The Yule Ball
[Book: B4, 407 Siria wakes up on Christmas morning with Dobby practically nose to nose with her and startles]
Hermione, who had been in the dorms when Peter Pettigrew broke in, leapt from her bed with her wand in hand. Kreacher wrestled Dobby to the floor. Lavender shrieked at the sight of them. "It's fine!" Siria called once she realized what happened. "It's fine." She repeated as she stepped off her bed. "Sorry to wake you" said Siria.
"No problem." Hermione lowered her wand. "Merry Christmas, ladies."
"What are you two doing here?" Siria asked as she knelt down beside the two wrestling house elves. Kreacher and Dobby separated themselves. "Dobby has a gift for Siria!" Dobby told her as Kreacher said "Kreacher has brought Mistress's present." The two house elves glared at each other.
"Oh, Dobby, I have yours, but Kreacher, I wasn't expecting you, so I mailed it home." Siria confessed. The greying house elf pulled out a palm sized box, with a tag addressed from her to him. She smiled. "Then, let's open our gifts together." Siria opened her trunk at its pastel yellow point, where it was full of colorfully wrapped boxes and lumpy packages. She handed Dobby his lumpy gift and accepted a similar one from him and a flat box from Kreacher.
Dobby had given Siria two mismatched socks [Book: B4. 409 Dobby made them himself. One red with broomsticks & one green with Snitches, which Siria puts on & Dobby's ears flap with joy]. He unwrapped Siria's present, which she blushed over because she had gotten him socks as well. Dobby held up the two pairs of socks; they both had little animal faces on them that, when the wearer's feet were together, made the animal's face. "Sock are Dobby's favorite!" the small elf told her (B4, 409).
"I don't feel bad then," Hermione told them as she handed Dobby a small package, which also turned out to be socks. Siria chuckled.
"We got the same kind," she rubbed her face, but Hermione and Dobby were both quite pleased. [B4, 409 Dobby has to leave to help with the feast].
Kreacher forced his flat box into Siria's hands and looked up at her expectantly. It was not at all what she would have expected. He had given her a stationary set— a Muggle stationary set. There were envelopes decorated with a kitten chasing a ladybug that matched the border of the cardstock. It came with a black spotted, red fountain pen and several refills. "I love it," Siria told Kreacher and hugged him. He opened her gift to him, a locket. Siria hung the locket around Kreacher's neck and showed him how to open it.
"Master!" Kreacher gave a large, gummy smile at the sight of Regulus Black's photo. Regulus was barely older than Siria, but he looked far more mature. His expression remained firm and stoic as he raised his head, which highlighted his sharp jawline. It was the most recent photo Sirius could find of Regulus, just after he took the Dark Mark. Opposite of Regulus, Siria smiled and laughed inside the locket. "Now you really can see us whenever you want." She told him. Hermione had gotten Kreacher some primary writing books to help him practice his letters. He looked wide-eyed at her then to Siria. "It's alright." Hermione told Kreacher. "You coming to see Siria is an amazing gift." She assured him before he left.
"Where's my gift?" Lavender asked from her bed, where she was surrounded by her opened gifts and their wrappings. Siria tsked, but laughed as she tossed Lavender, Parvati, and Fay their gifts. The girls gathered to open their gifts from each other and show what they had received. Fay had gotten Siria Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland; Lavender, a bottle of Mood Polish, which she gave each of the girls and explained that it changes color depending on the wearer's mood; Parvati, a beautiful silver hair pin with glittering green stones "since your date is a Slytherin and all"; Hermione, Moony & Padfoot: a Look Into the Fashion Empire, which only ever mentioned Remus and Sirius as "Chloe Causer and her partners"; Ron, a sealed jar labeled "Creepy Crawlies"; Cedric, Mending Transformations: Where Transfiguration and Healing Meet; from Travers and Warrington, Potions Made Easy: A Guide for Any Dorcus; Remus, a silver serpent ear cuff and two emerald studs; and Chloe, an emerald pendant, cradled in silver, and held on a long, braided chain of silver, gold, and green.
[Book: B4, 410 Hagrid gives her the box of sweets & Mrs. Weasley gives her the sweater & pies]
Despite his word that no one would get a Christmas present from him, in exchange for the Omnioculars, Sirius could not help himself. In addition to a subscription to Out Magazine, he gave her penknife to unlock any door or untie any knot (B4, 410). He also gave her a new pair of boots. They were shiny black, ankle lace up boots, with commando purple bottoms.
