Over across the room, in the absence of music (the band had taken a break), a few young witches had gathered together.
"Come on, Parvati. It's just us here - tell us the truth - people are saying Draco Malfoy showed up at the Ball and that's the reason why-"
Parvati cut a curious Millicent Bulstrode off quickly, her cheeks warming. "Yes, Draco did come - he had heard of the events and wanted to make sure I was alright, nothing more than that. We are just friends."
"Friends. Right." Hannah Abbott snorted. With the younger generation, the tales of Draco and Parvati had been well known and widely admired.
Parvati desperately wished Dina hadn't caught a flu, she could have really used her best friend's eternal support.
Astoria Greengrass smiled slowly, "If you're just friends then I don't suppose you would mind if I asked him to dance?"
Smoothly and without a trace of the homicidal rage she felt inside, Parvati barely blinked, "Go ahead." She reached for another flute of champagne, a flicker of amusement calming the anger. Draco's ring was warm against the soft skin above her breasts - she knew who he belonged to at the end of the night.
"Alright, I shall." Astoria's trick hadn't panned out, but the girl took the time to stride over to the men, elegant and pretty, aiming straight for the Slytherin.