Rock and Roll All Night
Every common room at Hogwart's was full of life. It was almost as chaotic as the first morning of classes. Girls were running everywhere, hair in curlers and nails still wet. Guys just sat back and enjoyed a good laugh. It was nearly noon before Kim, Jenny, Michelle and Katie saw each other in the Great Hall.
"Oh man, this is so exciting! What after-party are we going to?" asked Kim through mouthfuls of pizza. The girls quickly grabbed some food and stood at the doors to talk together.
"Hell, I don't know. I still need to sort out the situation with George," said Katie.
"Yeah, I have to arrange a meeting time with Harry," Michelle said. "Poor Jenny and Kim. You guys have no dates."
"That's what you think," Jenny shot back. She hadn't mentioned the events of the previous night to her friends.
"What would you be implying by making such a statement then?" asked Kim. "Is there a strapping young man who will be accompanying you to the ball?" Michelle, Kim and Katie's eyes narrowed in on Jenny.
"Yes. Yes there is. Just don't make a big shit about it, alright?" The friends nodded. "Yesterday, I got a letter from Draco telling me to meet him in the dungeons. So I went, but I thought it was all a joke or something. When I got there, I found out I was wrong. Draco asked me if I would be his date."
"Wait, he took you all the way into a dungeon to ask you to the ball?" inquired Michelle. "Why didn't he just do it in the village yesterday?"
Jenny didn't hesitate when she said, "Because he didn't want to do it in front of all of you guys. He thought you would do or say something stupid and make it awkward. It's not like I'm gonna bang him or anything."
"Haha, we don't know that!" shouted Kim. "Just if you do, please don't tell me; that's just wrong."
"Oh, imagine their kids! Poor things, they have no chance of being good looking," Katie said.
"Screw you, Katie," replied Jenny. "And at least I have a date, Kim." Kim shot Jenny a dirty look.
"For your information, I do have a date. And no, I'm not going to tell you who it is."
"Fine, don't tell us," shot back Jenny. "Just don't make a retard of me tonight. I'm meeting Draco in the entry way before the ball. We should all meet our dates there, then we can get a good table."
"Sounds like a plan," said her other friends.
"Shit, it's almost one o'clock. We better start getting ready. I haven't done anything yet!" Michelle took off in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. Jenny, Kim and Katie went back to their common rooms as well to prepare for the big evening.
Many hours had passed since lunch. Dinner was ignored by anyone in Third year or later, because a meal would be served at the ball. Hair was teased and styled, nails were painted, make-up was applied and dress robes were put on. It took most girls all day, but finally they were ready for the big ball. It was set to begin at 7:00, so everyone was going to meet their dates at 6:45. The entry way was full of students waiting to enter the Hall. The doors were still shut, and teachers were running around making last minute touches. No one was allowed to see what it looked like inside until it was completely perfect.
It seemed as though everyone was already there, but Michelle was the first of her friends to arrive. She entered the entry way and immediately spotted Harry. He was standing with, of course, Ron and Hermione. The pair were standing beside each other, hand in hand.
"How cute," Michelle muttered to herself. She hoped that she would be able to do the same with Harry. She walked over to her date and greeted him with a peck on the cheek. "Hey Harry," she said.
"Michelle!" Harry replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't manage to pick you up at your common room, but the traffic around here is chaotic. We've just found out that each table seats ten. Do all of your friends have dates?"
"Yeah, they do. Do you mind if they sit with us?" Michelle hoped that her friends would be accepted.
"Why not?" said Harry. "Five couples equals ten people. Just as long as we don't have to sit with Draco, eh guys?" Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed to themselves. Michelle became concerned.
"Uh…yeah, about that. Draco will be sitting with us at the table tonight. He's Jenny's date." Michelle tried her best to keep a straight face. Harry, Ron and Hermione were lost for words. None of them had any response to what Michelle had just told them. "Oh come on you guys, it's not like you have to become best friends with him. You just have to sit and eat your meal at the same table as him. You'll do it for me, right Harry?" Michelle smiled at him and reached for his hand. He quickly moved it and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Erm, yeah. I'll sit with him for you. Where are all of your friends, anyway?" Michelle looked around. She was trying to see over everyone else's heads. All of a sudden, she saw a pair of blonde heads emerge from the crowd and make their way to where Michelle, Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing.
