"It's me, your Aunt Lily."

  Lily? Why is she even in the school?

  Sighing, he opened the door and gnced at her. Only her face was visible, while the rest of her body was shrouded in the Invisibility Cloak. He let her into the Arithmancy cssroom and then closed the door behind.

  By then, Lily had removed the Invisibility Cloak and stood in her common witch attire, a deep red, old-looking gown with too many yers, her red hair falling loose on her back.

  Since nothing else was worth looking at, Dudley stared at her face. She looked mighty healthy now, all the dark circles gone, the glow on her paleness quite refreshing. Her green eyes were starkly visible, her thin lips coated in light red lipstick.

  It made sense now why James stopped bullying to impress her and why Snape was still probably stroking himself to the thought of her.

  "What's going on? I was just heading to dinner," Dudley asked, having already quashed all the lights in the cssroom, so he had to use his wand to light up the pce. "And, er, what exactly are you doing here at the school?"

  "Dudley." Lily got closer to him, so much so that their bodies were barely separated. Her face now stood in the bright light of his Lumos spell. "I'm not here to ask you to do something, I swear. Just… Can you tell me if Harry did it? Did he pce his name in the Goblet?"

  "He didn't," Dudley replied stoically.

  "Then…"

  "A Confundus Charm was most certainly used. By whom, I'm yet to find out. But how are you even in the school, Lily? Did you join the faculty?"

  Lily frowned, nervousness pin on her face. It was visible what sort of woman she'd become. Harry was everything to her, the sole focus of her existence. To protect him was her life's goal.

  "I… I joined the school's Board of Governors," Lily revealed.

  That was unexpected to Dudley.

  She must have spent a fortune to get in. As far as I remember, there were no vacancies among the twelve positions. Someone must have retired or been paid to be retired.

  "School board? That's… probably for the best. You can keep an eye on the school and its workings with that," Dudley said, not clear what to even do with her now. She'd decided to get involved personally and change the course of so many things. The future that he knew was starting to look too unpredictable.

  "Dudley." Lily looked up at his face and rested her hands on the edge of his shoulders. "If you hear anything… just a hint, that's all I ask. I won't press you—I'd never do that. You've already done so much, and I couldn't bear to bring you any more trouble."

  Yet, trouble has already found me. Dudley reckoned, knowing he had to fight anyway, thanks to Lucius. But he had no desire to present his neck to his enemies.

  He sighed and looked down, telling her how troublesome it was to him. In truth, he had no problem giving her hints in secret. But doing all that for free was not his style. It'd be a shame to his name if he did anything for free.

  Let's see how far you're going to py this game.

  He'd already noticed it; How she attempted to seduce him. Her hand on his p that time in the car. Her words, her body so close. She was definitely not acting like an aunt. Even now, as she put her hands on his shoulder, she had to step closer due to his height, and as expected, her chest gently pressed on him.

  How about this?

  Daringly, Dudley reached for her curvy waist. Since Lily had spent most of her time in bed over the st many years, she'd grown a magnificent lower half, a rump that was wide and full, legs that were fleshy and soft to look at. Her mounds, too, had bountiful volume while keeping the waist slim. By no means was she the milk truck that was Molly Weasley, but she was definitely an amazing sight to behold.

  Despite yers of clothes she'd worn, he felt the softness of her waist as both his palms dug in slightly. He saw her eyes widen and her breath hitch. Yet, she gave him no earful or denials.

  Highly motivated, I guess.

  He stared into her beautiful, green eyes and dug his hands harder into her waist, making his desire known to her without saying a word. Watching her lips tremble was a joy.

  "In the third stall from the left after entering Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. If I've got something to pass along, I'll leave a note there, right before dinner. I'll use ink I've brewed that hides the information. Tonight, I'll leave a small bottle. Next time you find a note, use the liquid from the bottle on it. That's how you'll see what's really written."

  Lily almost forgot how close their bodies were and how dangerously close his hands were to her back, almost reaching down to the rise leading to her bottom. She was more shocked by how careful Dudley was. There had to be something he knew that made him so worried.

  But right now, she was too fearful to ask anything more.

  "Thank you! Thank you so much," Lily muttered, a blush forming on her cheeks.

  Sure enough, she rose on her toes and softly pecked Dudley's cheek before stepping back.

  "You're the sweetest friend I could have ever asked for," Lily said softly, her voice warm—but the word friend, not nephew, lingered between them like an untold secret.

  Dudley didn't react to that. He already didn't see her as his aunt, and clearly, she had no reason to either. She knew the old Dudley was no longer there.