"Are those to help you sneak out?" Parvati smirked at Siria, who quickly stashed the boots back in their box and slid them under her bed.
"Hm?" Siria asked in reply as she opened the fourth and final gift from Sirius.
"We hear you, Siria." Lavender said.
"We're less worried when you sneak out with Hermione," Fay said. She looked over her shoulder and paused packing her presents into her trunk. "Hermione usually has the sense not to get into trouble."
"I thought we weren't going to talk about it." Hermione tsked at them. "It's just extra practice, for the Tournament, isn't it?" Hermione looked to Siria.
"It's a boy!" Lavender insisted.
"She's totally sneaking out to see her date!" Parvati said through her giggles.
Siria clutched the fourth and final gift, a compact in her hands and stared at the Black Family Coat of Arms. Unlike the one she had seen hidden throughout Number Twelve, there was a triangle with a line going straight through and a circle, above the Crest, where the skull usually was. "Actually, ladies," Siria smirked at them, "I've been sneaking out to see Moaning Myrtle. We hang out for hours!" She rolled her eyes, but not nearly as much as Lavender.
"For Merlin's sake, Siria!" Lavender threw herself on the floor, "we're seeing him tonight— just tell us!" Siria stroked the compact.
"You wouldn't believe me." She assured them. Parvati threw her pillow into Siria's face.
"At least wipe that stupid grin off your face. Whoever it is, of course he said yes!" Parvati said. She shook her head at Siria.
[Book: B4, 410-411 it's a quiet day of food and snowball fights]
At four o'clock, Hermione called Siria to head back to the castle with her. "You can't need four hours!" Ron tried to argue.
"Let them go!" Fred called as George hurled a large snowball at Ron's face.
"See you!" Siria waved to them and linked her arm through Hermione's.
"My heart feels like it's going to explode and I can't tell if it's nerves or excitement, but I'm pretty sure I'm not really going to vomit." Siria confessed.
"That's quite a lot," Hermione patted Siria's hand, which remained wrapped through her arm their entire walk. "How upset do you think they'll be about the room?" Hermione asked with a sideways glance to Siria, who shrugged.
"Not nearly as much as shocked at my date. Fay did ask if I was going with Lily Moon, so she may be less shocked than Lavender and Parvati." Siria nuzzled her face to Hermione's shoulder. "It's so hard to be calm. Can't I fight another dragon instead?"
"No," Hermione tapped Siria's nose with her finger. "Be brave, young Potter-Black. The world is counting on you." She teased with a smile, but both of the girls sighed. Hermione had been joking, of course, but it felt a little true sometimes.
Fay, Ginny, Lavender, Padma and Parvati were already in the seventh floor corridor, with their things, when Hermione and Siria arrived. Siria paced before the Room of Requirement, which appeared for them. It looked nothing like it did when they practiced. The floor was one, giant, firm, black cushion. Instead of the usual round room, it was a large rectangle, with mirrors all down the walls. There were curtained off sections, scattered cushioned seats, low tables to set things on, and a display of accessories. In the back of the room, in the only section without a mirror behind it, was a curtained off tub with a shelf of products beside it.
Ginny sat her things down at the table closest to the door and knelt beside it. Lavender tsked in disbelief. She and Parvati glared at Siria and Hermione. Padma covered her mouth as she inspected the room. Fay socked Siria in the arm. "Is this where you've been? No wonder you smell so clean after!"
"Long story," Siria smirked, "Let's just focus on getting ready."
"You're not getting off of this story, Potter-Black" Parvati pointed as she placed her things down on one of the tables.
"Or the story of your date— tell us!" Lavender insisted.
"We'll know soon enough," Padma shook her head. "Now, do we put on the dresses then paint our nails?"
"Oh!" Siria exclaimed and opened her dress box, "I've got this— Chloe made me list." She peeled the list off the inside of her box.
Siria had barely finished reading when the door to the Room of Requirement opened. Alice Travers, Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood, Maddy Selwyn, Patricia Kenner, and Astoria and Daphne Greengrass entered together. Maddy counted them as she closed the door. "That's everyone, aside your ducklings, isn't it?" Maddy asked Siria, who nodded.
