A/N - A huge thank you to Dorothea Greengrass for her suggestions and edits for this chapter, they were tremendously helpful and I feel made a lot of things better.

Chapter 21

Yule Be In My Heart

Once in the office, Cody quickly stripped off his robes, removed all his Harry Potter glamours and changed into the tuxedo he had brought with him and had left in the room. He used a few spritz of the cologne Celine had given him for Christmas on his wrists. Sirius had told him to rub his wrists together, while his mom had told him not to, he took his mom's advice. Then, for good measure, he added a couple more around his neck area. He hadn't been told how much to put on, so if some was good, more was better, right?

The office door opened and Professor McGonagall walked in.

'Whew! Someone went a little overboard on the fragrance,' she said while wafting a hand in front of her face.

'Too much?'

'Yes.' She waved her wand, muttered an incantation and the smell dissipated significantly. 'That's better.'

'Thanks.'

She walked around her desk, opened a drawer, and removed a necklace. She walked back around the desk and stood in front of him.

'Stand up straight,' she commanded.

He did, but was curious about her command.

She undid his bowtie and went about retying it.

He let out a sigh of relief. For a second he thought she might've changed her mind about their plan. He looked at the professor and noticed moisture welling up in her eyes.

'If I knew bowties meant so much to you I wouldn't have even attempted it,' he quipped.

She smiled pleasantly. 'It's not that. I just had a bit of nostalgia, that's all.'

He furrowed his brows, uncertain at her meaning.

'This is the sort of thing a mother should be doing,' she said wistfully.

'Oh, don't worry about that. My mom got to do it already, when we tried on the tux,' he reassured.

'No, not Jennifer. I was thinking of Lily.'

'Oh. I guess you would remember her as much as anyone. Sorry, to bring up bad memories.' He didn't know if he had anything to apologize for, but that's what people seemed to do when they didn't know what else to say in situations like these.

'No, no. We must remember those that have sacrificed for us, not forget them.' She wiped her eyes and put on her more stoic face. 'And on the topic of remembering, don't let your old self see you,' she reminded him of the most important of the instructions she had previously gone over with him.

'I know. I left the Great Hall for the last hour, so that shouldn't be too hard.'

'It's too bad, too. I must say I'm looking forward to watching everything one more time,' she said, surprising him with her level of anticipation and handing him the necklace.

'It can't be that good,' he replied while draping the necklace over his head.

'You'll just have to find out for yourself,' she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Then her expression turned stern, 'Now remember what we've discussed. These are reserved for exceptional students, and you have proven that so far. Do not disappoint me.'

'Yes, ma'am.' He had no intentions of betraying her confidence.

'Ok, just one turn, now,' she said with a smile.

He took the little hourglass from the necklace in his hand and gave it a turn. One hour was all the time she was willing to afford him and he had little room for negotiations. He watched Professor McGonagall disappear, and then his arms and body followed, only to reform a split-second later in the same location, just one hour younger. Was he younger? Or had he just taken an hour off the end of his life? He shook his head and decided to leave the philosophical theorizing to Dumbledore.

He placed the necklace back in the drawer. That was another thing Professor McGonagall had been adamant about. Without really considering the potential ramifications, he followed her orders, left the necklace behind and exited the office.

Cody quickly navigated the corridors without drawing any attention. He entered the Hall and first looked to where he had last seen Celine. He saw Fleur and Sebastian, but no sign of Celine or her date. He continued his search and spotted Michael dancing with Hannah; Susan and Theo were close by. He noticed Millicent dancing with Goyle, and she looked happy. He caught her eye and waved, she smiled brightly in return; it was good to see her enjoying herself.

He walked by the refreshment table, but Celine wasn't there either. He caught a glimpse of the Weasley crew again and allowed himself a small smile. Then, he spotted Daphne and Tracey standing together. They were deep in conversation and didn't see him approach.

'Ahem,' he cleared his throat loudly, causing them to jump and turn in his direction. 'I was wondering if you could help me find a dance partner. I seem to be a little lost.' He tried for nonchalance and was fighting a smile.

Their faces brightened when they saw him, and Tracey jumped at him, giving him a big hug.

'You said you weren't coming!' Tracey said accusingly, hands on her hips.

'Well, things changed with time,' Cody said with a little shrug.

'I knew you were joking when you said you weren't going to come,' Daphne declared.

'I wasn't joking. I honestly didn't know I could come until a few days ago. It was too late to get a date, so I came as a stag.'

'It's just stag. Not, as a stag,' Tracey corrected.

'Whatever, I like calling myself a stag.'

'I wish you didn't insist, because now I have no choice but to point out that you look more like a penguin than a stag,' Daphne said resolutely, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up.

'I thought such jokes would be beneath you,' he said as he made a face of mock hurt.

'There are very few jokes that are beneath me, you should know that by now.'

'She's right there,' Tracey cut in. 'But I think you look nice.'

'At least one of you can appreciate good style,' Cody said in playful arrogance.

'Whatever you say,' Daphne said with a smile and a wave of the hand. 'But, thank you for the Christmas presents, that chocolate was divine,' she added with a wistful smile.

'You should've seen her, she inhaled that stuff. I don't know how she even tasted it. But yes, thank you, Cody,' Tracey interjected, while Daphne furrowed her brows at her friend.

'You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it. And thanks for the broom. Except, now my mom expects me to do more cleaning around the house.'

'Don't you dare sully that broom by sweeping the floor with it!' Daphne threatened.

'I wouldn't dream of it. Though, for real, my mom might need some convincing. So, how about that dance?' Cody asked Daphne. 'Unless your date is opposed, of course.'

