DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Potterverse or the song within this chapter, which is "You and Me" by Lifehouse.
On the morning of the ball, Myrtle woke up with excitement and grief swirling in the depths of her gut. The big day was finally here; her last day as a flesh and blood human. She was looking forward to the ball, yet at the same time worried about what would happen that night. Would the Gryffindor proclaim his love and save her from her ghostly fate? Still laying on her back, the brunette heaved a heavy sigh.
Luna, who was already up and dressed, came to her bedside and plopped a gaudy dress on top of her. "Get dressed, Myrtle! We're going to be late for breakfast!"
Myrtle glumly looked at the clock. The past few weeks had gone by so fast, that she had trouble keeping track of the time and day. It seemed like only yesterday that Luna had brewed the Materialization Tonic in her bathroom and made her solid again. But now, time had flown by without warning...
What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
The brunette dragged herself out of bed and started getting ready to go to breakfast. She couldn't wait to be with Harry that night. And yet, she didn't want the night to come because that might mean the end of her time with the Gryffindor. Nerves and apprehension took Myrtle's appetite away, but Luna refused to let her skip breakfast.
"It's the most important meal of the day," Luna lectured as they headed for the Great Hall. "Even the Starvinmarvin doesn't skip breakfast. And besides, you'll need lots of energy for the ball tonight."
Myrtle followed Luna to the Ravenclaw table and took a seat across from the blond girl, too preoccupied to notice the pair of green eyes that watched her from the next table.
Harry kept glancing over at Myra, who seemed to be troubled by something as she picked at her breakfast. It looked to him like Luna was trying to comfort her or cheer her up. He wanted to see her, wanted to find out exactly what was wrong. Also, this being their last day together, he wished to speak to her at least once before the ball. The Chosen One looked down at his half-eaten oatmeal, then over at Ron and Hermione. As he started to stand up, the happy couple paused to look at him.
"Where are you going, mate?" Ron asked curiously.
The raven-haired wizard gave his friends a lopsided grin. "Well, uh...I'm going over to the Ravenclaw table to see Myra."
He ignored Romilda's greeting and cheesy hair toss, and made a beeline for the girl he already missed. As soon as Myra and Luna were aware of his presence, they stopped talking and turned their attention to Harry. "Hi Myra. Luna." He smiled and nodded to the girls. Noticing that every other girl at their table was now giving Harry her undivided attention, he felt the need to get Myra alone. "Myra, can I talk to you? In the hallway?"
As they headed out the Great Hall doors, there was so much that Harry wanted to say to her; so much he was feeling at this moment. But where to begin...
"Is everything all right, Harry?" Myra's dark eyes were full of concern and uncertainty, as if she were expecting to hear bad news.
"Yes, everything's great," the Boy Who Lived grinned nervously. "I just...have something I want to tell you..." Harry's voice trailed off as he looked at those soft pink lips. He wanted to embrace her and kiss all of her worries away, but restrained himself. Now was not the time for physical displays of affection. Instead, he reached down and took her hands in his as he mentally tried to form some sort of coherent verbal expression of his feelings.
"Myra, I'm not good with words, but I just wanted to say that I..."
The brunette smiled and looked expectant. "Yes, Harry?"
"I, um... I think you're very...er...punctual."
"Punctual?" Myra gave him a funny look.
The Gryffindor couldn't think straight. He knew what he wanted to say - it was right there in his heart - but somehow he just couldn't find the right words.
All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I wanted to say was, I think you're very...er, special. And...well, I'm glad that density has brought us together-"
"Density, Harry?" Myra laughed that wonderful laugh of hers.
The Gryffindor cracked a smile and chuckled. "I meant to say destiny. I'm glad destiny brought us together. I know that sounds really cheesy, but it's true."
"Me, too." Myra looked down shyly for a moment, then looked back up at him.
Harry wracked his brain for a better way to tell her what he so desperately wanted to say, before she had a chance to leave Hogwarts - and possibly his life - forever. But all he could come up with was, "So... I'll meet you in the Ravenclaw Common Room at seven?"
"All right," Myra smiled. "I'll see you then."
