The Final Ball

"So…" Frank said, trying to seem casual. "The Ball is this week."

"I know," Alice sighed.

"So who are you going with?" he asked tentatively. He and Alice had been dating for a few months now, but they agreed that they were embarrassed to be with each other in public, so they dated in secret.

"No one, you've shot down all my ideas for dates," Alice huffed.

"Oh," Frank sighed dejectedly. "But wait… I have an idea."

"Oh thank Merlin," she said, a tone of relief in her voice. "What is it?"

"We pick each other's dates," he said proudly.

"We what?" she exclaimed.

"You said it yourself, I've turned down many ideas for dates for you," Frank explained. "Why don't I just pick your date for you, and you can pick mine."

"That sounds reasonable," Alice agreed. "Let's go pick my date then."

"I can't believe I just asked Leroy Spentnik to the Ball, he's so weird!" Alice groaned once she and Frank returned to the Room of Requirement.

"Yeah, well, at least he won't try anything," Frank reasoned. "Why did you set me up with a fourth year though?"

"Because Ashley is James' younger sister," she said. "And she was really excited about coming."

"I know," Frank said dejectedly. "I really wanna dance with you though."

"You know we can't, unless we want to be seen together," she pointed out.

"And we don't want that," Frank agreed. Alice walked over to Frank, who was sitting in an armchair, and she straddled his lap. His hands flew to her hips and pulled her closer to him.

"No," she murmured before kissing him. He put a hand on the back of her head, not letting her pull away. He began to move his lips against her firmly, coaxing her to go along. Hesitantly she brushed her tongue along his bottom lup, as if making sure he wanted to continue. Alice was popular and had had many boyfriends. Frank on the other hand had one girlfriend during his years at Hogwarts, Lisa Kittle. She was very overweight, and rarely paid Frank any attention at all really. Frank opened his mouth to her, deepening the kiss by running his tongue over hers smoothly. Lisa left Frank for the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain because Frank was a bad boyfriend, and a bad kisser, but Alice couldn't figure out why. Their whole relationship went back to one day in particular. Frank was so upset about her breaking up with him, that he started to wear new clothes, and wouldn't wear his glasses. So Alice noticed one day, and went to comfort him.

Flashback

Frank was sitting on the ground and sulking. Alice approached slowly. "Frank?" she asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," he muttered.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"You wanna hear about it?" he asked, looking up in disbelief. "That's something I'd never expect."

"I just don't like seeing people upset," she reasoned.

"Lisa broke up with me," he said piteously. "Now she's going out with Jake Belby."

"She didn't deserve you," she said. "What are you wearing?"

"Oh, my pathetic attempt to look popular, to get her back."

"Where are your glasses?"

"In my pocket," he said as he took them out. She smiled and took them. Alice opened them and gently put them back on his face.

"There," she said, still smiling. "There's Frank." He looked more like his normal self, not like he was trying to be something he wasn't. She looked at him and began to lean in, ready to kiss him. Frank noticed and leaned in, hoping that it wasn't too good to be true. Their lips met tentatively and Frank went boldly where he never thought he'd go… EVER. They really started to get into the kiss someone laughed a short distance away. This broke them apart and out of the reverie of their first kiss, for fear of someone spotting them.

END FLASHBACK

Now for the ball…

Alicve was slow dancing with Leroy when he began chattering. "You smell like cinnamon. I like cinnamon."

"Er, thanks," she mumbled awkwardly.

"I bet you taste like cinnamon too," eh said before he kissed her. His lips were very wet and his braces were full of spittle. She struggled against him and finally broke away. "I don't wanna kiss you!"

"But why not? My lips are moist."

"Because I'm in love with Frank!" she cried frantically. Everyone looked at her and the music stopped. Frank looked up from where he was playing tic-tac-toe with Ashley Potter. Alice's confidence grew. "Yeah, that's right. I'm in love with Frank Longbottom!"

"Are you serious?" Lily Evans asked her.

"Yup," she replied. "I love Frank."

"I love Alice Cohen," Frank declared, standing up from the table.

"You used me?" Ashley huffed and stormed out of the Great Hall. Frank and Alice hurried to each other, and kissed each other, in front of the entire populace of the Great Hall.