Chapter 36

Holly was in the library as she looked over spells. She found a few warming spells that should work. She checked the time as she headed out getting a look from the librarian. She headed over to Moody's office, the papers where ready as she started her work on it.

She glanced back and forth much more focused on her work than normal.

"Any luck with the egg?" Moody asked as Holly glanced over at the teacher.

"Got it, and a plan," she waved off at him not bothering to interact with the teacher she focused on her work.

"Impressive," Moody complimented,

"Any ideas who set me up?" Holly asked back,

"Nothing new, they probably expect the tournament to finish you off." Moody theorized as Holly nodded, something bothered her about the situation but she focused in on her work more to ignore the drama that she couldn't seem to shake from her life.

"Hmm," Holly responded

"You seem very unconcerned," Moody growled,

"What on attempt number three-four if you count the dementors." Holly shrugged, "Worrying will just stress me out, I prepared the best I can what more can I do?" She asked him as she locked eyes with him.

"Well you can drink from your own flask," he pointed out, as Holly held back a laugh.

"Sadly in a school, one is limited in one's paranormal actions." Holly couldn't hide the bitter tone of her voice.

She finished in silence as she headed back out. The walk was now regular it was closing in on the Yule Ball and so far nobody had asked, she was pretty sure that at this point she would need to ask even though she didn't know who would be comfortable to go with.

She headed in to see Ginny sitting next to Ron who looked shell shock, "what's wrong?"Holly asked as the hidden door closed behind her.

"Well, Ron," Ginny forced a concerned face, "Tried to ask Fleur out for the Yule Ball."

"It just sorts of came out, I wasn't even going to ask her. I was so horrified I rushed out." Ron blinked at Holly. Who was more confused than anything.

"Weren't you going with Hermione?" Holly asked as she looked at Ginny who was now confused.

"She didn't tell you?" Ginny asked,

"Hermione has a date?" Ron seemed to deflate even more as Holly figured he was going to use Hermione as a backup date. Holly wasn't sure how that revolution would sit.

"No I thought it was Ron, it's why I never bothered to look into it," Holly admitted, Ginny frowned in concentration.

"Great guess I am not going, You went and got me a good dress suit too, sorry." Ron sheepishly grinned.

"You can go with me," Holly blurted out as she was sure she had turned scarlet at the boldness of the comment.

"You don't have a date, don't you have to open?" Ginny asked,

"Well, Colin asked but I turned him down. And well nobody else asked," Holly found the fireplace suddenly very interesting.

"You are kidding, I mean well," He lamely tried to reason why nobody. "I mean your Holly who wouldn't want to go with you." Ginny elbowed him, "Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?" He stiffly asked, "as friends," he amended quickly.

"Yes, as Friends," she agreed. A small part of herself kicked her for that addition. "Did Hermione tell you who she was going with?" She asked as they both looked at Ginny.

"Yes," She admitted through gritted teeth. Holly winced at that single word. "I think she wanted it to be a surprise," she brought up Holly took a deep breath.

"Of course she's my friend you hang out with my family it's expected, anyway we should head to bed I want to do some dance practice before Christmas so get your dancing shoes," she pointed at him.

"Right," he agreed as he seemed to realize what he agreed to.

Ginny lingered as Holly figured she wanted to say something. She headed for the stairs but kept her pace slow as she wanted distance from Ron.

"Got something to say?" Holly asked as she glanced back at Ginny who she caught opened mouth.

"Hermione likes him," she blurted out,

"Well, I guess she should have to ask Ron out then cause If you wait for him she'll be an old maid before he asks." Holly pointed out only for Ginny to frown.

"Your not wrong, on that Point Ron's not very observant. But you never showed any interest," Ginny glanced at Holly before her eyes went wide. Holly panicked as she clamped a hand over the younger Weasley's mouth. She pulled back with a finger over her own lips.

"The walls have ears." She glanced around. Nothing but she was sure Ghosts were more than willing to gossip it would explain a thing or to.

"If you show up with Ron, Hermione is going to be hurt,"

"I know, but I can't take it back beside we are just going as friends." Holly defended it was poor justification.

"This is so complicated, mean your Holly. I mean," Ginny wasn't being very clear.

"Look I'll tell Hermione okay we are just going as friends. Which is true we both said as friends you heard it yourself," Holly pointed out.

"And if those two get together like Hermione wants no big deal maybe she'll make a move if she see's Ron dancing with another girl." She pointed out that idea hurt a lot more than she would like to admit.

"You would do that?" Ginny eyed her in the hall.

