"So, you lot got dates for the Yule Ball, yet?" asked Fred at the Gryffindor table.
"Nope," Ron replied bluntly, continuing to devour his dinner.
"Well you better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone"
"Who're you going with, then?" Ron asked.
"Angelina"
"What? You already asked her?"
"Good point," he said, "Oi! Angelina!"
"What?" she called from the couch by the fireplace.
"Want to come to the ball with me?"
"Alright, then," she said, turning back to continue chatting with Alicia, a grin spread across her face.
"There you go," Fred said, satisfied, before getting up to leave, "piece of cake."
"We should get a move on, mate," Ron said to Harry. I looked at him expectantly. "We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls"
"A pair of what?" Hermione asked.
"Well, you know, like… Eloise Midgen. A face full of acne and a nose that looked like it was stuck on by someone who was blindfolded"
"Oh, I see, so you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"
"Well- yeah. That sounds about right."
That's when she snapped.
"I'm going to bed!" she leapt to her feet and pounded up the stairs.
"You agree with me, don't you Emily? Let's say Neville asked you… and Cedric Diggory. What then? Who would you choose?"
"Actually," I frowned, finding it mildly irritating that he stereotyped them as an ugly sweetheart and a handsome airhead, "they've both asked me."
"You're barmy!" he said, obviously shocked, "well, who'll it be then? It's Cedric, isn't it?"
Emily felt her face go hot as she found Harry's gaze hard to ignore. "I haven't chosen yet," she said, leaving for her dorm before any further questions rose. Merlin forbid he ask her why. She wasn't about to blurt that out in the common room!
"I can't believe him, sometimes," Hermione said as Emily shut the dorm door behind her.
"Then you'll love this," Emily said, sitting on her bed, "I told them Cedric and Neville asked me"
"Oh my god! What happened?"
"I left"
"Still nothing, then?" she sighed, "Maybe you shouldn't be waiting all this time- just go with one of them. It's getting awfully close to the Yule Ball, and you don't want to wait too long."
"I guess," Emily said, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling above her as her unconscious began to consume her.
The next day, after potions, Emily pulled Neville aside in the corridor.
"Today's your lucky day, Neville! I'd love to go to the Yule Ball with you," Emily smiled brilliantly; the white of her teeth seemed even brighter against her slightly tanned skin. Neville's face dropped with complete astonishment.
"R-really?"
"Yep!" it really was great to see Neville so happy. He was a really sweet guy. He wasn't whom Emily wanted to go with, but it's better than someone who can't hold a conversation, like Cedric. He was cute and all, but there was just so little connection on an intellectual level. Emily was pretty sure he was just aiming for a snog with her. Not like Harry, who was so kind, so loyal, so brave-
If he was so brave, why didn't he have the guts to ask her to the Yule Ball? Maybe he was just in it for friendship, after all.
"I'll be wearing blue," Emily smiled at Neville before leaving to find Hermione. On their last trip to Hogsmeade, they had gone shopping for dresses, and she had found a gorgeous satin gown in a light shimmering sapphire blue. It fit perfectly and made her deep blue eyes "mesmerizing," as Hermione had put it.
The next morning, Emily woke up to a house elf at her bedside.
"Dobby!" Emily squealed, jumping to her feet, her golden hair bouncing at the brisk movement.
"Dobby wanted to give Emily Reynolds her Christmas present!" he said, holding out a small package. Emily unwrapped it to find a pair of hand-knitted socks. "Dobby is making them himself, Miss Emily!"
"Thanks, Dobby! I have yours, too!" Emily scurried to her dresser and pulled out a pair of brand new socks she had rolled up and tied a bow around. When she handed them to him, he was utterly delighted.
"Socks are Dobby's favorite!" he said, unrolling them, "but, Miss Emily, it seems they've made a mistake in the shop. They've given you two of the same!"
"Well, maybe Harry will give you a pair, too, and you can wear one of each!"
"That's a splendid idea, Miss Emily! Dobby must go give Harry Potter his present now. Goodbye, Miss Emily!" he said before disappearing with a snap of the fingers.
Later that day, Emily, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione went out to have a snowball fight. Well, that wasn't really the reason they went out, and Hermione did nothing more than watch, but it was still a great deal of fun. Emily and Ginny were against Harry and Ron, and were clever enough to make a sort of wall out of packed snow for cover while the boys remained out in the open. With the constant attacks from the girls, they didn't have time to do more than dodge. Emily got to hit Harry dead in the face, which was a great pleasure. All is fair in love and war, right?
"Emily, we need to go get ready!" Hermione called from her behind a three-foot tall brick wall.
"Alright," Emily said, standing from behind her fortress. She looked down at her pile of snowballs prepared for fire. Ginny would have to take on both of the boys on her own, now. Emily had confidence that she'd still come out ahead, even though she was outnumbered.
