Hi, it's me again. Well, the plot thickens substantially in this installment. Ha! You thought you knew the plot, but you were wrong!

I'm only kidding, before anyone takes offense.

Chapter 11: Romance and Murder


"Come on, Morgana, we'll be late for breakfast," called Circe.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Morgana looked hard into the mirror in the girl's dormitory. Something was not right this morning, as it had been for the past couple of days. Something was weird, and she didn't just mean Kiri...

A tiny ant straggled across the wall. Kill it, said a voice in her head. Kill it and watch it die. Torture. Kill...

No, said another, stronger, voice, why? Why senselessly kill a little ant that's minding its own business?

The homicidal voice troubled her. What was it? Why did it come now? She'd never felt this before. She couldn't tell people; a sudden, extremely violent presence in your head is not exactly something you bring up casually. Somehow it didn't seem to be herself, like it was some other presence, vying for control...

Too heavy for so early in the morning. Besides, it was probably just her imagination.

With a sigh, Morgana followed Circe out of the dorm.

* ~ *

By now, the Yule Ball was approaching. It seemed to be the topic of every conversation. Stormy was being very mysterious about her date for the ball. Morgana was still steamed about Roger Davies deserting his fellow Ravenclaws for that Beauxbatons riffraff, until someone pointed out that Morgana had almost gone to Beauxbatons herself.

But possible the most unexpected development was a lot closer to home.

* ~ *

Uric sighed as she came into view.

What is it about that dress? he wondered. How can it be so totally unremarkable and yet look so stunning on Morgana?

The dress was pure white. It was that perfect length: not too short but just above knee length. There was a completely normal round neckline and short rolled sleeves. The fabric was just slightly stretchy.

The only design was a small gold filigree shape at the middle of the neckline. The color perfectly matched her hair.

Uric was suddenly conscious of how attractive his friend was, and he also realized that he had known this all along. That was quite a shock.

Not that she was more than a friend. Morgana, he knew, would never call it more than that, and that made him hope even more desperately.

He was entranced. Without knowing what he was doing, he strode up to her and blurted out The Question.

"Will you go to the ball with me?"

* ~ *

Morgana turned and regarded Uric.

"Go to the ball with you?" she repeated, in a neutral tone.

Uric, petrified, could only nod mutely.

She locked her eyes with his, seeming to size him up, and without another word she grabbed his wrist and propelled him to a deserted corner of the Ravenclaw common room. She motioned him to sit down, and shakily he did so.

"Uric," she began, "I just don't know."

He seemed too stunned by his own daring to say much.

"W-w-we were c-close wh-when we were l-little," he stammered.

"How can I make you understand?" Morgana pondered. "My parents were really stuffy and I wanted to have fun. You were a Muggle then. No one could have known that you'd end up here. A perfectly safe Muggle that Mum and Dad would never let me do anything with. You were a kind of revolt, I suppose."

Uric made a choking noise in his throat.

"But," continued Morgana, "there's no reason you can't be more than that."

Uric made another choking noise. "S-s-s-so..."

"So will I go the Yule Ball with you?" she finished, her extraordinary eyes staring straight into, and (it seemed) through his.

Morgana got up and began walking to the girl's dormitory. When she was halfway there, she stopped and said, in a quiet voice that nevertheless carried all the way across the deserted common room, "Yes.

"Yes, I will go the Yule Ball with you, Uric."

Without another word, she turned and continued to her dormitory.

Uric sat there for a while, staring into space. After a few minutes, he composed himself enough to get up and go to his dorm. He couldn't believe his luck.

* ~ *

Well, thought Morgana wryly as she stared up at the ceiling in bed, it's better than nothing.

Barely.

* ~ *

Morgana tugged nervously at her sparkling gold dress robes. It must be perfect, she told herself as she arranged her earrings for the hundredth time. Perfect for tonight.

* ~ *

In the boy's dormitory, Uric made hopeless attempts to smooth his hair. He shifted his cobalt blue robes, trying to get rid of nonexistent wrinkles.

It must be perfect.

Perfect for tonight.

* ~ *

"So... um..." Uric was at a loss for words. "Um..." Suddenly, inspiration struck. "What do you think of the Triwizard Tournament?"

Morgana sighed. "Uric, you know perfectly well what I think of the Triwizard Tournament. I think Stormy should win if anybody should, but they're all idiots for leaving me out."

Uric fumbled with his silverware at their table, suddenly unable to raise his eyes off his plate. "Uh..."

"Will you snap out of it and cut to the chase? We both know you want to ask me to go dance, but you're too nervous."

"Well.... yeah."

"So come on!" Morgana exclaimed impatiently, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards the dance floor. Stormy and her date, Cedric Diggory, were already out there. The former almost burst out laughing at the sight, but one look from Morgana shut her up.

* ~ *

The two returned to the common room late that night. Morgana was about to part ways with Uric - they'd walked here in uncomfortable silence - but something made her stay. A glance at the few other Ravenclaws around confirmed that they weren't paying attention. Relieved, Morgana crossed the room (gingerly, with her aching feet) and sat down on the couch Uric had already found.

Before either of them knew it, she had leaned against him and buried her face in his shoulder.

* ~ *

Uric's muscles tensed. Could this be real? She trusted him, made herself vulnerable... did she feel the same pull he did?

Only one action could let her know. He pulled his arm free and, even though he could feel his hand shaking with nervousness, curled it around her waist.

At his touch, Morgana sighed happily and snuggled closer. Uric didn't dare look at her for fear he'd ruin it...

He caught himself reflecting, as he felt her warmth against his side, that life must be so simple for her. A matter of I'm right, you're wrong, people can be explained in one word. Types can change, he argued with himself. And simplistic views are only based on what people choose to show us.

Once he would have tried to predict people by stereotype. Once he lived a shallow, cheerful, easy life. But now he could predict nothing, not even how he himself would react.

What happened? he wondered. How did my life suddenly gain this disturbing, exciting dimension?

I fell in love, a tiny voice said, but he pushed it away, not wanting to contemplate its meaning.

The next thing Uric knew, he was awake and Morgana was gone. Was it all a dream? he thought in anguish. Did she never sit here?

But the spot next to him on the couch had a small depression in it, and as he inspected the side of his robes, he clearly saw small golden sparkles lingering there.

They matched the ones he had seen on Morgana that night.

* ~ *

"Hey, do you guys want to come to my house for the Easter Hols?" Morgana asked suddenly. Double Herbology meant that she could see all her friends except Kiri.

Cassi brightened. "Sure! It's not as if I want to visit my family."

Stormy nodded distractedly and went back to the plant she was pruning. "How are things at Eville..." she muttered softly, apparently composing a letter to ward off boredom. Plants had never been her thing.

"What about you?" Morgana turned to Circe.

The auburn-haired girl hesitated. "I think so," she ventured, "but I'll have to check with my mum."

"Great." Morgana smiled, knowing that was the most definite answer she would get for now. But her mood faded into slight uncertainty as she stole a glance at Uric. "I... I was wondering if you could come, too." She carefully avoided eye contact.

"I will if I can," he replied just as akwardly. Morgana's heart thrilled. His presence would make her happiest of all.

* ~ *

Over the next few days owls turned up with permission. Circe, Uric, Stormy, and Cassiopeia were all coming. Kiri, however, couldn't.

"My parents'll kill me if I even think about not going to see them," she explained. "They live in the U.S., and they haven't seen me for months."

"I quite understand," replied Morgana, though she didn't at all. Her parents would never do something like that.