Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Chapter 15, a harry potter fanfic

Author's notes:

As promised, a bit longer chapter.

Standard disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. Thank you JKR for letting us play with your toys.

I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.

This is the fifth book in my Slytherin Harry series.

Book 1: Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter

Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter

Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

If you haven't read books 1-4 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got four completed books before you even get to this one!

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

CHAPTER XV

Stupid #$% * Ball

For about a week, amazingly, things actually calmed down some. Oh, the school was still abuzz, the Daily Prophet was relentless, the Beauxbatons' students were nasty as ever and Durmstrang, well it probably really didn't need to be said what they thought of him, but Harry and his friends were well versed in ignoring vitriol being directed their way. They went about their business of being the top students in their year stuck by each other and ignored pretty much everything else.

As to the second task, Mrs Tonks had met with them and assured them plans were well under way to deal with that issue and they didn't need to worry about it till they came home for the holiday. Harry wasn't exactly sure he felt completely comfortable doing nothing, but he trusted his mum and the Order would come up with a plan to get them all out of the loch as quick and safe as possible so he was doing his best to forget about it for the moment. Besides, the most important thing he could do right now would be to get his arm healed and his strength back.

His first run after having lost so much blood had been, in a word, ugly. He'd barely been able to keep up with Neville and Hermione. Blood replenishing potion could keep you alive, but it wasn't blood. It just didn't carry oxygen like blood did. And until his body replaced the blood he'd lost, he just wasn't going to have the stamina or strength he'd had only a few days before. It sucked, but he'd recovered from worse. Far worse.

So things were about as good as they could be. The stress of the last few weeks was gone and they were all able to take a collective breath. That wasn't to say things weren't busy. Maxime and Karkaroff had ultimately decided not to remove the rest of their students from the school and with that decision, quidditch moved front and center. The first matches were in ten days. Harry was still struggling with whether he should be playing or not, but with the green light from his mum and the Order he didn't have to make a decision before the break and he was intent on playing in at least the two matches they would have before the end of term. Slytherin had drawn Ravenclaw for their first match and while anything could happen, he fully expected they would trounce the Birds. Hufflepuff had been a bit unlucky and drawn Beauxbatons as their first opponent. They faced the unknown. Gryffindor had the ultimate misfortune though and drew Durmstrang. Viktor had confirmed he was going to play as well and Harry felt certain, unless Ron grew into his role as starting keeper bloody damn fast, the Lions were in for a mauling. Good as Cedric was, Harry had flown against Charlie. Charlie said Viktor was the best he'd ever seen. Durmstrang were the prohibitive favorites to win the Triwizard Quidditch Cup. But Durmstrang were a long ways off for the Slytherin side. The draw didn't match the sides up till the fourth weekend in January, the last week of the tournament.

Just more than a week past the first task though, things took a turn for the worse again. Harry and his friends were traversing a balcony a flight up when they heard a girl's voice.

"Excusez-moi."

"Oui, comment puis-je vous aider." Harry and his friends slowed. The second had been Fleur.

"Je voulais demander si vous étiez encore libre si vous envisagiez d'assister au bal de Noël avec moi?"Harry had no idea what the first girl had asked, but she sounded nervous to him. He glanced at Hermione. Her eyes had gone wide. Daphne had moved to the rail and leaned over so she could see.

"Vous moi demandez de la balle?"

"Oui."

"What are they saying?" Ginny hissed.

"She asked her to the ball," Daphne whispered.

"Who asked her to the ball?" Harry asked.

"Tabatha, Albright," Daphne answered. "Now hush." Harry tried to put a face to the name. Gryffindor, seventh-year, brown hair, she slotted into place in his mind. Quiet, studious, not his picture of most Gryffindors, but then she had just sucked it up and asked a veela to the Yule Ball.

Apparently the shock of being asked to the ball by another girl had temporarily silenced Fleur. It didn't last long though and Harry didn't need a translation to get the gist of it. "Tu penses que je serai flattée parce que tu me parles en français quand tu es une lesbienne dégoûtante, sors de ma vue fille idiote."

