Willow picked her way along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, following the trail of Bantam Bursts. Her heart pounded like a drum. What would she find at the end of this trail? Would it make her happy, or would her emotions ceaselessly confuse her like they had before? Another, even more frightening thought occurred to her as she turned left into the trees: what if George and Paige both turned out to be not right for her? She didn't want to disappoint either one! They were her friends, and she wanted to be happy with at least one of them!

The path wound through a patch of brambles, then suddenly, it stopped in a small clearing. Willow waited for the fireworks, but they had completely run out. She waited in nervous anticipation. She found herself rubbing her hands together for no particular reason. What was taking them so long? Was this another prank?

Then, without warning, a sequential array of fireworks burst out of the undergrowth. It took Willow a moment to recover from the shock. When her heart finally settled, she realized the fireworks were individual letters, and they were spelling out a message in green lettering. Willow's heart skipped several beats when it was complete:

Yule Ball? It's up to you.

George and Paige stepped out of the bushes, shy grins on their faces. Willow confusedly stared back and forth between the two.

"What do you mean, 'It's up to you'?" she asked.

"Well, we know you're into either one of us," George began.

"And we obviously fancy you," Paige added.

"So we decided instead of fighting over you, we'd come to a truce and leave the decision up to you."

"Because at the end of the day, it really is whatever makes you happiest," Paige said. "We can't make you love either one of us more than the other; that's something that has to come from you."

"So here's both of our proposals, Willow: tell us which one of us you want to go with — "

" — and we'll be happy for you either way."

Willow gaped at them, absolutely stunned. She'd expected a challenge, or an outright question of "Which one of us do you really love?", or even George and Paige fighting it out on who got to ask her. She never in a million years would have expected this.

That's very mature of them, Cebba noted. Are you sure you can't have both of them?

I'm not polyamorous! Willow shouted. And you're not helping very much, Cebba!

I can't help you on this one, Willow. I don't know what you feel, only what you see.

Willow internally grimaced. She shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Paige and George watched her patiently, not a hint of anger in their faces. They truly wanted this. They were fine, no matter what outcome this would happen to be. They were just happy to be Willow's friends, and she recognized that, but it didn't make her feel any better. She was relieved to know that they would all go on being friends, but terrified that it had all come down to her.

How am I supposed to make a decision when I don't know what I'm feeling in the first place! Willow screeched.

She bit her lip in thought. She'd known George for slightly longer. He was one of the first to welcome her into the Weasley family, and the first to teach her the art of pranking. He had been nothing but kind to her, and he rivaled most other Gryffindors in his courage to be himself. George was the epitome of fun. He was a genius when it came to Charms, yet an absolute horror show when it came to History of Magic. Willow recalled many gruelling tutoring sessions that resulted in them going off and pranking Snape instead. She'd had so much fun with him!

But Paige — where could she even begin? Willow couldn't ask for a better partner to go through life with, a double-sided axe and a battering ram all at once. They'd been through some heavy stuff together. Hell, they'd nearly died for one another several times. Paige was a diamond in the rough, a rarity among rarities, and a genuinely unique person that was unafraid to punch life in the face. Willow blushed all over again at the number of memories she had teasing the older girl into oblivion and vice versa. Life with Paige was an adventure.

Ah, so you've finally boiled it down to a defining question! Cebba cheered. What do you want out of your relationship, Willow: a fun time, or an adventure?

Willow blinked several times. Her heart jolted. She imagined herself pranking Snape with George, then skiving off class to work on another pranking project together, then winning a quidditch match and kissing in celebration for the whole school to see. It was an exciting prospect. Then Willow imagined herself facing down the Fawleys with Deandra, Frodi, and Paige at her side, running off to find magical creatures to study, and hunting down all the Death Eaters until not a single one remained unpunished. Willow's heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Which one was better, fun or adventure?

Finally, for no rhyme or reason, with no way to describe how it happened, Willow glanced to George, and then to Paige, and she knew.

"Paige," Willow whispered.

The older girl broke out into giddy laughter like Willow had never heard before. George smiled sadly, but high-fived her nonetheless.

"You owe me at least five test rounds for the new invention now," he chuckled.

"I expect no less," Willow laughed.

Paige walked up to her and put her hands on the younger Gryffindor's shoulders, searching her face intently. "You're sure? No one pressured you into this? This is your final decision, and you're happy with it?"

Willow nodded excitedly. "Positive."

Paige smiled so happily that she was on the verge of tears. She threw her arms around Willow and very nearly sobbed into her shoulder. Willow's heart soared as she embraced her back. She was free. She was finally free. She'd figured out her emotions, and she was free.

