Different Letters

Rachelle, Isabelle and Marie-Adelaide were the last ones in their rooms. They had been ready for more then a half hour ago and it's been several lost minutes that their other friends had been picked up by their dates. They naturally would start to worry but there was one detail that still gave the girls hope that they were not being stood up. The three boys were from Slytherin, so maybe there was something that kept them in their common room. Both Suzanne and Laura were asked by Durmstrang boys and Celine got asked by a boy in Ravenclaw.

"You think there's anything that's going happen with your guys tonight?" Rachelle asked

"No." Both Isabelle and Addie responded as Rachelle groaned

"Come' on. I mean if Blaise and I can be together then why not you and your boys?" she asked

"Cause we barely know each other" "Because we know each other too well." Isabelle answered while Addie gave her answer at the same time

None of the girls pushed the subject as two boys entered the room. Three girls looked up hopeful but only two girls were relieved as one of the looked down disappointed.

Where's Draco?

"Oh bloody hell Rachelle! You never told me you'd look this good." Blaise said as he pulled her in while she giggled "You're beautiful."

"Thank you" she smiled after pulling away from the kiss. "You don't look so bad yourself, handsome." She told him before kissing him again.

Addie rolled her eyes, totally amused by the new couple. They were so cute together it was unbelievable. Both of the Slytherin boys told Addie they'd see her later. They were so amazed by their dates; she felt bad asking about her own. She waited for five minutes with ugly thoughts running through her mind. Alice remembered that they were only going as friends and wondered if in the end he didn't meet a girl he actually wanted to go with. It wouldn't have bothered Addie if it wasn't for their past incident. Sure they haven't mentioned it to a soul and definitely not to each other but it's not like Addie didn't want it to happen one more time. A boy rushed into the room as Addie looked behind her.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! Snape gave us some last minute rules and then I realized…" he stopped in the middle of his sentence as he looked up the girl who he was accompanying. "You look amazing."

Addie giggled amused. "While thank you Mr. Malfoy. You look good in a robe. Green? I guess we match." She slightly laughed

"I don't think people are going to be looking at the color of our robes when they see…" he stopped to look at her. And he though she couldn't look any better in that green Quidditch uniform. This was the best sight his eyes have ever landed on. "You're simply… I just wasn't expecting seeing you…"

"Okay well then, you know I think we'll be late and I don't see a normal conversation coming here anytime soon." She told him as he smiled

They walked together to the Grand Hall but neither of them offered to hold hands. Draco couldn't stop giving her glances, thinking she was the most beautiful girl out there tonight. Just before they entered the hall, she noticed the champions getting ready to open the ball. Draco excused himself to talk to Krum, offering her to come with him but she simply declined. Though she was curious who he'd come with, she was more curious whom Harry chose. As Draco went to exchange a couple of words Addie walked towards Harry.

"Hi Harry. Who's the lucky girl?" Harry looked up and opened his mouth not saying one word. "Oh god, not you too…"

"What? I'm sorry, you just look… Well I wasn't expecting you to talk to me at all…" Alice giggled

"Yeah but Draco is…" she turned to search him from her eyes and noticed that he wasn't listening to a word Victor was saying but glaring at her and Harry "Anyways I'll see you later. Good luck out there, break a leg." She told him winking before walking up to Draco

Alice was already on her defence but the boy didn't give her a chance to use her arguments. He just pretended that nothing happened as he said bye to Victor. They entered together as she spotted a couple of her friends. She smiled to them but didn’t bother to start any conversation.

"So why did it take you so damn long to come and get me?" Alice asked her date, making come chat since the champions were yet to come.

"Snape. He told us some last minute rules to behave." He told her as Alice giggled

"Like what?"

"Well were not supposed to make a scene, for us who have you Beauxbatons girls we have to get them back by midnight or else we'll have your Headmistress on our backs and as soon as the Headmaster starts dancing, we have to take our dates for the opening dance, to make Slytherin look good. So you better know how to dance."

"So-so, you?"

"So-so." He answered by looking at her with a smile.

The champions entered the room and everyone started to clap. The couple's mouths dropped as they saw Krum's date. It was Hermione!

"Is that Hermione?" Alice asked to make sure

"No. Why would Krum… I mean why he would?" Was all that he managed to say

Alice looked at her, she was so beautiful tonight! She observed also Fleur's date, a guy from Hogwarts unlike what Suzanne predicted and Harry's too. She's was pretty but Alice still couldn't get over how the girl from Gryffindor looked tonight. They all sat down at tables the guys had reserved and obviously it was all segregated by houses and years. Alice didn't mind, she got to sit between Draco and Rachelle. They all got to pick what they wanted to eat which amused Alice a lot. The Hall was so beautiful yet it did remind her that she missed the Palace.

