Chapter 20
Hours Before the Ball

It was finally Saturday, and the day of the Yule Ball. Jamie was seen laying in bed looking up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed, her mind racing with thoughts. Here they were, a little over twelve hours before the Yule Ball, and secret relationship between Jamie and Romeo was still hidden from Jamie's friends... especially Jane. Jamie opened her curtains a little, and saw Jane still asleep in her own bed.

It was going to be really hard, but Jamie knew she was going to have to tell Jane about her relationship with Romeo. Would it come as a shock... or would Jane take it really well? And would Jane get mad about Jamie keeping this from her for so long? These questions raced through Jamie's mind, but she knew they would be answered soon. Jamie was going to the Ball with Romeo, there was no question about that. The secret Jamie and Romeo had been keeping from everybody, and only a few people had known, was going to come out to the whole school in a little over twelve hours. What would Jane's reaction be? What would her other friends' reactions be? It was common knowledge that Jamie's own brother, James, didn't like Romeo very well, but Jamie couldn't blame him. All those times Romeo had bugged Jamie and her friends in the past years. But would James get over it, just as easy as Jamie had?

Jamie continued to stare up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed. Suddenly, she heard movement coming from Jane's bed, and heard Jane yawning.

"Morning, Jane," Jamie said, pulling back her curtain.

"How... how long have you been up?" Jane asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Oh, just a few minutes," Jamie said, "I have just been doing some thinking."

"I didn't get to sleep until late," Jane said, "I was trying to decide what to wear tonight. Can you believe we aren't able to go to Hogsmeade? I bet I could find a nice dress down there. Instead, I have to wear that dress I used last year. I am lucky it still fits."

"Yeah..." Jamie said.

"What are you going to wear?" Jane asked.

"I will find something," Jamie said.

"You are going to be quite lonely without a date, Jamie," said Jane, opening her trunk and looking through it, "You know that?"

Jamie inhaled. The time had finally come. She had to do it now. Maybe if she did it quickly?

"Yeah, Jane, about that," Jamie said.

"About what?" Jane asked, peering over the lid of her trunk.

"A Date for the ball," Jamie said, "I have a date."

"Really? That is great!" Jane said, "Who is it? That one Beater... uh, Dawes? I know he is a year younger than you... but... he was looking for someone to go with."

"No, no..." Jamie said, "It's Romeo Malfoy."

"Ha... ha..." Jane said, rolling her eyes, "Jamie, I swear, if you were going to lie, you could have picked a better name to lie about."

Jamie rolled her eyes.

"You... are lying?" Jane asked, "Right?"

Jamie said nothing.

"You aren't lying," Jane said, "I know when you are lying. You are going with Romeo? Jamie, he is a Malfoy! Wh-when did this happen? Wait, don't answer that. It was when we were taking those Crups to their cave... right? I have been noticing that you have been hanging around him a lot since then."

"It was before that..." Jamie said.

"What?" Jane asked.

"Jane, do you remember when I was in the hospital because I crashed my broom?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah, but that was a couple weeks after term began," Jane said, "That was quite some time ago."

"Romeo told me that he saved me," Jamie said, "And then I guess he got the courage to ask me out, and I said yes. We've... we have been dating since then."

"And you have been keeping this from me for over three months!" Jane asked, slamming the lid of her trunk shut, "I am your cousin, why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't really a thing we wanted to tell somebody, Jane!" Jamie said, "The Potters and Malfoys are supposed to hate each other."

"And you love Romeo?" Jane said, "Jeez, why didn't I see this before? I should have known. I mean... all those times you were acting really strange. And then when I always noticed you looking at Romeo. Usually you were trying to avoid him, but now..."

"You actually nearly caught us twice, Jane," Jamie said.

"What?" Jane asked.

"On our dates," Jamie asked, "The first time, we were in the Room of Requirement, and I just happened to see you and Joey coming toward the room."

"It was you who had that room so nicely decorated!" Jane said.

"Yeah," Jamie said, "Actually Romeo thought of how the room should look, then the room just appeared like that."

"Wait... you said twice," Jane said, "What was the other time?"

"Hogsmeade," Jamie said.

"No, that is impossible," Jane said, "I was with you all day. We went to the Hog's Head... and that new Book shop..."

"No, you were with Uncle Fred," Jamie said.

"Please, I would have known if I was with a jokester like him," Jane said, "Besides, it was you... in the flesh!"

"No, it was Fred using a Polyjuice Pendant," Jamie said, "A new invention."

"I don't believe this one bit," Jane said, "My cousin is going out with Romeo Malfoy. Malfoy? The boy we have hated for so long... and now you are in love with him?"

"I guess you could say that," Jamie said.

"Your father isn't going to take this very well," Jane said.

"I don't care..." Jamie said.

"Well, I do care, Jamie!" Jane said, "We might be cousins, but we have also been best friends for who knows how long! We are supposed to tell each other these things... not keep them hidden inside."

"Jane..." Jamie began.

"Don't," Jane said, raising her hand to stop Jamie, "Don't you even talk to me."

Jane shut her curtain so fast it ripped.

"Ugh!" Jane said, taking her wand from under her pillow and pointing at the torn fabric, "Reparo!"

