Yue watched a Gryffindor walk past. "Too tall," she said pointedly to her friend. Hana sighed.
"Why do you…"
"Too stupid."
"…shoot down…"
"Too short."
"…EVERY GUY I POINT OUT?" Everyone in the vicinity stared at that outburst. Yue stood up.
"Back to your food," she commanded and everyone turned back, despite the curiosity brimming in the air. "You are rather miffed. I don't see why."
"I want," Hana began carefully; this was always a tough topic, "you to have a date for the dance."
"Now, why would I attend such a useless social gathering?"
"I'm going with Charlie. I don't want you to be all alone." Hana planted a manicured hand on Yue's shoulder.
"Do I appear to be wearing the 'forever alone' troll-face?" Yue asked with one eyebrow raised. "Besides, I don't recall any honest to goodness students advertising for Slytherins."
That was true. No one wanted to take a Slytherin to the winter ball. It was a guaranteed that someone would though. The posters and announcements made it clear. No partner/date from another house, no entry. They didn't even have to be from the opposite gender, just someone. Charlie was a sweet brown eyed Ravenclaw. He had always liked the vivacious girl from Gryffindor. But she worried over her friend, a Slytherin. She put a new meaning to the phrase "cold blooded".
"You need a date. I don't care! Just pick someone!" Hana had been doggedly enforcing these date hunts for three days. She even pulled Yue over to the Gryffindor table and wrapped her in a Gryffindor scarf to make things easier. Yue removed the scarf and reaffixed her own.
"I have no notion of doing anything of the sort. I will not be attending."
"Everyone will attend."
"Not I. I shall be rereading our textbooks."
"Don't be such a ren-ai NEET. Yeah, I called you that." Hanna was up to her ears and done with it.
"You knew I would have knowledge on this subject, didn't you?"
"Hell, yeah! You are trying not to fall in love because you're scared. You're scared that someone's going to crush you heart." She increased in volume. "Well, it happens and it's pretty damn shitty. But, you suck it up and move on." She almost yelled. "AT LEAST I WILL GET OFF MY ASS AND DO SOMETHING!" everyone in the great hall stared.
"Back to your food. This is a private conversation no matter how loud it gets." Seeing the green and silver shut them up quickly. "Are you sufficiently mollified?" Yue asked. Hana took a few breaths.
"Yeah. I needed to cool off." She took a few more breaths letting air reach her deprived brain. She looked exasperatedly at Yue. "You are never going to find love this way."
"I will find my match when the time comes but currently I cannot stand anyone beyond teachers, yourself, and Charlie." Yue tore a fluffy roll apart and smothered it in butter. "Check mate." Yue's eyes widened slightly with desire, taking in her target.
"What?" Hana followed Yue's gaze to a Hufflepuff.
"You didn't believe I would not attend the biggest people-watching event of the year?" Yue gave Hana a disappointed gaze.
"How? When?" Hana's eyes took in the kind face and somewhat messy blonde hair. He was a softie.
"Charlie pointed him out and I was more than pleased with his choice." Yue took a bite of her roll. "Charlie and I have not known each other as long as you and I, but he understands my tastes."
Hana imagined that Yue would have chosen someone who matched her in power and intelligence. The sweet little blonde didn't quite fit that description, unless he was a phenomenal actor with a hex up his sleeve. Yue had a thing for the tricky ones. Yue read her friends thoughts like a book, and she read a lot of books.
"I do not have 'a thing for the tricky ones'. They are only mildly more interesting than normal ones." That was true.
"So, what's his name?" Hana wasn't quite sure about it. She knew Yue very well, not really only better than most but close enough, and he didn't fit the type.
"Aspen Bauer. Hufflepuff, sixth year. DOB: 09/23. 190 cm. 70 kilos. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Best subjects are Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. His parents live in London. One is a muggle, his father, a public health specialist. His mother is none other than Patricia Kates, the romance writer. The one on his left is Dean O'Raley. The one on his right is Henrick James. Both are sixth years. Best subjects are transfiguration and herbology, respectively." Hana watched Yue recite the profile from memory. Yeu never took her eyes off the boy.
"Did you write a book on this boy?" Hana found it hard to believe Yue was truly interested in anyone. That and that Charlie was better at matchmaking.
"No. I wrote a dossier." Leave it to Yue to profile her date.
"How are you going to ask?" This was going to be fun. A girl planning thing.
"I didn't have to. I had a plan, Charlie pulled a few strings, and he asked me." Yue took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Needs less salt." She knew the surprise on her friend's face.
"What did he do?" Hana didn't know there was a plan and was again miffed they left her out.
"Charlie told Dean and Henrick that I was a challenge with a complimenting color palette. And who would be better to ask than a girl who didn't care where you went after she got in? It was the hunt that drew them in though. They started arguing over who would pop the question. Aspen, ever the Casanova, wanted to be in on the challenge. Aspen asked first. I said no. He kept coming. I said yes. He thinks he wanted me all along. Reverse psychology."
"Wow. That's sneaky." Her anger was replaced with surprise. Use their weakness against them. "How did he make you desirable? You make it a point not to be."
"A few photos from summer vacation may have mysteriously levitated and smacked into Aspen's face when he opened his wardrobe. Overkill but they were impressed with the bathing suit one." Hana remembered the cajoling it took to get Yue into the bikini to start with. Yue disliked showing more skin than necessary. That meant all of it. Even if it was a bit disappointing in the chest area. Yue recalled the constant nagging and the reason why she gave in. the other beach goers had filed complaints and asked her to get into the bikini.
"Why do you like him?"
"He's nicer to me than others. And it's not just because he is a Hufflepuff. I just want to ask a few questions while we are in line."
"Oh." Just like Yue. Always thinking.
"So you have a date?"
"I thought our conversation already affirmed that." Yue finished the roll.
"Just checking." Hana smiled from ear to ear. Yue rolled her eyes. This girl was too easy to please.
"A Veritaserum would have done the job." Yue was still her dark humored self.
"I would never do that to you," Hana giggled. "This is the part where you say 'likewise'. Well?" Yue gave her another disappointed look. "Hey, I try. To the ball" Hana held up her glass.
"To taking chances and living with them," Yue corrected lifting her glass. They touched glasses with a solid clink.
Wall is up. Rushed so not very good. I can't figure love out. Back to being forever alone.