The young couple was silent for a moment, neither teen wanting to leave just yet. Harry found himself gazing once again at Myra's lips and not knowing how to tell her. Perhaps a kiss would be the best way to convey his feelings, after all. The Gryffindor gently pulled the brunette close, wrapping his arms around her waist and inhaling the clean, natural scent of her chestnut hair. He stood like this for a long moment, just trying to memorize her with his senses.
Myrtle raised her head to look into Harry's eyes. Those intense green orbs were practically begging her to stay; glistening with warmth and...something that might've been love. Unfortunately for Myrtle, she was unable to practice Legilimency on him and find out for sure.
Harry's lips met hers with a sweet yet fiery passion. As she kissed back with mirrored longing, she felt her heart becoming increasingly lighter and more hopeful.
That evening, she was still thinking about the Gryffindor as Luna helped her get ready for the ball. Luna's dormmates eventually returned from their vacations and entered the large bedchamber, all abuzz with excitement as they scurried about with their dress robes and makeup. The girls had apparently decided to go elsewhere to prepare for the ball, as they were in and out of the room in a matter of minutes, leaving Luna and Myrtle alone again.
Luna offered to help Myrtle with her hair as they changed into their dress robes. The brunette was hesitant at first, not wanting to get mummified by her own locks again. But the Ravenclaw managed to convince her to try a different hair spell. With the flick of her wand, Luna bewitched Myrtle's hair to twist and shape itself into a fancy updo. The blond then opened a box full of enchanted hair pins, which levitated and secured themselves in Myrtle's hair to hold the style in place.
"Lovely," Luna grinned excitedly and clapped her hands together as she admired the brunette's hair. "And now for makeup-"
"Makeup?" Myrtle shrieked. When she'd lived before, her strict Muggle parents had brought her up to believe that only trollops wore face paint. Even now, she still couldn't quite shake that preconception. "You're not going to make me look like a street walker, are you?"
"Of course not," Luna replied as she grabbed her wand. "In fact, you won't be wearing any makeup at all. You'll simply look like you're wearing it." With that, the blond girl waved her wand at Myrtle's face and uttered, "Decoro!"
Myrtle closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the sparks from Luna's wand touch her face like specks of warm powder. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Luna, who gasped at her.
The brunette's first thought was that the spell must've backfired. Hey, this wouldn't have been the first time one of Luna's spells didn't turn out as planned. "Luna, why are you looking at me like that? What happened to my fa..."
Myrtle's voice trailed off as she turned to look at herself in the vanity mirror. The brunette barely recognized the girl staring back at her. She could see now that Luna wasn't gasping in horror, she was in awe. The Decoro spell had accentuated Myrtle's best features without making her look trashy. And thanks to the hair spell, her tresses had curled and piled themselves attractively atop her head, a few stray strands cascading artfully around her face. Myrtle's dress was slightly off-the-shoulders, showcasing her milky skin.
"Is that really me?" Myrtle's voice shook as she began to cry tears of joy.
"Yes, it is." Luna's reflection smiled at her in the mirror and gave her a handkerchief. "Luckily, with the Decoro spell you don't have to worry about your makeup smearing."
Myrtle dabbed at her eyes and smiled at the Ravenclaw. "Thank you, Luna. For the first time ever, I actually feel...pretty."
Luna smiled and gave her friend a hug. "You are pretty, Myrtle."
Then Myrtle's ecstatic smile faded, her eyes clouding over as she said, "But tonight is my last night as a living person. What if Harry doesn't tell me he loves me? What if...what if he doesn't love me?"
Myrtle sank down onto the edge of the Ravenclaw's bed and Luna sat down next to her, putting a comforting arm around the brunette's shoulders and giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You have nothing to worry about. Harry's crazy about you, I can see it every time he looks at you."
The brunette's face lit up as her dark eyes met Luna's. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Luna grinned back at her. "And when Harry sees how beautiful you look tonight, his heart will pound like a dozen thumplabobs in a tin box!" The blond looked up at the clock, then back at the brunette. "Harry should be here right about now. I'll go and let him into the common room. Don't move."
With a sigh, Myrtle sat quietly as Luna went to check for Harry. It was incredibly nerve-wracking, not knowing whether or not she'd still be a solid person after midnight. Her destiny was in her beloved's hands, and he didn't even know it.
