CinderHarry

~CHAPTER FOUR~

\"Mother!\"

\"Yes Draco?\" Queen Narcissa was a beautiful woman and as sharp as a tac. Nothing got by her, but sometimes she would omit certain information when she was occupied. She was preoccupied now since she was coordinating everything for the Ball. \'I feel like I forgot something though, something big but can be easily delt with.\'
\"What is this?\" Draco handed her a piece of paper.
\"Why that\'s the invitation for your Ball.\" \'Maybe it was something about the invitations.\'
\"Mother, we went over this at least five times. I wanted a Masquerade Ball. Not a regular one. I even pointed out the pro\'s and con\'s for you.\" \'Pro-I don\'t have to see anyones face. Con-I still have to go.\'
\"Oh. But I already sent out the invitations and the Ball is tonight.\" \'That\'s what I forgot. Well, maybe if I sent out a lot of messenger boys. Plus there is still nine hours until the Ball.\' She liked to indulge her son but now that she remembers what she forgot, she remembered why she liked the idea. Draco said it would be romantic because the belief was, before the stroke of midnight, everyone danced with a partner of there choosing. Then precisely at the stroke of midnight, everyone takes off their mask and the person who you were dancing with will be your one true love. Of course thats just a belief. \'Its not like this was a fairy tale, but it would be nice if it happened to Draco. (M:that\'s what she thinks)
\"I\'m sorry mother but I promised you and Father that I would go to a Masquerade Ball. So I am not entitled to go if it is a regular Ball.\"
\"I\'ll fix it dear. Go bother Blaise.\"
\"Thank you mother.\"


\"I thought you didn\'t want to go to any Ball, so why did you tell her about the Masquerade promise?\" Blaise was sitting, looking at Draco oddly.
\".....\" Draco just looked bored.
\"Is this still about that green-eyed boy that punched you in the market a week ago?\" \'Get over it!\'
\".....\"
\"Draco, that was seven days ago, in the past. Severus healed the bruise. No evidence. You should forget about him. Its not like you to hold grudges. What is wrong with you?\"
\"It\'s the principal of the matter. Plus, there was just something about him. Okay?\" Draco got up and started pacing.
\"Something about him? What do you mean?\"
\"I don\'t know. Just drop it.\" \'If I knew what that something was then I wouldn\'t be so confused. And I do not like being confused.\'
\"Okay. What are you wearing tonight?\" \'We\'ll talk about it later.\'
\"You know what I\'m wearing. You were there for the fitting. And I know what you\'re wearing. Why did you pick that outfit out? Trying to impress someone?\"
\"Of course. I already told you about it.\" \'I hope he\'ll come.\'
\"Oh yes. The chimney sweep. What was his name? Weasel? What kind of name is that?\"
\"It\'s Weasley!\" \'Better not make fun of Ron, otherwise I\'ll make fun of him and his green-eyed boy.\' He was slightly glaring at Draco. He told Draco about Ron the same day he met Ron. He tried to get Draco to get him to work here but Draco said that his father said that all chimney sweep positions are full. He hasn\'t seen Ron since that day but he told Ron\'s mom that Ron was invited to the Masquerade.
\"Calm down. She better fix it.\"
\"She\'s your mother. She can do practically anything. Except Regicide.\"
Draco just looked at him like he was an idiot.



~Potter Manor~

\"Oh dear.\" Bellatrix just got an emergency letter.
\"What is the matter Mother?\" Pansy didn\'t care, she just had nothing else to do.
\"It seems that we have to go shopping again. The Ball is actually a Masquerade Ball.\"
\"I love Masquerades.\"
\"Well I don\'t.\"
\"Does it look like I care what you like or don\'t like dear brother?\"
\"Be quiet Pansy.\"
\"If you don\'t like Masquerades, then maybe we should leave you here.\"
\"Why? So you can get the Prince all to yourself.\"
\"Enough children. Let us go to the market.\"
\"What about step-brother?\"
\"We don\'t need him to go Pansy. And we don\'t have to tell him that its a Masquerade either.\" \'Beside, I don\'t even want him to go. And since he is being so good today, I can\'t think of a reason why to make him stay.\'