'No, I don't think he will mind.' She glanced towards Krum who was heavily involved in a discussion with his friend.

Cody offered his arm and led her to the dance floor. They took their positions and fell into the rhythm of the music. He kept the routine as basic as possible, he would have to get her to smile through his comments since he wouldn't be able to dance with her like he had before. He would try to mix things up from the very start.

'You smell very nice tonight,' Cody said, exaggerating a deep inhale, but he wasn't lying, her lilac perfume was still noticeable yet not overbearing.

She gave her head a small shake, along with an exaggerated roll of her eyes while a small smile played on her face. 'That's what you're going with?'

He used the most regal and dignified tone he could muster as if the dance floor required a reverence not displayed during normal conversation. 'Well, I understand it's polite to compliment one's dance partner.' The corners of his mouth tugged at his face as he fought the smile.

'Ok, well, you smell. . . potent. It's not a bad smell, but, just, strong.' She gave an exaggerated sniff and scrunched her nose, emphasizing the strength of his cologne.

Apparently, McGonagall's spell hadn't been entirely effective.

'Is that supposed to be your version of a compliment?'

'Well, you kinda forced my hand. When you brought up smell, I had to reciprocate. That's probably why most people just compliment each other on their appearance.' The tone of her reply mimicked his dignity but surpassed his in elegance.

'Yeah, well, I already knew I wouldn't be getting a return compliment on my looks,' he said with a sly grin.

She giggled.

He wasn't above a little self-deprecation to see and hear her laugh.

He continued his thought, 'Your look is so much different from the other girls, obviously put thought into the way you look tonight. You don't need me to comment, I want to give my other senses a chance to evaluate things.' He added a small smirk.

'Look who's talking.' She eyed him appraisingly as if she were seeing him for the first time. And added a roll of the eyes. 'As if you just threw this ensemble together last minute.'

'Well, I'm not expecting compliments on my appearance,' he defended.

'At least you won't leave disappointed,' she smirked.

'Hey!' He lost the dignified air as he feigned offence. 'My mom said I looked nice. And so did Tracey!'

'Mothers are good like that. And Tracey just likes to be a contrarian,' she said with a joking smile. 'You certainly have ruffled some feathers.' She made a slight gesture towards the groups of people that had clearly noticed his muggle attire.

'I don't care what they think, I wear robes enough as it is.'

'I think dress robes look nice,' she countered with fake haughtiness.

'You obviously haven't seen Weasley's. You might take back that last statement.'

'Oh, Morgana! Those are hideous. Though, there is something to be said for tradition.'

'There is not enough tradition in the world that would get me in those things. And though I may not look like it tonight, I usually don't particularly care about fashion. I'd just say that there is something to be said for making your own decisions.'

'Sure, but being different for different's sake isn't that original.'

'You look pretty different tonight,' he pronounced. What he couldn't tell her was that not only did he approve of her look but found it stunning. There wasn't a thing about her he would change.

'I didn't go out of my way to draw attention to myself, though.' The tiniest bit of accusation was in her voice, though her smile told him she was still playing. 'I'm only different because others went overboard.'

'So, that's what you think this is?' He made a sweeping gesture over his tuxedo. 'I get plenty of scrutiny just being an American here, I don't need to ask for more.'

'You have a funny way of showing it. And your novelty has worn off, that excuse is no longer valid.'

'The novelty has worn off? That's harsh,' he said with a face of being hurt.

She giggled again.

If her making fun of him elicited that melodious sound, accompanied by the brilliant smile, he would gladly be the brunt of her jokes, for tonight.

Do Wrackspurts make you soft, too?

'So, mister, "I'm using my other senses," what other observations do you have?' she asked playfully.

He looked at their hands clasped together, 'Your hands are soft, but that's probably just a liberal use of lotions,' he said with a smirk.

'Boys aren't supposed to know that!' She exclaimed in mock outrage.

'My mom has an endless supply of scented lotions. It's one of the only gifts I can get her that I know she will use. But your dress, it feels silky, but I couldn't tell you any more than that.'

'It's a combination of Acromantula and a magical silkworm. It doesn't have some of the fancy Charms you see on other dresses, but I like it.' She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as anything.

'It suits you. You don't need all that extra stuff.' Teasing her about this didn't seem appropriate based on her change in disposition.

'Thank you.' She gave a nod and smile of genuine appreciation. She waited a beat and seemed to brace herself for some follow up joke, but nothing came. Then a sly smile spread on her face. 'So, what about sound?'

'You're asking me what I think of the sound of your voice? You aren't going to let me off the hook for my other senses comment, are you?' he asked with a grin. He might've been annoyed if it were someone else, but there was an ease in talking to Daphne that he didn't mind her needling.

'No, and you're stalling.'

'Well, I've never heard you sing, so it would be hard to pass a true judgement.' His raised eyebrows asked the question that went unsaid.

'I only sing in private,' she proclaimed.

'I'd give you a hard time about that but then I'd be a hypocrite.'

'You like to sing too?'

'Kinda, but we are talking about your voice, not mine. I could put up a little Silencing Charm and you could have a private singing booth. Then I could tell you if you sing well or not,' he suggested with a smile.

'And have you take it down as I'm in the middle of my song. No way!' she declared with a small shake of the head.

'Oh, come on. I wouldn't do that to you.' Again, a small smile played on his lips.

'You would, and you know it,' she replied in kind.

'I think you are kidding, but I think you are serious too. With anyone else, I think I would know, but sometimes with you, I just can't tell.'

She considered this comment longer than usual. Her eyes were scanning the ceiling as her mind was churning. Then, she turned her head back to him with a questioning look. 'Are you a Legilimens?'