"Holy crap, Michelle," Jenny started. "We've been looking for you for like, ten minutes!" Draco stood next to her silently. "Any sign of Kim or Katie yet?"
"No," replied Michelle. "We need to make sure everyone gets hereon time, or else we won't get a good table. Ron and Hermione are going to sit with us."
"Good stuff," said Jenny. "Draco, do you see any one else yet?" Draco looked at Jenny and frowned. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear.
"Do we really have to sit with Potter, Weasley and the Mudblood?"
"Draco!" she whispered back. "Good grief, it's not like you have to talk to them and become life-long friends. Go and sit with Crabbe and Goyle if you're going to be so stubborn."
"Oh, all right," Draco said aloud. Jenny liked when she won arguments. He gave Harry and his friends a quick snarl, and started to look around the room.
Jenny looked at her watch constantly, and said, "Ugh, where are those two? The doors will be opening any minute!"
"Shut up Jenny," said a voice that came from behind the group. Michelle and Jenny turned around and saw Kim standing with Neville, Jenny's cousin.
"Kim, what are you doing with my cousin?" asked Jenny in a concerned tone.
"He's my date," replied Kim. "What's wrong with that?"
"Uh…nothing. Nothing is wrong with that." Jenny leaned towards Kim so no one could hear what she was going to say. "It's just that Neville gets a little attached to people when he really likes them. So my advice of the day is, don't lead him on."
"Got it," replied Kim. "Have any of you seen Katie yet?" Everyone shook their heads.
It was exactly one minute before the doors to the Great Hall opened when Katie made her appearance. She was sprinting through the crowd, occasionally stopping to make sure she wasn't trampling her robes.
"You guys!" she shouted. "I'm so sorry I'm late! The line to use the bathroom was ridiculously long, and I ran as fast as I could. Hey, where's George?"
"Dunno," said Michelle. "I haven't seen him or Fred at all tonight." Katie suddenly felt a hand slowly rest on her shoulder. She smiled and turned around.
"George, I'm so glad you are here," said Katie.
"I'm glad I'm here too. Hey everyone." Everyone else said hello, except for Ron. He shot his brother the dirtiest of all dirty looks. No one could figure out why, but they were soon interrupted by a voice everyone was waiting to hear.
"Attention all students," spoke Professor Dumbledore. "We will be opening the doors as soon as I finish this speech. First of all, I would like to welcome all of you and thank you for attending this wonderful school event. I hope that everyone has an enjoyable experience, and that you all remain safe over the course of the evening…"
"Yeah, he means don't make any babies!" shouted a voice from within the crowd. No one could exactly pin point who the speaker was, but almost everyone knew that the voice belonged to Peeves.
"Thank you for that comment. Moving along… I will now be setting out some rules that all of you must follow. The ball will go on until midnight, and when that time comes, I expect you to all return to your own dormitories. You will be allowed to go outside, but you must return as soon as the ball has finished. Most importantly, there will be no after-parties to be held in any unused classrooms or dungeons. If anyone is caught with as much as a single drop of alcohol, they will be forced to face the consequences. We will be serving dinner shortly, and after that we will have a famous DJ play music for you. I hope you all know that only certain kinds of dances will be accepted. Any sorts of movements that either myself or any other staff member find offensive, and you will be asked to stop immediately. The most important thing I want you to all remember tonight is…have a great time!" With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore threw open the doors to the Great Hall.
All of the students crowded together to get into the Great Hall and find out where they would be sitting. Since Kim, Michelle, Katie, Jenny and everyone else were off to the side, they were able to sneak in ahead of most of the crowd. They were some of the first students to see the Hall completely decorated. Instead of the normal candles and house banners that brought life to the room, they were now replaced with celestial images of shooting stars and faraway planets. The brightness of the stars was enough to make the room as light as it needed to be.
"Damn," Jenny mumbled to herself, as she and her friends and their dates made their way through the hall to a table closest to the stage. The four long house tables that usually filled the Great Hall were, like the ball the previous year, gone. Now, there were multiple small round tables around the perimeter of the room, with plenty of space in the middle for a dance floor. Each table had a small centerpiece that glowed. Katie took a closer look to examine it.