"Colin and Dennis will be here about seven, and will probably need all our help." Siria smiled.
"Ladies, as you know, this Room is a secret, for the purpose of Siria and Warrington's practice— it needs to stay available." Hermione told them. "That or she might do something crazy, like practice in the Chamber of Secrets." Siria looked at her things to avoid eye contact with Hermione.
"Merlin's Beard!" Lavender shouted when they had all gotten dressed. She pointed from Siria's dress to Daphne's. Chloe had not made much of any change to Siria's dress, which was green and silver with starlike beads woven around her waist. Daphne's dress was a long, red A-line with golden tulle wrapped and layered around her waist. In many ways, it was the Gryffindor version of Siria's, but trumpeted out just below it touched the floor, whereas Siria's dress went just past her knees.
"You're her date!" Lavender pressed her palms to her face then peaked between her fingers. "Of course, I wouldn't have guessed it! I thought you liked Malfoy. I would have never guessed you were gay!" Blood rushed to Siria's face as she pinned her "I Support C.W./S.P.B." button to her dress.
"I'm bi, actually." Siria scratched the back of her neck and looked sheepishly around the room. "Tonight, we're coming out."
"That's awesome!" Travers smiled and pinned her button to her dark, pine green dress. She raised an eyebrow as she scanned across the room. The other girls put their buttons on as well.
Lavender rushed to put her button on. "That's amazing! I don't know any bi people— except you." She laughed. "Oh, I've got so many questions. When did you find out? Have you always known? What's it like?
"You can ask me questions about it later." Siria looked to her watch. "We've only got an hour to do Hermione's hair before the Creevey brothers show up."
"You mean your brothers!" Padma chuckled to her sister. "I hear you were invited over for Christmas."
"No," Parvati shook her head with a grin, "I believe, fair sister, that she was invited over forever." The twins shared a laugh. Siria puffed her cheeks out and stood beside the seat near Hermione.
Sirius had given Hermione a case of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. According to the bottle, it was meant to tame hair in a few drops. The Potion had never met Hermione's hair. After a bottle and their hour, Hermione's bushy hair was sleeker than any of the girls thought hair could be. It almost felt like running one's hand through water. Her hair had a shine that radiated health. "Do you really want it put up?" Parvati asked as she trailed her fingers through Hermione's hair. "It looks so nice now."
While they debated how Hermione's hair should be done, Siria poked her head outside. Colin and Dennis Creevey stared with dropped jaws and eyes full of wonder. "If you tell a soul about this room—" Siria started, but the brothers pushed past her block to hug her.
"We won't!" They promised as she closed the door. "Really!" Colin insisted. He traced over his heart with a finger. "I swear! Can we come practice with you?"
"Please!" Dennis looked up to Siria, still wrapped around her with Colin. She looked at their eager faces and pressed her lips together. Their eyes seemed to widen with an innocence matched only by Astoria. Siria sighed and placed her hands on her hips, which was made difficult by the four arms clinging to her. "Fine!" She grumbled.
"Thank you!" They shouted.
"Come on, boys." Cho smiled at the Creevey brothers. "Siria still has to finish." She patted a seat near her and the Colin hurried to Cho. Dennis stuck around to give Siria a tighter hug before he joined his brother. Siria crossed an arm over herself and pressed her face into her other hand. "You spoil them," Fay said with a smile, "Just spoil us too."
"Yeah, yeah." Siria waved her hand before pressing her face into her knuckle.
"I mean it," Fay put her hand on Siria's shoulder. "We're sneaking out to help you."
Twenty minutes to spare, the group looked to one another. They scanned each other's Mood Polish. Daphne placed her hand on Siria's shoulder. While Daphne's nails were a cool, pale blue, Siria's were an anxious red-orange. "Scared, Potter-Black?" She asked with a teasing smile.
"No," Siria extended her arm to Daphne. "I've handled a basilisk and dragon, what's a ball compared to them?" Daphne took Siria's arm with a half smirk.
"Could I get a picture now?" Colin asked with his camera already raised.
"In the hall," Hermione instructed. She opened the door and ushered them outside. They lined up and Colin took one, large group shot of them before Hermione ushered them downstairs.
