A/N: Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day ;) And apogies in advance for any plotholes/illogical things that might occur in this chapter. Please bear in mind that this story has been planned rather hastily at the beginning of the month. Also thank you with putting up with me for so long, I hope you enjoyed my little advent calendar at least a little bit. The last part will of course follow tomorrow.
On the night of the ball, a harsh wind was blowing around the castle's walls hurling snow flakes against the windows and making every student glad they were inside the warmly glowing dining hall.
Music was played by a little student orchestra and the food was served by the cooks of Shiz who were always happy to help the students out.
When Glinda entered on Boq's arm, careful not to touch more of him than was necessary, all the heads in the hall turned.
Glinda gave her best to smile happily but it was visible that she didn't feel very comfortable.
"I'll be going to fetch us some refreshments", Boq announced and let go of his date.
Then, another pair entered and the students' heads turned once again.
Fiyero more or less dragged Elphaba into the room and she tried to hide behind him but didn't succeed.
Her shimmering dress caught every eye in the room.
"They're all looking at us", she murmured nervously and held on tightly to Fiyero's arm.
"I don't believe they are looking at us, Elphie."
Elphaba blushed and quickly hurried to where Glinda was standing with Boq.
"Good evening", the blonde uttered, seemingly unnerved.
"Whatever is the matter with you?"
"I'm here with Boq, remember? Also, you are here with my boyfriend."
"Bad luck", Fiyero said empathically and went to get drinks for him and Elphaba as well.
"You look magnificent, though", Glinda rejoiced once they were by themselves and Elphaba had to smile.
"Thank you, I probably wouldn't even have attended the ball if not for you."
"I just wish I wouldn't have to be here with this Munchkin boy. Why did he and Nessa even have a fight?"
"If I remember correctly, it was because she found out he had bought a present for you."
"He...did?"
"Be nice to him, Boq isn't all that bad of a boy."
"Maybe you're right", Glinda replied hesitantly and when Boq returned with their beverages, she gave him a genuine smile.
"He will be the happiest little Munchkin that there ever was", Fiyero said into Elphaba's ear and handed her a glass of punch.
"Jealous much?"
"Oh, not really, he's not really much of a rival to be honest. Besides, I get to dance with you tonight."
"And you really think this is something positive?"
"We shall see, if you please?"
He bowed down slightly and offered her his hand.
"Fiyero, I don't dance."
He remained in his pose and pulled his eyebrows up.
"Ever."
"You have done some fair dancing at the Ozdust Ballroom, if I remember correctly."
"Oh please don't remind me of that night."
"Come on, one dance!"
"Fine, you annoying little Winkie."
With that Elphaba took Fiyero's hand and let herself be swooped on the dancefloor.
As they were gently swaying from side to side, Elphaba still felt a lot of eyes resting on her.
"They're still staring."
"Let them, just ignore it, you're looking gorgeous."
"I, uhm...thank you. But I think they're staring because I'm here with you."
Fiyero looked at her like it was the first time he had heard of this idea.
"Why would they...oh. Well, I can't help it, Glinda wanted to go with someone else."
"You know that this is not exactly what happened."
"I do know that it led to us dancing together so it's fine with me."
Elphaba decided that it was no use arguing with him about the fact that he enjoyed being with her more than with the girl he called his girlfriend.
The only thing she couldn't ignore was that the same girl was the one she called her best friend.
And she couldn't stab her in the back like that so she promised herself to enjoy this one evening with Fiyero as much as she could and to forget about her feelings afterwards. They weren't in place here.
Meanwhile, Boq had asked Glinda for a dance as well and albeit somewhat reluctantly, she had accepted his offer.
"You look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Miss Glinda."
"Thank you, Boq. Besides, there is no need to call me 'Miss' all the time, Glinda will do just fine."
"Oh, of course."
"So, how are things going with Nessa, I heard you two had a fight?"
"Yes, there was a slight...misunderstanding."
"Was there? Well, I think you should apologise. It might look bad, you going to the ball with me. I'm sure it bothers her to see you here with me. Girls tend to not showing that they're jealous but we really are quite often."
"Are you jealous too? Of Miss Elphaba I mean. Her going with Fiyero?"