"WILLOW'S GOING TO THE YULE BALL WITH PAIGE!" George called.

Without warning, Fred, Lee, and every single one of Willow's friends crashed out of their hiding places and swarmed the clearing. It was a frenzy of hugs, shrieks, and exuberant exclamations. Willow's face hurt from smiling so much. She was walking on clouds; she was dancing in the pouring rain; she was on top of the world.

And it felt amazing.


"Willow! Willow, wake up! It's Christmas!"

"I'M awake!" Willow gasped, jolting upright. "What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning!"

"THERE'S SO MANY PRESENTS!"

Willow gleefully jumped out of bed, Fidget clambering into her pocket at the last moment. She gasped at the sight of their live Christmas tree. In the corner of their room, the lighted boughs sparkled even brighter with the mountain of presents beneath it. Lavender and Fay were already tearing into the array of festive colours, organizing piles for each person by name. Mia, Sally, Hermione, and Parvati yawned and rubbed their eyes, which glittered excitedly once they recognized the presents.

"I call opening the first one!" Mia exclaimed.

The girls clambered onto the floor, hoarding their respective piles closer to themselves. Within minutes, the joyful sound of wrapping paper being ripped apart and shouts of glee filled Willow's heart with warmth. Hermione freaked out over the newest book her parents bought her, and Mia shrieked excitedly over a state-of-the-art makeup kit her dad sent her. Willow's eyebrows shot up when she held a box of quills and fancy parchment paper from her grandparents. They knew her writing habits too well!

Many more presents followed. From Carlos, she received a broom polishing kit and his famous homemade white chocolate-covered oreos. Willow shamelessly ate three of them as she moved onto the next two packages, which were mysteriously unmarked. She instantly recognized the particular hippogriff feather attached to the newest Newt Scamander book, and the cursive T on the package of cauldron cakes was unmistakable.

"Why does Willow always get the best gifts?" Lavender huffed.

"Oh, shush, you get plenty of great presents!" Parvati scolded.

Willow shook her head. She opened a few smaller packages from her friends, all of which contained assorted treats from Honeyduke's, then moved onto her final present. This one was marked with handwriting that Willow would have to be blind not to recognized.

Why would Grace send me something? she thought.

Untying the beautiful ribbon, Willow carefully carved open the box. She pulled out a hunk of wood that she eventually realized was a carving. Willow stared at it for a few moments, then suddenly dropped it, clapping a hand to her mouth.

No way...

But it was exactly what she thought it was. Hydra, runespoor, and tiger blended together to create a terrifying magical creature. It was the token from her visions during Divination. Willow's heart hammered against her ribs. This couldn't be real. The vision was fake. The token wasn't supposed to exist. Yet here it was, physically in her hands. The warning couldn't be any clearer.

Mum's breaking through. She's trying to warn me against something, but what is it?

Willow subconsciously gripped her locket, which had grown hot against her chest. Worry gnawed at the young Gryffindor. If Grace was discovered to be consorting with her daughter, she would be killed without hesitation. Willow suddenly hated herself for hoping in the past that her mum would come back to her; if that wish came true, she wouldn't have a mum.

"Hey, this fell out of your present," Sally said, shaking Willow from her thoughts.

"Oh! Thanks, Sally," Willow said, accepting a small piece of parchment. There were only a few lines on it.

I found this in the basement and thought you should see it. I don't know what it's for.

I recently learned your locket can block the Killing Curse up to three times. Use it wisely.

Merry Christmas

Willow sat there for several moments, stunned. So Grace didn't know what the carving was for, either. That wasn't comforting, but the part about her locket blocking Unforgivable Curses...that was shockingly comforting. Her mother was still in there, trying to protect her, and she must have known three years ago, deep down inside her confused heart, that the locket was some form of protection for her estranged daughter. Willow smiled sadly.

Thank you, Mum.

Willow hid away the token and Grace's note, then put the rest of her presents away. The girls spent the rest of their morning checking out each other's gifts, playing with them, and inevitably breaking and repairing a few of them more than once. They headed down to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, then Willow split off to find Benigno and Yrsa. She wished them a Happy Christmas with much flourish.

Not thirty seconds later, her out-of-house friends dragged her off to the Ravenclaw common room to celebrate the day together. Sally and Sam were notably missing, but they had fun nonetheless. Cyver and Mirlisa, as the couples were now called, were made fun of per friendship traditions for their sweet gifts to one another, and Sue and Willow had a great time laughing at Miranda for stumbling over his words.