"You like it here?" Draco asked during the fest.

"Yeah the year has been great. But Beauxbatons has prettier decoration." Draco didn't say anything so she assumed that he wanted her to continue. "Well I mean this is very pretty but it doesn’t compare to home, well my school." She explained, with a sad smile.

"I see you're hearing the necklace." Draco observed, changing the subject.

Alice touched the jewel, looking back at her partner with a huge smile on her pale face.

"Alice if you don't wake up this second I'm going to murder you!" Rachelle's voice roared

Addie jumped up in her bed, staring at the blond. "You called me Alice?!"

"It's rubbing off; I'm spending too much time with Blaise and Draco." She explained annoyed that her friend was changing the subject she was trying to bring.

"But only Draco calls me Alice…" Addie whined that her favourite couple adopted Draco's nickname

"Merlin, would you please just stop caring and come with me to open the presents!"

"CHRISTMAS!" Alice yelled getting out of bed.

It may be winter but both of the girls ran in their pyjama shorts and tank tops, slipping on their socks since they slightly froze during the night, rushing to what would be call a wanna-be common room slash living room of some sort. The other girls were already there when the two friends joined.

"Okay, where are my gifts?" Addie yelled exited.

She took the first package that was from her mother. Turned out to be a bracelet and make-up. Addie considered keeping some of the make up but threw the bracelet a second later behind her shoulder not even giving it a glance. She should know that Alice was too attached to the one her father gave her to consider taking it off. Laura and Celine got her some new shoes while they were in Paris and Isabelle a book with a couple of useful spells. She didn't have time to open Suzanne's or Rachelle's when she noticed a small box.

"Awe, I think Draco got me one!" She exclaimed.

She opened it pretty quickly and found a necklace with little hoops at the end. The silver perfectly matched her father's bracelet, letting her wear it together. She smiled at the little note he left her. She then opened Rachelle's gift which was magic nail polish, they turned any color she wanted them to turn and from Suzanne a purse with an extendible charm, since she kept running out of place in her normal bag during summer and Suzanne always teased her she'll get a huge bag from her for Christmas. She was even surprised to get a little something from Blaise even if it was only candy. She felt guilty for not buying him anything so leaned to Rachelle.

"You didn't perhaps buy anything for Draco, right?" She asked

"No, but I should have… I mean he's so nice for giving me a couple of sweets." Rachelle whined, mad at herself.

Alice smiled realizing they bought the gift together. They probably told each other what to give since Alice noticed that Draco hit a bull's eye with Rach's favourite candy and Blaise with herself. They all said thanks to each other, hugging one another when Madame Maxim came in. Sure Alice would rather eat breakfast with the guys but it was the Headmistress wish to have Christmas breakfast with each other.

"Yes and I love it. I think this is the best Christmas gift I received for the longest time."

When they all finished eating, slow and soft music started to play from a band that Addie couldn't recognize but received cheers from other students. The four champions came to the dance floor with their dates and waited for a beat to start dancing. For a minute everyone watched as the eight people danced before the Headmaster decided to step in with one of the teachers that Addie recognized to be McGonagall. More students started to join in as Draco got up and took out his hand.

"Okay, so are you coming?" he asked

"Not if you're going to ask like that." Alice replied looking away, pretending to ignore him as Draco rolled his eyes, and not thinking he'd actually have to be all classy.

"May you grace me with your presence for this dance Miss Lestrange?" He asked sort of annoyed and embarrassed but still slightly entertained by his friend. She smiled pleased with the result and took his hand while he walked to the dance floor. They started waltzing as Alice completely concentrated on her moves, trying not to get anything wrong. It was only when Draco picked her up and spun her to the other side she realized who she was dancing with and relaxed.

"You're beautiful… when you smile like that." He complimented her as he saw his friend bean like that. "What are you thinking about?"

"About you." She wanted to kick herself; that sounded so bad. "I mean I was thinking how much I trust you."

He smiled back returning to dancing. Thank god that the songs didn't remain as slow and each song the rhythm got faster. None of them were so much fans of dancing so they agreed on spending the rest of the night talking and wondering the castle until the clock stroke midnight. Draco excused himself for a moment before but Alice didn't mind. She wanted to find Rachelle or the other girls, but found Harry and Ron instead.

"Where are your dates?" She asked surprised that they were sitting and sulking alone

"We lost them. They went of with some Durmstrang guys." Harry informed her but only after a couple of silence filled seconds answered her real question. "We weren't in a dancing mood."

