Pale skin, hazel eyes, and dark brown hair that had gotten quite long over the summer holiday; Micah Quinn couldn't help but stare, discretely of course. No matter how much time the fourth year Ravenclaw spent around his best friend, he was always taken aback by the way the Gryffindor made him feel, which is why he had stopped listening to what the boy was saying and had simply been staring longingly at him for the past few minutes.
"Micah, are you listening?" the Gryffindor asked in a concerned tone. "Is there something wrong?"
Micah laughed esoterically. "I'm fine, Neville. I was just thinking about something…interesting," the Ravenclaw explained. The two boys sat in the Viaduct Courtyard. It was Friday and classes were finished for the day, so many other students sat around discussing class, weekend plans, and of course the upcoming Yule Ball. "Sorry, I'll pay more attention. What were you saying?"
Neville Longbottom's mouth formed into a relieved smile. The smile drove Micah crazy and the Ravenclaw quickly turned his brown eyes away from Neville, fearing that his best friend would look into them and discover the feelings he had been harboring. Of course, Micah, being the logical Ravenclaw that he was, knew that Neville would never discover his secret. Neville, despite all of his amazing qualities, would remain oblivious to Micah's feelings because he couldn't possible imagine anyone liking him. That damn Draco Malfoy and his group of lackeys had seen to it that Neville's self-confidence remained at a below average level and though Micah tried to convince Neville that he was a better person than Malfoy would ever be, the shy Gryffindor never really took his words to heart. The fact that he couldn't make Neville see how amazing he was infuriated Micah. All Harry Potter had to do to give Neville a boost was say something trite and flash him that smile that drove everyone crazy. Neville always felt braver and more confident whenever those green eyes of Potter were on him. Needless to say, Micah was not Harry Potter's biggest fan.
"We were talking about the Yule Ball. I still need to figure out whom to ask," Neville reminded his friend.
Micah pinched the bridge of his nose. The exasperated Ravenclaw ran a hand through his curly black hair before looking back into the eyes of the object of his affection. Micah's light brown eyes met Neville's hazel eyes and for a moment, Micah was lost in them. He shook his head slightly and paused to make sure his words wouldn't betray his feelings. "Who did you have in mind?"
Neville looked slightly abashed. "Well I was thinking about asking Hermione Granger. She's always been nice to me, plus she's smart and pretty," Neville wouldn't meet Micah's eyes.
Micah thought that Neville's embarrassment was adorable. The love-struck boy wasn't thrilled about his beloved Neville asking someone else to the Ball, but he would always support Neville, even if it meant he had to suffer.
"Granger has been asked to the Yule Ball by Viktor Krum, multiple times," Micah said calmly. "I would go for it if I was you, but I have the feeling that you're not willing to compete against a world famous Quidditch player in a game of love."
Neville smiled again, which made Micah's heart skip a beat. "I'm not in love with Hermione. I just want to take someone to the Ball, as a friend. I think it'll be fun." Neville thought for a second before speaking again. "You said that Viktor Krum asked Hermione multiple times. So that means she turned him down, right?"
The dark skinned Ravenclaw nodded, which made his black curls bounce. "My guess is that she's waiting for the youngest Weasley brother to ask her, but I don't think that's going to happen. Weasley is about as bright as a sack of bricks and when it comes to matters of the heart, I doubt he know any better."
Neville looked at his friend reproachfully. He was use to Micah voicing his brutally honest opinions, but he still took the time to reprimand him when he insulted one of his fellow Gryffindors. "That's not very nice, Micah. Even if what you said about Hermione is true, it's not Ron's fault that he doesn't know. It's probably difficult to tell when someone has feelings for you."
Micah laughed internally at the irony of Neville's words. "Maybe for a Gryffindor. Anyway, who's next on your list of possible Yule Ball dates?" Micah asked with thinly veiled hope.
"What about Hanna Abbott?" Neville asked with a shrug of his shoulders. The movement caused his scarf to unravel slightly.
