(
Scoundrel.
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"Alright, everybody. Listen up." I paced before the whiteboard at the back of the locker room, my hands clasped loosely behind my back. "I know how nervous everyone is, and if you're not, you're being stupid and I will knock that confidence out of you at the first sign, capiche? I know Hufflepuff has a very young team, but we are not to underestimate them, especially with the week we've had. Van Hulle's got a quick mind and a sharp eye for weakness; he's pulled together a strong group."
"This is all very motivating," Stephen interrupted. I threw the eraser at him.
"Shut up," I snapped. Prat. "Hufflepuff may be looking good, but we're looking better. We have three outstanding Chasers"—Maggie blushed while Stephen and Kayla exchanged equally vindictive smirks— "two fantastic Beaters"—Carl slapped Timothy hard on the back—"our smashing little Seeker"— David grinned sheepishly— "and we have me. I'm okay, I guess."
"Oh, come off it," Carl snorted. "You're the best damn Keeper this team has ever seen."
I grinned. "Well I didn't want to look arrogant."
The five-minute horn blared.
"We've just got to keep our heads in the game, that's all. No mistakes! There's a bit of a tail wind today, so Chasers, Beaters, take note. David, remember what I told you—don't let van Hulle's size scare you off that Snitch. He's good, but you're better."
David nodded. He was beginning to look a bit sick.
"Don't you dare puke," said Kayla, backing up quickly.
One minute.
"Here we go," I said. I bit my lip and took a deep breath. "This is it!"
We all trooped out of the locker room. I slapped the small wooden sign above the exit with both hands as I passed:
Eni, vidi, ici.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
The worst part is the journey. I felt like I was walking through molasses, slow and smothered and fighting for ach step. My heart beat painfully against the prison that was my ribcage; electricity ran rampant and unchecked through every nerve ending of my body. Each breath was a battle to its own. And as I finally stepped out from the tunnel onto the soft, carefully manicured turf of the pitch, the incessant buzzing that had made my ears its temporary residence willingly gave way to the crushing roar of the crowd.
I grinned broadly and waved to the spectators, all clad in the bright colors of their respective houses. As the team headed to the center of the pitch, I had to squint through the dazzling sunlight in order to properly see Madame Hooch.
"Ready?" said Stephen to my right.
"Never more," I answered. I curled my hand around the handle of my broom, that familiar itch making my toes tingle. "Let's go." I threw a leg over my broomstick and kicked off hard to a crescendo of approval from the clamoring crowd.
Even with the Warming Charm I had everybody perform on themselves (Incalfacio), the chill of the near-winter air still bit through my clothes. I flexed my fingers to keep the blood pumping. "Keep moving, everybody!" I called as we flew toward the center of the pitch.
"And it's the Ravenclaw team!" cried Octavius Pennifold, once again as official commentator. "Let's hear it for that gorgeous cobalt! That shimmering bronze! It's Wood! Anderson! Stroupe! Milam—my, what a catch that girl is, whew, I'm a fan of older ladies myself—Mauldin! McCulley! Aaaaaand Lankford!"
I did a loop of the stadium, whizzing over the Ravenclaw section and letting my hand dangle to catch various high fives, before streaking towards the center of the pitch to meet Madame Hooch.
A deafening thunder washed over the arena as yellow and black blurs shot up from the other side. "And to challenge them, the Hufflepuff team! With an almost entirely new roster, their captain has a lot on his plate, but rumors say he's aiming for the top! Milbury! Whisby! Derickson! Camillo! Mabb! Brown! Aaaaaaand, the man we've all been waiting for, van Hulle!"
I kept my face blank as Mark van Hulle pulled up next to me. The persisting wind had yet to muss his short crop of hair.
"Shake hands!" Hooch ordered.
I extended my arm out to him. "A good game," I said quietly.
His eyes flashed as he gripped my hand. "May the best man win," he countered tersely.
My gaze narrowed. "Would if there were one, for I see none," I replied, raising my chin defiantly. The fog of our breath met and mingled in the cold air between us. Then I ripped my hand from his grasp and turned towards Madame Hooch.
"Keepers, to your positions!" I sped toward the far end of the pitch, but not before shooting David a quick thumbs up. Madame Hooch raised her silver whistle to her lips with one hand and lifted the Quaffle into the air with the other. "Let the game… begin!" And with the familiar shrill resounding in our ears, we were off.