There was a moment of silence before Tabatha responded. "Well you don't have to be a pig about it!"

"Good for you, Tabatha," Daphne said loudly. Tabatha and Fleur looked up sharply. Both girls' eyes went wide to see her standing there. The others were still too far back and out of sight. Daphne focused on Fleur. "Je vois que je ne me suis pas trompé en croyant que le vernis de votre beauté était aussi profond que votre peau."

Harry tried not to. He really did. But he couldn't help glancing at Hermione. She was bone white. He could see the last nine months building the courage to come out about her relationship with Luna shattering in her eyes. "I can't do this," she whispered, and ran.

Harry moved to go after her but Luna grabbed his arm. "Let her go."

"Luna," he said.

She smiled even as a tear slid down her cheek. "This has been coming for a while now. Let her go, Harry… I have." She kept a brave face for about two seconds before she broke into sobs and sank to her knees. Harry knelt and pulled her to him. "Why does loving someone hurt so much?" she gasped.

Harry kissed her crown. "I don't know, Luna," he sighed, defeated. "I don't know."

Ginny moved to them, wrapping them both in her arms. "I'm here," she soothed.

"Someone needs to go after her," Luna sniffed. "It's not safe."

"We'll go," Neville said.

"Thanks, Mate," Harry said.

Daphne kissed Luna's cheek. "We'll keep her safe."

"Let me know when you track her down," Harry said.

"We will," Neville said. He and Daphne hurried away.

"Come on, Luv," Ginny said. "Let's get you somewhere private." She and Harry were able to guide Luna to an empty storage room where they knew an old couch was being kept. Ginny pulled Luna down and she lay with her head in Ginny's lap. Harry closed the door, locked it and moved to join them. He reached for Luna's hand.

"She's not ready," Luna sniffed.

"Luna," he tried.

"She's not," Luna cut him off. "We haven't talked about the ball in weeks."

"Oh Luna," Ginny soothed. She combed her fingers through Luna's blonde lockes.

"We've barely even kissed since coming back," Luna sobbed. She rolled into Ginny and buried her face in her stomach.

Ginny leaned over her, wrapping her protectively in her embrace. "Let it out, Luv," she whispered. Luna shuddered and did. Great wracking sobs shook her body as she cried her pain out. Harry and Ginny just held her. At one point they locked gazes. Ginny was crying. He had tears on his cheeks.

"I will never," he mouthed, "do this to you."

She took his hand, weaving their fingers together. "I know," she mouthed back.

A long time later Luna rolled to her back. Her head was still in Ginny's lap. She smiled weakly and reached up to palm Ginny's cheek. "Don't be mad at her."

"Luna," Ginny said.

"Promise me, Ginevra."

Ginny sighed. "I'll try."

"Thank you." She focused on Harry. "Go find her."

"Luna—"

"Go, I have Ginevra, and she needs you."

Harry glanced at Ginny. "We'll be fine," she said.

"All right," he agreed. He raised Luna's hand and kissed it. "Love you."

She smiled. "You too, Harry."

Harry reached up and dried a tear from her cheek. "Stealing my line?"

"You stole mine."

Harry kissed her hand again. "I'll be back."

HPHPHP

It was two days before Harry managed to track Fleur into a hidden cloister. Surprisingly, despite his map, there were still places in the school he had yet been. She watched him walk in and sit down on the bench across from her. She met his eyes and they just watched each other, waiting for one to break. Harry was willing to go first. He was a lot better at chess than he'd been first-year. Not as good as Hermione or Luna, but then this wasn't chess, was it?