The curtains mended themselves and hung back up around the bed. Jane shut them. Jamie rolled her eyes and laid back down on her bed. A few minutes later, the curtains around Jane's bed opened again and Jane jumped out of bed fully dressed and headed for the door. Jane opened the door, walked out and slammed it. Meanwhile, to Jamie's left, Alice had woken up.

"What was that all about?" Alice asked, looking from the door, to Jamie.

"Nothing," Jamie said, sighing deeply, "Nothing... at... all."

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Jamie wasn't sure if Jane would talk to her ever again. Jamie couldn't blame Jane though. It had been a pretty big lie Jamie was keeping from her. But for Jane to ignore Jamie all together? Jane had never done that before.

Jamie had come down to the Great Hall thirty minutes after Jane had left the room. At the first sight of Jamie, Jane got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Joseph, who had been sitting next to Jane, when Jamie had arrived, was looking all surprised.

"Was it something I said, you reckon?" Joseph asked Jamie.

"No, it was something I said," Jamie said.

"Well, it must have been something bad," Joseph said, "I was asking Jane if she was looking forward to the Ball tonight, and she didn't reply. Do you think she still wants to go with me?"

"You are not her problem, Joseph, don't worry," Jamie said, sitting down and taking a few pieces of bacon.

"What did you do that made her so mad?" Joseph asked.

"I told her I had a date to the Yule Ball," Jamie said.

"Really? Who?" Joseph said.

"Sorry, you will have to wait and find out tonight," Jamie said, "That is what I should have told Jane anyway. But no, she wanted to know, and I had to tell her."

"Well, I can't say anything, Jamie," said Joseph, "Because I don't know what you are talking about. I guess I will just have to wait until tonight."

"Yeah, I guess..." Jamie said.

Jamie looked towards the entrance of the hall. James and Richie walked in, followed by Romeo a few seconds later. James looked as if he was talking to Romeo, but a second later, Romeo walked off. James and Richie walked over to where Jamie and Joey were sitting.

"I am telling you, Richie," James said, "He is not acting like himself. Usually he has something down right nasty to say to me."

"Who are you two talking about?" Jamie asked.

"Romeo Malfoy," James said, "Usually he greets me with a 'Hey Pottymouth' or something like that. But he's changed. It is like he's turned soft or something. You don't think he has a date to the ball tonight, do you?"

"Are you kidding, James?" Richie said, "Malfoy... with a date to the ball? Have you seen him with anyone since Jasmine booted him out of her life? Jamie could get a date before Malfoy did."

"Jamie has a date already, Richie," Joseph said.

"Really?" Richie said, looking from Joseph to Jamie, "Who?"

"She won't tell," Joseph said, "She didn't even tell me."

"Oh, but I bet you can tell your brother," James said, sitting down, "Right?"

"Or your cousin?" Richie said.

"No thanks," Jamie said, "I don't need another relative of mine getting mad at me."

"What?" James said.

"Jane and Jamie had a row," Joseph said.

"Over what?" James asked Jamie, "Your date to the Yule Ball? Oh, now I really want to know who it is. Come on..."

"You will find out tonight," Jamie said simply.

Jamie ate quickly and walked out of the Great Hall. Apparently Romeo had seen her, because he spoke up just when Jamie was reaching the stairs.

"Hey, Jamie!" Romeo said, "Ready for our date tonight?"

"More like am I ready for the whole school to know about us?" Jamie said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Jamie, you aren't still going on about that," Romeo said, "Come on... after tonight, we can be open about this. We don't have to hide in dark closets or lavatories anymore. Besides, who is going to care?"

"My cousins," Jamie said, "And my brother... and Joseph as well."

"Oh come on..." Romeo said.

"Jamie, Jane knows about us!" Jamie said, "She basically made me tell her. She was going on about how I didn't have a date for the Ball... and... and now she doesn't want to speak to me!"

Jamie sat down on the stairs and put her hands over her face.

"I am losing my friends because of this," Jamie said, "It is stupid."

"It isn't stupid," Romeo said.

"Romeo, Jane and I have been best friends just about as along as we been cousins!" Jamie said, "And that had been since birth. And now, she isn't talking to me."

"Jamie, come on," Romeo began.

"I am going back to the Common Room," Jamie said, standing up, "I... I will see you tonight."

"Seven-thirty?" Romeo asked, as Jamie walked up the stairs.

"Sometime around then, yeah," Jamie said, not looking back at Romeo.

Jamie walked up the stairs and headed for the Gryffindor Common Room. Twenty minutes later, she arrived and said the password ("Butterbeer!") and walked into the Common Room. Jane was sitting by the fire with her arms crossed.

"Jane..." Jamie said.

Jane didn't respond.

"Listen, Jane!" Jamie said, "I have been looking forward to this night for some time now. And no one is going to ruin it for me... not even you. I love Romeo and he loves me. We are going together tonight and no one is stopping us."

Still no response. Jamie rolled her eyes and walked to the stairs. She looked back at Jane.

"And if you still want to have a date tonight," she said, "You shouldn't take your anger out on Joseph!"

Jamie turned and headed up the stairs. Ignoring the sobs coming from behind her, she continued up the stairs and walked into her dormitory.

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Well, I guess you could call it a cliff-hanger... I dunno. This chapter was getting too long to add the Yule Ball too it. But you guessed it, it is coming up next. Will it turn into the Yule Brawl? Gotta wait and see!

Feedback is greatly appreciated... as always!