “Justine, Malfoy’s nothing but pure evil. He cares about nothing but himself. Ask anyone around, and they’ll tell you. He’s nothing to even consider.”

“I never said I liked him that way. I just said he wasn’t all that bad looking.” She got to her feet and picked up her books. “We better get to class.”

In Potions that day, Justine had caught Draco Malfoy not once, but twice looked over his shoulder towards her, and neither time seemed to friendly. She tried to fake a smile the first time, but the second she just stared back.

The days seemed to fly by. Soon Justine found herself in detention with Malfoy. They were practicing the dance and walking hand in hand. Malfoy still wouldn’t give her the time of day, and she did her best to ignore him.

“You may go,” Madam Winslow told them after their detention time was up. “Be back here same time tomorrow.”

The two walked out almost together, but went separate ways. Justine couldn’t help but look over her shoulder and see the wavering robes of Malfoy gliding down the hall.

Their week of detention was almost up. Tonight was to be the last night. “Thank goodness for you, I’m sure,” Hermione said to Justine on their way out of Transfiguration. “I can’t imagine having to spend so much time with him.”

Justine carried her books with both arms. “He hasn’t been that bad. Actually, he barely speaks a word to me.”

“That’s lucky,” Ron pointed out as he took a seat in the courtyard. “Anyway, onto some more pleasant matters. Harry’s going out to practice Quidditch later on, and I think we should go watch and cheer him on.”

“That’s right,” Justine said. “I remember you saying he was a seeker.”

“And a good one at that,” Ron reminded her. “Gryffindor’s never done so good in the past six years!”

As the three headed out to the Quidditch field, they noticed seven other students landing on the ground. Each held a black broom and wore green robes. They all came walking towards the others, their heads held high.

Most of the Slytherin team ignored Hermione, Ron and Justine as they walked by. However, Draco Malfoy glanced out of the corner of his bluish eyes at Justine, but didn’t say a word. And he didn’t even have any kind of expression on his face showing what he might be thinking.

Justine watched him walk by, but her attention was drawn away when the Gryffindor players made their way out and took flight. “Go Harry!” Ron and Hermione shouted into the air.

Justine sat on the side of the Gryffindor table where she faced the Slytherin table. She would look up periodically throughout dinner to see Malfoy’s back. She wondered what he truly thought of her, which was probably nothing but another Gryffindor mudblood.

As dinner was over, Justine went to the Girl’s Bathroom to wash her face before going to the dancing class, while Ron went ahead of her.

Justine walked down towards the music room and noticed some other students arriving right before her, and one of them was Draco Malfoy. He had walked closely to the door, his robes slapping by the frame. By doing so, a small sealed parchment fell out of his pocket. Justine quickly walked over and picked it up. She looked it over. It had a sealed crest marked with an “M” on the back, the front bearing only the word “Draco.” She wasn’t about to open it, but put the paper in her pocket to give back to Malfoy later.

The class went on as usual, the pairs of people perfecting their dancing skills. Even Madam Winslow would have to admit, however, that the extra practice that Draco and Justine had gotten with their detention was improving their act.

The class ended, and the students walked out to go to their dormitories. All except for Draco and Justine. They remained behind, waiting for their nightly instructions. However, as they were about to begin, a small house elf came through the doors and requested Madam Winslow’s attention.

After a moment or so, she turned to the two students. “I have some unexpected business to take care of for the moment. Just practice your dance. And if I come back in here and find out that you’re not practicing together, then you’ll be polishing dance shoes for a month.” With that she quickly walked away, the little house elf jogging closely behind.

Justine stood there in silence for a moment, wondering what had come up for the teacher. Malfoy’s voice, however, broke her trance. “If you don’t mind, Tidewater, I’d like to get this over with. I don’t really feel like polishing a bunch of crumby shoes.”

Justine nodded and they began. As she did the dance steps, following Draco’s lead, she noticed that he had changed towards her. Not really emotionally, but physically. His eyes seemed to be softer when they did look at her, and his hands didn’t grab her as tightly as when they first started. He caught her gently when she did the final twirl, and he made sure to hold her up when she bent backwards.

After a few minutes, the dance was over. However, Justine realized that Malfoy wasn’t letting her go. He was just staring at her, as if trying to figure something out. “What?” she finally asked him.

His eyes blinked and he backed away. “Nothing.”

There was a moment of an awkward silence. Neither moved, nor said a word to the other. The sound of loud footsteps coming towards the room made them realize that they had better be practicing. They both barely got back into their positions when Madam Winslow entered.

“Good, you two took my advice. I am impressed on your progression, if you should know. I think you’ll have a good chance in the contest if you don’t mess it up. You’re dismissed, only on a night of good behavior.”

The two walked out of the room as they usually would, and started to walk their separate ways. Justine had put her hands in her pockets and she remembered the paper. She pulled it out and looked it over quickly. “Draco, wait!” She yelled down the hall. She started to jog down towards him when he didn’t reply.

“Draco!” Malfoy stopped and turned slightly. “What?” he asked somewhat annoyed.

Justine stopped, taking a moment to catch her breath. “You dropped this earlier.” She held the parchment out in front of him. His eyes quickly widened and he snatched it out of her hand.

“You didn’t…” he said somewhat concerned.

“No, I didn’t read it, I assure you.”

Malfoy seemed to be studying the letter as if he had never seen it before. After turning it over in his hands a few times, he looked back up to her. He gave a half smile, and then turned to walk away.