At lunch, Harper finds herself glancing at the Slytherin table for Astoria. Every time she looks over, her green eyes lock with ice blue ones. They send each other little smiles throughout the meal, though Harper forces herself to stop when Daphne nudges her sister, looking at Harper across the hall. Harper holds the older girl's gaze for a brief moment, long enough to see curiosity and confusion in the somewhat familiar blue eyes.

Harper finds herself delaying her exit from the hall to simply brush her body against Astoria's as she walks by. The silver-haired Slytherin glances over her shoulder, sending Harper a smile that makes her entire being tingle. In the commotion of hundreds of students attempting to exit the hall, no one notices the interaction.

The rest of the afternoon passes in an unmemorable blur for Harper. Her classes blend together into a mess of words, concepts, and feelings. Ron and Hermione seem to get the gist that Harper doesn't want to speak with them and they leave her be for the time being, but Harper knows that won't last. She knows that her friends will want to speak with her again soon, and she knows that she won't be able to stop herself from forgiving them.

After dinner, she forces herself to not look over toward the Slytherin table, exiting the hall as stealthily as she can. She feels eyes on her, but forces herself to keep walking and not look back.

Harper looks into the mirror hanging on the wall of the girl's bathroom, reaching up to run a hand through her silver tresses. She takes a deep breath, muttering under her breath to herself, "It's just dance lessons, Harper. Wake up."

She makes her way toward the stairs down from her dormitory, only to bump into Hermione. "Where are you off to?" The girl immediately questions.

Harper shrugs her shoulders, "None of your business."

Hermione sighs, "Harper, why are you ignoring Ron and me?"

She scoffs, "I'm impressed that you can ask that question with a straight face, Miss 'I don't want to believe it, but the only logical explanation is that Harper put her name in the Goblet.'"

Hermione pales at that, "What else are we supposed to believe? You have barely spoken to us since your name was drawn!"

"And why do you think that is!?" Harper explodes, taking a step toward Hermione. "Do you think it could possibly be because the night that my name was drawn, I heard you say that you think I must have put my name in the Goblet?"

"Harper—."

"Stop talking," Harper orders, taking a step forward so she is close enough to feel Hermione's breath on her lips. "Do you know how much it hurt me to discover that even both of my friends didn't believe me? I put my trust in you and Ron. I always thought that I would have you two when I needed you. Instead, the moment I begin to face adversity in the public eye, you both turn against me."

"That is not true, Harper," Hermione pleads. "It wasn't that I was turning against you, but what else was I supposed to think?"

"You could have listened to me and trusted me!" Harper shouts, shoulders heaving as she breathes in and out heavily. Without her knowledge, a lone tear rolls down her right cheek. "Goodnight, Hermione."

She brushes past the girl, intentionally brushing against Hermione with enough force to knock the girl back a few inches. "Harper, wait!"

She ignores the girl's calls, rushing down the stairs and ducking out of the portrait. As she was toward the third floor, she feels more tears begin to rush down her cheeks in a cascade of overwhelming emotion. She puts her head down as she passes a group of Ravenclaws, not wanting them to see her face.

She reaches the third floor, allowing herself to look up. Immediately, her eyes find Astoria where she stands in front of a window, the moonlight turning her hair to liquid silver. Her blue eyes glimmer with an emotion that Harper doesn't allow herself to guess at as she approaches the girl. "You look…" Harper pauses, unsure how to convey what she feels into words.

It seems she doesn't even need to complete her sentence as Astoria smiles brightly, "Thank you, Harper. You don't look too bad, yourself."

Harper allows herself a light chuckle, only for it to die down as Astoria's smile falls away. The girl walks to her, taking her head in her hands with a caring that Harper has never felt before. "You've been crying. What happened?"

Harper looks down, "Hermione."

"That bitch," Astoria snarls. "How dare she continue to hurt you!? She doesn't deserve your friendship, Harper. She doesn't. Oh, I want to give her a piece of my mind."

Harper reached up with her right hand, taking Astoria's left wrist into her grip. The other girl does not remove her hands from Harper's face, and Harper does not want her to. She gently massages Astoria's wrist with her thumb in a soothing gesture, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. "It is alright, Astoria. We talked. I vented a bit. I think we are heading in the right direction."

"How can you say that? You've been crying and I know damn well that crying is not a good sign."

Harper reaches up with her unoccupied hand and presses a lone finger to Astoria's lips. "Let's not let her ruin our evening. We have better things to do. You need to teach me to dance."

