'Jane! Jane, wake up!' Marisa and Abby danced around Jane's bed several Saturday mornings later. 'Get up! It's the Noel Ball tonight!'

Jane sat up cross-legged in bed and yanked her four poster drapes open with a scowl. Her look of distaste only deepened into response to the elated faces of her dormmates peering in at her.

'Take your excitement,' she suggested, 'divide it by several hundred thousand, and you will have my level of enjoyment about this whole thing.'

'My excitement is closer to the billion mark, so yours will still come out quite respectably,' Abby beamed.

'For your makeup,' Marisa began, 'I was thinking something a bit smoky. Your eyes will look incredible. And for your hair, I was thinki-'

'I don't even want to go,' Jane cut her off, sliding back between the sheets and pulling the blankets over her head.

'Jane,' Marisa said patiently. 'Do you remember what you said after you won that bet on the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game?'

There was a barely audible grunt of affirmation from beneath the covers.

'She said she'd be happy for a month,' Abby answered for her. 'And it's only been two weeks. Jane, you won fifty galleons. You're supposed to still be happy about it!'

'It was a stupid gamble that paid off by a fluke,' Jane's face emerged from the bedclothes, still looking desperately unhappy.

'Have you decided what you're going to do with it?' Abby asked, testing if distraction would be a good tactic.

'Chuck it in my vault next time I'm at Gringott's,' Jane answered. 'Put it towards a new racing broom. Do you think it's too late to tell Jorge I'm sick?'

'Jane Rizzoli!' Marisa stood with her hands on her hips. 'You're supposed to be a fearless Beater. It's one night of your life.'

'One night of my life I'll spend the next hundred nights trying to suppress,' Jane threw off the covers and swung her legs out of bed, making for the bathroom.

'Where are you going?'

'To wash this crusty stuff out of my eyes. And then to Quidditch practice.'

'You don't seriously have Quidditch practice the morning of the Noel Ball?!' Marisa was horrified.

'Of course we do!' Jane looked at her as though she was mad. 'And even if we didn't, a few hours in the air sounds a hell of a lot better than sitting around waiting to put on a dress and pretend I know how to dance.'

There was silence as Jane exited the room, but Abby soon turned to Marisa, unperturbed. 'I think she's just scared she'll enjoy herself.'

'I think you're right,' Marisa gave a single nod in agreement.

At this moment, Maura was contentedly dozing, allowing herself a rare Saturday lie in. The Noel Ball continued until midnight, and she wanted to ensure she did not grow drowsy in the later hours. The only other girl in her dorm going to the Ball was Anna. She and Frost had both organised to be the date of an older student, so that they could attend together.

Around her she could hear the muted shuffling of the other girls starting to wake up. Runa she knew would be fast asleep for hours still, and maybe even struggle to make it to lunch on time. Illy was a very early riser, and probably up and dressed already. She could hear Moon purring on somebody's eiderdown, and the regular light scraping of crisp novel pages being turned from Cerys's bed. Maura nestled her head further into the pillow and thought with excitement about the two large boxes beneath her bed. In each of them was a brand new ball gown wrapped delicately in tissue paper, and she was aching to put hers on.

How she had managed to get Jane to stand still and quit slouching for longer than five minutes for the dress measurement appointment was already a mystery to her. Jane had stood there in a simple pair of jeans and an old oversized Gryffindor sweater, somehow still managing to look adorable despite her darkened features. It was when the witch requested Jane remove her sweater for more accurate measurements, and Jane had had to stand there in a wonderfully formfitting thermal undershirt that Maura had decided perhaps it wouldn't be so awful if this took longer than expected.

But they had got there: fabrics had been chosen, measurements taken, dress styles selected, and soon after the dress fitting and the exchange of galleons, Maura had received the gowns in the post. She had ventured out on her own to select shoes and accessories, since taking Jane shopping for clothes inevitably began to feel like dragging around a cranky toddler after an hour or so. She had felt oddly triumphant returning to Hogwarts with several shopping bags in each hand, and her Ball-related purchases went under the bed next to the gowns. She hadn't touched them since then, except for an occasional peek under the lids when she was alone in the dormitory. But finally, tonight she could pull the gown from its confines and show it off to the castle.