Inevitably, the topic turned to the Yule Ball, which would take place that evening. Padma squealed about her and her sister being able to go with Harry and Ron. Sue was simply happy to go by herself. Cypress — naturally — critiqued their final makeup plans and made sure every colour matched perfectly with their dresses. When Willow was asked what she was wearing, she shyly admitted that dressing up wasn't her thing, and that she'd decided on a dress robe style that was traditionally worn by guys, similar to a tuxedo in the Muggle world. Cypress adored this choice — "Oh, it'll suit your frame so much better than feminine dress robes!" — and Miranda insisted that Willow let her roommates do her hair, considering that Lavender, Fay, and Mia were renowned for their cosmetic abilities. Willow blushed a deep hue of scarlet with all the attention.

In the late afternoon, Fred, George, Lee, and Paige started a snowball fight, so naturally, Willow raced outside to join them. She and her friends created a miniature fort, then the event became an all-out snow-throwing frenzy. Willow had never laughed more in her life. She was pelted in the face a few times by George, but she got him back within seconds. At one point, Willow was knocked off her feet by the force of Fred's throw, and the whole field laughed at her. She laughed the hardest, even though she had no air left in her lungs.

Finally, the time came for everyone to get ready for the Yule Ball. Willow giddily ran up the stairs to her dormitory to be greeted by her excitable roommates. They immediately got to work on her, obsessing over the best way to style her hair, her makeup, and her accessories. Lavender settled on an emerald necklace that brought out the beauty of her locket. Mia decided on a natural makeup style ("I promise I won't put too much on!") and Fay went all out with her hair. When they finally gave her a mirror, Willow gasped.

"You guys are truly miracle workers," she whispered.

Mia had brought out her natural dark complexion perfectly. The bright highlights on her cheeks hid the ruddiness of her face, and instead her smile glowed. A bit of eyeshadow and touch-up mascara made the deep brown of her eyes pop against her lightly tanned skin. The foundation had only further identified the sprinkling of freckles on her face, and her hair was unbelievable. Fay had tamed it into beautiful waves and fishtail braided it behind her ears. Cypress had been right about the dress robes, too; she looked absolutely stunning in the more tuxedo-like style. She practically demanded respect and authority just by looking at someone.

"Damn, Willow is hot," Sally remarked.

"SALLY!" Willow exclaimed, blushing furiously.

"She's not wrong!" Parvati giggled. "Just wait until Paige sees you! She's going to faint!"

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" Willow asked, desperate to get the attention off of her.

"Oh, she insisted on her appearance being a surprise!" Lavender said. "She's been practicing with her hair for days now, and I don't even know what her dress robes look like. I can't wait to see her!"

"Hey, can someone zip up my dress?" Fay requested.

Half an hour later, all preparations were complete. The girls checked their appearances in the mirrors one last time, complimenting each other to no end, until they were finally ready to head downstairs. They gathered in the common room, where many other people were mingling with one another, laughing and smiling shyly in their gorgeous new looks. Willow could hardly stand all the attention she was receiving. She seized the distraction of the boys coming downstairs with immense relief.

"Dean! Seamus! Perfect, Lavender and Mia are waiting for you by the fireplace!" she said.

Dean gasped upon seeing Willow. "You actually let them touch your hair, and put makeup on you?"

"Trust me, this is one of the only occasions that I'll relent, albeit unwillingly," Willow grumbled.

"You look stunning, nonetheless. Great choice in dress robes, by the way."

"Thanks," Willow said shyly.

After leading the boys to their "partners", Willow bounced over to Harry and Ron, making sure to lift their spirits after seeing how ghostly pale they were. Typical fourth-year boys, fretting over a silly dance with girls they'd known for several years. Parvati and Padma were very understanding! They didn't need a perfect night! Neville, unsurprisingly, was a basket case, too, considering he was going to dance with Ginny. Willow calmed him down as much as he could, but when he saw a drop-dead gorgeous Ginny walking down the stairs, he lost the colour in his face all over again.

All of a sudden, Angelina and Fred appeared out of the crowd, George and Lee in tow.

"Willow! There you are!"

"We've been looking for you for ages!"

"Wow, if I'd know you were this beautiful all fancied up, I would have asked you to the Yule Ball, too," Lee joked, shooting her a wink.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I hardly let Mia touch me."

"Yet the little bit she did made you even prettier!" Angelina insisted. "Take pride in your natural beauty, girl!"

Willow's face flushed again. "I'll work on that sometime. Where's Paige?"

"Still getting ready," Fred groaned. "She takes forever, that girl. Honestly, it's like she's trying to take her time."

