Ares Salazar Riddle| a hp fanfic

chapter thirty eight

—THE BALLROOM WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Ares bit his tongue to avoid saying so. He put his hands in his suit pockets and looked around.

The ballroom had circle tables with white sheets on them, with a pink rose in a vase in the middle of the table. In the middle of the huge ballroom, there was the dance floor.

There was someone near the dance floor, playing a grand piano. The sound of the tune filled up the room.

The huge arched windows had white flowers all around it. Every single window had that.

Meanwhile, the roof of the room was dropping fake snow. The snow wouldn't get onto the floor, it was merely just a spell.

Lucius started greeting people as soon as they were there with his wife right next to him.

Narcissa whispered to the two boys. "You both can go. Have fun and stay out of trouble." The last part was directed at her son, who nodded solemnly.

Draco and Ares walked away. Within minutes, they found their group of friends standing around a table. They each had drinks in their hands.

Blaise grinned when he spotted the two. "Now, the circle is complete."

"Now, I know why we never took a vacation this Yule." Theo muttered, ignoring Blaise, as he sipped on his drink.

"What's that?" Draco pointed to the drink in their hands.

"Punch," replied Pansy with an eye roll. "Non-alcoholic punch. It's just a juice for us teenagers."

"Someone spiked it," added Blaise, earning a shocked look from Pansy.

"Really?" Pansy asked in disbelief.

Blaise hid his mischievous smile by drinking his own punch.

"You were the one who spiked it, weren't you?" Ares looked at the boy, who innocently looked back.

"Nope." Blaise replied, earning a knowing look from Ares. "Maybe."

Draco walked to the drinks table and poured himself and Ares each a glass. He walked back to them and gave a glass to Ares.

Ares did not take a sip. He put his cup on the table and looked around.

The ballroom was starting to fill up with wizarding families of every kind. The muggle families— who had muggleborn children— looked at the place in awe. Ares noticed the look the purebloods were giving the muggles.

There were halfblood families— like the Lupins and Harry Potter. Sirius Lupin was not a half blood, but he married one, so he was not considered a 'pureblood' anymore. The Blacks were too disgusted with him marrying a halfblood to consider him one of their own. He was also disowned from his family from a young age. So, technically, he wasn't a Black.

Mostly, there were pureblood families. Purebloods that held their head high and did not talk to, nor even go near, the halfbloods and muggles.

Ares applauded them internally. That's how it was supposed to be.

"I can't believe we're actually at a ball," said Daphne, catching their attentions. "Like, I've heard many stories from my parents about the pureblood balls they attended as teenagers. Now, here we are."

"Except that this isn't a pureblood ball," added Draco.

Blaise nodded, looking at the muggles in disgust. "I can't believe they were invited."

Ares, who had his eyes on Harry Potter's family of three, did not join in. He noticed the way Harry was looking around nervously. His eyes landed on Ares.

Ares was wearing a black suit with a black dress shirt underneath. He ditched the tie Narcissa had bought him. He hated the way it almost suffocated him.

Narcissa did not point it out.

Harry, meanwhile, was wearing a dark red suit with a red tie on. Gryffindor pride, that was.

A family of redheads rushed over to the Lupins and Harry Potter. Harry looked away from Ares. Damn Weasleys.

"Why aren't you drinking the punch?" Draco elbowed Ares to catch his attention.

Ares looked away from Harry. "I don't want any alcohol in my system."

"Speak for yourself," said Pansy, who just returned from filling her cup for the second or third time.

"You're having too much to drink," noted Theo.

Pansy ignored him and drank away.

"He's playing the piano beautifully," said Blaise when his eyes landed on the person who was playing the piano.

"Yeah," agreed Draco with a nod. He noted the fact that people were starting to fill up the dance floor and having a slow dance. His eyes stopped on a girl wearing a dark green dress. "Can I ask your sister to dance with me, Daphne?"

Daphne's eyebrows raised. "Astoria?"

Draco nodded, blushing.

Daphne smirked teasingly. "Sure, Draco. Why not?"

Draco put down his cup of punch and walked to the girl, muttering something to her. Astoria Greengrass nodded and took his outstretched hand. They both walked to the dance floor.

Theo turned towards Daphne. "Dance with me, Daphne." He said softly as held out a hand for her.

Daphne took his hand, a smile creeping up on her face. "Sure, Theo."

They walked away, leaving the other three alone.

"And then there were three," said Blaise. He turned towards Pansy. "Dance with me?"

Pansy grinned. She took his hand. "Of course, Blaise."

"And then there was one," muttered Ares as he stood alone when the other two also left.