She still hadn't seen Jane in her ball gown. She had seen the gown, of course, but when it came to the actual dress fitting, the witch responsible for the sewing had separately whisked each of them away behind a curtain. It had crossed Maura's mind more than once that the witch might have tried to create a certain aura of mystery because she thought they were a couple, and the notion both thrilled and terrified her. It had also crossed her mind that she was simply projecting hidden desires onto the situation, but that wasn't something she was ready to admit.

Jane was late to lunch. Maura thought that Quidditch practice must have gone on longer than usual, but realised she was mistaken when she saw Rowan and some of the other team sitting down eating, already showered with hair that was almost dry.

Jane entered the Great Hall about fifteen minutes later, dragging her feet, still in full Quidditch kit. She slumped down in the seat next to Maura and began to tug off her gloves.

'Are you really this upset about going to the Ball?' Maura asked with dismay.

'No,' Jane replied, reaching for a portion of bacon and egg pie. 'Yes,' she corrected, picking off pieces of flaky pastry from the crust.

'Please come,' Maura spoke with a hint of desperation. 'Brock seems very winsome, but I'd rather not be alone with him the entire night.'

'I said I'd come,' Jane huffed. 'So I'm going to come. But I think it's going to suck, and I wish I hadn't said I'd go in the first place.'

She didn't tell Maura her chief motivation for not wanting to attend was not because of Jorge, or because of the dancing, or formal dress. Rather, it was because she didn't think she could stomach watching Maura and Brock dance all night, or catch Maura smiling up at him, and maybe even kiss him before the evening was over. But what possible rational reason could she give Maura for not wanting her to kiss someone? Her best friend was free to do whatever she liked, and the only thing left for Jane to do was sulk.

Maura let out a breath of relief. 'I don't think it will be as bad as you think, Jane. If it really is that awful, then you can fake a sudden illness, and I'll pretend to take you to the hospital wing. We'll leave if it's really that bad, okay?'

'Yeah,' Jane nodded, grinning internally at the thought of faking some acute period pain just as Maura and Brock were leaning in to share saliva. 'Thanks, Maur.'

'And eat quickly,' Maura advised. 'I have us booked in for relaxation massages in Hogsmeade at 2pm, and I'm sure the masseuse would appreciate it if you were showered before we get there.'

'Oh!' Jane said, surprised. 'I guess I could handle a massage. What's the time now?'

'Half past twelve,' Maura answered, consulting her wristwatch. 'Is Marisa still doing your hair for tonight?'

'Yeah, why?'

'Because if it wasn't so windy outside, I might have thought you'd flown into a tree. I'm sure Marisa won't be singing your praises if she's expected to make a masterpiece out of that mess.'

Jane patted her hair and winced at the number of knots she could feel. 'Okay,' she grabbed a brown paper bag for takeaway lunches and added two more pieces of pie. 'Come up to Gryffindor Tower with me. It's going to take at least twenty minutes to get rid of these tangles if I have to do it by myself.'

'Oh… okay,' Maura agreed as Jane gave her arm a quick tug. 'Are you sure there won't be any trouble?'

Jane gave an affectionate sigh. 'Maur, nobody's gonna snitch on you. There's probably not even anybody up there to snitch on you. We won't be there long, it's fine.'

Maura gave a quick smile in acquiescence. 'If you're sure.'

'Of course I'm sure,' Jane bent to collect her broom, and as she straightened flicked her hair as though she was in a Muggle shampoo commercial. 'Come and make me beautiful.'

'Nothing more to do to achieve that objective,' Maura thought, and followed her friend out of the Great Hall.

'Mmm,' Jane sighed with pleasure as the masseuse strategically ran a wand over her back and shoulders, gently coaxing her muscles to unknot and relax.

