I got to be honest, I'm a tiiiiiiny little bit disappointed by my reviews for last chapter. I got one review in total (shout out to that one reviewer :D) despite getting a few new follows and favourites. I just have a really hard time disciplining myself and getting reviews from you guys helps motivate me so much! Could you please just take a few moments to tell me what you think so far? I think it's still less effort than the hours and hours I put into writing these new chapters haha XD

So please dudes/dudettes!

Please REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!

CHAPTER 7

Boxing day was peaceful, as was the rest of the holidays. We didn't do much of anything for New Year's, we just stayed up and played board games and at midnight screamed 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!' To welcome in 1995, but furthermore didn't pay it much attention. We got up late and went to bed late and spread out our homework over the remaining one and a half week of the holiday so we didn't have to do a lot just at the last day (like was normally the practise).

Aurora spent a lot of time with Robin. He invited her to go skating on the lake and we spied at them from the window in the common room of the Ravenclaw Tower but I think she knew because they did nothing worth mentioning. Mathilda was now officially dating Adrian. Her face turned smug every time she got to mention her boyfriend. Nothing much changed though. They didn't seem to act much differently except for the fact that now there was making out involved. It was actually starting to become really annoying.

At the first day of term there was a buzz around the Great Hall after the post came. 'Did you see this!?' Mathilda said as she sat down beside me, throwing a newspaper on the table. 'What?' Aurora asked as I picked it up? Dumbledore's Giant Mistake it read at the top. 'The Daily Prophet ran a story revealing that Hagrid, as in our professor Hagrid, is actually half giant! His mother was a giant!' Mathilda hissed. I read through it with a frown, afterwards handing it to Aurora. 'You think it's true?' I asked Mathilda. She nodded with much vigour. 'I'm just wondering how I didn't realize it before!' She told me. 'I mean, look at him!' She added and we all looked at the head table, but Hagrid was no longer there.

'That's shocking!' Aurora exclaimed when she finished reading. 'Why did Dumbledore ever hire him?' asked Mathilda. 'I didn't even know that he was expelled in third year. How can we have a teacher teaching us about our O.W.L.'s when he hasn't gotten a single one himself?' She added and I shrugged. 'Dumbledore must've had his reasons. Besides, he's had like forty years of experience as gamekeeper. He knows the material probably better than most others.' I said but Mathilda was protesting.

'Even then! He's half giant! What if he suddenly becomes violent?' She asked and Aurora laughed. 'Well, he hasn't yet! Again, he's been working at Hogwarts since forever, I don't think we have to worry about him turning violent all of a sudden. Besides, his classes might not be too pleasant, but he's a really soft fellow, isn't he? Don't you think so too Cecil?' She asked and I nodded. 'Yeah, I think it's all fine. Who wrote the piece?' I asked back and Aurora looked at the top of the article. 'It was Rita Skeeter.' She told me and I spread out my arms.

'You see! Mum's always saying that she's the most embarrassing excuse for a journalist that the business has ever seen.' I commented. Mathilda leaned forward. 'Your mum works with her?' She asked and I shook my head. 'Rita Skeeter works freelance and my mum works for the Daily Prophet but they often run competing pieces and the like. She says Skeeter is totally sensationalist.' I said.

Before Mathilda could respond we were interrupted by Adrian who had butted in and swung one leg over the bench, one leg still on the outside, facing Mathilda completely. 'Hiya baby.' He said and Aurora and I rolled our eyes at each other as the couple leaned in to each other to kiss each other perhaps a bit too passionately for a Monday morning in public.

'You heard about that oaf?' Adrian asked after. 'What about him?' Mathilda said. 'What do you mean what about him?' Adrian replied vehemently. 'He's a bloody giant, that's what!' He said irately. Mathilda waved his words away, taking a sip from her tea. 'He hasn't done us or any other student any harm over the past forty years. Besides, the article is written by Rita Skeeter and Cecilia's mother writes for the Daily Prophet and says she's a total cow.' She told him and Aurora and I almost burst out laughing at Mathilda's total 180 in opinion. She shot us an annoyed look. But my mother always had a huge influence on my best friend. Whatever mum says is automatically amazing to Mathilda's ears.