"Do you have any idea the crimes a Legilimens is capable of?" She visibly recoiled, but a second later rallied and refused to look away from him. "It would be a mistake to think I am incapable or even unwilling to commit those crimes," he threatened. Harry had to give her credit, she kept her eyes on his and he could see her almost daring him to try. He was tempted; sorely. But veela were known to have Magics taught only amongst their line, Magics that might knock him flat on his arse if he did. He would if he had to, but for now he hoped just the threat would be enough. "What I want to know is, is it a lie?" She frowned. "See, this sob story about your sister," Harry went on. "You almost convinced me there's a decent person under all that bitch. But then you eviscerated that girl for no other reason than she thought you were pretty and made the mistake of thinking you might be worthy of her affection. So, I guess, the thing is, if this sister of yours is a trick to earn my trust… it won't be pretty. If your concern for her is a lie, if she's just another soul for you to crush on your way to whatever glory you think winning this tournament will bring you, I will hunt you down, Fleur. There is no rock you can hide under, no cave deep enough, no land hidden too far that I won't find you."

"Do 'ou zink to frighten me?" Her voice, while still soft and weak from the injuries to her lungs, was defiant.

"I think to tell you the truth, Fleur. You have no idea who I am, the things I'm capable of. And if you're lying to me and someone gets hurt, I promise, you won't be able to stop me."

She glared at him. "'ho are 'ou to judge me? I 'ave seen 'ou. 'ou and 'our friends are vicious and cruel to anyone 'ou do not like."

Harry smiled. Though it wasn't friendly. "You're right, Fleur, I am vicious. I'm cruel. Frankly, I'm an utter arse. Professor McGonagall has told that on more than one occasion. But the difference between you and me is I've never once started a fight. Every person I've ever denigrated, belittled, mocked, and yes, beaten the living hell out of, earned every word, fist or spell I gave him or her. You, on the other hand, I suppose we could talk about who attacked who first, but what's the point when we both know it was you?"

"Wat do 'ou want from me?"

"What do you know?"

She pressed her lips together. "Zee 'ostages will be taken into zee loch. Zee merpeople will keep zem. We 'ave one 'our to rescue zem. But I a zure 'ou already know zis, so why ask?"

He ignored her question. "How are you planning to get to her?"

"Zee Bubble 'ead Zzarm."

Harry nodded. "Bet that's fun on your lungs."

"I will live."

Harry stood. "Try Gillyweed instead." She frowned. "Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean, it's in the restricted section." He was gone before she could respond. But he could hear her cursing in French behind him. Daphne and Ginny fell in beside him when he turned the corner.

"I think you may have upset her," Daphne said.

"It's a gift," Harry said.

"Bitch," Ginny spat.

HPHPHP

Ginny sat in the stands between Harry and Cedric. "And I was worried about Viktor," Cedric muttered. Quidditch had started and, as expected, Slytherin had dominated Ravenclaw in their first match, winning by a score of 640–170. Cedric and Hufflepuff had lost a hard fought match against Beauxbatons 600–630. Today was Gryffindor against Durmstrang. Gryffindor had lost only one player, Oliver Wood, to graduation. They had six players who, by the time they left school, could conceivably give professional quidditch a shot. One of them, if Harry was honest, was another star keeper in the making. They were a strong side. But they couldn't match up against Durmstrang. Angelina and Alicia were both marking Viktor and he was still running them ragged.

"We might stand a chance if we fielded a school team," Ginny agreed.

Cedric shook his head. "I can't fly with him. And our keeper would still be a first year starter."

"Who said anything about you marking Viktor?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, that'd be my job," Harry said.

"In your dreams, Potter," Ginny said.

"Well someone has to do the work so you can pad your stats."

"Pad my stats!"

Harry grinned manically at her. "Well you wouldn't have six goals and two snitches if you'd had to mark Davis," he taunted.

"No, I'd have had seven and three instead of your measly five goals."

"Fine, you get Cedric when we play them."

"Fine by me. You just get to tell David."

"And there goes Krum!" Lee announced. "He's on the Seek again with eight goals now. Another snitch will be his fourth. That means 200 points if he can catch it. And does anyone doubt he can?"

As it turned out he couldn't. Alicia was able to provide just enough interference to prevent him getting another snitch in the waning moments of the match. Gryffindor still lost badly though; 890 – 310. As much as he was looking forward to testing himself against Viktor, Harry wasn't too sure the result wouldn't be just as ugly for Slytherin.

Harry sighed. "Do you really think we can't put together an all-star team?"

"Don't," Daphne warned, "even think about it."