'You're carrying a lot of tension in your shoulders,' the witch murmured. 'I can feel the resistance through my wand. Do you have a lot of stress in your life?'

'Nope,' Jane spoke through the hole in the table.

'She plays a lot of Quidditch,' Maura called from the other side of the curtain. 'And she rarely talks about her feelings.'

'Ah,' the masseuse nodded knowingly. 'You know, if you bottle up your emotions, your shoulders will bear the burden.'

'Thanks, Maur,' Jane muttered, as the witch launched into variety of ways to improve self-expression.

'Jane, if you like, we could arrange for you to receive massage therapy regularly,' Maura's voice again floated through the curtain. 'Therapeutic massage, I mean, not merely for relaxation.'

'We have slots available on Wedn-'

'Far too busy,' Jane interjected. 'This one's plenty, thanks.'

'But you didn't even wait to hea-'

'Maura!' Jane whined. 'If you'd told me it would cost extra for a silent massage, I would have paid it ages ago.'

'Don't be rude,' Maura replied, her voice totally mellow as her own masseuse drew her steadily deeper into bliss.

Jane and Maura were headed back to Hogwarts, feeling wonderfully limber. Jane was preparing to spend the afternoon doing nothing, while Maura was torn between starting New Theory of Numerology, to supplement her latest composition for Arithmancy, or to finish off the final thirty pages of Numerology and Grammatica. As they strolled past the hairdressing salon opposite Honeydukes, they spotted Frost inside and waved. The second he saw them, he bolted from his seat and flew out of the door to meet them.

'Hey Jane, hey Maura,' he greeted enthusiastically.

'Hey, Frost,' Jane gave a quick chuckle at his somewhat frantic demeanour. 'Everything okay in there? I didn't think you had enough hair to warrant a cut.'

'Anna's having her hair and makeup done for tonight,' he answered, trying quite hard to keep his cool. 'It's been two hours. I don't know if we're even halfway through yet, and she wants to go to Madam Puddifoot's afterwards. Please rescue me.'

Jane and Maura peered in the window, and saw that Anna was indeed in the throes of hair and makeup preparation. Anna was shaking her head, and gesturing quite aggressively.

'She made the stylist start over twice already,' Frost winced. 'Tell me you have time for a butterbeer? My shout?'

'Frost, if you're buying, I've got time for three,' Jane threw an arm over his shoulder. 'What d'you say to some liquid refreshment, Maur?'

'I think I could be persuaded,' she smiled.

'Perfect,' Frost beamed. His day had clearly picked up tenfold. 'Let me just tell Anna.' He plastered a fake looking smile on his face as he retreated back to the salon door. 'Baby,' he called from the threshold, 'I'm just going for a drink with Jane and Maura. We'll be at The Three Broomsticks.'

Not waiting for a reply, he bounced back over to them. 'Let's go!'

'Are things… okay… with you and Anna?' Jane ventured tentatively.

'Yeah…' Frost said slowly, as they headed for Rosmerta's Inn. 'Yeah, she's just kinda… stressed out with all this Ball stuff I guess. There were some last minute issues with her dress, and then she decided that my tie was a slightly different shade of purple than her dress was. Then she went nuts because my tie and pocket square don't match.'

'They're not supposed to match,' Maura advised. 'A pocket square should complement your shirt and tie; matching is considered cheesy.'

'Brilliant!' Frost beamed. 'But how do you know that?'

'My father,' Maura answered. 'Though I'm sure there are some texts on men's fashion in the library. Anna might be interested in seeing them.'

'I'll make it my first stop when we get back to school. Provided I survive Madam Puddifoot's of course…'

'You won't catch me with a toe inside that door,' Jane vowed as they pushed their way into the crowded Inn.

'Thought you said I'd never catch you at a school ball, either,' Frost teased.

Maura grinned, and Jane scowled. 'Careful,' she warned him, 'or I might only have time for half a butterbeer.'

'On second thoughts, maybe I misheard you,' Frost adopted a serious expression.

