#24 and #48
Potions first thing on Mondays was about the cruelest fate the world come think up for Hogwarts students. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the world had turned its back on the Gryffindors.
Today, though, it was more bearable than usual. After all, there was the Yule Ball and then Holiday Break to look forward to. The students were buzzing with gossip on who was going with whom. Hermione was going with Viktor Krum, Ginny with Neville, Harry and Ron were freaking out because neither of them could find a date, and Kameron just wasn't sure who she wanted to ask.
"Why don't you go with Dean?" Hermione suggested.
Kameron shook her head.
"Why not? I hear he hasn't got a date yet."
She shrugged, "'Cuz I don't want to. I'll keep him as a last resort, though."
Hermione's face turned thunderous and Kameron immediately regretted her choice of words.
"I mean… you're absolutely right, Hermione! Dean's a swell guy. I'll ask him today!"
By the end of Potions though, Kameron had a different plan.
"Excuse me, Professor?"
Snape looked up from grading the pop quiz he'd given the second years on Friday. "Dare I ask what it is you want, Ms. Morge?"
Kameron bit her lip, every inch the nervous schoolgirl. "Well, actually, I was just wondering… I mean, if you want to… You can say no, it's okay… I just thought…"
Snape rolled his eyes. "Oh for Heaven's sake, spit it out!"
Kameron smiled winningly. "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
His face, if it was possible, went paler. "Excuse me?"
Kameron kept her smile up, "I was just trying to think of who to ask to the ball, and I realized that I most want to go with you!"
He looked at her for a moment and then said simply, "No."
Kameron's smile dropped and she trudged dejectedly from the room.
The next day it was the same.
"Professor, I know I've already asked you, but I thought maybe now that you'd slept on it you may have changed your mind. So… will you go to the dance with me?"
"No."
And the next.
"Professor, maybe now you'd like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"No, I would not."
And the next.
"Professor—"
"NO."
The day before the ball, Harry found Kameron outside, lying on her stomach on the dock, her face beneath the waters of the lake.
Suddenly she surfaced, breathing heavily.
"Er, Kameron, what are you doing?"
She answered him, still gulping for breath, "Trying to get the giant squid to be my date to the Ball. I figure it'll make Snape totally jealous."
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Or it'll at least completely ruin his night."
