The Great Gatsby Dialectical Journal

Part One

"You could always go with Crabbe. I'm sure he'd be keen to get his hands a hold of you. Any girl, really."

"Shut up."

Daphne rolled her eyes as Pansy snickered, not for the first time that day feeling a little bit sorry for Tracey. Pansy had spent the last few hours trying to convince the brunette that someone would ask her to the ball, only drawing breath long enough to stare at Draco Malfoy and his friends as they practiced Quidditch. It was getting old listening to Pansy act like an expert on love, simply because Malfoy was foolish enough to agree to be her partner for the evening.

Tucking her legs underneath the bench, she allowed her mind to wander to her own date for the Yule Ball—or lack thereof. None of the Quidditch players below were available; many of the older boys would be attending with girls their age. It wasn't surprising, either—she could see their muscles flexing beneath their uniforms, the hours of practicing on the pitch whilst everyone else focused on the Tournament finally paying off. She had considered trying for Malfoy—as risky as it was with Pansy digging her claws into him all the time—but ever since he had been turned into a ferret by Professor Moody, he had been more touchy than ever before.

Blaise Zabini was stretched out across a bench, chiselled chin resting on his palm as he watched the game. Every now and then he would shout out encouragement or clap, or, more often, would shake his head in disgust as the chasers fumbled with the ball. As sunlight streamed into the stands, it would catch his brown eyes and make the gold flecks within them dance. His smooth skin shone in the light, and as he began laughing at Montague's latest slip-up, he revealed even, white teeth. He was perfect—a prince charming she wanted on her arm when she entered the Great Hall on Saturday