A.N—I'm sorry I haven't updated. I've been really distracted and I suffered writers block. I just want to make something clear, cause I know I've confused a lot of you. Lexi is thirteen, but she was put into Hogwarts early, so she's in fourth year, the same year as Harry. So...does that clear that up? Okay, good.

Remember to review!

Blue Lover5000—You are so sweet! Thank you so much, I will definitely take you up on your offer!

Disclaimer—Jo owns it all...lucky girl :(

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Chapter Twenty Five

Wanna Go To The Ball?

Lexi smiled to herself as she read her mother's latest letter. Danny and Dora were getting married in the summer! Lexi knew that it would happen eventually, they had been in love with each other for years.

She giggled and stowed the parchment in her robes, skipping happily down the hall. She felt giddy with joy, and she wasn't the one getting married.

"You look pleased about something."

She turned and smiled up at Cedric, who raised his eyebrows at her expression, a smile twitching across his lips. "My brother is getting married."

"Harry?" Cedric frowned. He was teasing her, but she seemed to take it seriously. "Isn't he a little young?"

"Not Harry, you dolt! My brother Danny! He's twenty!" Lexi laughed. "He's marrying Dora Tonks."

"From the Auror department?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah. They've been friends since they were kids, but they started dating in their sixth year." she explained, walking beside him. He looked very dashing in a plain grey T-shirt and blue jeans, a black robe on top.

"Well, I'm happy for him." Cedric smiled. He glanced around. A lot of girls were giggling and pointing at him, whispering to their friends.

The news of the Yule Ball had been announced two weeks ago and Cedric needed to find a date to bring because the champions would open the Ball with a waltz.

"Have you asked someone to the Ball yet?" she asked, looking around. She was annoyed by all the giggling and the ridiculousness that came with the girls in her class. Only Hermione seemed unfazed by the Ball, and that made her good company in Lexi's opinion.

"Not yet, but I'm hoping to change that." Cedric said, going an adorable shade of pink. He took a breath and stepped in front of Lexi, stopping her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, something that she did when she was nervous.

"Lexi, I like you and I was...wondering if you'd like to go to the ball with me." Cedric released in a nervous rush. Lexi blinked and then blushed.

"I'd love to." she replied, her heart beat picking up.

"Really?" Cedric asked. He'd expected someone to have asked her. In fact he was sure that someone had. She was such an wonderful young witch, she would have had to beat the boys back with a stick. "Great! Um...I was also wondering if you'd like to go to that Hogsmeade weekend with me."

Lexi blushed harder and Cedric found this incredibly attractive. She looked so...flustered. It was breathtaking.

"Like...like a date?" she asked. Cedric chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah. But—but only if you want to! Otherwise we can just go to the ball and just leave it at that." he went on hurriedly.

"What? No! No, I'd love to go to Hogsmeade!'' Lexi assured, smiling. Cedric smiled widely, making a nearby gaggle of giggling girls swoon.

"Great. So, um...I'll meet you in the Great Hall at nine?"

"Sounds good." Lexi said. She felt as if a balloon was inside her chest, inflating with more air every second she looked at Cedric.

"See you then." Cedric then made a show of kissing her hand and walking away, looking back and waving. She shook her head and laughed.

She walked to the library to find Hermione pouring over what looked like half of the library. Lexi sat down, grinning like a fool. Hermione didn't even look up from her books and Lexi chose to remain quiet. She knew how Hermione was when she was studying. Instead she looked around, and saw Viktor Krum behind one of the shelves, peering through a gap at Hermione with a curious and slightly...loving gaze.

"Viktor Krum is staring at you." Lexi whispered to Hermione, who jumped, not knowing that Lexi was there.

"Merlin! Don't do that!"

"What?" Lexi asked innocently.

"Scare the daylight's out of me!" Hermione hissed. Lexi giggled and then Hermione did so as well.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked after a while.

"Looking for you. I have some news." Lexi bit her lip to stop herself from giggling like a giddy schoolgirl...oh wait.

"What?" Hermione asked, closing her book. This is why Lexi loved Hermione. She was attentive to her friends.

"I got a letter from mum this morning. Guess who proposed to Dora on Thursday!"

"No way!" Hermione gasped. "That's amazing!"

"I know! And Cedric just asked me to the Ball!" Lexi went on happily. Hermione's smile faded a little bit. Hermione knew for a fact that Fred was going to ask her to the ball. It was obvious to anyone that had half a brain that Fred was madly in love with Lexi.

"Really?"

Lexi frowned. "Why don't you look happy for me?" she asked, a little hurt.

"Oh! Oh, Lexi I am! I'm just...surprised that's all!" Hermione replied. She spent the rest of the day with Lexi in the library, studying before they trekked up to the Common Room, where Ron and Harry were talking about the Ball themselves.