She spoke clearly, and her expression was pensive but that last word was another one of those he had never heard before. Was this a genuine question, or just an attempt to watch him fumble for an answer to a question he was unsure of? Her face said she was asking a real question, but he knew that was just the way to get someone to fall for the trap. If she wanted to play, he could play.

'That's a kinda personal question, don't you think?' He kept his expression as thoughtful as hers. He couldn't let on that he was clueless, yet.

'I'm sorry, my curiosity overcame me.' And she looked slightly abashed.

Oh! She was asking a sincere question. Well, now he had the upper hand, so he continued his original train of thought. 'Don't be, I'll answer. I'd say it depends on the girl really.'

She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion

'Take right now for instance. I happen to really enjoy the way your legs are moving, so yes, I'd say that I'm a leg man. But overall, I try not to pigeonhole myself. Every girl has their own attributes, and I'd like to think I could appreciate those in each one of them.' He added a coy smile.

'Oh, you are incorrigible!' She lightly slapped his shoulder, and shook her head while laughing.

'Nope, just unapologetically me.' He flashed a big grin.

Won that round.

She gave a little laugh and a slight shake of the head. 'Oh, you apologize. . . occasionally. And I didn't ask if you are a leg man. I asked if you are a Legilimens.'

'Again, all I heard was, "Are you a leg man?" ' He didn't know what the word meant at all, but he wasn't going to give in at this point.

'Oh, Merlin!' she declared in exasperation. 'How would a simpleton like yourself describe it? Can you read minds?'

His eyebrows shot up. That was the last thing he considered to be the topic at hand. Well, she had to have an idea that he could, or she wouldn't bother asking, that isn't a question you typically ask without some sort of supposition. If his surprise didn't show on his face, it certainly did in his voice, 'Oh! That's what that means.'

'Yeah. So, can you?' her smile was gone, and her curiosity was undisguised.

'Well, I can only think of one way for me to answer that question that'll end with you believing me.' He added a knowing look. Would she allow him in her mind? Could she even? It was a topic he had never discussed with any magical, so he had no knowledge of the topic, other than his practical experience.

'I am not letting you in my head.' Her tone was still friendly but most of the playfulness was gone.

'Do you want your question answered?' He paused to let her think.

She didn't give an answer verbally, but her pensive look was enough for him to know she did want to know. She was too curious to let this go without knowing one way or the other.

'I won't see anything you don't let me. Just think of something simple about you, a memory maybe,' he suggested calmly.

She nodded her acquiescence. 'If you try to look at anything else, so help me.' Her threat was playful yet serious. She was already letting her guard down and he could sense the change in the way he could see her emotions.

'I won't, cross my heart, hope to die.'

'You most definitely, will die.'

They both smiled, but Cody knew this was a moment where trust would be strengthened, or completely shattered if he went back on his word. This friendship was not worth risking over the potential for a silly joke.

During the last portion of their conversation —a moment that went unnoticed to either of them— the song had changed. In turn, their pace had slowed and her arms had migrated to around his neck; while his arms were around her waist, his forearms resting on her hips, his fingers interlaced together. Neither seemed aware of the change in dancing position.

As their dancing slowed even more, he gazed deeply into her eyes.

For her part, she did not so much as blink. She held his gaze with unwavering resolve.

'I see a family sitting around a Christmas tree, singing carols.' He whispered a narration so she could know what he was seeing. 'That's you as a little girl. Aww, you were so cute.'

'I'll cut you off if you make fun,' Daphne warned playfully.

'I'm not making fun. It's true. You and Astoria, I assume that is Astoria, were both cute. Now you are going out in the snow. You are making a snowman. A carrot for a nose, a wizard hat on top. Now, a snowball fight, kids all around. You are laughing, your cheeks are bright pink. Looks like a lot of fun.'

'Those are my cousins and some other friends. But when—I mean, how did you learn Legilimency?' She was obviously convinced and impressed.

'A lot of practice,' he responded.

'No one taught you?' Her question had no accusation, just pure curiosity.

'No, my friends gave me the idea to try. Eventually, I got the hang of it. But what about your friends and cousins? Are they not at Hogwarts?'

'They're in Sweden. That's where my mother's side lives. Part of me prefers it there, but I have things to do here.' Her wistful look turned begrudging as she finished her sentence.

'N.E.W.T.s?'

'How'd you guess?'

'How's the saying go? Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.'

She laughed again. 'Why doesn't that answer surprise me? What does surprise me though, is that you are a competent dancer.'

'Competent?' He quirked an eyebrow at her.

'I don't stutter,' she deadpanned.

'Oh, I heard you clearly. I am just questioning your judgment.'

Ah! He realized they had barely danced—by his standards. No lifts, no spins. They had barely done more than the most basic of box steps, and now they were barely even swaying to the music; he usually laughed at people who called this dancing. The only reason she probably even called him competent was because he never stepped on her toes.

So, as much as he wanted to prove to her that he was substantially more than a competent dancer, he refrained, and had to settle for Daphne landing another verbal barb.

Her satisfied smile wasn't the worst consolation prize and it was catching his attention more and more as the evening went on.

She gave a little snort, then put on a stoic face. 'My judgement is impeccable.'

'If you say so. I suppose the music doesn't lend itself to great dancing.' His pride wouldn't let him admit he wasn't just the average dancer she assumed.

'I think Harry Potter might disagree. He managed just fine with this music.' She wore a victorious smile. She continued, 'But I'm curious what you might suggest.'

'Just something with more energy.' He put on a pensive look in an effort to hide his desire to exclaim, that was me!

'You are thinking of something very specific,' she speculated.

'Yeah, but it probably wouldn't go over well here.'

'What? You can't just not tell me!' she proclaimed.