\"Hermione are you sure everything will be ready?\" Harry was busy washing all the floors and since he was at the back of the house, he didn\'t know where his family went.
\"Yes, but I need to get one more thing and then make sure it fits you.\" Luckily Hermione was passing by and heard that the Ball was a Maquerade. So she just had to procure a mask and make adjustments so everything fits Harry.
\"So what are you doing while we\'re at the Ball?\"
\"Actually, Pansy is taking me as her hand-maiden for some odd reason. That girls just weird. But at least she\'s nice.\"
\"What about your clothes though?\" He didn\'t want her to go through all this trouble because of him, even if he did ask her for help. He didn\'t want to be a burden.
\"Don\'t worry about it. Pansy already gave me something to wear. Its gorgeous. I can\'t wait till you see it.\"
\"Alright then. Don\'t let me keep you.\"

~Before the Ball~

\"Most of this looks familiar.\" Harry was wearing what Hermione made for him. He was wearing tan pants, a fitted white poet\'s shirt(poofy sleeves but cuffs at the end), a brown vest, and a dark tan tail coat. It was the best she could come up with at short notice but it did look very good on him, especially after he took a proper bath and scrubbed all the dirt off.
\"Yes, I had to borrow some of these items.\"
\"Isn\'t the white shirt and tail coat Theo\'s?\" \'Not that he doesn\'t have enough\'
\"Well yes.\" \'The vest I got from Bellatrix, not that she\'d notice since it was crammed in the back of her closet.\' The pants were Harry\'s that he was going to wear for a special occasion. He didn\'t have any shirt\'s because of Bellatrix.
\"If he notices, I am going to be in a world of pain.\" \'He better not. I hope he is to oblivious tonight to notice me.\'
\"Don\'t worry. He shouldn\'t. If they ask just tell them that you borrowed from the chimney sweep. And don\'t forget this.\"
\"Why do I need a mask?\" The mask was brown velvet that covered the upper half of his face.
\"They didn\'t tell you but its a Masque. And again just tell them you got everything from the chimney sweep. Now there is an hour left and I need to get dressed.\" \'I\'m glad I did my hair, bath, and makeup in advance.\'
\"How to I wear the mask with my glasses?\" \'I have to see, unless she has magic to correct my vision.\'
\"Try it on.\" She took a pair of Harry\'s old, broken glasses, compliments of Theo, and put the lens\' in the eye holes.
\"Thank you Hermione. Once again you know everything and I don\'t know if I could ever live without you.\"

\"Is everyone ready?\" Bellatrix was scrutinizing Harry\'s apperance. Unfortunately he looked rather nice. But there was something vaguely familiar about what he was wearing. Hermione was smiling slightly at him. She was almost matching Harry. Except she was wearing a caramel and orange dress that suit her rather well. (poofy kind of dress) They all started walking out the door, when Theo felt like coming out of his excited state and looked at Harry.
\"Isn\'t that my tail-coat you\'re wearing?\" \'I don\'t remember letting him borrow it.\' Everybody stopped in the doorway.
\"No, the chimney sweep let me borrow this.\" \'Why can\'t you do this when we get to the palace or never.\' Theo just circled him.
\"Liar, this is mine.\" He then grabbed it and ripped it off him.
\"That is my vest. How dare you take that.\" His step-mother stepped forward and ripped that off him, in the same fashion that Theo ripped the tail-coat. Then Bellatrix backhanded him.
\"For this thievery and lying. You will not go to the Ball. You will not even leave this house until I say otherwise.\" She just turned and threw the tattered vest on a chair, while Theo felt like taking his shirt back, in the same fashion as the tail-coat. Then threw the remains on the same chair as the vest. They both walked out the door. Harry just stood there wearing a torn shirt that was more like rags, hanging out of his pants, and hanging from the cuffs of the shirt. Pansy looked at him a little sadly and walked out the door. Hermione had a few tears in her eyes but before she could say anything Harry just ran out of the room, towards the kitchen, then out to the backyard. There he sat next to a tree, letting a few tears escape. Thinking \'I knew it was to good to be true.\'








My own ending made me sad. I better write the next one soon so its happier.