"And it's Whisby with the Quaffle! He passes to Derickson—who passes to Ca—oh, near miss there by Ravenclaw Beater McCulley—Ravenclaw are really racing to catch Hufflepuff's offensive attack, looks like they were caught sleeping—no doubt a brilliant ploy by Hufflepuff Captain van Hulle!"
I grit my teeth. Okay, no more Mister Nice Guy. I was going to crush van Hulle's every hope and dream. After I gave Pennifold a piece of mind—what House loyalty? Little shit.
"Camillo approaching the scoring area—feint! —But nothing gets by our Wood! Nice save by the Ravenclaw Keeper, she makes it look so easy! Ravenclaw in possession!"
I tried not to preen too obviously, but I couldn't hide the huge grin that spread across my cheeks. Kid knows his flattery.
"Anderson with the Quaffle—reverse to Milam—who passes to Stroupe-,"
Stephen swung around Mickey Derickson with a fake to the left and Sloth Grip rolled an oncoming Blunder. I love it when people actually use what I tell them to!
"Stroupe is still well outside the scoring zone—and, oh! —He shoots—he scores! What a shot! Marvelous!" I felt a brief twinge of pity for Kirsten Milbury; Stephen had pinpoint accuracy. The feeling, however, passed very quickly. "Ravenclaw in the lead, 10-nil!"
It only went downhill from there. For Hufflepuff, that is. My Chasers flew circles around their yellow-and-black counterparts, and Carl and Timothy worked together to beat back those Bludgers like they could read each other's minds. Hufflepuff fought valiantly—Whisby managed to slip the Quaffle through my defenses twice, smarmy git that he is, the best feinter in the whole damn school—but we were relentless.
"Anderson scores! 190-20, Ravenclaw!"
David and Mark van Hulle hovered high above the pitch, searching fruitlessly. The Snitch had yet to be seen.
"Oh, that looked painful!" In his haste to avoid Carl's Bludger, Mickey Derickson had flown straight into his own teammate. "Dissent in the Hufflepuff ranks!"
A great cry swept the crowd. "Look!" I heard Stephen cry distantly.
The two Seekers had swooped into a steep dive. Head to head, they shoved aggressively at each other, and I was suddenly overcome with worry—van Hulle was a lot bigger than David.
Kayla took advantage of the cease in play and scored twice, but all eyes were on David and van Hulle.
"Come on, come on!" I said under my breath. There was no real need for David to catch the Snitch—we were more than 150 points ahead, after all—but I wanted this for him. "Come on!"
They neared the ground dangerously. David glanced at his steadfast and determined opponent, at the approaching grass, and then back at Mark. I saw panic flood his face. Even as I started to scream "No-!", unable to help myself, David heaved up on the handle of his broom and tore away.
Only seconds later did van Hulle to the same. He had to be only inches from the ground. He stretched out an arm, straining—he made a great swipe of his hand—and then he pulled up, clutching the Snitch triumphantly in one fist, pumping it up and down in victory.
I sagged in disappointment. Then I pulled myself together—no need for the team to feel like their performance was anything but miraculous. As the crowd roared—yellow for van Hulle's success, blue for Ravenclaw's win, and everyone else for Hufflepuff to have been put out of their misery—I flew down to meet the others.
"Well done, guys!" I said as soon as everyone had joined the huddle. "Really amazing—Maggie, Stephen, Kayla, I'm going to call you the Dream Team from now on and forever—Carl, Timothy, really spectacular, that Dopplebeater Defense, great job—and David," I slapped him on the back hard, and he grunted in surprise, "I know you're disappointed, but van Hulle has loads more experience than you do and apparently also has some sort of death wish. I would have pulled off a lot sooner than you did."
"No one's rushing the pitch like they did when Gryffindor won," David said, like it was his fault.
Stephen rolled his eyes and slapped him on the back too. "That's the Gryffindor-Slytherin match. Everything's different then, don't you know that?"
"Why does everyone keep slapping my back?" David moaned pitifully.
"Catch the Snitch next time and we won't," Carl quipped and gave him a good one.
I shoved him. "Don't be a dick, Carl," I snapped.