"Are we going to the library now?" Luna asked disinterestedly. Harry glanced at his friend. Over the last ten days the stress of the breakup between her and Hermione had taken the place of worry about the tournament. Both girls were putting on a brave face, but the other four knew they were both hurting. The thing was, neither wanted to break up. But Hermione wasn't willing to be out with their relationship at school and Luna was no longer willing to hide. The result was a very timid Hermione, a very formal Luna and a whole lot of 'not fun'. On the one hand, Harry got it. They faced enough difficulties as it was at school. Willingly adding to it, well, to some extent he got where Hermione was coming from. But that didn't stop him being upset with her for hurting Luna.

He looped an arm around her shoulder. "Sure."

"Luna, wait," Hermione said.

She turned back. "Yes?" Hermione grabbed her face and kissed her. It was quick, but hard. And public. Very, very public. "Go to the ball with me," Hermione asked when she broke away. "Please." Tears streamed down Luna's cheeks and she could only nod. Hermione kissed her again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Luna shuddered and burrowed into Hermione's arms. "I just love you so much," she sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

It took a few moments for everyone around them to overcome their shock. Harry swept the interested spectators. "What?" he demanded. "Never seen two people kiss before?" Having a bit of a reputation was undoubtedly a two edged sword. Sometimes it sucked watching people scurry away from him. But other times, he was quite glad a simple scowl would set all but the most hearty of souls in search of other places to be. This was one of the later."

HPHPHP

The next few days Hermione and Luna, as the school's second openly gay couple, became the most interesting form of gossip. But that really wasn't much different from any new couple or breakup and for the most part the two were relegated to the back burner by the middle of the week. Truth was, Hermione and Luna were very discreet and their public behavior, other than that one incident wasn't discernibly different. And the student body had more interesting things to capture its attention; like quidditch and then the ball to occur the twenty-second. Though not everyone was interested in those things.

"We're being followed," Luna said. She showed him the map.

Harry pursed his lips. "You guys go on, I'll deal with this."

"I'm not leaving you alone with that bitch," Hermione said. Harry took a sudden left.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a hidden passage two corridors down."

"What are you planning?" Ginny asked.

"Who says I'm planning anything?" She gave him a look. Harry tried his innocent face.

"Please, I invented that face," she said.

Harry sighed. "Fine. We're going to duck into the passage, let her pass and then I'm going to twist her tail a bit."

"Oh," Luna said, "can I do the twisting?"

Harry eyed her. "As long as you promise not to traumatize her too badly."

"Define traumatize… and badly."

"Try not to make her wet herself."

Luna frowned. "Well you're no fun."

Ginny ran her hand along the wall, found the release and pressed it. A section of wall swung inward. Five of them ducked in. Luna whipped Harry's invisibility cloak on. "I call next," Daphne said.

"You've already scared her," Ginny protested. "It's my turn."

Just before the door swung closed, Luna hissed, "And you said nothing about shatting herself."

The other five looked at each other. "She wouldn't," Harry said. "Would she?"

"She's the one who freaked Hermione out," Daphne said. Hermione shifted guiltily.

"Ohhh boy," Neville said. Daphne cast an Eavesdropping Charm on the door and the others crowded in.

Luna waited for Fleur to come round the corner. She had to double-check the map a number of times but Fleur's dot on the map was all the giveaway needed and she eventually spotted her. "Petrificus Totalus," she 's dot stopped dead. Luna moved behind the girl where she pulled the cloak off before stepping in front of her again. "Hasn't anyone ever told you, if you're going to spy on people, it is wise to not get caught?" she asked. Fleur, of course, couldn't answer. "Though I do compliment you on your Disillusionment Charm… Finite, Incantatum!" Fleur shimmered into existence. "It was quite good." She put her wand on Fleur's lips. "Finite!"

"I was not spying on 'ou. Now release me."

"You were spying," Luna said calmly. "It's the third night in a row you've tried to follow us. Would you care to try again?"

"I was not following, 'ou."

