Sadly, he underestimated his own popularity. As much as Dudley was unpopular among jealous guys, he was popular among girls. Sure, Hufflepuff girls backed off, knowing Dudley would go with Susan and Hannah.
It didn't stop girls from other houses from approaching him. Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and even girls from Beauxbatons. Especially Fleur, who asked him out in private. He declined, however.
Yet, Dudley didn't realise that the fire would start from within his little house. As one boy and one girl was the norm, and Professor McGonagall declined their request to share Dudley, they fought. Susan and Hannah fought to decide who would be Dudley's choice for the Yule Ball.
"None of you!" Dudley said firmly one evening, fed up with all the bickering. "I care about both of you, I do. Honestly. So I'm not choosing either of you."
"Don't tell me!" Susan glared back at him. "Did you accept that French bitch's proposal?"
"What? No! Not at all. Honestly, even the girl I'm taking, I picked her for, you know… practical reasons. Politics and business and all that."
At his response, Susan and Hannah heaved a sigh of relief. They looked at each other, nodded, and shook hands. Truce at last.
"But who is the girl?" Hannah inquired.
"Can't tell right now. It's a surprise." He cheekily grinned and focused back on his book. "Besides, once the initial dance is done, I'll be throwing you girls around the dance floor anyway."
"Heh, I prefer being thrown on top of something else," Susan smirked back at him.
This girl… always ready for action. Dudley sighed. Though he wasn't going to deny it, his end plan for the Yule Ball was to take Susan and Hannah elsewhere and savor them in those beautiful dresses he'd ordered.
"But who should we go with now?" Hannah pondered, grabbing a seat beside him on the couch in the common room by the hearth. She always enjoyed being physically in proximity to him, like a cat always seeking the heat of his body. Susan was the same on his other side.
It seemed the girls enjoyed teasing him whenever he read books. Not that it ever worked.
"I can sort you out with Harry and Ron," Dudley offered, turning a page.
The two girls hummed and pondered.
"Harry is fine but…" Susan scratched her red hair. "Ron is rather…"
"I saw the clothes his mum sent. I'm not dancing with him, never." Hannah crossed her arms. "How about that boy, what's his name… Neville? He's weird but decent. Respectful."
"He already asked out Ron's sister." Dudley chimed in without looking at them.
"What? I thought she had her knees going weak for Potter?" Susan exclaimed, finding juicy new gossip. "Ah, I see! That Cho from Ravenclaw has Potter blue balled. I saw him drool at the sight of her in the Great Hall."
Finally, Dudley turned his face to glance at his fiery redhead. "You stare at other boys while rubbing my thighs in the Great Hall?"
"You fucked that Lavender and I said nothing, so shush." Susan scoffed.
Hannah joined in and scoffed. "Looking isn't a crime, Dudley."
Silently, Dudley focused back on the book, cursing his mouth.
When the hell did the word spread? That Lavender and her loud mouth.
He let the two decide which guy to bring.
They were great lookers; he reckoned they wouldn't find any problem.
####
"How do we look?"
Dudley stood up and turned to look at the source of the voice.
That was all he did—look.
He looked a lot. Admired even, the dresses he'd bought for them turned out insanely beautiful. So much so that he had to gulp down his spit and calm down his racing heart and blood aching to pump downwards.
There stood Susan, dressed in a beautiful, long, red ball gown. It revealed some and hid just enough. Made of silk with cotton decorations on top, trailing vines of red flowers. The thin shoulder straps were also covered in those cotton, 3D brocade flowers. Sleeveless, and the neck was wide, starting from the bodice. The lower the gown went, the more it spread outwards, but not too much. The outermost layer was made of red sheer fabric.
There was a slit somewhere in the middle on the lower side, revealing just a hint of her calves and feet, those golden heels a sight to behold. Her hair was done well, wavy and silky, with a lipstick to match.
"I'm speechless." He muttered and glanced at Hannah next. It was almost a replica of Susan's dress but white in color with golden decorations. In addition, a white, butterfly ribbon tied behind her long, blonde hair.
"If we didn't have a ball to attend, I'd have taken you two elsewhere," he shamelessly declared.
"Heh, we'll have time for our personal afterparties later, Dudley." Susan smugly said and eyed him from head to toe. "You don't look so bad either, dashing, I'd say."
Taking her compliment, he looked left and right for any guy to approach them. "Who are your partners? Are they from another house?"
"That…" Susan frowned suddenly and looked at Hannah.
Hannah had the same expression and, with a sigh, hugged Susan's arm. "We decided to go together instead."
"What?" He scratched his head awkwardly. "Don't tell me you couldn't find two guys."
