I am posting early because I will be busy tomorrow celebrating my birthday! This chapter is insanely long, probably my longest chapter, but it just didn't seem right to split it up. Hope you enjoy it, and please review below!
Elizabeth stood still. Had Neville just asked her on a date? If he had, should she accept? Her mind was racing, and Neville was waiting.
"Um, are you asking me as a friend or…." she trailed off when Neville nodded.
"Whichever you want. I just know you won't be able to go otherwise, and I'd rather go with someone I know I can talk to, you know, instead of a random girl." Neville said.
Elizabeth nodded, she could understand that. But, there was still another factor to consider.
"Can you give me some time to ask my mum? She's just very particular about boys, and I know she'd want to know who I'm going with." Elizabeth asked him.
Neville agreed.
"Thanks. I know it's probably odd, but you know how good she is with transfiguring things. I'd hate to see you as a pot plant." Elizabeth said. They both laughed and were instantly shushed by the librarian.
Elizabeth excused herself from Neville and went back to her table to collect her things.
"So?" Ginny asked.
Elizabeth smiled. "He's asked me to the Yule Ball!" She said excitedly, though quietly.
Ginny squealed, and Luna applauded.
"I don't know if I can go with him or not yet. I have to ask my mum." Elizabeth told them.
"Well go then!" Ginny said.
"Steer clear of the mistletoe!" Luna reminded.
Elizabeth walked through the corridors, avoiding mistletoe, hoping her mum was in their quarters. She hurriedly unlocked the door and rushed in.
"Mum! Are you here?" she called.
"Yes!" a high-pitched voice replied. Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth yelled, "I know it's you, Malcolm!"
"What gave it away?" Her adoptive uncle said as he entered the living room.
"Everything." Elizabeth said.
"Well, Miss Know-It-All, what do you need my sister for?" Malcolm asked.
Elizabeth hesitated. Was Malcolm the best person to tell things like this to? He was a bit unpredictable. Who knows what he'd do with this information. He could keep it to himself, or shout it in a pub tomorrow night.
"C'mon Lissy. You can tell me anything." Malcolm coaxed.
And just like that, the door to their quarters opened, and in walked Minerva.
"Darn it!" Malcolm said.
Minerva raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"Lissy here was about to tell me her secret! Now you've walked in and ruined everything!" Malcolm said.
"It's not a secret!" Elizabeth said, raising her voice a little to be heard over her dramatic uncle.
"Whatever it is, Elizabeth, if you would like to speak with me about it, you are welcome to see me in my study." Minerva interrupted their bickering.
"Thank you." Elizabeth accepted.
"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Minerva asked once they were alone.
"I've been asked to the Yule Ball." Elizabeth told her, excitement rising in her voice. The prospect of going to the Ball was filling her with joy she couldn't help but let out.
Minerva looked a tad surprised. "Who asked you?" she asked.
"Neville. Neville Longbottom." Elizabeth said.
Minerva looked pleased.
"So, can I say yes?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, you may. But, promise me you will speak with him about the nature of you and him attending the Ball together. He may be on a different page than you, and I'd hate for you to go thinking he sees you in a way he may not." Minerva told her.
"I promise." Elizabeth replied. On the surface, her mum's instructions may seem pessimistic, but Elizabeth understood that she only wanted to help her. Her own experiences with romance, while lovely at the time, had ended with her getting hurt. Minerva only wanted to protect Elizabeth from heartbreak.
Elizabeth left and went to find Neville. She checked the common room, but he wasn't there. (An embarrassed Ron was, though. He had just asked out Fleur Delacour, it hadn't gone well.)
She checked the library and Great Hall, but he wasn't there either. Where would he have gone? She shuddered to think of looking in the boy's bathrooms. They didn't have Moaning Myrtle, but she would never step foot in them, not if she could help it.
She huffed in frustration. What if he had asked another girl because he thought her asking her mum was her way of turning him down nicely? Oh. then she'd look like a horrible friend! It wasn't like she liked him that way, but she had really wanted to go to the Ball! It would have been like the ones she had gone to as a child. Ball gowns and suits, twinkling lights, flowers across the arches of the walls…
Wait! Flowers! Neville loved Herbology! He could be in the greenhouses!
Grinning in relief, she walked through the castle and out into the courtyard. It was twilight, nearly nightfall, but she still had enough time to check before curfew. She briskly walked to the greenhouses, and she saw two figures in Greenhouse Three. She went to the door, which was ajar.
"I just feel like an idiot." She heard Neville say.