"She said to just meet her outside the Great Hall," George informed Willow.

"Got it," Willow said, cursing the quaking in her voice.

The Gryffindors made a mass exodus from the common room. The sound of clicking heels and jubilant laughter followed in their wake. Willow was glad she found a pair of fancy shoes that weren't heels; she couldn't walk in those shoes to save her life, let alone dance in them. When they reached the Entrance Hall, they joined a throng of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Those with dates from other houses fought their way to one another. Willow's out-of-house friends found her almost immediately and nearly bowled her over in their excitement.

"You're so beautiful!" Lisa squealed.

"No, you!" Willow laughed.

"Oh my God, those dress robes are perfect for your frame!" Cypress said. "What did I tell you?"

"You were right!" Willow said. "You called it spot-on!" She grinned at all of her friends in turn. "You guys are literally the prettiest people in this entire school, hands-down."

It was true. Miranda had used his metamorphagus abilities to lengthen his hair and tie it back with a blue and bronze ribbon. The green glitter on Oliver's cheeks brought out his emerald-green eyes. Sue had braided her hair and tied it into a tight bun, and Lisa had curled her hair to frame her adorable face. Cypress was — well, Cypress was his usual handsome self, just with a bit more effort put into his appearance. Padma and Parvati wore brilliantly coloured dressed and fishtail braided the middle portions of their hair. And Sally and Sam were twinning, per usual, with similarly styled dress robes and matching yellow topaz bracelets. Everyone was smiling so brightly at one another Willow was surprised they didn't become their own light sources.

"Oh my God...Willow, turn around," Oliver whispered.

Willow whirled around only for her jaw to drop. For a moment, she feared she'd have a heart attack.

"You are the luckiest girl in the room," Sally breathed.

Paige was standing at the top of the marble staircase, beaming brilliantly at Willow and her friends. Her hair was tied back in an intricate partial braid, and her face was glowing with lightly applied foundation and mascara. Her lips were painted with vibrant lipstick that popped against her caramel skin. Her dress robes were bright red and v-cut in such a way that it was almost scandalous. The ultimate cherry on top was her shoes — high-heeled black boots whose straps criss-crossed all the way up to her knees. Willow swallowed thickly as Paige descended the stairs and stopped in front of her.

"What do you think?" Paige said.

"I'm struggling — to form — coherent thoughts," Willow stammered.

Paige let out a laugh, which only jolted Willow's heart harder. "I'll take that as gorgeous, then."

Willow still struggled to string together more than a few words as Paige drifted over to a few sixth-years to say hello. Fred, George, Lee, and Angelina approached the younger Gryffindor with raised brows.

"Is that — Is that really Paige? Are you sure that's not someone else?" Angelina gasped.

"That's our Paige, alright," Lee said. "Only she would dare to wear something that bold."

"You doing okay, Willow?" Fred asked.

"Oh God," Willow wheezed.

"Don't forget to breathe, Willow," George chuckled. "It's just Paige. You'll be alright. Just remember to be yourself, because the moment you try to impress her is the moment you'll lose her."

"...Got it."

The doors to the Great Hall were flung open. Students from all three schools filed inside, taking seats at the circular tables spread out among the vast space. Willow chose a table that could seat all of her friends, and Paige sat next to her, still appearing as a goddess fallen to Earth. The younger Gryffindor had to remind herself to keep breathing as her friends placed themselves all around her. To her surprise, Benigno and Yrsa sat across from her.

"What are you guys doing here?" Willow squeaked.

"We decided to go to the Ball together," Benigno said graciously, grinning at Yrsa.

"I've learned quite a bit about Beauxbatons, and I would love teach him about Durmstrang," Yrsa informed her.

"Wow, that's great!" Sue exclaimed. "That's what this Tournament is about, after all, isn't it? International cooperation and friendships!"

"Friendships indeed!" Yrsa said.

Willow suddenly found herself more relaxed. Paige's appearance no longer terrified her, and she was looking forward to the dance more than she had before. When Paige beamed at her, Willow was able to return the gesture without falling out of her chair.

Soon, the feast began, and Willow dug into some of the best food she'd ever tasted in her life. Lately, she'd been developing a taste for leafy greens, and the homemade caesar salad only reinforced her love. There was also magnificent beef stew, luxuriously glazed carrots, and, of course, lots and lots of rolls. Paige flicked her fork at Willow when she went to take her fourth piece.

"Don't mess up your appetite for dessert, pendejo."

Willow mocked an affronted expression. "Are you calling me fat?"

Paige cocked an eyebrow. "Do you want me too?"

"No gracias, culona."