The two bickered for a moment while we ate our breakfast. Aurora continued scanning the paper. 'Bertha Jorkins is still missing.' She commented out loud. Adrian and Mathilda were too busy with each other to note but I swallowed my mouth full of porridge and said: 'Oh really?' and Aurora nodded. 'Yeah, she's been missing for more than six months already. The department she worked for at the Ministry has finally started a proper investigation it reads here.' She told me. 'She worked for Ludo Bagman actually!' She added. 'Bagman doesn't seem to be on top of things, does he?' I said drily and Aurora chuckled.

'You don't know the half of it! You know how my dad worked for his Department a long time before he went to work for the Department of Retail and Gastronomy Regulations last summer, right?' She asked. I nodded. 'Well, although Bagman was liked a lot, he was possibly the worst Department head anyone could ask for. He has an assistant called Mohinder and he basically takes care of everything. My dad always called him the "Fool of a Quidditch Legend" at home.' Aurora told me with a snicker.

We didn't see professor Hagrid at Care of Magical Creatures and we didn't for the rest of the week, instead of him we had a woman called professor Grubbly-Plank teach us. Although I felt bad for the professor, it was a nice change to not deal with the Blast Ended Skrewts anymore, instead getting a chance to pet some very docile unicorns. 'I've got to say; the staff turnover on this class is almost as high as on Defense Against the Dark Arts! Half a year of Hagrid, now we have Grubbly-Plank it seems, two years ago we had professor Kettleburn.' Mathilda said with a grumble as we handed in our essays to our new professor.

Halfway through January there was a Hogsmeade trip and it looked like I was going to be alone. Mathilda had her new boyfriend to keep her occupied and Aurora had her almost boyfriend Robin who she was going to visit Hogsmeade with. Cho was with Cedric and although Marietta and Ben the Gryffindor hadn't met for a second date after the Yule Ball, she was determined to finish all her homework early and lock herself into the dormitory all Hogsmeade weekend. I wasn't keen on joining her but was even less keen on going to Hogsmeade alone like a sad, lost puppy so was considering a similar activity of studying in the library or common room. My saviour had come though!

At Friday I ran into Felix Smythwick who, with a faint blush on his cheeks (me probably the same), asked me how I was doing. After a minute of talking I remembered how easily conversation flowed during the dance and I started to feel a little bit more comfortable. 'Let me walk you to your next class. I have a free period anyway.' He said and together we walked in the direction of Transfiguration.

'So, what are you going to do this weekend? I'm just going to hang out with friends.' He told me and I shrugged, a bit embarrassed by my abandonment for the weekend. 'I'm just going to stay in and study. There's loads to do.' I said and he looked at me with a frown. 'You're kidding me right?' He asked with a chuckle and I couldn't help but smile as well. 'Well, alright, my friends all ditched me for their boyfriends.' I said and he laughed loudly enough to make a couple of second years walking past look up in shock.

'You could come with me and my friends if you want. Make new friends!' He said joyfully. I tried to refuse but he was quite persistent and after a couple of moments I ended up agreeing. He leaned against the doorframe of the Transfigurations classroom as I stood in the doorway, my books pressed against my chest. 'I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall tomorrow morning at eleven?' He asked and I nodded. 'Yeah, sure, thanks for inviting me, you didn't have to.' I said and he shrugged. 'We got along really well at the Yule Ball right? I think we should be friends.' He told me with a grin. I grinned back at him. 'We did get along well.' I once again agreed.

'Close the door, we're starting class!' Professor McGonagall called across the classroom and I quickly waved at Felix, who waved back at me, closing the door and sliding into the seat next to Mathilda. 'I thought you didn't like him?' Mathilda hissed to me as the professor started explaining the lesson for today. 'I don't like him-like him, but he's really cool and we had a nice conversation at the ball and we both think we could be good friends. I'm recruiting a new one because I'm sick of you.' I said to Mathilda and she laughed loudly, earning a disapproving glance from McGonagall.

'Seriously though, I know how you can get and neither of us are interested in anything more than friendship.' I whispered to Mathilda and she huffed. 'So, we're back to fantasizing about this never happening fantasy fling with Fred Weasley?' she asked and I elbowed her.

I hadn't told Mathilda about the fact that Felix had tried to kiss me. She would make more out of it than it actually was and would try to force something out of it. I didn't want Felix. He was nice enough but that's just simply not enough to make feelings happen.

