Chapter 4: The Yule Ball
All I want
is to know your name and whisper it
in your ear
with your arms around my neck.
You've haunted me in colors
I've never seen
I feel strange and unprotected
But I'm weightless like I'm falling on the moon
I'm falling slow for you
"Manta Rays," Ludo
For our one year anniversary, Cedric gave me an enchanted mirror. The mirror was oval shaped and had a small desk attached to it, where I could sit in a chair and do my hair and make-up every morning. The mirror was bewitched to say positive things about my appearance, like "Beautiful!" or "Don't change a thing!" or "You look perfect just the way you are!" The magic was old, though, and performed by a young wizard (at the time) so the spell had been slowly wearing off over the years. Instead of telling or cheering, the mirror now squeaked or screeched. It was an alarming thing to hear at 7 A.M., but now it made Kelly, Kim, and I laugh. When I told Cedric about the flaw in his magic, even he managed a laugh. It was honestly the most perfect present.
"Gorgeous!" the mirror squeaked. I had been playing with my hair in the mirror for the past half hour. But all that time wasted yielded no results: my hair was too thick, too wavy, and too long. I applied a little make-up, but I could never do it quite right, so it was bound to wear off in an hour.
"Gorgeous!" Kelly mocked the voice. I heard Kim giggle from the other side of the room.
"Are you ready to go?" Kim asked. She stood, still adjusting her earrings. "I don't want to be massively late."
"Only slightly," Kelly agreed.
My friends looked gorgeous in their gowns, and my heart swelled with excitement for the night ahead. Kelly had been asked to the Ball by a seventh year Ravenclaw boy named Billie, who looked suspiciously like the Weird Sisters' bass player. Kim too had found a date—after an intense staring session, Thom managed to sputter an invitation to the Ball, his accent heavy with fear.
"Yeah, I am not doing anything with this," I pulled my hair to the top of my head and then let it drop down past my shoulders.
"You look perfect!" the mirror screeched. Kelly, Kim, and I sniggered.
"Let's go then," Kelly urged. She rested her head on one of my shoulders. Kim scurried over to our side of the room and put her head on my other shoulder.
"You really do look beautiful," Kim beamed, and then pinched my cheek. "George is going to wet himself with excitement."
"Truly. But we would make one ugly, three-headed woman," Kelly pointed to our reflection in the mirror.
"I disagree entirely," I scoffed, and Kim nodded.
"Gorgeous!" Kim mocked the mirror, and we laughed hysterically.
"Wow," George gaped. He looked awkwardly handsome in a pair of old, oversized dress robes. I tried not to smile when I saw him, but my lips betrayed me. I couldn't help but feel excited.
"What?" I asked bashfully. I could feel my face getting hot.
"Sorry. They haven't invented a word for your kind of beauty yet, so I'm not quite what to say," George said smoothly. I rolled my eyes.
"You, sir, are a charmer," I teased.
George looked pleased with himself. "Clearly."
George extended his arm. I wrapped my arms around his and together we walked into the Great Hall. George seemed to have an inner compass built to find his twin; we ended up standing next to Fred and Angelina. The boys exchanged hurried whispers beneath their breath; I tried to catch Angelina's eyes, but she was too busy examining her nails. The champions—and some other students—were waltzing with their dates. I saw Cedric spinning with Cho, and wondered how I had ever been with him.
Cedric and I didn't share many common interests. I loved The Weird Sisters, and most other hard rock bands, whereas Cedric preferred pop-rock. I loved to joke around and have fun, whereas Cedric could sometimes be suffocating in his seriousness. Cedric slurped his soup and snored whenever we napped. I stressed out far too often about school, and that drove Cedric crazy sometimes. But we passionate about each other, and I guess that's why we worked.
Cedric was absolutely beaming with Cho—a face he had stopped making around me at the beginning of the school year. My heart still felt a little sore about our break up, but I was happy for him. I wondered how he felt about George and me, or if he even cared.
"Look at that git," George whispered in my ear, pointing at my ex-boyfriend, "He doesn't know what he's lost.
I frowned. "That's not very nice."
George shrugged. "He wasn't very nice to me, remember?"
George and I exchanged a lot of words through silence. He resigned, and then kissed my cheek.
"Let's dance," he declared, just as The Weird Sisters were warming up.
I was glad that I did not pin my hair up at all, because it would have inevitably been destroyed with all of the thrashing and moshing George and I were doing. Fortunately the band played very few slow songs. When they did, George's hands on my waist forced the oxygen to escape my lungs, and caterpillars to rustle about in my abdomen. George was bold and kissed me a few times during the night—light, soft pecks that promised he loved me. My lips hurt from smiling so much.
It was getting late, and The Weird Sisters were slowing down the night with ballads. George and I managed to find Fred and Angelina again, and we spent a few songs joking. Certain songs held specific memories for me—too many with Cedric—and I began to feel a little worn out from the dance. My white heels made my feet hurt, and my dress was starting to feel a little tight. It was barely after eleven, but I was tired.
