The Bystander's View 6

Recap: He expertly spun her away then pulled her back in. Malfoy had taken in dance classes. After the first dance, Malfoy led Melody to a table then went to get them drinks. Melody didn’t feel particularly thirsty so she went over to the drinks to find Malfoy to tell him, that’s when it happened.

Malfoy had brought his wand; he levitated the bowl of punch and poured it onto Melody’s head, drenching her. The teachers were on the other side of the Great Hall, oblivious as to what happened. Malfoy and his friends began to laugh.

“Did you really think I wanted to go to the ball with you? It was all to set up this prank, you should have known.”

Melody began to shake her head; she looked down at her dress and smiled, “I knew it. I knew it had to be too good. I actually thought you were a gentleman today, but no, you turned out to be the exact opposite.”

She pulled out her own wand, “Tergeo.” The punch was siphoned off of her dress and out of her hair. Within seconds, she was a beautiful as she had been before.

Melody pointed her wand at Malfoy, “I could blow you to bits right here and now.” Malfoy looked at her in shock, his friends slowly edged away from him. “See, your friends won’t even stand by your side. But you know what? You’re not even worth the breath.”

Melody put away her wand and began to walk away, out of the Great Hall. The students who had witnessed the scene stood dumbfounded. Any other person would have cursed Malfoy into oblivion, but Melody hadn’t.

“Melody! Melody, wait!” Melody heard Dmitri call out, but she was halfway up the stairs already. When she heard a grunting noise, she looked back. Dmitri had gotten his foot caught in the trick step on the staircase.

Melody slowly walked down to him, “Need some help?”

“Yes, but I would also like that dance you promised me.” He said with a smile.

“I kinda don’t feel like going back there.”

“Why would you let one boy, a fool for that matter, ruin your entire evening?”

Melody looked at Dmitri and took pity on him; his leg had sunk in deeper. She grabbed his arm and yanked him out, but she had pulled with too much force. She stumbled back and Dmitri grabbed onto her waist to stop her. But she didn’t stop until her back hit the stone railing. Dmitri had stepped with her, now they were within inches of each other.

He looked at her face, “Will you come back with me?”

“I don’t know…”

He tilted her chin up so she had to look at him, “Please, the only reason why I went to the ball was to dance with you.”

He leaned closer, clearly intent on kissing Melody. Her eyes moved from his eyes to his lips to his eyes again. He smiled then kissed her. Melody closed her eyes and began to kiss back. She moved her arms from gripping the railing to around his neck and she began pull him closer.

When they broke apart they were breathing heavily, “Ok, I’ll go back with you.”

Dmitri smiled then held out his hand for her to take. Melody took it, and began to walk back to the Great Hall. When they walked back inside, everyone had obviously forgotten what had taken place.

Ryan watched from a nearby table as Dmitri pulled Melody onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck. Ryan had seen them making out on the stairs, but she had run away before they even opened their eyes. Dmitri smiled down at Melody and she returned the smile. Dmitri leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, then kissed her lightly.

People were beginning to notice that Melody was back and that she was dancing with a fourth year Dumstrange. Ryan felt her hands clench into fists at the sight of Melody being so happy with Dmitri. Ryan’s own date had gone off to dance with someone else because she had said she was tired and couldn’t dance anymore. The truth was that she felt nauseous at the sight of Melody and Dmitri. The song ended and Dmitri led Melody to Ryan’s table.

“Hey, are you having a good time?” Ryan forced a smile on her face.

“Yeah, are you? Where’s your date?”

“He went off to dance with other people; I told him I was tired.”

“Melody, I am going to get us some drinks, yes? Ryan, would you like one?”

“Yeah, sure, why not?”

Melody watched as Dmitri walked off towards the drinks. When he was out of sight she leaned towards Ryan.

“Thanks for kinda pushing me onto him. He’s a really great guy and if it weren’t for you I’d probably have never known.”

Ryan looked down at her hands, “Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Melody put her hand on Ryan’s shoulder, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know.”

Melody walked down the stairs, smelling holly and pancakes. But her mom forced her into the living room, refusing to let her eat until she opened her presents. Her mother handed her a long box and excitedly waited for Melody to open it.

“What is it?”