'Anyway, I told him you have all deserted me so he has invited me along with his friends tomorrow.' I muttered, writing down the notes from the blackboard. 'So you are seriously not going to do anything about Fred?' Mathilda asked. 'I was planning on asking him why he hadn't claimed that dance that he said he'd claim.' I said, my face reddening. It was an embarrassing thought to go up to him and ask him that. Mathilda seemed excited by the idea though.

'Yes! That'll be good! Just make sure you sound flirty! We've practised this!' She said. I shushed her, looking around as she had talked a bit loud. 'I still can't believe you made me bloody practise to be flirty.' I said. Mathilda wouldn't have my complaints. 'And you said you'd never use it! Ha!' She exclaimed. 'Make sure to do the wink after you ask him the question!' She said. 'Ms Goodfellow, for the second time! One more time and I'm forced to dock points!' McGonagall bellowed from the front of the classroom.

The next day I met Felix and his friends in the Entrance Hall as we agreed. Peter Hollywood, who I had met before at the ball said hi to me enthusiastically and three others called Raashid Hussain, Karl Limpley and Hufflepuff's beater Anthony Rickett introduced themselves with a smile. 'We're only waiting for Tony's girlfriend.' Said Peter to me. A couple of minutes later Heidi Macavoy, a chaser for Hufflepuff, came running from the direction of the Hufflepuff common room, coming to a skidding halt next to Anthony. 'Sorry I'm late!' She apologized, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek. 'Thora just wouldn't hurry up in the bathroom! As always!' She complained after she had introduced herself to me, we had checked off with Filch and we had started walking down the grassy slopes towards Hogsmeade.

'She's always in there for hours it sometimes seems. We bought here a makeup mirror for on her nightstand so she didn't need to lock us out of the bathroom but she just doesn't use it.' She told me as she walked beside me. 'My friend Mathilda always wakes us up really early. She just shouts and sings and all that and we have long given up getting her out of that habit.' I told her in return. 'Maybe I don't have it so bad then.' Heidi conceded and I laughed. She chuckled as well.

I had a surprisingly nice time with Felix and his friends. They were accommodating and considerate and very much tried to include me in everything. But I don't know why I expected any less from Hufflepuffs. Dad was like that too; a true Hufflepuff. Sometimes I wondered how mum, an even truer Slytherin, and dad got together, how that combination could ever work. But somehow it does. They had a relationship I'd be glad to have half of when I was at that point in my life.

We had sat down around a table in the Three Broomsticks, Peter and Anthony getting us all drinks. I sat in between Felix and Heidi, Karl sitting at Heidi's other side, and looked over the room to see, at the other end, Fred and George Weasley. A sudden flare of confidence came over me and I excused myself from my new friends and walked up to the twins with footsteps that became heavier and heavier, the closer I got to them. There was a moment at which I considered recalculating my path so I could pretend to walk to the bathroom to my left instead but George had looked over and had elbowed his brother when he saw me approaching.

'Hiya Cecil.' Fred said with a broad grin. George turned around, talking to their friend Lee Jordan to give us a moment. 'Hi..!' I said breathlessly. 'I was just wondering if you were ever planning on claiming that dance that you said you were going to claim at the ball.' I said to him. For a moment he looked at me, quite speechless and I was speechless at myself, my cheeks burning and my heart beating a couple of hundred times a minute. Then he started laughing and out of sheer panic I uncomfortably laughed along.

'Merlin, you do keep surprising me Cecilia.' He told me and because I had no idea how to respond to that I just smiled an awkward smile at him. 'To answer your question: yeah, alright, I'll make sure to definitely claim that dance soon.' He said and I just nodded. 'Now get out of my way because George and I have some business to take care of.' He grabbed his twin brother by the collar and stalked to the end of the bar. I frowned when I realized they had started talking to Ludo Bagman (whatever he was doing in Hogsmeade – it wasn't like there was a Triwizard Task going on now), pushing aside Harry Potter and his friends who were sitting at barstools next to him. Ludo Bagman left soon after though.

I decided to quickly go to the bathroom. All the stalls were taken but I didn't really need to go anyway. I just needed a breather. I looked in the mirror to study my flushed face. Red spots of nervosas and excitement had randomly popped up from under my otherwise fairly fair skin and my eyes were wide. Is that what I looked like when talking to Fred? I couldn't decide whether that was worse than expected or better than expected. When an older witch exited one of the stalls I hurriedly washed my hands to not appear too weird but then left the bathroom.