"Oh, you're no idiot. Knowing Minerva, she would set that rule in place for Elizabeth. In our school days, she thought any male that wasn't a professor was an immature pig. I suspect she has only a few acceptable boys for Elizabeth to be with. And, it's not like her to lie like that, isn't it? You're friends, if she was a decent friend, she'd tell you straight out if she wasn't interested." Pomona Sprout reply.
"She is a decent friend. More than decent. But what if I'm not good enough?" Neville asked. Elizabeth chose this as the time to step in and take the poor boy out of his misery.
"I happen to think you're more than good enough. And my mum agrees."
Both student and professor turned. Pomona grinned, and Neville looked to be in shock.
"Well, that's my cue to leave. Don't touch the Mandrakes!" Pomona instructed as she left.
When she was gone, Neville looked even more shocked, with a dash of nervousness. More than a dash, actually.
"So?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh! Erm, so she said yes? To us going together? To the Ball?" Neville sputtered.
"Yes. She agreed to let me go. So, if you're still interested, I'd like to go with you." Elizabeth said.
Neville nodded. "That'd be nice. I'd-I'd like to go with you. I'm glad I get to go with a friend."
Elizabeth smiled. No what-page-are-we-on talk. They were going as friends, just like she wanted, and what he wanted. Perfect.
A few weeks later, including lessons, sketching, visits to Helena, tutoring with Minerva, and hanging out with friends, Christmas break had arrived. As had several feet of snow to the Hogwarts grounds.
So, a lot of the break was spent outside, having snowball fights between years, houses, and even schools. Luna had the uncanny ability to make perfect snowballs, which were perfect for using against snarky Slytherins, or a sadistic Fred and George. Both Ginny and Elizabeth had great hand-eye coordination, which made for a quite deadly team for snow wars. They'd powerfully charm the snowballs to hit their targets, and almost every time they did.
"Take that, you oaf!" Ginny yelled as she hocked a snowball at Malfoy as he passed by them in the courtyard. It smacked his robes, spraying snow all over him.
"What did you just do to me, Weasley?!" Draco yelled, his face flushing with anger.
"She threw a snowball at you. I thought it was obvious, but perhaps not." Luna said dreamily as she sculpted snow into a cube on the ground.
Draco rolled his eyes and waved his wand. He muttered something, but Elizabeth was too far away to hear. Suddenly, an army of snowballs was flying towards them. He cackled as the girls hastily cast spells to protect themselves from the bombardment. Luckily, they were able to cast shield charms, which only angered him further.
When not in the winter surrounding the school, Elizabeth sought out warm places to sketch the snowy landscape. She'd curl away on a chair in the common room, or snuggle up by the fire in Minerva's quarters.
There were even times when she'd use hand magic to make herself invisible, and sneak out at night with a blanket to sketch in the Astronomy Tower. It was a special place to her, one where she could remember her roots. Where most of the school had changed, this part had stayed the same. It reflected what it taught, the stars did not change, and neither did the Astronomy Tower. It was here that Elizabeth could truly feel connected to her parents and brother, for looking out into the night sky, she could feel her place in the universe, and though she did not know what came after death, she knew that her deceased loved ones were still somewhere inside it. They were not truly gone, just in a place, she could not reach yet.
During these escapades to draw by moonlight, Elizabeth carefully crafted a portrait of her mother, father, and brother. She drew each face carefully, and delicately added on their most prominent features. Her mother's kind and loving eyes, Augustus's excited smile, and her father's courageous, determined face, looking as if he were off to do the next great deed to his name. The colors blurred together, and when one face ended the other instantly began, creating an image of beauty. It was a work of love, one that showed the neverendingness of her family. They may be separated by space, and even time, but their love for each other was eternal.
Carefully, Elizabeth shrunk the image, and fashioned it to the right size, enough to fit inside the locket Archibald had given her over the summer. She had been delighted to discover that the locket contained three separate spaces for pictures, instead of two. It was enough for her to fill.
Next, Elizabeth set to drawing Minerva, Malcolm, Remus, and Dumbledore. All of them were adults that had looked out for her so much and cared for her when many others doubted her. Minerva's knowing look, Malcolm's goofy grin, Remus's encouraging face, and Dumbledore's twinkling, wise eyes were the most important to capture correctly to Elizabeth. Again, she could only fit faces, but that was enough for her. People changed clothes every day, but their faces were more permanent. After she completed that, she did the same to the picture as she had to the first. It fit perfectly in the second space.