George had gone to get some drinks. The Weird Sisters had begun yet another ballad, which effectively thinned out the crowd. I had long lost sight of Kim, and by this time Kelly seemed to be gone too. I was thinking about what George would want to do for the rest of the night: back to his room, back to Ravenclaw Tower, or go our separate ways? I didn't want tonight to end. My mind was wandering beneath George's warm sheets when a familiar voice shattered my daydream.
"Care for a dance?" Cedric held out his hand.
I stared at him blankly, unsure of how to respond. "Pardon?"
He smiled gently, and begged, "Indulge me."
I couldn't say no, but my mind was screaming that this was a bad idea. The Weird Sisters were playing an old song of ours called "Manta Rays," and I was already falling into our old memories. Cedric slow dancing with me in his room; us making love for the very first time; Cedric holding me against him for warmth when we hid in the forest during the World Cup…
I had my arms loosely around his neck, and he had his arms on my waist. I was so used to Cedric holding me there that I didn't react.
"This was our song," Cedric told me, like I didn't already know.
"I remember," I said quietly. My stomach turned on itself, and I felt like I was going to be sick.
"Please don't vomit on me," Cedric joked, and I bit my lip. He still remembered my I'm going to be sick face.
"I promise I'll aim for the floor," I teased.
Cedric's face warmed. "My father will be thrilled to receive his robes vomit-free."
"Or you could tell him it's a parting gift."
"What are we parting from?"
"Our relationship," I said too quickly, and Cedric's face fell. We were silent for a moment. I asked, "How's Cho?"
Cedric averted eye contact, "She's… Great. Lovely." He forced a smile. "I'm glad things are working out. Who are you here with?"
I couldn't tell if he was being polite, or if he really didn't know. Unfortunately, I have an awful brain to tongue filter, "Really?"
"What?" Cedric smiled. He thought he was in on the joke. "You're telling me you came alone? I don't believe it for a second."
"No, I have a date, it's just that I thought…" I trailed off. Cedric and I made eye contact. His eyes were intense, but soft.
"Thought…" Cedric repeated. He smelled like vanilla and old spice deodorant. I wondered what he was thinking. The Weird Sisters' song ended slowly, and we stopped spinning.
George put his hand on my shoulder, and I was drawn back into the present moment. George's hand was warm, and he wasn't carrying any drinks.
George asked me, "Are you ready to go?" He was staring at Cedric, whose face was pinched with surprise.
"Oh," Cedric finally mustered. He smiled at me, and then squeezed my hand. "Have a good night," he said flatly, his voice cracking a little.
I couldn't get Cedric off of my mind, even though I was also very much excited that George decided to take me back to his room. We were sitting on his bed next to each other. George was rambling about how fantastic The Weird Sisters were, and wasn't it great that we got to see them live?
"I can't even believe it," I croaked, my voice hoarse from singing along with the band all night. "Do you think they'll let me join them on tour?"
"Definitely. I can't see why not, especially with that voice," George teased.
"Great. I'll see you around, then." I stood dramatically. George grabbed my arm and yanked me back onto the bed.
"Not so fast," he warned.
"Why not?"
"You can't go without me."
I knew he was joking, but part of me wondered if he wasn't. The thought made me shiver, and George asked, "Are you cold?"
I looked at George. He was smiling; he was almost always smiling. I saw excitement flicker in his eyes. He reached out his arm and brushed my hair behind my ear. Some strands stayed put, and some strands fell back against my cheek.
George made a face that resembled playful frustration. "They won't stay put."
"I will," I told him softly.
Two years. George had been waiting two years to touch me like this: to hold my hand, to kiss my cheek, and to push the hair out of my face. The thought made my heart swell with love for my best friend.
Without saying anything, I stood and pulled the zipper down the length of my dress. I shimmied the dress down my wide hips, and then crawled beneath his sheets. George's eyes were wide. I pulled his top sheet above my chest, and unhooked my bra with one hand. It fell to the floor.
I had never seen George move so quickly. He pulled off his robes, throwing them in a messy pile at the side of his bed, and slid under the sheets next to me. He wrapped his warm arms around my body, purposefully brushing against my breasts. He made a guttural sound in his throat, and I kissed him to hear it again.
George's hands were rough and precise. He kissed every visible spot of flesh, and focused all of his efforts on one goal: making me feel good. George had imagined this moment for years, and he wanted it to live up to his daydreams; I wanted it to live up to his daydreams. He was a passionate kisser, and a fierce lover. His body was thin, but built from years of Quidditch. He welcomed my touch with his husky breath moaning my name in my ear, and the sensation sent shivers up my spine.
Cedric could only make me whimper. George made me scream.
A/N: Remember that time when I updated a new chapter and only the fabulous GenkiPlus reviewed? Don't be square-let me know what you think!
Also, if you do anything new, listen to Ludo; they're the best ever. (PROTIP: "Love Me Dead" is their most popular song.)