I slid back next to Felix, taking a sip from the butter beer Raashid had pushed my way. 'You just missed some major gossip flodder.' Heidi told me. 'What happened?' I asked. 'Harry Potter got into a row with that journalist Rita Skeeter.' Tony answered me, nodding to the bar. I looked to see that Potter and his friends were no longer there, but that Skeeter was still fuming sitting on one of the barstools, her enchanted quill writing away in front of her and her photographer carelessly drinking a flagon of mead beside her.

'Yeah, it was proper mad!' Raashid added. 'She went on about all the bad things she knew about Ludo Bagman of all people, don't know what he had to do with it. It apparently started with Potter screaming at her for her article on professor Hagrid.' He said. 'I heard he's friends with the professor.' He told us all. 'Which is a tiny bit weird, I must say. I mean, he's a professor.' Heidi said but Tony bumped her shoulder saying; 'No, I heard that Hagrid was the one who told Potter he was a wizard back when he was eleven. I can imagine feeling closer to someone with that sort of bond.' For a moment it was silent until Raashid broke it by saying; 'Whatever it was, it was right weird.'

At the end of the day we said goodbye to each other in the Entrance Hall where the Hufflepuffs went into the basement towards their common room and I went up the stairs toward my common room. Felix had turned around before going in the basement door, grinning at me and waving and I had waved back at him.

It didn't take long before Aurora and Mathilda joined me at the common room windowsill I occupied, accompanied by my novel (Since the break of the midsummer morning by Enrique Rosedahl – number 11 in the Witch Weekley's Bestseller Book 100). Mathilda was first to eagerly describe her date with Adrian, describing in detail the kisses they shared in the snow behind the Hog's Head and the sugar quills he had bought her in Honeydukes. 'He's invited me to come over to his place in the Easter holidays.' She told us smugly. 'Is that a good idea?' I asked her. 'The O.W.L.'s are coming up soon after and you might want that free week to study.' I added. She glared at me. 'If I'm going to fail my O.W.L.'s only because I didn't spent every waking moment of the Easter holidays studying, I never deserved them anyway.' She said and she wouldn't say another word about it.

Aurora's and Robin's date was almost entirely spent in the Tomes and Scrolls. Mathilda booed ('Why would you spent a date in a bookshop!') and Aurora took that in stride but then explained how intimate and in-depth their conversations were. 'I don't think I've ever known anyone that well in such a short time before.' She told us with a sigh. 'He's simply amazing.' She said. I felt happy for my friend but at the same time I also felt a vindictive sort of jealousy pool itself together in the pit of my stomach. Why couldn't I have something like that?

We thought that our homework load had become ridiculous already in the first semester, all teachers droning on about the importance of continuous studying in order to succeed at the O.W.L. examinations but after Christmas that load seemed to double. 'We've got an essay for Transfiguration, History of Magic, Charms and Astronomy, a potion to finish for Potions, a star chart also for Astronomy, a curse map of the Conjunctivitis Curse for Defence Against the Dark Arts and for Potions a matching essay on the Oculus Potion to counter the Conjunctivitis Curse. Have I forgotten anything?' Mathilda rattled off, reading her agenda out loud as we sat at the Ravenclaw table.

I scanned my own agenda. 'I also have an essay on the healing powers of Mandrake roots for Herbology.' I said. 'And I've got an essay for both Muggle Studies and Arithmancy too. And of course the translations that we have to do for Ancient Runes.' Aurora directed at me. 'Yeah, I got all of that too, I answered, turning the page in my planner. Mathilda groaned, resting her head on the table. 'At least I don't have Ancient Runes. We only need to keep a stupid dream journal for Divination but that's almost no work at all. I can almost never remember my dreams anyway.' She grunted.

'I can't wait for the O.W.L.'s to be over.' She sighed. I chuckled. 'If I end up getting that internship at the ministry this summer, I need to pass the W.O.M.B.A.T. exams as well.' I told them and Mathilda whimpered, raising her head again. 'I found a new sort of respect for you, mate.' She said and I laughed. 'Oh and I haven't written it down yet, but we got that essay for the new Care of Magical Creatures professor on unicorns!' Aurora called out, quickly taking out her quill and scribbling it down in her agenda. Mathilda laid her head back down on the table.