Luna tipped her head. "Very well. I shall assume we were playing hidders and finders then. It is one of my favorites. But, as I have found you, it is now your turn to find me." She used her wand to trace a rune on Fleur's arm. "Nūru eṇikegaḷu kāguṇita fineta!"

"Wat waz zat?" Fleur demanded. Luna moved behind her and pulled the cloak on. "'ou can't leave me like ziss!"

Hidden again, Luna walked past her. "Don't be silly, Fleur," she teased. "You have to count to a hundred before you can come find me."

"Wat in zee world?" Fleur gasped.

Now covered by the cloak, Luna walked around her, trailing a finger across the other girl's shoulders. "I'll be waiting," she called as she walked off.

It was a good twenty minutes after Luna arrived in the Room of Requirement before the other five; barely able to stand for their laughter, joined her. "That long?" she asked. The others collapsed

"Luna," Ginny hiccupped.

"You're," Harry wheezed.

"Brilliant," Daphne managed.

"Hurts," Neville sniggered. Hermione bolted to her feet and the door at the far end of the room.

"Where are you going?" Luna asked.

"Pee," Hermione squeaked.

The others stopped laughing for a second then fell about again. "Dying," Harry gasped. "I'm dying."

"Hiders, finders," Ginny wheezed.

HPHPHP

The second week of quidditch saw a bit of a surprise when Slytherin managed a ten point win over Beauxbatons. It took Amber snagging a snitch, and Ginny slotting a sixth goal; both in the last minute of play to do it though. The sixty points had swung the impending loss to the win column and the celebration in locker room, and later the common room, had been epic. Someone had even snuck firewhisky in and spiked a bowl of punch. Harry and Ginny both had headaches the next day as epic as the party itself. They had also earned the ire of Mrs Tonks. It wasn't so much they'd tried alcohol, they were teenagers and she expected a bit of experimentation from them. It was the fact they'd been inebriated. Harry hadn't stopped once to consider that being drunk was the perfect opportunity for someone to come after him. He'd been appropriately contrite. Swearing off alcohol hadn't been particularly difficult at the time either. His head had still been pounding.

As for the weekend's other matches, they'd gone as expected. Gryffindor had demolished Ravenclaw 580-160 while Durmstrang had thrashed Hufflepuff 800-500. Viktor was so good even Cedric barely slowed him down. He'd scored 380 points and been after his fourth snitch when the whistle blew. The rest of his teammates were no slouches either. Their second slasher was probably Cedric's equal and the other two were on par with Harry, Ginny or Angelina and their beaters were equal to the Tweedles. Keeper was a bit of a weak spot, but he was still as good as any of the other five keepers in the competition. Given time, Ron would be better and indeed he'd shown drastic improvement in just one week. Of course he'd gone from playing Durmstrang to Ravenclaw and the Birds just had nothing.

With quidditch done till after the break, the student's attention turned fully to the coming Yule Ball. On the one hand, Harry would liked to have skipped the thing, but he was trying not to let the fact he was a champion ruin something he'd been looking forward to from the moment his mum had told them about it that past summer. Any excuse at all that gave him reason for time alone with Ginny, in his mind, was a good excuse. He was very much looking forward to spending as much of the evening with his arms around her while they danced as possible. His mum had even surprised him at his last two Mind Magic lessons by showing up in place of Mrs Tonks to give him dancing lessons. He was getting a bit concerned with her growing tendency to push the envelope on appearing in public. To the point he almost wondered if she was hoping to be caught out.

The Monday after the second round of matches, Cedric slumped into his seat at the Hufflepuff table. "I'm an idiot," he groaned.

"A fact we've been aware of for years," James said. "What, dare we ask, has happened that you've finally seen the light?" Cedric glowered at him. "Come on, Mate, what'd you cock up now?"

"Come on, Mate," Harry said. "What'd you do, get busted by Filch for wanking in the toilet?"

"Harry!" Hermione complained. Neville gagged and nearly spurted juice across the table.

"Worse," Cedric groaned. He leaned over and glumly put his head on the table.

"What could be worse than getting busted for polishing your wand, by Filch?" James asked.

"Honestly," Daphne complained. "What do you see in him, Ginny?"

