This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonder-struck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you – Enchanted, Taylor Swift.

"I'm so glad Neville asked you" said Viria cheerfully to Ginny as they got ready on the evening of the ball, "It wouldn't have been the same without you"

Gabrielle had gone home to her parents for Christmas, so Ginny was secretly acting as Viria's temporary room-mate until the little girl returned. Viria wasn't sure if Madame had noticed and was just waiting for the right moment to yell at her, or if she'd just given Viria up as a hopeless case. She hoped it was the latter.

"I'm glad too" Ginny replied, not looking at her, "Though if Harry had only asked me a week earlier…"

"I know" said Viria sympathetically, "But you look lovely, he's sure to notice you"

"No. He's only got eyes for Cho Chang" Ginny snapped bitterly, "But thanks. You look amazing, I think Fred might implode"

Viria shrugged nonchalantly, protesting, though she had indeed made an effort, and she did hope Fred would notice. She wore a ballgown of green taffeta that was cut low and flounced dramatically whenever she moved. Ginny had spent over forty minutes taming Viria's ringlets into a sophisticated chignon to accentuate her prominent cheekbones and slender neck.

Viria looked up at the clock and swore quietly, "I had better go. Fred and George are meeting me and Angelina in the Entrance Hall. Are you coming?"

"No, not yet. I'm not meeting Neville for another twenty minutes, I don't want to stand around looking like a lemon"

Viria looked confused, "What's a lemon got to do with anything?"

Ginny, who had been trying to educate Viria in the English ways that she hadn't already picked up from her father, giggled, "It's a saying…just means standing around alone and looking like a loser"

"Oh" her puzzled expression cleared and she nodded thoughtfully, "I like that one. Right. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Have fun!" Ginny grinned, dabbing powder over her freckles, and Viria stuck her tongue out as she left.


When she made her way into the Entrance Hall, only Fred was waiting – Angelina must have been early for George.

Viria felt suddenly nervous. She and Fred had become such close friends, and the thought of their mild flirtation developing into something more serious both thrilled and frightened her.

He had his back to her, watching other couples enter the Great Hall, so Viria took a deep breath and swayed towards him, skirt swishing on the flagstones, to tap him on the shoulder. He started and turning, smiling hopefully. Then his eyes widened as he took in her appearance with one searching glance.

"Viria! You look – you look absolutely beautiful"

She turned a violent shade of pink, "Thank you. You look...rather handsome yourself"

They both grinned and felt a wave of relaxation wash over them; grinning signalled a return to normality, to the friendship that worked so well.

Fred took her arm, "Shall we dance, Mademoiselle?"


The slow dances came later in the night - after the wild Irish jig Fred and Viria had started that had had everyone in stitches – and they were among the few couples left on the dancefloor. George and Angelina had disappeared into the castle grounds some time before, and Viria had no idea where Ginny had gone, but she found that she did not care. She and Fred turned slowly on the spot, her head on his shoulder, his arms around her waist, both of them silently content.

"You could always stay here" said Fred, completely out of the blue. Viria moved away from his shoulder to look up at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Don't think I don't know that you don't want to go home. We're too close now for me not to notice that your face drops every time someone mentions it" he spoke with mock-sternness, but the thought of her leaving was beginning to cause as much dread to him as it did to her, "You could stay here, though"

Viria shook her head, curls bouncing – they had fallen loose during the jig – "No, I can't. My parents are settled in France, they have jobs and a house and friends. They won't move -I wouldn't expect them to"

He'd known she would refuse, but it still caused an ache in his chest, "We all want you to stay"

"It's ages away" she said quickly, "I don't want to think about it, not tonight, not when I've had such a wonderful time"

"I have, too. You're a lot of fun, Viria Beauchamp" he could see that the subject had upset her, so switched swiftly back to grinning charmingly, "Though I'd better escort you back to the carriage – I'm sure Ginny will have been waiting for you, isn't that what you girls do?"

"Yes, as a general rule" Viria nodded solemnly. She didn't want the night to end, and was sorely disappointed by the lack of romance – though he did take her hand to walk her back to the carriage.

"What are you going to tell her?"

"That I couldn't have had a better partner" Viria replied firmly, blushing slightly, "What are you going to tell George?"

"That I had the most beautiful girl at the entire ball dancing with me all night" his voice had grown soft; they had halted before the carriage door and Viria's hopes were beginning to lift again, because surely now would be time?

