"Very well, you can put away your material now" Flitwick said with his high pitched voice.

There were a few minutes left before the bell rang, and the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors started to pack their bags and standing up to go for lunch, but before any of them could leave, Flitwick cleared his throat.

"Students, may I please have your attention for a moment before you leave?" he asked, and everyone took their seats again, confused.

"Maybe some of you are wondering why were dress robes asked for in the list of this year's materials, or you may have already heard rumours from other fellow students, so I might as well announce it now," the tiny professor said excitedly," The traditional TriWizard Tournament Yule Ball will be held the night of the 24th of December. Fourth years and above can attend, but if you wish, you may invite someone from a year under."

The whole class started whispering excitedly. Emma and Violet giggled as they eyed the guys around them. Lorena raised her eyebrows. With all the excitement of the past weeks, she had completely forgotten about the Yule Ball, and now swallowed nervously. She didn't dance.

"I can't wait to use my new gown," Emma was whispering dreamily, "I bet guys are going to drool when they see me. Maybe I should cut the cleavage a bit more…"

"If you do that, you'll have to save a dance for me" a blond boy with blue eyes who sat behind them told her, and Emma and Violet giggled. Lorena tsk'ed, and turned her attention to Flitwick, who continued to tell the details of the ball. When he finished, the students finally left for lunch, now talking excitedly about the ball.

"Hey, can I borough that purple eye shadow you have?" Violet asked Emma as the three girls strode the corridor full of students heading for lunch.

"Sure you can. Oh and I just bought a new lipstick, and it has this colour that is just wow…"

Lorena tuned off their conversation, and frowned in thought. It was strange, really, thinking about all that had happened, from Abril and her suddenly been brought to this world, to all the events that had occurred since they arrived, and now to think there was going to be something as trivial as a ball, where they were going to dance and socialize like normal teenage girls.

"Ugh" Emma suddenly snarled, looking for something inside her bag and then looking up annoyed, "I forgot my quill in the classroom. You go on, I'll see you in a moment"

And with that, she turned around and walked back the path they had taken. Lorena and Violet shrugged, and resumed their way to the Great Hall. Violet then started again about what dress she should were, or whether Lorena already had one, and maybe they could exchange, but Lorena was listening half-heartedly. When she sat at the Ravenclaw table, she was yet to decide if she was more worried or excited, and helped herself with some soup while Violet kept rambling about makeup, dresses and dates. Stirring her soup with little enthusiasm, she was about to take a sip when Emma dropped in the seat in front of her with such force she almost toppled over the plates, a huge smile on her face and barely containing herself.

"Why so excited?" Lorena said half amused half angry.

"Lorcan is going to invite you to the Yule Ball! I just heard him talking about it with his friends" Emma exclaimed, and then proceeded to fix her hair, but stopped when no reaction came from Lorena. "Well?" she asked impatiently, "Aren't you super excited?"

Lorena blinked once, then blinked again.

"I…don't think…"

"Oh for Merlin's sake! At least try to look a bit more presentable for him!" Emma said after a huff, and proceeded to fix Lorena's blouse's collar.

"Why would I want to look presentable now?" Lorena asked with a frown.

"Because he's heading this way," Violet said with a smirk, glancing past their heads.

Lorena jumped out of the reach of Emma's grasp and turned towards where Violet had looked. Lorcan was approaching, grabbing the strap of his school bag firmly, his face determined.

"Get…" Emma started to say.

Lorena didn't let her finish before she jumped from her seat and ran across the Great hall on the opposite direction. She almost crashed with some students on her way to the Gryffindor table, dived between Harry and Ron, making them yelp, having to grab the edge of the table so as not to fall.

"Hi!" she said, a bit too louder than was necessary, "How are you guys doing today?"

"Umm…hi" Harry said, trying not to laugh, "Why the sudden urge to sit here?"

"Urge? There's no urge, it's healthy to have lunch with Gryffindors once in a while" Lorena answered as she hurriedly served herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

An awkward silence followed as the Gryffindors around them looked at her strangely. Harry smiled amused, and returned to his plate as conversation slowly started again.

"Er… so, how's the egg going?" Lorena tried, turning to Harry, "Any idea about the second task?"

Ron looked at her strangely.

"How do you know the egg is a clue?"

"I…Abril told me" Lorena answered quickly, then shrugged, "I suppose Cedric might have told her"

"Oh," was all Ron said, looking a bit disgruntled, and then went back to his food just as Hermione arrived.

"Hi" Hermione said a bit distractingly, and sat in front of them.

"Sorry, I was finishing some research about…" Hermione started to say, already placing food on her plate when she noticed Lorena sitting in front of her, "Oh Lorena, it's great to see you!"

Lorena raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Same"

"I was looking for you. Here"

Hermione surprised her even more when she gave her a little but heavy box.

"Thanks?" Lorena said still not understanding, and when Harry patted her back and Ron gave her a look of pity, she frowned.

"I was hoping you could give them away in the Ravenclaw common room." Hermione said, "I would do it myself, but this way we have a come-between that…"

"Hang on," Lorena interrupted her, "Hermione, I have no idea what're you talking about. Care to explain?"