Glinda glanced over to where her friends were dancing together.
"I...I don't really know. It was kind of my fault that they went together but...now that you say it..."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset!"
Glinda shook her head.
"You didn't, really, it's just- Fiyero has been so different lately, I don't quite recognise him anymore. Ever since Doctor Dillamond left, he's so...pensive."
She pulled a face.
"Huh, I never quite thought I would be describing Fiyero with a word like pensive."
In the very next moment, a loud gasp went through the crowd.
The music stopped and the students parted, enabling Glinda the sight on the one person she did not at all want to see standing there in this moment.
Madame Morrible.
"Who is responsible for this?!", she yelled, with a booming voice and almost steaming with anger.
It was dead silent in the hall and the students looked at each other with terror.
There would be consequences for this.
"I thought I has explicitly forbidden the celebration of the Lurlinemas Ball", Madame Morrible roared.
Glinda locked eyes with Elphaba.
The green girl had a determined expression on her face.
"This isn't a Lurlinemas Ball, Madame", she began, holding her breath when the headmistressed turned around and pierced her with a glare.
"Then. What. Is. It?! In the name of Oz, do not lie to my face!"
"I'm not, Madame. This is a Christmas Ball, not a Lurlinemas Celebration."
"And what exactly do you think, Elphaba Thropp, is a 'Christmas'?!"
Elphaba smiled ever so slightly before explaining, "Christmas is a winter celebration of the Otherworld. It is similar to Lurlinemas but it is, in fact, not the same thing. You can't punish us for celebrating Christmas."
Elphaba's backtalk was bold and one could feel the air in the room crackle with tension.
Madame Morrible seemed a tad confused, but she caught herself quickly.
"Fine, I will not punish the student body for celebrating Christmas, whatever the sense behind it might be.
But, and I will say this only once, I will punish the person who had the audacity to send me on a forged trip to Munchkinland. And am I right with the assumption that this particular person would be you, Miss Thropp?"
How had she even noticed that the trip wasn't real?
Had something gone wrong?
Elphaba couldn't think of a way to get out of this situation so she accepted her fate and nodded slowly.
"This will have consequences, Miss Thropp.
If you remember, I have told you very clearly that to reach such a high goal as meeting the Wizard of Oz himself, you would have to show exuberantly well behaviour. And this is something I consider, well, how to put it nicely, a deal-breaker.
You shall herbybe no longer permitted to study sorcery under my watch and therefore, your plans to meet the Wizard are cancelled."
The words felt like a slap in Elphaba's face.
She had worked so hard!
And now all her ambitions had be in vain!
How had she ever thought this little party would be better than getting to meet the Wizard?
How foolish of her!
Once again, all eyes rested on Elphaba, but this time they were amused, almost gloating.
How had she ever considered this more important than her long intended goal?
"Don't punish her, Madame Morrible. This was my idea. Entirely. Elphaba has had nothing to do with it."
Glinda.
"Miss Upland, how self-sacrificing. Do you, in all honesty, think I'd fall for this?"
"But it's true! I pressured Elphaba into luring you away so we could have this party. She is only trying to protect me from more trouble."
"So, if your little cover story is true, I'm sure you won't mind if I throw you off the sorcery tutorial instead then."
"If you choose this to be my punishment, I will accept it, on the condition that you keep Elphaba in the tutorial and let her meet the Wizard."
Elphaba's heart was beating horrendously fast.
Why was Glinda doing this?
"If you wish", Madame Morrible spat, contemptously chuckling.
"Elphaba will stay in the tutorial while your career in sorcery has ended here and now. You never had much talent for it anyways."
"Thank you, Madame."
"No need to thank me, Miss Thropp, thank your incredibly blonde roommate.
And make sure to clean up this hall at once if you want to keep your spot in the tutorial after all.To all of you, if this dining hall isn't spotless at midnight, everyone will be marked down for the semester, no matter what year or class you're in!"
With that, the headmistress exited the hall and left behind a cloud of glumness that laid itself over the students who slowly started putting away the decorations.
This hadn't exactly been how they imagined the evening of Lurlinemas to go down.