Fleur Delacour had been talking with Cedric.
In truth, she had hoped Cedric would take the initiative to invite her, and so she deliberately released a touch of the allure from her Veela heritage.
Yet after all her effort, Cedric remained perfectly polite but never once asked her to be his partner. Instead, a freckled boy suddenly blurted his way forward.
The air froze for a second. Fleur's gaze slowly swept over Ron—from his protruding ears to the hem of his school robe still smeared with grease.
The corner of her lips twitched faintly, and without saying a word, she lifted her chin and strode past him, as though what stood before her was nothing more than an unsightly sea cucumber.
Ron stood frozen, ears ringing, unable to believe how he could have done something so impulsive.
Murmurs swelled all around. He dared not meet anyone's eyes; when his brain finally caught up, he spun around and stumbled out of the entrance hall, bolting all the way back to the Gryffindor common room.
…
Wade stood just outside the entrance hall, and watched Ron sweep past him like a gale, disappearing from sight in an instant.
He lingered at the doorway, and waited until the buzz of discussion drifted back inside. Then Wade crossed the hall, entered the Great Hall, and swept his eyes over the bustling crowd with a faint tension in his chest.
There were plenty of empty seats at the Ravenclaw table. Wade chose one, and had only just picked up his fork when he felt a faint, almost imperceptible gaze from the far end of the table.
Fleur Delacour stood with several Beauxbatons girls. Even though she had failed in the first task, everyone knew her elimination was not due to lack of ability, but because she had encountered the unreasonable Wade Grey.
Thus, Fleur was still Madame Maxime's cherished protégé, the center of Beauxbatons students.
Meanwhile, the girl who had slipped into the spot at the last moment, Clémentine, seemed as though her qualification had been stolen, and was faintly ostracized by some of her peers.
Naturally, Fleur herself had not forgotten that earlier scene. Now, upon seeing Wade, she raised her brows slightly and her gaze paused on him for a few seconds. Her lips curved into a thoughtful arc, as though weighing some possibility.
She stepped toward Wade, her tall figure swaying lightly, neck slender, chin lifted just so, like a proud and beautiful swan. Her long silver hair rippled like waves of water with each step.
In the Great Hall, more than half the boys couldn't tear their eyes away from her. As she walked, the chatter around them unconsciously quieted, and many pairs of eyes watched her in anticipation, in longing.
"My goodness!" At the Slytherin table, Daphne's fork froze in mid-air. "She isn't actually going to invite Wade herself, is she?"
"Impossible!" Blaise declared firmly. "Have you forgotten how humiliated she was when Wade knocked her out? She'll never forget that!"
Pansy snorted. "One Galleon says she's just planning to dump pumpkin juice over his head."
Another girl glanced enviously at Fleur's flawless face and figure. "Or better yet, she'll give Grey a resounding slap."
The table fell silent for a moment.
Then Goyle muttered with deep envy, "…Is there such a good thing?"
The girls: "…"
While the crowd whispered and speculated, a tall figure suddenly cut in, stepping decisively between Wade and Fleur.
Fleur's steps faltered slightly, and her eyes swept darkly over the figure ahead. But Natalia didn't look at her at all, nor did she seem to notice the subtle tension in the air. Instead, she broke into a radiant smile.
"Wade Grey!" Natalia said brightly. "Don't tell me you still haven't found a partner?"
When she spoke English, her accent carried a unique, wave-like cadence, as though she were reciting poetry.
Wade smiled, his gaze slipping past her shoulder to glance at Fleur, who stood frozen. "No, I haven't."
Naturally, he wasn't going to just sit and wait for a girl to act first. He stood and gave a slight bow. "Perhaps I could invite you to dance with me?"
"Sure, let's settle it then!"
Natalia snapped her fingers crisply. Not only did she agree, she sat down right beside Wade without the least hesitation.
Fleur curled her lips in disdain, then coldly returned to her companions, rattling off a few quick words in French.
Some students stole glances at Wade and Natalia, speculating about their relationship. But when they saw the two merely eating side by side, they quickly grew bored and turned their attention elsewhere.
As she sliced her steak, Natalia suddenly asked in a low voice: "Don't you think I ruined your chance to dance with the prettiest girl?"
Wade raised his glass of juice, took a sip, and said calmly, "On the contrary—I'd only thank you for saving me from standing on the stage like a fool, all alone"
Natalia burst into laughter.
She blinked playfully. "As a champion, how could you possibly lack a partner? But yes, I did step out on purpose. Guess why?"
"I suppose…" Wade cast a distant glance at Fleur. "She probably wanted me to embarrass myself like Ron—her revenge for being defeated by me."
Natalia laughed again, and a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes. "So even if I hadn't intervened, you wouldn't have taken the bait so easily."
"No—fortunately, you appeared in time," Wade admitted frankly. "Because I don't know if I could have kept a clear head when she unleashed the full charm of her bloodline."
Natalia didn't believe him, not really—but his words did lift her mood considerably.
As dinner drew to a close, Natalia suddenly leaned forward and tilted her head with a teasing smile. "One last question—you eliminated my teammate Olga. Why do you think I'd still help you?"
Her lips curved further as her eyes roved over Wade's face, as if trying to catch the tiniest flicker of expression.
Wade calmly set down his napkin and said evenly: "Because you're kind—and always ready to help others."
"Hahahaha…"
Natalia suddenly let out a clear, ringing laugh that drew many curious stares, but she didn't care in the slightest. She waved them off casually.
"All right then… let's say that's the reason."
Natalia set down her utensils and stood. Then she bent forward suddenly, leaning close, and a lock of golden hair brushed against Wade's shoulder.
"My gown is a deep-blue dress with silver-gray trim," she said with a smile. "I hope, when the time comes, it won't clash with your style."
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