Harry and Ron sighed, but Hermione paid them no mind.

"Why, you are going to help me with S.P.E.W.!" she told her impatiently.

"I am?" Lorena asked, making a face.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes, "After all, you are as worried as I am about the unjust enslavement of house elves!"

Lorena blinked.

"I don't recall…"

"When I went to the kitchens, I…oh shut up, you!" she chastised the ones who had gasped in astonishment, "When I went to the kitchens yesterday, several of the elves told me about those magnificent words you had said to them, about how much they are important and that Hogwarts wouldn't be anything without them!" she ended passionately.

Before Lorena could retort, George spoke.

"It's true," he said with a smile, "some of them even blew their noses on my robe when she finished her little speech"

Hermione smiled widely, but she only opened her mouth before Fred intervened.

"And pray tell, dear Georgie, why were you and Lorena together in the kitchens?" he asked amused.

Whistles and catcalls rose around them, making Lorena blush, but George only smirked.

"That is none of your business, dear Freddie"

"We were just hanging out" Lorena tried to explain, and then turned to Hermione, "I'll do my best"

She smiled and tucked the box inside her pocket, making a mental note to remember to throw it out of a window later. She then turned to Harry once again.

"So, about the egg?" she asked, but Hermione interrupted her again.

"You see Harry! Even Lorena is worried about that!"

Lorena shot her an impatient look.

"You really should consider starting some research about it" Lorena told Harry, "The other champions have their age and knowledge in their advantage, so you should work a bit harder"

"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Hermione said nodding.

"Gif 'im a brek, you thu" Ron said, his mouth full, then swallowed, "Harry's got until almost the end of February! He has plenty of time"

Harry nodded eagerly, and turned to his food. Hermione seemed she was going to retort, but thought about it and she too turned to her food with a huff instead. Lorena said nothing, but pursed her lips and ate quietly.

"I think I'll go for a halter dress," Lin Mei whispered to her friends.

They were in History of Magic, and as always, half the class was asleep and the other half was doing something else to kill boredom, none of them paying attention to professor Binns, who slowly wrote on the blackboard behind him at the same time he talked with a monotone voice. The four Hufflepuff girls sat in the middle of the classroom, and weren't the only ones excited about the ball.

"Totally," Mariah agreed, and then waved her hair at a group of boys sitting on the other side of the classroom, sending them a charming smile, "I wonder how many guys are going to ask us to the ball"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm definitely going to try and catch that Beauxbatons guy with long hair" Sabine said, smiling dreamily.

"Oh he is super cute!" Lin Mei agreed, clapping, and then with a smirk turned to Abril, elbowing her on the ribs, "And who knows, maybe Abril is going to surprise us all when Potter invites her. After all, they became good friends since the first task"

The girls oo'ed at her and laughed and Abril blushed, smiling. Their thoughts weren't too far from the truth, but Harry wasn't the particular champion she wanted to go to the ball with. She glanced in front of her at the tall Hufflepuff boy with honey-like hair and broad shoulders, who laughed quietly with his friends. Oh, it would be a dream come true if Cedric asked her, and seeing as she was getting along quite well with him, it wasn't impossible to think it could happen.

When the bell rang, signalizing the end of the last class of the day, everyone stood up with a sigh of relief, and moved to go out of the classroom as quickly as possible. Abril picked up her hair in a ponytail and walked out into the sunlit corridor.

"It's fascinating how much Binns knows, don't you think?" a voice said behind her, and she turned to see Cedric approaching her, the rays of the afternoon sun washing over his handsome features.

"Er…yeah" Abril nodded, although she hadn't paid attention to a single word Binns had said.

Cedric smiled at her and Abril had to make an incredible effort not kiss him right and there.

"Liar," he said, chuckling, "You didn't listen to anything of what he said, did you?"

"Neither did you," Abril answered amused.

Cedric shrugged, and passed a hand through his hair.

"Guilty, but I'm not too worried. I'll study in the library afterwards"

They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked back to their Common Room, none of them seeming too eager to get there.

"So…the ball" Cedric said after a while, and Abril's cheeks turned a light pink.

"Yeah, it's gonna be great" Abril said with a smile.

"Are you excited?"

"Sure! I love to dance! And I'll be able to wear an evening dress"

"I bet you'll look lovely," Cedric said, then cleared his throat, and looked away.

Abril's smile widened and she pushed him playfully.

"You know who are you going to ask?"

"Maybe" he answered, looking at her from behind his lashes.

Abril was going to say something when Cedric's friends appeared out of nowhere, laughing and shouting at him. One of them even accused him of wanting to get rid of them, and Abril couldn't do anything but agree, glaring at the unwelcome group.

He apologized at her and said goodbye, then turning towards his friends as they left. When a group of Ravenclaw girls passed next to them, the boys whistled and the girls giggled. Abril huffed, but didn't let that little altercation get on her nerves. She resumed her way to the common room, imagining herself at the ball and then laughing as she imagined Lorena wearing a puffy ball dress.