Astoria's agitation and frustration melt away at the mention of dance, eyes lighting with a newfound fire. Neither move immediately, taking a brief moment to collect themselves.

Using the hand wrapped around Astoria's lips, Harper gently moves the other girl's hand from her cheek. She gently guides it to her lips, tenderly kissing her knuckles while looking her directly in the eyes. "May I have this dance?" She asks, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Astoria cannot hide the shock she experiences at the act, but it is immediately replaced with joy. "You may, Miss Potter."

Astoria moves her hand down from where it rested on Harper's cheek to place it on her left hip. "Just do as I do."

The two fall into a rhythm almost immediately, neither one noticing the unnatural level of comprehension that Harper has of dancing during her first-ever attempt. If they did notice it, they would think of it as nothing out of the ordinary and attribute it to their close bond.

They begin to twirl in an intricate pattern of moves and countermoves, Astoria guiding Harper through each step. They dance well into the night, neither making a move to stop even as their legs burn and their arms tire.

Finally, they find themselves swaying back and forth in each other's arms, heads resting on each other's shoulders. Harper slowly blinks her eyes open, meeting the ice blue eyes that she is slowly finding herself in love with. "We should probably go to bed," she forces herself to say, no matter how much she doesn't want to say it.

Astoria lets out a sound that is a mix between a pout and a groan, causing a smile to cross Harper's features. "Do we have to? Can't we just sleep here?"

Harper sighs, "I would love that more than anything, 'Tori, but you know as well as I do that our friends would notice our absence."

"Do you really care about that? I don't care if my friends know that I wasn't in my bed tonight," Astoria mutters, forcing herself to stand up straight.

"You know that I do not care about it, Astoria. I couldn't care less if Hermione knows that I wasn't in my bed tonight. I just don't want to get you in any trouble. I saw the way your sister reacted to our interactions at lunch."

"Oh, that?" Astoria laughs slightly. "After we left the Great Hall, she pulled me aside and grilled me on why the Girl-Who-Lived and I were sharing such glances. That lead to me explaining everything."

Harper's eyes widen, "Everything?"

Astoria laughs, "Well, not everything. I didn't tell her that I kissed you, nor what we planned for tonight."

"She was okay with it?" Harper questions hesitantly.

"Of course she was. She wants me to be happy, no matter who that entails. Stop worrying so much. Besides, in a few days, the entire world will know that I, Astoria Greengrass, am dating the most beautiful girl in the world. A girl who also happens to be the most famous witch in all of Europe."

"You must be mistaken," Harper retorts lightheartedly, "You cannot possibly be dating the most beautiful girl in the world, as that is who I am dating."

The two share another laugh before Harper speaks again. "Seriously though, Astoria. You are certain that you want to do this with me, yes?"

The other girl gives her an incredulous look. "I just danced with you for an entire night and you ask if I am certain that I want to go to the ball with you? Really? Does that sound like something I would do if I was unsure?"

Harper shakes her head, unable to stop herself from smiling brightly again. "No. No, it doesn't."

They stand in comfortable silence for a few more moments before Astoria breaks it, "Onto important talk, what are we going to wear for the ball? If we are going to be the center of attention, we need to dress the part."

Harper nods, "Indeed, we do. Shall we visit Hogsmeade?"

"That sounds wonderful. How does tomorrow after lunch sound?" Astoria responds, voice filled with anticipation.

"It sounds wonderful. Want to meet at Three Broomsticks? Man, am I glad that we won't have any more school until after Yule," Harper agrees.

Astoria nods her agreement, "That sounds good to me. Also, as am I. I need a few days to collect myself again."

Once more, the two fall into a comfortable silence. Neither one wants to be the one to point out that they need to sleep as they don't want to leave each other's company. Instead, they remain standing in each other's embrace, fighting to ignore the ever-worsening burning in their legs.

Finally, as if by an unspoken agreement, they slowly pull back from each other's arms. Harper looks directly into Astoria's eyes. "See you tomorrow, 'Tori. Sleep well."

The Slytherin girl smiles, leaning forward slowly to gently press her lips to Harper's. When she finally leans back, the two rest their foreheads together. The light from the moon falls on them once more, turning their pale skin to a milky white and their silver hair to platinum fire."You as well, Harper. See you tomorrow." Astoria whispers.

The two girls slowly walk toward the stairs away from the third floor, pausing once more when they reach the spot where their journeys diverge. They share one last tender embrace before finally forcing themselves to go their separate ways for the night.

