Author's note: Hey everyone! No I have not started writing again :( But I was doing a cleanup of my laptop and I found this! Written more than a year ago and completely imperfect (and sort of lame), so my apologies in advance! Just thought I should post it before deleting. Hope it gives you some sort of enjoyment :P

- Sera

I walk into the corridor and crash into a very startled Madge Undersee.

"Oh!" Madge gasps, looking up at me. She blushes. "Sorry."

I blink. "Don't worry."

She nods quickly and sidesteps.

"Wait, Madge. H-how," I cough. Damn nerves, stammering wasn't supposed to happen. "How are you?"

"Good," she says, clutching her book tighter to her chest.

"What book is that?" I ask.

"It's for Arithmancy."

I pull a face. "Arithmancy? Did they make it compulsory? Oh man, that must suck-"

"I picked it this year," she says quietly, "I quite enjoy it, actually."

Smooth, Hawthorne, real smooth. I scramble to save the conversation. "You'll do well on your O.W.L.S then. It helps when you enjoy what you're studying."

She nodded. A long pause. "How about you? Are you enjoying your final year?"

It's too formal, like she's only saying it to be polite. "Yes, it's been pretty great."

"That's good."

Another pause.

"I have to go return this to the library-"

"I wanted to ask if you would go to-"

"Sorry," we both murmur.

"You go," I say.

"I have to return this to the library so I need to make a move."

"Oh, yes, sure."

She gives me a small smile. "Nice talking to you, Gale," she says politely, hesitating unnecessarily before using my name, as if it were poison on her lips.

She walks past me and I rub my face with my hand. Just do it, coward.

I sprint, a little too eagerly, after her. "Madge!"

She doesn't hear me over the crowd. "Madge!" I yell.

She turns around, her wide blue eyes appraising me.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" I say.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you," she yells, waving her hand to the sea of students pressing in all directions around us.

I close the gap between us and raise my voice, "Will you go to the ball-"

At that moment, the incessant chatter dips to another low. Madge blushes, and I straighten quickly, both of us disliking the sudden attention. Yanking her wrist, which is so skinny I am certain I could snap it, I drag her along as I stride outside. She doesn't protest, she knows full well it would only welcome more prying eyes and ears, so she follows willingly, bunching her shoulder to keep the satchel from sliding down her abused arm.

I pull her under one of the hanging willows in the garden and before she scolds me for my ungentlemanly behaviour I blurt, "I wanted to ask if you would like to go to the ball with me."

Madge looks as though I've just told her one of Thom's dirty jokes. "After you just manhandled me in front of almost the entire student body?"

"Please, you can't tell me that you enjoyed being the centre of attention."

"Like that was your only reason for dragging me out of there. You were the one who was embarrassed, yes, Gale Hawthorne, embarrassed, at having everyone know that you were asking me to the Yule Ball."

"W-what?" I sputter. "Listen, Undersee."

"Oh good, you're sounding like yourself again."

"You're making this very difficult," I said through gritted teeth. What made me think that this would be a good idea? "Okay, I get it, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't plan for it to happen like that."

The fire in her eyes dies slightly.

"Madge, argh," I run my hand through my hair and bunch it at the base of my neck. "Permission to start again?"

She crosses her arms over her book. "Fine."

"Will you please do me the honor of going to the Yule Ball with me?" I say, cringing internally at the begging tone of my voice.

She purses her lips, and looks highly amused. I narrow my eyes. "What?" I ask gruffly.

"Nothing," she replies, staring down at her feet.

I cross my arms.

She peers up and her blue eyes are twinkling, her smile teasing. "'Please'? 'Do me the honor'? "

"Whatever," I mutter.

She stifles her smile and slides her thumb under the strap of her satchel, studying me. Finally, she speaks, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that. I get it, you must be really nervous like every other guy here. I'm glad I don't have to do the asking because I wouldn't get any dates if that were the case. Thank you for the invitation, and…I accept." She extends her hand toward me. "Truce?"

I clasp it. Her skinny fingers barely cover mine. "Truce."

She grins, opens her mouth as if to say something, shuts it and ducks out of the drapes of willow.

The date-find began with Katniss Everdeen and has ended with Madge Undersee. Don't ask me how the hell that happened.