the ball and percy jackson
The Great Hall had been transformed into something straight out of a fairy tale. Icicles hung from the ceiling, enchanted snowflakes drifted lazily through the air, and the walls shimmered with frost-kissed magic. The long tables had disappeared, replaced by elegant round ones, and a massive dance floor stretched across the center.
Harry stood near the entrance, adjusting the deep emerald cuffs of his dress robes, which had been picked out by Draco, of course. It had taken weeks for Draco to find something he deemed acceptable, and Harry suspected it was mostly so they would match.
Speaking of Draco…
Harry turned to find him talking to Blaise and Pansy. He had never looked better. His dress robes were a silvery shade of green, tailored to perfection, and the edges of his pale hair were still dyed that soft icy blue that Harry absolutely loved. The moment Draco laughed at something Pansy said, Harry felt his heart do that ridiculous, floaty thing it always did around him.
Blaise caught him staring and smirked. “You’re pathetic, Potter.”
Harry tore his gaze away and scowled. “Am not.”
“Really? Because you’ve been making goo-goo eyes at Draco for the past five minutes.”
Ron, who was adjusting the sleeves of his own robes, snorted. “He’s right, mate.”
Harry groaned. “I hate you both.”
“Only because we’re right,” Blaise said smugly.
Before Harry could argue, Draco made his way over. “Are you three done being idiots?”
Ron nodded sagely. “Not yet, but we’ll get back to you on that.”
Draco rolled his eyes but let it go. Instead, he slipped his hand into Harry’s and tugged him toward the dance floor.
Harry blinked. “Wait—what?”
Draco raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “You do remember that Champions have to open the ball, don’t you?”
Oh. Right. That.
Harry gulped. “I… uh…”
Draco narrowed his eyes. “Harry James Potter, do not tell me you don’t know how to dance.”
Harry gave him a sheepish grin. “I might have… forgotten?”
Draco sighed dramatically. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me anyway?”
Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry didn’t miss the way the corner of his lips twitched up. “Luckily for you, you do have a very graceful soulmate. Just follow my lead.”
Harry was about to protest, but then the music started, and Draco did lead.
And, well—Harry would never admit it, but dancing with Draco? It was definitely one of the best things he had ever experienced.
And judging by the way Draco was smirking up at him, he knew it, too.
---
The moment the song ended, applause rang through the Great Hall, and Harry let out a breath of relief.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he admitted as he and Draco stepped off the dance floor.
Draco smirked. “That’s because you had me guiding you.”
Harry rolled his eyes but couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah, yeah. So, what now?”
“Well,” Draco said, lacing their fingers together, “we enjoy the party, of course. And maybe I let you sneak off with me for some fresh air.”
Harry grinned. “Sneaking off, huh? Are you corrupting me, Malfoy?”
Draco smirked. “Oh, love, you were already corrupt. I’m just helping you embrace it.”
Before they could escape, their friends found them.
“That was disgustingly romantic,” Blaise drawled. “Seriously, I think I might be ill.”
“Agreed,” Ron said, shuddering. “I think I preferred when you two were oblivious idiots.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Oh, leave them alone. It was lovely.”
Pansy nodded. “It really was. Draco, I approve.”
Draco looked smug. “Of course you do.”
As they talked, Harry’s eyes drifted across the hall. Everything seemed perfect—until he spotted Percy Jackson standing near the refreshments table, watching them with an unreadable expression.
Harry nudged Draco. “Look.”
Draco followed his gaze and frowned. “What’s his deal?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
Draco sighed. “Fine, but after that, we’re sneaking off.”
Harry grinned. “Deal.”
With that, they made their way toward Percy, completely unaware of the chaos that was about to follow.
---
Harry and Draco weaved through the crowd, ignoring the laughter and music as they made their way to Percy Jackson. The son of Poseidon was leaning against the refreshment table, swirling his drink absentmindedly.
“Enjoying the party?” Harry asked, stopping in front of him.
Percy glanced up, eyes flicking between Harry and Draco before offering a small smirk. “Yeah, it’s… different from what I’m used to.”
Draco raised a brow. “What, do your school dances involve actual sword fights?”
Percy snorted. “Sometimes. Camp Half-Blood has a very different idea of fun.”
Harry studied him for a moment. Percy wasn’t acting like his usual self—he seemed distracted, almost tense. “You’ve been staring at us all night,” he pointed out. “Something on your mind?”
Percy hesitated, then sighed. “Alright, yeah. There’s something off about all of this.”
Draco folded his arms. “This meaning?”
“The Tournament. Hogwarts. The way things are playing out,” Percy said, lowering his voice. “I don’t like it.”
Harry exchanged a glance with Draco. He knew something was wrong—he’d felt it ever since his name had come out of the Goblet. But hearing Percy voice the same concern made his stomach twist.
“Do you know something we don’t?” Harry asked.
Percy’s fingers tightened around his drink. “Not exactly. But my gut’s telling me we need to be really careful.” He exhaled sharply. “Look, I was gonna wait until later, but screw it. There’s something you should know, Harry. Something about your—”
Before Percy could finish, a loud explosion echoed through the hall.
Screams erupted as people turned toward the source—fireworks, Weasley fireworks, exploding near the ceiling in bursts of vivid colors. Fred and George cackled as sparks rained down, the teachers scrambling to contain the chaos.
Percy cursed under his breath. “Great. Just great.”
Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. “This school is a circus.”
Harry’s mind was still on what Percy had been about to say. “We’ll talk later,” he told him firmly.
Percy nodded. “Yeah. Later.”
As the teachers finally got the chaos under control, Harry felt an uneasy weight settle in his chest. Percy knew something—something important. And whatever it was, Harry had a feeling it was going to change everything.