The brunette stood up and began pacing back and forth, her burgundy heels clacking against the hard wood's surface. The second hand on their bedroom clock was a constant reminder to her that time was running out. She paused before the full length mirror and wrung her hands, wishing to Merlin that she could foretell the future. Myrtle was about to start pacing again when Luna opened the door and poked her head in.
"Ready, Myrtle?"
The brunette took one last look at her own reflection. Taking a deep breath, Myrtle turned to her friend and smiled. "I'm ready for anything."
Harry was a bundle of nerves as he waited outside the Ravenclaw living quarters on the night of the ball. He wore dark green dress robes that brought out his eyes, but were very uncomfortable. His collar was so stiff, it felt like he was wearing cardboard around his neck. The Gryffindor hoped to Merlin that he'd be able to make their last evening together as fun as possible. He also hoped that he and Myra would be able to keep in touch after tonight. He was deep in thought as a small blond with huge grey eyes opened the door and peered out at him.
"Hello, Harry." Luna smiled at him and let him into the Ravenclaw Common Room.
He followed the Ravenclaw to the bottom of the dormitory steps, barely noticing the stares and giggles of the other girls who occupied the room as he scanned the crowds for his date. "Luna, where's Myra?"
"I'll go get her." The Ravenclaw hurried up the girls' stairs, the skirt of her silver dress making a swishing sound as she moved.
A few moments passed, but they seemed more like hours as Harry waited for his date. The Gryffindor heard the whispers of his fan girls as they speculated about whom he'd chosen as his date for tonight, but he ignored them and eagerly watched the staircase for Myra's arrival.
Luna returned to the common room. Looking very excited, the blond announced to Harry, "She'll be right down!"
Turning his attenton back to the dormitory stairs, Harry's heart literally skipped a beat as he watched Myra descending the steps. His whole face lit up as his eyes took in every aspect of this vision in burgundy. She wore makeup that drew attention to those lovely eyes of hers. Her hair was up, which seemed to make her neck appear longer and more graceful. The dress had a fitted, off-the-shoulder bodice that drew attention to her alabaster skin and flattered her figure. Her lips and cheeks were beautifully rosy, echoing the color of her robes.
Myra smiled shyly at him as she descended the final step, and stood before him. She seemed a bit self-conscious, as everybody in the Ravenclaw Common Room was looking at her and Harry.
"You look beautiful," the Gryffindor murmured huskily Myra's ear. Everybody else in the room just kind of faded into the background as Harry gave Myra a long, sweet kiss. They could stare all they wanted as far as he was concerned. Only one thing really mattered to him right now, and that something was right here in his arms.
Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And...I can't keep my eyes off of you
Harry lifted his head just enough to look into her eyes, and smiled. As Myrtle happily took the arm he offered to her, she turned to Luna and asked, "Are you coming with us?"
The blond girl grinned and shook her head. "Neville is supposed to meet me here; I'm afraid he's running a bit late. You two go on and we'll meet you when we get there."
Myrtle was on a cloud as she practically floated out of the common room, and down to the Great Hall on Harry's arm. It seemed that Harry couldn't stop sneaking glances at her all the way there. Every time she looked at him, he smirked timidly and put his head down. He acted as if she was the most stunning girl he'd ever seen in his life.
Entering the Great Hall was like walking into a winter wonderland. Everywhere they looked, icicles hung from various objects in the room, gleaming magically in the dim light of the floating candles overhead. The vast dance floor looked as if it were made of ice, but upon closer speculation was not slippery at all. There was a stage at the far end of the dance floor, which also appeared to be made of ice. Each table was covered with a fabric that looked uncannily like snow. Breathtaking bouquets of ice-coated flowers sat in the center of each table, in ornately carved ice vases.
Harry and Myra met up with the newly reunited Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be more in love than ever. Shortly after, Neville and Luna arrived and joined them as well. As the formal pre-ball dinner commenced, Harry couldn't help noticing how unusually tense Myra was tonight. She showed very little interest in her food, and barely said a word to him or their friends. The Gryffindor placed a gentle hand on her arm, "Is everything all right, lo...er, Myra?"
