Even if that's not really done on purpose, to celebrate the "19 years later" in Harry Potter that is today... here's a little re-do of The Bet, Hogwarts-stylez :)

(I've just gotten an AO3 account so I don't know if I'll still post my B99 fics here, but you can find me there under the same pen name if you want, or on Tumblr at b99peraltiago!)

"That's all right, Miss Santiago. +10 points for Ravenclaw!"

Amy is wearing a huge grin on her face at her professor's statement when she turns in her chair to look at the person sitting right behind her – her friend from another house, Jake Peralta. She's got a piece of paper in her hands that she doesn't wait to show him proudly.

And, as they're both staring at it, a magical spell the girl casted upon it almost one year ago starts making the Peralta: 69 / Santiago: 67 already written on it suddenly change into a Peralta: 69 / Santiago: 77 without her having to do anything about it more than just look as the changes happen.

"So, Peralta," she can't help but tease him, literally glowing. "Who's winning now, huh?"

"I believe I am," he answers with a smug smile, rather confident as he raises his hand. She frowns, confused – this is clearly not the kind of reaction she's been expecting from him.

But, as she turns back to face their Potions Master and Head of Hufflepuff House, the one and only Professor Terrence Jeffords, and sees him with a little vial in his hand, she's quick to understand with wild horror what's happening here: she's been so lost in her victory she didn't even hear him ask the question he obviously asked – what is this thing he's holding in front of his classroom?

"Yes, Mister Peralta?" the professor questions his student, to most of Amy's annoyance.

"This, Mister Jeffords," Jake begins to recite in his most serious voice, trying not to show too much he's beaming while he speaks (but quite failing at it), "is, I believe, called veritaserum. It's a very dangerous potion. Only three drops of it are enough to make you reveal your darkest secrets to everyone. For example, give it to Santiago, and she'll tell you that during fourth year, she bought our new Headmaster gifts for Christmas before learning he doesn't accept any present at all and she had to turn them all back…"

Of course he had to add this last comment. Of course he had to turn his explanation into a joke – a joke that concerned her, because it wouldn't be funny, otherwise. That's typical of Jake.

She's used to it by now, after spending almost seven years by his side in this wizardry school.

And though it infuriates her a little, that he would give away her secrets like that, making everyone stare at her, laugh at her, it's not the worst part of it all. No, the worst part is what follows, when the Head of Hufflepuff House answers to that, seeming amazed by his actual knowledge of the thing, and the immediate impact it has on the scores on her piece of paper.

"I must admit, you impress me those days, Peralta. That's exactly it. +15 points for Gryffindor!"

Peralta: 84 / Santiago: 77.

She groans looking at it. Finally this bet was maybe a terrible idea, she thinks.

At the beginning of the academic year, when Jake came to her with this plan of making their last year at Hogwarts more challenging by betting on whom of the two students would bring the more points to their respective house throughout the year, she was sure it would be easy to beat him.

She was one of the brightest – if not the brightest – students of the school, after all, and the boy was better known to make his house actually lose points more than win some, with his childish behaviour that often led to dire consequences. That's why she was fast to agree on going to the Summer Ball with him if he wins their competition – a tradition their new Headmaster, Raymond Holt, came up with two years prior when he took their last Headmaster's place after he retired.

If she wins, however, he has to give her his beloved Quidditch broomstick, the most precious object he owns, with which he's won his first match ever against Slytherin, and a lot more after that (and, according to his best friend Charles, the #1 reason behind his chances with girls).

But now that the end of their bet is sooner to come than ever – they have a few hours left, and only two more classes they won't even spend together but with students of the two other houses before their last last day of studying is over – and that Jake is currently winning again, she doesn't feel that confident anymore. For the first time since they shook hands all those months ago to seal it, she has to consider the fact that maybe, she won't be the one winning that bet.

And it literally kills her on the inside.

It's not that she feels that disgusted about going on a date with Jake – yes, he's incapable of acting serious for more than five minutes and yes, he always finds a way to mock her, but he's also her friend – one of her best friends, she would dare say – and fun and she knows that no matter what he comes up with to ridicule her on the "worst date ever" as he called it she will actually have a good time if he does win their bet –, and it's not that she desperately needs his broomstick either (hers is better anyway, and despite what she can tell him, she has no plan to burn it just to piss him off if she wins their bet) but it's just that she's a really competitive witch, who doesn't like to loose anything, especially if it's against this guy because she has to admit it… he's her best opponent and has already beaten her several times throughout their years at Hogwarts.

