Chapter 14: The Yule Ball!
It was a month before the Yule Ball and it was also the day of the escorted/supervised trip to Hogsmeade for Harry, Ron, Clare, Amy, Kirsti and Rachel. They had been ordered to assemble outside Dumbledore's office at 10am. Dumbledore then let them into the office to talk to them about the security measures that were now in place. Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Sirius and Lily were standing in the office.
"We are your escorts for today's trip to Hogsmeade for you. Tonks and Lily will be in charge of the girls and Sirius and I will be in charge of Harry and Ron. However we will all be in Gladrags Wizardwear so there will be no need to split up." growled Moody.
"You and Sirius aren't coming into the changing rooms with us." said Rachel.
"That's what Lily and Tonks are for." Sirius snapped.
Harry, Ron, Sirius and Moody were waiting impatiently for the girls to pick out their outfits as the boys already had their dress robes.
"Will you please hurry up. I hate shopping and I want to go." snapped Moody.
"It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind." replied Tonks.
"I've found it. I've found it." said Amy excitedly before pulling Tonks into the changing rooms.
They were shortly joined by Clare, Kirsti and Rachel who had found their perfect dresses. Rachel had taken the longest because she was so picky and disliked wearing anything feminine.
It was the next day and Kirsti was leaping down the corridors as she had asked Oliver to the Yule Ball and he had, of course, said yes. Then Amy had asked Harry over breakfast, but leisurely as she didn't want to give their relationship away. Clare was having a bit of trouble working out who to ask and Rachel couldn't be bothered.
"So Rachel, me old chum, asked anyone to the Ball yet?" Kirsti asked.
"Shut up!" shouted Rachel.
"You can go with Percy." shouted Amy, causing Percy's ears to tint pink, but Rachel thought this was a good idea.
"Percy can I have a word?" said Rachel.
"Rachel it was a joke." Amy hissed.
"Yes you may borrow my ear." Percy said pompously whilst Amy sat their laughing her head off.
"DoyouwanttogototheYuleballwthme?" said Rachel nervously.
"Er pardon me, I didn't quite catch what you just said." said Percy, in his forever-pompous tone.
"DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE YULE BALL WITH ME!" Rachel roared, causing several students to stare and left Percy looking a bit taken a back.
"Yes I would love to." Percy said before planting a kiss on her cheek, Rachel blushed violently.
Meanwhile Clare had just been knocked back by Michael Corner and was devastated so Kirsti hexed him to sprout antlers. However she spotted Neville down the corridor and ran after him.
"Hi Neville." said Clare.
"Hhh, hhh, hi Clare." stuttered Neville.
"Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?" asked Clare.
"Iiiii, I aam yyounger tthhan you." Neville replied.
"And your point is?" said Clare.
"People will laugh at you." said Neville.
"So. Look do you want to go with me or not?" said Clare impatiently.
"Yeah ok." said Neville.
"Rachel get your arse over here now." Amy shouted.
"You called." replied Rachel, who was annoyed that Amy had interrupted her whilst she was doing her nails.
Your hair looks awful, let me do it." said Amy.
"After we've got dressed." stated Rachel.
Thirty minutes later both girls had changed into their dresses and Amy had finished Rachel's hair and makeup.
"I must say we both look absolutely spiffing." said Amy.
"Will you two get a move on. We're gonna be late." shouted Harry from the commonroom.
Rachel entered the commonroom dressed in a light blue sleeveless dress that had a diagonal spilt across the front with a dark blue mini skirt underneath it. Her hair was down and wavy and it was elbow length and she looked uncharacteristically feminine.
"You look absolutely ravishing." Percy said, looking astounded.
"Are you kidding, I look bloody awful." shouted Rachel
"Oh would you shut up Rachel." shouted Amy as she came down the stairs.
She was wearing a black ball gown, which was strapless and full at the bottom. Her hair was black and dead straight.
"Oh you scrub up nicely." said Amy as she saw Harry.
"You don't look to bad yourself." Harry replied.