'It's nothing, really,' he said with a small frown.

'Come on, Cody! It can't be any more embarrassing than what you saw from me,' she pleaded, using her best pouty face. It worked, to a degree.

'There's just. . . a few songs that I think would be fun to play here.'

'Play?' She gave him a quizzical look.

'As in, play the guitar,' he clarified.

'How have you never told us you play the guitar?' she asked, a bit put out.

'Because it's just something I do for fun.'

'Are you any good?' she asked in a challenging tone, as if that might get him to play for her.

'Of course, I'm good!' he retorted.

'Same way you're a good dancer?' she smirked.

Her smug look was cute, but he wasn't going to let that comment stand. There was nothing he could do about the dancing tonight, and actually nothing he could do about the guitar, either. But it didn't mean he couldn't argue the point a bit more.

'I may not be able to prove it to you right now, but I really can play. And I'm pretty good—according to my guitar teacher back home. But I'm not big on singing in front of others. That's the main reason I haven't told you, or anyone.'

'If you say so,' she teased. That smug smile again toying with him.

'And now who's making fun?' Even if he tried to convince her, she would just continue with her repartee, so he had to try another way to deflect her teasing.

'I'm not. . . Ok, maybe I am. But that's what I love about you, you can take it.' Her beautiful smile shone.

His brain processed the phrase as friendly but that didn't stop his stomach from fluttering and his heart from beating faster. He was getting soft, her smile was wearing him down.

'I'm used to it,' he reassured her that she was ok to tease him.

'But if you really want me to believe you about the guitar, I'm gonna have to see it,' Daphne said, cocking a challenging eyebrow.

'Right, maybe someday. Speaking of seeing things, how was it that you could let me see your memories, when I couldn't see anything before?'

'It's something my father taught me.'

'Is it like a family secret, or something?'

'No, it's called Occlumency.'

'When do we learn it?'

'They don't teach it here. That's why I had to learn at home.'

'Had to?'

'I lost control of my emotions a lot when I was younger. I was doing more than my fair share of accidental magic when I was still ten. Occlumency helps me keep my cool. Then with a bit more training, I learned to block people, like you, from reading my thoughts.'

A wave of understanding hit him, and it showed in his countenance.

'Why don't they teach us that at school? That seems super helpful,' he pondered aloud.

'I don't know.' She added a little shrug, and one corner of her mouth lifted.

'Will you teach me?' He had always figured that if he could read minds, other wizards could too. If Daphne could show him how to defend himself, that would save him the effort of working it out for himself.

'Hmmm.' She was contemplating.

'I can teach you how to play the guitar,' he suggested before she could refuse.

'No, I would prefer to learn something magical.'

She hadn't outright refused, and she even gave a vague description of what she would consider a fair trade, or maybe she was just leading him on for fun.

'Well.' He let his word trail off. His first thought went to wandless magic, but with what Daphne had witnessed earlier that was probably best avoided. Then he remembered what Sirius had told him about the Animagus transformation. Sirius' magic was still nearly useless without his wand, and he couldn't exactly walk into the school to get help if there were problems with the transformation. A smile spread on his face as he realized Daphne would be a perfect resolution to this issue. And he was confident this would be something she would be interested in.

'Let's hear it. You've got something cooking in your head,' she speculated, a grin on her face.

He leaned over to her ear and whispered, 'I'll show you how to become an Animagus.'

He pulled his head back to look at her, anticipating a shocked reaction. He was satisfied.

Her eyes were wide, and her eyebrows in her hairline.

Cody awaited her response intently.

Her eyebrows lowered as she studied him, probably looking for signs of deceit, but he resolutely kept his face impassive.

'Ha! Good one!' She threw her head back with a laugh. 'For just a second, you had me.'

He waited for her laughter to die down and struggled to keep his serious countenance, something about her smile tonight just made him want to grin.

'No, for real,' he said seriously.

'You're not playing around?' Her eyes widened again and she shook her head slightly as she spoke.

'No.'

'But—I mean, I know you pick things up pretty quick, but how can you already be an Animagus?' she asked in borderline disbelief.

'I'm not an Animagus yet. I just have the instructions, or steps, for how to do it.' He didn't tell her he needed her help. If these were negotiations, he couldn't give up any leverage—a lesson he had learned from the School of Victor.

'And you trust that these instructions are good?' she asked skeptically.

'I am very confident that they are.' No smile, or sign that this was a gag.

'Ok, I want to see these instructions first. If they are good, then you have a deal,' she agreed to the terms, in principle.

'K, get ready to teach,' he said confidently, now allowing a smile to grow.

'We'll see,' she said with a smile. Then she shook her head. 'I can't believe how many mysteries I've learned about you tonight.'

And how many you almost learned. And how many I learned about myself.

'I'm glad I came.'

'I'm glad you came, too.' She removed her arms from around his neck as they began to walk back to where Tracey was standing.

'Thanks for bribing me.' Her promise of a dance wasn't just an afterthought to him.

'That's not why you came,' she stated. If that was a reference to Celine, it registered, but not quite as forcefully as it would have earlier that day.

'It wasn't the only reason, but it wasn't nothing either.'

'Your dancing has potential, just needs a few tweaks.' She glanced at him and his clenched jaw and mini scowl gave her yet another victory. She didn't know about the retort that he was holding in, it was his cross to bear for the evening. 'And still, you forgot something.' Her voice was loaded with mischief.

'What's that?' he asked curiously.

What else could she have up her sleeve?

'We went through all the senses, except one. . . taste.' She flashed him a flirtatious smile before continuing her walk.

Cody's feet stopped and he remained glued to the spot.