The final space was left for her friends. Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Harry, and Neville. Five people was ambitious and required much more time than the others, but it was worth it. Finally, it was complete. She delicately added it to the surprise third space and smiled when she saw the finished creation.
It was beautiful.
Christmas came quickly. Elizabeth once again stayed in the McGonagall quarters, and Malcolm once again tried to be Father Christmas. He had taken it up a notch by positioning his face over hers, and shouting, "HAPPY CHRISTMAS, ELIZABETH!"
Out of panic and surprise, she accidentally punched him in the nose. Minerva healed the bones after lightly scolding Elizabeth.
She exchanged gifts with her mum and uncle, and Malcolm announced that he would be unable to attend the Ball tonight, (Dumbledore invited him since he and Minerva were quite close, and he hadn't wanted her brother to be alone on Christmas) because he was put on a last-minute shift for his Auror job.
"Just because I'll be away at work, you better tell me every detail about your night! If that Neal boy-"
"Neville." Elizabeth corrected.
"Whatever. If Ned does anything to you, you tell me, and I will turn him into a toothpick. I can give you that in writing." Malcolm swore to Elizabeth.
"You're a grown man." Elizabeth reminded.
"So?" Malcolm asked. He burst into laughter, making Elizabeth and Minerva laugh as well.
Last year, barely any students stayed at Hogwarts for the winter holidays, but now it seemed that every fourth year and up were staying, and the Great Hall was filled with people. Elizabeth looked for Ginny and found her chatting with Luna at the Gryffindor table. Since the girls were in separate houses, they usually sat back to back during meal times, in order to talk to each other easily. But that clearly wouldn't be necessary today.
"Luna's with us today, Ravenclaw or not. No one should be alone on Christmas." Ginny said as Elizabeth sat down.
"Agreed." She replied.
"So, are you ready for tonight?" Elizabeth asked Ginny and Luna.
"Oh, yes. I didn't think I would go to the Yule Ball. It was very kind of Harry to ask me." Luna said as she ate a bite of pudding. (there was hardly a meal when she didn't eat pudding, well, except for Mondays, obviously.)
"It was kind of him." Ginny said, looking down at the table. Elizabeth knew how hard Ginny had tried to get over Harry and move on, but there was still a small part of her that wished Harry had asked her instead of Luna. She'd even cried a little about it late one night and swore Elizabeth to secrecy. Of course, there wasn't anything romantic between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, Elizabeth had just had enough of Harry being afraid of asking someone and set him up with Luna. She would have chosen Ginny, but she already had a date.
"How are things with Micheal?" she asked.
"Fine, I suppose. A bit weird, considering I don't know too much about him, but he's nice. We talked about Quidditch for a while a few days ago. It's still a bit funny that I had to ask Ron who Micheal Corner was since he's in his year and all." Ginny responded.
Hermione had sat down at that point and was eager to join in on the conversation. "Oh, Micheal is excellent in lessons, he's one of the most brilliant Ravenclaws in his year. He was one of the few people to master the Summoning Spell on the first day Flitwick taught it."
"Well, at least he's no idiot. I couldn't stand going to the Ball with one of Draco's dunderheads." Ginny remarked, gesturing to Crabbe and Goyle. They all laughed.
"So Hermione, are you ready to dance tonight with Kivrot Murk?" Luna asked when they were done laughing. Kivrot Murk was an anagram of Viktor Krum, Hermione's date. She wanted to keep it a secret from Harry and Ron, and the rest of the school, but she had allowed her girlfriends to know who she was going with since they all had told her their dates. Luna had been the one to fashion the name so that they could talk about it whenever they liked without anyone else figuring it out.
"Indubitably. I'm really quite excited about it, he's been such a gentleman. A little shy, but honestly I quite like it. When he does talk, he makes it count. Not many boys do that." Hermione said while smiling. Considering only she and Ginny were actually attending the Ball with a romantic date, rather than a platonic one, she seemed to be looking forward to it enough to cover all four girls.
After the lovely Christmas luncheon, Elizabeth spent her afternoon outside, enjoying the snow. There was a massive snowball fight, during which she accidentally nailed Harry in the face with one, and he in return had 'accidentally' spelled snow to go down her back, she had to go inside to get ready.
Minerva had given her permission to invite her friends over to get dressed and do hair in their quarters, so they wouldn't all have to crowd around the dormitory mirrors. So, Elizabeth, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny all brought their dresses and everything else they needed to get ready to the McGonagall quarters.
"Hello, girls! Liana, Hazel, Gelsey, always a pleasure!" Malcolm said as they entered, once again getting their names wrong. It was a never-ending joke of his. Whether or not it was funny was debatable.