'I think you're right,' Jane agreed with a satisfied smile. 'Three butterbeers, please!'

'You want me to put this on now?' Jane asked incredulously as Maura tried to hand her the large gown box, shoe box, and small bag of accessories.

'No, of course not!' Maura looked horrified. 'You haven't eaten yet; you'll cover the dress in crumbs!'

Jane opened her mouth in preparation to object, but then stopped and nodded. 'That is something I would do.'

'Eat, then shower, and th-'

'Again? I already showered this afternoon!'

Maura sighed. 'Yes, and then you got covered in massage oil, sat in a pub for over an hour, and walked through the woods.'

'But-'

'Shower,' she repeated firmly. 'Moisturise, then have your hair and makeup done. And then you can put on the dress. The Ball begins at eight. Brock and I will pick you up on the landing at twenty to, and we'll meet Jorge in the entrance hall at quarter to.'

'Yes ma'am,' Jane saluted her, accepting the pile of parcels. 'Do you want to synchronise my watch with yours?'

'You don't have a watch, Jane,' Maura gave an affectionate eye roll, turning to go.

'And what a pity it is!' Jane called after her before navigating her way into the passage behind the Fat Lady.

'I am so EXCITED!' Marisa exclaimed, bouncing around the dormitory.

'Yay,' Jane deadpanned, utterly devoid of enthusiasm. She sat in a chair, garbed in a fluffy bath robe. At Maura's insistence, she had taken another shower and covered her body in a moisturiser far too fragrant for her liking. Now Marisa was preparing makeup brushes and foundation and eye shadow while Abby stood close by, acting as the assistant.

Jane felt horribly self-conscious as other girls walked in and out of the dormitory, each of them staring at her for several seconds.

'Do you think if we put an entrance fee on the door, people would fuck off?' she muttered.

'Close your eyes so you won't see them,' Marisa advised. 'I'm going to do your eye shadow now, anyway. Light, please!'

'Lumos maxima,' Abby spoke, and held her lit wand up close to Jane's face.

'Are you done yet?' Jane asked after Marisa had been attacking her eyelids for almost ten minutes.

'Nearly,' the girl spoke, with her lips just inches from Jane's face. 'Just working on some detailing…'

'Abby, on a scale of one to Joey Grant, how stupid do I look?'

Abby just laughed. 'Jane, it actually looks really awesome. Don't worry.'

At seven o'clock, Rowan entered Jane's dormitory and promptly wolf-whistled. 'Jane Rizzoli, don't you scrub up nicely?'

Jane only shrugged. 'I haven't got a clue what I look like. But I assume it's better than usual. You're not looking too shabby yourself.'

'Don't sound so surprised, Baby Beater. I'm a hot piece of ass,' Rowan winked.

'And you are… done,' Marisa announced, having bobby pinned the last strand of Jane's hair into place.

'Come down to the common room when you're dressed,' Rowan offered. 'Ruddy's smuggled in some bubbles.'

'Sounds perfect,' Jane gave her first smile of the evening. 'See you in a bit.'

Within fifteen minutes the dress was on, ankle-strap heels were buckled, earrings dangled from her earlobes, and a bracelet she had never seen before hugged her left wrist.

'Jane, you look really good,' Marisa eyed her approvingly. 'This dress fits you like a glove; where'd you get it?'

'It was made for me,' Jane explained. 'Some witch in Hogsmeade.'

'I love the colour,' Abby added, admiring the midnight blue material that fell to the floor. 'It really suits you.'

'Give us a twirl!' Marisa encouraged, and Jane awkwardly shuffled around in a circle. 'Now, "thank you Marisa, thank you Abby".'

'Thanks guys,' Jane said sheepishly. 'I know I've bitched all day, but I appreciate it. Really.'

'You're welcome,' Marisa laughed. 'Now go and have some bubbly, and enjoy yourself tonight!'

When Jane entered the common room – very cautiously owing to her inexperience with heels – she quickly sighted her group of fellow Quidditch players standing around the fire with their dates.

