So, this is kind of a long chapter. But I had a lot to cover, so that's why. I don't think anyone will complain, though... Anyway, you get all three perspectives for this! Yay! :) Enjoy!

Chapter Eight

~Fred~

The party after Harry successfully survived the first task would probably go down in history. The best part about it - besides the food - was that Ron and Harry made up. Not that I'd ever actually say that to them, of course, but it was nice to witness. Nellie got the biggest smile on her face when they spoke again, and that's really what made the night better. She'd been concerned about the two of them when she really didn't have to be, and I thought watching Harry compete in the first task was going to give her a heart attack. But she was all right, thank goodness.

It was the beginning of December and she and I, as well as George, were seated in the Great Hall eating breakfast before our morning classes. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were seated a little further up the table from us, talking amongst themselves. Hermione was complaining about that Rita Skeeter lady from the newspaper again. I couldn't blame her; the woman was awful. But I was having too much fun joking with George and the other Gryffindors at our table to worry too much about it. Nellie was caught in between us, her face pink from laughing.

An owl swooped in and dropped a package on the table in front of Ron, who jumped upon seeing it. I watched him reach for the tag and open it up. "Oh, look, Mum sent me something." I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, George and Nellie looking that way as well. Ron ripped open the packaging and lifted the lid of the box, revealing the most hideous garment I had ever seen. And that was saying something, considering the fashion sense that Dad sometimes has. Ron grabbed the thing and held it up a bit, his face reddening to match his hair. "Mum sent me a dress."

The rest of the Gryffindor started snickering, including Nellie, which actually surprised me. Harry grinned. "Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?" He reached into the box and pulled exactly that out, laughing triumphantly.

Ron snatched it from his hand with an uncomfortable laugh, tossing it back into the box. "Nose down, Harry." He grabbed the dress thing and walked a bit further up the table toward our sister, Ginny. "Ginny, these must be for you."

Ginny looked visibly appalled. "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly." I chuckled; too right she was.

Hermione, by that point, was trying to compose herself as she laughed. Ron took notice and rounded on her. "What are you on about?"

"They're not for Ginny," she laughed. "They're for you." Immediately the group we were seated with and myself started laughing uncontrollably, to the point where I was clutching my stomach. "Dress robes," she finished with a smile.

"Dress robes?" Ron asked, confused. "For what?"

oOoOo

Ron found out exactly what when the weekend arrived and Professor McGonagall called for all the Gryffindors to meet in her Transfiguration classroom. When we arrived inside, all the desk were gone and replaced by benches on either side of the room, leaving lots of empty space in the center. McGonagall instructed the boys to sit on the left side and the girls to sit on the right, so George and I had to wave goodbye to Nellie as she followed Hermione over to sit with the other Gryffindor girls. I went with George to the top of the rows of benches, next to one of the windows, and we stood instead of sitting and leaned against the stone wall.

When everyone was on their assigned sides, McGonagall began. "The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception." Filch was trying and failing to get the gramophone started, a fact that seemed to be frustrated the professor. George and I fought sniggers. Sighing, she went on. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." She turned her head and looked directly at George and me, like we were somehow to blame for something that hadn't even happened yet.

She turned away and went on, pacing across the empty floor. "As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost..." She glanced around at all of us, but mostly the boys' side. "...a dance."

The girls looked excited - even Nellie, surprisingly - but all of the boys, including me and George, groaned loudly in protest. That immediately irritated McGonagall. "Silence!" she snapped. Everyone shut up. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

George leaned in toward me. "Try saying that five times fast, huh?" he whispered. I grinned and nodded and we took turns going back and forth, repeating the tongue twister over and over again while McGonagall went on.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight." My eyes automatically went to Nellie's face. I caught her eye within seconds and she smiled, making something in my chest ache that I promptly ignored as I smiled back.

Ron's attempt at a whisper could be heard throughout the whole room. "Something's about to burst out of Eloise Midgen, but I don't think it's a swan," he hissed.

To my little brother's misfortune, Professor McGonagall heard. "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepares to prance. Mr. Weasley."

Ron looked up in alarm. "Yes?"

"Will you join me, please?" Slowly, Ron pushed himself to his feet. "Now, place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?" Ron asked, looking slightly disgusted. I snorted.

McGonagall gave him a stern look, and I had to give her props for doing this to him. It was truly embarrassing on Ron's part, and more humiliating than anything George or I could do to him. "My waist," she repeated. As Ron obeyed, George whistled from beside me, shooting a smirk my way. McGonagall wasn't finished, however. "And extend your arm. Mr. Filch, if you please." Filch finally got the gramophone to work as the professor put her hand on Ron's shoulder and took his free hand in hers. "One, two, three. One, two, three," she counted as they danced around the room, Ron stepping on her toes every half of a second.

