Questioning House Placement

"Your mother tricked me!" I hissed as I cornered Albus in the book store. His eyes widened in shock and fear. I realized I needed to dial down my temper, so I took a slow breathe.

"And how did she do that?" he whispered back, keeping his volume down as to not disturb the other shoppers who were reading their unpurchased selections.

"She told me not to fuss this afternoon as she had a lot of shopping to do today. I promised her I wouldn't so I could do the washing this morning-"

"You did the dishes? By hand?" Albus looked at me incredulously. I rolled my eyes in frustration. That is not the important part!

"Yes. I find it soothing and relaxing. Now can we get back to the point?" I said as I peeked over my shoulder. Hugo was sitting with Lily on the floor between bookshelves. They seemed to have found a very interesting text on muggle fashion, "You know the dress that I found in the shop?"

"The sky blue that played well with your eyes? Yeah, I saw it." he said as his hazel eyes sparkled at the memory. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yes, that one. She bought it for me! And I couldn't object because that is considered fussing! Albus, she played me! Are you sure that she wasn't in Slytherin? Because this feels like something that Scorpius would do to me." I ran a hand down my face. I hate being played.

"Well, everyone has attributes for each house. It is how you use those attributes and which ones are the strongest that places you in your house. My mum is one of the bravest women I know. That is her outstanding quality. Little known to those who have never crossed my mother, she is manipulative; like a Slytherin. She is also very smart and studied pretty hard and has wicked aim with her wand. Ginny Potter is also the most loyal and kindest person you will meet." Albus explained. I looked at him curiously.

"So, that is why I have this uncontrolable desire to help those in need? I honestly have Gryffindor Bravery in my bones?" after his nod, I crossed my arms over my chest in thought, "That is interesting."

"Very." Albus said in a bored tone. He must have been hearing that since the day he was born.

"Why did we get fancy clothing?" I asked to fill the silence.

"We are going to the Malfoy Christmas Ball." at my blank look, Albus sighed and ran a hand through his chestnut hair, "Draco Malfoy, Scorpius' father, holds a ball at his manor every year as like a, 'I'm sorry for my evil family. Come see that we have changed and we are raising our son to accept everyone as an equal,' type of affair. Since my father saved the world along with the rest of my family, we are pretty much expected to go. I hate it. James hates it and Lily hates it. It is boring. And we three hate dancing. This year, James has plans on running off into Scorpius' room and get roaring drunk to make it interesting."

"I like dancing." I whispered. A fucking ball?! My parents were evil.

"Calesta, can we go to the ice cream shop?" Hugo's timid voice interrupted our conversation. I turned towards him with a gentle smile.

"I think ice cream sounds perfect." I flicked my eyes to Lily, "You feel like ice cream too?"

"Absolutely." she replied with a beaming smile.

"Hey! She is my buddy, not yours!" Albus exclaimed, but I heard the smile in his voice.

"Sounds like you are getting some ice cream too." I said with a smirk over my shoulder.

The four of us left the book store and made our way to the ice cream parlor. The slushy snow squelched under our boots. I slipped once and Albus caught me by the waist. I gave him a sheepish smile at my clumsiness. He just smirked and held me as I steadied myself. I caught Lily with a pleased smile plastered to her face. I had raised an eyebrow in her direction, but all she did was shake her head. When we entered the small shop, we stamped the slush from out boots and headed for the counter.

I ordered hot chocolate because I was not in the mood for ice cream. The warm, creamy liquid pushed the ice from my blood and warmed my cheeks. James and Fred showed up with Roxanne in tow. They came back with hot chocolates too. Lily and Hugo seemed the only ones who had wanted ice cream in the dead of winter. I felt quite content and happy. Even with the daunting task of having to behave at a full fledged ball where there will everyone in the Wizarding Britain gathering and sharing Christmas cheer.

Yeah, I am not nervous.

The morning of the ball, I was a nervous wreck. I prayed to every muggle God that I could think of to give me the strength to just get up out of bed. After I could do that, I would be fine. People were there to push me around and move me like a doll. I could manage being a doll for a day, right?

"Cal, you need to eat something." Albus was saying to me as I stared at another stack of pancakes. I fucking hate pancakes, "You'll make yourself sick if you don't calm down." I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

I let the air out slowly from my lungs and opened my eyes to see a small bowl of berries. Who the hell gave me berries?

"She doesn't enjoy pancakes." I heard James mutter to Albus. I glanced up and saw the older Potter boy smiling at me comfortingly.

"She has been eating them everyday since she got here." Albus murmured back. Honestly, I am right here!

"Haven't you notice she drowns them in toppings and chokes them down with a glass of milk?" James asked Albus as he scooted the sugar bowl towards me.

