When I, Neville Longbottom, finally arrived at the designated empty classroom after getting hopelessly lost along the way, Pansy Parkinson's sharp voice immediately flew at me.
"Hey, Longbottom, you're late! Keeping Draco waiting. Are you trying to pick a fight?"
Pansy's heavily done eye makeup made her glare especially intimidating, and when she fixed me with that look, my whole body tensed up.
"S-sorry! I got lost…"
"Huh?"
My desperate explanation was forcefully cut off by her low-toned "Huh?", and I hurriedly apologized again and again.
"I-I'm really sorry! I'll make sure to arrive thirty minutes early next time…!"
Pansy stared me down with cold eyes.
"Got it? If you cause trouble for Draco, I won't let it slide."
She delivered the warning in a threatening tone and promptly walked away. Lately, the more mild-mannered Elaina and the others had often been holding her back, so I had almost forgotten, but when you face her one-on-one, she really is terrifying.
However, that wasn't the end of it.
Tracy Davis, who had been watching the exchange, came over with a mocking smirk to tease me.
"Longbottom, dancing? No way. You look like you've never even touched a girl before."
It was almost entirely true, and my heart nearly broke, but I somehow managed to plaster on a strained smile to smooth things over.
In reality, Tracy, with her short brown hair and slender build, looked every bit like a fashionable, modern Slytherin girl, and the guy she had been dancing with earlier, who seemed to be her boyfriend, was just plainly handsome.
(Pansy was the same, but somehow their aura is just different…)
Take their clothes, for example. Since this was dance practice, Tracy was also wearing the Hogwarts-issued house T-shirt, but the way she styled it made her look like an obvious winner at a glance.
The short-sleeved T-shirt with the school crest printed on the left chest was tied at the hem, creating a cropped look that exposed her midriff. By tying it snugly around her waist, her figure was clearly defined, and her toned stomach peeked out with every movement. Even the skirt she wore underneath had been boldly hemmed shorter, emphasizing the long, slender lines of her legs whether she wanted to or not.
"Hm? Ah, this is cute, right?"
Noticing my gaze immediately, Tracy said so, and Daphne, who was nearby, came over smiling brightly.
"This outfit was featured in Eighteen the month before last."
Eighteen was a cutting-edge fashion magazine published by a company founded by the now-retired Lockhart. With its fresh styles that actively incorporated Muggle fashion, it enjoyed overwhelming popularity among young witches and wizards.
Within Slytherin, opinions on it varied greatly by generation. Among the parent generation, most harshly criticized it as "vulgar Muggle imitation." On the other hand, among the younger generation, where being a trend-sensitive fashion leader carried influence, there were many enthusiastic readers, to the point where people said, "If you're a reader model, you're Slytherin."
In fact, looking around, most of the Slytherin girls were dressed in similar ways, expressing their individuality through small details.
For example, Elaina had her glossy gray hair elegantly tied up, Pansy stylishly tied her hem with a scarf, Daphne inexplicably wrapped a hoodie around her waist, Millicent boldly rolled up her sleeves to expose her shoulders, and Tracy wore a choker around her neck.
"So anyway, how did Longbottom even end up here?"
As Tracy tilted her head and prompted an explanation, Daphne, who was nearby, answered.
"The other day we went to the Three Broomsticks with some Ravenclaw boys, but we were one guy short, so we were talking about wanting someone to fill in. That's how it led to Hannah and Neville pairing up."
"Even so, there had to be someone better, right?"
"Well, Neville happened to be on his own, and he sometimes pairs up with Hufflepuff students in Herbology, so it seemed easy for Hannah and the others to approach him."
At Daphne's words, Hannah Abbott, who had joined us, nodded. "Y-yeah, that's right."
"Huh. But seriously, Longbottom, didn't you have anyone in Gryffindor you could invite? Or friends you could go flirting with together? Were you getting excluded or something?"
Tracy laughed maliciously and said, "Scary," while Daphne and Hannah gave troubled smiles and replied, "Um, I don't know…"
There was no way I could argue head-on with a confident girl like Tracy, so I stiffened up with nerves, forced an awkward smile to keep things civil, and tried to let it pass harmlessly.
"Hey."
The tense atmosphere was broken by the athletic-looking boy who seemed to be Tracy's boyfriend. He lightly chopped the top of her head and then grabbed her arm to pull her away.