She doesn't let all those emotions take over her mind though, and does her best to answer every new question their professor asks, not letting herself being distracted again until the end of their last shared course. Scores are tight when finally they leave the room and she gives her paper to one of the Gryffindor girls that also happens to be a shared friend of theirs, Rosa Diaz, so that they can't look at it until they're reunited again to keep the suspense complete for them both, but she's winning again by three points when they part to join their following classes.

"Good luck, Peralta," she tells him, her victorious grin back on her face. "I believe you'll need it."

"May the best wizard – that is, me –, win!" he tops, same look on his features.

They shake hands, not leaving the other's gaze in challenge, then eventually part ways.

It's only a few hours later, when all students of the school are gathering around in the Great Hall of the building for the End-of-Term Feast that is to reveal which of the four houses is the winner of the House Cup this year that they meet again. They exchange a quick glare full of confidence, both sure they're the one who won their bet after all the efforts they put in those last hours of classes without the other, but don't say anything. They only head towards their respective tables.

When everyone is finally seated and ready to listen, Raymond Holt starts the ceremony by standing up and making all students go quiet at once by just clicking his fork against his glass. "It won't be a surprise to anyone," he begins his speech in a monotonous tone that is characteristic of his when not a noise can be heard anymore, "but today was your last day of school before you all go back home for the summer break after tomorrow's Summer Ball."

He's interrupted by a voice echoing between the walls of the big room. "What, already?!"

All eyes suddenly turn from their Headmaster to the assembly to see who could have made such a stupid comment. No one's really surprised when they spot one of the Slytherin boys and oldest students in the school, Norm Scully, wearing a confused look on his face. He doesn't really seem to bother being judged by all those pairs of orbs, though – simply goes back to eating whatever is in his plate that he didn't wait for the others to fill and start dinner without them.

"How come I have been sorted in the same house as this guy?" another green and silver girl sitting not that far away from him, Gina Linetti, complains with a desperate sigh and rolling eyes. "I don't want to be associated with that kind of person anymore, I'm way better than that. But I suppose I'm too good for any house anyway."

"Any other comment someone would like to share with us?" Holt says with irony, exasperated by what he's hearing right now.

"Actually, yes," Jake takes the floor, and the older wizard really should have seen that coming from him. "When comes the moment you say you're proud of me not having caused any sort of chaos in the castle this year?" He's grinning, and everyone around him starts laughing.

"No chaos, huh? Shall I remind you of the Phoenix Incident in front of everyone, Mister Peralta?"

He needs to add no more to make him go quiet and lose his smug smile.

"That's what I thought," he goes on, only the tiniest hint of a rictus making his mouth go upwards. "So, what I was trying to say is that it's now time to reward the house that stood out from the others this year, to see if Hufflepuff will keep their title or will be beaten by another house…"

He pauses, making a sign with his head to the Prefect of the Hufflepuff House to come and hand him the famous House Cup while everyone watch them do in religious silence, eager to know who this year's winner will be. Jake and Amy finally allow themselves to look at each other, which they haven't done from the beginning of the ceremony – this is it, the moment of truth.

They decided, earlier this term, to make things even more interesting, that if one of their two houses won the House Cup, they could add a +10 points to their own scores as a bonus – an advantage that could change the final results entirely, making the apparent winner finally lose.

"I won't make you wait any longer," Hogwart's Headmaster soon reveals, "with a score of 1054 points collected throughout the year, Ravenclaw is the new winner of the House Cup this time! Congratulations, you deserve it, and I'm not telling you that because I come from the Ravenclaw House myself."

"YES!"

There are cheers from the table full of blue and brown students, but the one you can hear most is probable from Amy, who can't seem to stop screaming (and dancing) her happiness, clapping all of her friends' hands before looking away towards the Gryffindor's table in search of someone in the crowd, a few meters from her. She's glowing when she finds his gaze, a taunting grin upon her face never leaving her features as she stares at him – there's no way in the wizard world he did better than her now that she's been granted ten more points thanks to her house's win of the cup.