"I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!" Hermione said as she sat down.

"Like what?" Harry said.

"That egg!" Hermione hissed.

"Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth," Harry said.

"But it might take weeks to work it out!" said Hermione. "You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!"

"Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break," said Ron, and he placed the last two cards on top of the castle and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.

"Nice look Ron… go well with your dress robes, that will."

It was Fred and George. They sat down at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Ron felt how much damage had been done. Lexi smiled up at her friends.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" Fred asked.

"No, he's off delivering a letter," said Ron. "Why?"

"Because Fred wants to invite him to the ball," George said sarcastically.

"Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," Fred went on. He shot a meaningful look at Lexi who winked and nodded her head minutely.

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" said Ron.

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," George said, waving his wand threateningly. "So… you lot got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope," said Ron.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," Fred winked.

"Who're you going with, then?" said Ron.

"Angelina," George said promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.

"What?" said Ron, taken aback. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point," George said. He turned his head and called across the common room, "Oy! Angelina!"

Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.

"What?" she called back.

"Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina gave George an appraising sort of look.

"All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.

"There you go," said George to Harry and Ron, "piece of cake."

He got to his feet, yawning, and said, "We'd better use a school owl then, Fred, come on…"

They left. Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smouldering wreck of his card castle at Harry.

"We should get a move on, you know… ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."

Hermione and Lexi let out sputters of indignation.

"A pair of… what, excuse me?" Hermione demanded.

"Well - you know," said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say."

"Her acne's loads better lately - and she's really nice!" Hermione defended.

"Her nose is off-center," said Ron.

"Oh I see," Lexi snarled. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"

"Er - yeah, that sounds about right," said Ron.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione snapped, and she swept off toward the girls' staircase without another word.

"What did I say?" Ron asked Harry, who was frowning at his best friend.

"Apart from the fact that both Hermione and I aren't very attractive, not much." Lexi snapped.

"Do you have a date to the ball?" Ron asked her, spluttering.

"Yes I do." Lexi replied tartly. She then got up and left to go to bed.

"Ron, you're my best mate, but sometimes you can be really thick." Harry said, leaving as well. Ron blinked stupidly down at his smoking cards and tried to figure out what had just happened.

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Harry took a breath and let it out slowly. He had been plucking up the courage to do this all day. He then strode over to Cho Chang and her friends, trying no to think how pretty she was.

"Hey, Cho. Can I have a word with you?" Harry asked quietly. Her friends giggled and she walked a safe distance from them, looking up at Harry, her brown eyes puzzled.

"Um...wangoballwime?" Harry blurted out and Cho's lip twitched.

"Sorry?"

"Uh...do you want to go to the ball with me?" he asked. Cho's lips spread into a cute smile.

"I'd love to!" she grinned. Harry felt a deep sense of relief settle into his chest.

"So, I'll meet you in the great hall?"

"Sure," she replied. "It'll be fun!

Harry felt like skipping up to the Common Room, but felt that would look a bit weird. Upon entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice. Lexi looked as though she was trying not to laugh.

"What's up, Ron?" said Harry, joining them.

Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face.

"Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?" Harry asked.

"He - er - just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," Ginny said.

She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically. Lexi shoved a fist into her mouth.

"You what?' said Harry.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people - all around - I've gone mad - everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall - she was standing there talking to Diggory - and it sort of came over me - and I asked her!"

Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then - I dunno - I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

"She's part veela," Harry said. "You were right - her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it."

Ron looked up.

"This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone - well, except Neville. Hey - guess who he asked? Hermione!"

"What?" Harry said, completely distracted by this startling news.

"Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the colour coming back into his face as he started to laugh. "He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff - but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville… I mean, who would?"

"Don't!" Lexi snapped, annoyed. "Don't laugh -"

Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.

"Because - oh shut up laughing - because Ron was too busy asking out a girl that rejected him!" said Ginny.

That shut Harry and Ron up.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Hermione loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."

But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light."Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl…"

"Oh well spotted," she said acidly. Lexi and Ginny looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Harry took his glases off and wiped them on his shirt before putting them back on, a pained expression on his face.

"Well - you can come with one of us!"

"No, I can't," snapped Hermione.

"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"

"I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."

"No, you're not!" said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again.

"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"

And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.

"She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.

"She's not," said Lexi and Ginny.

"Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.

"I'm not telling you, it's her business," said Ginny. Lexi crossed her arms in agreement.

"Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just -"

"I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with - with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought… well… I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.

Ron goggled at Harry.

"What's got into them?" he demanded.

"Dunno. And anyway, I've got a date. I just asked Cho Chang." Harry informed Ron, before racing out of the common room and after Ginny to get some dinner.