As lunch slowly meanders toward its conclusion, Harper finds herself glancing across the hall once more, much like how she did at lunch the day before. Her eyes find Astoria in her usual spot next to her sister, nodding slightly to Daphne.

The elder Greengrass doesn't immediately return the greeting, but Astoria taps her sister on the arm and says something in her ear. A moment later, Harper sees Daphne take in a deep breath before looking up and meeting her eyes. Daphne nods slowly, though Harper can tell that it isn't entirely a genuine greeting.

She sighs, I need to work on that. I care too much about Astoria to let my negative relationship with her sister get in the way.

Next to her, Ginny asks, "Harper, do you have a date to the ball?"

She slowly turns to face the redhead, taking a calming breath as she does so. "I guess you will find out at the ball."

"Is that a yes?" The girl asks, smiling conspiratorially. "Who has convinced the ice-cold Harper Potter to accompany them to the Yule Ball?"

Harper allows herself a small smile at the question, unable to stop herself as her mind travels to Astoria. "Is it a Gryffindor?" Ginny quizzes.

Harper shakes her head, "You can ask all the questions you want, Ginevra. That doesn't mean that I will give anything away."

The redhead cannot hide a brief moment of surprise at the use of her full name before she shrugs it off. "Why aren't you speaking with my brother and Hermione?"

"Because I refuse to place my trust and friendship in those who have proven themselves unworthy of it. They did not even give me a chance to argue my case before they made their decisions. We've known each other since the beginning of first year and they threw all of that away in a few hours," Harper dictates, sending a glance toward where Ron and Hermione sit further down the Gryffindor table.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Harper. I, for one, do not think you put your name in," Ginny responds, shaking her head.

"Really?" Harper asks in surprise. "Why?"

"Why?" Ginny asks in confusion. "You spent much of the summer, even the Quidditch World Cup, talking about how much you were praying for a normal, quiet year. I don't know how Ron and Hermione heard you say all of that and didn't believe that you didn't put your name in."

Harper smiles slightly, impressed with the girl's seemingly genuine show of trust and friendship. "I guess that is true. Thank you, Ginny."

The younger girl smiles, "There is no need to thank me, Harper. And let me amend my previous statement. I can fully believe that my idiotic, impulsive brother would believe you put your name, but the fact that Hermione does too surprises me."

Harper sighs, nodding, "I agree with that. I expected Ron to at least doubt me, but this is essentially worst-case scenario."

The two fall into a comfortable silence for a few moments, the noises of the Great Hall still clearly audible. After a long moment, Harper speaks, "Now, I have to assume that someone invited you to the ball."

Ginny smiles slyly, "Maybe, maybe not. I guess you'll find out."

Harper laughs at the use of her own words against herself, "Fair enough."

Around them, the hall begins to enter and Harper finishes up her meal. "I'll see you later, Ginny."

"Where are you off to?" The redhead asks.

Harper flashes her with a smile, "That would be telling."

She walks out of the Great Hall, happy with the fact that she has a true friend in Ginny Weasley.

Harper keeps her cloak pulled tightly around her body, hood hiding her features from view, as she navigates through Hogsmeade village. She reaches the door and pulls it open, ducking inside. Her eyes take a moment to adjust to the darker, smokey room. She sees a figure waving at her from the back of the room, a hood hiding her features, too.

Harper smiles and walks forward, doing her best to make sure no one recognizes her. She immediately sits herself down in the chair next to Astoria, leaning in to rest her chin against the other girl's shoulder.

"Hello, 'Tori. Did you sleep well?"

The other girl slowly turns to look at her, enough light shining on the two of them that Harper can make out her facial features. "Hello, Harper. I did, thank you. Are you ready or do you want to get something to drink first?"

Harper shakes her head, "No, I am ready."

Astoria nods and rises to her feet slowly. The two slowly exit the pub, weaving between the bustling crowd of students as they enter. They are forced to pause as a commotion near the door draws everyone's attention. "Let go of me!" A voice calls, laden with a heavy French accent that makes the words almost impossible to understand.

Harper immediately walks forward to find an older Hufflepuff student with his hand wrapped around the French Triwizard Tournament champions wrist. "Hey!" Harper calls, stepping further forward. "The woman told you to let her go."