"Who're go going with?" Ron called as they walked away. Hermione waved her arm, refusing to reply. "Ow!" Ron said as Ginny hit him with a snowball. Emily just smirked to herself, eager for the moment when he saw whom they were going with. Hermione was going with Viktor Krum, star quidditch player, while Emily was going with the "ugly sweetheart," Neville Longbottom. They wouldn't just be wearing frocks, either. They'd be wearing beautiful gowns, their hair and makeup perfected from hours of work.
A dream-like scene of the moment Harry saw Emily in her gown floated through her mind.
She couldn't wait.
That evening, Neville and Emily were in the Great Hall with Hermione and Krum. Their previous conversation with Ron about the handsome or the kindhearted floated back to the surface of Emily's consciousness. Hermione had chosen one, Emily had chosen the other, but neither satisfied her. There was only one person that seemed to truly have both, to Emily, and that person was Harry.
Still, Emily smiled as Harry walked nervously in line with the other champions, Parvati's arm hooked with his as she beamed, looking absolutely stunning in her pink dress. It hurt a bit, Emily realized, to watch him walk down that aisle with another girl, especially one who she knew was brilliant and equally beautiful. Her friendship with Harry, however, was worth much more than the relief of showing her feelings.
Emily ignored the more than uneasy feeling in her stomach as Harry danced with Parvati in the champion's dance. However awkward and clumsy he was, Emily was smiling to herself the whole time.
"Care to dance?" Neville asked, extending his arm. Emily looked up at him to see a completely enthralling expression. He was both giddy and calm at once.
"Of course, Neville," Emily smiled, taking his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. He was surprisingly good at dancing, and Emily found herself on the dance floor for what seemed like a dozen songs. After the band had switched to wizard rock, she'd left after the second song. Why did she have to wear heels? They only made her feet ache.
Her sore feet led her toward Harry and Ron, who sat sulkily beside their even gloomier dates. Harry seemed to have found a reason to leave, for he was already headed for the door by the time Emily made it to them. Emily encouraged Neville to ask Parvati to dance, as she looked as if she'd been sitting there for hours. She seemed delighted, and nearly dragged him onto the dance floor.
"Where's Harry gone?" Emily asked, sitting down beside Ron.
"Went for a walk," Ron grumbled, "seen Hermione and Krum?"
"I think so. Neville and I were dancing near them in the last song. They seemed to be having a great time"
He sunk lower in his chair, his eyes nothing more than narrow slits.
"Well… I'm going for some fresh air, care to join me?" Emily asked, knowing full well he'd just sit on his arse and glare at everyone having more fun than him… which was just about everyone.
The chill of the winter air sent shivers up Emily's spine, which just so happened to be bare from the low cut on the back of her dress. The fluttering fairy lights twinkled around her as she followed the path lined with rosebushes, passing a fair few couples together on benches. Emily actually had to stop walking, as Fleur and Roger Davies were stumbling about the path, finally moving into a more private clump of bushes. Emily weaved around where they had stood, finally spotting Harry, sitting on an otherwise unoccupied bench.
"Hey, Harry," Emily sighed, sitting next to him, "rough night?"
"Yeah," he said, staring off into the darkness.
"Me too," Emily said as she took off her heels.
"So… who did you choose?" he prompted. Emily turned to look at him, but he didn't move to look back. Even in the dim lighting, his angular features were still distinct.
How could she be friends with Harry when every time she looked at him, she thought about how much more she really wanted?
There was no use in holding it in any longer. It was just going to sit there for years, like a big rock at the pit of her stomach until she got it out. It was risky- it could ruin their friendship- but Emily couldn't wait forever. What if he found someone else? She didn't think she'd be able to handle it.
"The guy I chose- at first I thought he was nervous, or maybe he was just shy, but that doesn't exactly make sense. He isn't really one to sit around and not take action when he's driven to do something. He's brave and kind and smart. He's both good-natured and handsome. It's really unfortunate that Neville and Cedric were the only ones to ask me; because the decision would have been easy if he'd asked me."
Harry looked at me for the first time, then, with a look of bewilderment.
"You, Harry," I said, trying to push him toward understanding, "I chose you"
Then it seemed to click, his eyebrows lifting in astonishment.
The next few moments were sheer torture for Emily. The silence clung to her skin, the air seamed to grow heavier, pressing down on her.
"Oh," was all he said, to her dismay. Oh god, he doesn't like me! Emily, you've blown it! She cursed mentally, finding it unbearable to look into Harry's stupefying green eyes any longer.
"All this time…"
"Please-" she stopped him, "don't say anything"
And just like that, he kissed her. It was as if all of her senses went to overdrive, and suddenly all she knew was Harry: the feel of his hair between her fingers, his hand caressing her cheek, the fluttering fairy lights behind her eyelids. It was the most breathtaking moment of her life. She never wanted it to end, but she needed her lungs back.
It was then, that she came to a realization.
All this time, we were waiting for each other.