After lunch we decided to go to the library during our free period to try and make a small dent into the load we had for that week. Aurora and I worked on our Ancient Runes translations (due the next day) and Mathilda slaved away over the Herbology-Potions double essay. 'Just imagine the people who also have extra-curriculars.' Said Mathilda as we packed our bags so we could head over to Charms class. 'A couple of people in my Divinations class actually take the Xylomancy extra and they have to go to the class in the North Tower every week and do work for it and everything. You can't even get an O.W.L. for it. You just get a certificate at the very end that says that you attended the course and passed it.' She told us as we walked down the corridor. 'Or the clubs! Quidditch practice, the Gobstones clubs, or the duelling club, all those things!' She added as an afterthought.

Felix told me he is in three extra-curricular classes; music, muggle music and also in the orchestra.' I told them and Mathilda shook her head. 'How does he even find the time?' She muttered. 'To be fair, he takes a lot less classes than we do.' I said and Aurora let out a laugh.

Before we knew it, it was February and almost time already for the next Task. There were a lot of speculations on what the Task would be this time. Even Mathilda was curious enough that she listened in as we interrogated Cho about it. She however insisted that Cedric had told her nothing. We hadn't seen much of Cho over the past month or so; there was so much homework anyway and every other moment she spent with her boyfriend. Marietta seemed a bit lonely, spending more time with us than she'd perhaps normally do.

I didn't feel like I saw any less of Mathilda since she had gained a boyfriend. She'd sometimes sit at the Slytherin table with him and his friends and sometimes they'd join us at the Ravenclaw table (although I – and Aurora too – felt a little intimidated by the older Slytherin guys and wouldn't say much when they were present), but other than that she'd keep her distance from him it seemed. As did Adrian. Neither really seemed like the dependent kind of relationship partner. They'd simply find each other when they wanted to see the other. Which was still often enough, I might add. Many a time either Adrian or Mathilda dragged the other off to Merlin knows where to do Merlin knows what. Mathilda would only smile mysteriously about it every time Aurora asked where they'd go and what they'd do.

Aurora and Robin seemed to be dating in almost every sense of the word except the official one. Aurora claimed that they hadn't kissed yet and that they hadn't talked about being official yet, but that she really liked him and that he really seemed to like him. Which seemed to be true. Robin sat with us almost every meal and he often helped her with her studying or her homework. I had less luck with my study partner as Mathilda's groans of emotional pain during our homework sessions were sometimes just too much to bare. 'Why don't you go study with Adrian, he had his O.W.L.'s last year and might be able to give you some pointers.' I carefully prodded but her face only soured. 'Already asked him but he only laughed and said that he, and I quote, "won't go through that again".' She said.

There was one more Hogsmeade trip before the Task at the 24th so we eagerly left our book bags in our dormitories and took a well-earned break from studying and strolled to the village. Although it was weak and almost couldn't be felt, there was a bit of a sun out, for once not hidden by grey clouds. Unlike last time, I wasn't abandoned by my friends on this trip but instead we went in a large group. Both Mathilda and Aurora joined me, along with their respective blokes. Adrian had brought his friend Cassius Warrington along and Robin brought along Tadeo and the girl from Durmstrang that Tadeo had taken to the Yule Ball. Marietta had also decided to tag along with us instead of being a third wheel to Cho and Cedric's date.

As I already knew, it was difficult for me to have any kind of voice with 1) people I didn't know well and 2) in large groups, so after sticking with them for an hour or so, me and Marietta split off from the group to go to Tomes and Scrolls to check out the updated best seller lists. We ran into Felix and Peter on the way there though. 'How have you been doing? Has the homework been doing you in?' Felix asked me as he and Peter walked with us to the bookshop. 'Not yet, but I do feel myself slowly going insane.' I said and he nodded. 'Yeah, I'm glad I don't have as many classes as you do. I only have Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies besides my core classes. I literally chose the littles amount of electives I could choose.' He said with a laugh. I chuckled as well. 'But you said you have a lot of extra curriculars. I don't have any extra curricular.' I said and shrugged. 'That's true.' He admitted.