"I don't need to speak Spanish to know what you just called me."

Willow grinned evilly. "I know."

Dessert came faster than they anticipated, and Willow helped herself to a little of everything. At one point, Cypress was laughing quietly about something Oliver said, Lisa was giggling at Miranda's inability to speak, and Dean and Seamus were making faces at one another from across the table. Willow shot a knowing smile at Sue and the Smith twins. The evening hadn't fallen apart yet for the couples. In fact, it was going quite well.

But the dance was just around the corner. Willow glanced up when the Weird Sisters walked on their makeshift stage. The Champions and their dates assembled on the dance floor. Willow's heart pounded in her ears. The moment was drawing near. In a few minutes, she'd get to dance with Paige for the first time. She couldn't dance to save her life! How was this supposed to work in her favor?

"Oh my God, that's Hermione!" Parvati shrieked.

Willow and the rest of her roommates gasped. No wonder Hermione kept her date a secret! Hermione was dancing with Viktor Krum, quite possibly the most sought-after date in the whole school. Willow admired the way Hermione had transformed and tamed her appearance to one of a mature, beautiful young woman. Her hair was straight and soft, her makeup was applied just so, and her dress — where to begin? She'd chosen one that perfectly framed her young body. Willow seen the clever girl pull off many impressive feats, but this one was by far the most impressive.

"I had no idea she cleaned up so well!" Lavender hissed.

"She could go into a career of modelling, with the way she looks right now!" Mia squealed.

"Oh no..." Sam groaned. "I'm going to deal with boy drama again. Look at Ron."

Willow searched the crowd for the typical shock of red hair, only to find him slouching in his chair nearby. Ron looked ready to spit venom at Hermione. Willow had seen Ron get angry before, but this was a whole other level of hurt. This was deeply personal.

"I wish those two would get together already," Sally sighed. "They've been dancing around one another for so long. I'm sick of watching them get angry at one another for not making the first move."

"Don't worry, we'll get them together eventually," Fay giggled. "No one escapes the Gryffindor Sisters' rules! Hermione has to date at least one person before she leaves Hogwarts!"

"Good luck with that. Ron's a stubborn arse when he wants to be," Sam groaned.

Seconds later, the Champions' dance ended, and it was time for the real dance to begin. The students rose from their tables and flooded the dance floor. Willow offered her hand to Paige, who took it immediately. They found a space far enough to the side that they wouldn't get jostled around by the crowd. The rest of Willow's friends followed suit, and the moment the music began, everyone started dancing.

The first song was so upbeat, it was impossible not to have fun. Willow and Paige joined the Weasley twins, Lee, and Angelina in their wild, crazy movements. They laughed until they had no air left to breathe. The second song was a little more mellow, and even though it wasn't anything close to a slow song, Willow jokingly slow-danced with Sue. Benigno and Yrsa took turns teaching them traditional dances from their home countries during the next two songs, then the moment of truth finally arrived. The music quieted. The beat slowed. Couples came together. Willow took a deep breath and approached Paige.

"May I have this dance?" Willow asked.

Paige beamed and nodded yes. Willow cursed her trembling limbs as she placed her hands on Paige's waist and the older girl put her hands on Willow's shoulders. They swayed to the music, closer than they'd ever been. Willow's heart skipped beats as she gazed into Paige's deep brown eyes. There was so much passion sparking within those beautiful irises that Willow almost melted into the floor.

"You don't have to be nervous," Paige whispered.

"I'm not. You're just impossibly beautiful, and my brain is struggling to comprehend what it's seeing," Willow smartly replied.

Paige reddened considerably. "Wow, it's only the first slow dance and you're somehow managing to make me blush."

Willow smirked. "I have a gift with words."

"Just shut up and dance," Paige chuckled.

Willow complied easily. She twirled Paige around, pulled her close, and swayed with her to the music. It felt surreal, being so close to the person she'd fancied for so long, sharing such a romantic moment with her. Willow captured every inch of Paige's face in her memory, storing it away just in case she woke up to find it all a dream, but even if it was a dream, Willow was happy to have it. Her heart was loving freely for the first time in years; it felt good to wear her heart on her sleeve. And if this was the only moment in time where she would ever feel entirely safe in her feelings, and wrapped in unconditional love, then she would still live happily ever after, because in a moment like this, where everything felt warm and fun and bright, it was hard to imagine life had ever been any different.

The song struck its final notes. The sound of the violin trailing off soothed Willow's ears like honey. She pulled Paige close, and the older girl raised her eyebrows at the embrace. Willow had never been this unafraid in her life; she was actually touching another human being of her own free will. She couldn't remember the last time she was this comfortable with human contact. Apparently, Paige couldn't either.

