Author note: Happy New Year! and as a treat you get another little chapter.

i am very excited for the next one and i hope you will all enjoy it !

p.s you made it through 2020 - well done! x

"Why does it still have feathers?"

"No idea Neville," Ebony said, looking down at the guinea fowl that they were supposed to be turning into a guinea pig. They'd initially spent the first ten minutes of the lesson just trying to get it to stay still. It now pretty much resembled a guinea pig - just with added clumps of feathers.

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" McGonagall's irritated voice sliced through the air and Ebony looked over to Harry and Ron who had now stopped sword fighting with their wands. "Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of the boys. "I have something to say to you all."

"Well that's usually never good," Ebony muttered out the corner of her mouth. Neville let out a murmur of agreement.

"The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall."

Ebony's face lit up.

Christmas Day. The ball was on Christmas Day. Which meant that for the first time, she wouldn't be with her family for Christmas.

For the first time, she would get to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, with Neville.

She couldn't stop smiling. She wanted to jump around and cheer but she instead settled on aggressively bouncing her leg under the desk.

Ebony barely registered anything else that Professor McGonagall said and had a spring in her step as she and Neville packed up and left the classroom.

"You're in a weirdly good mood," Neville said as they wove their way through the corridor full of students.

"I am," she replied, grinning at him, "you know why?"

"Because transfiguration is over?"

Ebony snorted, "well that too." They came to a halt outside the charms classroom, Neville almost crashing into her. "But what I'm really happy about is the Yule Ball." Neville furrowed his brow.

"But you always complain about the balls and stuff your family make you go to."

She sighed and reached up to grab his shoulders, Merlin he could be a bit slow. "It means silly, that for once I get to stay here for Christmas." She watched a grin spread across his face.

"I hadn't even thought, finally we get to spend Christmas together!" He exclaimed.

"And it's going to be the best Christmas I've ever had. No parents, just my best friend."

She watched him blush and her stomach fluttered.

Only a little.

...

While Ebony had initially been very excited about the ball, it's novelty had quickly worn off as it was all anyone would talk about. Conversations seemed to be limited to who had asked who, what they had said, what they were going to wear.

The truth was, Ebony was a bit nervous. She was both hoping and dreading that Neville would ask her to go with him. She was beyond confused about how she felt about him and what he did or didn't feel for her. If he did ask her, it would complicate things but if he didn't then she would be more confused than ever about the whole situation.

If she had any amount of good communication skills then she would probably just ask him. But she didn't.

And of course, there was the added concern of her parents but she tried not to dwell on them too much.

She and Neville were spending the afternoon in one of the greenhouses, partly because Professor Sprout had asked Neville to take care of the new Shrivelfig plant, and partly because it wasn't full of giggling students.

They'd been working side by side quietly for about half an hour, Neville humming to himself and Ebony trying to ignore her hands going slightly numb with the cold. The greenhouse was warmer than outside but considering it was December in the north of Scotland, that wasn't difficult.

"What are you humming?"

"What?" Neville said, looking up, "oh, just a song gran always plays. It's by this muggle singer she likes...Elton something."

"It's nice, I like it."

Neville took a deep breath.

"You know," he said, "I've been thinking,"

"That's never good."

He chuckled, "I know." He put down his scissors and turned to face her. She put hers down too. "Well, I was wondering, um...of course, you don't have to but well-" he was flushing a very deep crimson and Ebony's heart pounded as she predicted what he was going to say-"would you, you know...want to go to the um ball? With me?"

She let out a shaky breath and smiled, feeling her own face burn a little, "yeah, I'd um... I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

"Really?"

She elbowed him playfully, "no need to sound so surprised."

"Sorry," he said, letting out a breath of laughter, "so, us two. The ball. Cool." He picked up the scissors and turned his attention back to the Shrivelfig, still muttering to himself, though clearly not as quietly as he thought he was and Ebony bit her lip as she tried not to laugh, "cool, very cool. Nice one Nev, you did it. That want so hard now, was it?"

Ebony's stomach was tying itself in knots as she pretended to be paying close attention to the plant. Of course, she said yes, they were friends. They were just going as friends. He hadn't said otherwise so definitely just friends. Ginny was just talking rubbish, what did she know anyway?

Ebony could lie to herself all she wanted, her gut was saying otherwise.

