AN:

losta things to do. sorry for not updating sooner.

chapter 22 should be up in abit.

a bit of change of plot, i mixed it up. so this chappy deals with the ball first.

-thanks from updating ebbe04

-

Chapter 21:

April 12th Thursday,

People were a buzz about the first round of games. That passing Saturday Beaubaxton went head to head with S.W.A and the French team won. S.W.A didn't get disheartened though, they did only loose by 50 points as Beaubaxton got a total of 210 whilst S.W.A already had already 16 goals in before Beaubaxton even got the snitch.

Elena sat quietly during lunch that day as she glared at her 2nd cousin who was having a conversation with the ever so blushing Sirius Potter at the Ravenclaw table.

"Can't believe she got more goals than I did…hrmf..she wasn't that good the last time we saw each other!" Elena huffed annoyingly. Jeff just laughed and said that the last time they all saw each other was before the Hogwarts/Beaubaxton/SWA years. Of course Jeff was only 10, Elena was 7 and Nicola was only 6 at that time.

"Lighten up Ellie, here have some more potatoes" Jeff said as he placed a helping of scalloped potatoes into the girl's plate. "At least I have a date already" Elena said after she looked back at her food filled plate.

That afternoon the players were all assembled in the great hall for a special meeting about the ball that Saturday. Obviously Stella and Mike were butting heads about something Mike said about Friday's House Cup finals between Gryffindor and Slytherin. James just sat out of it and so did the rest of the Hogwarts team.

"Ahem Miss Weasley and Mister Flint!" said Professor Lacrue warningly. He watched as the couple's argument die down a few seconds later. "As much as we'd like to see who could kill who before tomorrow's House Cup finals…I rather have both of you in one piece!"

Stella opened her mouth to say something by Jeff silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand whilst Mike just started to laugh. Once Stella got Jeff of off her she said "You're on the sofa tonight honey" which basically meant war until Mike pleads for her forgiveness.

"I told you they've done it" Elena snickered towards James who started to laugh shaking his head.

Lacrue along with the other teachers that went with their schools then started to explain that the players had to have dates for the ball. 98 of the players already had dates while the other 2 were asked to find dates with in two days. Elena and Stella started to snicker in which Nicola darted glares at them. Even Nicola's friends were snickering.

"Well Obviously some of you don't have dates...please raise your hands those who doesn't have dates yet" Professor Kazan of SWA said. About 4 hands shot up and 3 of them were girls. Nicole's hand had to be forced up by her team mates.

"Well then get crackin…no dates no opening waltz" Professor Kazan said. The 3 girls and one boy groaned as they were dismissed. Nicola stayed behind to talk to the teachers. Stella and the rest were hushed out by Lacrue. But that didn't stop Stella, Jeff, James and Elena along with the SWA team members to press their ears to the door.

"Miss Silverio…every school athlete has to have a date!" said the teacher firmly. Stella started to giggled when she heard Nicola go incoherent. "Y-you've got to be kidding me!"

"No kidding Nick. No date, no opening waltz. It's what they drafted and we must uphold to the rules!"

"This is ridiculous!" Nicola said as she stalked out of the great hall. She opened the door and heard a bunch of groans from the outside. She pushed harder and heard Elena squeak.

"Nick, why don't you just get a boy…. Any guy would go out with you" Lyra, the SWA seeker, said.

"2 days. I am not fucking Cinderella here Ly" Nick said in defeat sniffling at the end. Lyra then told Nick to not cry, "Those Durmstrang guys asked you out didn't they?"

"I don't like guys who think my name is for a man" Nicola said and laughter ensued between the SWA girls as they walked away. Nicola waved at her cousins before disappearing to their tent complex just by the forbidden forest.

Elena smirked as she waved at her cousin. "I feel bad now…" She said towards Stella who scoffed "Suddenly you get a heart…..and you can NOT touch my hair this Saturday"

Jeff looked at James who smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about it, we have the right boy for her…I don't think he would mind escorting her….he gawks at her every time she's around" said James before him and Jeff walked away. Stella gave Elena a weird look before it registered in their heads.

"Oh this will be fun" Stella said happily.

-

Friday 13th,

Talking about an omen. Stella thought. Friday the 13th of all days their finals would be on. But they got out there and played. In the end, Mike ended up with a bloody nose and 150 points whilst Stella was unscathed and 60 points more. Oh and the Quidditch Cup.

Stella sat in the Gryffindor locker room trying to cajole Maggie to walk out only her underwear to see if Jeff, who was talking to James in the boy's side, would have a heart attack.