"That's the most genuine smile I've seen in a while," she remarked.

"This is the most genuinely happy I've felt in a while," Willow chuckled.

Paige grinned at her. "I'm glad I get to help you feel that way."

"Oh, it's not you, it's totally the occasion."

Paige scoffed. "Don't make me take off my boots and throw them at you."

"I'm tempted to now..." At a look from Paige, Willow dissolved into laughter. "Alright, alright, you win! Take all the credit. You deserve it anyway."

Satisfied, Paige skipped away to spend some time with the Weasley twins, Lee, and Angelina. Willow returned to the rest of her friends. She was sad to see that Sam was missing, and Sally was searching the crowd for him. The twins were really being secretive from one another lately. This was yet another example of their distancing relationship, but it wasn't beyond repair. Willow just hoped she'd find some answers and bring them together sooner rather than later.

As Sally slumped her shoulders and stomped off in Professor Moody's direction, Willow was seized by her Gryffindor Sisters and thrown into a frenzy of untamed dancing. Three upbeat songs in a row kept their blood pumping. A few Durmstrang boys eventually approached their group, and Lavender, Fay, and Mia excitedly agreed to dance with them. Willow watched with soaring spirits as her friends had the time of their lives.

Then a slow song ensued, and couples rearranged. Paige waved Willow off and had fun making a joke of the song with George and Lee. Willow turned to her friends with a giddy expression her face. It was time to encourage some couples after years of inching them in the right direction. She gave Cypress a withering look when he appeared to hesitate, and moments later, he was pair up with Oliver. Willow gave Miranda and Lisa a thumbs up as they danced together. Finally, she picked Dean and Seamus out of the crowd, who were standing and staring at one another like deer in the headlights. Willow rolled her eyes and shoved them into one another.

"Just do it already!" she hissed.

Dean and Seamus each reddened considerably, but at long last, they came together and placed their hands on each other. Willow practically glowed with pride. She hovered nearby with Sue and called their attention whenever necessary to correct something. Seamus was a terrible dancer, but he wasn't as bad at slow dancing, which was nearly impossible to mess up. When the boys finally got the hang of it, they caught each other's eyes, and they visibly relaxed, though still quite ruddy in the cheeks. Willow and her roommates silently cheered.

At one point during the slow dance, an unexpected couple caught Willow's eye. Her jaw dropped to see Neville dancing with Ginny. He was smiling confidently, and though he messed up every so often — the poor thing always had two left feet — he seemed to be enjoying himself, and even guiding Ginny along. The young redhead seemed very happy to dancing with such a good friend. Willow grinned to herself. It was nice to see Neville looking so much more comfortable with himself after spending half the year tripping over his feet whenever he saw a Beauxbatons or Durmstrang girl.

The song was heading into its final chorus. Willow turned back toward her friend group only to freeze. She was standing probably five meters from Oliver and Cypress, but she could feel their emotions through the pair of seventh years separating her from them. Both boys' faces were ablaze, but they'd never looked happier than they were now. Willow reached out with her senses to hear their soft exchange.

"...thought you'd never ask, you know," Oliver chuckled.

"Oh, I was planning to all along, but couldn't come up with a deserving situation to ask you," Cypress explained. "I couldn't just up and ask you to go on a date with me. That's too plain. You deserve the world and only the best it has to offer, so a simple asking-out doesn't fit the bill. I wanted to make a more grand event out of it, but unfortunately, that didn't happen when I finally tried. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Maybe that's how it's supposed to happen, though," Oliver whispered. "I don't need a grand, rich life. I just need family, friends, and you." He smiled shyly. "And my plants."

Cypress let out a soft laugh. "Man, and to think I was so close to being the only thing you need, only to be beaten out by a tree."

"It's not just any tree! Magical fauna is — "

"I'm messing with you, Oli," Cypress said.

Oliver blinked. "Did you just call me Oli?"

Cypress smirked. "Would you rather me call you something else? Because I've been trying to work out the best pet name for you forever, and nothing's come even close to being worthy of you."

"I like Oli a lot, but I'd rather you call me yours," Oliver said shyly.

Cypress froze with shock just as the last chord hit. He gazed at Oliver with so many endearing emotions that Willow could hardly keep herself from squealing. The boys were so close, their noses were practically touching. Cypress had never blushed this much in all the time Willow had known him. The sheer scope of the emotions the boys shared was almost daunting. The magnetism pulling them together was more powerful than gravity, more potent than the magnetic fields of the poles. It was positive and negative, lawful and chaotic, two ends of the same spectrum rushing toward one another at the speed of light, and nothing could stop them from coming together.

