A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, i just got really busy over the Holidays. But here is the next chapter finally and i hope you guys enjoy :D xxx!
Hope
The lie spread like wildfire, and now all the Hogwarts students believed that I was in fact a cheat. Except James, Fred and Lorcan of course, who knew the truth. Fred hadn't spoken to Roxanne since and James had cornered her in the library and given her a piece of his mind. The most annoying thing was Lorcan. He didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal. "She's just upset" he was saying one evening in early December as the four of us sat in the common room doing our home work.
"Upset!" I demand incredulously "And how do you think I feel?"
That shut him up. But I was beginning to think maybe Lorcan did have feelings for Roxanne. James was trying to copy my home work even though it was in French. He seemed to think if he looked at it hard enough it would suddenly make sense. "It says there's no known cure James, now do the rest yourself" I snap at him impatiently.
"It's no excuse" Fred is saying to Lorcan.
"And anyway" James says joining in "there all idiots, as if McGonagall would cheat!"
Lorcan just returns to his homework. A cluster of Hufflepuffs across the way are shooting me some nasty glares. I let my hair fall over my face, blocking them from view as I continue writing.
An awkward silence hangs in the air between us.
"So umm.. Anyone got dates for the Yule ball?" James asks, looking at Lorcan expectantly.
When neither of us answers the question Fred looks up and shakes his head forlornly. I look across at Lorcan who doesn't even bother to look up.
"Oh" James says, eyeing the two of us critically. But he knows better than to say anything.
"Who would ask me" I say, waiting for Lorcans reaction "I'm just a common cheat." No response, he just keeps on scribbling away.
"I've got to go" I say, standing up and shoving my books into my bag. "I need some fresh air" I say, and walk away from the boys.
When I reach the outdoors the sun is just setting over Beauxbatons and there is a winter chill in the air. I make my way to the orchard, which is always quiet now that it's so cold. But when I get there I realize someone else had the same idea. Kevin is sitting with his back against a tree trunk, staring at his hands.
"Salut!" I say approaching him. He looks up at me and smiles and I sit down beside him.
"What's wrong?" I ask him in French.
"Nothing" he answers wistfully "I was just... thinking."
"Thinking about what?" I ask.
He turns to me, that familiar smile playing on his face. "Actually, I was thinking about you."
"Oh Yeah!" I say, raising my eyebrows "What about me?"
"Well if you want the truth, I was pondering how to ask you to the Yule Ball without you rejecting me."
I have no idea what to say to this. I mean, I'm with Lorcan... aren't I? But he is acting like a complete and utter idiot. Kevin's looking at me, waiting for my answer.
"How about I get back to you on that" I say, standing up abruptly.
The smile vanishes from his face. I turn and run all the way back up to the common room where I know for sure I'm safe from being asked to any Balls. I take the seat I had been sitting in only moments before, where James, Fred and Lorcan are doing their home work. In dead silence may I add. And James and Fred seem to be giving Lorcan some pretty heavy looks.
"What's wrong" I ask, glancing between the three boys.
James and Fred raise their head to glare at Lorcan full in the face.
Lorcan looks up and says breezily "I asked Roxanne to go to the Yule Ball with me."
"What!" I demand.
"She's going through a rough time at the moment." He says, standing up and collecting his books.
"And I seem to remember when you were going through a rough time Dominique; I was always there for you." And with that he heads up the stairs to his dormitory.
"The guys a sucker for a damsel in distress" James states airily.
Fred squeezes my hand and I lean back in my chair.
"Its okay guys" I say "I'm honestly too angry to be sad. It was too good to be true anyway."
They just stare at me. Worried expressions etched into their faces.
"I got asked to the Yule Ball by someone you know." I say.
"Who?" James demands.
"Some one from Beauxbatons" I say.
James still looks quizzical.
"The rumour hasn't spread to anyone in Beauxbatons or Durmstrang" I say sighing heavily "yet."
The air had finally grown crisp and cold and I was wrapped up in a heavy coat as I set off to Beauxville where I was to meet up with Teddy. I hadn't spoken to Lorcan since, and it was quite clear he was avoiding me. That coupled with the smug smile Roxanne took to wearing around me was enough to make anyone not want to think about it. We were to meet at "Le Belle Soeurs" where Teddy was staying and I was already thinking up ways to convince Teddy to buy me a fire whisky.
When I got there he was sipping a butter beer beside a roaring fire and reading the daily prophet. I snatch the news paper out of his hand as I sit down opposite him.