Most of the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students had arrived. Siria's heart thundered so loudly it felt like airplanes were taking off in her ears. She could hear even less than during the first task. While the other girls broke off to be with their Houses or their dates, Siria and Daphne continued forward with Hermione. Daphne placed her free hand over Siria's. "Thank you for helping me come out." Daphne told her. "If I didn't now, I might have gotten married off to some other 'Pureblood' to have little Purebloods of our own." Daphne spared Siria a soft half smile. "Now some beautiful girl will come to steal 'Potter's girl' and stay because she loves me." Warmth and blood rushed to Siria's face as a laugh slipped through.
Her red-orange Mood Polish became an almost relaxed blue-green. "Any girl would be lucky to have you." Siria smiled to Daphne.
"Let's hope you're lucky enough to have someone," She grinned in reply. They stood with Hermione, until the Durmstrang students entered with Karkaroff.
[Book: B4, 412-414 Hogwarts is as described with decorations for the event. McGonagall calls the Champions over. The rest of the students enter, while the Champions & their dates wait to be last]
Daphne remained as composed as ever while people pointed, whispered, and the like when they walked past. Siria kept her hand on Daphne's with their arms still linked. She raised her head and thought of how Sirius stood. He always stood proud and she felt she needed to do the same. Travers glared at anyone that gawked at Daphne and Siria or Hermione. Warrington's face was flat and unreadable, but Siria noticed he stared determined at the wall, above everyone's heads.
[Book: B4, 414-419 the Champions enter last and sit at the top table with the judges. Percy is there in place of Crouch because Crouch "isn't feeling well". People order dinner. Krum and Hermione talk about Durmstrang, until Karkaroff tells him to stop. Dumbledore tells the story of how he stumbled across the Room of Requirement, without naming it as such. Fleur isn't happy with Hogwarts and believes Beauxbatons to be much better. Hagrid and Madame Maxime share a wave and smile. Hermione tries to teach Krum how to say her name & settles on "Herm-own-ninny." Then it's time to dance, so the tables are put away and the Weird Sisters are set up.]
With their heads held high, Daphne and Siria linked hands. Daphne placed her other hand on Siria's shoulder and Siria placed hers on Daphne's waist. Siria focused on following Daphne's steps and on her eyes. "What?" Daphne asked in her usual, cool tone.
"Your eyes are cool," Siria smirked. "They're like giant sunflowers."
"My eyes are brown." Daphne tsked.
"Fine, they're like giant, brown sunflowers." Siria leaned a little closer. "The brown fans out like flower petals and you have these cool specks of almost yellow. Say what you will, but I think they're like sunflowers."
"You're stupid." Daphne muttered as she continued to lead Siria, but enough couples had joined the dance floor for the Champions to be forgotten.
[Book: B4, 420 Moody comments on Siria's socks and she tells him Dobby made them]
"I knew you said you were wearing sneakers, but I honestly thought someone was going to stop you." Daphne confessed.
"If I were heels, I'd be half a foot taller than you." Siria told her.
"I am wearing heels, so you'd be as tall as usual." Daphne said. Siria shrugged. She was surprised Professor McGonagall hadn't stopped her, but with the contacts, makeup, dress and jewelry, Siria felt there was enough to distract people from her shoe choice.
"We need to sit down," Daphne told Siria as she tugged on a loose lock of Siria's hair. "Apparently you actually only needed two drops." Siria shrugged, but the song ended and went to sit with Ron. Luna Lovegood was a pale, airy girl with pale blonde hair. She smiled at Daphne and Siria over the top of her magazine, The Quibbler. Ron rolled Siria's clutch to her.
[Book: B4, 420-422 Ron is glaring at Hermione and Krum. When the song ends and Hermione joins them, Ron throws a fit and says Hermione shouldn't be with Krum because he's the enemy and says that Krum is just going with Hermione to get information on Siria. When Hermione tells him Krum hasn't mentioned Siria, Ron says Krum must want her help on the egg then]
"Enough!" Siria snapped at Ron and rose to her feet. She pointed her finger at Ron. "Don't— you— dare! Don't you dare say another word" Siria cursed through her clenched jaw. "You know Hermione and you know you're being a huge jerk for no reason."
"But she's—" Ron started and gestured to Hermione.