"Holy crap, you guys," she said. "They used fairies to light up all the individual tables!"
"How cute," replied Kim, as Neville pulled out a chair for her to sit on. "Thanks Neville."
"Not a problem," he said as he sat down as well. Michelle looked at Harry.
"What?" said Harry.
"Never mind," snapped Michelle. She pulled out her chair and sat at the table. Harry took a seat next to her with a confused look on his face.
George, Ron and Draco all pulled out chairs for their dates and quickly sat down, because everyone seemed to be settling. There was a long table at the front of the Great Hall, where all of the supervising teachers sat. Dumbledore stood up in front of the entire room to make another speech.
"Yes, I know I'm going to be talking again, but I'll keep it short this time. I just want to say…enjoy!" The food appeared on the special occasion decorative plates that were set on every table.
"Woah!" exclaimed Ron. "The house elves sure outdid themselves tonight! What a feast!" He reached for the plate of steak that was set in front of him.
"What do you mean by house elves, Ronald?" snapped Hermione. "You mean that house elves have been slaving away somewhere in the school to provide meals for me for the past five years?" Hermione was a real activist for the fair treatment of house elves, and she even convinced Michelle to become a member of her organization S.P.E.W.
"Ugh. Hermione! I was only joking," shouted Ron. "I'm sure there are people Dumbledore has employed and pays fair wages to so they can cook for us every day."
Hermione shot Ron a dirty look. "Then how come I've never seen these people? Where do they sleep? How do they…" Hermione and Ron went off into one of their usual arguments. Everyone was pretty much used to it. Draco was laughing to himself, hoping that no one would notice.
"Okay, you guys," interrupted Kim. "just eat the damn food. Who cares who made it? It's all good food in the end." She took a baked potato and dropped it onto her plate. Everyone followed Kim's advice and continued eating their meals. The conversation was much more calm for the rest of the time they spent eating, aside from the occasional sneer from Draco to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
After the plates from dinner had cleared and everyone ate their chocolate cake for dessert, the DJ walked onto the stage and stepped into the DJ booth.
"Are you guys ready to party?" he shouted, as he got ready to play some music. A large cheer erupted from the room, which was his signal to press play. The magical speakers amplified to music to fill the entire room with music. People jumped out of their seats, grabbed a partner and headed to the dance floor.
"Come on Draco, we're gonna dance now," said Jenny as she grabbed his arm. He didn't hesitate as they made their way to the center of the room. Some people at the table were still a little resistant to dance. Especially Harry.
"Harry," Michelle said. "I love this song! You need to come and dance with me. Then we can sit out for a bit. Please?"
"But I can't dance!" he replied.
"Well, neither can Ron or Neville, but they're giving it a shot," Michelle pointed out. Ron, Hermione, Kim and Neville were all walking on to the dance floor, and appeared to be having a good time.
"Look! George isn't dancing! And neither is Katie!" Harry frantically pointed to the couple sitting across the table.
"Don't worry," said Katie as she stood up. "We're going to dance."
"Why, yes we are," George responded. He grabbed Katie's hand and led her through the crowd to find everyone else. It was just Michelle and Harry left at the table.
The song finished, but there was no sight of any of Michelle and Harry's friends.
"Please Harry, just one dance. Why is it so hard for you to just have some fun? If you don't dance with me, I'm sure there are many lovely young men who would be glad to dance with me." Harry stared at Michelle.
"Let's go!" he shouted. They got up and walked towards the dance floor. The music was loud, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Michelle and Harry found a spot close to where Katie and George were dancing. Michelle didn't bother to talk to them, since they seemed to be in their own little world. A fast song was playing, so a lot of the couples on the dance floor were grinding. Harry looked towards the professors table and saw the looks of horror on their faces.
"Why must people dance like that?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea, but it just looks like they're having sex," replied Michelle. Harry laughed.
"Yeah, Professor Flitwick looks like he's going to have a heart attack if he watches any of it for much longer." The tiny charms teacher was making his way through the crowd, splitting up any couples who were dancing inappropriately.
A slow song came on after, and everyone toned down the dancing significantly.
"See, I have no problem dancing to something like this," said Harry as he put his arms around Michelle. She rested her head on his chest, and they swayed back and forth to the music. She looked over at Katie and George, and they were in a tight embrace.