Cypress glanced at Oliver's lips. "Would it upset you if I — ?"

Oliver answered him before he even finished the question. He closed the gap between them, and Cypress's eyebrows shot up. Then the blonde kissed Oliver back, and the two were embracing each other so tightly Willow thought they would break a bone. The beauty of the moment took her breath away. They'd been resisting the pull for so long that now, after years of straining against it, their unification was more powerful than it ever could have been before. Willow's heart glowed with pride. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

"Hey, I don't want to see th — !" some fifth-year began.

Willow whacked him in the face with the back of her hand. "Shush. I've been waiting for this for four years. Take your unhappiness somewhere else and let me enjoy this."

The fifth year stood there for a moment, stunned, then sulked away. Willow clasped her hands together as Cypress stole one more soft kiss from Oliver.

"Wow. That was..." he trailed off.

"...about time," Oliver chortled.

Cypress grinned. "Yeah, you're right." He finally brushed his thumb across Oliver's cheek. "So does this mean you want to be my boyfriend, or do I have to ask you — ?"

"Yes, please, for the love of God, let me finally be your boyfriend," Oliver laughed.

Cypress beamed. "Boyfriends it is."

Willow couldn't help it. She let out a few joyful shouts and ran over to her brother, embracing him in a bone-crushing hug, then repeated the gesture with Cypress. The boys then endured cheers of congratulations from the rest of their friends, which managed to turn both of them a shade redder. Willow almost worried they'd burst a blood vessel. But she forgot about her worries as the rest of the songs lifted the mood to an all-time high, and they danced the night away. The collective happiness of the friend group could have lit up the whole world for a week.

Without warning, Willow was yanked away from her friends. She found herself incidentally dancing with another person along to the medium beat of a relaxed song. Willow rolled her eyes when she realized it was Draco.

"I thought you were busy making Pansy faint," she teased.

Draco grimaced. "God no. I've only just succeeded in ridding myself of her. She's so...clingy."

"Poor you. It must be so hard being Draco Malfoy, with beautiful girls hanging all over you wherever you go — "

"Wisp, let me forget about them for two seconds, please."

"Alright, alright, you're off the hook." Willow suddenly smirked at Draco. "How must this look, a pureblooded golden child such as yourself dancing with a blood traitor? I thought this was the opposite of what you're trying to do?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Like anyone's going to see us."

"It's your funeral."

"That's not funny."

Willow grinned. "Hey, at least you're a good dancer. George and Lee are downright nightmares. Where did you learn to dance, anyway? Etiquette school for pureblooded elites?"

"Yes, actually. It was the best time of my life," Draco said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He shook his head. "I learned from my Mum, Wisp. She refused to let me go this year unless I knew how to 'properly' dance."

"Speaking of her, any news?" Willow asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. That's why I grabbed you." Draco's eyes clouded. "The informant is in our year. I don't know who they are, but they're definitely our age."

Willow's heart missed a beat. "You must be joking. I would have thought Death Eaters waited to recruit their children until at least sixth year. A fourth year? That's a whole other level of messed up."

"I know. I wanted to tell you right away." Draco shot a glance at Willow, and she saw the conflict break through his carefully constructed expression. "You could be close to the person, Willow. Don't let your guard down. You can't trust anyone anymore, not even your friends."

Willow scoffed. "I'm a fairly good judge of character, you know."

"You never know, Wisp. Be careful."

He paused, as if he really wanted to say something, but to do so would hurt him so deeply that it would shatter his expression. Willow instantly knew what he was about to say. He was going to warn her that the Fawleys might come for her any time now, seeing as they were willing to recruit a fourteen-year-old to be their own spy. And his parents might ask him any time, too.

"We're closer to the danger than we thought, aren't we?" Willow whispered.

Draco nodded. "Just...be careful, will you? I'd hate to attend your funeral and have to deal with your crying friends."

Willow scoffed. "You'd be one of those crying friends."

"Yeah, no." Draco separated from her. "Enjoy the rest of the Yule Ball, Wisp. And congrats on managing a date."

Willow gaped at him. "How did you know about her?"

Draco smirked, but didn't say anything as he turned and walked away. Willow shook her head. Leave it to Draco to dig into my love life. Mierdita. She returned to her friends, who were staring at her as if she'd just returned from the dead. Seamus and Dean tried to pepper her with questions about her dance with the Slytherin Prince, but she waved them off and went back to dancing as if nothing unusual had just happened. They'd known her long enough that they should have known not to ask about her rocky friendship with Draco.