He grinned rakishly at me. "I can't, it's part of my natural charm."
I sighed. "Well, phenomenal performance, guys. You really pulled it together. I'm so proud. As a reward, no practice tomorrow!"
Stephen glared at me suspiciously. "We never have practice on Sundays."
"Is that so? Too bad. Practice Monday as usual. Nothing too strenuous, how's about that? We'll have a bit of a resting period—we don't play again till mid-February."
"Slytherin," said Kayla under her breath. She spat on the ground for good measure.
"Gross, Kayla," Carl exclaimed, scrunching his nose.
"Oh, please, like you don't-,"
"Party in the Common Room!" shouted a passing Ravenclaw. He grinned overly widely at us like he was already drunk. Maybe he was, I don't know. Regardless, it was time for some much-need celebration.
Over a week later on the last day of November, I found myself in the library hunched over a heavy volume, studying quietly beside James.
"What the hell," he said, "is a Mackled Malaclaw?"
"Lobster thing that makes you super unlucky if you get bitten," I answered absentmindedly. I frowned at the text before me; stupid incomprehensible twelfth-century writers…
"That sounds… delightful. I'm not looking forward to the next lesson."
"It's not so bad," I told him as I turned a page. "Just don't get bitten."
"Oh, nice advice," he snorted. "That should applied very generally."
"Not always," I murmured distractedly. "Sometimes you want to get bitten."
"What?"
My eyes widened. "What?" Did that really just come out of my mouth?
"No, I mean, what?"
"What? I don't understand," I hedged.
"What? No, wait, what are we talking about?" said James.
"That's what I'm asking you. What?"
"Never mind," he sighed. Success!
We read in silence for a few more minutes.
"So, Hogsmeade this weekend," said James, in a sort of offhanded sort of way.
"Uh huh."
He took a deep breath. "You got any plans?"
"Oh, well…" I began, still chasing the end of one rather wordy paragraph. Finally I gave up and shut the book with a snap. "Some of the girls in my dormitory are going dress-shopping for the Winter Ball. I said I'd tag along—you know, give my opinion and such."
"Oh." James bit his lip—I don't think he realizes, but he does it all the time and it's really quite distracting. "Are you going? To the Ball, I mean."
I shrugged. "If I find something nice, I suppose."
"Well, I was wondering—if you would—if you might like, I mean, it's just a idea, you don't have to—but would you-,"
"Oh, no!" I interrupted suddenly.
"What?" James froze, eyes wide and mouth parted slightly.
"I forgot to finish my Herbology essay! Shoot, it's almost time for the next class—all the way in my dormitory! —I'm sorry, but I have to dash—catch you later!" I threw all my books in my bag and rushed out.
"Ready to go?" said Elli, shouldering her bag.
"Almost," I mumbled around the bobby pin between my teeth. I threaded the last few errant strands into my braid and pinned them into place.
"The whole point of a braid is not to use pins," she said and rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me? I can't hear you over all my layers of hair."
"Hurry up! I'm growing old down here!" wafted Amber's voice up the spiral staircase from the ancillary library.
Like I had explained to James—I felt a bit guilty about cutting our study session short, and we'd been in the middle of a conversation of some sort, but oh well, I'm sure it wasn't that important—my dorm mates were dragging me along on this dress-shopping spree. My reluctance was only routine; I was actually a little excited to see what treasures we might find. Just a little, though.
Once we were all crammed into one carriage—me, Elli, Amber, Scharkey, Holly, Scarlett, and even fickle Kayla—a heated fashion discussion immediately arose.
"I want something that makes me look like a goddess," Scarlett moaned.
"Something simple," Elli said hopefully.
"A dress that makes me look like I have curves," Holly suggested, looking down pitifully at her ramrod straight figure.
"Princess dress!" Amber demanded.
"Gorgeous dress," sighed Scharkey. "Intricate. Beautiful."
When prompted, all Kayla said was, "I wanna be eye-catching. Desirable."
"And you, Allison?"
"Oh, well…" I blushed. "I was thinking… maybe red?" Immediately everyone oohed and awed and cooed how great I'd look. I guess red is good for my skin tone, or something.