"Well is everyone ready then?" asked Percy, as he linked arms with Rachel and marched them down to the Entrance Hall. Clare and Neville were already there, Clare had her hair pinned up and curled, and she was wearing a bright pink dress, it was a straight dress with a bodice. They were shortly joined by Kirsti and Oliver. Kirsti was wearing a red and gold floaty dress and her hair was down and curled. At eight o'clock the doors to the Great Hall swung open, the Hall walls were covered in sparkling silver frost. The teachers were standing at the top table waiting to greet each couple, when Dumbledore greeted each couple, Colin Creevey took a photo to put in a year book. There were lots of tables, each seating a dozen people, each lit by lanterns. Rachel, Percy, Harry, Amy, Kirsti, Oliver, Clare and Neville were on the same table with Ron, Hermione, Lavender and George. Once the feast had finished, Dumbledore asked the students to stand at the edges of the room, he clapped his hands and the tables disappeared leaving a dancefloor. He then invited the Weird Sisters to join him on the stage, they then started to play a slow love song. Percy dragged Rachel onto the dancefloor to dance, Amy and Harry were already dancing, as were Kirsti and Oliver, and Clare and Neville. Amy and Rachel noticed that Tonks, Lily, Moody and Sirius were patrolling the hall, and gave each other strange looks. Percy leaned in and kissed Rachel, Clare saw this and nearly stood on Neville's foot. There were two fast songs, which Rachel, Amy, Clare and Kirsti danced to in a group. There was then another slow song and this time Harry and Amy kissed, shocking both Sirius and Lily, as neither of them knew about their relationship.
"Thanks for telling us! How long has this been going on then?" Sirius said as Harry and Amy walked over to talk to him and Lily.
"Since the first Quidditch game of the year." Amy replied.
However, Rachel's evening was rapidly going down hill, Percy was a bit clingy, to say the least. In the end she kneed him in the groin and danced with Colin Creevey for the rest of the evening. Clare was pleasantly surprised at Neville, who could dance very well and even considered dating him again. Kirsti and Oliver spent most of the time kissing and dancing. Dumbledore also seemed to be enjoying himself whilst he tangoed with Madam Pomfrey. Snape's evening was very much like Rachel's, he had been forced to waltz with Professor Trelawney. But poor Madam Hooch had the worst evening, being engulfed by Hagrid when they were dancing.
"So, you want to go for a walk up to the astronomy tower?" Harry whispered to Amy, an hour before the end of the ball.
"I don't see why not." Amy replied as Harry led her out.
"I don't even want to think what they'll get up to up the astronomy tower!" Rachel said to Kirsti and Clare, before having the last dance with Colin.
Rachel woke up the next morning to discover that Amy had not come back that night and smirked to herself. Amy finally dragged herself in, looking incredibly happy,
"Have a good night?" Rachel asked.
"The best." Amy replied.
"I don't want any details, thank you very much but I can read your mind!" Rachel said sarcastically.
An hour later Rachel dragged Amy down to the library where they were going to start revising for their exams with Clare and Kirsti.
"I hope you and my brother didn't do anything too bad last night!" Clare said as Amy sat down.
"Shut up, I've had all that kind of stuff from this idiot!" Amy replied pointing to Rachel, "Have you started revising yet?"
"No, I can't believe that they're so close, the time has flown by." Clare replied. They spent the next hour drawing up revision timetables and Clare continued ranting about how close the exams were.
"That was the worst exam ever, I'm definitely going to fail Potions this year, I hate Snape!." Rachel snapped as she stormed out after her Potions exams.
"I know, I think my potion turned out ok but I totally messed up the theory." Amy replied.
"What have we got next, it's Transfiguration isn't t?" Rachel asked, still feeling very annoyed.
"Yes, I can't wait. Transfiguration is so stimulating!" Amy replied.
"You're mad! How do you think Clare's Herbology is going?" Rachel asked.
"Well you can ask her, she's coming over." Amy said as Clare slumped beside them.
"That was awful. I killed it." Clare said, "But I switched it with one of the Slytherins."
"You didn't?" Rachel said in disbelief.
"I certainly did. Ugh, I've got History of Magic next." Clare said.
"Lucky you." Rachel replied sarcastically. "We don't have that until tomorrow!"