Chapter 7:Boy's Aren't Worth all they're Made out to Be
The cold of November seemed to come on suddenly. Or perhaps I just didn't realize the passing of time so quickly. Either way, it was already the last day of November and over three weeks since I had received the egg and it still meant as little to me as when I had received it. I was very lost in trying to solve its mysteries.
I took a walk out to the commons. Even for November weather, the snow had been a nice surprise. I sat on one of the benches, embracing the winters breeze. It penetrated deep into my bones, but I reveled at the feel. The flicker of anger that once surrounded me, due to my mysterious entrance into the tournament, was silenced with my performance of the first task. Though, the Hufflepuff's were still a little bit bitter since I was snuffing their champion out. Beating a bunch of sixth and seventh years wasn't the best way to receive praise from the apposing sides.
"May I sit down?" I heard a voice ask me. I looked up to see Cedric standing in front of me.
"Sure." I said, gesturing to the empty bench. "Take your pick." He smiled at me, and I hoped I wasn't blushing.
"You know, I think its really brave what you're doing. Whether you put your name in the cup or not, know that not everyone's against you. At least…I'm not." He said.
"Thanks. That means a lot." He looked up towards the sky.
"Have you figured out your egg yet?" he asked. I shook my head.
"No. Hermione's been trying to help me, but we've discovered nothing about the egg." He turned to me.
"If you like, I could give you a hint." I looked at him, surprised.
"Um, thanks but I don't think that's allowed." He shrugged.
"What's it really matter? It's just a hint. And besides, I'm sure you'd do the same for me." I looked down, trying to resist the temptation. "Ok, I won't make it a big hint. Go up to the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor. The password is Bubbly Soap. Speak it to the witch with one eye. She'll grant you passage." I looked at him funny.
"Are you trying to get me into the bath-" My accusation startled him.
"No, no!" He said, his hands up in a defensive position. "Just go there, and take your egg with you. I'm sure you'll find the answer." I nodded.
"Ok, I guess that was cryptic enough to escape detection." He smiled.
"So, have you been asked to the Yule Ball?" he asked casually. I shook my head.
"No, I don't think I'll go with anyone. Besides, it's just a ball right?" I asked, trying to sound like it didn't matter.
"Well you can go by yourself, but a ball is much more fun if you go with someone." He said, shifting uncomfortably. He looked like he was blushing when he asked, "And, coincidently, I haven't been asked either." I looked at him.
"The Hogwarts Champion hasn't been asked to the Ball?" I asked, then realized that what I said was very rude. "Oh, I'm sorry. Sometimes my mouth runs off before my mind can catch up." I said.
"Don't worry. And there are two Hogwarts Champions." He said. "So, would you like to go…with me?" He asked me so sincerely that I would have been a fool to have said no.
"Well, I mean since you are asking, yes. I'll go with you Cedric." I said smiling. He smiled just as brightly back at me.
"Excellent. Well, I'd best be off. I'll leave you a note saying the time and place to pick you up." He said getting up.
"I'll be expecting it." I said with a grin. He waved and then left. I breathed in deeply. Had Cedric Diggory, my supposed enemy in this tournament, just asked me out? To the biggest event of the year? I could scarcely believe it. I'd have just been happy with the conversation, but I was left with a date. Me, a date! Wait until my friends heard about this. But, price had I paid to get this far?
"The Yule Ball is a tradition that has followed the First Task of the tournament, since it's inception." Professor McGonagall explained the following week. December was already here and in a few weeks the Yule Ball would take place on Christmas Eve. "But the Yule Ball is, first and formally, a dance." At that she looked to Mr. Filch, the caretaker, who turned on an old megaphone. A song started up. All of the Gryffindor's looked at each other.
"All right, let's see." She said and looked over at Ron. He was seated beside Harry on the other side with the rest of the boys. "Mr. Weasley." She said looking at him, her crooked finger pointing in his direction.
"Yes?" He asked absolutely terrified. McGonagall stood up and took his hand.
"Now, Mr. Weasley, place your hand on my waist." She said putting her left hand on his shoulder.
"Where?" he exclaimed.
"My waist." She said again, forcing his hand. "Now this dance is a simple box step. 1, 2, 3 and 1, 2, 3." She said while Ron fumbled over his feet. We all tried to stifle our laughter.
"Alright, let's everybody stand up." McGonagall said and Ron bolted back to his seat. "Up, up boys." McGonagall motioned. None of the boys stood up, but we girls couldn't wait to get started. "Come now boys, don't be shy." I saw this as ridiculous. I stepped over the invisible line towards my friends. I stood right in front of Ron and Harry.
"Harry, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" I asked. He stood up, looking a little awkward but willing to give effort.
"I'd be honored." He said. He held out his hand, which I took and placed my hand on his shoulder. He tentatively put his on my waist and we heard the music start back up. We glided in tune to the music, performing the box step as McGonagall had showed us. I suddenly spun out, Harry's hands knowing what they were doing. He held onto me as I spun back in. Our fingers intertwined together, and for a brief second I looked up at him. He seemed to know what he was doing, and he liked it. I spun out again and came back in, when the song eneded.
"Now Ms. Phillips, curtsy to Mr. Potter for taking on such a talented dancer." She said pleased. I looked at Harry and curtsied.
"Thank you Mr. Potter." I said formally, bending at the knees.
"The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Phillips." He said bowing. We left the demonstration, and I couldn't wait to try dancing with Cedric.
It was a week away from the ball, and we four sat in Study Hall together on the long tables in the great hall. Hermione was just about done with her work when she turned to me.
"Eleanor, have you been asked to the ball?" she inquired. I smiled at her knowingly.
"Possibly." I said suspiciously.
"Come on Eleanor, tell us." Ron said. I turned to him.
"Only if you tell us who you both are going with." Ibargained.
"No one. Now you can tell us." Harry said. I rolled my eyes.
"Don't lie," I accused. Suddenly a paper airplane flew our way, hitting Ron right in the forehead. I picked it up and saw that it was a note. George had sent it our way, and it asked 'Who are you four going with?' I looked at him.
"Who are you going with?" I whisper yelled as I threw it back. He crumpled it up and threw it at Angelina Johnson, a chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team. She looked at George.
"What?" She mouthed.
"Will you go to the ball with me?" he asked with weird hand gestures. She smiled and nodded.
"Yeah." She mouthed. George and Fred high-fived each other. Ron looked down, then looked at Hermione.
"Hey Hermione, you're a girl." He said with a smirk.
"Well spotted." She spat.
"Why don't you and Eleanor go with me and Harry? It's brilliant!" he exclaimed when suddenly Professor Snape whacked him on the head with a large book. We all looked down to avoid getting whacked ourselves.
"We've already got dates, Ron." I stated. He rolled his eyes.
"Come on, for a guy to go alone, at least he can pick up a girl. But for a girl to go alone, its just sad." We both gasped at his rudeness.
"I won't be going alone because for your information, somebody has already asked me." She said picking up her books. "And I said yes." She spat at him, taking off to turn in her Study Hall assignment. Professor Snape accepted it and she turned and left. I glared at Ron.
"Just because you're desperate doesn't mean you have to shoot down Hermione for getting asked before you could." I said turning in my own assignment. I went back and grabbed my books, pausing a moment. "Here's a word of advice boys, never, under any circumstances ask your friend out as a last resort when all others have been taken. And here's a hint: Cho Chang hasn't been asked out yet and neither has Luna Lovegood. Both are in Ravenclaw; perhaps they'll knock some sense into you." I said glaring with malice. I sped off to comfort my friend. Boys could be so stupid!