The carriage rumbled to a stop and we all piled out and headed immediately to Gladrags Wizardwear. We had left early in the morning in an effort to beat out the crowd, but no such luck—the store was packed to the rafters with pubescent teenage girls, all pushes and shoves and brewing catfights. I could already feel my enthusiasm ebbing away.
"Let's get this over with," I growled. As one, we charged forward with a mighty battle cry, brandishing our weapons high above our heads, laying waste all around. We gave no quarter and took no prisoners, for we are merciless! No being, dead or alive, could hope to match our strength, our plethora of tactical ability, our bravery, our determination! For we—
"What are you doing? Get in here," Scharkey said, exasperated, as she dragged me forward out of my stupor by the elbow.
I won't go into detail, for it was a bloody battle. We emerged victorious, with great hoards of treasure stuffed in paper shopping bags too numerous to count:
Elli, the least choosiest member of our party, had selected a floor-length evening gown, clingy and a deep purple. The design was deceptively plain until you saw the long slit that ran up one side, revealing a long, elegant limb. Intricately woven lace, the only ornamentation allowed, made up the single, fitted sleeve, while the other arm lay bare. A pair of unadorned silver flats was chosen as accompaniment; in Elli's own words, she "didn't need to be any taller."
Scarlett picked a flowing gossamer piece, white with swirling designs of gold in a sheer chiffon overlayer that split at the waist and floated around her as she walked. The reverse halter-top and bodice glittered with tiny gold beads and looped in a teardrop open back style. She had selected a pair of large golden spiral earrings but had decided to forgo a necklace. To complete her desired "goddess" effect, Scarlett added a gold laurel leaf headpiece and armband set, finishing it off with a pair of gold toned strappy sandals.
Holly decided on a mint green tiered high low dress with a deep sweetheart neckline. The mesh fabric was ruched at the bust and was sprinkled with sparkling sequins at the bodice. The tiers fell in spiraling sheets that gave her a look of effortless movement. She matched the dress with a set of silver four-inch open-toed platforms, large button earrings and a glittering choker.
Kayla went through just about every rack in the store before discovering a drapey lavender thing with a low scoop neck. The skirt gathered at the waist and fell outwards around her hips, split by a centered fold that tumbled straight down. The fabric was strategically sheer, interrupted by flowery lace embroidery in the appropriate spots. The neckline and straps were edged with small delicate ruffles. Simple white gold strappy heels and studs were all she chose as accessories.
Scharkey went with a royal blue mermaid cut, shirred from the strapless neck to just above her knees. The back dipped low to the start of her hips. A sequined flower detail accentuated her bust and ran down the left side, ending at a leg slit cut up to where the shirring ended. To go with the detailing, Scharkey picked out a pair of dangly flower earrings and matching bracelet. For shoes she decided to use the sparkly pair of silver strappy heels that she had worn last year.
Amber got her princess dress, an ice blue gown with a finely woven tulle overgown that flowed outward from her waist. The material gathered at the center of her breasts and a beautiful silver swirling design spread across her bodice, mimicking an icy blast of snow. Crystal drops that winked with every step would hang from her earlobes along with a gorgeously detailed drop pendant necklace. Silver, almost white sequined pumps were her choices as shoe wear.
For myself, I chose a dark crimson little number that I would have never even considered save for the fact that this was my last year and to hell with what my mother might have thought. The dress was halter-top with a plunging neckline that so highlighted my breasts that I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without blushing. An organic, delicate silver sequin design was layered over the top half of the straps. The fabric gathered just above my waist, ruffled and folded till about my hips, where the clingy fabric fell away from a slit that ran all the way up my left leg to the top of my thigh. I picked out a pair of peep toed ankle strap silver heels and jeweled chandelier dangles as accessories.
"See, now you have to go," Elli had said in a singsong voice as soon as I stepped out of the dressing rooms. "You can't just waste a dress like that."
I had smiled nervously. "You don't think it's too…?"
"Too what? Too hot? Ain't no such thing, doll," she had said in an awful attempt at an American accent.
Now, back in the dormitory, I threw the heavy bags onto my bed with disgust. "Why—do—dresses—weigh—so—much-," I panted.
"Why—did—we—not—think—to levitate—them," Scharkey panted back.
"Don't—be—silly—witches—don't—use—magic-," I groaned, collapsing.