Bek, who was onto her third glass of champagne in half an hour, saw her first and gave an ecstatic whoop. 'Jane's here!' she cheered.

Seven other heads whipped around to verify this, and broke into huge beams.

'Shit, Rizzoli,' Ruddy sounded impressed. 'Who knew you'd look so hot in a dress?'

'Rud!' Rowan swatted him on the arm.

'What? It's a compliment! She looks hot! Don't you think sh-'

'I heard there was booze?' Jane interrupted.

'You heard correct,' Ruddy nodded. 'There was booze. Bek has severely diminished our supply…'

'You told me to help myself!' Bek retorted defensively. 'There's a bit left in here; maybe half a glass?'

Jane took the proffered bottle and put it to her lips before anyone had the chance to offer her a flute. The team began cheering as the bottom of the bottle got closer to the ceiling.

'I didn't know you drank, Jane,' Belle said, half horrified, half impressed at the younger girl.

'Neither did I,' Jane told her, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, and placing the empty bottle down. 'Oh shit, makeup.'

'Here,' Rowan fished a tube of lip gloss from her cleavage and bee-lined for the Beater.

'Evanesco!' Ruddy swiftly vanished the evidence, before retrieving a hip flask from his dress robes. 'Now, can I interest anyone in a little liquid courage before we head down?'

'What's in it?' Belle asked.

'Blishen's firewhiskey, aged for no less than thirty-nine years,' he passed the flask to Andreas, who promptly put it to his lips.

The team laughed as he swallowed through a grimace, and passed the flask to his girlfriend, who was joining them in the common room from Hufflepuff. Everyone except Belle and Rowan accepted the flask, and Ruddy, who was Rowan's date for the evening, shot her a confused look.

'This is quality stuff, Captain,' he assured her. 'You sure you don't want any?'

'I'm sure,' she confirmed, then pulled her knee-length dress up her thigh several inches to reveal her own hip flask, held in place by a garter. 'I'm pacing myself.'

'I like the way you think,' Ruddy grinned, and offered her his arm. 'Shall we?'

The team filed out of the common room, and Jane had an involuntary pause in movement when she saw Maura waiting on the landing. Her friend was beautifully garbed in an off the shoulder turquoise dress that fell to her knee. Her calves looked incredible in silver sling back heels, her hair had been curled and charmed firmly into place, her makeup was utterly flawless, and the delighted smile she gave upon seeing Jane made the Gryffindor want to melt into a contented puddle.

'Jane, you look stunning,' Maura stepped forward, her smile not having diminished even a fraction. 'How are you finding the heels?'

Jane realised suddenly that her mouth had gone dry, at the same time beads of perspiration seemed to be leaking through the skin of her palms. Was this some kind of weird effect from the alcohol?

'They're… um,' she gave a cough, and then swallowed forcefully. 'They're alright. Still getting used to them.'

Maura nodded understandingly. 'They'll be second nature in no time, I swear. Jane, this is Brock,' she turned her head towards the boy leaning casually against the landing bannister. 'Brock, this is Jane.'

'Hi,' he grinned, pushing himself off the bannister and extending a hand. 'It's nice to meet you; Maura's told me a lot about you.'

'Has she?' Jane shot her friend a sideways glance as she shook Brock's hand. 'How wonderful.'

Jane hadn't even noticed Brock until Maura had alerted her to his presence. She didn't much like the idea of him, asking her best friend to the ball before he had even spoken two words to her, but she had to admit he looked pretty sharp. He wore dark blue dress robes and a tie that matched Maura's dress. His shoes looked better polished than most of the cups in the Trophy Room, and, Jane thought, looked more expensive than most of them, too.

'All good things, don't worry,' he gave an easy laugh, and offered an arm to each girl. 'Shall we go down? Jorge will be wondering where we've got to.'

Maura nodded happily, threading her arm through his. Jane took his other arm and did her best to conceal a hiccup as they began their descent to the ground floor. She swore she could still feel the firewhiskey burning the back of her throat.