Did she accentuate the movement of her hips as she walked, or was that just an effect of her dress? He couldn't tell, but it certainly drew his attention.

She glanced back over her shoulder and giggled at his stunned reaction.

Game. Set. Match.

He may have caught her off guard with his initial comment, but the surprised look that was still etched on his face was all the evidence needed to prove she had come out victorious in their friendly sparing of words.

Did she know what she was doing to him? Probably not —they were friends and this was just a fun game— even he didn't know he would have this reaction. He shouldn't have had this reaction to her, but nothing would change the fact that he did. Those subconscious feelings the alleged Wrackspurts had been feeding on were firmly planted in his mind now.

'You are a cruel woman, Daphne Greengrass,' he muttered to himself as he started glancing around the room for the person he still wanted to find.

He saw Fleur from across the room, but again, there was no sign of Celine. He decided to go talk to Fleur. He couldn't read her expression from this far away, but as he got closer, and she spotted him, he got the distinct impression she wasn't happy with him.

'Hi, Fleur, Sebastian. Having a good time?'

'We are. I'm a little surprised that you are here, though. You were quite adamant you wouldn't be here.' Fleur said with contempt.

'Don't mind her,' Sebastian cut in. 'But you should probably go talk to Celine.' His voice sounded ominous.

'Yeah, I was looking for her but I haven't seen her yet,' Cody replied, trying to remain upbeat.

'She went outside, I think to the courtyard,' Fleur responded, with a more sympathetic tone this time. Sebastian's slight rebuke hit its target.

'Alright, thanks.'

As he walked away, it clicked that he knew exactly where to find her, and he silently kicked himself for not recognizing that sooner.

He stopped at the exit of the Hall and made sure he didn't run into himself. The coast was clear and he figured he and Ginny were already on their castle portion of the tour.

He found Celine sitting on a bench out in the courtyard. She didn't even look up as he approached, so he plopped himself down right next to her and gave her shoulder a little nudge with his.

'Hey, you,' he said jovially. He was trying to keep things light, even though her downcast look was obvious.

'Hi.' Her somber tone confirmed his thoughts.

'What's got you so down? I thought maybe you would be happy to see me.'

'I should be, but you were so certain that you wouldn't be here. Even when I pressed you that it wasn't going to be a surprise, you convinced me there was no way you would be here. Yet, here you are. Did you lie?' She sounded and looked. . . disappointed, betrayed, deceived; a combination of all of the above.

'I didn't lie,' he said softly. He normally would have defended himself more strongly, but the lack of accusation in her voice told him it didn't matter if his reason was one hundred percent valid, she was still going to feel hurt. 'McGonagall didn't explain how she could help me get here until I was leaving. At that point I had no way of communicating, so the surprise was all I had left.' His eyes pleaded with her to believe him.

'I believe you. I know there are things you haven't wanted to talk about, and topics you've avoided, but I don't think you've ever outright lied to me.' There was a question there, but maybe she didn't ask in case the answer was one she didn't want to believe.

'I haven't ever lied, but you are right there are things I don't want to talk about.' He sighed internally that he could answer that honestly and without guilt.

'I know, and I've been ok with that.'

'Have been? But you're not anymore?'

Was this headed the way it felt? He had noticed some new or conflicting feelings tonight —thanks, Luna— but he hadn't reached any conclusions yet.

His throat began to feel dry.

'Well, I probably could be ok with it if there weren't other things,' she said ominously.

'Other things? Like what?' Other than avoiding certain topics he thought he'd been a pretty good boyfriend.

'I saw you dancing with that girl.' She may have tried to make it sound like an observation, but the accusation was just beneath the surface.

A lump filled his throat. She had seen, but her expression made him think she also knew how he had felt during that dance, and the others before it as well.

'Daphne? She's just a friend. And she has a boyfriend. And I even looked for you first, but I couldn't find you.' All these things were true, in the literal sense, but the lack of preparation for this moment had him denying the underlying feelings.

'Again, I believe you. And if it had ended after the first song it probably would've been no big deal. But that second song, that looked like far more than just simple friends dancing together.'

Cody gulped. Yeah, the level of focus one must employ to see someone's memories probably looks like more than what one would expect from people that are just friends.

His delay in responding was answer enough.

She continued, 'The way you two were gazing into each other's eyes. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little jealous. That's why I left the Hall. I didn't want to watch my boyfriend look at another girl like he should look at me.' There weren't any tears yet, but they were just beneath the surface.

'I—It's not what you think.' There was no way to describe what she had witnessed without divulging things he was still hesitant to share. And his words just made him sound guilty.

'That's what I was afraid of. You probably have a perfectly reasonable explanation in your head. But you can't tell me.' A trace of accusation sat on her last sentence.

'Uh. Yeah, sorry.' He fumbled through his words. These girls were verbally beating him down tonight and he was left with platitudes. 'I wish I could but.' Again, his voice trailed off as words failed him.

She didn't respond, and he didn't know what to say. He pondered what she had said and what she had implied. It led to only one logical conclusion.

Was he ready?

No.

Would it be easier to draw it out only to delay the inevitable?

Probably not.

'So, is this the end?' he asked, even if the answer was obvious, there was still a small part of him that was in denial.

'I think so. We were supposed to just have some fun. But it's started to become more. I need to focus on school. And I can't give myself to you if you can't reciprocate. Which you have just confirmed,' she said with a firmness that portrayed finality.

'I think I know what you mean. I am sorry. I didn't mean for it to go like this.'

'I know. You really are sweet, Cody.' She placed a light kiss on his cheek. 'I hope we can still be friends.' Her previous downcast look had been replaced by what he would describe as relief.