"How cute," Michelle thought to herself, and continued to dance with Harry.
Kim and Neville were not far away from the other couples. They were probably feeling the most awkward of anyone in the entire room. Neville had no sense of rhythm, and he kept stepping on Kim's toes.
"Ouch!" Kim screeched. "Can you please watch where your feet are going?"
"Sorry…" said Neville, as he turned a bright shade of red. He avoided making eye contact with Kim for the rest of the time they spent dancing together, mostly because he was concentrating on where his feet were stepping.
Not far away from where Kim and Neville were, danced Jenny and Draco. There wasn't much conversation happening, just an occasional awkward glance. Jenny didn't know where she should look, or if she should try talking during the song.
"So, what after-party are we going to?" Draco startled Jenny.
"Wha?" she replied. "Oh! The after-party…well, I heard that someone was going to have one in the dungeons. And I also heard of one being held in the Room of Requirement. From all the people that I've talked to, they're all going to the Room of Requirement party. Someone told me that all of the pot heads were going to go down into the dungeons, and I would rather avoid that."
"That sounds like a good idea." said Draco. "God, how long is this song?" Everyone continued dancing until the song was finished. Jenny looked at her watch, and it read exactly 8:30.
"Three and a half hours left," she muttered to herself. A fast song was playing, so everyone was starting to move around a lot. Jenny decided to go and find the rest of her friends, since she hadn't seen them after she left the table. She led Draco off the dance floor and looked in the direction of the table that they ate dinner at. Michelle and Harry were sitting and talking, and Kim and Neville were at the table too. She had her shoes off and was rubbing her feet. Neville had an embarrassed look on his face. Jenny walked up to the table.
"Hey guys, having fun?" she asked. Everyone stared at her. "Alright then…hey, where did Katie and George go? Are they still dancing?" Jenny looked at the crowd of people and saw Katie and George still lost in each others eyes.
"Where did the Weasley twin go? I haven't even seen him all night. Not that I care or anything," snarled Draco.
"Yeah, I haven't seen Fred all night," said Michelle.
"Me either," said Kim and Harry at the same time.
"That sucks man," said Jenny. "I heard he was a good dancer. Well, Draco, come on, let's go dance some more, shall we?" Jenny and Draco disappeared into the crowd.
A few more songs had passed, and Michelle was growing restless.
"Harry, how come you won't dance? Just a few more songs is all I'm asking." Michelle took Harry's hand and gave him an innocent look.
"I already told you, I can't dance!" he shouted.
"Fine. Kim, do you mind if I dance with Neville?"
"Take him," Kim mumbled. "I'm still recovering from the last one."
"Are you sure you want me to leave you?" asked Neville.
"I'll be fine. Now go and dance with Michelle. I'll keep an eye on Harry."
"You better," Michelle smiled. She and Neville walked away from the table. They tried to look for people they knew, but they were practically surrounded by seventh years, most of whom were making out right on the dance floor.
"Um, yeah, I think we should get out of here," said Michelle as she manoeuvred her way through all the kissing couples. They found some space near where Jenny and Draco were dancing. Neville and Michelle danced together for a few songs, and seemed to be having a good time. Michelle had to stand far away from him, so she could avoid injury like Kim couldn't.
"How are Kim's feet doing?" Jenny asked Michelle. "They looked pretty beat up back at the table."
"Yeah, I think she won't be dancing with anyone else for the rest of the night." said Michelle. She was wrong. Out of the corner of his eye, Neville could see Kim fully recovered. She was dancing with Ron, since Hermione had become tired.
"Michelle," Neville started. "I think I'm finished dancing. Do you think we can go sit down now?"
"Aww, how come?" Michelle asked. "Are you getting sick of me already? Am I really that bad of a dancer?"
"Neville…" Jenny said. "You've always loved dancing! Even when we were little you would always love going to Gran's house and putting on her old music. What's wrong with you?"
"There's nothing wrong," said Neville. "I'm just tired. Michelle, you can stay here dancing if you want, but I'm going to go and have a sit down."
"Alright then," said Michelle. "Thanks for the dance anyway, Neville."
"No problem," he said shyly, and made his way through the Hall to find a seat.
"Something is wrong with that boy. Jenny, I think you need to talk to him." said Michelle.