"Honestly… even if you're teasing, there's a milder way to say things."
"Eh, this is totally normal."
"And that's why people think all of Slytherin is a den of bullies, senpai."
He said it with an exasperated sigh, then turned to me and bowed. True to his sports-club background that valued hierarchy, he used proper polite speech toward me, even though we were in different houses.
"I'm sorry about our Tracy. I'll make sure she's properly disciplined."
"Ooh, discipline me."
"P-please don't cling to me in public… Come on, let's go."
As Tracy and her embarrassed boyfriend left, flirting with each other, Daphne clasped her hands apologetically.
"Harper apologized too, but I'm really sorry. You probably think our house is kind of rough, right?"
"That's not…"
I couldn't quite bring myself to say it wasn't true.
Even setting aside the fact that Slytherin had produced dark wizards, there were many elite students from pureblood families, and among some of them there was a strong attitude of, "We're special, so a little selfishness or bullying should be acceptable."
That said, there's no smoke without fire, and what Tracy Davis said wasn't something I could completely deny, which hurt the most.
(In truth, I don't really have a best friend in Gryffindor…)
In Potions, Professor Snape is so scary that I mess up every time, and in other classes I'm always relying on others to help me. Last year, I couldn't remember the common room password and kept it written on a scrap of paper, which ended up allowing Sirius Black to get in.
Honestly, I'm in a position where it wouldn't be strange if I were already being bullied. My Gryffindor classmates would never do that, but at the same time, there's no close friend who's always by my side.
So sometimes, when I see Harry, Ron, and Hermione always together as a trio, or Seamus and Dean, or Lavender and Parvati, I can't help but feel a little envious.
(Even last year, when we tried to spend time together with other students who couldn't go to Hogsmeade, Harry went off somewhere…)
Still, because I didn't have a constant best friend, I ended up having quite a few friends from other houses that I could at least talk to comfortably.
That's how I ended up paired with Hannah this time, and how I was able to join a dance lesson filled with Slytherin students, all thanks to my connection with Daphne and Hannah.
There are hardly any people in Gryffindor who know much about dancing, so without these connections, I might have ended up as some weirdo dancing alone for hours with an imaginary partner.
After a while, Malfoy showed up with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Why do I have to look after Longbottom and the others…"
"It's fine. Don't be so cold. Let's all get along."
At Daphne's words, Malfoy looked over at me, his pale face clearly saying, "When did you all become friends?" I'd like to know that myself.
"If you've shared Butterbeer once, you're all friends, right?"
Malfoy snorted unhappily.
"Daphne, are you saying that Longbottom and I are the same?"
"No, Draco's more important. We've been childhood friends forever."
"…I see."
I didn't miss the faint blush that rose on Malfoy's pale cheeks as he muttered that.
"Honestly… fine. Just this once."
"Yes! I love you, Draco!"
With a beaming smile, Daphne returned to her partner. When she asks like that, it seems even Malfoy can't refuse.
To be honest, I've wondered more than once why a good girl like Daphne ended up in Slytherin, but she does seem to be deliberately sweet in places, so maybe it really was the right sorting after all.
Because of all that…
"I'm Draco Malfoy. Nice to meet you."
"I-I'm pleased to me—"
"Longbottom, I wasn't talking to you."
"..."
After Malfoy greeted Hannah, the lesson began right away.
"All right, let's start. First, hold hands and stand side by side."
Thrown a difficult task right from the start, I cautiously took Hannah's hand. I'd never held a woman's hand before, other than my grandmother's. In last week's practice gathered by Professor McGonagall, all I could manage was grabbing my partner's sleeve. My nerves made my palms break out in sweat.
(What should I do… what if this makes Hannah uncomfortable?)
Flustered, I instinctively looked to Malfoy for help.
"Don't look at me."
"S-sorry."
Malfoy let out a big sigh, saying, "This really doesn't bode well," and immediately piled on another unreasonable demand.
"Next. Place one hand on the waist and take the basic stance."
"W-what?"
But Malfoy only urged us on with "Hurry up," and, resigned, Hannah and I timidly looked at each other.
"..."
"..."
With her blonde hair braided, Hannah was more cute than beautiful. Her makeup was light but neat, giving her an honor-student impression. Her light brown, slightly drooping eyes darted around nervously, as if unsure where to settle.
(I wonder what Hannah thinks of me…)
I was curious, but too scared to ask, as Malfoy corrected our posture.
