One
Julianna Stephens bounded down the stairs of her common room smiling and twirling around. Today was going to be an awesome day! She could feel it. The sun was shining, there was absolutely no rain clouds in sight, she didn't have any homework to do, and the big Hogsmeade trip was in a couple hours. She was so ecstatic, she could hardly stand still. Not only that, but she was very confident about a little problem she had to take care of prior to all of the above: breaking up with her boyfriend.
Now normally, breaking up with the person you've been dating for three months wasn't a happy thought but for Julianna—better known as Julie—it was probably the best thought she'd had in weeks. She was no longer happy with him and after encouraging words from her friends, she realized there was no reason to keep dating him. So, the winter dance was coming up. She could just go with her friends; she didn't actually need a date for it.
She grinning, she hurried out of the Gryffindor common room and ran down the many flights of stairs to the Great Hall, where she'd promised to meet her friends when 'Mione woke her up a half hour ago. She practically skipped inside, her long brown hair bouncing behind her, and slid into the seat between Ginny and Ron.
"Good morning!" she sing-songed.
Ginny raised an eyebrow and her mouth quirked up on one side. "Someone's happy," she remarked.
"Can't imagine why," George quipped from beside Hermione.
"Are you really that excited about breaking up with him?" the latter asked from her place across from Julie.
Julie nodded. "I am. I know it sounds mean but I just really don't want to be with him anymore. We no longer have fun and I don't like him like I used to…staying with him is just pointless."
"And the dance?" Fred asked from the other side of Ginny.
"I can go solo. Or with my mates." She looked around at them.
"That's good. Then when me and Ron show up without dates but our friends, no one will be suspicious," Harry said smiling.
"Of…"
"Of their inability to ask a girl out," Fred and George finished.
Everyone except Ron and Harry laughed. "Okay, that's not funny," Ron said only the tiniest bit annoyed. Harry threw a biscuit at George.
"Yes, it is," Julie and Fred said together.
"But only for us. You boys don't find anything funny," 'Mione said.
"Since when are you the Humor Queen of Britain?" Ron shot back.
"Actually, the Humor Queen would be Julie. After all, she's always helping your brothers with some prank." She looked pointedly across the table.
"And its always fun!" Julie laughed.
"Especially when it's Filch," George added.
"He's so easy to prank, it's like he's tricking himself," Fred put in.
"And blaming Peeves all the time is a snap," Julie finished.
"Not my point," Hermione said, but Ginny quickly changed the subject.
"So for the ball, are you boys going to help us look for gowns?" She glanced around at her brothers and Harry.
The four of them shook their heads. "Nope. We've already got dress robes anyway," Ron said.
"We were going to hit Zonko's," George said.
"Like hell you are," Julie said.
"What? Don't tell me you're becoming Hermione Jr." Fred looked aghast.
"Haha. No. But there is no way you are going without me!" Julie told him. "Not a chance!"
The twins laughed. "Alright, we'll wait for you," George caved.
"By coming shopping with us?" Hermione asked.
"No," they said as one.
"We'll go to Honeydukes instead," Harry suggested.
"We'll be shopping for a while," Ginny warned.
"Do you know how long we can take in a shop full of sugar?" Ron asked. When none of the girls answered, he said, "A very long time."
They all laughed.
"So, when are you going to do it, Julie?" Ginny asked. "Before Hogsmeade, after…during dinner…the night before the ball…when?"
It took Julie a minute to realize Ginny was talking about breaking up with her boyfriend but answered, "I'm not sure. It's going to be today, I know, but I'm not sure when."
"Why not now?" Fred asked. "That way you're not agonizing about it all day."
"Nice word, Fred," Hermione praised.
"I be pwacticing," Fred quipped in a baby's voice.
Hermione shot him a fake glare but otherwise didn't say anything.
Soon, breakfast was over and the seven of them were on their way back to the tower to get coats and scarves. England winter was never warm. They layered themselves with sweaters and jackets and Gryffindor scarves, and Fred slammed a hat on Julie's head causing her to fall over and step on his foot. He screamed like it was worse than it was which sent Hermione on for about most of the trip downstairs about how never to over exaggerate because then no one will believe you when the pain is really that horrible.
"I thought that rule only applied to lying," Julie said as they waited for McGonagall in the foyer.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It can be applied to anything."
"It can if you're Hermione Granger," Harry said earning himself a whack on the arm from Hermione.
"Just be happy Fred didn't push Julie's head through the hat," George said as Lee Jordan came up and they high-fived.
"Fred tried to kill Julie?" Lee asked, confused.
"And I almost succeeded," Fred said.
"Yeah, I was bawling on the ground by the time Hermione got it off," Julie played along, pulling the hat off as if to show a bruise.
"Oh yes, I can see the scar," Lee said pretending to look closely at the top of her head.
"Actually, that's all Harry," Julie said.
"And not something funny to laugh at," Harry said to Lee, even though he was laughing himself.
The next second, McGonagall came into view and started reciting the rules again, then let them go on their merry way with only the prefects as a chaperone. Julie got a glimpse of her boyfriend once or twice, but he was busy talking and she elected to wait until he was alone before she spoke to him. The closer it got to the time where she'd have to break up with him, the more nervous she got. By the time they reached the village, her stomach was spinning.
