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Chapter 9
Cassidy's POV (October 31)
I haven't talked to Lindsay in 2 days and the ball is tonight. Shane and Austin are torn in two because they don't want to take sides, which is fine with me because if they were fighting, I wouldn't take sides either.
Flashback:
"What's wrong, Cassi?" Asked Lindsay worriedly as she sat down on my bed next to me.
"This." I said shortly, throwing the article in her face. As she read it, her eyes grew wide.
"Oh my god." She said. I looked at her.
"Why did you tell her that?" I asked. "Do you really think I look like a boy?"
"I didn't think-"
"You said that to RITA SKEETER AND DIDN'T THINK SHE'D PUT IT IN THE PAPER!"
Lindsay's lip began to tremble. I turned over, and she fled from the room.
"Cassi, what's up?" Asked Austin later. I shook my head and ignored him.
End Flashback
I'm more short-tempered and irritable too. I've become a bit closer with Haley since the article because she's on the quidditch team with me as keeper. Quidditch is basically the only time that I don't have to see Lindsay so I don't need to think about her. I've gotten pretty good; Sandra thinks I'm a born natural. So I guess I'm pretty good.
"Mum?" I asked over the phone the evening of the dance.
"Cassidy?"
"I'm going to the dance with Shane." I blurted. I had been debating whether or not to tell her, because I wasn't sure if it would be a big deal or not.
"Whoa! What dance?"
"The Halloween Dance." I said softly.
"When did this happen?" She asked, and I could hear the mounting excitement in her voice.
"That's not all of my exciting news." I replied.
"There's more?" She asked.
"I'm not talking to Lindsay anymore." I said.
"You said it was exciting!" She exclaimed.
"I said exciting, not happy."
"Oh, hun."
"Did you read the article?" I roared as Haley did my makeup. I had agreed to a little bit. Just a little.
"Yes, but that just gives that awful woman the satisfaction of doing something horrible! It's her special ability!" Hermione yelled.
"Did you read the article?" I repeated. I had gotten up the courage to read the rest. It got worse. Much worse. It mentioned "Gay" a few times, and "I wonder if she shaves her legs" yeah.
"Okay, fine. Back to the Shane subject." She said.
"What about it?"
"Shane? How did that come around?"
"He asked me."
"And you said yes?"
"I don't know. He just looked so pathetic!"
"So this is a pity date? Because I'm sure that Shane could round up many more girls who would date him because they want to."
"No! I like him, I guess. But it's just weird. Best friends since 3rd grade."
"Well, that's where you get the best relationships. If you know the person. Really well."
"Okay. Well, I've got to go. The ball starts in 15 minutes. Love you!"
"Love you. And if you get discouraged, just go talk to Hagrid. He helped me a lot when I was in some of my worse fights with Harry and your Dad." (A/N: Remember book #3 with Scabbers and the Firebolt, when Hermione had McGonagall confiscate the Firebolt and Ron thought Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers? Hagrid said Hermione spent a lot of time at his house, crying.)
"I've never had a fight with Linds that's lasted this long."
"Yes you have. In Preschool you accidentally broke her kiddie broomstick. She was mad at you for 3 days until you broke yours also." She replied. I giggled.
"I was a twisted child." I said, grinning.
"You both were." Mum said, as Katie laughed at the memory of our twisted and pathetic childhood fight.
"Bye!" I yelled, grinning.
"Love you." We hung up.
Haley and I headed down to the common room, all ready. I saw Lindsay across the room. She was giggling with Ian. She looked so, so, so pretty in her red and pink dress. She had curled her beautiful black hair into ringlets and wrapped a sash around her head and tied it around the back of her head. She wore high-heeled red sandals, and her dress was spaghetti strap like mine, but it had extra material that folded over and hung down over the top. As she glanced over my way I quickly looked away. Then, Austin and Shane came down. Austin whistled at me, and Haley kicked him in the shin. At the last minute, Austin had decided to go with Haley because nobody really knew her as well as us. We walked down to the entrance hall with all of the other Gryffindors.
"So, do you want to dance, or snack, or just watch other people make fools of themselves because they think they're good at dancing?" Shan asked nervously.
Hey, you only live once.
"Let's dance." I said, pulling Shane into the spotlight with me. It was a fairly fast song, my favorite, Beautiful Soul, Jesse McCartney.
I don't want another pretty face; I don't want just anyone to hold,
I don't want my love to go to waist
I want you and your beautiful soul
Wow, this is pretty easy. After beautiful soul, it was My World, Avril Lavigne. After that, it was The Reason, Hoobastank. That was really the first slow song, and I wasn't quite sure how to do this one, and I was all for going to get a seat, but Shane was quick to ask if I'd do just this one dance.
"All right, but after this I have to sit down." I replied grinning.
So, we stepped onto the dance floor once again.
I'm not a perfect person There's many things I wish I didn't do But I continue learning I never meant to do those things to you And so, I have to say before I go That I just want you to know
Shane rested his hands on my hips, and instructed me to put my arms on his neck. We moved slowly around the dance floor, maneuvering around the other couples.
I've found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new And the reason is you
Eventually, toward the end of the song, I wrapped my arms around Shane's neck and rested my head on his shoulder.
I'm sorry that I hurt you It's something I must live with everyday And all the pain I put you through
I wish I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
Suddenly, a spotlight flicked on, and made it's way through the crowd until the light hit us. Everybody glanced over at us, but some people who knew me did double takes. I buried my face in Shane's shoulder like I had done many other times to him or Austin when I was embarrassed. My face turned bright red.
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you…
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
The song ended, and the spotlight moved on.
"Welcome, welcome to our wonderful Halloween Ball!" Boomed Dumbledore proudly.
"These first few dances are just a preview of what is to come in the rest of the night. But right now I want to announce a new contest." Dumbledore added, smiling slightly.
A murmur of interest rippled through the crowd quickly. Shane and I looked at each other and shrugged.
"Settle down, settle down," the hall quieted, "this will be a 'king and queen of the dance' contest, as is done in many muggle teenage dances." A chorus of cheers rang out through the hall.
"Our finalists have been decided by the staff and I. They include," Dumbledore looked down at a piece of parchment on the table where the names were listed, "Dianne Sanndara and Mick Thomas ("Hey, he's my Aunt Ginny's kid! My cousin!" I whispered excitedly), Sandra Ellender and Cohen Doge, (I cheered loudly along with the other Gryffindor quidditch team members,) "Hallo Krum and Mark Dressler, Lindsay Potter and Ian Scoulder, (I gasped, and looked over across the hall where I spotted Ian and Lindsay kissing. Typical.) and last but not least, Cassidy Granger and Shane Ryan!" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.
Almost everybody who didn't know I had come with Shane craned around to see the girl who was famous to have never dated, or, to those who read the article, the girl who was really a boy.
(A/N: Mick Thomas: on page 866 of the Order Of The Phoenix, Ginny says she's going out with Dean Thomas. Kailee, LoL, in convos the dramatic triangle of Cho-Dean-Ami. Also, Cohen Doge: Elphias Doge was mentioned in OOTP, page #49.)
"And now we vote. After you cast your votes at one of the 10 booths at the end of the room, take a seat at a table, and order your food." Dumbledore finished, sitting down. There was a mad scramble to the booths as Dumbledore stood and added:
"The finalists are not aloud to vote. Thank you, that is all." Shane and I grabbed a table and slumped down into chairs, exhausted and pink-faced from dancing. We read our orders aloud, and food appeared on the gold colored plates in front of us.
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