The snow had long melted and it had left behind only muddy roads and puddles and I looked at my feet as I carefully stepped around each one. Mathilda and Peter were walking alongside each other a couple of feet in front of us. 'Hey, Cecil, I'm really glad that we can be friends like this.' Felix said suddenly. I looked up. 'Yeah, me too.' I said, although I suddenly had the feeling like he was trying to say more. He kept quiet though but the easy-going mood that was between us a moment before had abruptly changed into a somewhat uncomfortable tense atmosphere. When we arrived at Tomes and Scrolls, Peter dragged Felix along to meet with the rest of their friends at the Three Broomsticks. They both waved at us enthusiastically as they ran off. 'That Peter is actually quite a cutie.' Marietta told me as we walked into the shop.

Next week Friday it was finally time for the Second Task. All classes for the day had been suspended and that morning at breakfast Dumbledore told the entire Great Hall that at half noon we were welcome to witness the Task by the Black Lake.

Marietta was worried about Cho because we hadn't seen her since yesterday. 'It's not like her to stay out all night and not tell me where she went.' She said to us. Mathilda had enough of hearing about Cho. 'Will you stop worrying please, she's probably with her precious boyfriend the Hogwarts Champion. He must be nervous and in need of support and she just forgot to tell you about it.' She said and that shut Marietta up but it wasn't true what Mathilda had said because when a nervous looking Cedric came into the Great Hall, Cho was still nowhere to be seen.

We still had two hours to kill before the Task would start and many students had gathered in the courtyards. Aurora and I were planning on studying at first but Mathilda had growled in annoyance and dragged us with. 'All we ever do is study.' She said.

There was music in the Transfiguration courtyard, a Weird Sisters' cover done by a couple of fifth and sixth year music extra-curricular students. 'You see, your "friend" isn't studying either.' Mathilda said as we sat down at one of the stone ledges underneath the arches that separated the courtyard from the corridors, nodding towards the source of music. I looked over and saw Felix, who had spotted me too, banging away on a drum set happily, nodding his head along to the beat. He grinned at me when I looked over.

Felix looked very happy playing music. I just kept watching him, fascinated by the single-minded joy he appeared to feel. His hair whipped from side to side and his hands holding the drumsticks banged on his kit as hard as he could, a huge smile plastered on his face, his forehead sweaty and his cheeks flushed from the excitement. Unlike me at all times, he didn't seem plagued by any worries at all. He looked in his element.

'How about that dance?' I got a huge shock when someone from the corridor behind us put a hand on each of my shoulders and whispered into my ear. I shrieked, ripping my eyes away from Felix and jumping up, throwing over my bag in the process, causing all of my books and half-finished essays to roll out onto the floor and the ink pot to shatter on the hard stone. All of the ink luckily missed the rest of my possessions but it was frustrating nonetheless.

'Merlin almighty, aren't you a scaredy-cat!' Fred Weasley said as I looked up. He stepped over the ledge I previously sat on and kneeled down next to me to help me pick up my books. I summoned a couple of parchment rolls with my wand that had rolled too far away, trying to avoid looking at my redheaded crush before me. We both rose to our feet again. On Fred's left I could see Aurora and Mathilda subtly giving me the thumbs up.

'Thanks.' I said timidly, not looking him in the eyes, as he handed me my Rune Dictionary. 'Well, how about it?' He asked me again and I frowned, briefly looking into his eyes only to look away with a blush on my face immediately after. 'How about what?' I asked. 'That dance!' He called out with a booming laugh. 'I saw you sitting there, your back to me, and music's all around, so perfect time I'd say!' He told me.

I looked around. No one else was dancing. 'I don't think I'd want to..' I began but he rolled his eyes, yanked my bag out of my hands and dumping it into the ready arms of Aurora and Mathilda, taking a good hold of my hands and dragging me along to the middle of the Transfiguration courtyard. 'Please, I don't want..' I tried again but he directed his stunning grin at me and I was at a loss for words. 'Come on love, live a little!' He said as he took my right hand in his left and put his hand on my waist. I automatically moved my hand to his shoulder.

What happened next I wouldn't soon forget. They could obliviate me and it would still be etched into my memory. Fred and I danced a quick stepped waltz through the courtyard to the up-tempo rock 'n roll song. I still wasn't a great dancer, but Fred seemed to know what he was doing and my feet simply followed his. As soon as people realized that two people had started dancing they started cheering and whooping and I even heard some catcalls and my face flushed a deep, intense red. Fred didn't seem to mind any of it, his grin as wide as ever.