  "I'll leave then." Lily pulled the Invisibility Cloak over her head again.

  "Wait!" He stopped her just before fully vanishing. "How's Mum?"

  Lily's sharp gaze softened. "I was with her the whole time. We've… reconciled, in a way. She apologized to me for being insensitive to James' passing and the treatment given to Harry. She's trying her best to leave the bad memories behind. Last time I saw her, she was looking for a job."

  "Job?" Dudley frowned. He didn't know about that. "Why? I mean, if she wants something to pass the time, I can give her some fun jobs to do. She's brilliant at cooking—I'll just buy a cooking show and make her the face of—"

  "Don't do that." Lily interrupted, also shaken by how little he valued money. "She's trying to find self-worth, Dudley. It's not about money or comfort."

  Dudley scratched his chin and nodded. He could understand Petunia to a certain degree. But she was Dudley Dursley's mother, one of the richest men in the world. He couldn't have her work a cashier job at some shop.

  Too bad, Youtube is still too far away.

  "I'll ask the BBC to interview her, you know, as the mother of the youngest billionaire. She can show them her cooking, and I reckon they'll offer her a spot on one of their new shows." He paused, then added, "But don't mention anything yet. I want it to feel natural for Mum."

  Wait, why am I even doing all this for her? She's not even a good person.

  He questioned himself. But at the same time, he felt an innate desire to do it. Was it just a biological response?

  "I'll keep my lips sealed," Lily promised softly, a gentle smile pying at her lips. "Good night, then."

  "Good night, Lily."

  No more calling her aunt when in private, I guess.

  ####

  "So…" Hermione stared at Dudley's face while he did the same.

  Both of them sat together in the empty Arithmancy cssroom. School hours were over, and this was their personal arrangement. Only half of the cssroom was lit up, with two chairs pced near a wall, facing each other, not too far apart.

  Dudley could feel her knee sometimes brush against his own, her dark skirt slightly hiked up, revealing her stocking-covered legs. It was cold now, so she'd worn her sweater too, but the dark robes were pced aside.

  They each held a book in their hands, copies of the same topic—Occlumency. It had been a week since they'd started their after-school personal sessions, trying to master the art of safeguarding their minds.

  Initially, Hermoine was too shy to stare into his eyes, but over time, they'd grown used to each other's company. Though Dudley was aware of how her eyes would scan over his body at times. He usually discarded his sweater and tie too, and folded the sleeves of his white shirt as he did personal training with the Arithmancy research before Occlumency practice.

  He didn't mind that Hermione enjoyed the sight of him.

  However, to test each other, they had to learn Legilimency too.

  "You try to probe my mind first. Then I'll do the same to you." Dudley offered her, folding his arms. Today, he'd unfastened an extra button, making the muscle of his chest slightly visible. He was rather proud of his body now. Folks called him built-like-a-bear, but he considered himself more of a bull.

  Hermione nervously gulped and nodded. "I'll start."

  Dudley simply smiled while admiring her cute face as her brows crumpled. He beamed, making her blush, a little shy. The softness of her features was gentle and inviting. A face perfectly carved between those bushy, unruly hair that were, to him, the selling points.

  Hermione licked her dry lips. For no reason, her face turned red.

  That was when Dudley remembered he was supposed to block his thoughts, not announce to her what he was thinking about her face. Sure enough, he'd made her flustered.

  Soon, he utilized the things he'd read in the book and practiced over the week. It took him time, as he was still new to it, but as soon as he found Hermione's probing consciousness trying to gaze into his psyche, he blocked it with useless noise. Like an invisible wall that meant nothing.

  Hermione felt it. She was caught inside his mind and instantly pulled back.

  "Hah… It's tiring." She exhaled audibly. "But you're fast."

  Is that sweat on her forehead? Dudley noticed the heated expressions.

  "Now it's my turn. Try to block me."

  Rexed, arms folded, expressions serious, Dudley aimed at her mind, eyes locked together. It was far too easy to enter her mind while she was so flustered. And the first thing he found was her surface thoughts. Voices that were ringing inside her head.

  Mm… Don't, Hermione. Don't think about it. How can you even think of touching him?

  Dudley hid his expression, not wanting to alert Hermione. He wanted to hear her thoughts, all of them. It'd been a week since they started and three days since they began probing each other's thoughts. He was already aware of what she thought of him. But he wanted to know more. Hear more. Her deepest, darkest desires.

  He's so… big, and his lips… Wait, can he listen to me? But he's not reacting to it. Maybe I should try to get closer to him and… he wouldn't mind a kiss, would he? It's not like he's dating Susan and Hannah.

  Dudley carved a frown on his face, acting as if he were having trouble probing her thoughts. That seemingly bolstered her thoughts.

  His chest is so… wide. Would he mind if I touched him there? No, I shouldn't. I wouldn't like guys touching my chest either… but him… I wouldn't mind. Uhhh… what the hell is wrong with me?

  Dudley was thoroughly enjoying this. Her conflicted expressions, frowns, and how her lips constantly, likely subconsciously, pressed tight.

  I wonder what he thinks of me. Would he even be interested in m—No, I'm not that pretty. Susan is amazing, and she has those… big things, and Hannah is also… I'm just a useless bookworm who constantly nags.

  "I think." Dudley abruptly pulled his mental probe back and voiced. "I can't probe into your thoughts, Hermione. Can you try it on me again?"

  "Of course!" Hermione chirped, quickly gathering her thoughts.

  Once again, Dudley felt her mental probe and gave her a swift reply to her inner turmoil. It was time she realised she was no less a beauty than others.

  Quickly, he thought about her face, her perfect small lips, so kissable. He thought about her hair and wondered how combing his fingers through it would feel. He stared at her face intently the whole time, checking her out from top to bottom.

  His eyes nded on her neck, and he wondered if kissing her there would feel warm. Then he gnced at the hills on her chest and pondered how she'd respond, what noises she'd make if he were to taste them. Then, he desired to wrap his arms around her slender waist, followed by a gnce at her legs. He gulped, visibly, and aroused.

  His desire for her reached a peak as he wondered how she'd respond if he asked her to straddle his p. Would she refuse if he gripped her ass and kissed her like that? How perfect that would be—She's beautiful, so intelligent and so amazing, he thought, which was mostly true.

  For a muggle-born girl to exceed her peers who came from generations of wizardry was a feat worthy of awe.

  At st, he fought against her mental probe and averted his gaze, breaking the connection. He was still practicing.

  Hermione was no longer in a salvageable position, however. She couldn't look straight anymore; her legs were shut tight, squeezed together. Her csped hands, nervously tight, sat on the closed book on her p.

  "My turn then," he suggested.

  Hermione tried to act professional and looked up, pitifully so.

  And once Dudley heard her surface thoughts, he understood why.

  No, no, no, don't say that. I would love to kiss you and settle on your p. Touch me anywhere you want, and I'll ask for more—No! What am I doing? I-I'm soaked already. What if he sees it? What if he can smell it! No, he'll hate me.

  What's wrong with you, Hermione! So what if he's the greatest muggle-born to ever live? So what if I have a crush on him since I saw him on the train so… Uh, why doesn't he just take me if he wants to kiss… Or maybe not. It'd be an assault. I'm so hopeless.

  Dudley realised he might have taken it too far and went a little harder with his mental probe. Right away, the brilliant witch noticed it and reacted to the invasion, scared that he'd hear her thoughts.

  "You got me!" Dudley felt her defense and failed to probe further.

  "Yeah…" Hermione murmured, never gncing up at him again. She wondered if a fever would strike her soon because of how warm she felt in his company. Having listened to his immoral thoughts almost made her want him to do all that he desired.

  But again, she was scared.

  "Hermione?"

  "Yes?!" She jumped to her feet like a deer caught in headlights. But staring up made it worse as she felt the stickiness between her thighs. Although she'd worn full pantyhose stockings, she could still feel something, some sticky and warm mess down there.

  Why? Why did this guy's presence turn her into this mumbling, clueless mess? She asked herself so many times but never found an answer. His eyes were always extremely intelligent, even in a tough situation. She loved staring at them ever since she'd known him. It'd been a silent, distant crush all those years, but now, with the chance to sit alone together for hours, her body had started to react.

  "Should we try again?" Dudley ignored her noticeably troubled state and asked.

  Hermione exhaled a breath and looked up at his face, no longer sitting back. She stared into his eyes and probed in, only to freeze. His thoughts were so loud, almost screaming, so warm and so… needy.

  Her heart almost froze in that moment; her breath caught in her lungs. He just thought about his erection and how her slender legs made him a little lustful, although he was ashamed of such thoughts. She realized how much he wanted to hold her and really just… just squeeze her in his big arms.

  And then, she felt the connection break. Dudley stopped her from probing further in.

  "Dudley… I-I'm sorry."

  Dudley frowned as he looked up at her blushing face. "For what?"

  Thud!

  The next thing Dudley knew, Hermione had thrown herself at him like a wild cat. She swatted away the book resting on his p and actually jumped down on his p, her beautiful, soft, and slender legs spread apart, her round bottom weighing on his semi-erect shaft.

  Her lithe arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips fell on his.

  "Ummmh…" Hermione seemingly moaned in exhale, cluelessly kissing, perhaps her first ever. She just rubbed her closed lips on his and kept smashing them together.

  Dudley was slightly surprised. Of course, he'd been interested in Hermione for a while, but he never wanted to take things too fast. He'd always acted in control, giving her compliments, helping her study, and giving her rare physical touches.

  He just never imagined she had this much courage. Once again, the Sorting Hat was right. Hermione was too damned courageous to fight embarrassment and follow her desire.

  "Dudley?" Hermione suddenly pulled her face back, her eyes almost watery, panicky even, so wide open. She gulped and looked down at his face, already feeling something big underneath her bottom. "A-Are you angry?"

  He shook his head. Those bushy hairs did fit her well, he thought.

  "Then… C-Can I kiss you more?"

  He just gave a nod.

  Hermione's breath hit his face, and she once again dove at his lips. But her arms moved, releasing his neck. She reached for Dudley's arms, which were still hanging on the side. She grabbed them and guided them over to her back, much lower than her waist.

  Finally, Dudley responded in full. He opened his mouth and began leading her to experience a perfect kiss. He locked with her lips first and danced until they went dry. Then he added his tongue and quickly swept through her mouth.

  Her arms only hugged his head harder in response, loving the sensation of his tongue invading. Her back constantly arched and straightened, as if letting him fuck her lips, though doing that also made her hips shake where it mattered the most.

  She followed his guide and curled with his tongue, lips sealed tight on each other.

  Dudley truly relished her scent and taste. Hermione was no hygiene freak, but she did more than most to keep herself presentable. Her breath tasted of honey and mint, and he relished every little sound she made.

  Though, his hands weren't idle either. As he'd told her in his thoughts, he quickly slid his hands under her dangling skirt from behind. With both palms spread as wide as possible, he cupped her asscheeks and pulled her lower half in, hard enough so she could feel his peak erection squeeze against her folds.

  She was warm down there; he could feel it. But he had no pns to take it too far. Kissing, fondling her amazing, soft ass, he was content. She was surprisingly soft down there; he had reckoned she wasn't that fit and toned all over.

  He was utterly wrong.

  Hermione was perfect in her own way. As all other girls who walked into his life.

  He guided her with his strength. His palms clenched her bottom flesh and made her shift back and forth on his p. He occasionally dry humped up, letting her know what it truly meant to give in.

  Dudley felt the waistband of her pantyhose and fought against the idea of sliding his hand underneath. He didn't want to scare her. He wanted to taste her and let her taste him slowly, stage by stage, and enjoy the entire ride.

  In time, he felt his throat go dry and pulled his lips back. The look on Hermione's face was a mess as her faintly tinted lip gloss was smudged, her jaw glistening with their dribble.

  "Hermione…" He called out her name and earned her undivided attention. "Can you feel it?"

  He flexed his cock a couple of times, making it swell and rex a few times.

  "Hmm…" She nodded strongly.

  "I'd love to go all the way, but I don't think we should rush it. It won't be easy to take, and I don't want it to be a sour memory." He spoke with a kind of steady certainty, then stood up in one smooth movement, keeping Hermione tight against him, hands supporting under her ass. "I'm not a very gentle lover, you see."

  Shame, embarrassment, lust, so many things combined and formed her expressions. Other than breathing like a mare in heat, she could do nothing in that dangling position. All her responses were just nods.

  "Let's end this study session today." Dudley finally lowered her to the floor, begrudgingly taking his hands off of her round rump. "We have plenty of days ahead."

  She nodded once again, sheepishly. Quick on her feet, she grabbed her book and tried to run away.

  "Wait!"

  She froze just before reaching the door.

  Dudley walked behind her, making his presence known. Then, in a move that almost melted her, his arms gently slid around her slender waist, all the way to the front before hugging her frame to his chest with full force.

  He lowered his face beside her ear and nded a wet kiss on her naked skin, earning goosebumps across her peel.

  Then, he turned her around with a gentle push on her shoulders and kissed her lips one st time. Nothing fancy, a mere momentary, deep kiss with no tongue but a lot of lips involved.

  "You taste… good."

  Hermione's brows threatened to leave the stratosphere, eyes so wide at his words that her face visibly turned red.

  Once again, she nodded and finally escaped the demon's ir.

  Thud!

  The door was smmed shut, and Dudley was left alone, standing, chuckling, and shaking his head.

  The least I can do is not be an asshole, I guess. Let's take it slow.

  ####

  The first task of the Triwizard tournament went just about as Dudley had expected. Before the start of the game, he met the champions and wished them good luck. He was friends with three of them, after all.

  Though for no reason, Fleur decided to peck a kiss on his cheek right in front of Viktor, Cedric, and Harry. She said it was to thank his advice back in France.

  Not thinking too much of it, he watched the champions take on their respective dragons one by one. Cedric, the shining, handsome bastard, went first and easily won the dragon. Then, Fleur went and pced the dragon in a trance. But when the dragon snored a jet of fmes, she was thrown back against a boulder.

  But thanks to Dudley's advice to save herself from fire, she'd already charmed her clothes to resist fire. Other than a muscle injury on her shoulder, she fwlessly grabbed the golden egg and finished her task.

  After her, Viktor Krum went and, like a brute, finished his task with precision. Finally, the whole Harry Potter drama happened. But since Dudley had advised him about the broom before the fake Moody could, the Boy-Who-Lived also flew high.

  Dudley noticed Lily, sitting near Dumbledore, biting her nails in fright. But he was very rexed, eating some snacks with Susan and Hannah, who were actually enjoying the show.

  Some time ter, Harry won his golden egg as well, qualifying for the next round.

  Later, when Dudley went to congratute his sponsored shining boy, Cedric, Fleur again approached him and threw herself at him for a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek, expressing her gratitude and whatnot, all in French.

  At his sides, Hannah and Susan gred, arms folded.

  Sighing, he congratuted Cedric and Harry and then dragged his two beauties to the empty Arithmancy cssroom to show them that they were permanent in his life and no Vee could ever take their pce, all through his actions.

  It involved a lot of grunting, exerting, moans, giggles, cps, and, of course, watery substances. By nightfall, Susan and Hannah had to lean on him, each holding onto one of his arms to walk steadily. Not that they compined. Heck, they already knew Dudley's thoughts about them, but teasing him was always more fun.

  That night, in Hufflepuff, a massive party was thrown, with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks flowing freely. It was one hell of a blessing for Hufflepuff to have a rich, generous guy stand with them.

  Eating, drinking, mindless dancing, occasional fights, some arm wrestling, a few guys getting spped, and a few guys getting kissed. It was chaos but one of celebration.

  Dudley, however, was aware of what was to come next and sneaked out of the common room to send a letter and request a special order from Diagon Alley.

  A beautiful tuxedo for himself and dresses for Susan and Hannah, made custom for their sinful curves. Red for Susan, to match her hair, and white for Hannah, to compliment her blond hair.

  ####

  Learning to dance was hard. Each day, he, Hannah, and Susan practiced in the empty cssroom but failed each time.

  Not because the dance was hard. Not at all; that was the easy part.

  The issue was that each time they'd start dancing, his hand on their waist would slide to their hips, their lips would find his, and in no time, it would turn into a horizontal tango. How they were still so horny towards each other was a question nobody could answer.

  All they knew was that they craved each other's company a lot. In mind, body, and magic, the three trusted each other completely, and their loyalty to one another was unquestionable. Entertaining their sexual desires whenever they felt the need was a perk they enjoyed immensely.

  Not that it didn't raise eyebrows. Some boys occasionally passed jealous comments when Susan and Hannah would pass by.

  Dudley's sluts. Rich Man's Toys. Ms. Tits and Ms. Ass. Filthy Blood Traitors. Or just pin and simple Whores.

  Susan was always quick to shoot back and shame them. Hannah was a more silent type who took things to heart. Not that Dudley ever let her do it for long. He'd note down the names of the guys and hit them where it hurt: their parents.

  The two girls were the most important to him in Hogwarts. Then came the rest of the game with Harry and the others. After all, Harry had his Ron and Hermione.

  Why couldn't he have his Susan and Hannah?

  Sadly, he underestimated his own popurity. As much as Dudley was unpopur among jealous guys, he was popur 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. Ravencws, Gryffindores, 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 gred 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 st.

  "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 pn 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 excimed, finding juicy new gossip. "Ah, I see! That Cho from Ravencw has Potter blue balled. I saw him drool at the sight of her in the Great Hall."

  Finally, Dudley turned his face to gnce 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 yer 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 gnced 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 decred.

  "Heh, we'll have time for our personal afterparties ter, 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 sted 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 garnds 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 csses 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—bck 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 eyeshes 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 te." He said.

  Daphne pced her arm around his and walked along to the ballroom.

  "I hope it was worth the wait."

  Dudley chuckled and gnced 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 gdly 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.