"Oi!" Harry whisper-yelled. George and I turned our heads to see that he was addressing us. We went closer so he could speak without shouting. "Never going to let him forget this, are you?" he asked with a grin.

We both grinned in response. "Never," we replied in unison.

"Everybody come together," McGonagall ordered, still dancing with Ron who looked like he'd rather be in double Potions with the Slytherins. The girls automatically stood and came forward onto the floor, but no one on my side of the room moved a muscle. "Boys, on your feet!"

All of the boys looked at each other, waiting to see who would go first. To my surprise, it was Neville Longbottom, a boy in the same year as Harry and Ron and notorious for getting into accidents and forgetting things, like the password to the Gryffindor common room. He stepped away from the benches, looking very uncomfortable, and waited for something to happen. I found myself very interested in the outcome, and couldn't supress a smile when Hermione approached him and put her hand on his shoulder.

That seemed to frustrate Ron, to say the least, and he grabbed Harry and yanked him to his feet. Once Harry was up, all of the other boys stood as well. I looked at George and he stared back. At the same time, we both yelled, "Dibs on Nellie!"

It was a race down the benches and across the floor toward where we'd last seen her standing. I heard her laugh and pivoted, my jaw dropping open slightly when I saw her twirling around with Lee. "Sorry, mates," he said cheekily. "You were too slow." Nellie winked at both of us before Lee spun her away.

I looked at George again, and this time we both frowned. "Well, this sucks," he said. I just nodded.

oOoOo

~Nellie~

I brushed a snowflake off the tip of my nose with a gloved hand. Fred and George walked protectively on either side of me, their body heat keeping me at least somewhat warm out there in the flurry. Their puffy coats rubbed against mine, making scratching sounds every now and again. I watched their noses turn redder and redder with each passing second as we walked through the village of Hogsmeade.

Sarah and Mark brought me here on year, if I recalled correctly, but I must have been pretty young. I couldn't remember hardly any of it. The twins pointed out the different shops to me, explaining what each one had to offer. Their personal favorite was Zonko's, the joke shop. I should have assumed.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Hermione and Ginny at the dress shop?" I say, more asking them than telling.

They both frowned at me. "Fine, fine. Don't spend your first trip to Hogsmeade with us, then," Fred said, turning his nose up with a mock pout on his face. I just laughed.

George put his hand on the small of my back and guided me toward another snow-coated shop. "It's this one. Don't ask me why I know that." I chuckled. "Meet us at the Three Broomsticks when you're done. Have Hermione show you where it is if you forget."

"Thank you, boys," I said with a smile.

"Don't get lost in the snow," they answered in unison before heading off in another direction.

I had a decent amount of money in the pouch I slipped into my pocket before leaving the castle. My parents had an account set up that I was given access to once they...left. It was convenient for me because I didn't have to ask for money from Sarah and Mark all the time. Due to their higher positions in the Ministry, there were quite a bit of coins in the vault. My pocket weighed heavily as I stepped through the shop door, instantly bathed in warmth.

Hermione and Ginny turned when I walked in, already looking through the dresses that were for sale. The shopkeeper smiled at me. "Welcome, miss. Your friends have been waiting for you," she said. "Have a look around. With the Tournament going on and the upcoming ball, I've sold more dresses than I have in years." She laughed a little and then disappeared through a door in the back of the place.

I sighed a little as I looked at the hundreds of dresses the shop had to offer. I hoped it wouldn't take too long, but I knew it would. The woman returned shortly after she left with three more people following her, another two women and a man. The shopkeeper smiled at the three of us. "My associates here will help you find the perfect dress, all right? Let them know right away if any alterations need to be made."

The man walked over to Ginny first and asked her what her budget was. She pulled out the money she'd been sent from her parents and, with a pink face due to the sadly meager amount, showed it to him. He merely gave her a bright smile and took her by the wrist, dragging her over to a back section of the shop. I watched Ginny's face light up when she realized that she could still get a beautiful dress, even if her parents weren't filthy rich.

One of the women went to Hermione and repeated the process while the second one approached me. "Hi," she smiled. "My name's Rose. What exactly are you looking for?"

I felt heat creep onto my cheeks as I blushed. "Honestly? I'm not really sure..." I smiled sheepishly. "I don't wear dresses often."

Rose smiled, her brown eyes shining at me. "That's perfectly all right. Have you got a budget?"

The pouch of Galleons felt like dead weight in my pocket. Again, I blushed. "Not really. But I'd appreciate something average priced."

She nodded. "Of course. That's what most people say." The smile returned. "Do you have a date?" I shook my head. "Any one you're looking to go with?" I didn't hesitate a moment before nodding. She looked thrilled. "What's he look like? What color are his eyes and hair?"