Around us other people started dancing as well, both individuals and couples and it wasn't until the song ended that Fred let go of me. 'Is my debt now paid off?' He asked with a wink and I simply nodded, not trusting my own voice not to crack. I quickly walked back to my friends, almost stumbling when I reached them. 'By Circe, Cecil!' Mathilda hissed in excitement but I ignored her, grabbing my bag out of her hands and turning on my heels, running off inside. 'Where are you going!?' Mathilda called after me. 'We have to leave for the Task in twenty!'

But I couldn't even think about the Triwizard Tournament. It seemed like the most unimportant thing in the world right then. I had started running up the stairs towards the Ravenclaw Tower but decided against it. I didn't really want to talk to anyone and if Mathilda and Aurora decided to come after me they'd go there first.

There was absolutely no one in the library except for the librarian of course. I sat in the corner, stuffed away behind some shelves. I could see out of the window from where I was sitting and could see that everyone had made their way down to the lake by this point, only a couple of latecomers were still speed walking out of the castle. I looked up in a fright when I heard loud footsteps and saw Harry Potter of all people sprint past my hidden spot towards the exit of the library. A couple of minutes later I could see him running along the grass towards where the Second Task was set up.

I sat back, pulling all my homework out of my bag and putting it on the table before me. I took my spare ink pot, dipped my quill into it and held it ready over my essay, waiting for words to come to me. But they didn't come.

My mind kept going back to dancing with Fred. The way his hand cupped my own hand, how his other hand had felt so warm on my waist, how steady his pace was, how confident his stride and how my thoughts all died out every time he directed his ocean blue eyes at me. I groaned. I must've embarrassed myself so much.

In the distance I could hear Ludo Bagman commentate the Task, his voice obviously charmed by a Sonorus-charm. What was I doing? How was it that something as ridiculously childish as a dance with a crush could knock out my senses to such a degree that I'd miss something historic like one of the Triwizard Tournament Tasks? I sighed, laying my quill down and resting my chin on my forearms as I put them on the table, giving up on homework for now.

It wasn't like I hated myself but the fact that any kind of embarrassment or socially challenging situation could completely immobilize me was so frustrating that the thought alone could bring me to tears. I blinked a few times. I wasn't going to cry. I had more pride than that.

I tried to look at the scene earlier in a more positive light. Sure, I had not looked so well in front of a large part of the student body and most importantly Fred bloody Weasley, but on the other hand, Fred had remembered my wish and had singled me out to fulfil it. That was some kind of achievement I reckoned. Despite my earlier despair, I did feel a little bit better then.

When I heard the chattering of students again downstairs, I put all of my books back into my bag and ran down to have lunch with the rest. I was glad when Mathilda and Aurora sat next to me at the Ravenclaw table and neither of them mentioned the courtyard incident (I suspected that Aurora had made Mathilda take a vow of silence on that one because it wasn't like her to shut up about it all by herself). Even more so, when Adrian Pucey came up behind Mathilda and kissed her neck, she shook him off and said 'We're having a girls' day and you're not invited unless you spontaneously sprout boobs.' After which Adrian rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders and squeezed back into the space between his own friends. Even Robin was sent away by Aurora, although a lot gentler and nicer, but he was very understanding and told us to enjoy ourselves and that he'd speak with us the next day.

Aurora and Mathilda came through on their word. They wrapped a couple of pieces of chicken, sandwiches and an apple in a few napkins and grabbed a bottle of pumpkin juice and we all took a walk around the lake. They told me about the Task, as I had missed it, and about how it was actually quite boring. 'You didn't actually really miss anything.' Admitted Aurora. 'Yeah, Rory and I were just yawning away next to each other. The champions were supposed to retrieve something dear to them from the bottom of the lake and they had one hour to do it.' Said Mathilda.

'Harry Potter stole the show again with gillyweed. I wonder how he got that. It's not exactly a common plant.' Said Aurora. 'Oh, that's where our darling Cho was by the way.' Said Mathilda sarcastically. 'She was the "thing" dear to Cedric. She was at the bottom of the lake.' Mathilda gagged. 'That's so sweet that it's making me nauseous.' She added.