He knows that as much as she does, given how disappointed he looks back at her. Not only did his house not win, but he also lost his bet against Amy. He doesn't know what saddens him the most.

He doesn't know if it's the fact that he actually lost… or that he won't go to the ball with her, now.

"I'd like to personally ask Miss Amy Santiago to come collect her house's prize," Holt speaks again when the students' euphoria has finally calmed down a bit and he can make himself heard again. "As a Prefect of the House first, but also as someone who, all by herself, collected no more than 93 points for Ravenclaw – and no more than 35 only today, which makes her the second best student of the school."

"Second best?!" she suddenly stops smiling, fear coursing through her veins as she lets the words bitterly slip out of her mouth. She tries to stay calm, though, not to jump on conclusions too quickly – okay, maybe Jake beat her by a few points. That's a possibility. But what isn't possible is that he collected more than 103 all by himself. She's still the winner of their bet… isn't she?!

"Yes, Miss Santiago," the older man is soon to give her the answer she seeks. "That was a surprise for me too, to discover that for his last year by our sides, Mister Peralta was actually able to collect no more than 104 points all by himself for Gryffindor. I might not be proud of you 'not making any chaos in the castle' but this I am truly proud of."

This time, it's what makes him the happiest that Jake doesn't know – the fact that he won their bet, or that Holt is actually proud of him. But he does know this day is turning great, though.

On the other side, his opponent is still not moving. One point. He beat her by one point only – well, actually eleven, since the ten more she's been granted are just a bonus. But still.

She was that close to winning, that close to count this day as the best of her life because of all the great things her mentor said about her, but now that she's looking around and seeing her friend grinning back at her and dancing and coming to her, she has to admit all this isn't just a bad dream.

It's true. He won the bet – not her.

Suddenly having her house being awarded House of the Year isn't that great anymore.

Not when Jake is now by her side, and bends on one knee, all the attention gathered around them.

With a flick of his wrist, wand in hand, he makes confettis fall all around them as he asks her, a little box containing an apparent cheap ring handed to her, "Amy Santiago, you've made me the happiest wizard in the wizardry world. Would you go on the worst date with me at the Summer Ball tomorrow? You have to say 'yes'."

She sighs, defeated, and has no other choice than answer what he wants her to.

"Yes."

There is even more cheers than when the winner of the House Cup was announced.

Only Amy's isn't one of them, this time.

When she enters the Great Hall again the following evening with Jake accompanying her, the first thing Amy notices is how it's been completely redecorated for the occasion. The usual four houses tables have been removed, keeping only one of them in one side of the room for the buffet to be installed upon – and what a buffet, full of all the different dishes someone could wish for.

It isn't actual lights that are illuminating the place, but a ceiling full of stars, as if there were no roof altogether. Some other little decorations can be spotted on the walls or in the air – all in blue and bronze, like the colours of the house that won the cup this year. Everything is wonderful, magical around them, with a lot of space in the centre of it liberated for those who want to dance.

"Wow," the girl can't keep the impressed sound from escaping her mouth while she takes a deep look as she and her date make their way inside the big hall.

"Yeah… as you say… wow," Jake agrees, but he's not talking about the room. Not even looking at it. He doesn't seem able to leave his gaze from Amy, who's truly beautiful in the blue dress he told her to wear for the event, and more especially now that the ceiling is enlightening her whole body and giving away her astonished expression that makes her look even more adorable.

He doesn't say another word, though, and simply takes her hand in his, leading her towards the crowd and to where their friends are waiting for them to all enjoy their last night together.

She's a bit startled by the unexpected touch at first, and gives him a confused glance, but when he just shrugs and smiles in return, she doesn't comment and simply follows him. He smiles even bigger, relieved she didn't push him away, and glad he changed his plans last minute last night.

He doesn't want to ridicule her anymore. Doesn't want to take her on this "worst date ever".

All he wants is for her to actually enjoy the ball. And, maybe… let her know about his feelings.

Feelings he didn't even know he had the day before – or, at least, he didn't want to think about.