"I haven't seen one of these in so long!" I exclaim loudly, flicking hurriedly through the pages.
I stop when something catches my eye. On page eight there's a picture of a girl struggling with a horse. The picture of course is of me. It reads The Hogwarts Champion: First Task. It's just a basic summary of the first task in which Kevin and Alek are portrayed as dunder heads whilst I'm portrayed as some big hero. I look up at Teddy with a huge grin on my face.
"So" I say "How did mom and dad react?"
He sighs loudly, but eventually says "They're proud... as are the rest of the family."
"And Victoire?" I ask, a hint of caution in my voice.
For the first time today Teddy smiles, as he says "she couldn't be happier, she keeps going on about the Yule Ball, and she says she wants to choose your dress".
He's voice has grown somewhat colder as he reaches the end of the sentence.
"Sure" I say "tell her that would be great!"
He just nods his head and takes a swig of his butter beer. "so..." he says once he's swallowed "You'll be going to the ball with Lorcan".
It's more of a statement then a question.
"No actually, me and Lorcan kind of broke up". I try to say it as airily as possible, but if he is perceptive, which he usually is, he would have noticed the faint tremor in my voice.
I reach across the table for the butter beer, which I then proceed to gulp down. When I put the glass back down on the table and wipe my mouth on my sleeve he's just staring at me with his eye brows raised.
He utters one word. "Already?"
"mmmhm" I say, not meeting his eyes.
"Turns out he likes Roxanne after all, he's taking her to the ball instead." I try hard not to let any emotion evident in my voice, but he knows me too well.
"THE LITTLE SHIT!" he shouts. Causing several heads to turn in our direction. A rather plump witch sitting a couple of seats away turns to her companion and exclaims loudly "Ze Briteesh, zey ave ze manners of a dog!"
"Look, it doesn't even matter Teddy" I say calmly, sliding the butter beer back across the table.
From which he takes a hearty gulp before saying "I think I need something stronger".
"You and me both" I return. For which I receive a scowl.
He sighs heavily and then says "Look Dom, I find it hard to believe that no one has asked you".
I smile at the compliment he doesn't even realize he's given me.
"Sure... I suppose someone else did ask me, but it doesn't really help with Roxanne's rumour making the rounds".
"What rumour?" he snaps.
I reach again for the Butter beer but he holds on to it and glares at me.
"She's spread a rumour that goes something like... the only reason I came first in the task was because I cheated. People think Professor McGonagall told me about the Kelpie and how to face it in advance".
"BUT... THATS RIDICULOUS!" he shouts again, and the plump witch shoots him an ice cold glare which could freeze the roaring fire beside us.
"Any one who believes Professor McGonagall is a cheat is a complete and utter idiot!"
"I know" I say wearily "That's what James and Fred keep telling me".
He leans back in his chair and begins massaging his temples and I take the opportunity to steal back his butter beer and finishing it off.
"I'll take you" he says suddenly.
"You'll what?" I say, genuinely confused.
"I'll take you to the Yule Ball!"
I stare gormlessly at him for a moment, and then I start laughing. He glares back at me in return.
"Teddy" I say "You know as well as I do that is not a good idea" I start, but he cuts me off.
"Dominique, do you really think I'd make the same mistake again!"
My breath catches in my throat. "Mistake?" I say.
He's about to protest but I stand up abruptly.
"Look Teddy, I'll find a date for the Yule Ball and you should stay away from it, lest you make any more mistakes".
And with that I turn and walk away.
I sit in the library on Friday evening, trying but failing to catch up on some home work. Christmas day and the Yule Ball are in two days. I still don't have a date. Not that I've gone out of my way to find one. I've just slouched around with James and Fred and tried to avoid Kevin and Lorcan.
It's getting late and my eyes are becoming heavy and tired, but I soldier on because I really want to get this work over and done with.
My hair has grown slightly darker in the winter weather and it's longer too, and I've grown accustomed to letting it shield my face from accusing stares. It's fallen down onto my parchment and I stop to watch it, mesmerizingly, even I'm not immune to my veela qualities it seems.
I hear an unattractive giggle and I look up to see Roxanne and her friend Alice walking close by. I glare at them until there out of sight but before I can go back to watching the lights bounce off my hair and turn it different shades of gold I notice someone looking at me.