"Both of you, don't just rest your hands there. Hold your partner properly, or you won't be in sync when you move."
Malfoy's instruction was surprisingly thorough, but it was still embarrassing, and Hannah and I fidgeted awkwardly.
"Um, I'm not mentally prepared yet…"
"Me neither…"
"It's impressive how in sync you are, but are you planning to stay like that until a week from now?"
He shot back sarcastically.
(It's honestly still embarrassing, and my heart is pounding, but still…!)
With a surge of resolve, I applied force just as Malfoy instructed. Hannah's body stiffened for a moment, but then, as if she'd made up her mind, she returned the hold properly.
"..."
"..."
This is really bad for my heart.
"All right, let's take a break here."
At Malfoy's signal, Hannah and I both jumped back at the same time, putting distance between us.
(I-I was so nervous…)
Just holding hands left me in that state, so dancing steps in time with music felt completely impossible. Still, the break wasn't very long, and Malfoy soon resumed the practice.
"Next, we'll practice the basic steps. First, hold each other and slowly move from one end of the wall to the other."
Hannah stepped forward, and I stepped back. Put into words, that was all it was, but actually doing it was surprisingly difficult. By fourth year, the height difference between boys and girls starts to affect stride length, and more than that, I simply wasn't used to moving at the same pace as another person.
Even so, compared to when I had paired up with Ginny during the earlier group practice, I could move my body with a bit more composure. Back then, I had tried to do two unfamiliar things at once, "holding a girl's hand" and "dancing as a pair," and my nerves got the better of me. I stepped on Ginny's feet over and over until she finally gave up on me. In the end, Ginny ended up pairing off with Michael Corner from Ravenclaw.
This time, though, we were proceeding step by step, so I had a little more mental leeway. The movements were also much simpler. After repeating them a few times, I even started to feel like I was getting the hang of it.
"After three more times, Longbottom moves forward and Abbott steps back. Whatever you do, don't step on her feet."
"Yes!"
The movements were still clumsy, but my body was gradually starting to move more naturally. I was still nowhere near as skilled as the Slytherins, but compared to myself from not long ago, it felt like I was moving like a completely different person.
(This… might actually be fun.)
Once I could feel myself improving, my motivation grew as well. I might still have been standing at the starting line, but remembering that I hadn't even been able to stand there before made me feel like I'd grown, just a little.
After that, I started attending the lessons almost every day.
Each day, I tackled slightly more difficult movements and steadily raised my dancing level. Even when Hannah wasn't there, I practiced shadow dancing on my own over and over.
From morning until night, I practiced until my muscles ached, then loosened them with massages Harry taught me. As a Quidditch player, he knew his stuff. After giving my body a full night's rest, I'd head back to practice again. There wasn't much time left, so I couldn't afford to waste even a little.
Thanks to the intense training, I gradually stopped stepping on Hannah's feet, and even when something unexpected happened, I could take it easy and think, "I'll manage somehow."
And Malfoy, our instructor, turned out to be far more meticulous than I'd imagined. He patiently taught the same things over and over to someone as slow as me.
As I could feel myself improving, practice itself became enjoyable. More than anything, what made me happiest was that people around me gradually started praising me.
"Longbottom-senpai, you've improved a lot," Astoria said, her eyes wide with surprise as the weekend approached.
"It's because Draco's teaching was so good!"
"Well, if I'm the one teaching, this is only natural."
Flattered by Pansy, Malfoy got into an even better mood and began teaching with more enthusiasm than before. Where he used to leave quickly after about two hours, he gradually started staying longer. When I struggled with complex steps or turns, there were even times when he and Pansy showed me an example together because they couldn't bear to watch.
"So Neville really was someone who could do it if he tried," Daphne said, happily, as if it were her own achievement. She got excited together with Hannah, saying, "I'm really looking forward to the party!"
"I believed in Neville from the very beginning."
"Tracy, are you bad at lying?"
In response to Tracy Davis shamelessly saying something she clearly didn't mean, Elaina voiced what everyone was thinking.
Immediately, jeers flew from Millicent and Blaise Zabini, things like "Exactly," and "Don't act like you're being nice now!" Tracy, not to be outdone, shot back with remarks like, "I don't want to hear that from you, Blaise!"
Watching the Slytherins bicker among themselves, Cedric-senpai and Estelle-senpai laughed in amusement, and before I knew it, my own cheeks loosened into a smile as well. At the same time, I was surprised at myself.