'Jane,' Jorge greeted with his perpetual grin as the trio approached the lone Hufflepuff. 'What do you think?' he gestured to his outfit: maroon dress robes with a gold coloured bowtie. 'Gryffindor colours, just for you!'

'Sweet Mother of Merlin,' Jane whispered, her eyes immediately widening in horror.

'I even found buttons that have lions on them,' he looked down at his waistcoat before smiling at her, evidently very pleased with himself.

'I… um… that's…'

'That's very thoughtful of you, Jorge,' Maura said quickly. 'Don't you think, Jane?'

'Yes… Yes! Very thoughtful,' Jane agreed, nodding with a little too much exaggeration.

Jorge didn't seem to notice, and positively glowed at her praise. 'Would you like to go in?'

'Well, I'd hate to think I got all dressed up to stand in the Entrance Hall,' Jane detached herself from Brock and stood awkwardly next to Jorge.

'You're very funny,' he laughed, and put his hand on the small of her back to usher her forward. Jane jumped a little at the unexpected contact, and turned her head to glare at Maura.

Maura bit back a cringe-inspired laugh, and mouthed 'I'm sorry!' to her friend.

There was no time for Jane to reply, though, because in a moment they were at the doors of the Great Hall, and her jaw was dropping as she saw the interior. The Hall had been transformed.

Gone were the dining tables, gone were the hundreds of candles floating in the ceiling space. Instead, thousands of snowflakes floated down above them, and Christmas trees stood at regular intervals along the walls, dusted with snow and beautifully decorated with tinsel and baubles. The floor looked like a frozen lake, and miniature ice sculptures were spaced along the tables where beverages were being served. Over half the floor space was cordoned off for dancing, with the remaining space filled with tables and chairs for dancing breaks. The Weird Sisters were fine tuning instruments in a section of the dance floor, and for a brief moment, Jane forgot all about the boy beside her.

Maura and Brock entered behind them, and Jane heard Maura gasp.

'It's beautiful,' she breathed.

Jane gave a nod in agreement as they went to secure a table. 'I've definitely seen worse.'

Brock, ever the gentleman, pulled a chair out for Maura. 'Can I get you some punch, or butterbeer?'

'Punch, please,' she smiled.

Jorge got up to join Brock, and looked questioningly at Jane.

'Surprise me,' she shrugged, waving him off. 'Maura!' she whined the second the boys were out of earshot. 'Help!'

'I'm sorry!' she said again, biting her lip. 'I had no idea Jorge was so… I can't even think of the word.'

'It's because there is no word!'

'Effusive, perhaps? Brock seems like he would keep more insouciant company, I'll admit.'

'I have no idea what that means. But you have to fix it!'

'I'll do my best,' she nodded, looking around. But Brock and Jorge were already returning with drinks.

The boys joined them at the table and distributed the beverages. 'Here's to two beautiful ladies,' Brock raised his glass slightly.

'And to two fine gentlemen,' Maura added, clinking her glass against Brock's, and waiting to do the same with Jorge's.

Jane bit back the urge to mime a vomit as she touched glasses with her date. This was going to be the longest night in history.

Soon, over the hubbub of voices came Headmaster Cavanaugh's greeting. 'Welcome, one and all, to the annual Noel Ball,' his magically enhanced voice boomed. 'As usual, I am very impressed with the standard of dress this evening, and I am sure your behaviour tonight will be equally befitting to the occasion. I am delighted to announce the return of the Weird Sisters…'

This announcement was met with raucous applause, and Orsino Thruston gave a quick elated beat on his drum kit. The Headmaster had to wait until it had died down to continue. '…who have been providing us with music for our Noel Balls since… how long has it been now, Myron?'

Myron Wagtail, the band's lead singer shouted back, 'Since 1990!'

Band bagpiper Gideon Crumb gave a happy tune on his instrument and was quickly met with more applause.

'Without further ado,' Cavanaugh realised there was no point in prolonging his speech, 'would the Head Boy and Girl please make their way to the dance floor to commence the event.'