Micah felt a cold breeze blow through the courtyard and shook his head. The Ravenclaw leaned over and fixed Neville's scarf. The desire to help Neville was automatic, but when Micah noticed how close he was to the object of his affection, he stiffened. The boy quickly brushed some lint off of his friend's cardigan before sitting back and clearing his throat. "No, absolutely not," Micah said, continuing the conversation from where they had left off. "I cannot stand her. She has got to be one of the most annoying Hufflepuffs around. You cannot take her to the dance."
Neville pursed his lips. The Gryffindor might have been oblivious to Micah's love for him, but he could tell that his friend was aggravated by the current topic of their conversation, so he changed it without rebuking him for his brutal honesty. "Ginny Weasley," Neville said simply.
Micah raised his eyebrow. The Weasley girl was a Gryffindor, and Micah hated when Neville hung around the Gryffindors, though he dealt with it because they accepted him in a way that not many did. Micah knew that Ginny was in love with Potter, though like a typical Gryffindor, Potter was completely oblivious to the magnitude of her feelings. Micah thought all of this through in a matter of seconds. He knew that Neville didn't have any romantic feelings for the youngest Weasley and of course Ginny was too blinded by the lightning-scarred boy to notice how much of a catch Neville was. Yes, this could work. "Do it," Micah said evenly.
Neville looked slightly taken aback by Micah's bluntness. His friend had been able to find something wrong with all of the other girls Neville had proposed to ask to the Ball, but now he was practically pushing Neville to ask Ginny.
Micah stood up and pointed towards the direction of the castle entrance. "Go on and ask her. You're a Gryffindor; your whole thing is bravery."
Neville nodded zealously; Micah's words fueling his drive. "You're right. I'll be brave, just like Harry."
Micah winced slightly at the mention of the famous Harry Potter, but Neville didn't notice.
Neville stood up and pulled Micah into a quick embrace. "Thanks Micah. I know you hate talking about this whole Yule Ball business, but I'm really excited and I'm so glad you helped me with this whole date thing."
Micah swallowed. Neville's arms were around him. Micah's nostrils flared and took in the smell of shampoo and the lingering scent of the greenhouse that always seemed to cling to Neville. "I'd do anything for you," Micah said simply. Micah knew his words ran the risk of betraying his feelings, but he had the feeling that his excited best friend would not pick up on the double meaning behind them.
Neville released his friend from the embrace and Micah had to force himself to refrain from pulling him back in.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Neville smiled, making Micah's heart speed up once more. Without saying another word, the Gryffindor walked off to find his future date for the Yule Ball, leaving Micah alone in more than one way.
Micah made his way through the Entrance Hall, passing by throngs of students. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor house, floated by and tipped his head in greeting to a group of Gryffindor students. Micah was use to such crowds and slipped through effortlessly. The Ravenclaw made his way over to the large marble staircase, which was also teeming with young witches and wizards, but before he could make his ascent he was stopped by the sound of his name being called.
"Hello, Micah," a dreamy voice spoke from the foot of the staircase. A girl of about thirteen years of age made here way over to Micah. Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back and over the grey blazer she wore. Underneath the blazer she wore a dark pink sweater. Her dark blue leggings and converse did not match the rest of her outfit, but the girl pulled off the unique style in a way that few others could. The red radish earrings she wore did not even seem odd to Micah anymore.
"Hi, Luna; I don't really have time to chat. I'm running late for choir rehearsal." Micah began climbing the marble staircase. When Luna fell in step beside him, the older Ravenclaw simply shrugged and continued walking. Micah remained quiet, feeling no need to waste words. He knew Luna well enough to be able to tell when she had something to say, so he simply waited for her to begin speaking.
"From the look on your face I'd guess that a group of Nargles had stolen something from you;" the blonde Ravenclaw said pleasantly. Luna walked with her hands behind her back and a mischievous look in her grey eyes. "A certain Gryffindor perhaps?"