After a week, the whole school had nothing else to talk about but the Yule Ball, and even the teachers seemed quite excited themselves. Freezing wind blew outside the castle, but the corridors were thankfully quite warm, and either way students wrapped themselves in coats and scarves.

Lorena and Abril strolled lazily through the fourth floor, while snickering at some giggling girls who passed by. Well, at least Lorena did.

"I want to see you when a boy asks you out," Abril said to her, smiling, "You'll probably make him cry or something"

Lorena huffed and wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck. She didn't want to catch a cold now.

"I'm not that bad" she answered, "I don't even have that many suitors"

"Hmm, too bad that waiter from Johnny Rocket's is not here," Abril said quietly, but Lorena heard her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed and she and Abril laughed.

As they passed a painting with a woman riding a unicycle, they suddenly saw Cedric in the distance, walking fast and going down a staircase, a bunch of books in one arm.

"I…" Abril started to say, but Lorena interrupted her.

"Please don't let me stop you," she said, waving a hand.

Abril smiled at her and ran to catch up with Cedric.

Just as she finished descending the staircase, she saw him turn a corner and head to the library. Abril slowed down, not wanting him to notice she head eagerly followed him there, so she took her time.

As she entered the library and looked around, she saw him sitting in one of the corners reading intently, with a bunch of books sprawled around him.

"Hi Cedric" Abril said happily as she approached him.

Cedric looked up from the book he was reading and gave her a quick glance.

"Hi" he answered.

Abril couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at his lack of enthusiasm, but decided to sit in the chair next to him nevertheless.

"I can barely stand the cold now," she started casually, "I bet snow is going to fall soon"

"Yeah" Cedric barely said, not even diverting his eyes from the book.

Abril frowned and tried again.

"So, what are you reading?" she asked, leaning to see the cover of the book that had him son entranced.

"It's for the egg," he said curtly, and Abril swore she saw him slightly move away from her.

She was now decidedly taken aback by this new indifferent and rude manner. A few days ago they had been getting along well, Cedric even helping her with her bag as they changed classes. She was positively excited about this new attention, but now, she thought, watching him read and rudely ignoring her, she felt hurt.

They had stayed silent for a while, and when Abril was about to comment this to him, he shifted and put his book away. Smiling, Abril opened her mouth to say something but Cedric interrupted her.

"I'm going for a fly," he said, packing his bag, and leaving without as much as a look in her direction, "See you"

Abril sat there, gobsmacked, staring at the spot where he had disappeared. After some time, she grabbed her bag and exited the library. She adjusted her bag as she walked through the corridor on her way to her Common Room, a frown on her face as she gazed at the floor.

By the end of the week before holidays, the teachers had given up teaching new things to the over-excited students. Groups of girls giggled in the hallways as they flashed glances at boys, whether as boys whistled and eyed at girls. And then there was Harry and Ron.

"Why do they have to move in packs?" asked Harry as he and Ron strolled across the courtyard. Snow had already fallen and every student had their winter coats and scarfs around them. They passed a group of Beauxbatons girls, who only briefly glanced at them and turned around the other way. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?

"You can slay a dragon but you can't invite a girl to ball?" Ron asked half joking half worried.

"I think I'd take the dragon right now" answered Harry, "Do you have any idea who would you like to invite, though?"

"Maybe" Ron's voice turned dreamy as Fleur Delacour walked passed them laughing, followed by her friends.

"Give up already, mate" Harry told him solemnly.

Ron shrugged, but still had a goofy smile on his face.

"Are you going to invite Cho?"

Harry turned red and mumbled something intelligible.

"We have to find someone to take" Ron insisted. They had already reached the staircase to the dungeons for their last potions class of the semester.

"Maybe Hermione can go with one of us. Stay with one for a while and then be with the other one afterwards." Harry suggested, placing his bag on a bench and getting out his quill. When Ron didn't answer, he turned to look at him, and found him with a pensive look and a frown on his face.

"Or...she could go with you" Harry said, wondering if he had said something wrong.

Ron turned to look at him.

"What? Oh no, no. We could ask her that, yeah," he said, waving his hand.

Harry blinked.

"Ron?"

Ron faked a smile, but at Harry's questioning look, he faltered.

"Well...there's someone else I kinda...like to...ask" Ron mumbled, scratching his nose.

"Thats great!" Harry exclaimed, "Who?"

Harry jumped in surprise when Ron suddenly slumped beside him on the couch in front of the fire of the Gryffindor common.

"Done!" Ron said excitedly, and then sighed in relief.

Harry smirked.

"Well, you think she'll like it?" he asked.

"Sure," Ron said, nodding, but then looked at Harry with a worried look, "Wait, what if she does but says no anyway?"

"Nah, she's cool. I don't think she'd do such a thing. Though I do hope she doesn't panic when she sees who sent it to her" Harry joked.

Ron didn't answer, and instead look at him with panic as Harry suddenly understood.

"Ron," Harry started slowly, "you did write your name in the card, didn't you?"