The answer came easily. "His eyes are light brown, I guess. And he's got really red hair." I laughed. "It's really red."

Rose glanced over her shoulder toward where Ginny was looking at a pale pink dress. "He wouldn't happen to be her brother, would he?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I blushed once more and looked down at my wet boots with a smile and a short laugh. "Yeah. One of them, anyway."

She linked arms with me and led me over to a section of dresses in the middle of the shop. "All right. I hope it all works out for you. Now: long or short?"

"Long."

"Sleeveless, strapless, or sleeved?"

"Um...sleeveless?"

"Ruffled, poofy, or slim?"

I didn't know what to answer with that one. "I don't...I don't know."

Rose shrugged. "That's not a problem. We can try one of each. What color did you have in mind?" I shrugged, shaking my head. "I think you'd look good in either blue, black, white, or red. Does that sound all right?" I nodded. "All right. Give me one minute."

I stood back as she sifted through the racks of dresses, hangers clattering against each other being the only noise surrounding us. At last, she handed me a stack of six dresses: a blue one with a ruffled skirt and silver decals around the waist, a navy one with a slit in the side of it, a black one that looked like it was going to be tight until about my knees, a white one with a tight bodice that poofed out at the hips, a bright red one with ruffles around the bottom, and a maroon one with gold beading around the bust and waist. "Try these on in the dressing rooms at the back and let me know which one is your favorite," Rose said with an encouraging smile.

The six dresses were heavy as I carried them where she instructed. Exhaling loudly, I set them down on the bench inside the dressing room I'd walked into. I slid out of my clothing and slipped each dress on one by one, clutching the backs shut because I couldn't reach to zip them myself.

"Nellie?" Hermione called. "Are you in here, too?"

"Yeah," I called back. "Where's Ginny?"

"Here," the younger girl answered.

"We should pick our favorite and then come out so we can all see each other's," Hermione went on.

I nodded in response and set aside the fifth dress, the bright red one. So far, the ruffles on the blue one were overwhelming, the slit in the navy one showed too much leg, the black one was actually kind of ugly with the poof at the very bottom, the white one looked more like a wedding dress than a ball gown, and the bright red one drew too much attention toward my chest area. I sincerely hoped the last one would be the right one, because I really didn't want to go back out there and have to find more.

I stepped into it and pulled it up, slipping my arms through the sheer gold straps. This one didn't need zipped, thank goodness, and it actually fit quite comfortably. I ran my hands over the material, the fabric moving between my fingers like it was water. The gold beading wasn't distracting, which was a blessing in and of itself, and the skirt hugged my hips and then fell in straight waves to my feet, not poofing out at all. And, to make it better, it even was Gryffindor colors. I laughed, genuinely pleased with this dress, and opened up the door and stepped out.

Ginny was already out there, looking incredibly adorable in her baby blue dress with a pink bow around her waist. "Ginny, that's so beautiful," I gushed, stepping closer to her.

She smiled shyly. "Have you taken a look at yourself? You're absolutely gorgeous, Nellie. You'll knock Fred and George flat when you come out looking like that."

We both laughed at the exact moment that Hermione stepped out of her dressing room and toward us. "Can one of you zip me up?" she asked, holding her dress together like I'd done for the other ones.

Ginny and I both gasped, our hands flying to cover our mouths. "Hermione," I said in a quiet voice. "You need to buy this immediately. You look amazing." The dress was ruffled, but it looked fantastic on her. She had short sleeves instead of straps that were sheer like mine, and the dress was light pink on top and gradually faded into a dark magenta at the bottom.

She had the most radiant smile on her face as we admired the gown. "You really like it?" she breathed. Ginny and I frantically nodded. She blushed. "Well, you both look perfect as well. Shall we go buy these, then?"

We disappeared back into the dressing rooms and quickly removed our dresses. I put my original clothes back on and grabbed the maroon dress. Smiling, I removed the pouch of money and walked to the shopkeeper, showing her the tag. She told me the price and I passed the exact amount over. She put the dress into a plastic bag to protect it from the snow and then covered it with another, just in case. "It's beautiful," she said. "You made the right choice."

Rose came over and looked at what I'd chosen. "I was hoping you'd pick that one," she said with a grin. "I knew it'd look perfectly on you."

Hermione and Ginny paid for their dresses next and then we headed out of the shop, satisfied smiles on our faces. Hermione pointed me in the right direction of the Three Broomsticks and I was on my way, waving goodbye to them as I went.

The Three Broomsticks smelled heavenly when I got inside, and the snow that'd tried to cover me instantly melted with the heat. I spotted Fred and George instantly and went over to them, sliding into the chair next to Fred, who instantly tried to peek into my bag at the dress. I swatted him away. "I don't think so," I said teasingly with a smile. "You don't get to see it yet."