It's not however the disdainful accusatory stare I have grown so used to. Instead its shay and reproachful, and undoubtedly interested. It comes from a boy sitting two tables away. A boy whose name I know. And more importantly, the only reason I know this boy's name is because Lorcan absolutely hates him. The boys name is Ash Beech and he is typically a Slytherin. Lorcan has hated Ash since he's third year, back when they both played seeker for third respective teams. Ash was a natural whilst Lorcan was just good, and Ash managed to catch the snitch, winning the game for Slytherin and knocking Ravenclaw out of the running. Lorcan never heard the end of it and was never picked to play Seeker again. Since then whenever Lorcan catches a glimpse of Ash he starts up bad mouthing him.
Ash has never seemed that bad to me if I'm honest. In fact, I used to have a little crush on him since he won that match. That all stopped once I fell for Teddy.
The next time he glances in my direction he catches me looking at him too and both our heads shoot down to look at our work in lightening speed.
I try not to, I really do, but it's the first time something seriously hilarious has happened in a long time and I burst out laughing, my eyes still firmly set on my parchment. But I don't feel like an idiot for too long because my laughter is shortly joined by his, which is quite sexy may I add.
"SILENCE TOUT LE MONDE!" the librarian shrieks and we both shut up abruptly.
But when I look back up at Ash moments later I catch him looking at me again. Then he stands up as if to leave and I return to my parchment feeling a tinge of disappointment.
Moments later I hear a husky voice say "HI".
I look up to see Ash standing in front of me, one hand clutching some books, the other hand gripping the strap of his book bag. Wow, I'd forgotten how good looking he was. Tall and skinny but still quite strong looking. Dark hair, jade green eyes, I could feel my heart rate increasing.
"Hi" I manage to muster, not able to stop the smile spreading on my face.
"Umm... can I sit here?" he asks.
Thank Merlin he looks as embarrassed as I feel.
"Sure, sure, of course!" I say, maybe just a tad over enthusiastically, while pushing aside my books to make space for him.
He swings his bag down beside him and throws himself into the empty chair.
He then leans forward and leaning his head on his knuckles states "so, there are a lot of rumours going around about you". With a sly smile on his face.
And like that my defences go up. I lean away from him and stare coldly before saying "Well what you've heard isn't true".
"I know" he says matter of factly, leaving me completely and utterly confused.
"Then why-"I begin but he doesn't even give me a chance to finish.
"Only a fool would believe McGonagall would cheat. I mean sure, your ability was... questioned. But you'd have to be say... Lorcan Scamander... and even then I don't think she'd cheat. And anyway, you were kind of a mystery, no one knew much about you, you could have been bad but you could have been equally good".
I scowl at him and lean slightly forward, resting my chin in the palm of my hand.
"And what do you mean by that?" I ask.
He smiles as if this was exactly the response he wanted.
"Well you're not a complete dunce are you" it wasn't a question but a statement.
"You're a mystery, you could have been bad or good and obviously... you're good".
I cock an eyebrow and smile wanly at him. He leans back in with a self satisfactory smile. When I start feeling slightly uncomfortable I ask "so, was there something in particular you wanted?"
He acts as though the question had never been asked and goes on to say "So, are you still joined at the hip with Scamander?"
He tries to say this as casually as possible but I can hear the genuine curiosity in his voice.
"No actually" I say airily as if it doesn't mean a thing. Inside though I feel a slight stab in my chest.
He's expression changes then and while I can't quite describe what the expression is I can definitely confirm the change was positive.
"So.." he says, tracing invisible patterns with his finger tips on the table, not meeting my eyes. "I wouldn't find myself in a fist fight if I asked you to go to the Yule Ball with me?"
He looks up at me then with an expectant gaze.
"No" I say, trying to keep my voice neutral "You wouldn't".
Then he smiles and says in what I think he thinks is a French accent "Miss Dominique Weasly, would you do me ze great honour of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?"
I laugh half scathingly, half in delight and say "Oui Ash Beech, I will!"
He winks at me, stands up and swings he's bag back over his shoulder.
"Do you want to know a secret?"
I give him a confused smile; he walks around to my side of the table, leans down and whispers into my hair "I've had my eye on you for years".
And with that he strolls away victorious.
And I lean back in my chair, all thoughts of home work gone.
Thoughts of how outraged Lorcan will be when he finds out flash through my mind.
Revenge is so sweet.
A/N: So tell me what you think of the chapter and my new character Ash! The Yule Ball is coming next :D
xxxxx