"I just figured she was odd!" Albus replied, shock registering in his eyes. I forget that James observes people. He is a person watcher and picks up on nuances that most people deem unimportant. He just does not know I do not take my berries with sugar. I do not make it a habit to eat bowls of berries in front of people.

"The butter makes them soggy and the peanut butter makes them sticky. I drown them in syrup to hide the taste." I said softly as I picked up a raspberry. The tart flavor made my mouth water. I liked tart things, "The milk helps the peanut butter go down smoothly."

"See? Merlin Albus! You are a horrible friend!" James accused him as he dodged a smack. Albus looked furious.

"Why haven't you said anything? Mum can make you something else, more to your tastes." he said to me while glaring at the retreating back of his brother. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I can manage." I murmured as I chose a plump blueberry to pop into my mouth. Albus shook his head at my stubbornness.

"You better eat the whole bowl. And quick. James likes to take all the hot water in his shower." he informed me as he stood to take his plate to the sink. I took a nibble from a large strawberry as I watched him cross the kitchen.

"Why don't you like dancing?" I pondered out loud. A soft chuckle met my ears as he leant against the counter.

"I was born with my father's two left feet." he answered before pushing from the surface, "Hurry up." and he left me to my berries.

Seeing as I took a shower the day before, I decided that I did not need to wash my hair again. My hair is pretty managable on its own. A quick brush in the morning and I can go the whole day without a problem. So, I finished my berries and set to washing the dishes. Ginny must have been busy with getting our dresses ready, because I had not seen her in the kitchen yet. I finished the washing quickly and made for Lily's room. I wanted to be as far away from the scene of the crime as possible.

As I entered, I found the aurburn haired Potter boy lounging on Lily's bed. Lily was sitting in front of her vanity with Ginny using her wand to curl the flaming red hair's locks into perfect spirals. I glanced at James and he shrugged his shoulders and continued flipping pages in a Teen Witch Weekley's magazine. I stepped over to my trunk and extracted my brush along with my little box of hair baubles. James looked up from the gossip magazine to watch me.

"What are you doing with your hair?" he inquired as I brushed tangles from my long tresses.

"I'm going to do a simple donut bun with a braid wrapped around the base. Want to watch?" I looked up from the floor. I saw that James' eyes had already glazed over. Boys!

"No. This magazine is boring me though and Albus is currently taking a shower." he replied in a bored tone, "And mum is curling Lily's hair. That is even more boring!" Lily huffed loudly from the other side of the room, "So, I will watch you. But if this is boring, I am leaving and taking a nap. Albus takes ages!"

"Suit yourself." I said with a shrug before I parted the front of my hair off to the side to create a side part.

I separated a chunk of hair to fall over my face and set to pulling my hair into a smooth ponytail. I pulled out a donut looking device that was actually old white socks that I had cut in order to roll them into a donut shape. James snatched the rolled up socks and peered at it with interest. I fought to keep the smirk from my face. This was just too funny!

"What does this do?" he glanced at me with wonder in his forest green eyes.

"I can show you better than explain it." I replied while holding my hand out expectantly. James took the cue and handed it back reluctantly. I shook my head in amusement.

After threading my ponytail through the middle, I slipped the roll to cover the hair tie. This part always takes the longest because you have to smooth the hair over the rolled up socks so that it lays flat and evenly. I felt James hovering as my fingers worked my fine hair into an even covering. I picked up a hair tie and wound it around the base of the donut so that the layered hair does not move.

"I really hope that you are going to fi-"

"James! Don't pester! I am going to fix it." I said to the floor. I was not able to face him because I needed the ends of my hair to stay splayed over my head.

I gathered a few strands of hair and began to braid in my ends to circle around the base to hide the hair tie and also to make the bun neat. This part was the most difficult. I had to constantly sweep for missed strands and keep the braid even. Once I had gathered all my ends into a mock french braid, I reached for a bobby pin and tucked the extra braid under the first braid and secured the end. I pushed another bobby pin where the two ends met to secure them. I did not want them to move.

"Woah." James muttered as he inspected my handiwork. I smirked as I searched my little box for a hair pin to match my dress.

"My mom taught me before I left. She wanted to make sure I could at least do something other than wear my hair down at school." I stated. After locating the pin I had been searching for, I looked up to see Ginny smiling softly at me sitting on the floor.

"I haven't seen you do it at school." James was still looking at my hair like it was gold.

"I haven't done it at school." I informed him.

Sweeping the strands of hair out of my face, I pinned them to the side of my head with the sky blue flower pin I had found one day shopping with my mother. She said it softened the ice in my eyes and bought it for me. I do not wear blue often, so I had not worn it much. I guess since my dress is blue, I get to wear it today.

"It looks lovely, dear." I heard Ginny murmur softly.

"Thank you." I responded with a shy smile.

"Now let's talk about make-up." Ginny said with a sinister grin. I felt the blood drain from my face.

I hate getting dressed up.