Micah narrowed his light brown eyes at the dotty girl beside him. "Honestly Luna, don't you think Nargles have better things to do than stealing unrequited love interests?" Micah stuck his hands into the pockets of his charcoal colored pants. There were very few people Micah would have this conversation with and Luna happened to be one of them. "I'm sure that Neville has not been taken by Nargles. In fact, by this time he's probably asking Ginny Weasley to the Yule Ball," Micah said, feeling a bit disheartened.
Luna frowned slightly. "Nargles like to steal things that mean a lot to people," Luna said in answer to Micah's first question. When Luna saw that her friend still looked upset, she tugged on the sleeve of his light blue thermal shirt. "You decided on Ginny?" Luna asked, knowing that Neville would not have made a decision on his Yule Ball date without Micah's input.
Micah nodded, causing his black curls to bounce. "It seemed like the safest choice," Micah responded. "Miss Weasley is so infatuated with Potter that she would never make a move on Neville, and we both know that Neville isn't the type to make the first move." The last part of the sentence came out in a whisper.
Micah and Luna walked in silence for a few moments, before Luna decided to continue the conversation. "Have you decided what you're going to wear to the Yule Ball?" Luna asked cheerily.
Micah scoffed. "I'm not going to the Ball. I spent so much time deluding myself into think that I had a chance with," Micah stopped talking abruptly when a group of Gryffindor girls walked by, then continued once they passed "Neville, that I didn't think asking anyone and going alone would just make me seem pathetic."
"You could just ask one of your friends. That's what Neville did after all," Luna supplied helpfully. The Ravenclaw duo stopped walking as the staircase in front of them moved to another location.
Micah looked behind him to make sure that no one was in earshot of their conversation; luckily the two were alone on the staircase. "Luna, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I sometimes come off as a bit of a jerk. I haven't got many friends besides Neville and you."
Luna's grey eyes met Micah's brown eyes in that moment. The blonde Ravenclaw blinked her eyes, completely oblivious to the realization her older house mate had just come to.
"Luna," Micah began "would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me? That is, if no one else has asked you, of course." Micah could not believe that he hadn't thought of this sooner. The time he spent with Luna rivaled the amount of time he spent with Neville; it seemed only obvious that Luna would be on his list of perspective dates.
Luna nodded slowly. "Yes, I would like to go to the Ball with you. I'm not old enough to go by myself," Luna said evenly. "Father will be so pleased to hear that I'll be attending the Ball. It will be the perfect time to observe Wrackspurts. They find it particularly easy to float in one's ears while they're dancing."
Micah nodded solemnly. "I've heard that too," the Ravenclaw seriously. "Well then, shall we meet in the Ravenclaw common room at about 7:30 on the night of the Ball?" Micah suggested.
"Yes, that sounds reasonable," Luna spoke calmly, but it was obvious that she was excited about attending the Ball. "I'm going to go find Ginny and see if Neville has asked her already," Luna said suddenly. "I've got to make sure he's got a date so that you don't change your mind about taking me," Luna said with a serious little nod, which made her radish earrings jangle.
Micah laughed. "I wouldn't do that, Luna. I asked you and I intend to show everyone at that Ball just how well two Ravenclaws can move on the dance floor." Micah wondered for a moment if Luna had honestly thought he'd ditch her if Neville came to him suddenly and asked him to the Ball. Then Micah had to wonder for a moment if her worries were warranted. The boy shook his head slightly to clear his head. "I'm late for rehearsal. I'll see you later, Luna." At that moment the staircase ahead of the two realigned with the one they were on. Micah took a few steps forward before turning to his friend and giving her a sly smile. "Make sure to wear your party best," Micah knew that would Luna's 'party best' would be something completely outlandish, and he would have it no other way.