Susan snorted and hugged her best girlfriend's arm back. "We did, Dudley. But a few were a little too… touchy when we practiced dancing. So we decided to ditch the boys."
Dudley frowned hard as if someone had stolen all his money. "What were their names?"
"Easy, cowboy." Susan chuckled and rushed to his side, hugging his arm instead. "Besides, we decided it should be us two if we can't have you."
"Agreed." Hannah hugged his other arm and pulled him along. "Let's go now."
Listening to them, he felt a little guilty for not accompanying them. He decided to make up to them after the initial dance. His deal with a certain blonde only lasted until then, after all.
Before long, they arrived at the Great Hall, which had been given a makeover to look like the Yule Ball. The walls of the hall had been covered in silver frost with too many garlands of mistletoe and ivy to count.
Once he arrived near the hall's entrance, Susan and Hannah left him to just be themselves while he waited for his partner.
He watched as his friends from other houses greeted him and went in. He saw Harry and Ron appear soon after with their dates, the Patil sisters. He had personally helped the twins get beautiful gowns with true Indian themes. He really hated what they'd worn in his memory, two-bit knock-offs with cheap materials.
Harry looked good, dressed like some vampire. It was Ron who suffered the most from poverty. But again, Dudley wondered what kind of fucked up dressing sense Weasleys had to even purchase those kind of clothes no matter the time and age.
"Hey, Big D."
Dudley shook Harry's hand and eyed Padma, who he'd already explored quite well on a few occasions. Their private potions classes were still a thing. But from Parvati's expressions, it seemed she knew about it too.
"Where's your date?" Ron questioned, eyeing left and right.
"Forget about that. What are you wearing?" Dudley asked, raising an eyebrow but keeping his tone light. "You could've asked to borrow one of my tuxedos, you know. I got two—black and white. The white one would've suited you."
Ron's face fell. "I'm good."
"Try to enjoy the night, mate," Dudley said, giving Harry a small grin. He leaned in a bit closer and lowered his voice. "You can have a dance with Cho after the first one's done. They don't mind if you switch partners."
Harry's face brightened up a little, and he nodded his head.
Then, from the stairs, Hermione came down, all smiles, wearing a dress made of floaty, periwinkle-blue material. Her bushy hair was made sleek and shiny using potions. She looked stunning, and Dudley was proud to have helped her out since he didn't want her to repeat that boring dress from his memory. He'd even helped brew the potion for her hair.
"Dudley!" Hermione, too excited and perhaps with some potions working to calm her down, jumped up to hug him for a quick moment. "You look handsome!"
"And you look gorgeous." Dudley reciprocated, not that it was a lie. "Where's the guy?"
"I'm here."
From the side, Viktor Krum approached and extended his hand to Hermione. It was a worthy sight when Ron and Harry's jaws went agape.
"Mr. Dursley." Viktor greeted Dudley. The Durmstrang Champion understood by now whom to respect and form connections with.
Soon after, Professor McGonagall appeared and dragged the champions inside. The area outside the Great Hall started to empty out, and his date still wasn't there.
Where the hell is she?
Nonetheless, hands in his pockets, he waited there, eventually ending up being the only one left behind.
And as if she was waiting for the emptiness, she finally appeared, walking down the stairs towards him. Her icy blue eyes, brimming with confidence, were locked on him. Her blonde hair was tied behind in fancy waves with clips matching her pale, light blue dress-robes.
Sparkling white patterns were all over the dress, with the shoulders left naked to one's eyes, pale and spotless, her skin glistening in the light. A droopy, loose sheer cloak covered her arms all the way to the floor, loosely tied behind her like wings.
For a moment, Dudley had to catch his breath and tell his overly excited heart that this was a one-time thing. Mingling with this girl too much was dangerous.
But holy hell, she's gorgeous.
Her makeup was light, her lipstick subtle too, her eyelashes were made well, and her face was just perfect.
"Ms. Greengrass," Dudley asked for her hand.
Daphne smiled gorgeously and gave it to him. "Mr. Dursley."
"You're late." He said.
Daphne placed her arm around his and walked along to the ballroom.
"I hope it was worth the wait."
Dudley chuckled and glanced at her face, gently probing her mind to listen to her thoughts. He didn't trust her, after all.
"Now? I can say I'd have gladly waited hours more for this view."
Very faint, but it was there. The blush on her face. So what if she was usually cold and reserved? She was still a girl with feelings.
But her thoughts. They angered him.
Draco had locked her in?
Turns out, Draco had found out about Daphne's date and reacted as one would expect from a rich, spoiled brat.
Let's deal with him on the dance floor.
______________________
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