"Yeah, I know. I don't know why he bothers to tell me there's something wrong. I've known him since we were born. Our Mums were friggin sisters! Maybe I will have a sit down with him tomorrow. There's too many people around tonight."
"Excuse me," interrupted Draco. "But I believe that the dance floor is for dancing, not chatting. Isn't it, ladies?"
"Funny," snapped Jenny. "One more thing. Michelle, you guys are going to the Room of Requirement after party, right?"
"Yep," said Michelle. "I'm so glad that Harry knew the room existed and that he found out someone from his house was going to have it."
"Ugh, it's a Gryffindor party?" snarled Draco.
"Yes," said Jenny. "And you are going to it. I know your Slytherin buddies are having that stoner party in the basement, and you are not allowed to go to it. If I ever catch you smoke anything, I will kick your - "
"You guys," Michelle said. "I'm gonna go find everyone else and tell them about the after party. Should we just meet back at the table right before the dance is over?"
"Sounds like a plan," said Jenny. "See ya soon!" Michelle left Draco and Jenny and set off looking for a sign of her other friends. She first spotted Kim, who was now dancing with Dean Thomas.
"Michelle!" shouted Kim. "Where's Harry? I thought you guys would be glued together for the entire night."
"Well, he's being an asshole and he won't dance with me"
"That sucks," said Kim. "Hey, do you know where Neville went off to?"
"No idea," said Michelle. "He said he was tired and was going to sit down." Kim looked towards their table. She only saw Harry, Ron and Hermione talking.
"That's funny," Kim said. "He's not there."
"Maybe he just went to the bathroom or something. Listen, Jenny and I were talking, and we decided that we are going to the Room of Requirement party. We're all going to meet back at our table before the dance is over."
"Cool," Kim said.
"I shall see you soon then," Michelle said. "My next mission is to find Katie and George."
"Good luck with that," laughed Kim. Michelle searched desperately through the crowd, looking for the pair. There was no sign of them anywhere on the dance floor or at any of the tables.
"Maybe they went outside," Michelle wondered. She walked through the front hall towards the door. She stepped outside and noticed that the front court yard had been turned into and elegant garden that was even more beautiful than the one from the year before. There were many couples sitting on the stone benches, holding hands and talking. It was mostly quiet, except for the occasional giggle. Michelle shuddered. Then, she heard a familiar giggle.
"George, there are so many people around! Can't you control yourself?" said the voice that Michelle recognized immediately.
"Oh shit," she mumbled to herself. "I must stop this nonsense right now." Her voice grew louder. "Okay kids, break it up!" Almost all of the couples in the area turned around to look at Michelle. A head full of bright red hair popped out from around a statue.
"Michelle, what are you doing?" screamed George.
"I was looking for you and your lover," replied Michelle. "I can see you are both enjoying yourselves…" Katie's head appeared around the corner.
"H…Hello Michelle," she stuttered.
"Hello." Michelle said in an unimpressed voice. "I just wanted to let you know that we are going to the Room of Requirement after party. When the dance is done, we're gonna meet at the table we sat at and head off together. Or do you need some more alone time?" The two just stared at Michelle.
"No, we don't," snapped Katie. "What time is it anyway?"
"Almost midnight," said George. "We should get going. I don't want to miss out on some beverages!"
"Me either," said Michelle. "Let's head back then." Michelle, Katie and George walked through the court yard and walked back into Hogwart's. They noticed that a lot of people were starting to leave, so they hurried into the Great Hall. They practically ran to their table and found Kim, Jenny, Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione all standing around waiting.
"Took you long enough. Did you find Neville on your way back here? He wanted to go to the party with me and I haven't seen him for half the night."
"I dunno man," said Jenny. "I'm sure he will be at the party. Probably just got lost in the crowd or something. That usually happens to him."
"Yeah, good point," said Kim. "Well, I guess we should make our way to the party now."
"We should wait for a bit," said Hermione. "Make sure we can get past all the professors. They're going to notice if a big group of people all walk there together."
"I agree," said Ron. "We can be fashionably late!"
"Shut up, Weasley," snapped Draco. "We better get out of here now. All of the professors are starting to kick everyone out."
"Alright," said everyone else. The group started to head toward the exit, and once they made it into the entrance hall, instead of going left like everyone else, they took a right.