Luna blinked her grey eyes. "Of course," she said in a tone that suggested she had already been planning to do that very thing. "Now run along. You know Professor Flitwick will start to worry if his lead tenor doesn't show up for rehearsal."
Micah slapped a hand to his forehead. "Right, I've got to go," and with that Micah turned and sprinted to the third floor music room the Hogwarts' choir met for rehearsal.
Micah quietly slipped into the music room as the choir finished up their warm up exercises. He mouthed apologies to Professor Flitwick, who stood in front of the group of singers and acted as the conductor. The charms Professor nodded understandingly and gestured for Micah to take his spot in front of the tenor section. The choir consisted of mostly Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, but there were a few Slytherin and Gryffindor students thrown in the mix. Every Wednesday and Friday the choir met in the third floor music room and went through their set list, though this year they had been meeting more often at the request of their lead soloist, Jessica Smith. Jessica was a tall seventh year Ravenclaw with long black hair that that reached the middle of her back and a pair of piercing blue eyes. Her skin was pale but spattered with freckles that only enhanced her beauty. She was a nice girl, though she tended to get a bit serious when it came to choir related activities. As Hogwarts was currently hosting two rival schools the choir never knew when head master Dumbledore would call on them for an impromptu performance in an attempt to impress their guests.
Micah had missed warm ups, but he knew that no excuses would be accepted from his fellow singers, especially Jessica, and that he'd have to sound as good as always during rehearsal. The fourth year quickly hummed his scales during the five minute break Professor Flitwick gave the group between warm ups and actual practice. As Micah was finishing up his warm ups, Jessica made her way over to him.
The seventh year was still in uniform. Her pleated grey skirt was a few inches over her knees and her long white socks were rolled down. The top few buttons of her white shirt were undone but her grey sweater vest kept the outfit from looking too scandalous. Jessica stood in front of Micah and looked down at him; her blue eyes locked onto Micah's. "So nice of you to join us, Quinn," Jessica began, referring to Micah by his last name as usual "what could have been so important that you showed up ten minutes late for rehearsals?"
Micah held in a sigh and a sarcastic remark. He ran a hand through his hair, but did not break contact with Jessica's piercing gaze. "I was busy with personal matters. I assure you I will not make a habit of being tardy." Micah said simply before going back to his warm ups.
Jessica sucked her teeth, but her shoulders relaxed slightly and when she spoke her tone was less harsh. "You've got a lot of talent, Quinn. Once I'm gone the choir is going to need a new lead soloist. I think that soloist should be you, but it does come down to a vote and you're not the most popular guy around."
Micah raised his eyebrow as if he hadn't been aware of this fact. He finished going over his scales one more time before pulling a bottle of water from his bag and taking a sip. He then waved his hand in a gesture to let Jessica know she could continue.
"You have to make sure that all the others know they can rely on you to lead them well," Jessica gave Micah one of her rare smiles "that's how I became the lead soloist."
Micah wondered to himself if the two were having a moment. They had spent plenty of time alone together, but he wouldn't call them friends. Micah had been recruited by the choir when Professor Flitwick came across him singing alone in his charms classroom one day back in Micah's first year. Professor Flitwick had asked the lead soloist at the time, Tim Collins, to take Micah under his wing. Tim was the lead tenor at the time and Professor Flitwick hoped that with the proper grooming, Micah could take over for him. After Tim graduated at the end of that year, his girlfriend, Jessica Smith took over as Micah's personal musical tutor. Jessica was a soprano, and though their music ranges were so different, Jessica had enough musical training to assist Micah with the extra practice Professor Flitwick often assigned him.
"Miss Smith, I do believe that you are telling me that you're placing your confidence in me," Micah gave the talented soprano a sly smile.
Jessica Smith returned the smile before she turned on her heels and walked back over to her place in front of the soprano section.
Professor Flitwick then called the choir back to order and lead them through their entire set list, which included the Hogwarts' school song and some more current songs which were popular in the wizarding community. The rehearsal went by in a blur with Jessica singing two solos and a duet with Micah.