Hopefully his best friend is one clumsy Hufflepuff who happened to break the vial of veritaserum they've been studying, swallowing some on the way. The effects were immediate on him, and as soon as he saw his friend, between a lot of compliments and declarations of friendship and embarrassing stories about himself (most of which Jake already knew about anyway) he spilled one truth that actually made the young Gryffindor cogitate the whole night, incapable of finding sleep after that.

All this teasing, this elaborate date you've been working on the whole year… I think you do all this because you actually like Amy. Like… like her, like her. Why don't you just talk to her? This might be your last chance, you know. Since after tomorrow, we'll all be taking different paths with our lives.

And even though of course he denied it all at first, telling his friend he didn't know nothing about relationships anyway and that he was insane, that's around 4 a.m., after spending hours thinking of Amy and how brilliant and beautiful and funny and perfect she is while wearing a bright smile the whole time that he realised Charles was right. Amy's more than just his friend to him.

Now he just has to discover if that's the case for her as well… or not.

"Feeling better, Charles?" he greets the other boy when they are close enough to their group of friends, a bit of gentle mockery in his voice that doesn't stay there long, though, soon replaced by the feeling of a bit of disappointment that comes with Amy removing her hand from his grip once they stop next to the others.

"Actually, yes," the other student answers with a smile at the sight of the pair. "I don't feel like spilling the truth every time I open my mouth anymore. Even if I do it anyway sometimes. Like I told the cook how bad his pie tasted earlier and I don't think he took it that well… he made me go away and prevented me from going back near the buffet all night. But it's not my fault if it wasn't good, someone had to tell him, no?"

"Yeah, and now Holt asked me to look after him the whole night so that he won't get punched in the head by someone who wouldn't like to hear what he has to say," Gina adds rolling her eyes.

She's clearly pissed she has to play babysitter with him.

"Anyway, what are your plans to make this ball Amy's 'worst date ever'?" she pauses, staring at her from head to toes, before going on. "I see you've already started by making her wear the ugliest dress she's got in her wardrobe, am I right?"

The words that come from his mouth as an answer to that go out without his own consent when he meets the Ravenclaw girl's hurtful eyes. "What? No! She's beautiful in it! WHAT?!"

It's too late, though, when he realises what he's just said.

A long, awkward silence follows. Amy is looking at him, eyes wide open, and he doesn't know what else to say to make things better while their friends are looking at them too. "I mean," he finally manages to regain some composure – and his voice. "Whatever. I have nothing planned. Everything will be improvised tonight. All bets are off about what will happen."

"Okay," Rosa takes his last sentence quite literally as she goes on with an offer. "I bet 10 Sickles you'll sneak into your room before the end of the ball and it'll totally end in wild sex."

"WHAT?!" both concerned parties seem shocked this time, and Amy can actually feel her ears turn red, soon followed by her cheeks. They can't argue, because Gina takes the bet.

"Nah, not Amy," she contests. "She's not fun, never breaks any rule. 20 Sickle there's at least a kiss before midnight, I think that can happen."

"WHAT?!" they repeat again in unison, incredulous but incapable of defend themselves. Jake and Amy eventually face each other, and while the Gryffindor boy watches her, trying to read what is going on through her mind at the mention of them like that, all he can see in her brown orbs is pure confusion.

Which doesn't help him in knowing if she's thinking she'd like all this to happen between them.

(Because he does. He truly wishes he could wake up next morning and give his Slytherin's friend her 20 Sickles – even if he definitively doesn't have 20 Sickles on him.)

"Leave them alone," Charles joins the conversation after some quiet time. "Let love's magic do its job without interfering. They're totally gonna bang tonight, though. At least I hope so."

"Okay, that's enough of that," Jake rolls his eyes, making a disgusted face that matches Amy's, and takes her with him away from their friends. They're going to blow his plans up if they go on like this with their suppositions, and he really doesn't need them to do that.

"That's on him though," Gina winces while she watches them leave. "He shouldn't have called her 'beautiful' out of the blue like that. He completely gave himself away saying that."

But she soon forgets about them, and the bet she's just made.

"I'm sorry about what just happened," Jake tells his friend once they're alone and no one's around to bother them again. "They can really be brags sometimes, huh?"