They chorused hellos back, and Elizabeth shooed him out so he could go to work, and they could get ready in peace.
"Could someone please help me?" Hermione called from the bathroom. She had been attempting to tame her bushy locks of hair for the past hour, with mixed success.
"Sure!" Elizabeth said. She walked into the bathroom and found her friend brushing her hair and applying hairspray to it, making it only fluffier.
"I've never minded bushy hair before, but I don't want to go to the Ball like this." Hermione remarked as Elizabeth combed through her hair with a wetted comb.
"Don't worry, you'll look stunning when we're finished." Elizabeth reassured. She helped Hermione until she said she could do the rest on her own. Elizabeth went to do her own hair.
Luckily, the blue had finally washed away and left her hair the dark brown color she was used to. Her hair had grown a lot over the past year and now reached below her waist. She brushed it, and was thankful to have curly hair, it made styling it easier.
She ended up doing a braid crown, with Ginny's help. It looked very elegant, which reminded her of what her mother would wear on Ball nights. Ginny curled her hair as well and styled it to fall over her right shoulder, making her look quite mature. Luna left her hair as it always was, except for arranging some to be braided on top of her head as if she were wearing a headband. When Hermione was complete, her hair fell in a curly, swishy, small ponytail. It had taken her two hours to do, but she loved how it turned out.
"Time for dresses. I hope the one my mum sent is good. Ron's dress robes were horrid." Ginny said. Mrs. Weasley had sent her a parcel containing one of her dresses, and a note explaining that the dress was enchanted to fit whoever it wore.
"I'm sure you'll look lovely." Elizabeth said. And she was right. Ginny had received a dress that was a faded gold, which complimented her fiery red hair splendidly.
Luna had also had her father send her a dress, and was pleased with what she had gotten. Xenophillius Lovegood had gone shopping for his daughter and had sent an emerald green ball gown, which completely covered Luna's feet, and required everyone else to give her some extra room, because of the size of the skirt. Elizabeth was sure no one else would be wearing ball gowns, dresses sure, but a ball gown would definitely make her stick out. Not that that had ever affected Luna.
Hermione wore a light pink chiffon dress, which made her appearance the most striking out of the lot. Her hairstyle and recent tooth reduction made her look like a completely new girl.
Minerva had gotten Elizabeth her dress as a Christmas gift. It was a deep scarlet color, the same color as the Gryffindor red. There were small swirls of gold across the dress, which extended past her knees but not to her feet. The fabric was made suitable for twirling, which Elizabeth liked very much. Elizabeth felt like how she did on Ball nights. Even if she wasn't allowed to stay for the whole night, she still would dress up.
"We all look very beautiful." Luna said. All four girls smiled, believing the kind Ravenclaw's words.
Elizabeth was looking for Neville in the crowd of people searching for their dates. She caught many eyes, some looking surprised that she had managed to get a date. She brushed them off in her pursuit.
"Hi." She heard Neville say from behind her. She jumped and turned around in surprise.
"Don't startle me like that!" she said, giggling a little. "You look quite dapper this evening." She continued when she saw how Neville had dressed for the event. His dress robes were a dark blue, completing his hair color and eyes. The robes were pressed and looked brand new. He looked the part of the dapper gentleman very nicely.
"Tha-thank you. You look really great too. How did you get your hair like that?" Neville asked.
Elizabeth smiled. "I had help. It took a while, though." she said.
"It paid off. You really do look great."
She blushed at the compliment.
The Champions and their dates were to be the first to dance, and then after the dance was complete, others could join. People gasped when they saw who Viktor had brought, and who Harry had brought. Elizabeth only smiled and watched as they began to dance.
Cedric and Cho looked like they were having a great time, never taking their eyes off each other as they danced. Fleur and Roger Davies danced beautifully, Fleur taking the lead as Roger kept staring at her. Viktor and Hermione both looked enchanting, and Krum was gentle as he twirled Hermione, which Elizabeth thought must have taken some effort considering the height difference. Luna and Harry were the best pair to watch, however. Harry looked uncomfortable with all the attention, while Luna merely closed her eyes and drifted about Harry's lead, thoroughly enjoying being able to dance.
After that, every couple was invited to dance. Neville turned to Elizabeth.
"So, do you…." he trailed off, his nerves very obvious.
Elizabeth smiled, hoping to set him at ease. "I'd love to."