Ginny was trying not to laugh. "I grew up with six brothers. Harry is more civilized than the lot of them combined. Just ask Luna."

Luna glanced up from her crêpe. "Ask me what?"

"Harry is more civilized than all my brothers combined."

"Oh yes," she agreed readily. "Ronald alone pulls them into a net negative."

"He's actually been fairly decent to me this year," Neville said.

"Guys," James said pointedly. "Eyes on the ball—"

Harry snorted. "Or hand if you're Ced."

James ignored him and kept on. "What did you do now, Ced?"

Everyone focused on him. Cedric didn't pick his head up from the table. "Cho Chang asked me to go to the ball with her." There was instant silence for about ten seats either side of them. It went on for an uncomfortably long time. Cedric dared to pick his head up. "I only said I'd think about it," he pleaded. "But I have to have a partner and everyone I thought to ask is already going with someone." Still no one said a word. Cho Chang was one of the Ravenclaw's slashers. She was actually quite good. And, Harry would admit, quite pretty. But she was also very nasty. She had been one of the leading harassers of Luna from day one. She'd only gotten worse as time went on and with the open declaration of Luna's relationship with Hermione she'd reached new levels of vindictiveness. The girl had been on the wrong end of so many pranks from Harry and the rest Harry couldn't count them all.

It was Rowena Stone, a prefect and fellow seventh-year Hufflepuff with Cedric who finally said something. "You're right, Cedric, you are an idiot. You're also an arse, a simpleton, a bloody moron and utterly blind." She tossed her napkin on the table, stood and left. Harry and the others stared after the normally quiet girl.

"Well, no one should say that was unexpected," Daphne observed.

Rowena's friend, Veronica Midgen, another seventh year stood. "Idiot," she said scathingly to Cedric and hurried after Rowena.

Cedric stared after them both before slowly turning to the others. "What did I do?"

James shook his head. "Don't ask me, Mate. I can't even figure out what mine wants."

"Honestly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "she was obviously hoping you'd ask her to the ball."

Cedric stared back at her, blinking. "She was?" he croaked.

"Yes. Duh."

"But she's perfect, and gorgeous and super nice and, and… and why would she want to go with me?"

"No idea," Harry said. "You're right, you're too damn ugly to go out with her."

"Watch it," Ginny warned.

"What?" Harry complained. "I only said he was ugly."

"Implying Rowena was pretty," Ginny countered.

"A common slug is pretty when compared to one of those skewrts Hagrid is raising," Harry pointed out.

"You did not just compare Rowena to a slug!" Daphne said.

"As far as I'm concerned there is Ugly, Pretty, Ginny, and everyone else," Harry said. He ticked the categories off on his fingers. "Rowena fits in Pretty. Ced, Neville, James, sorry guys, but you're all ugly."

"Back at ya, Mate," Neville said. Through everything he'd only briefly paused in steadily eating his way through the massive amount of food he consumed at meals.

"See," Harry said.

"And where do I fit, Harry?" Luna asked. She smiled sweetly at him.

Harry grinned and winked at her. "The very high end of pretty."

"Lovely." She went back to her breakfast. "You should ask her soon, Cedric." She took a sip of her juice. "Though you should beg forgiveness and perhaps grovel a bit first."

"You really think?" he asked.

She focused on him, considering. "Grovel a lot," she said and went back to eating.

Ginny settled into Harry's side up in the clock tower. "Have I told you how much I appreciate always knowing where I stood with you?"

Harry considered. "I seem to remember it didn't always seem that way."

She wove her fingers into his. "I'm sorry I made it so hard on you."

Harry raised her hand to his lips. "I don't really consider all of that to have been you."

"What do you mean?"

Harry thought for a moment before answering. "You were abused, Ginny; violated, made to do things that weren't your choice. I've been through all of that… It took me almost three years to tell my mum I loved her… I knew I was hurting her; not telling her that, but I just couldn't. She never gave up on me though. And every time I thought you'd pushed me to my breaking point… Well, I just tried to remember what it was like for me."