"You can't have everything you want," Holly felt her insides galvanize. "I mean it's not like they argue, all the time, it's not like I and Ron can hang out comfortably for hours or anything." Holly could feel the bitterness seeping in. "It's not like I try everything to keep from hurting my best friends feelings but all she does is poke and prod me like I cursed her or something." She forced back the tears born of frustration.

"Oh," Ginny seemed to have put something together but Holly was ready to burst so she put all her effort into keeping her cool.

"Didn't even bother to tell me who she was going with. I must be a piss poor friend cause I seem to be losing them constantly. Between Hermione, Fleur, and now Neville I must be on amazing person cause it seems my very existence just pisses people off." Holly fumed she wanted to hit something as she road this roller coaster of emotions.

"We are friends right?" Ginny asked,

"Of course I wouldn't go fighting a basilisk for just anyone." She winked,

"Fair enough," Ginny grinned back, "you need to talk to her she's been very frustrated," Ginny advised,

"Ginny, I want to but," she glanced around the spike of worry at the idea she wasn't sure what to expect from Hermione she wasn't one to get angry over nothing and Holly for the life of her couldn't figure out what she had done they fixed the elf issue towards the start of the year. So what now?" She sighed to herself.

"The two of you don't like confrontation, I wish I could just explain it all but my mom said that's a good way to lose both friends," Ginny admitted as Holly nodded,

"You were told things in confidence I wouldn't ask you to say anything that you talk to Hermione with." Holly agreed that seemed to validate Ginny's concern.

"Good luck," Ginny smiled as Holly headed to her room, as Holly sighed,

"Hermione?" She repeated a few times,

"Hmm?" She glanced a bleary-eyed.

"I am going to the Yule Ball with Ron as friends," she told her sleepy friend.

"Okay," she responded as she rolled over to go back to sleep.

"That was cheap," the little voice in the back of her head.

She picked at her food as Ron headed in as excited as ever. "Well, morning run is good, what a day, you okay?" His smile faded a bit as he collected his breakfast.

"How is he so bloody blind and so observant of everything else." Holly fumed mentally. "Just worried about the task," she smiled as Hermione headed down with a book.

"So Ron is taking me to the Yule Ball." Holly told Hermione paused, "As friends of course," she continued,

"I thought she already had a date," Ron admitted, "I was surprised when it turned out otherwise." Ron shook his head amused.

"Glad everything worked out," Hermione commented in an indifferent tone.

"Ginny mentioned you have a date who are you going with?" Ron asked with a smile, that caught Hermione off guard.

"Holly didn't tell you? She knew a while back, Hermione glanced at Holly.

"I thought you and Ron where goo so I didn't bother asking." Holly shrugged,

"Why Hermione and Me?" Ron asked as they both stared at her.

"Well, you know I thought when she I mean," Holly was not enjoying the third degrees. "Well, Ron I thought you were not interested in dates so figured you would go with Hermione?" She looked at Hermione who Now was freezing up. "As friends, of course," Holly added after letting Hermione squirm for a second.

The group settled into silence, "So what are you doing with Dobby?" Holly asked as Hermione seized on the opportunity. Ron blinked in confusion as Hermione took a deep breath.

"It's a study, I am doing an in-depth look at the culture of house elves to see what can be done for protection." She explained as Holly and Hermione chatted away about the subject.

"Everything seems good," Neville pointed out as he noticed the two getting along.

"I guess?" Ron shrugged.

"So Fluer is being rather distant," Hermione pointed out as Holly shrugged.

"Competition I bet, that and I am tied for first, wouldn't help." Holly shrugged, "hopefully she'll not let this kill our friendship."

"Right," Hermione admitted, "Well I got a lot of notes on this when we get some time want to help with this?"

"I am at your service," Holly nodded as the tension finally seemed to disperse.

The build-up to the Yule Ball was a mass buzzer fellow students seemed to be a light with gossip who is going with who, and who got turned down. The rumor hit fast who Holly was going with and while there was plenty of teasing; the fact more people seemed unsurprised to see the pair practicing in the common room, was a bit more annoying.

Ginny took up the act as well, while Neville stepped on a few toes he was getting the hang of it. "You know this is actually fun," Ron admitted as Holly rolled her eyes. She had gotten used to being so close as his hand linked around her side.

"Do you want to practice?" Holly glanced over her shoulder.

"I suppose," Hermione sighed with a hidden grin at the idea.

"This is great to pretty girls to dance with," Ron chuckled before he clamped shut and turned so red he almost matched his hair.