The boy slowly turns to look at her, a sneer present on his features. His eyes dull slightly as he sees the entire pub looking at him, immediately observing the danger that his actions put him in. He turns back to the French girl, Fleur, if Harper remembers correctly, and releases her arm from his grip. He bustles past her, shoulder almost knocking the girl off of her feet.

Harper immediately walks forward, offering a hand to the girl. She takes it, sending a grateful smile her way. "Merci."

Harper shakes her head, forcing herself to smile at the older girl. Using her basic knowledge of the French language, she responds lightly, "De rein."

Astoria walks forward to Harper's side, leaning forward to whisper into her ear, "We should get her out of here. Everyone is watching."

Harper nods in agreement, "Come with us, Fleur."

The older girl hesitates for a moment before nodding, her eyes finally noticing all of the people looking at her. Harper gently places a hand on the girl's shoulders, guiding her out of the pub with Astoria just behind her.

She leads the French champion toward a quieter part of the village, finding a table away from any observing eyes or listening ears. She sits the girl down and slowly pulls off her hood. Fleur clearly hadn't recognized her right away, eyes widening slightly at her revealed identity. "I am sorry about that, Fleur. I know that it doesn't give a good look to our school as a whole. I promise that not all of us are overzealous boys like he was."

Fleur shakes her head, smiling slightly, "Oh, I know that." Her French accent is less prevalent now and Harper briefly wonders if it is because she is no longer stressed or in danger. "Thank you again."

"Don't mention it," Harper states. "I think I speak for my…friend here too when I say that you clearly deserve better than that boy."

Fleur's eyes finally find Astoria where she sits next to Harper, hood still pulled over her features. "It's okay, Astoria. She won't care about who you are. You can take your hood off."

Slowly, Astoria does so, revealing her blue eyes and silver hair. "Greetings, Heir Delacour. It has been a while."

"Miss Greengrass," Fleur states in surprise. "My, how you have grown."

Harper looks between the two in surprise, "You two know each other?"

Astoria nods, "Indeed. Fleur and I used to see each other every Yule, as it just so happens. My father, Cyrus, worked with her father for years."

Fleur nods, "They worked together as part of a joint effort between the English Ministry of Magic and the French Ministry of Magic."

Harper cocks her head, "Well, I take back what I said. She might care about who you are." She says, jokingly.

Astoria laughs slightly before speaking again, "Who was that boy, Fleur?"

The older girl sighs, "Yet another boy that refuses to take no for an answer."

"Really?" Harper scoffs. "He thought that grabbing your wrist in an aggressive manner would help convince you into going with him?"

Fleur shrugs helplessly, "Who knows why boys think any of the things they do are smart?"

All three of them share a laugh at that. "Do you truly not have a date?" Harper asks. "I find it hard to believe that no one you know would go with you."

Fleur shakes her head, sighing again, "I have two friends with me, and they both already have dates. Everyone else I know was not chosen to come here as part of our delegation."

"Is there anyone you would even consider going with?" Astoria asks.

"Well, there is a Ravenclaw sixth-year who is at least partially resistant to me. He's the only one that I've even briefly considered. To be honest, I really don't want to go with anyone."

Harper nods, sharing a look with Astoria. "I had the same problem for the longest time. I didn't want to go with anyone who wanted me for my fame and not who I actually am. Besides, none of the boys at Hogwarts interested me at all. They all seemed…primitive."

Fleur nods, "Indeed. How have you solved that problem? Do you know who you are going with?"

Harper nods. "I do." She turns to where Astoria sits at her side and tenderly places a hand on her cheek. The younger girl leans into her touch, never breaking eye contact.

The two spend a brief moment enjoying the moment before turning back to Fleur. The French champion is looking at the two in shock. "The…the two of you are going…together?" She asks, seemingly struggling with the concept. The older girl shakes herself, "That's allowed?"

Harper shrugs, "It doesn't say anywhere that it isn't. Besides, we should be able to go with whoever we please. I don't see why gender matters to anyone."

Fleur nods, "Oh, I agree. I'd just never considered the possibility. As someone who has spent their life being criticized and ridiculed for who I am, I must warn both of you that it will not be easy."

Astoria nods, "We know."

"No, I don't think you do. Have either of you ever had preconceived notions write your destiny? I have. From the moment I was born, people assume things about me just because of my heritage. People hate things that are different from themselves, even if it doesn't affect them at all."

Harper shrugs, "I am sorry you have had to deal with that, but we don't care. We have our minds made up."