"Aw, but Nellie," George whined.

"Nope," I said, shaking my head with a smile. I laughed a little at their disappointed faces. This ball would certainly be an interesting experience.

oOoOo

~George~

We were in the Great Hall again a few days after Nellie blatantly refused to let us look at her dress. What's the big idea with that, anyway? We're her best friends, shouldn't we be able to tell her that the dress is pretty before she actually puts it on? It should be our priveledge to make sure that the dress is modest enough that she doesn't distract whatever boy goes with her, right? Unless it's me, of course...

I shake my head and stare at the parchment and open book in front of me. It's a sort of study hall going on now. Fred is seated beside me, scratching away at his parchment, but I don't think it's homework that he's writing down. Nellie was here, but she left not too long before, having gotten her assignment done for Snape, who was prowling the aisles looking for people talking.

Speaking of, Ron was. "This is mad," he was saying. "At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates." Snape came up from behind him and shoved my brother's head toward the table, making Ron scowl at him once he left. "Well, us and Neville," he finished, looking a bit happier about that.

"Yeah, but, then again, he can take himself," Harry reasoned with a smile.

Hermione was quick to burst both of their bubbles. "It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone," she said smartly, lifting her chin a little. I hoped, for her sake, that she wasn't Neville's date. Neville was actually sitting on my other side.

I caught a glimpse of the note Fred had written before he passed it across the table to Ron. Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone. Ron read it aloud in a hushed voice as Fred and I watched him with smirks on our faces. "Who you going with, then?" he asked in an acccusing voice, sliding the note back.

Fred looked stunned for not even a second before he balled up the note. Neither of us had actually asked anyone yet. I got the impression that we were both just waiting for the right moment to ask Nellie, but we were each afraid of stepping on the other one's toes. Fred took the crumpled parchment and threw it, hitting Angelina Johnson, a fellow sixth year Gryffindor, in the side of the head. She turned toward him with a scowl. "Oi, Angelina?" Fred hissed so as not to be heard by Snape.

"What?" she mouthed back, taking precautions as well.

Fred mouthed out what he wanted to say, but he had to be cheeky and mime it out for her as well: "Do you want to go to the ball with me?"

"To the ball?" she whispered. Fred nodded. She looked surprised, but very pleased. "Yeah, all right."

Fred turned back to Ron and winked. I smiled a little but couldn't help thinking, Now's my chance.

I hurriedly finished the rest of my work (for once in my life) and got up, handing it all to Snape, who looked incredibly astonished to see me done with it all. Fred was looking shocked as well. "Nellie?" he mouthed as I went back to grab my things from beside him. I nodded with a shy smile. "Good luck, Georgie." There was a smile on his face as well.

I walked calmly out of the Great Hall and let the door shut behind me before I darted up the stairs toward the common room. I got tired about halfway there, however, and walked the rest of the way. I didn't want to be out of breath when I asked her, anyway.

My heart was hammering in my chest for reasons unknown as I told the Fat Lady the password and stepped through the portrait hole. There she was, talking to Katie Bell in front of the fireplace. Her back was to me, but Katie saw me standing there and promptly excused herself, nodding once to me like she was wishing me luck as well. I didn't think I'd need it, though. I mean, it was just a ball. As long as she didn't already have a date, it would be okay.

Momentarily struck by doubt, I almost turned around. How was I supposed to ask her, anyway? I couldn't just go up to her, could I? Was that allowed? I balled up a bit of spare parchment I found in my pocket and tossed it, hitting Nellie in the back of the head. She turned, looking like she was about to scold me, but I rushed out "Will you go to the ball with me?" before she could say anything.

"Why did you hit me with - " She looked down at her feet and spied the paper ball. " - a ball of parchment?" she demanded, her brows furrowed.

I scratched the back of my neck. I was just expecting a "yes", not a question. "It worked for Fred when he asked Angelina..." I said lamely, knowing it was a pathetic excuse.

Nellie raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Do I look like Angelina to you?"

"...No."

"Then don't behave as if I were her," Nellie says in a final sort of tone, turning to walk away from me.

You failed, George, I thought sadly. But I reached out and grasped onto her wrist before I could even think about it and spun her around, dipping her backward until I was hovering over her, my arms around her back. "Nellie," I said sweetly. "Would you accompany me to the ball?"

She instantly broke into a fit of giggles and nodded, looping her arms around my neck to hug me as I straightened us out of the dip. "Yes, George, I will," she said. The smile on her face was the brightest I'd ever seen it, and I allowed myself to think that maybe, just maybe, she'd been waiting for me to ask her the whole time.