"Oh my Merlin, I just can't wait!" Holly sung, skipping into the room.
I heaved a great sigh as Amber, Holly, Scarlett, and I trooped into the Great Hall and plopped ourselves down at our usual spot the following Tuesday. The Yule Ball was only two weeks away.
"How was Charms?" Elli asked conversationally, sipping her tea delicately.
"Nonverbal countercharms," moaned Amber in reply. "I hate those. When is a Healer ever in such a situation-,"
"Soooo glad I never had to take Charms past fifth year," Scharkey inserted, coming up behind us.
"Shut up," I muttered.
"Anyway, just popped over to say hi, but I-," she paused and wiggled her eyebrows, "have a date."
Holly squealed. "Ooh! With you?"
"Maybe he'll ask you to the Ball," I said sourly. The lesson had really drained me, I suppose.
Scharkey ignored me. "Oh, just Kenneth Harper, the tall and handsome Gryffindor seventh year Prefect." She beamed widely. "Well, I'm off!" And bounced off.
We sat in silence for a moment, stunned. "Well, at least she's not still hung up over that Clarmonte kid," said Scarlett.
"I'm not surprised," Holly scoffed. "That Harper kid is cute."
"Not as cute as Benedict Mauceri," Scarlett argued. "Or…" She sighed dreamily. "Fred Weasley."
I am not exaggerating when I say that there was an audible sound comparable to the high-pitched whir of a record player slamming to a halt. In fact, some first year Gryffindor kid running down the aisles between tables skidded on her sneakers and took a flying dive into a pile of pretentious Ravenclaw fifth years some way down the bench.
"You like Fred Weasley?" said Amber, skeptical.
I could believe it. Scarlett always went for the so-called 'bad-boys,' the ones who never gave a shit about any rules ever—she went for charming, she went for funny, and she went for physical peak appearance, all qualities that Weasley held.
Elli was shocked into silence, her face pale white and mouth wide open.
"Uh, no no no no. Scarlett," Holly hissed with glee.
Scarlett grinned easily. "What can I say? I like who I like, and-," she cast a cursory glance around all of us, "I'm not afraid to get it."
I made a face. What's that supposed to mean?
"Oh, I hope he asks me to the Ball!" she continued, sighing. "Don't you think the colors of our hair compliment each other just so?"
I mimed vomiting into my mashed potatoes.
"I'm going to head up to the dormitory," said Elli suddenly.
"Don't you have Muggle Studies next? That's the complete opposite direction-," I began, frowning.
"I think I'll take the rest of the day off, actually. I'm not feeling well," she said, cutting me off.
"You need me to get you anything?" Holly offered. As an Advanced Potions student, she often helped Madam Kelley in the Hospital Wing.
"No. I'll be fine." She whisked away.
"Okay then, feel better," I muttered and savagely stabbed my carrots with a fork.
After my post-lunch study hall, I headed out of the castle beneath layers of sweaters and scarves to Care of Magical Creatures with Scharkey. Snow fell steadily as we trooped down the path.
"I think we're going to start on Runespoors today," said Scharkey conversationally.
"Are those the snake things?" I asked, groaning. "Fuuuck, I hate snakes."
She laughed. "They'll be easy to pick out against the snow though, with those orange and black stripes."
"But snakes, Scharkey." I shuddered visibly. "How about I do both our sketches, and you grab a stick and make sure they keep their distance, yeah?"
"Yeah, and then Dubbins will grab a stick and konk us both on the head for not 'embracing our inner beast'," said Scharkey, rolling her eyes.
Susanne Dubbins was Professor Hagrid's assistant that he was training to replace him. She'd been here for two years and I was well sick of her enthusiasm. Hagrid loved her.
"Whatever, but I'm still counting on you to defend me," I said stubbornly.
"Snakes are more afraid of you-," she began.
"THEY HAVE THREE HEADS."
"You may have a little justification."
The next day found me rushing from Charms to Herbology, having utilized the fifteen minute passing period to rush conclude the two rolls of essay on nonverbal countercharms assigned the previous class. I crashed down the steps going two at a time before turning the corner to see Elli exiting slowly from the girl's bathroom, wiping at her eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey," I said, skidding to a stop next to her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said, stiffening in surprise. "I just—potion fumes, is all."
