Traditional Christmas dance

Soisen had a great time on his date with Silvia after the first test!

They found a quiet clearing to hold the picnic and thanks to Soisen's bubble of warmth, it was like they were in springtime. Although they both acted a bit awkward due to it being their first time doing something like this, the final experience was pleasant and they got very close as no one found and disturbed them.

Could they consider themselves a couple from now on?

When Soisen explained the story about the traditional Yule Ball with the champions, Silvia was pleasantly surprised and assured him that she would keep her promise without the slightest hesitation with a happy smile.

Hermione on her side was indeed invited by Krum at some point and told Soisen with an uncomfortable expression, because she too remembered the bet they made and felt bad with herself because she never really believed she had to keep it. Her emotions were somewhat chaotic, because she didn't want her best friend to feel betrayed, but she also didn't want to miss the opportunity to go with Krum.

Soisen would be lying if he said he wasn't upset about it, perhaps it was his Galegold blood that was upset about breaking a "deal", but he was understanding and released Hermione from the promise on the condition that he owed her a favor instead.

The witch sighed in relief and agreed because it seemed reasonable and fair, more so considering that she was the one who had reneged on her part.

The couples at the Yule Ball were more or less the same as she remembered, with a few minor exceptions that she didn't mind.

Cedric Diggory happily attended with his girlfriend Cho Chang.

Potter attended the ball with Parvati Patil, but it was not such a pleasant experience for the lady that Potter constantly averted his gaze to Cho and only asked her to dance once, which was out of obligation to his status as champion.

Hermione went with Krum in the same pink dress from the movie, which Soisen never considered really fit her.

Fleur initially sought out Soisen to be her date for the ball, but when she learned that someone was ahead of her, she had no choice but to "settle" for Roger Davies, the captain of the Ravenclaw team.

Curie attended the ball with none other than Neville, which left Soisen surprised, because he remembered that Neville's original partner was going to be Ginny. That meant that the little Weasley missed the ball because of the appearance of the second Beauxbatons champion.

For a second he felt bad, until he remembered that it wasn't really even his fault, but the one who over-handled the chalice!

Soisen was wearing a purple tuxedo with gold embroidery and black interior, which went over a formal white shirt and a black bow tie. The sleeves of his tuxedo ended in a line of gold and white that gave it an elegant touch next to his dark pants. The colors of his house, as was natural.

When Silvia saw him, her eyes lit up, but for some reason, for a second, she felt that Soisen's eyes contained a myriad of lights, his hair shook wildly and two large ears protruded from his head. It was only when she blinked, that she saw that it wasn't really like that and attributed it to a visual effect caused by all the lights along with her own nerves.

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What neither of them knew, was that Soisen unconsciously let out a part of his upper animagus form fleetingly as a reaction to the surprise and attraction he felt at seeing how Silvia was groomed.

It was something no one else picked up on.

Silvia on the other hand, fixed her hair and sported two small gold earrings in the shape of a snowflake. She wore a simple but elegant evening dress in a dark red tone that transformed into a long skirt from the waist and seemed to be dotted with tiny stars. As gold accessories, a simple bracelet on her left wrist and a discreet necklace.

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Soisen couldn't help but gulp when he saw her, she looked simply spectacular.

Now that was a proper dress and the rest is nonsense!

When Silvia happily took him by the arm and they entered the ballroom, they could feel countless jealous looks. Most of the girls never expected that Silvia could shine so brightly with a little care and were envious that she could have such a handsome, powerful guy who exuded confidence as a partner.

Moreover, he was the champion who slayed a dragon with his bare hands!

Then they looked at their respective knights and could only sigh inwardly.

Even Hermione hesitated for a second, unclear whether she should regret her choice.

What followed was a lively dance, where the champions formally kicked off the event. Then the couples were encouraged to join in little by little as the night went on and gather courage to have fun without caring about the opinion of others.

Soisen and Silvia danced one piece after another until they had to stop because of sore feet, taking a seat while Soisen brought some cold drinks and some snacks to regain strength.

-Are you having a good time? -Soisen asked as he cooled his throat with some apple juice.

-How could I not? -Silvia answered astutely while eating a toast with duck pate and olives- Too bad I don't have as much stamina as you do, my feet are killing me with these fancy shoes, I'm just not used to wear something like this.

-I think we've danced enough for tonight. If you prefer, we could find you something more comfortable for your feet and take a walk in the castle gardens or somewhere else," suggested Soisen.

Most of the people present had already retired to go to sleep by now or find a corner where the teachers couldn't easily find them.

-You have convinced me -Silvia nodded after finishing eating a little- But we don't need to go look for anything in the common room, just change these shoes for some sneakers when we go out, no one will notice it with the dress anyway.

-They said goodbye to their friends who were still dancing, like Fred Weasley with Angelina Johnson.

Silvia sat for a moment on the stairs as she took off her shoes and Soisen transformed them before putting them back on and breathing with obvious relief.

-This is something else!

Soisen couldn't help but laugh a little, he just doesn't understand how anyone could wear shoes that although pretty, looked more like a tool of torture.

-Where are we going? -asked Silvia standing up in a better mood- -The garden?

-I just saw Snape and Karkaroff leaving, possibly to patrol to prevent students from excessive "mischief" -Soisen slowly shook his head -I have a better idea, let's go.

He cast an invisibility charm and holding hands, they walked up several floors until they reached the seventh floor and stopped in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Nutcase.

-Oh, I like your idea," said Silvia, blushing as she saw a door appear where there was nothing before after walking past it three times.

As for what happened after they entered and the door vanished, that is something only they will know and remember.