Hey all! I think I'm over my writer's block. I've got a great start on the next chapter so look for it soon.

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Dim lights shrouded the room in a cloak of shadow. If she squinted, she could make out the shapes those watching, their eyes unmoving. Peeta took her hand in his. This startled her. Had he been standing there the whole time?

"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life," Peeta whispered to her as the music started and he began to lead her about the floor.

Their movements were fluid as they glided back and forth in front of the audience. She felt...elegant? Is that the word? Nonetheless, her dress fit that description. Silver with a small white bow and black tulle escaping at the bottom. She'd never felt more beautiful not even when she wore Cinna's creations.

A thought entered her mind as Peeta twirled her effortlessly. It's not the dress, the dance, nor Peeta that makes me feel this way. It's...Cedric.

At that moment the music stopped, Peeta stopped, and Cedric appeared from the shadowy crowd, smiling with arms open. Katniss rushed to him and immediately was enveloped in his arms.

"Cedric," she said, completely happy. "Cedric." "Cedric." "Cedric..."

"And when Cedric looked at me, I said 'hi!'" Katniss heard Julie say.

"You get a chance to talk to him and all you said was 'hi'?" Marie laughed.

"Look, I didn't have all day to talk to him. 'Hi' was all I could manage before he was whisked away by some barbarian Hogwarts students." Julie was powdering her nose in the vanity mirror. Katniss saw her own reflection in that mirror as she sat up in bed. Her hair was in a disheveled ponytail. Yesterday's bout with makeup, per Julie, now made her look black-eyed and overly tired.

Julie swiveled around on the bench. "Of course, I meant no offense, Katniss," she said.

"None taken." Katniss rubbed her eye, noticing dried flecks of mascara on her hand afterword. Her head was still groggy from sleep; she could still feel his embrace.

"If I got a chance to talk to him," Marie continued, "I'd tell him how devastatingly handsome he is."

"As if he doesn't already know that!" Elodie shouted from inside her closet.

Katniss, eager to leave the bickering behind her, escaped into the bathroom. Closing the door, she sat down on the edge of the porcelain bathtub and stared at herself in the mirror. She touched her arms. Cedric's dreamy embrace grew more faint as her mind woke up.

Did I dream of Cedric because I subconsciously heard his name? A wave of guilt rushed over her. Peeta! How could I just leave him? It doesn't matter. It was just a dream. No harm to anyone. It was just a dream...

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The entire castle seemed abuzz at lunch time. To Hogwarts students, the last day before Christmas break was always a special time full of good cheer and holiday goodbyes. This year, for those who were old enough to attend the Yule Ball, or lucky enough to be invited, the day seemed to yield a Christmas time excitement they hadn't felt since the time when they still believed in jolly Saint Nick.

"They're not for Ginny," Hermione said to Ron who was holding out a lace and velvet article of clothing towards his sister. "Ronald, they're dress robes."

Ron groaned. "Ug! They smell like my great Aunt Tessie." He flopped down into his seat, pushing the open parcel away. "Murder me, Harry."

"Maybe they look better worn?" Harry tried for an upbeat tone, but failed to hide his own skepticism.

Peeta reached for the parcel. "Loads of guys back home would be grateful to have a suit of this kind of fabric. For many years the only kind of fabric that could be bought was blue and felt hard and itchy on your skin. No amount of washing made it any better. One year, my father managed to find a few yards of satin. He gave it to my mother as an anniversary present. I'd never in my life seen her so happy. She fashioned it into a scarf and wore it only on the most important of occasions. When she wore it, it was if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders and all her scars and calluses that had built up over many years of hard work were suddenly cast away. Those days she seemed to be the woman I only knew from a picture; the one taken of her long ago."

Hermione touched her hand to her heart, Ginny gave a sigh, and Ron, not gently, pushed the parcel until it fell in Peeta's lap.

"Since it means so much to you, you won't mind trading me my dress robes for yours, I suppose? I saw yours yesterday. Dumbledore loaned them to you right? Lucky for us, we're about the same size. Besides, these robes would look dashing on you."

"RONALD!" Hermione exclaimed. But, before she could further scold him, Peeta accepted.

Ron clapped his hands together and jumped out of his seat. "Brilliant! Harry, I think we should go try on our robes right now."

"Ron," Harry started cautiously. "We haven't any dates."

"No matter! We'll get a boost of courage if we try on our robes, I know it!" Then, acknowledging Harry's skeptical look, Ron said, "We'll be finished before the next class starts! Come on..."

"Ok, ok." Harry stood and followed Ron out of the Great Hall.

"How utterly rude!" Hermione gasped once they were gone. "Peeta, in no way should you have felt obligated to oblige Ron."

"I will admit that Ron can be..." Peeta searched for the right word.

"Exhausting?" Ginny tried.

"Childish?" Hermione added.

Peeta gave a chuckle. "I'm glad you two understand. I truly don't mind to wear this to the ball. While the fabric is wonderful, the design is...a little interesting for my taste. It's just, I know being popular means a lot to Ron and if trading suits will make him feel better about himself, I'm not opposed to helping him out. Besides, what's being popular mean to me? We all know..." Peeta lowered his voice. "We all know I don't belong here."

Hermione, overcome with emotion, gave Peeta a huge hug then a kiss on the cheek. "I know you didn't get a proper sorting, but there's no doubt you're a Gryffindor! You are absolutely one of the most..."

A surly voice finished her sentence. "...two-timing guys around. How dare you, Peeta!"

"Wait? What?" Peeta asked as he swiveled to see Katniss standing behind him.

"I come over here to ask you to the ball and I find her all over you?"

Before Peeta could explain, Hermione had said, "Katniss, I apologize. If you'd allow us to explain what Peeta has done for Ron, you'd be just as delighted. I agree that it was uncalled for."

"Yeah, well, I guess my dream is coming true. Peeta and I won't be attending the ball together." And, with that, Katniss walked away.

"Peeta, I'm so sorry," Hermione stammered.

"So am I," he replied.

"At least she didn't throw punches or shoot arrows this time," Ginny giggled despite herself which caused the other two to burst into laughter.

By the time they'd finished laughing, it was time to go back to class. Peeta grabbed the parcel of clothes and the three left together. Soon they were consumed in the whirl of students moving through the halls.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies, Peeta. I've managed to ruin your date to the ball. If only this had happened a couple hours earlier, I wouldn't already have a date, I would have asked you to accompany me." Hermione gave him a slight smile.

"No matter," Peeta replied. "I am fine with going by myself."

"What if you went with me?" Ginny asked as she avoided a gaggle of Beauxbatons moving in the opposite direction.

Peeta smiled. "I'd be delighted."

"Erm, well, this is my stop," Hermione said. "See you later." And with that, Hermione disappeared into the courtyard that led to Hagrid's hut and a final exam in Care of Magical Creatures, but the other two hardly noticed her absence.

"I was sure you'd already been asked by several guys," Peeta chided.

"Maybe I have," Ginny played along. "But none of them suited my fancy."

They continued in silence until they had found Ginny's class.

"Good luck on finals, Ginny. I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks. Where will you go during finals? I know you certainly can't take any of the tests."

"Oh, I'll be trying on my new suit," he said and, with a wink, turned and left Ginny in front of her classroom.