"You're not even taking Potions," I said suspiciously. I took her elbow and led her back into the bathroom. "What happened? You were acting weird yesterday too."
She sniffed and dragged her hand across her face. "It's just—um, what Scarlett said yesterday-,"
"Scarlett says a lot of things," I said, confused.
"About Fred!" she yelled, voice cracking. "She always, she, always-," she took a gasping breath, "Always takes what I want!"
"Whoa," I said, wheeling back. "Wait, you like Weasley too?"
"OF COURSE I," gasp, "DO!" Tears were starting to roll thickly down her cheeks again. "And—and since she said it, to everyone, first—I, I'll look like such a bitch if I do anything now!"
"Okay, well, I've never liked anyone enough to cry over them, so I don't know what to say to make it better," I said, panicking. "Tell me how to make it better."
"YOU CAN'T!" she wailed. "I'M GOING TO BE ALONE FOREVER BECAUSE SCARLETT'S JUST GONNA TAKE EVERYTHING!"
"That won't happen," I started.
"SHE JUST HAS ALL THESE THINGS AND SHE'S JUST SO MUCH PRETTIER THAN ME-,"
"I think you're prettier than Scarlett," I said immediately, then had the breath punched out of me as Elli tackled me in a tight hug. "Um, okay? Not that it matters?"
"Why do you always deal with my shit," she mumbled around my hair.
I laughed shakily. "That's just what friends do, Elli. And I'll always be your friend."
We stood there in the bathroom until the bell rang. I ran to Herbology and handed my essay to Professor Longbottom, telling him that I'd had to take care of a "family emergency." He accepted the excuse readily enough—Longbottom's cool like that.
The last week of term, everyone was buzzing with excitement over the start of the holidays and the Yule Ball. Monday night after dinner as I trudged up to the Ravenclaw Tower to change for practice, I was nearly pushed over twice by horse playing first and second years and had to dodge at least three magicked snowballs. I heaved a great sigh of relief once inside the Common Room, confident that at least the Ravenclaws would be mature enough to say out of such dilly daddle, then had to drop to the floor to avoid a flying Christmas ornament. I hurried across the room to the staircase, making sure to keep my head down, but was blocked from going up.
"Hey," said Matt Edwards, casually leaning against the stone wall next to the staircase. His muscles bulged slightly through his sweater as he crossed his arms.
"Er, hi," I said back, feeling very much the bumbling idiot. For a moment I admired the way Matt's hair stuck our from his forehead in a little swoosh.
"So," Matt continued. "The Yule Ball is coming up."
My heart pretty much stopped right then. "Oh, yeah?" I managed. Sweet Merlin, the way he looked down through his long eyelashes at my face was so incredibly sexy.
"You wanna go with me?"
I don't remember much of what happened next, only that I somehow croaked out an affirmative reply before ducking away and fleeing to my dormitory.
Holy shit, holy shit, holy SHIT that came out of Merlin's magical anal rectum!
I walked stiffly up the staircase into the dorm room and collapsed onto my bed, gazing vacantly at the hangings above.
"Allison? Hey, Allison. Allison. Allison. BITCH PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
I snapped out of my musing to see Scharkey poised over me, holding a very large and heavy looking textbook. "Ah! Stopstopstop!" I said quickly, shooting up and raising my hands to protect myself.
"Finally," Scharkey muttered. Her arms dropped.
"Is—is that Year with the Yeti?" I asked, half not wanting to know the answer. She just rolled her eyes and sat down.
"What's up? Obviously something happened," she said.
Right. I laid back down and rested my arms behind my head. "Matt Edwards just asked me to the Yule Ball," I said quietly.
"What? Speak up, honey."
"I said, Matt Edwards just asked me to the Yule Ball." I turned my head to catch her reaction.
It looked a little bit like she'd swallowed a frog without realizing it and had only just been informed of the nature of her meal.
"Andisaidyes," I mumbled, face burning.
"What?"
"AND I SAID YES."
"Holy shit," she said. "Holy shit."
"I know. Pinch me, I'm dreaming—ow!" I rubbed at the now-red spot on my arm.
"I don't even have an official date yet!" Scharkey exclaimed. "And you, miss-has-never-had-a-boyfriend is going with Matthew fucking Edwards!"