"No!" Siria told him. "There are other tables," she pointed around the room.
"You can't be serious!" Ron rolled his head back. Siria picked her clutch off the table and glared at him.
"I am— and you know it." She, Daphne, and Hermione made their way to the table Ginny and Neville were at.
"You know," Daphne placed her hand on Siria's arm, "I should check on my sister." She gave a look that made Siria want to hug her.
"I think I'm going to get some air," Siria said and hoped her look was as thankful to Daphne as she felt. Hermione and Siria stepped outside.
[Book: B4, 425-429 Karkaroff and Snape discuss, without naming, that their Dark Marks are getting clearer and how Snape isn't leaving Hogwarts. They then hear Hagrid tell Madame Maxime that he's half giant. She's offended when he says she is too. There's a beetle on the statue near them.]
"Giants are believed to be quite primal and violet, so, however unfortunate, it's not wonder Madame Maxime doesn't want to admit it, but I think it's all a load of rubbish. It's no different than the belief house elves are meant to be enslaved" Hermione told Siria as they returned to the dance. "Thank you, but I think I've kept Viktor for too long."
"You could say I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," Siria suggested, but Hermione shook her head.
"I'd never paint such a poor picture of you." Hermione assured her. Siria squeezed Hermione's hand and saw the stressed, black polish had turned pale blue and calm. She wasn't even sure how accurate the polish was, but it was comforting and she let Hermione go.
Astoria, Colin, Dennis, and Daphne were dancing loosely with each other and Millicent Bulstrode. Millicent nodded at Siria when she approached. Siria waved, but put her hand down and nodded back. "Hey, Millicent. You haven't been to the Sunday group for awhile." Siria wanted to bite her own tongue off.
"Not my speed." Millicent replied.
"Me neither." Siria squeezed her eyes shut. Daphne scoffed.
"If you were anymore awkward…" Daphne shook her head.
"That's actually my life goal. I want to be the most awkward person ever." Siria grinned.
"Then you're doing a great job." Daphne assured her.
As midnight grew slower, the number of slow songs increased. Daphne declined most of them, so Siria asked around. She danced with Maddy and Patricia, then Travers, Warrington, Cho, and Cedric. Krum agreed to a dance, while Hermione allowed Siria two. Even Fleur DeLacour accepted one of Siria's offers. To Siria's surprise, Ginny Weasley asked her for a dance, which she accepted.
Around eleven thirty, Siria circled back to Ron's table. She reached for a chair and looked to Ron, who nodded and Siria sat down. "Mate, what is up with you?" Siria asked.
"She went with Krum, Siria— Krum." Ron hissed.
"Yeah, I was there when he asked— in the first few days." Siria told him. "Hermione's bloody brilliant, she's beautiful, and she's kind. Krum wasn't the only one to ask her— you were there when that fifth year asked her and you laughed about him getting rejected. Krum is lucky she accepted and, if you feel otherwise, maybe you should have asked her first."
"What?" Ron asked and pulled back in his chair. "I wouldn't— she's just—" He mouthed wordlessly before he crossed his arms and looked away. "Whatever."
"Luna, would you like to dance?" Siria asked. Luna Lovegood looked over her copy of The Quibbler and shook her head.
"Maybe later. I'm very interested in this mystery dad's printed— I think it's Kappnerklaks." Luna told her. Siria looked from Luna to Ron, who shrugged with his arms still crossed, then back to Luna.
"Cool." Siria nodded and excused herself, knowing she had no idea what a Kappnerklak was.
Whatever happened between Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson had been resolved because Pansy had left Malfoy to dance with Daphne and Millicent. Pansy was even wearing Daphne's "I Support C.W./S.P.B." button. Siria smirked and walked around the floor. She rubbed her right arm and realized how awkward she felt. Being out was liberating and anxiety inducing, but there was only moving forward. Her watch told her there was only time for a few songs before midnight, then it was off to finish the Herald, and pass it off to Kreacher, who would give it to Sirius to print off.
She supposed no one would notice one less person and slipped out of the hall. Until she was almost at the dungeon, Siria could hear the music playing. When she arrived in Augusta Dungeon, Kreacher was there with a hot chocolate and a large smile. He and Sirius had been worried about how the ball had gone, not that they would ever confess it to her.