The two girls laughed "who new our little brother would be able to juggle to girls at once," Fred commented as the pair walked past. Ron looked like was ready to melt through the floorboards.

-James-

"You what?" James laughed, as the pair sat around a table in the Black family kitchen. The group was using James day off to finish renovations on the old house.

"Yep, we spent most of the meeting needs to resort all the papers. I kept telling her she had the wrong one's case each of the numbers got doubled. A few of the papers required for each time Holly was mentioned the staff needed to jump on one foot." He chuckled. "By the time we had run out of time she looked ready to hex me, the best part is not a single paper I had was actually real. Half of them were blank.

"Hardly your most elaborate work," Lupin commented as Sirius shrugged as he smiled at the newspaper an article dedicated to The Lord Black's incompetency.

"Eh, you can't be too blatant with her she's willing to print this, out of perceived screw-ups. Imagine if I made it obvious."

"Fair point." Lupin shrugged, "still hasn't stopped her I am surprised the Ministry hasn't cracked down on her."

Lupin was referencing the missing witch. Despite it being the better half of the year nothing had popped up. James even checked the old Riddle house just to be safe but found nothing." He sat back this was almost the same as his time in the order.

"What you need is some time off," Sirius grind.

"No," James though,

"I got a nice date, and she has a friend," he gave a wolfish smile.

"No, no, No," James mentally repeated.

"You in?" Sirius asked,

"Sure," James agreed, "Damn it," he mentally cursed Lupin smirked at James as he shot him a dirty look.

"The more things change the more they stay the same," Lupin commented

"Speaking of change time to work on that portrait." Sirius got up as the three wizards stared down the man's mother. The portrait was stuck to the wall in order to appease Kreature they planned to move it.

"All right, ready," James asked as he pulled over his goggles as Remus plugged in the muggle construction tool.

"Ready," Sirius grinned maniacally the power turned on they proceeded to take the wall down centimeter by matter. "Timber!" He cried out

"Ahh," the portrait cried out as a massive almost cartoonish whole dropped down on the break in the stairs.

"So to the Black Room, cause I think this might be one of the things Kreature would flip if this goes missing." Lupin pointed out as James repaired the wall and cleaned up the mess.

"Sadly yes," Sirius agreed. The man may have hated his family but with James prodding him

About the House Elf especially with Holly's concerns he had kept most of the family things. Inside a selection of rooms designated for them. So he cleaned up the back as the woman screeched at him. He placed it on the wall of the old genealogy room which now looked more like a museum. It was by far the cleanest set of rooms in the house as it got the brunt of Kreature's cleaning ability as the rest of the house was starting to feel a lot more like something Sirius would enjoy. The rooms with old Black stuff were locked off from the public and only Kreature frequented those parts as the three men started to move new furniture and decorations in.

"Well that's everything, the House Elf is happy the rooms are soundproofed so we won't be disturbing my dear mother. And I get the satisfaction of making this house a place I can be proud of." He nodded.

"Thankfully we didn't have to break that elf wall down, man that was creepy." Lupin shivered as he glanced to make sure the House Elf wasn't listening in. They had moved that into Kreature's room, they had shrunk the heads down; Black was adamant that as soon as the House Elf died those were the first thing he burned.

They all slumped into the drawing room as James sighed as he relaxed. "So how is the never-ending fight going?" Sirius asked,

"Neverending," Lupin frowned, "I think we may need to put a hold on our rights war. The Wizarding world seems less inclined to listen recently."

James perked up in concern. "What do you mean?" James asked,

"Lucius for some reason has started to push hard against anything we put forward more so than normal. Sadly he has a lot more Financial backing than we do even if Sirius Liquidated Everything he had.

"Still tempting," Sirius admitted, Now that this is cleared I feel it's time to go for an enthusiastic walk. For a while, I feel it may be time to start gathering up our support.

"I was thinking the same thing," Lupin nodded as James sighed as Sirius tossed them both a key.

"I am going to get the Fidelius charm ready I'll send you the letter when we are ready but you know the drill." Sirius frowned, the other two nodded in agreement as they both stood up.

"Good luck," they each shook hands. The three had done this before during the last war. Lupin went to infiltrate the werewolf population and Sirius looked into the seedier parts of the Wizarding world. James always felt he got the easy part. Before it was hiding now it was paperwork in the Auror department.

The group lingered as Sirius looked up at Grimmauld place as the three men nodded and parted James walked the streets of London slumped over as he knew it would be a while before he got to see his best friends the world felt even more lonely than it normally did.