'Yeah, I'd like that too,' he agreed. He didn't exactly have a lot of friends here so there was no need to burn any bridges.

'I'm sorry I had to do this tonight. But I don't know if I would still have had the resolve if I'd waited,' Celine said softly.

'Yeah, it's not a great Christmas present. But I think it's the right decision for the both of us.'

He gave a slight chuckle.

'What's so funny?' she asked in good humor.

'That was just way more friendly than I ever imagined my first break-up going.' It wasn't something he thought about often, but with some of the stories Victor had told him, these encounters could leave a mark if the girl was ticked off enough.

'I could slap you if that would make it feel more like you've imagined,' she said with a playful smile.

'No thanks, but I could go for one last dance,' he added suggestively.

'No, I really should get back to my date. He has been a gentleman and I shouldn't keep him waiting too long.'

Well, he didn't get the physical slap he had imagined, but the verbal one —even if unintentional, Celine wasn't in a spiteful mood— stung just as much.

This was the end.

The Wrackspurts had done a number on him tonight.

'Night, Cody,' Celine said softly before she walked away, leaving him to ponder what had just taken place.

He slowly began his journey back to the Hall. He was more stunned than sad. Celine had taken the puzzle pieces that had been floating in his head all night and put them together.

And now that his head had cleared a bit, Daphne's final comment was really messing with him, but that was just a tease, just a way to get a rise out of him, just playful banter between friends, right?

Or did she have similar feelings about him? Was her relationship with Krum in any way like his with Celine? He had always avoided the topic with Daphne, and told himself it was because of Victor's stupid little 'friend zone' theory. But now he was thinking it was because he was afraid the answer would be something he didn't want to acknowledge.

He had half a mind to grab his guitar and just go let off some steam. That thought was put to an end the moment he stepped back into the Great Hall.

'Hey, where did you go?' Tracey asked as she grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the dance floor. 'You owe me a dance as well—Hey, what's wrong?'

They were finally facing each other, taking their dancing positions, and his countenance wasn't particularly hard to read.

'Celine broke up with me,' he answered just above a whisper.

'Oh! I'm sorry, Cody. That sucks.'

'Yeah.'

'Did she say why? Or did you do something stupid?' Her tone conveyed her attempt to lighten the mood.

'Hey, what do you take me for?' He playfully defended himself.

Her joke worked.

'A boy,' she said with a roll of her eyes.

'Got me there, but no, I didn't do anything that stupid. The gist of it is that I just couldn't quite be myself around her, and she could tell.' He was satisfied with that answer, and it actually made him feel better about the whole thing since it really wasn't fair to be with someone when you had to hide large parts of your life.

'I'm sure there's more, but probably not what you want to talk about.' She had broken him from his reverie, she had a knack for that sort of thing.

'Exactly, thank you,' he replied.

Tracey liked gossip, so he appreciated that she didn't dig for much more.

'Yeah, and there's something else I want to talk about. What did you say to Dee that made her all excited?' she asked with a hint of suspicion.

His heart jumped. Daphne was excited about something he said, or did? His mind raced through different parts of their conversation.

Oh! The Animagus.

Daphne had been able to keep the secret, for now.

That wasn't the exciting thing he had just envisioned, but it wasn't a bad thing either.

'We talked about a lot of things. She told me some stories from her family in Sweden and stuff. That seemed to make her happy.' He had to come up with something, this wasn't a topic Tracey would drop easily.

'Did she tell you about Jonas?'

'No. Who's Jonas?' he asked with interest.

'Oops.' She may as well have had the word "Guilty" inscribed on her face.

'Tracey,' he said, drawing out her name and giving his head a small tilt. It wouldn't take much to get her to spill at this point. Just had to let her talk, so he kept quiet.

'Well, she's with Krum now, so this isn't that big a deal anymore. Still, you can't tell her I told you,' she stated.

'Of course.'

'Jonas was her boyfriend for all of fourth year. I say boyfriend loosely because they'd barely got together before school started, then wrote letters all year.'

'So those rumors were true?' A new puzzle was starting to come together for him.

'Yeah, only the bad part was, Jonas didn't see their relationship the same way. She found out that next summer. I know she is still embarrassed that she didn't catch on sooner.'

'That's nothing to be ashamed of. Some people can be very deceiving,' he proposed.

'That's what I told her. Anyways, she hasn't said as much, but I think that's why she didn't want to get involved with anyone at the beginning of the school year. Especially some new guy.' She gave a little raise of her eyebrows and a little smirk.

And why she never wanted to leave you alone with me. You probably would've told me the first chance you had, he thought.

'That's something, I guess.' It did give him a little clarity, and now that they were on the topic of boyfriends, he asked, 'And yet, Krum?'

'That's totally different. We all felt like we knew him already. Even if we didn't actually know him. Same thing with Harry Potter. You think Weasley knew him at all?'

'Probably not,' he conceded.

'Still, she said "yes" without batting an eye. I'd have done the same thing, to be honest. If I didn't have a boyfriend, that is.'

'Really? You'd have gone with him?'

'He's cute, he's famous, of course I'd let him take me to a dance. If I didn't have a boyfriend, of course.' Her impish smile told him what she thought of her current relationship; just for fun.

'Of course.' He returned her knowing smile.

'Dee even danced with him. Said he was nice, but pretty quiet. And not at all arrogant and stuck-up like some people say.'

'Oh yeah?' The fewer words the better to keep Tracey talking.

'Yeah. Oh! And he got her letter. I wish you could've seen her face, it was Puddifoot pink. She was mortified, but I guess he was nice about it, so she's getting over it.'

'That's good. And how has your night been going?' It would be rude to not ask about her. He was her friend as well, not just a way to get info on Daphne.

