"What are we doing here again?" I moaned. It was sleeting, the day of the ball, Christmas was over and I was depressed.

Stupid Muggle Studies!

Sirius beamed at me like a toddler on sugar rush (so like normal really) and held up two broomsticks.

"No. No way. No no no no no NONONONONNONONONONONONO. No! I HATE heights!"

"Ah. Come on Twink. Flying is the best thing since chocolate frogs."

"Chocolate Frogs are better."

"No they're not. Well maybe-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, much to embarrassment. Sirius had used my momentarily lapse of concentration to seize my waist, dump me on the broomstick behind him and kick off.

I shut my eyes tight and screamed louder. "PUT ME DOWN!"

He completely ignored me (of course) and rose about another ten feet. I was chanting PleaseMerlinI'mbeggingyoudon'tletmebesick over and over inside my head.

And I'd thought the motorbike had been bad enough.

I think he must have thought as the screaming had stopped that I was enjoying myself because he yelled over the rushing wind, sleet and was that thunder?

"What are you feeling?"

"The wind, the cold and the bile slowly quickly rising in my stomach!" I yelled back

"Is that all?"

He sounded disappointed.

"I didn't think you wanted the full story of how my intestines are feeling."

"If you're gonna be sick do it on a Slytherins head and not on this jacket- It's new."

I would of hit him if I could have summoned the courage to open my eyes and un-weld my arm from him.

"Prat!"

"Do you really don't like it?"

"NO YOU FLAMING IDIOT I DON'T!"

"Oh. Well, all I can say is my kids better inherit my flying skills not yours."

Did he just say that?

But my trial was not yet over. The second we hit the ground an irate Jazz stormed over practically breathing fire and yelled, "Where the hell were you?"

"You do not want to know."

"It doesn't matter anyway, we need to get ready for the ball!"

"We need three hours?"

"Yes. And it's only two and a half now. Get a move on!"

"Why all we need to do is shower and stick on a dress. It's not rocket science."

"We need to do way more than that and what's a rocket?"

"It's- Never mind."

Martin is obsessed with Muggle science.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o

The 'way more than that' turned out to be two and a bit solid hours of primping.

Painful primping.

Jazz sounded like she was being tortured as she preformed the waxing charm on her legs, Alice was almost crying in exasperation as every time she got close to finishing Lizzie's manicure she would wriggle her hand out of her grip and change the song on the portable wireless by her bed. Lizzie was completely oblivious to this, more focused on the fact that Max was singing very loudly and very off key in the shower in the next room causing her to physically wince in agony every time she hit a high note. I was wondering if I could get away with wearing my converses under my stupid dress and Lily was reading.

As normal.

I have no idea how she can concentrate on a novel with all the screaming/ wailing/ crying/ music (is there a difference?) but then she had had six years of practise.

The wailing from the shower stopped then and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Max appeared and I ran for the door, locking it behind me. I stepped into the hot water and let it pound my head and neck, trying, unsuccessfully, to fend off the head ache that was aching just behind my eyeballs. I love my friends and everything but they can be just too much. And in Jazz's case, completely overpowering.

When, almost thirty minutes, five normal (Lizzie (Lily had had the sense to get ready earlier), twelve medium (Alice who had been too busy with Frank to remember the time) and thirty-six yells (can't you guess?) to hurry up later I emerged and yanked on my dress. The headache was building and I felt worse than crap. It felt like a rabid niffler was trying to dig for buried treasure in my skull.

Lily looked at me sympathetically, then pointed her wand at my forehead and said, "Imuscchekaputem" and the head ache lifted almost immediately. However the shriek that came from Jazz almost two whole seconds later was almost piercing enough to kill my ear drums. I swear if Jazz was a Muggle she would be one of those cheerleader/ scream when you see a spider/ bubbly girls who can kill someone's hearing with one scream

I couldn't wait for this to end.

Seriously I couldn't.

At around ten minutes to eight Jazz seized Max's arm and dragged her out of the room, hastily followed by Alice (who looked so incredibly happy- though that could of been Frank who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs which a bunch of red roses. Tacky I know but sweet none the less) and Lizzie who looked simply radiant.

I half smiled at Lily who rolled her eyes in return as she stuffed her novel into a pocket on the inside of her dress. (Her costume was not, thankfully, sea shells and a tail but her simple dress as a human)

She then stood up and wrapped her arm through mine.

"Time to face the music."

I scrunched up my face and scowled, then pointed my wand at the coffee maker by my bed.

Lily raised her eyebrows but I defended myself, saying, "I am going to go through hell tonight. I'm not allowed to wear my converses and am in a dress. The very least I can do is have some coffee."

I swear Lily rolled her eyes again but I didn't care. Call me addicted but if I had a cup of coffee the whole world would seem a little bit better.

Though maybe not the dress part.