"Yeah," she vaguely answers, but he notices the small shy smile on her features and her red ears.

After that conversations go back to normal, and they end up having a really great and funny time, filling the room with their loud bursts of laughter. Several times Jake tries to tell Amy how he feels about her, but after what happened with their friends and their hints, he doesn't seem to build the courage to do so. He's too afraid she doesn't feel the same way, even though she's shown herself closer than she's ever been to him the whole evening, if he has to be honest with himself…

That's why, when time for slow dancing arrives, he finally asks her, malice in his eyes and actually making a whole show about it as he knows how to do it, "you wanna dance?"

She is hesitant at first, but when he insists hey, you can't be my date and not at least share one dance with me, that's unfair, I am the one who won, remember she has no other choice than accepting, even though she doesn't like to dance – she never did.

Mostly because she's terrible at it, managing to walk on both her partner's feet at the same time, and his mockery when she does so is yet to come.

"I'm terrible at this, when can we stop?" she begs as an answer, but he only teases her more then.

"I'm Terrible at This, When Can We Stop? – title of your sextape!" he can't help but laugh, and she walks on his feet again – on purpose, this time – for that comment.

She really shouldn't have explained to him what a sextape was when he came across the word during one of his searches for their shared class about the Muggle's world (how he found it, she never bothered to ask, too afraid of the answer he could give her – she didn't want to know what he was trying to search in the first place) (she knows because she's Amy Santiago, so of course she would have an answer to every question she's asked, nothing else) because he truly enjoyed it when he understood its meaning. So much, even, that ever since it has become a running-gag for him to use towards his Ravenclaw friend on every occasion.

Because everything is a good thing to use towards Amy, anyway, especially when it comes to make fun of her. But, to much of her surprise, he's back to all seriousness when she looks back at him.

There's no more trace of joke in his sparkling eyes.

"Do you want me to actually show you how to do this so you don't hurt yourself and possibly others?" he simply asks.

She's startled for a second at the proposition. "Are you saying you know how to do whatever this dance is?" She would have never guessed Jake would have a soft spot for dancing.

But apparently he does, because he tells her, gently putting one of his hands at her waist, pulling her closer, and the other in her own before meeting her eyes again. "It's called a waltz. There's only one rule: pick a partner who knows what he's doing. And, luckily for you, you have me tonight."

He starts moving then, slowly, making her move with him, leading her through the dance floor. It takes her some time to adjust to his pace, but soon she finds herself understanding what she has to do with her feet and the rest of her body and her steps suddenly become smoother than they were before. He really does know what he's doing, and appear to be a perfect teacher.

"That's nice," she smiles, and he doesn't bother replying anything, simply smiles back.

She's actually enjoying dancing for the first time, thanks to him. She feels good here, between his arms. She feels safe, she feels like she's right where she belongs – and that's a weird feeling.

Weird… but still good.

It's magical, this moment, and it's not only because there's real magic around them. She doesn't see it. She doesn't even see all the other couples surrounding them right now.

All she sees is him – allows herself to actually see him, for the first time.

Him and how his hand goes well in hers, him and how her body seems to be made for him to hold, him and how brightly he smiles at her – stares at her. Him and how much she likes him.

And then, all she hears are his words, these words she didn't even know she needed to hear until that moment, these words that make her heart miss a beat as he speaks them while still making her move around the room. These words that make her suddenly be glad she lost their bet.

"I like you," it escapes his mouth before he even has time to think of it, too lost in her and all she represents to him for that. "I – I really do. And I wish something could happen between us, you know… romantic-stylez. I tell you all this now because it's our last night together and we might not see each other for awhile and I will really miss not seeing you everyday next year and I don't want to hold anything back anymore. I would have hated myself if I'd let you go without telling you how I really feel about you. So, I… I just really don't want to lose you."

She stays silent only for a second, processing what she's been told, before a big and bright smile appears on her face and she tells him, "I like you too."

(When they wake up the next morning, both Gina and Rosa are happy to see respectively that 20 and 10 Sickles are waiting for them on their bed tables with a note accompanying it:

Congrats, you won your bet.)

I couldn't resist adding a quote from my favourite ship, Captain Swan (OUAT) during the dance, so if you've spotted it… know that I love you! :3