---Chapter Two---
Who Am I Going to Take?

Lee groaned, pulling the sheets further over his head. The prospect of Transfiguration and possibly a long, dull chapter on Anamagi loomed ahead. But that wasn't it. There was also the thing he was dreading the most – talking to Katie. He imagined it to be awkard and pointless – it was definitely not the time to ask her to the Halloween Ball. This wasn't how it was meant to be, the words echoed angrily in his mind. He thought that Katie would admit that she liked him too. How wrong I was, he thought to himself bitterly.

Lee buried his face in his pillow. It was a Monday morning and he had no intention of getting up. It was going to be a lousy day anyway, nothing special. He might as well just stay in bed all day and pretend he was sick. Afterall, he was a professional at it. His thoughts were disrupted by a sudden, sharp pain in his back.

'Blimey! Don't do that!' Lee cried.

A familiar voice behind him sniggered. Lee tried to ignore the voice and the continous, violent jabs.

'Lee died.' called the voice. It was Fred.

'Hmm.' came a second voice, which Lee recognised as George. The twins came to bug him. This wasn't good.

'Get up, you lazy twit! If you miss Transfiguration and Potions and we don't, I see that as an unfair call!' said George, annoyed.

'Go away both of you! I am sick if you two haven't noticed,' said Lee, sounding even more irritated than George.

'Suit yourself, you grumpy bugger.' Fred replied. The prodding suddenly stopped, leaving Lee with a slight pain in his back. Determined to go back to sleep, he pushed aside his thoughts of Katie and drifted into a soft slumber.

He was woken by a sharp, harsh light beaming down on his face. Lee grumbled, turning to his left, pulling the sheets further up his head.

'Are you awake?' a soft, slight voice came from the end of his bed.

Lee's mind pounded in confusion. Katie? He struggled up, and groggily opened his eyes.

'Hey Lee!' her tone brightened when she saw him open his eyes.

'Katie?' said Lee, bewildered.

She laughed, her voice ringing his ears. 'Who else did you think it would be?'

'I didn't know girls were allowed into the boys' dorm – '

'Well apparently we are. But you aren't allowed in ours.' said Katie, smiling warmly. Lee sensed force behind her falsely bright tone and her smile.
'Anyway, I brought you your homework. Snape was in a nasty mood and made us write two rolls worth on the potion we made today for homework,' Katie sighed, handing Lee a piece of parchment, on which she had neatly written all his homework up for him.

'Thanks Katie,' he said gratefully.

'I also brought you some pumpkin juice and pastries from lunch…seeing as you aren't feeling well. Are you okay, Lee?' Katie's eyes flickered with concern.

A pang of guilt hit Lee like he had been slapped across the face. Katie was genuinely concerned about his health and he missed class to avoid her? And she came up to visit him! He really didn't feel particularly well now. Lee felt the need to prove to her he was 'sick'. He let out a long, rattly cough, and was surprised with himself at how real it sounded.

'Oh no. You've got a cough. Lunch is finishing up, so I better go now,' Katie said hurriedly, gathering up her belongings and her bookbag. 'Well hope you get better soon.' And with that, she gave him a quick peck on the forehead before she dashed out of his room.

That was definitely not right, he thought. She used to do that to him for fun before yesterday's confrontation. Now she was acting like the entire incident hadn't happened!

Well, that isn't a bad thing, a small voice in his head said. Lee realised he had never been this depressed or worried about a girl in his life. He scolded himself for being so stupid, and heaved himself out of bed.

For a while, he sat there, his mind blank of thoughts as he downed his pumpkin juice. A deliberation suddenly sparked in his mind.

'Who am I going to take to the Halloween Ball?' he wondered aloud.

His mind wiped clean like a slate once again. He had pictured himself taking Katie to the Ball, but now there was not even a little glimmer of hope in that. Lee needed a date. Fast. The Halloween Ball wasn't far down the track, with only another week to spare. Lee buried his head in his hands. He sighed, and checked his watch. The longer hand was a mite bit past the little black four, and the smaller hand was on the one. Another two or something hours of class, he calculated, slumping back into bed.

'Mate! Wake up!' a fierce shaking roused Lee from his sleep.

'Yeah?' said Lee sleepily.

'You just missed dinner.' said the voice. Lee could just feel the smirk burning into his back.

'Fred, you bloody idiot! Why did you wake me up now?' said Lee irritably, sitting upright in bed.

'You deserved it, for jigging class,' said Fred with a grin. 'Don't worry, I brought you up a bread roll…'

Fred shoved Lee a crumbled bread roll.

'No thanks.' Lee pushed it back at Fred.

Fred shrugged, and Vanished it.

'Was that necessary?' Lee's eyebrows raised.

Again, Fred shrugged. 'So, who you taking to the Halloween Ball?' Fred gave Lee a hard nudge in his ribs.

'No one.' Lee glowered.

'What about…Katie Bell, perhaps?' suggested Fred with a wink.

'No! Not Katie – ' said Lee, receiving raised eyebrows from Fred.

'Why not?' interrupted Fred.

'She's probably going with someone else,' Lee answered, his face flushing.

'She isnt,' persisted Fred. 'She was asking George in Transfiguration today whether you had a date,'

'Why do I find that hard to believe?'

Fred grinned. 'Alright…maybe she didn't. But blimey, if you don't go with her – who else can you go with?'

'I don't care. As long as it isnt Katie.'

'I thought you liked Katie!'

'I did…well, I do, but – '

'But you should go with her.'

'No!'

'She doesn't like me!'

Fred blinked, and scoffed. 'Who said that?'

'She did.'

'She did not!'

'Look, this is pointless. She even told me so!' shot back Lee.

'Yeah, when?'

'Yesterday.'

'Pffft. You know perfectly well that she likes you. I'm going to go now, and maybe talk to your girlfriend. You wan't to come?' Fred asked from the doorway.

Lee rolled his eyes. 'No.'

'Who's got their knickers in a twist today?' grinned Fred, before disappearing behind the door.

Lee opened his mouth to yell profanity after him, but he decided not to. Lee groaned. He really wanted to take Katie to the Ball…but he knew he couldn't. Suddenly, his mind lit up. I know who I can take! He marvelled at his own ability to actually think at times needed. It wasn't Katie naturally, but still, he would love to take her…no. He shook the thought from his mind, reminding himself she didn't like him, not in the same way he liked her. No.

A/N Thanks a bunch to misskrazykiwi, darkforest214 & Eruaphadriel for reviewing my first chapter! Greatly appreciated.
Also I have to apologise for the lame title to this chapter, my brain was really stuck for ideas, and also the long, boring nature of it.
Another apology for the first chapter...the 'pink' lady, as I called her, is actually the Fat Lady. I havent read the books in ages, and I got a little confused. Sorry!
Please keep reading and reviewing people! I promise this story will be going somewhere...it's going to get a hell lot more interesting in the next few chapters (hopefully).

So remember! Hit that little blue 'Go' button at the bottom and review!