The Gryffindor Sisters had another take on it, however. Parvati and Fay insisted that Draco was trying to make a move on her. Willow couldn't stop laughing at the suggestion. It took several minutes for her to stop wheezing, but when she finally did, Lavender and Mia had joined the conversation, and now they were trying to convince her that Draco was after her. Willow was practically backed into a corner. She wanted to forget about Draco altogether at that moment; his warning was still burning its way through her mind, and it was making her uncomfortably paranoid amid the crowded environment. She just wanted to enjoy the rest of this once-in-a-lifetime night and worry about the looming prospect of Voldemort later.

Willow spotted her opportunity seconds later. Paige was taking a break on the edge of the dancefloor, sipping a small glass of butterbeer pensively. Willow approached her, taking an obvious look between her and the doorway to the garden nearby. She raised her arm and shot a questioning glance at Paige.

"May I?"

Paige grinned brightly. She got up and looped her arm through Willow's. "You may."

The girls walked out into the garden together, silently admiring the fairy lights. Thoughts of danger and the prophecy faded away. It was like they were walking through a dream, side-by-side, sharing this small moment of peace together. Willow glanced up at the clear night sky. Constellations smiled down upon them. The stars winked. Willow could hardly believe her luck. She'd danced with Paige, taken her to the Yule Ball as a date, and now they were here, walking in the garden together, alone with God and the creatures of the night as witnesses to their love.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

Willow found a flat stone for them to sit on. She held Paige's hand in her own, and they watched the distant Forbidden Forest in a contented silence. Eventually, Paige spoke.

"You've liked me for a while, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I just didn't realize it for a while," Willow admitted. "I kind of had to figure out that I was bi first."

"You are pretty dense when it comes to your emotions," Paige chuckled.

"Oh, shut it. We're all bad at something." Willow paused. "In all seriousness, though, why me? You could have had any other girl in the school. Why the emotionally ignorant mess with a prophecy trying to kill her loved ones?"

"Because there's so much more to you than that," Paige said. "Yes, you're a mess, and yeah, you're kind of an idiot, but you're real. You've always been grounded. And you're so damn empathetic, you'd give someone your life force if they needed it. You won't run from anything, either. If you've got a problem, you've learned to face it. Most people don't figure that out. You're an eclectic bunch of interests, too, like soccer and music and writing, and you're somehow good at all of them. You're incredibly smart — smarter than Fred, George, Lee and I combined, actually — and I don't know if I've told you this enough, but damn are you hot. And your sarcasm? On point."

Willow let out a laugh. "Wow. That's a lot. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Paige said, glancing at Willow's lips.

Willow's heart skipped a beat. She let her gaze linger on Paige's mouth for a moment. The older girl shot her a questioning look. Then Willow closed the space between them, connecting her lips with Paige's. The older girl jolted in shock, then leaned into Willow, following her lead. Willow wrapped her arms around Paige, holding her close. Electricity alighted her entire body. She'd kissed Paige before, but this time was different. This time it wasn't a dare.

Paige pulled back for a moment, her cheeks hot, raising her eyebrows at the younger girl, but Willow rolled her eyes and brought their lips together again. She had never realized how much she wanted to kiss Paige. Her heart beat so fast. Willow didn't want to go too far, but she'd waited so long, and it felt good.

Willow ran her hands through Paige's hair. The older girl sighed. Willow instinctively brought Paige onto her lap, letting her hands explore the older girl's body. She roamed her back muscles, touched her exposed shoulders, trailed her fingers down her chest. Paige moved with her. Willow brushed her stomach, framed her hips, and gripped her thighs, all much to the older girl's delight. Paige disconnected their mouths only for a moment to moan slightly.

Then their lips crashed together again, and Willow roughly kissed the older girl. Paige was gripping Willow's back, almost digging her fingernails into her skin. Willow traced the older girl's abs, then her muscly legs, and finally her hips once more. Paige was practically beside herself now. Willow kissed her once more, then they finally rested their foreheads together, leaning gently against one another. Paige's breath tickled Willow's skin.

"Did we really just do that?" she whispered.

"I think so," Willow said.

Paige let out a chuckle. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that, have you?"

"I know now." Willow glanced at the older Gryffindor. "I'm assuming we're girlfriends now?"

"As long as you keep kissing me like that, I don't care what our label is," Paige said.

Willow's stomach jolted. She could hardly believe it. That was her first real kiss. This was her first real relationship. And it was Paige. She never could have dreamed of this moment, never in her entire childhood.

It was better than a dream.