He took her hand. And they walked out to the dance floor. The music started up again, and they began to dance. Neville very lightly put his hand on Elizabeth's waist, and his other hand on her left shoulder. She put her hand on his shoulder and left one hand free. As the music played, they started to move. Neville was careful, and at first, they moved quite slowly. Elizabeth looked around at all the twinkling lights, and decorations. The Yule Ball was beautiful.
"You're really good at this." Neville said quietly.
"Thank you. I've had a lot of practice." she replied.
"Did, did you learn when you were younger? Like, when your parents were around?" Neville asked.
She nodded. "I would practice with my father, we'd dance by the fireplace, and once my brother was old enough, we would dance together, usually at the Season Balls the school would have." Elizabeth explained.
"Season Balls?" Neville asked. She went on to explain the concept.
"Your childhood, it sounds wonderful. You don't really talk about it, but when you do, you only ever say good things. It's nice." he said when she was finished.
Elizabeth thought about what he said. There were aspects of her childhood, ones she had never talked about, that were very dark. But now wasn't the time for that.
"It was wonderful. Since I don't talk about it, would you like to ask anything?" She asked Neville.
He looked nervous. "Are you sure?" though he did not say it, he knew that it would be painful for Elizabeth to think about, and he did not want to bring her pain, especially when she was so happy being at the Yule Ball.
"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?" She inquired.
Neville smiled. "Alright, if you want, could you tell me about Herbology back then? What did you have?"
Elizabeth giggled. "I knew you'd ask something like that. It was different, I didn't know many of the plants that I do now. But we knew a fair amount. Rowena and Helga loved the study of Herbology. Well, Rowena loved studying anything…"
They danced for a little while longer. Neville stepped on her feet a few times and apologized ceaselessly, but she told him it was fine. He said dancing with her was easier since she was so good at it. Then, Dumbledore announced that the feast would be starting momentarily.
"We should find a table, then." Neville said. She agreed.
They sat down with Ginny and Michael, Luna and Harry, Hermione and Viktor, and Ron and Parvati Patil. Luna was in a glorious mood, and complimented Harry on his dancing, saying that the part where he nearly dropped her during the dip was very exciting and creative. Harry smiled awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the mention of nearly dropping his date.
The feast was wonderful, though Ron wasn't exactly happy that Hermione had kept her date a secret from him. Elizabeth whispered to Neville if he wanted to dance again, as a way to escape the tension. He agreed.
There was no slow dancing, this time. The music was faster, and the dancing was more relaxed. Neville still looked nervous, especially after Draco made a passing comment about him taking 'the Freak' to the ball, but Elizabeth told him to shake it off.
"Who cares what he says? He's a prat, and you shouldn't let him ruin your good time." Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm worth twelve of him." Neville agreed. Elizabeth giggled.
"What?" Neville asked.
"It's funny, seeing you cocky. But I like that you have more confidence. It's good for you." Elizabeth said.
"Thank you, I think." Neville replied.
After a little while, they stopped dancing to get some punch and cool off.
"Can I ask you something?" Neville asked as they stood off to the side of the dance floor.
"Well, you just did, but I'll allow another question." Elizabeth said.
"It's just, well, you and Ginny are such amazing friends, and you made friends with her on the train to school here last year. How'd you make a friend so fast? It took me weeks during my first year." Neville asked.
Elizabeth had to ponder it for a moment.
"Well, we met on the train, sort of by chance. It was a bit awkward at first, but it got easier once we started talking. I think we were what the other needed. Everyone knows what happened to Ginny two years ago, and last year it was so hard for her to escape that. Girls in our year wouldn't let her forget it. So I think meeting someone who didn't know her, or what she had done was refreshing. It gave her a fresh start. She could just be herself around me, and I wouldn't judge her for what she did. And for me, well, I needed a friend who wouldn't care about who I'm related to, who would want to be my friend for me, not my last name." Elizabeth explained.
"We both wanted and needed the same kind of friend. Someone who would see past what we're known for, and be friends with us for us. I think that's why we bonded so quickly, once we realized what we had in common." She finished.
There was silence.
"Wow." Neville said. "That sounds like you two are meant to be friends. I only asked because, well, making friends for me is a bit difficult, and you seem to do it so easily." Neville told her.
"I only make friends easily with a select few. And lucky for you, you're one of the few people. I like that we're friends, Neville. You've been a really good one, and I know you'll make more." Elizabeth said.
Neville smiled. "Thanks, Elizabeth."
"Anytime, Neville."
Since there weren't any responses to this question last time, I'm going to reuse it. Favorit ship and why?