'Good! Dimitri's not much of a dancer, but that's ok. He's good at—'

'I don't need to hear about how your boyfriend is a good kisser. Again.' He added an eye roll.

'I was going to say he's good at keeping my drink full, you dimwit.' She laughed, and her eyes and smile told him he had guessed correctly, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her admit as much.

'Riiiight.'

Their laughter made them unaware that the music had ended and some sort of announcement was being made.

'Cody, come here!' Daphne's voice rang out, and she was waving him over.

Tracey didn't give him a chance to ask or protest and pulled him along.

'What's up?' he asked.

'Follow me.' Daphne led him around to the side of the stage, where a couple of the band members were having a small conversation. 'He can play!' Daphne said to the band members as she pulled Cody next to her.

'What?' Cody asked in surprise.

'You said you play the guitar, and that you're good. Something happened to their guitarist, I told them you could fill in.' She barely took a breath.

'You've never even heard me play,' he said with an incredulous tone.

'Yeah, but you said there were songs you wanted to play. You wouldn't think like that if you were terrible. Now's your chance, prove to me how good you are.' Slowly a smile spread on her face.

She had him, she knew she had him.

Her challenge hung in the air, waiting a response.

This was not how he had pictured showing her he could play the guitar.

'Well, kid. Can you play or not? If not, we might have to end this night a bit early,' one of the band members said.

'I play, but I don't know that many songs.' His confidence wavered in the face of the prospect.

'That's alright, we probably have time for two more. What do you play?'

He gave a rundown of the songs he would feel comfortable playing and they settled on the songs they would play. The band member, who called herself, Crush, handed him a guitar and he adjusted the straps so it fit comfortably.

'Alright, let's go. Can't keep the fans waiting,' Crush said with a wink.

'Good luck,' Tracey yelled. She looked a little worried for him.

'I want to feel some energy!' Daphne declared. A dazzling smile grew and her eyes sparkled. She seemingly had no doubt he could do this.

He smiled and gave a few quick shakes of his head, but the confidence her small gesture gave him catapulted him up the stairs and onto the stage.

Crush approached him, 'Oh, and kid, you're singing too.'

'Huh?'

She did not just say what he thought she did, did she?

That was not part of the deal.

'Yeah, I don't think I know all the lyrics to those songs. I'll announce you, but once we start playing, it's all you.' Crush sounded confident in him, like this was no big deal and gave him no time to protest as she went straight to the mic.

His stomach was in his throat. He didn't even have a response at the ready but at least his legs were moving.

He stood on the stage looking out at the throng of students, all eyes on him as Crush explained to the crowd that he would be filling in.

He could play and sing these songs in his sleep, but his dreams rarely included nearly every student at his school. He scanned the crowd and saw some familiar faces smiling at him. That was great, but now he was longing for the comfort of a wrestling mat where—even though he knew everyone was looking at him—he didn't have to look them in the eyes at the same time.

Somehow, even fully clothed, he felt more vulnerable like this.

His eyes ended on Tracey and Daphne, the latter locked onto his gaze and though her lips didn't even twitch from the big smile on her face, he heard her voice in his head as clear as if they were the only two people in the room,

You'll do great, just have fun! I know you can do it!

He broke from his trance just in time to hear Crush announce their first song.

'This one goes out to the resident Basket Case down in the dungeons.' She made a subtle gesture to the area where Professor Snape was standing. The permanent scowl on his face didn't allow for anyone to notice if he had even caught the insult.

Cody couldn't disagree with her implication, but if he were being honest he felt rather like a Basket Case himself right now. But, the time for self-reflection had passed, that was his cue—

Do you have the time to listen to me whine

About nothing and everything all at once?

I am one of those melodramatic fools

Neurotic to the bone no doubt about it

Nerves gave way to a rush of adrenaline at the strumming of the first chord. It felt good to release the tension that had been building.

The students were jumping around, arms flailing about. Apparently, they also had some energy that was just waiting to be released.

The staff had mixed reactions, a few covered their ears, some just looked confused, and others, like Professor McGonagall, were nodding along to the beat. She also flashed a brilliant smile when he looked her way. This is what she had enjoyed so much, he couldn't disagree, this was fun.

He loved the electric sound coming from the acoustic guitar. Learning these runes would be a high priority when he had some free time. The combination of the blaring guitar and the energy from the other students distracted him to the point he didn't even realize how different his voice sounded—either from the charmed microphone or just the way he was projecting. He likely would've been pleased with the results.

Sometimes I give myself the creeps

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me

It all keeps adding up I think I'm cracking up

Am I just paranoid? Or am I just stoned?

The Hall erupted in cheers when the song ended. He locked eyes with Celine, she had a big smile on her face and gave her head a little shake when their gazes connected.

Another surprise, he thought. He acknowledged again that these, and other secrets were the types of things he should want to share with a girlfriend. So, while he would have fond memories of his time with her, this was just another confirmation that they weren't a great match, long term. She was even wearing the necklace he sent her, and he had forgotten to thank her for the cologne she had sent him, he still had some work to do.

'Alright, we've got one more song for you. We'll end with a slow one, so grab your dates,' Crush announced. 'This one is for all the witches whose dates forgot to tell them how nice they look tonight. And to some of the blokes.' She ended with a laugh.

He started to play, and the dancers began to sway slowly to the tune.

It's late in the evening

She's wondering what clothes to wear

She puts on her make-up

And brushes her long blonde hair

And then she asks me, "Do I look alright?"

And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight"

As he continued, he took time to find his friends in the crowd. It was a bit easier now that the dancing had slowed considerably. Susan caught his eye and smiled broadly. Michael and Hannah were nearby and Michael gave him a nod. Astoria seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself with Mathias, her smile proved his assumption correct. Millicent still looked happy, and she blushed a little as he held her gaze while singing the chorus.