"Mademoiselle Beauchamp! Inside at once!" they had not seen Madame Maxime, who seemed in a foul mood, patrolling the dark grounds, "And back up to the school with you please, Monsieur, at once!"


"How did it go?"

George was lying on his bed when Fred returned to the dormitory, arms behind his head, clearly anticipating news. Fred yanked impatiently at the emerald green cravat he had worn in order to match Viria and flung it onto the floor.

"It was brilliant. She looked phenomenal and we had a great time"

"Then why've you got a face like a smacked arse?" George queried, eyebrows raised. Fred growled and threw himself down onto his bed.

"Because I fancy her, that's why!"

"And? Didn't you kiss her? The two of you were pretty close during the dancing"

"No, I didn't bloody kiss her. I was going to, and we got caught out by that dragon lady, bloody Madame Maxime"

"There'll be plenty of other opportunities, Freddie"

"No there won't, because I'm not going to kiss her" he flopped back to mimic his twin's position, face dark, "She's too young. And our friendship is too good. And there's no point in starting up a relationship, or – or falling in love, or anything, because she's leaving in June"

"I think it might be a bit late for not falling in love with her" George muttered under his breath, rather glad that Fred didn't seem to have heard.

"How did it go for you?" Fred asked eventually, still scowling but clearly interested, "Did you kiss Angelina?"

"Yeah, I did" he was trying to sound casual, but George couldn't help sounding pleased.

"So are you two an item now, or what?"

"I have absolutely no idea" George responded cheerfully, "But I'm sure I'll soon find out"

"That's great" said Fred, meaning it despite the fact that he sounded rather bitter, "Really, George, it is"


"How did it go?" Ginny was in her pyjamas and practically bouncing on the bed when Viria entered their bedroom. Viria shrugged, throwing her green beaded bag to one side and sitting down in a rustle of taffeta.

"It was wonderful. He told me I was beautiful and we danced all night"

Ginny's face fell, "Then why do you look so sad?"

"He didn't kiss me" said Viria, feeling rather pathetic as tears sprang to her eyes, "There were so many moments when I thought he was going to, and then just now, he was so close, and Madame Maxime – she bloody caught us!"

"Oh, Viria" said Ginny sympathetically, moving to put her arms around Viria, "Why do you think nothing happened? Look, I know he's my brother and everything, but if he's been messing you around – "

"He hasn't, though, that's precisely the problem! I don't think he means to upset me, at all, he's always so sweet. I think he's just scared of ruining our friendship"

"Ah" Ginny sighed wisely, "You've reached the friend zone"

"The what?" Viria looked at Ginny through confused and blurry eyes, "Gin, what on earth are you on about?"

"The friend zone! The fact that you and Fred have established such a strong bond that you're both unsure of the other's feelings and don't want to ruin the relationship in trying to find out"

Viria stared at her, "Where did you get that from?"

"I heard one of the Sixth Years say it. Anyway, it doesn't matter – I'm right, aren't I?" Ginny blustered hastily, "That's what the problem is"

"I guess so" Viria shook herself and turned to Ginny with a falsely bright smile, "Enough about me. How did it go for you?"

Ginny knew Viria was still unhappy, but at the same time she was absolutely desperate to share her news, "Oh, me and Neville won't ever be anything more than friends, and we had a good laugh and everything, but guess what?!"

"Do tell" Viria was smiling indulgently as she shrugged out of her dress and into the comfort of her pyjamas.

"I met someone!"

Viria paused in the act of finding pins in her tangled curls, "What? Who?!"

"His name's Michael Corner. He was so sweet to me – we danced quite a bit, he's really funny too"

Viria noticed that although Ginny sounded pleased, she did not sound entirely convinced of Michael Corner's charms.

"What about Harry?" she asked bluntly. Ginny scowled at her.

"What about him? He doesn't want me. He took Parvati Patil to the dance rather than ask me, and he's still chasing after Cho. Hermione's right – I have to try and move on, try to…I don't know, see if anyone else is interested, then maybe…well. He'll come to his senses eventually"

"Of course he will"

"Right. Well until then, I'm going to keep flirting with boys like Michael Corner, who make me laugh and tell me I'm pretty. Where's the harm in that?"

Viria, taken aback by Ginny's determination -and, indeed, her abruptness – nodded mutely, startled.

"No harm, none at all"