The Weird Sisters began what they evidently deemed to be a classical number as Susie Chang and a boy Jane didn't know the name of came together in the middle of the floor. Susie wore a pink taffeta dress and the Head Boy wore plum coloured dress robes over a standard black suit. For the better part of a minute he twirled her around with ease, and Jane shifted uncomfortably at how simple they made the dancing look.

'Don't worry,' Maura whispered to her. They've been having dance lessons for weeks, since they have to open the Ball. It looks good for the reporters. See?' she indicated a group of unfamiliar witches and wizards who were snapping photographs and interviewing Headmaster Cavanaugh. 'I think they're from the Prophet. Most of the students here probably have no idea how to dance like that.'

The spinning pink taffeta and plum velvet broke apart from one another then, and the partners they had brought joined them on the dance floor. Maura gave a giggle, and was not the only one, as the dancing finesse suddenly plummeted. The Head Boy managed to spin his date around a few times, but the impressive footwork he and Susie had just shown off was now absent. Poor Susie now stood with her arms draped over her partner's shoulders as he rocked them side to side on the spot.

'Prefects!' Cavanaugh bellowed.

'That's us,' Brock offered Maura his hand, and led them onto the dance floor, where they quickly fell into a very formal looking position and moved gracefully around the perimeter of the circle.

Jane watched as Bek, who was very giggly, tugged her date, a very tall, toned Gryffindor seventh year, onto the floor and immediately began twirling herself under his outstretched arm. Andreas and his Hufflepuff girlfriend joined the mix, and Joren, who had asked fourth year Belle to the Ball so that she wasn't the only Gryffindor Quidditch player missing, grinned as the Seeker gave him a shy smile.

The call for 'Quidditch Captains!' was soon heard and Jane laughed loudly as Ruddy simply scooped Rowan up bridal-style and began swaying to and fro with her in the centre of the floor.

'Everybody!' Cavanaugh shouted, before turning back to the reporter.

Jane was soon simultaneously delighted and dismayed to find that between her and Jorge, there were four left feet. It made her feel less self-conscious about her own dancing, but made her infinitely more self-conscious about them as a couple. What if people thought they were dating? What if people thought she had a crush on him?

Brock and Maura practically floated past them as Jane looked up at the ceiling, praying it was all a dream, and Jorge stared resolutely at his feet, muttering 'one, two, three, four,' under his breath continuously. Luckily, the floor was not set up to accommodate every single couple at once, and they weren't granted a lot of space to move with the opening number. As the song drew to a close, Jorge suggested they take a seat, and Jane hastily agreed.

They sat the next two numbers out as well. Jane gave up waiting for Maura to take a break, and realised she was actually going to have to talk to Jorge.

'So, Jane,' he asked conversationally as she took a sip of butterbeer. 'Would you like to be a mother one day?'

Jane involuntarily inhaled some of the liquid out of shock, and spent the next minute trying to regain normal lung function. 'I'm just going to visit the bathroom…' she quickly took her leave, wondering quite seriously if she had it in her to come back again.

The bathroom was full of girls fixing their makeup and gossiping, hogging every inch of mirror space. Jane was delighted to find Rowan and Bek leaning casually against a wall, taking swigs from her flask.

'I can't decide if I want to drink all this myself, or spike the punch,' Rowan wondered out loud.

'You do enough for the school community through Quidditch,' Bek advised her. 'Just drink it yourself.'

'You've got to help me,' Jane approached them with a miserable expression. 'Jorge just asked me if I wanted kids.'

'Oh, Jesus,' Rowan made a face. 'Where did you find that guy?'

'I didn't. He found me. Can you either help me get out of here without him seeing, or get him off my back?'

'He's your date, Jane!' Bek exclaimed. 'You can't just abandon him!' she turned back to Rowan, and had to grab onto her friend as the room titled slightly off its axis. 'Do you think it would be rude if I just made out with Cam on the dance floor? Just like, grabbed his face and macked on him?'