"But I bought you those cute underwear for Christmas so you can strut it out in public!" Stella laughed out. Maggie stuck her tongue out before putting on her normal clothes.

"Never!" Maggie then said before walking out of the locker room leaving Stella sitting there putting on socks on the bench.

A knock then came and Stella told them to come in. Jeff peered in to say that someone wanted to talk to her. She told him she'll be out in a bit. A few minutes later she stepped out into the common locker room and found that the Slytherin Captain had charmed his clothes to Gryffindor colors.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have insulted your leadership back then" Mike said through his forced pout. Stella cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "You aren't getting off that easily Mike. You made a fool out of me by calling me a bad house Captain when I am your School Captain…"

"I didn't mean it like that! I was joking!" Mike pleaded and this was Jeff and Maggie's cue to step into the boy's locker to avoid getting hit by a hex or something. James who was half way into his pants jumped behind a locker door cursing out loud.

"I'm sorry…I think you are a good captain…I really do!...I'm sorry Stella!" Mike pleaded again.

Stella walked up to the 6 feet tall boy and said "Well then….If you really are…then maybe you are…you owe me a bag of chocolate" Mike's face twitched into a smile and nodded.

Evening….

Dinner time, James and Jeff sat on each side of Nicola at the Ravenclaw table. Lyra had tried to cheer up her friend since yesterday and yet everything the team has done hadn't worked yet. Well, they actually shoved Sirius Potter to talk to Nicola and that seemed to have lightened her spirits a bit.

"We have a proposition Nick" Jeff said as he picked on Nicola's taters. "A very good one you'd like to know about" James finished. Nicole looked at them dully before looking back at her food. It would be embarrassing if she went alone, she knew that, but she didn't want some guy staring at her blankly the whole night.

"We have an escort in mind for you" James said. Just then Sirius Lupin passed by whilst talking animatedly with that girl from A.I.S he was checking out when the schools arrived a week ago. Sirius Potter trailed at the back scratching his head and looked towards Jeff who waved at him.

"Really now…Thanks Jeff, James…but I think I'll just go alone" Nicola said as she watched Sirius P. sit down the table beside a blonde girl. She shook her head and sighed.

"Nick, you know as much as I do that if you go alone, Elena will never let it go. Do you want to live the remainder of your life having Ellie badger you about this?" Jeff asked his cousin. Nicola shook her head and looked at Sarah, the keeper, sitting across her. The blonde keeper shook her head in agreement with Jeff and James.

"Make sure you're there tomorrow by 6pm. Ready to waltz because the boy we have in mind can dance well" James said. Nicola looked at James and then Jeff and surrendered. At least she'd get Elena off of her back.

Saturday April 14th:

The afternoon was quite interesting as there were no 4th year and older girls out. The guys randomly asked "Where'd they all go?". As a matter of the fact, most of them were trying to prepare for the 6:30 pm ball though Stella was in the room of requirement reading silently as Parker practiced ballet. It doesn't take that long to get ready. Well for Stella that is.

6:00pm.

James, Jeff, Mike and a subdued Sirius Potter were standing in the Entrance Hall. James had cajoled Sirius, more like convince that Nicole wouldn't say 'yuck' at him, to escort the dateless Nicola Silverio. Jeff even told their Coaches that Nicola was indeed doing the opening of the ball with the rest of the teams.

"What if she's like.." Sirius said nervously. He suddenly wished that he hadn't agreed to James' schemes. James whacked him at the back and told him to fix his hair, "or else I will".

Sirius scowled and took out a comb and started to comb his straight red hair properly. If only Sirius Lupin hadn't gotten a damn date he wouldn't be doing this at all. Well actually he wanted to ask Nicola but was a bit too shy about that.

"There now you look like a very primped up Potter…chin up…" Mike said towards the 5'10 younger boy. Just then most of the dates arrived including the older three boys'. Sirius looked around and spotted his fellow Sirius flirting with Clarisse Johnston, the girl from A.I.S, who indeed was an American girl living in Hong Kong.. He waved at his friend who waved back and pointed at someone behind himself.

Sirius P. looked back to see Nicola standing there in the middle of the SWA crowd alone. Sirius stood there and watched her usual cool exterior falter for a few moments as he watched the other girls' date meet up with them. James then told his brother to go and meet up with his date. Sirius looked back nervously and started to walk towards Nicola whose face brightened up.

"Hey" he said.