An hour later, Micah stood alone in the music room. Practice had ended a few minutes earlier, but Micah decided to stay behind since the empty classroom was a nice reprieve from the rest of the bustling castle. He walked over to a window with a view of the lake. Micah laughed esoterically as he watched Neville with his pant legs rolled up wading in the water collecting aquatic plants. "I swear, whenever he's around my eyes just go straight to him." It was at that moment that Micah felt something in his heart. Emotion was welling up inside of him. The fourth year Ravenclaw bit his lower lip. He had to resist the urge to run out to that lake and talk to his unrequited love, because he knew that if he got anywhere near Neville at that moment he wouldn't be able to keep his feelings a secret. "Damn it, Neville." Micah turned and walked over to a supply closet that held tuning forks, metronomes, and various other musical tools. The emotional boy pulled a goblet out of the closet then walked to a table in the center of the room and placed the goblet on it. Micah pulled his wand out of his back pocket and held it up in the sunlight that streamed through the windows of the classroom. "Willow, 13 inches, and a Unicorn hair core," the boy said with a smile. Micah remembered the day he got the wand on his first trip to Diagon Alley over three years ago. Ollivander had told him that it was a good wand for casting charms, which worked fine for Micah as that had ended up becoming his best class. The wand was sleek and black with an intricate silver vine like design around the handle. Micah loved this wand as all witches and wizards loved their wands. The piece of willow wood felt as if it was an extension of Micah's body.
"Time to get to work," Micah whispered to his wand before pointing it at the goblet in front of him. "Aguamenti," Micah spoke clearly and confidently; a stream of clear water shot from his wand in response and filled the goblet. "We still need a bit more magic," Micah said before touching the water in the goblet with the tip of his wand. The black haired wizard was feeling better already as he hummed a few chords and mentally said an incantation. Micah could feel the magic flow from his body, through the wand, and into the water. Micah pulled his wand from the goblet of water and with a quick swish of his wand completed the last part of the spell he was casting. Bubbles started floating from out of the goblet and floated around Micah. Once the bubbles reached a reasonable height they floated around Micah, waiting for his next command.
"Maybe a little music will help clear my mind of a certain Gryffindor," the words came out playfully, but Micah was serious. Micah cleared his voice then he opened it and began to sing.
"You're just too good to be true;
Can't take my eyes off of you.
You'd be like heaven to touch.
I want to hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived and I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true;
Can't take my eyes off of you."
Slowly, the bubbles floating around Micah began to pop, and the young wizards voice came from them singing different parts of the song, which resulted in a beautiful harmony.
"Pardon the way that I stare,
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you leaves me weak.
There are no words left to speak,
But if you feel like I feel please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true;
Can't take my eyes off of you."
Micah spun on one heel and made his way over to the window with the view of the lake, snapping his fingers in time with the music. When he looked out the window and watched Neville this time, he didn't feel the same pang in his heart he had felt earlier. The music was soothing him and his enthusiastic dance moves distracted him from the pain of unrequited love, if only for a few minutes. Micah then thrust both of his hands outward as if he was pushing back two walls that were closing in on him from both sides. The lead tenor threw his head back and sang the next part of the song with vigor fueled by all the pain and longing he felt.
"I need you baby! If it's quite alright, I love you baby,
You warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.
Trust in me when I say it's okay.
(It's okay)
Oh pretty baby! Don't let me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay,
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby."
Micah repeated the chorus as the walked over to the wall opposite him, brushing the floating bubbles with his hands as he went. Micah ran a hand through his black curls and slumped against the wall, sliding down it as he finished the chorus and worked his way into the next verse.
"I need you baby! If it's quite alright, I love you baby,
You warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.
Trust in me when I say it's okay.
(It's okay)
Oh pretty baby! Don't let me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay,
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby.
I need you baby! If it's quite alright, I love you baby,
You warm a lonely night.