The older French girl nods, "Then I applaud both of you. I envy the resolve you both think you possess if you go through with this. Prejudice already haunts you, Harper Potter, and that will only get worse with this decision. I am so sorry that the world is such a way, but it is."

Harper nods, "Thank you, Fleur. Good luck in your search for a date. We should probably be going."

The older girl nods, "Thank you again for your help in that pub. I was far too close to losing my temper and severely injuring that boy."

Harper and Astoria both laugh and Astoria says, "I wish you would have. He deserved it."

Fleur nods, "That he did. Well, good day, you two. I wish you luck. And remember, do not let others dictate how you go about your lives. From what I can tell, you have already taken that advice to heart but never forget it. Your relationship will not thrive if either of you has any doubts."

Without another word, the French champion rises from her spot at the table. A shimmering blue sweater appears on her body and she pulls a hood over her head. She walks away, each stride taking her further and further away from the two of them.

The two girls grip each other's hands, making their way through the busy village of Hogsmeade. As they do so, light snow begins to fall from the afternoon sky, peppering the ground with white. They walk past the traditional clothing store, Gladrags Wizardwear, knowing a better option. Astoria reaches the stone wall first, removing her wand from her sleeve. Looking around, she then taps her wand on five separate stones in a pattern similar to that of a five-pointed star.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, the wall seemingly shimmers out of existence, revealing a beautiful set of wooden stairs covered with a gorgeous carpet. Harper and Astoria walk down the stairs, the wall shimmering back into place behind them.

"Ah, what can I do for the two of you?" An elderly female asks, coming out from behind a wall covered with various fabrics. "Yule Ball shopping?"

Astoria nods, "Indeed, Madame Hanks."

"Excellent, excellent. Follow me."

The two trail after her deeper into the store, walking past a weave that seems to be weaving itself. They pass another wall that is hung with many beautiful necklaces with various lengths and adornments. They reach a circular room with mirrors on every side, Madame Hanks closing a door behind them. "So, I assume you both have a loose idea of what you want to wear?"

Harper and Astoria both nod. "Yes, we do."

The woman nods, "Will you be attempting to incorporate your dates' appearances into your outfits?"
They nod again. "May I know what they look like? That would help me address the color contrasts and other such things that need to match."

"We are going with each other, Madame Hanks," Astoria states, voice strong and proud.

The woman looks between the two of them for a long moment before smiling. "Good for the two of you. Yes, yes, I can definitely make this work. You already match each other extremely well and look natural together. It won't take much work from me to enhance what is already there."

"Step forward, Miss Potter. We shall do you first," Madame Hanks states, beckoning for her to approach.

As soon as Harper finds herself in the middle of the room, she finds herself being measured.

"May I suggest a color for you, Miss Potter?" Madame Hanks asks eagerly. "I have an idea of how to make the two of you match each other perfectly."

Harper nods in ascent. "You may."

Madame Hanks nods, "Excellent. For you, I suggest a dress the color of Miss Greengrass's eyes. Along with that, I think a silver necklace inlaid with a sapphire to match."

Harper's eyes widen at that, "Madame Hanks, I do not believe that I have the money to pay for—."

Astoria cuts her off, "That sounds wonderful, Madame Hanks. Thank you."

The woman nods, but Harper shakes her head. "I cannot possibly ask you to pay for my dress, 'Tori."

The girl smiles, "That's why you are not asking me. I'm just going to do it. Besides, once you visit Gringotts, you will be able to treat me to a few things."

Harper hesitantly nods, "Fine." She softens, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss of thanks to Astoria's lips. "Thank you."

"Miss Greengrass, you now," Madame Hanks speaks, interrupting their moment.

Astoria nods, walking forward. "I am sure you can guess what I am going to suggest that you wear, Miss Greengrass."

Astoria nods, "Yes, and I am all for it."

The woman nods, "Excellent. I will get to work on both of those dresses. When would you like to pick them up?"

"Friday afternoon, maybe?" Harper asks. "That would give us a day to have everything ready for the ball."

"That is acceptable," Madame Hanks. "You may pay when you pick them up. I cannot give you a price off the top of my head, as I like to base my prices on finished products."

"Thank you, Madame Hanks. I look forward to seeing what magic you come up with," Astoria states, giving the woman a grateful smile.

The elderly woman smiles at both of them, though there is a visible amount of concern present on her features. "Don't mention it. It is my pleasure. And my dears, good luck and be careful. This world is a cruel, cruel place. Especially for a love as pure as what I see you two sharing."