Chapter One

Abigail

Just beyond the closed door of her dormitory, Abigail could hear the muffled voices of her fellow Gryffindors. She pushed the door open with a tired grunt and saw Hermione and Caitlyn sitting at the edge of their beds. The two of them chattered away excitedly – giggling every so often. Abigail rolled her eyes as she trudged lazily to her bed. She quickly slipped under the warm covers and did her best to drown out the other two girls who surrounded her.

"He asked me in the most adorable way ever!" squawked one of the girls.

Repositioning the heavy goose-feathered pillow over her head, Abigail rolled her eyes once more. She could not be bothered to place an identity to the voice; all she wanted was a nap. Although the sun was still out, she figured she could use the rest – especially now that she picked such a terrible time to enter her own dorm. Groaning loudly from beneath the pillow, Abigail's mind drifted to the upcoming ball; did they not just have the Yule Ball during her fourth year? What was the point of having another pointless dance only two years after the last?

"That's so wonderful, Caitlyn!" Hermione replied. "Do you know what the two of you will be wearing yet?"

Abigail shot up from beneath her sheets. It would be damn near impossible to get any peace and quiet with the demon spawn of the underworld in the room with her, gushing over the marvelous details of said spawn's super expensive and amazingly fabulous ballgown. She begrudgingly crawled out of bed and hurried back out of the girl's dormitory.

… or, at least, she tried to.

"Leaving so soon?" Caitlyn tucked a strand of her brown, lightly curled hair behind her right ear. Her perky voice echoed through the girl's dorm, shattering the brief silence that had fallen in place the moment Abigail jumped out of bed. "But… you just got here, Abby."

Abigail's jaw tightened. She whirled around to face the two brunettes and – despite her growing irritation – put on the biggest smile. "I figured I would take my nap in the common room instead," she explained, gritting her teeth. "Wouldn't want to intrude on your very important conversation and all."

"You wouldn't be intruding at all!" Hermione added immediately, shooting an apologetic look Abigail's way. "Who are you going to the ball with, Abs?"

Racking her brain for any type of response, Abigail bit her tongue. Replying to Hermione – at least, in the way she wished to – would have been disastrous, especially with her childhood rival sitting right there. Abigail continued to stare at Hermione, her blue eyes narrowed menacingly.

How could Hermione do this to her? She knew how Abigail felt about Caitlyn and yet she still expected her to be civil towards her! It was preposterous.

Pressing her lips together in a tight, thinly lipped smile, Abigail hesitated before dragging herself back to her bed, which sat directly in between Hermione and Caitlyn. She placed herself against the bed's headboard and tightly clutched at her pillow. "I haven't been asked yet," replied Abigail, scratching the bed of her neck. "Not like I mind or anything. I hate these stupid dances."

Caitlyn let out a melodic laugh, prompting another subtle eye roll from Abigail. "You're joking, Abby! Hermione, please tell me she's joking…! Abby, how can you hate them? Oh Merlin, I'm being so insensitive, aren't I? You don't like them because you never have anyone to go with, huh?"

What her boyfriend saw in her, Abigail would never know.

"No…" Abigail's knuckles grew whiter with every second that passed. A fake smile still plastered on her face as she leaned further back into her bed. "I just hate having to put too much of an effort in how I look if it's only going to be for a couple of hours."

"But you don't have to!" Hermione said with a small smile.

Caitlyn gaped at the girl who had just spoken, gasping. "Hermione! She can't just show up looking like shite!"

Abigail was sure that – had her nails been any longer than they already were – she would have certainly ripped a hole through her pillow. As Hermione went on to explain herself to Caitlyn, Abigail continued to let the blood beneath her skin boil; why was Hermione even trying to keep a conversation between the three of them going?

"I wasn't suggesting that she show up looking… bad," Hermione shrugged, a helpless frown tugging at the ends of her lips. "I just meant that Abigail doesn't have to try too hard to look good…"

"Oh!" Caitlyn forced out a loud laugh. "Geez, Hermione! Why didn't you just say that in the first place? Anyhow, I'll be in the common room, girlies. Harry should be back from Quidditch practice any second now. Toodle-oo!"

Caitlyn pushed herself off her bed, waving goodbye to her roommates. She let out happy chirp, which Abigail assumed was another attempt at a laugh, and made her way out of their sleeping quarters.

Once the slender, brown-haired girl disappeared behind the dormitory door, Abigail lobbed her pillow at Hermione with a fierce growl, followed by an icy death glare.

"You know how I bloody hate her!" hissed Abigail, hopping to her feet. "Why did you make me sit here with her?" And of all the bloody conversations I could have had with her, you go and make me talk to her about a stupid dance!"