Ginny stretched up and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Harry raised her hand and kissed it again. "Always, Ginny."

Cedric returned from his rounds to the Hufflepuff common room that night. He'd yet to talk to Rowena. She'd avoided him all day and at the last moment, when he figured he had her cornered, he learned she'd begged off her round for patrols to Tiffany Taylor of Slytherin. He wasn't scheduled to patrol with Rowena again now till after the holidays. As expected, he found the common room empty, without even an overly amorous couple to send up to bed before he could turn in for the night. He made his way to the stairs and what he was sure would be a restless night's sleep. His foot hit the first step when Rowena two steps up brought him up short.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," she said, staring past his shoulder.

Cedric hesitated. "It's all right. I think maybe I needed a bit of embarrassment."

She still wouldn't look at him. "I'm sorry I switched rounds. I know it's your job to check in with the rest of us… Head Boy and all. I won't do it again."

"Rowena," he tried.

"That's all I had to say. So I'll leave you be now." She turned to go.

"Rowena, wait," he called.

She paused, but didn't turn back. "You don't have to apologize, Cedric. I know I'm not super smart like Hermione or Luna or pretty like Daphne or, or that Ravenclaw. It's perfectly understandable you'd want to go with one of them instead of me." She started up the stairs.

Cedric stared after her for a second before launching up the stairs. He caught her arm just before she turned up the girls' staircase and he'd have been forced to let her go or set of the alarms. "Go to the ball with me?"

She stiffened. "Let me go."

"Rowena—"

"No," she cut him off.

Cedric frowned. "No, what?"

She turned around and there were tears slipping down her cheeks. She was also, very plain to see, angry. Cedric took a reflexive step back. "At the moment the only thing I have left is my self-respect and I'll be damned if I let you take that from me as well," she snapped. "So, no, I won't go to the ball with you. Find someone else willing to be your last resort because it sure as hell won't be me." She spun on her heel and hurried up the steps. Cedric waited a half beat before following.

"Rowena, wait!" He got no further than three steps when a god-awful alarm went off. The stairs suddenly changed into a slide and he was falling on his bum back to the landing. Rowena, who had been two steps from the top when they changed, crashed into him a second later. "Ow, bloody hell," Cedric groaned.

It took less than ten seconds for the first heads to appear at the top of the staircase. "What's going on here?" BreAnna Gouldthe sixth-year prefect demanded. "Let me through." Meanwhile Cedric and Rowena had finally managed to untangle themselves.

"Just let me go," she snapped, batting his hand away when he tried to help her up.

"Sorry," Cedric said.

"Rowena?" BreAnna asked.

"Wonderful," Rowena muttered. "Could my life get any worse?" She took her wand out and tapped it on the wall in a pattern Cedric failed to catch. The slide quickly reverted to being stairs and, mercifully, the alarm shut off. "It's nothing, BreAnna," she said. "Get them back in bed."

"Just what is going on here?" Professor Sprout's voice entered the mix.

Rowena turned to her. "Just a misunderstanding, Professor. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Get back in bed, all of you she ordered." There was a moment of silence before BreAnna took over.

"Go on." She herded the girls standing at the top of the stairs back to their rooms. "You heard her, get back in your beds… You lot as well," she shot at the boys crowding the landing to their rooms.

Vincent Lawrence," a sixth-year prefect jumped in. "You heard her. Back in bed you lot." Amid much snickering the two prefects got the rest of the students herded back to their dormitories, leaving just Professor Sprout, Cedric, Rowena, and Veronica behind.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Professor Sprout asked, eyeing Cedric.

"I'm sorry, Professor, Rowena and I were having a bit of a disagreement. I didn't want to go to bed still fighting and tried to follow her up the stairs."

She glanced at Rowena. "Is there anything I need to be concerned about, Miss Stone?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Very well then. I trust you all know your way to your beds?" She stood there, pointedly waiting.

"Yes, Ma'am," Rowena said. She turned and hurried up the stairs.

"You're not a last resort," Cedric blurted.

"Haven't you done enough damage for the night?" Veronica snapped from the top of the stairs.