Myra, who apparently didn't notice his near slip-up, stared down at her lap and nodded. "I've never been to a ball before. I'm just nervous, that's all."
"I heard that there's supposed to be a rock band playing here tonight," Ron commented after sipping his drink. "Who do you think it'll be?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I really don't care myself. I'll take classical music over rock any day. Whoever they are, I just hope they're not too terribly loud."
"You sound like my parents," Ron muttered as he cut into his pork chop. Upon seeing Hermione's glare, he added, "Um...I meant that in the utmost endearing way."
Talking, laughing and the clinking of silverware filled the Great Hall as the band discreetly came out onto the stage. Right when Ron was noticing the band members, Romilda went strutting by in a slinky, strapless purple dress.
The redhead's jaw dropped, "Great Flying Doxies!"
Assuming that Ron was checking out Romilda, Hermione glared ominously at him and kicked him under the table. "You can put your eyes back in their sockets now, Ron!"
Ron shook his head, "No, no, no! I wasn't looking at Romilda, I was referring to the band!"
"What?" Hermione looked confused.
Ron raised his voice a bit so that Hermione could hear him over the noisy crowd. "Great Flying Doxies is the name of the band! I can't believe you've never heard of them, they're the biggest thing since The Weird Sisters! You see that guy there?" The red-haired wizard pointed to the man at the front of the stage. "That's their lead singer, Barnabus Wittenburg."
Hermione watched as McGonagall stepped onto the stage and greeted the group. "Well, they're probably only popular because their lead singer looks like Harry."
The Chosen One, who had been too focused on his date to notice the band, looked over at the stage. He had to do a double-take; the bloke chatting with McGonagall could've easily passed for his brother. The other girls in the Great Hall were going crazy over Barnabus Wittenburg, but not his Myra. As the headmistress gave a little speech, he squeezed Myra's hand under the table and gave her a meaningful smile. She really did look lovely tonight, but it was her heart and mind that held him captive. There had always been something special about her; he'd seen it all along.
There's something about you...
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
After McGonagall gave a brief introduction, the Great Flying Doxies began to play. The Great Hall quickly filled with excited screams and cheers, students abandoning their tables in favor of the dance floor.
Harry watched Luna and Neville get up and dash off into the crowd, Ron and Hermione following close behind. The raven-haired boy felt a mite self-conscious about his two left feet, but reminded himself that Myra couldn't dance either. Running a nervous hand through his hair, the Gryffindor turned to his date. "Um, Myra, would you like to..." He wordlessly gestured to the dance floor.
"I'd love to." The brunette put her hand in his and laughed. "Let's go make fools of ourselves!"
Meanwhile, Romilda hung back in the shadows and watched with disgust as Harry took Myra's - well, actually Moaning Myrtle's - hand and led her onto the floor. The sickeningly happy couple looked more like they were tripping over each other's feet than dancing. If she hadn't been feeling so jealous, she might've laughed out loud at them. However, the sight of Harry with someone else was enough to drive her bloody mad.
"What does he see in her? I'm a thousand times prettier than she is!" Romilda muttered to herself as she sneered at Myrtle.
Then the snob remembered the conversation she'd heard between Myrtle and Loony Lovegood the previous day, and the outer corners of her lips turned up into a devious smirk. She was eagerly anticipating the stroke of midnight, and Myrtle's return to being a ghost. But first, she was going to expose the mousy girl and show Harry how wrong he was about her. Then he would, of course, ditch the little liar and finally be hers once and for all.
The band played one fast song after another. Romilda watched Harry and Myrtle like a hawk, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to set her plan into action...
After a while, Great Flying Doxies began to play the first slow song of the night. Harry and Myrtle pulled each other close and slowly swayed to the music, gazing into each other's eyes and looking very much in love. The contented look on Harry's face made Romilda absolutely sick to her stomach. He should be looking at ME like that! The prissy brunette narrowed her eyes at Myrtle and whispered, "It's showtime!"
Romilda squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, then haughtily strutted across the dance floor to the happy couple. Discretely sneaking up behind them, she loudly asked, "Can I cut in, Myrtle?"