It was still cold at the end of February but we set up a couple of heating charms and sat by a tree at the waterside while eating our lunch as we talked and looked at the people across the water who were taking apart the stands from the Task, the Giant Squid splashing water their way with one of its tentacles.

When we got back to the castle we took advantage of our free day by setting up camp in the dormitory and having exactly the girly day that my two friends had promised me, painting nails, trying on clothes, doing our hair and make-up. Cho was with Cedric in the Great Hall surrounded by both admirers as just people who were curious about what had happened at the bottom of the lake.

Mathilda grew awfully smug when Marietta joined our girly trio and made it a quartet. 'I'm just so sick of Cho these days.' Said Marietta as she brushed her hair, sitting on her bed. 'I know that she likes Cedric a lot but she's just been ignoring me it almost feels like, and she doesn't even realize it herself.' She huffed, putting her hairbrush on her nightstand. 'And now, I've been worrying sick about her since last night, not knowing where she was and all that and she's not at all interested in that. She totally brushed me off just now, in the Great Hall.' She told us.

'It's just all very new to her too. Talk to her about it, she'll understand. You've always been best friends.' Aurora said calmingly and Marietta let herself fall back on her bed. 'But talk when? She's always with Cedric!' She complained.

It was a great day. No one wanted to leave the dormitory that night so we drew straws on who had to go downstairs and get us all dinner and Mathilda was the loser this time and she, in her fashionably picked out outfit (or a weird mix of clothes thrown together from all of our wardrobes that included a tie tied around her head and a pair of way too short robes – Marietta only was one sixty in height – that barely reached her shins) went down and got us all shepherd's pie (hardly the easiest of food to take upstairs but Mathilda was sweeter than anyone gave her credit for because she knew it was one of my favourite dishes).

Cho didn't come back till late that night and attempted conversation with Marietta but she got a cold reception and she must've noticed the awkward looks of Aurora and I and the smirk on Mathilda's face because she let it go really quickly and just crawled into bed instead. I felt a bit bad for her; she didn't mean any harm after all.

After Cho came back we slowly started getting ready for bed too. Aurora turned down the Wizarding Wireless a bit and we washed the make-up off our faces, pulling the hairbands out of our hair and pulling on our pyjamas. When we got into bed as well it got silent really quickly. We were all tired and no one was really interested in chatting anymore. We had done plenty of that.

However just as I was about to drift off I was shaken awake again by Mathilda who had slid out of bed and had sat down on her knees on the floor beside my bed so she'd by on eye height with me. 'Are you awake?' She asked me as I blinked. 'You woke me, yes.' I said grouchily. 'You can go back to sleep in a second.' She said.

She got up and sat on the bed, drawing the curtains around us and casting a quick silencing charm. I sat up a bit, leaning back on my elbows, quite curious as to what she had to say. 'Cecilia, I just wanted to say that you were not even a tenth of embarrassing as you believe yourself to be.' She said. I couldn't help but laugh. 'That's still pretty embarrassing actually.' I said cheekily and that made Mathilda chuckle but her face grew serious quickly after.

'Everyone thought that you and Fred dancing in the Transfiguration courtyard was really cool, so please stop worrying about it alright?' She asked. I nodded, not really knowing what to say. 'Rory said I shouldn't bring it up to you but I feel like I should.' She finished. 'I mean, you're always so worried!' She added. She grabbed my hand. 'I mean, Cecil, just think about the fact that the love of your life took you to dance right there in the middle of the courtyard?' She said gleefully. I sputtered at the description but couldn't help myself but grin at it as well. 'It is like the kind of thing you tell your children later.' Mathilda said with a wink.

We wished each other good night and she went back to her bed and I turned over in my own. Mathilda was right and I had known for a long time already. I needed to be more assertive. 'Tomorrow morning I'll start.' I murmured into my pillow. 'I won't take crap from nobody anymore and I won't worry about what anyone's thinking.' And with that thought I fell into a long, dreamless sleep.

Don't laugh at me too much (alright, you can laugh a little XD) but I made class schedules for all of them (colour coded, all fitted so they are perfectly in synch and not overlapping and that the amount of hours per class are automatically calculated at the bottom - yay Excel!) so if you're interested you can put it in a review or in a PM and I'll figure out a way to make the schedules availabe for you guys. Maybe a filesharing website or something!

Now come one guys:

Please review