"I just didn't think you'd ever want to go with me."

Veronica moved down to Rowena and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Hun, he's not worth crying over." She shot a last, scathing, look at Cedric before disappearing around the corner with Rowena.

"You're smart and pretty and the kindest girl I've ever met and I honestly didn't think I had a chance," Cedric called after them. He waited, hoping they'd come back. When they didn't he eventually turned to professor Sprout. "She was my first choice," he said. "Honest." She frowned at him.

"I heard you tell Harry you were thinking of asking Daphne before you found out she was interested in Neville." Cedric turned; Rowena was standing at the top of the stairs. "And I heard you talking with James about asking Hermione or Luna before you found out they were a couple.

Cedric cringed, but straightened. Sometimes, as Harry often taunted when he was beating him till he could barely get up, you had to, 'Suck it up, Buttercup'. "Look, I was going to ask one of them. But only because I didn't think you even noticed me."

Veronica stepped around the corner again. "She helps you with revision all the time. She takes extra patrols just so she can spend time with you. She's been to every one of your matches since fourth year. She visits you in hospital every time you get hurt playing that stupid sport. She's spent hours helping you figure out the clue to the second task. How is that not noticing you?"

"But – but you all do that," Cedric said.

She rolled her eyes. "If you think that, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought."

"But you do," Cedric said.

"Who is always the leader you eejit! Which one of us talks to you the most? Which one of us always says hi when we pass you in the halls? Which one of us has made sure you're never alone since those idiots from Durmstrang started harassing you?"

Cedric started, stopped, started and stopped again. "Look, can we just accept I'm bloody clueless? I mean I haven't had a single girlfriend the entire time I've been in school. My dad was worried enough he actually asked me if I was gay this past summer. I wanted to ask you, Rowena, but I honestly never considered you'd say yes."

Rowena snickering broke the silence that followed. "Your father thought you were gay?"

Cedric blushed. "Well, he heard about me standing up for Daniel and Andrew and then I kept talking about Harry and how I was going to turn the tables and surprise him by taking Judo lessons this summer."

She couldn't help smiling. "That is hilarious."

Cedric grinned sheepishly. "Glad I amuse you."

She considered him. "I'll think about it," she said and left.

Veronica glared at him. "I'm telling the whole school your dad thought you were gay," she said and was gone as well.

Cedric stared after them. "You on the other hand," he muttered, "most days I'd like to throttle." He started up the stairs for his dormitory.

"Ahem."

Cedric cringed and turned back. Professor Sprout was still there. "Professor?"

"Five points, Mr Diggory… And I trust you'll work extra hard to earn them back this week."

Cedric sighed. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Very good." She turned and left.

"Stupid fucking ball," Cedric muttered before making his way to his dormitory.

HPHPHP

Author's notes:

French to English translations

"Excusez-moi."

"Excuse me?"

"Oui, comment puis-je vous aider." Harry and his friends slowed. The second had been Fleur.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Harry and his friends slowed. The second had been Fleur.

"I wished to ask if you were still free if you would consider attending the Yule ball with me?" Harry had no idea what the first girl had asked, but she sounded nervous to him. He glanced at Hermione. Her eyes had gone wide. Daphne had moved to the rail and leaned over so she could see.

"Vous moi demandez de la balle?"

You are asking me to the ball?

"Oui."

"Yes."

"What are they saying?" Ginny hissed.

"She asked her to the ball," Daphne whispered.

"Who asked her to the ball?" Harry asked.

Apparently the shock of being asked to the ball by another girl had temporarily silenced Fleur. It didn't last long though and Harry didn't need a translation to get the gist of it. "You think I will be flattered because you speak to me in French when you are a disgusting lesbian, get out of my sight foolish girl."

There was a moment of silence before Tabatha responded. "Well you don't have to be a pig about it!"

"Good for you, Tabatha," Daphne said loudly. Tabatha and Fleur looked up sharply. Both girls' eyes went wide to see her standing there. The others were still too far back and out of sight. Daphne focused on Fleur. "I see I was not deceived in believing the veneer of your beauty was only as deep as your skin."