Disclaimer: I only own characters that you don't know. Simple enough for you? Ok then.

Authoress' note: I am a horrible person for not keeping up. I know. If you had my school schedule, you would understand. I will try to update more. Now on with the drama.

Ariel rolled over, trying to rub the grit out of her eyes.

Flashback

She had managed to get back to the common room-although how she did it she had no idea- and she ran to her dorm, ignoring curious glances from several other Gryffindors. She landed on her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks. Calista came in the room soon after she got there and asked her what was wrong. Ariel told her everything was fine and she was just fine. Calista knew better but decided that when the time was right, Ariel would tell her. She also knew that if her friend needed help or someone to talk to, she knew where to look. She had quietly exited the room and put a spell on it so that the only people who could get in were the ones who lived there or who Ariel opened the door for. Ariel missed dinner that night, too embarrassed to face Oliver and his cronies. She finished her work in bed and afterward sat by the window, thinking about everything. How could she have been stupid enough to think Oliver could like her? She should have known better. She spent an hour telling herself it was just heat of the moment and that it meant nothing before putting on her pajamas and crawling into bed. She cried herself to sleep, knowing that she had wasted an hour lying to herself.

End of flashback

After remembering why her eyes were so gritty, Ariel rolled over and sighed. She knew that she had to eat at some point and that when she did she would have to face Oliver, or at least have to be in the same room. She looked at the clock and decided it was close enough to time to get ready. She got into the shower and scrubbed her face until it felt clean. She got out and realized that she forgot to get her robes and everything. She chuckled at her absent-mindedness as she exited the bathroom. She had no more walked out of the bathroom than the door opened and Fred and George, with Harry and Ron on their heels, rushed inside. They all stopped shortly inside the door as she snapped her head up and realized she was only wearing a towel. The thought ran through her head that Cali's spell didn't last (she wasn't stupid; she knew quite well what her friend had done), but that was quickly dispelled when she saw the horrified look on the boys' faces. Isn't this quite a sight, she thought, trying her best to hold back a chuckle. Fred, George, and Ron were all turning crimson and Harry had closed his eyes and put his hands over his glasses. They all looked rather rough, what with their hair sticking out at odd angles everywhere.

"Oi Ariel," Fred said loudly, then looked around to make sure he hadn't woken anyone up.

"Don't worry," Ariel said. "You couldn't wake up that lot if your life depended on it." Fred nodded then continued.

"Why in the name of Merlin don't you take your clothes into the shower with you?" he asked.

Now Ariel chuckled and replied, "Well, doll, most times I do, but I spaced it this morning. Had I known I was gonna have company when I got out, I would have tried to remember."

This broke whatever tension was there and they all laughed.

"Now," she said. "What was so bloody important that you had to burst into my room at this hour to tell me?"

They all blushed again. Finally George piped up, "You missed it last night at dinner and w weren't sure if the girls had told you."

Ariel looked at them, rather puzzled. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Tonight there's going to be a ball," Harry said. "It's short notice, but Dumbledore wanted to lift everyone's spirits and Halloween is still a while away. He knows a lot of people are really wary about the whole Sirius Black thing."

Awesome, she thought. "So," she said. "Give me serious deets."

"Ok," Ron said, taking over. They were doing this transition thing really well. Very smooth. "The ball is tonight at eight," he started. "First and second years leave at eleven. Third and fourth years leave at one. Fifth, sixth, and seventh years leave three. Dress robes are required. Classes have been cancelled today for a Hogsmeade trip. Everyone is allowed to go, but those under third year have to stay with a teacher. We leave at ten AM for Hogsmeade. I'm sure will go over the finer points at breakfast."

Now that he had finished his speech, Ariel was intrigued. Suddenly the twins asked. "So whom are you going with?" She grinned at them. Sometimes she could swear they were mind readers.

"I don't know," she said.

"I have an idea," Fred said. "We could hook you up with Oliver! He's the only guy in Gryffindor that we trust other than Harry and Lee and they both have other plans."

"No!" Ariel shrieked. As soon as the word was out of her mouth, she regretted it.

"Why not?" George asked. "Well," Ariel began. "It's my first ball here and I don't want you guys setting me up out of pity because I'm your cousin and I'm new." Whew, she thought. That was close, but I fixed it quick. "Now will you four please get out so I can put on some clothes?" she asked. "I'm about to freeze me bum off."

The guys grinned sheepishly and left. Ariel went over to her trunk and rummaged around for a bit. Finally she pulled out a dark green mini, a white cap-sleeved button-down, and a black cami. As she dried her hair she found her knee-high boots and put them on. Then she went back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Twenty minutes later she came downstairs, ready to go to breakfast. She had already woken up the girls, so life was good. Instead of her normal braid she had left part of her hair down, taking the other half and twisting it up so that it cascaded over the twist and down her back. It looked like a deep red, curly waterfall that went on forever. Today was kinda special, so she decided to look different. If Oliver happened to suffer in the process, so be it. The other people in the common room looked at her like she was alien. She winked at Fred and George, and then turned to leave the common room, thoroughly satisfied. She had definitely surprised Oliver; who- to her utter satisfaction- looked like his eyes would come straight out of his head and follow her. She felt those eyes bore into her. Then, at the last possible second, she turned, winked, and blew him a kiss.