(To think a day like this would come…)
Not only the Slytherins, but also Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students who participated in the lessons, as well as Gryffindor upperclassmen and underclassmen I'd barely spoken to before, gradually started talking with me more.
It felt like my world was expanding, and little by little, I was gaining confidence in myself.
◇◆◇
In the end, I, Draco Malfoy, ended up lecturing Longbottom and the others almost every day.
I was already used to teaching problem children thanks to Crabbe and Goyle, but even so, Longbottom's rate of improvement exceeded my expectations and genuinely surprised me.
To be honest, I'd assumed he would give up after about three days, unable to endure his own clumsiness. Seeing him show up day after day and practice from morning until night was completely unexpected.
(That Longbottom… did he really have this much grit?)
On the final day of lessons, I realized that I was the one who spoke to Longbottom first.
"You… did you really want to get that good at dancing?"
It was the first time I'd asked him something personal, so Longbottom looked a little surprised before answering.
"I do want to get better… that's true."
Then he said something unexpected, and I was taken aback.
"But more than that, I wanted to enjoy it too, like you all do."
Like us…?
"You Slytherins are always lively, and you look like you're having fun. You really stand out, kind of sparkling."
Depending on how you took it, it could have sounded mocking, but there was no malice in Longbottom's voice. If anything, there was a straightforward sense of admiration.
"I fail at pretty much everything I do, and I didn't have any confidence in myself. You all felt like the complete opposite of me, and that's why you seemed dazzling."
He said that was probably why he admired us.
"Even if it was just on the day of the dance party, if I could stand in the same place as you… I thought that maybe even someone like me could shine."
The surprisingly down-to-earth reason made me chuckle despite myself. With that harmless-looking face, maybe he actually had a bit of a desire to stand out after all.
(Well, Longbottom is a Gryffindor, after all.)
Still…
(Maybe… they're not as much my enemies as I thought.)
Longbottom was a bottom-of-the-class student, but perhaps because of that, unlike the attention-seeking Potter, the rude Weasley, or the insufferable know-it-all Granger, he understood his place.
The Longbottom family was pureblood to begin with, and as long as he showed proper respect befitting Slytherin, I wasn't so narrow-minded as to brush him aside.
"…Just make sure you don't embarrass yourself on the day of the real thing."
When I said that, Longbottom left with a bright smile, saying, "Thank you so much!" As I watched him go, a thought crossed my mind.
Maybe this is what Slytherin was originally meant to be.
Strong, refined, always victorious. True nobles whom everyone admired and instinctively wanted to follow. Not excluding other houses, but reigning at the top of Hogwarts as elites who should lead them.
By sharing a portion of that brilliant glory and opening the door just a little wider to let others join the ranks of the glamorous elite, it shouldn't be impossible to earn proper praise and respect, just as with Longbottom.
(Pureblood noble families have supported the wizarding world for generations, but maybe we've been too inward-looking and neglected to show the outside just how great we really are.)
That was why, for so many years, only the bad reputation had been emphasized, branding us as a breeding ground for dark wizards or a den of discrimination.
(Father believes the root of that lies with Muggle-loving types like Dumbledore and the Weasleys, and that Slytherin has been treated unfairly…)
That was why I had thought the only way for Slytherin to be treated justly was to crush Granger with her "tainted blood," and the "blood traitors" like the Weasleys and Potter.
But…
Getting into a fistfight head-on isn't the only way to fight. If anything, that's the Gryffindor way.
Treat enemies like friends to lower their guard, increase your allies by sharing honor and wealth, and make them willingly submit by wanting to follow you.
(Yes, that's far more cunning, and far more Slytherin-like, than making enemies needlessly…)
After all, the reason so many former Death Eaters, including Father, were able to remain in high society without being sent to Azkaban was because they lived by "yesterday's enemy is today's friend."
(Maybe changing our approach a little wouldn't be so bad. That wouldn't mean abandoning pureblood ideals, either…)
I wasn't ready to be as indifferent to pureblood ideology as Elaina, nor to label everyone a friend like Daphne, or to imitate Zabini and Tracy with their dizzying reversals of stance.
But from now on, I would try, just a little, to form relationships that didn't cling so tightly to house boundaries, like Elaina and the others do.
That's what I told myself.
(End of chapter)
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