I need you baby.
Trust in me when I say it's okay.
(It's okay)
Oh, oh pretty baby! Don't let me down I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay,
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby."
As the song drew to a close and the last bubbles in the air popped releasing the last few notes of the song, Micah thought of Neville and how he desperately wished he had the courage to sing those words to him. Though his thoughts were back on Neville, the impromptu song and dance had acted as a type of catharsis and dulled the pain that often came from thoughts of his unrequited love.
Micah's attention was drawn back to reality when he heard a slow clap start from the door. The startled Ravenclaw turned his head to the left and saw a familiar form leaning against the frame of the doorway.
The boy had a well groomed head of brown hair, which stood in stark contrast to Micah's unruly black curls. The boy was tall and lean, though the short sleeves of his yellow polo shirt revealed that he was quite defined. He looked down at Micah with honest grey eyes and smiled. "I just witnessed a private concert with the future lead soloist of the Hogwarts' choir. I'm honored." From anyone else that sentence would have been laced with sarcasm, but this boy's words were completely earnest as always. The brown haired wizard made his way over to Micah, and then extended his hand when he got close enough to help him up.
Micah's lips formed into a thin smile as he took the taller boy's hand and allowed himself to be hoisted onto his feet. "You're quite lucky. What you just witnessed is not something many get to see." Micah leaned against the wall behind him and looked up into the other boy's grey eyes. "So, how've you been, Cedric?"
"As good as anyone participating in one of the most dangerous wizarding competitions could be, I suppose," Cedric did not say the words negatively. He was proud to be one of the champions in the Tri-Wizard tournament, but as always he answered the question as honestly as possible. "How have you been?" Cedric asked Micah. It was a simple question that most people would take as a simple pleasantry, but Micah was close enough to Cedric to know that there was a hidden meaning to that question. The black haired wizard sighed. "He's going to the Yule Ball with Ginny Weasley," Micah had to force the words out of his mouth. Though he had agreed to Neville asking the youngest Weasley to the Ball, it still hurt him to think of the object of his affections going to the Ball with someone else.
Cedric nodded understandingly. The Hufflepuff patted his younger friend's shoulder sympathetically. "Are you going to the Yule Ball?" Cedric asked evenly. The older wizard's grey eyes watched Micah's face intently as he waited for an answer.
Micah smiled esoterically. "I am, though I'm only going so that I can be around Neville," Micah's eyes widened in surprise as soon as the words left his mouth. The Ravenclaw looked into Cedric's eyes. "How do you always manage to make me say what I'm thinking? I hadn't even admitted that to myself."
Cedric slid his hands into the pockets of his black jeans; his grey eyes were still on Micah. "I don't do anything special. I just listen," Cedric shrugged his shoulder. His expression remained neutral as he waited for Micah to respond.
"From my personal experience, it is pretty special to listen; not everyone knows how to do that," Micah said simply.
Cedric nodded thoughtfully; considering Micah's words. "Who are you going to the Ball with?" the Hufflepuff asked, changing the subject as suddenly as they had gotten on it.
"Luna Lovegood," Micah answered without thinking. "We're just going as friends though," Micah added as a second thought. It hadn't seemed important to make the clarification with Luna, as the both of them knew that they were only going to the Ball as friends, but Micah had the feeling that others might not come to the same conclusion.
Cedric smiled down at Micah. It was that odd smile he got when he found something amusing, but felt it inappropriate to smile so he tried, to no avail, to hide it. It was a very cute smile that most people thought made Cedric look even more attractive. Cedric pulled out his wand and pointed it at the goblet Micah had used earlier. The seventh year whispered the Wingardium Leviosa charm which caused the goblet to float off of the table and back into the supply closet. "I figured as much, seeing as how you're so infatuated with Neville Longbottom." Cedric said, responding to Micah's earlier statement.
Micah laughed bitterly. "That was the understatement of the century."