Hermione let out a sigh, tossing Abigail's pillow back onto its respective bed. "I'll admit: Caitlyn's company isn't exactly… ideal, but I couldn't face her alone anymore. I'm sorry for dragging you into it-."

"As you should be. Don't ever do it again, Granger."

Nodding, Hermione bit her lip nervously. "So… who are you going to the ball with?"

Abigail rolled her eyes as she pulled her long, honey-blonde hair into a high ponytail. She scoffed, "I'm not going with anyone. I already told you that much. Merlin, aren't you supposed to be the brightest witch our age or whatever bullshit Professor Lupin fed you when you figured him out?"

It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes. "You're lying," she said simply. "You always touch the back of your neck or fiddle with your hair when you lie. You're going with someone, Abs. Now tell me who asked you!"

She instantly regretted the words that left her mouth prior. Leave it to her best friend and the brightest witch their age to figure out when she was lying!

Collapsing back onto her bed with her back against the soft cushions, Abigail buried her face within her now-very sweaty palms. She shook her head violently, whining to herself out of frustration.

It would be so much easier to just lie to Hermione again than it would be to tell her the whole truth; however, she figured that she didn't have to tell her best friend everything… she just had to tell her enough of the truth to get her off her back, right?

"Whoooooo?" Hermione jumped off her own bed and onto her best friend's unceremoniously. "Abigail, you have to tell me! You've rejected nearly every boy that asked you to the Yule Ball. You've declined every potential Hogsmeade date since we were allowed to go! My gosh, you've-."

"I get it, Hermione," Abigail removed her hands from her face only to find herself staring into the eager eyes of the intelligent sixteen-year-old. She pushed Hermione's face away from hers before sitting up to lean against the nearest post of her bed. "Boys aren't necessarily my forte; I'm not really interested in a relationship right now."

Hermione scoffed, standing up from Abigail's bed. She went back to her own bed, rolling her eyes at the taller Gryffindor. "So I'm to assume that if Harry were to ask you out, you still wouldn't be interested in a relationship?"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut it, Granger," Abigail threatened, repositioning herself so that she lay on her stomach. "He is literally just someone I share a common room with."

"Yeah, but you don't want it to be that way!" Hermione said smugly. "Answer me honestly, Abs, if Harry and Caitlyn broke up today-."

"There's no way in hell they're breaking up today."

Letting out a chuckle, Hermione grabbed the pillow from her bed and smacked Abigail's back with it. "Hypothetically speaking!"

"Well, logically speaking, they're not breaking up today."

"Okay, fine! If Harry and Caitlyn were to break up any time in the future, would you be interested in a relationship if he asked you out?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest as she stood over Abigail with a smirk.

There was a pregnant silence.

Abigail looked up at her best friend and let out a thoughtful sigh. "… of course, I would be," she breathed, rolling onto her back and hugging her pillow tightly. "There's no question about it. He's all I've ever wanted…"

"So who asked you to the ball then?" Hermione said slyly.

Rolling her eyes once more, Abigail threw her pillow back at Hermione's face. She turned around, laying on her stomach again. She groaned, "Drop it, Hermione!"

"Abigail, please! Just tell me who asked you to the ball and I promise that I'll leave you alone!"

"Technically, I asked him."

Hermione's brown eyes went wide. Her brows furrowed together as she stammered, "You did what?"

"I asked him."

"Abigail, did we not just establish that Harry Potter is the only boy you've ever shown an interest in!"

"Why don't you speak up, Hermione?" Abigail blowing out the air from her cheeks bored. "I don't think the Slytherins in the Dungeon heard you in their common room. And hey! As far as you know, I've been interested in other boys; Harry very well may be the only one I fawn over in front of you!"

"If you would just tell me who you asked," Hermione pleaded, taking Abigail's hands in hers as she sat down beside her, "I swear – I swear to you that I will back off. Please just tell me. I need to know now!"

"Malfoy."


- author's note -

[written]: march 12, 2014
[published]: march 12, 2014
[last updated]: february 24, 2018
[word count]: 1,699 words without author's note

[MV COMMENTS]: i never can seem to make up my mind with this story & for that i apologize. this has been a work-in-progress for the past four years now it would seem. (well, four for you, five for me!) there were quite a few changes with this recent update for this chapter. anyhow, i want to thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. whether it be your first time or if this is your forty-fifth run of the story, i greatly appreciate it. stay tuned for any further edits/additions to this series! be sure to leave a review, favorite or follow - or all three! (that would make my bloody day, tbh.) lol, regardless, thanks again. and i hope you all have a marvelous rest of your day! ~ xoxo, mv.