"That's too bad. The music is pretty good."

"Then why aren't you there?" Ron asked

"I said it's good. I never said that you won't get bored with it."

"Like you got bored with your partner? Because I wouldn't mind giving dancing a try with you" Ron asked as she burst out laughing

"Not at all Draco is… oh well there he comes. I'll see you guys later or tomorrow."

She ran up to the blond as they left the Grand Hall. She still didn’t find her other friends but when she felt Draco's arm glide on her own, she forgot about them.

"What was up with your friends? No dates" he sneered in the middle of the silence

"No they did find someone… But I think they never got over the fact I said no to them and went with you instead." Draco looked at her as if she was demented opening his mouth. "What?" She asked

"Did anyone else invite you?" He finally asked

"Yeah, a couple of cute Durmstrang boys." She giggled. "But I told them all that I was going with someone else." Draco pulled to look at Alice with one swift movement. "What's wrong with you?"

"You should have said yes to the Durmstrang boys! I was the guy you were supposed to go unless you didn't want t go with anyone."

"Then why did you ask me the second that they announced the ball?!" she asked in a voice that had a hint of anger

"I know but I really didn't want anyone to ask me… I know it was unfair to you but I though you knew you could bail on me!"

Alice thanked that they were in private since she didn't imagine having this conversation with people around her. She noticed a familiar staircase and realized that this was the place where a couple almost caught them last week.

"You should have come here with someone you wanted not because you had to…" Draco continued and Alice though she was going to burst

"I came with you because I wanted to!" Too late she did.

Draco didn't spend a second analyzing the sentence that came from her mouth. He pressed his lips onto hers as if those words cast a spell on him or triggered something into him. Alice couldn't say she wasn’t surprised but still managed to return the kisses wondering and hoping it wouldn't end badly. He pulled back just enough for their lips to depart but close enough for their noses to still touch each other.

"This isn't right. You're Alice, I known you since forever. But I couldn't… you're just so beautiful…"

"Tell me Draco. Has your feelings for me changed just a little bit since I've arrived?" Alice asked sort of breathless from the last make out scene

"No not at all." He answered honestly wondering where she could be going with this.

"Mine haven't either. That's because I've always felt something towards you Draco Malfoy, even before I knew what it was. I knew it wasn't friendship when you became the only person I felt like that about"

Again, just as he heard those words everything became clear in his mind and started to kiss her one more time as she replied. Their kisses became more passionate as she took his robe off, leaving him with his white blouse and pants.. Their hands roamed each other's bodies as their lips departed and reunited all over again as their kisses were only getting longer. They both thought they heard steps but forgot about it the second later. It was only when she heard someone on the corner she pulled and looked around her. She was totally under his spell so she just laughed a bit when she saw Harry's and Ron's astonish faces. Little did the childhood best friends realize, that staircase was the road to both Huffelpuff's and Gryffindor's common room. They ran away, laughing, to a different corridor, where they continued to make out until the clock stroke midnight.

"Oh bloody hell, am I in trouble." Draco panicked as he pulled away

"Why?" Alice whined trying to get a couple of more kisses

"Snape made it clear, midnight!"

So they ran, in laugher and panic but as arriving there was nothing to laugh about. Madame Maxim was there, with Snape and Dumbledore.

"Mister Malfoy!" "Miss Voltaire!" Only Dumbledore remain silenced.

"Please, it was only a couple of minutes…" Draco opened his mouth.

"Then why couldn't you possibly bring Miss Lestran…, I don't even know what to her anymore, a couple of minutes…earlier." Snape asked

"It was my fault, really…" Addie tried to butt in

"Since it's a very special night, we'll leave you with detention. Besides we have Denise and Rachelle to find." Madame Maxim told the girl

"Rachelle?" Addie asked surprised giving a glace at Draco

"She appears to be missing with Mister Zabini. Can either of you possibly tell me if you know their whereabouts?" Snape asked coldly

"No sir, we haven't seen them since the feast."

"Thanks, that's enough. Go to bed."

Alice looked at Draco who had to depart with sad eyes. She wanted to kiss him one more time. She entered her room and got ready for bed. Her head spun the whole time as she remembered what happened. Before going to bed she noticed a paper bird flying in and recognized Draco's signature trick. When she opened it and read the note, smiled and went to bed still holding it. As she drifted to sleep the note fell from her hands and anyone who could get in the room could read on the floor the message with sweet words.

The feeling is the same for me Ali. I've always felt something for you too. That's something that's ever going to change. Goodnight, I'll be dreaming about you tonight. Forever yours, Draco.