“You won’t know till you open it!”

Melody smiled and began to rip the wrapping off. When she lifted the lid, tears began to swell up in her eyes. Inside was a Nimbus 2000, her mom had obviously been saving to buy her this.

“This is why you said it was my birthday and Christmas present, it must have cost a fortune.”

“I’ve been saving for thirteen years to buy you that. At first I was gonna get you a cleansweep 360 but you were only ten and I figured that by the time you knew how to fly the cleansweep would be outdated. I was gonna get the Nimbus 2001 but it was kinda ugly and it wasn’t exactly balanced.”

“I love it mom, thanks! But now my gift seems crappy.”

“Nonsense, I love these earrings. You said that you’ve seen muggles wear these… hoops, right? What did your father get you?”

Melody opened the box, “A set of inks, all different colors and stuff. I suppose it goes with my quills from last year.”

“Well, think of it this way, that’s two things we can cross off your school list next year. See? Your father is thinking of you.”

Melody was at the foot of her bed, rearranging her stuff in her trunk when Ryan walked in. Ryan tapped Melody on the shoulder but when Melody turned around she was holding a gift out to her.

“Ha! Beat you to it, now you have to open my gift first. Merry, I mean, Happy Christmas.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know but you did last year and you wouldn’t tell me your birthday, so here.”

The gift was a cleaning set for her broom, “Thanks!’

“Well, since you love qudditch so much I figured you had to keep your broom clean and well kept.”

“I think Harry has the same set.”

“He does? Wow, what a small world. Guess what my mom gave me for Christmas?”

“What?”

“A Nimbus 2000!” Melody pulled it from her trunk and handed it to Ryan.

Ryan inspected it, “You should go out for the quidditch team next year.”

“I don’t know, I mean I’m an ok flyer but what position should I go out for?”

Melody felt much more comfortable around Ryan again, her relationship with Dmitri proved that she was normal. Melody felt the way she did when she first met Ryan, grateful and happy.

“Go out for chaser, there’s gonna be a new captain next year.”

“Promise you won’t let me make a fool of myself.”

Ryan laughed but promised anyway. Ryan insisted that she and Melody go out to the pitch and try out her new broom. It was mid January and the snow had almost all melted. So Melody changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Ryan pulled on a jacket over her tee and they made their way down to the pitch.

Dmitri was swimming in the Great Lake with Krum when Ryan and Melody excited the castle. When he spotted them he got out. Dmitri was in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks.

He walked over and fell into step with them, “Where are you going?”

“To the quidditch pitch to try out my new broom.”

“May I come and watch?”

Melody looked down at his trunks, “You might want to go change first.”

“It is ok. This place is warm to me.”

Melody mounted the broom first and began to fly around, the Nimbus was much better than the school brooms. It turned with the slightest touch and seemed to read her mind rather than her body movements. After a few laps around the pitch, she dismounted and handed the broom to Ryan.

Ryan zoomed around much like Melody did, but she pulled a few tricks. The sloth drop spin and then she spiraled through one of the goal posts. Melody clapped as Ryan dismounted. Ryan handed back the broom to Melody, Melody gestured for Dmitri to try.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. I am still dripping wet.”

“It’s ok. I’ll dry it off in the common room.”

“Ok.”

Dmitri took to the air, clearly a seasoned flyer. He spun around, doing fancy tricks and after a few laps came back down. Melody clapped for him, he smiled then handed the broom over. The three of them began to walk back as the winds began to pick up.

Ryan was way ahead of Melody and Dmitri. That left the two alone together. Melody walked Dmitri to the edge of the Great Lake where Krum was still swimming.

“Maybe you were right, I am beginning to feel chilled. Maybe a hug will warm me up.”

Melody smiled, “You don’t need a reason to hug me.” She stepped closer to Dmitri and he wrapped his arms around her. She pulled in closer and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

“I am sorry if I get you wet.”

“It’s ok, I don’t mind.” Melody gave him a peck on his neck before stepping back.

Dmitri pulled her back in, “I am not warm enough yet.”

“Ok.”

Dmitri’s head dipped and he planted a soft kiss on Melody’s head before releasing her. She smiled and began to walk away. Dmitri was falling hard and he knew it.