"Hey….where's your date?" Nicola asked Sirius as she looked for the blonde hanging off of him lately. Sirius shook his head and said that he didn't have a date prior to last night. He stood back and admired how she looked. Her dark straight hair was let loose falling gracefully on her back as she wore a simple empire waist dress. Siruis smiled inwardly, she looked like an angel in the pale colored dress.

"Oh, she hasn't arrived then yet huh" she said quite mundanely. Sirius could get a hint of disheartening in her tone.

"Uhm…Actually, you know my brother James?" Sirius said nervously and watched as Nicola looked bewildered. Then she silently said "Oh…" before looking towards James who was pointing at Sirius and giving the thumbs up along with Jeff, Stella, Mike and Maggie.

"Oh…you must be my escort" Nicola said happily. Sirius nodded shyly and offered his arm to her. She took it and smiled warmly towards the blushing Potter beside her. "Well then Sirius…I hear you're a very good dancer" Nicola started and this somehow got the awkwardness between them clear up as Sirius started to relax around her.

Hours later, everyone was eating their desserts happily and waiting for the dance floor to open. Elena and Stella wanted to see who could dance tango better while Maggie and Jeff were just all too happy to sit around and talk. Jeff had his arm around Maggie's bare shoulders and rubbing her neck every so often as Maggie had been complaining about her neck lately.

James, with his girlfriend, were teasing Sirius P. who was waiting for Nicola to come back from the washroom. James was also looking to his side every so often watching his cousin, Francesca, at her nearby table. He didn't like how Francesca's date was whispering things to her ear making the blonde Weasley look very awkward, almost infuriated at that.

Oliver sat at the head table jabbing his dessert as he watched Maggie lean in to kiss Jeff on the lips. Percy moved nearer and said "Now, now…play nice". Oliver looked at him and pointed at how Mike had his hand on Stella's shoulder quite protectively. Percy watched as Stella lean on Mike's neck and giggle when Mike said something Percy could only imagine what but he didn't want to go there.

"I feel old" Percy groaned as he tried not to look at Stella or Jeff. He did promise his pregnant wife that he wouldn't kill Mike Flint. "We all feel old" McGonagall said as she stood up from her seat. She then opened the dance floor to dancing and everyone got up to dance.

Harry sat with the rest of the professors at the head table and watched as his youngest dance with his date. Harry shook his head, things had suddenly turned around. There he was, Sirius, the first red head male Potter and he was dancing with a dark haired girl. Harry to admit, Nicola didn't look half that bad. She looked basically like his sister-in-law Callista though she had touches of Asian in her features.

"Who is that?" Ginny asked as she got to her seat. Harry had invited his wife to the ball. "That my darling is Nicola Silverio from the SWA…lovely couple aren't they?" Harry said as she watched Ginny drink her wine.

"One thing is for sure. Siri is one backward Potter male…then again he is a red head" Ginny said. Harry snorted out that it was her fault he was a red head.

"Excuse me Mr. Potter…you asked me to marry you did you not?" Ginny said indignantly. Harry mocked pouting and said that he wouldn't change how things were, even if he had a chance to. Ginny's face suddenly twitched into a smile.

AN:

Again for my own use and if you want to find out how they all look like:

Sirius Potter: 15, straight red hair, pale green eyes. 5'9-1/2

Sirius Lupin: 15, ever changing hair color, Grey eyes. 5'9.

SWA: ( I know much cuz I borrowed from friend)

Seeker:

Lyra Aguilar- 15, Portuguese-Chinese, long dark curly hair, brown eyes. 5'0

Keeper:

Sarah Steves- 15, Irish decent, blonde straight shoulder length hair, green eyes. 5'7

Chasers:

Nicola Silverio- 15 (turning 16), Spanish-Asian, long straight dark hair, dark eyes. 5'5

Lucy A. Cobs- 16, Asian, wavy dark hair, hazel eyes. 4'10. (Captain)

Margaret Bucchan- 17, Scottish-Latin, amber eyes. Long brown hair. 5'3.

Beaters:

Shirley Young- 16, British-Asian, short dark hair, Hazel eyes. 5'6

Anne Mares- 17, French Canadian, ash blonde shoulder length hair. Blue-green eyes. 5'8.

L.C.M

Gerard Castel Jr.- 17, tanned, dark hair, brown eyes. 5'11 (captain)

A.I.S:

Clarrise Johnston: just turned 16. American from Massachusetts…lived in Hong Kong since she was 9 parents work there. 5'5. Brunette. blue eyes.