"I have too had a boyfriend before," I said mulishly under my breath.
"Anthony Marwick does NOT count as a boyfriend. And you were so surprised that you just said yes even though you were totally into Neil Borland at the time!"
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. You won't have trouble finding a date, Scharkey. Kenneth Harper worships the ground you walk on. Hell, half the boys in this school are in love with you."
"Half the boys in this school are ugly, boring, or stupid," she muttered.
"You just have high standards," I scoffed. "I still can't believe this."
"I can't believe this," Holly exclaimed loudly at breakfast the next morning.
"Believe what?" said Elli, plopping down next to her.
"Allison's going to the Yule Ball with Matthew Edwards," Scarlett answered, scandalized. "I mean, wow!"
"You're what?" Elli shrieked.
"Shh!" I said, blushing furiously as heads started to turn. "Not so loud, oh my Merlin!"
"Oh my Merlin is right," said Elli. "I can't believe this."
"Y'all are damaging my self esteem with all this nonbelievability," I said, only half joking.
"No, it's just, I thought-," Elli hesitated. She leaned in and lowered her voice. "I thought you were going to go with that Potter guy."
"Who, James?" I near yelled. "I mean—who, James? What—what would give you that idea?"
"Nothing, I just thought—I thought he was going to ask you, is all," she said hurriedly.
"You two do hang out all the time," Holly put in.
"That's crazy," I said, laughing. "Potter isn't—he doesn't fancy me like that. And I, I'm, neither do I. You guys are off your rockers."
"It doesn't matter," said Scarlett briskly. "Matt Edwards, good Merlin. Wow."
"I heard he plays Muggle football!"
"I heard he got all O's on his OWLs!"
"I heard he's got abs of steel!"
"I heard his dick is-,"
"Gross, Scarlett!"
"Good practice, everybody!" I said, beaming as we pudged, hot sweaty messes, across the pitch to the changing rooms. "On account of my good holiday spirit, no practice tomorrow!"
Everyone picked their heads up and cheered at that.
I switched clothes quickly and stuffed my gear in my locker before hurrying outside.
James stood next to the entrance, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets in an effort to escape the cold.
"Oh!" I gasped. "Hey, there…"
He smiled that crooked smile I liked so much. "Hey, yourself," he said.
"What are you still doing here?" I asked. Gryffindor had had the pitch earlier till 6:30 that night, and it was nearly ten.
"Oh, just working on some stuff," he answered, shrugging. "Are you, uh, heading back up to the castle?"
"Yeah," I said.
"I'll walk up with you," he said.
I smiled blindingly. "Okay!"
We strolled in comfortable silence, keeping close to fight off the cold. Or at least, that's what I told myself when I leaned into the warmth of his shoulder.
I drew away once we entered in the castle. "I'll have to part with you now—can't have you knowing the location of our dormitory."
James grinned down at me. "What, you don't think I know where it is?"
"Got to keep up appearances, don't I?" I said cheerfully. I made to walk away.
"Um-," James began behind me.
I spun around. "Yes?" I asked breathlessly.
"Do—would you, possibly…" He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and then looked me straight in the eye. "Go to the Ball with me?"
My heart sank like lead in my chest.
"Oh," I said dumbly. "Um…"
He peered at me hopefully, unbearably adorable with his bright eyes and scuffed up hair.
"I, uh, actually already said I'd go with someone," I said softly.
His face crumpled. "Oh."
"Um, yeah. I… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I whispered before whirling around and dashing off.
I didn't look back, but as I lay in my bed that night, staring up in the darkness, I couldn't get rid of the image of James standing there in the Entrance Hall, alone, as if the world had fallen all around him and only he remained, looking staggeringly distant and near all at once, and incredibly, impossibly small.
[A/N: I think the dress descriptions just about killed me.
Also, hello again! Please don't hate me... no really... we're all friends right...? No, in all seriousness, I'm so, so sorry for the huge wait. It's been like ten months. School was horrendous with all my AP exams, and then I actually got a job for the summer. This'll be my first semester of college, so even now I may not be too punctual with releases. Nonetheless, I'm so happy to be back! I love this story so much and even if it takes me ten years, I'm gonna go all the way! Yeah!
Love all of you! Let me know what you think of the new chapter! Kisses!
