"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"
Teddie glanced around to find Harry and Ron sitting at the back of the Transfiguration classroom. The lesson had just ended, and Professor McGonagall had been in the middle of explaining some event that was happening around Christmas, all she knew so far was that it had something to do with the TriWizard Tournament.
The explanation had been interrupted as McGonagall noticed two of her Gryffindors messing around rather than paying attention.
"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look towards the back of the room. "I have something to tell you all. The Yule Ball is approaching -"
"The what?" several students echoed.
"It is a traditional part of the TriWizard Tournament," said McGonagall. "It is also an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests."
Teddie shared a look with her friends. Didn't they socialise enough with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons? The two schools had been at Hogwarts for nearly two months already, they had interacted with Hogwarts at mealtimes, and on the weekends, what more could they do?
"Now, the ball will be open to only fourth-years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"
McGonagall found Teddie's gaze. The young Slytherin had a feeling that McGonagall was talking about Mason, without actually saying his name.
"Dress robes will be worn," McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then -"
McGonagall stared deliberately around the room.
"The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down, sort to speak, but that does not mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will most be seriously displeased if a student embarrasses this school in any way."
The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and headed for the door.
"Potter," McGonagall called over the noise. "A word, please?"
Harry hung back as the rest of his class filed out of the room, his friends following along behind them.
Outside the classroom, Daphne turned to Teddie. "That would explain why mum took me dress shopping at the end of the summer," she said.
"And why Ursula bought me a new dress," said Teddie, nodding.
"Why did McGonagall look at you when she mentioned younger students, Ted?" Blaise asked. "Do you plan on asking someone younger?"
Teddie shook her head. "I think she was talking about Mason," she answered. "You know how important Christmas is to me and him. We always spend it together."
"Well, you can't ask your brother to the dance," said Daphne. "That would be odd, not to mention disturbing."
Teddie smiled. "Yeah, but he's only twelve, I don't see how he can attend otherwise," she said.
"I could always ask him," said Daphne.
"What about Astoria?"
Daphne looked around at Blaise and Theo. "One of you could take her," she suggested. "I mean, it doesn't have to be an official thing, right? Unless, of course, you both planned on asking someone?"
Blaise looked at Theo and then shook his head. "I don't mind taking her," he said. "We're all planning on being together all night, right? Like a group thing?"
"A group date?" Theo asked.
"If that's what it means when friends attend a ball together, then yeah, sure," said Blaise.
Teddie looked around at her friends. "Sure, I'm good with that idea," she said. "What about you, Theo?"
"Uh... yeah... sounds like a plan," Theo stammered.
"Are you okay?" Teddie asked.
Theo swallowed and then forced a smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said. "We have less than two weeks to prepare for the Yule Ball. I haven't exactly had a chance to get new Dress Robes, so I should consider sending an order to Diagon Alley."
"We're in Hogsmeade this weekend," said Daphne. "You can check down there for Robes."
"Right, I forgot there was a Dress Robes shop down there," said Theo.
Teddie cocked her head to the side as she looked up at Theo. Why did he seem so nervous all of a sudden?
~X~
As the holidays grew closer, Teddie noticed that the Professor's continued to demonstrate a desire to impress the visitors from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. When the decorations went up, there seemed to be a lot more than usual, and they were exceptionally more beautiful than what the Hogwarts students were used too.
Everlasting icicles had been attached to the bannisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armour had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.
"O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth..."
Teddie looked up at the suit of armour standing outside the library. "That's creepy," she said.
"You should hear Peeves' version," said Mason. "I saw Filch extracting him from a suit of armour on the seventh floor, earlier. He is filling in the spaces with his own lyrics, and not all of them are appropriate."
"I bet," said Teddie. She looked away from the suit of armour and led her brother down the corridor. They had been checking out books from the library. "So, did Daphne ask you to the Yule Ball yet?"
"Yeah, she asked me yesterday," said Mason. "Don't you think it will be a little weird, though?"
Teddie glanced at her brother. "What, you going to a dance with my best friend?" she asked.
"And my best friend's sister," said Mason.
"Did Astoria say anything about Daphne asking you?"
Mason shook his head.
"Then why do you think it's weird?"
"I dunno," Mason shrugged.
Teddie placed her arm around Mason's shoulders. "If you think it will help," she said. "Daphne asked me first if I would mind her asking you. I said I didn't, as this is the only way you and I can spend all day Christmas Day together, otherwise, I'm going to have to leave you halfway through the day."
"You did this for me?" Mason asked.
Teddie nodded.
Mason's face split into a grin and he wrapped his arms around Teddie's waist. "I love you," he said.
"I love you, too," said Teddie.
The pair split and turned the corner and crashed right into another person.
"Teddie!" Harry cried, jumping back. "I am so sorry! Are you okay?"
Teddie blinked and then smiled. "Oh, hey, Harry," she said. "Yeah, no harm done. We need to work on this, I mean, how many times have we crashed into each other since starting school?"
Harry laughed. "Again, sorry, I just got a lot to think about, you know?" he said.
"The Yule Ball?"
Harry nodded numbly.
"Hey, don't worry, Harry, whoever she is, it's her loss," said Teddie.
Harry cocked his head to the side. "Then why do I feel like I've been punched in the stomach?" he asked.
"Rejection is supposed to hurt," said Mason. "But, like Teddie said, you'll find someone."
"He's right," said Teddie. "Just because one person doesn't realise how great you are, doesn't mean everyone will. There is someone in this school that is looking forward to going to the Yule Ball with you. You just have to keep looking."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Teddie, you're a great friend," he said.
"You're welcome," said Teddie. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Mason and I are meeting the others in the Study Hall. Good luck in your search."
Teddie and Mason stepped around Harry and headed down the stairs to the next floor. They had just stepped off when the barrier slid across and the stairs moved, cutting them off from the seventh floor.
"Hey, Teddie," Harry called from the floor above.
"Yeah?" Teddie asked, looking up.
"Don't feel like you have too, but, would you like to go to the ball with me?" Harry asked.
Next chapter will be the Yule Ball - will Teddie be Harry's date?