She glanced over at him, the same time he happened to and, for a moment, their eyes met. Icy blue to emerald green. Eyes full of unsaid feelings and unanswered questions.

They both blushed and quickly looked away.

Her heart fluttered and she cringed at herself.

Oh Merlin, what was she going to do?

...

...

"Hermione, that's amazing!"

"Oh shush Ginny, it's not a big deal."

"Victor bloody Krum is taking you to the Yule Ball and it's 'not a big deal'?"

Ebony stepped into the dorm, "Krum's taking Hermione to the ball?"

Ginny and Hermione were both sat cross-legged on Hermione's bed and she went over to join them.

"Isn't it so cool?"

Ebony grinned as Hermione blushed. "Very cool."

"You know, Ron asked me and then got upset that I was going with someone else as if I should just wait around for him," she said, her smile faltering a little, " he and Harry are completely useless."

"Oh don't mind my brother, he's a twat," Ginny said, "Harry actually asked me as well but I was already going with Dean."

"Still got a huge crush on Harry?"

"Ooh, first I'm hearing of this crush Ginny," Ebony said, very much enjoying watching the tips of her friend's ears go scarlet.

"I would like to formally announce that I am only a tiny bit still madly in love with him." Ginny flopped onto her back. "I mean have you SEEN him?"

Ebony and Hermione glanced at each other, back at Ginny and then burst out laughing.

"Think you might need to take out 'tiny bit' of that statement," Ebony said through her giggles. Ginny just groaned and batted at her arm.

"If you've finished humiliating me, anyone asked you yet?" It was Ebony's turn to blush. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Oh, who it is?"

"Take a wild guess 'Mione," Ginny said, "it's Neville isn't it?"

"Maybe..."

"What did I say!" she cried, "When did he ask?"

"A few days ago."

"Oh that's nice," Hermione said, "Neville's lovely."

"And hopelessly in love with her!"

"Oh stop it," Ebony whined, her stomach tying itself in knots again. It had been doing that an awful lot lately. "We are just going as friends."

"Did he say that?" Ginny asked.

"Well no-"

"I rest my case." Ginny sat back with a satisfied smile, Hermione giggled and Ebony gave a sigh of defeat.

She didn't know where she and Neville stood but the less she thought about it the better. Regardless of anything, they were first and foremost best friends.

And nothing would change that.

...

It seemed that asking Ebony to the ball had somehow allowed Neville to regain some of his sanity around her. However, he was now freaking out about the dancing part. Ebony had been dancing at balls since she could walk and he didn't want to look like a complete and utter fool in front of her - well no more than he usually did.

Which is how Seamus found him waltzing around the dorm by himself.

"Not what I was expecting to find when Dean said you were up here by yourself."

"Oh, hi Seamus, " Neville said, stopping dead in his tracks, trying to pretend that he hadn't been dancing around the room even though Seamus had obviously seen him and the gramophone he had nicked from the common room was still blasting music.

Seamus crossed his arms and leant against the doorframe, smirking.

"Should I even ask?"

"Ebony's been to a lot of balls before and I want to look at least a little competent." Neville blushed as he spoke. Seamus just grinned.

"God, you really do like her." Neville blushed harder. He didn't think that not wanting to look like an idiot was that big of a deal. "Well you're never going to get anywhere on your own are you?" Neville just stared at him, confused. Seamus shook his head and held out his hand.

"May I have this dance?"

Neville laughed, "really?"

"Don't leave a gentleman hanging," he said with a smirk. "Or rather lady, since I'll let you lead."

"What would I do without you, Seam?

Dancing with Seamus actually seemed to help and was rather fun, even if they both ended up on the floor and exhausted by the end of it.

"She's going to have a great time mate," Seamus said as they both sat against the wall, very much out of breath.

"You think?"

"Oh cmon," he threw an arm around Neville's shoulders, "you just walk into the room and she lights up, she's not going to care if you step on her toes."

"She does that?" Neville asked, frowning a little.

"What?"

"Lights up whenever I walk in the room."

"You've seen her!"

"I just thought she always looked like that..." Neville trailed off at the end. Could he really have such an effect on a person? Him? Surely not.

"Oh you little romantic," Seamus muttered, rubbing his hand in Neville's hair.

"Less of the little thank you."

Neville sighed happily, picturing Ebony and the light that came from her eyes and smiles. The thought that it was because of him made his stomach do frontflips.

Maybe he had a shot at this after all.