His eye found Celine's again, and now her smile had a sadness to it. He understood the feeling, though the decision was likely sound, it didn't come without some low spirits. He offered a tentative smile of his own in return.

He noticed Luna had even got Ron to share one final dance with her.

Tracey's grin split her face when his gaze found hers and she added a few quick nods of approval.

Daphne was dancing with Krum, close to Tracey, and he would venture to guess their feet were barely leaving the ground with how little they were moving. One way to not step on someone's feet is to not raise them high enough off the floor. She peered over Krum's shoulder to meet his eyes and again she opened her mind to him,

I concede that you are good at the guitar. That was amazing! I knew you could do it! And you sing so well, I don't know what you were worried about. You are going to have to play more often. And this song. Must be a special girl for you to compliment her looks in front of the whole school.

She didn't know what had happened in the courtyard. She still thought he was with Celine. He could feel the tease in her voice, that was clearly the intent in her comment, but there was a trace of something else, a longing that she couldn't entirely cover up, perhaps she didn't even know about it. And he wondered if it was possible that it was meant for him. Probably not, but he could hope.

His eyes stayed locked on hers. Her smile was still etched on her face and unconsciously a grin grew on his. He was glad this was just an instrumental portion of the song, or he might've jumbled up the lyrics.

He didn't know what made him think it. She hadn't explicitly asked him anything but he had a desire to let her know. Even if he never would have said the words out loud and there was no chance of her actually getting the message, he thought the answer to the unasked question.

It's for you, Daphne. This song's for you.

Her happy countenance turned to a curious one, before she quickly ducked her head and broke the eye contact. Her quick movement broke him from his trance-like state but he didn't think much of it.

He gave a little shake of the head.

Again, he would have to thank his mom for making sure that he learned this song. It was one of her favorites so she had taught it to him early, and everything about it was ingrained in his head without thinking about it.

And then I tell her, as I turn out the light

I say, "My darling, you are wonderful tonight"

Oh my darling, you are wonderful tonight

The song ended and there were more than a few couples snogging in the middle of the dance floor. Tracey and Dimitri being one of them.

You're welcome, he thought with an inward smirk.

The students began funneling towards the exit as Crush announced that was the end of the party. Cody removed the guitar and handed it back to the band.

'That was great, kid. You rocked,' Crush declared.

'Thanks. I can see why you enjoy this so much. That was quite the rush.'

'Yeah, it never gets old.'

'Do you think you could show me the runes that give the electric sound?'

'Sure, why not. I think you've earned it. Just the most basic ones though, I don't think Evette would like me giving away trade secrets.'

She used her wand to display a few runes on the back of the guitar and instructed him to memorize them.

Cody took a mental picture, trying to commit the symbols to memory. He wasn't going to get a second chance.

'That's all I can show you for now. But they will get you started with a good sound.'

'Thanks, that's great!' He shook hands with the other band members who also expressed their approval of his performance and he departed the stage with a nod of gratitude.

He saw a group of his friends waiting for him at the bottom so he made his way over to them.

'Cody, you never told us you were a rock star!' Michael declared.

'You never asked,' he replied with a grin.

'Cody! That was awesome. If you were half as good at dueling as you are with the guitar you might land a spell on me,' Susan teased.

'I'll let you play next time,' he shot back.

'You got me there,' Susan said in defeat. She might tease occasionally but it wasn't in her nature to overdo it. 'And thanks for the chocolate, you're going to spoil me with that stuff.'

'You're welcome, and thank you for the gifts also. Thank all of you.' He directed the thanks to all his friends that were in the vicinity.

'Have you been avoiding me?' Astoria asked as she threw her arms around his neck.

'Of course not!' he declared as he squeezed her and felt the pops from her back. 'I had planned to find you, but some stuff came up and things kinda spiraled.'

'Ok, good. And if Susan's worried about getting spoiled, I'm already there.' She stretched her back contently.

'Yes you are,' Cody deadpanned.

That earned him a light slap on the arm from Astoria. 'I can say that, not you! Are you sticking around for a few days?'

'No. And I should probably get going. I don't want to keep McGonagall waiting.'

'Professor!' Astoria corrected.

'Right. I got out of the habit already. See you all in a week. Merry Christmas.'

He left to a chorus of, 'Happy Christmas, bye Cody, see you later, and have a good trip,' from all his friends.

He arrived at Professor McGonagall's office just as planned and she gave him another big grin as he entered.

'Well, that was a bit of a letdown. I watched you disappear only to realize I wasn't going to be able to witness the fun again,' Professor McGonagall said sourly.

'Sorry to disappoint. That was really fun though. Can we do it again?' he asked.

'I'm afraid not,' she replied firmly. 'Though I must say, I enjoyed your performance, and the effect it had on some of the other staff.' She had a mischievous glint in her eye.

'You like upsetting the apple cart, don't you?'

'I abide by all the rules,' she said, though lack of change in her facial expression gave him the real answer. 'Well, it's late here but you probably have some people waiting to hear about your evening.'

'Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks again, that was tons of fun.' Except for the breakup, he thought. 'Good night, and Merry Christmas, Professor.'

'Happy Christmas, Cody.'

A/N - There's the missing part of the Yule Ball. It was initially all one chapter but got a bit long for my liking. I tried to keep it a bit of a surprise while giving some hints along the way. And I typically am not a huge fan of time-turners and I hope it didn't come off as too cheesy, but I had fun with it and felt it turned out ok.

The songs: Basket Case by Green Day and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton