Well well well, on a roll aren't I? Holidays, however, are coming to an end, and in a few days I will be back into studying. Yay. But for now, you can all have lots of new chapters!
Discalimer: I do not own the world. Or most of the plot. Or most of the characters. I am just borrowing them for you lovely people.
December came around with its usual chilliness, winds tossing the Durmstrang ship about on dark waters and making it near impossible for us to venture outside. At least Herbology was in greenhouses, but Care of Magical Creatures got decidedly unpleasant. The Skrewts were about six feet long now, with suckers and stingers and their blasts. All in all, terrifying creatures, which Hagrid doted over. Otherwise, classes went on as normal. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, and an impending doom hanging over me (that was new, at least). Professor Snape kept threatening to poison the class, and Professor McGonagall handed out more and more homework.
One Saturday in early December I was out walking by the lake, wrapped up against the cold when I heard brisk footsteps behind me.
"Amy," a masculine voice called. "Amy, vait a moment."
I turned, and came face to face (more like face to chest, though) with the Durmstrang boy who had confronted me on Halloween. He stopped walking too, looking down at me.
"Hello." I said warily, looking up towards him. "What are you doing out in this cold?"
He looked a little surprised. "This is not cold." He said. "Back at Durmstrang, ve vould haff had much snow by now."
I shuddered at the thought.
"I vas out for a valk, and saw you." He looked down at his feet, then back up. "I vanted to apologise. I vas rude to you on Halloveen."
I shrugged. "It's not that much of a deal. My whole school was asking me the same questions until the first task. I'm sure the rest of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were wondering too, you were just the only one to ask."
"But it vas still rude of me, especially to pressure you so." He glanced around. "I am glad Viktor got chosen, not I." he confessed. "I do not think I vould have done vell vith the dragon. And there are still two tasks to go! Your brother is not very lucky. Especially as he is young."
Mournfully I nodded. I couldn't agree more with this Durmstrang boy. Harry was in danger. He glanced back towards the ship.
"Anyvay, it vas nice talking to you, I must go, ve meet with Karkaroff before dinner. Thank you, Amy." He grabbed my hand, kissing the tops of my fingers politely before jogging back towards their vessel, tossing on the dark water. Well. It was clear he took my jab about having a name. And it was nice of him to apologise, I thought.
'He was polite, if nothing.' Spark agreed, winging agilely to my shoulder. 'But you ought to know that your boyfriend saw the whole thing.'
I started, yelping aloud. "He is not my boyfriend!" I whispered furiously. "Just because he says I'm his girlfriend, doesn't make it so! I'm his … occasional roommate." I finished lamely.
'Absolutely.' Spark didn't sound convinced. 'Now, can we go inside before my tail turns into an icicle?'
"It's not that cold yet." I informed him tartly, turning and beginning to trot back up to the castle.
News broke round the castle the very next day. The Yule Ball was approaching, a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament that was open to fourth years and above. Most girls started travelling in groups, giggling as boys looked as if they were going to approach then changing their minds. The girls were always whispering now, comparing dresses, comparing boys, and everything in between. I seemed to be the only girl travelling alone, only mildly interested in how perfect her hair would be on Christmas Eve. I thought all the way back to the summer, and the dress-like dress robes I'd got in Diagon Alley.
"I should probably air it out." I remarked to Spark one evening, walking through the grounds in the last week of term. He sat on my shoulder sullenly, almost buried in my scarf.
'Probably.' He agreed. 'How about we go inside now and do that? I'll give you plenty of good advice, if you stop taking me into the snow.'
I laughed aloud at the thought. "What kind of advice could you give a girl? Needs more scales?"
He sniffed indignantly. 'I know more than that. By the way, I think you're friend wants to talk to you.' He buried himself deeper into my scarf, giving me the mental image of the Durmstrang boy walking over to join me. Sure enough, when I looked in that direction he was there, crunching over the thin layer of snow, not wearing nearly enough clothes for the weather. Here I was bundled up like a polar bear; he wasn't even wearing the fur cloak the Durmstrang students arrived in.
"Don't you ever get cold?" I called as he drew nearer.
"This isn't too cold yet." He grinned back. "You Hogvarts students are soft. I'm Aleksandar Markov, by the way. Ve vere never properly introduced."
I smiled up at him as he fell into step with me. "Nice to meet you Aleksandar. I do believe I've introduced myself to you already."
We walked for a bit, discussing the weather, and the decorations placed around the castle. The Durmstrang students seemed impressed by Hogwarts, unlike the Beauxbatons lot. We weren't the only students out, either, though there were only one or two other Hogwarts students braving the snow. Eventually we'd wandered down by the lake, conversation kind of coming to a stop.
"Actually, I came out here looking for you." He confessed after a moment of silence. "I vas vondering if you vould go to the Yule Ball vith me."
Surprised, I looked up at him. Not what I had expected, especially when the first time we had met Draco got defensive over me. True, Draco hadn't asked me to the Ball yet, and I didn't expect him to. His arrogance wouldn't let him ask, he probably just assumed I'd be going with him. Well, nasty surprise for him.
I smiled up at the tall boy in front of me. "I would like that." I answered. Was that what I was meant to say? I hoped so.
Relief flooded his features. "Thank you for the honour." He winked, before bringing my hand to his lips again, and heading off down the beach towards the ship.
"They're an odd lot, aren't they?" I muttered to myself.
'That they are.' Spark agreed. 'But now you'd really better go air that dress out, since you have a date.'
I laughed at his transparency, but turned to walk back up to the castle anyway. I'd had enough snow for one day.
Skipping tea that night I remained in the common curled up in front of the fire flicking through some of the books other girls in my dorm had, about hair and such things. It seemed to matter now; I wanted to look good come Christmas Eve. I was there when Ron stumbled in being supported by his sister, Ginny and collapsed into another armchair. She seemed highly amused, but was patting his arm anyway. I stood, making my way over to them
"What happened?" I asked Ginny, worrying more than a little. Ron was grey in the face, and trembling.
"He just asked Fleur Delacour to the ball." She whispered, mouth twisting as she fought a smile down. I choked down my own laughter, any worry I felt fading. I knelt down by the pair, trying to talk soothingly to the poor boy. A moment later, harry burst in, equally grey.
"What's up, Ron?" he asked, joining us in the corner.
"I don't know what made me do it." He whispered wildly. "Merlin's beard, why would I do that?"
"He asked Fleur Delacour out." Ginny repeated to my brother, fighting full laughter.
"You what?" Harry laughed.
"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped. "She was standing there – in front of everyone – in the Entrance Hall – talking to Diggory. Everything sort of happened at once … and I asked her!" he moaned in agony, putting his head in his hands. "She looked at me like I was a slug, or something. Didn't answer. I ran after that."
"She's part Veela," Harry agreed. "Her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault; I bet you got caught when she turned the charm on Diggory. Wasting her time really, he's going with Cho Chang."
Ron looked up, curious.
"I asked her to go with me, and she told me. Just before."
"This is ridiculous." Ron moaned again. "At this rate we'll be the only one's without partners. Well, except for Neville. He asked Hermione!"
"What?" Harry looked up, startled. Even I was a bit surprised at that.
"He told me after Potions. She said she was already going with someone else, apparently. Really, who would want to go with Neville?"
"Don't laugh," Ginny began, blushing furiously. She opened her mouth to say more, but then Hermione climbed through the portrait hole.
"Why weren't you all at dinner?" she joined us too, dragging over a chair as she came.
"Because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball." Ginny told Hermione, silencing Harry and Ron immediately.
"Thanks, Ginny." Ron said sourly.
"All the good looking ones taken, Ron?" Hermione asked him loftily. He was staring at her like he'd just seen her though.
"Hermione, Neville's right. You're a girl-"
"Well spotted." She hissed, and I winced at the depth of trouble Ron was getting himself into.
"You can come with one of us!"
"No I can't." she snapped back. I believed Ginny when she said Hermione had a partner, obviously Ron didn't, and was about to get in shit.
"I can't because I'm already going with someone." Her face was distinctly pink by now. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!" and she stormed off to the girls dormitory, hair waving like a war banner.
"She's lying." Ron said disbelievingly.
"She's not." Ginny answered. "But I'm not going to tell you who, if she didn't want to say."
"This is stupid." Ron muttered. "Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll-"
"I can't." Ginny said, going pink again. "I'm going with Neville. I think I'm going to go have some dinner now."
Ron turned to me. "Hey, Amy, you're a girl."
Harry made a noise that might have been choking, or growling a warning at Ron. I wasn't sure. I frowned at Ron, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Yes, I am. So what?"
"Can you go to the ball with me? Then we only have to find Harry a date."
"No, I can't. I have a date already too. You two are leaving it really late."
Ron scowled. "Malfoy already asked then, has he?"
I spluttered, cheeks flushing. "For your information I am not going with Draco!" I informed him, standing. "I would suggest you two take drastic action, before you both end up going with your owls."