'Honey, believe me when I tell you he wants it just as much as you do. And you've had more than enough of this,' she held the flask out of reach as Bek made a grab for it. 'Jane, I can get him to back off if you like, but I can't promise you'll like how I do it.'

'I don't care how you do it,' Jane crossed her arms resolutely. 'I just refuse to go back out there until the creepy Hufflepuff stops picturing me in a wedding dress.'

'Okay,' she shrugged, sliding the flask back beneath her garter, and disappearing out the door.

A half hour later, Jane was sat at a table with the Quidditch crew, happier than she'd been all evening. Jorge had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but a note written on the back of a napkin.

Dear Jane,

No hard feelings, I understand completely.
Enjoy your evening, and I hope you get your special dance.

-Jorge.

'My special dance?' she had frowned.

'Don't worry about it,' Rowan crumpled the napkin. 'I'll tell you about it tomorrow.'

Maura and Brock had finally stopped for some rehydration, and joined the group of Gryffindors at the table, panting slightly.

'You were pretty great out there,' he complimented Maura, and put an arm around her shoulders.

Maura gave a smile, and Jane swore she leaned into him a little. 'Thank you. Would you be kind enough to get me some more punch?'

'Of course,' he immediately stood.

The moment he left, Maura urgently leaned towards Jane. 'Where's Jorge?' she whispered quickly.

'Haven't got a clue,' Jane reclined in her chair with a smile. 'Don't want to have a clue, either. He's gone, and my evening is only improving.'

'But what did you say to him?'

'I didn't say anything. More to the point is what he said to me.'

Maura looked at her quizzically.

'He asked how many babies I wanted, Maur!'

She covered her mouth, eyes widening. 'Oh, Jane, I'm so terribly sorry.'

The last few beats of the song were banged out on the drums, and Myron spoke into the microphone. 'Okay, all you witches and wiz-kids. I know you've all been waiting for Do the Hippogriff, but before you get your groove on, we've got a waltz for you. And it is… ladies' choice, so girls, pick a partner and I'll see you on the D Floor!'

Jane watched her Muggle Studies professor get dragged out of his seat, and Professor Molette kissed a handsome man on the lips before they made their way over. Jane expected Maura to ask Brock for another dance, and wished silently that she could be the one to request a waltz from the brilliant girl in turquoise. Professor Longbottom was looking very nervous as Professor Callahan approached him, but a girl Jane had never seen before caught her attention when she asked Brock if he would be her partner for the number.

Brock turned to ask Maura's permission and she gave it gladly, happy to sit the number out and chat with Jane. But then Rowan was standing in front of the Ravenclaw.

'Maura Isles, may I have this dance?' she asked, sounding far too serious to be joking.

Jane balked as Maura stood up with a smile. 'Certainly,' she took Rowan's hand.

'Psst, Rizzoli,' Ruddy hissed at her from across the table. 'Ask your favourite Keeper for a dance.'

'Seriously?' Jane surveyed him sceptically.

'Yes, seriously,' he puffed up his chest. 'I'm pretty awesome at waltzing.'

'Well, alright,' Jane shrugged and stood up and waited for him to join her.

'That was the single worst dance invitation I have ever received.'

'How come Rowan didn't ask you?'

'I told her I wanted to wait for Selene. But alas, you beat her to it. Forgive the pun.'

'Hilarious,' Jane rolled her eyes, and they joined the other couples on the dance floor.

'Are you ready?' Myron asked. 'Off we go!'

The music rose up quickly, and the couples moved off, trying to quickly find their rhythm. Ruddy hadn't been lying: he was very good at waltz, and Jane ended up just trying to walk after him in a way that fitted in with the subtle rising and falling of his movements. Maura and Rowan were also having a good time. Maura was leading, and Rowan had evidently had enough waltz practice to not have to focus on her feet. The two managed to have a conversation as they manoeuvred their way around the other dancers.

Emboldened by the liquor, Rowan resolved to risk overstepping her bounds. 'Maura,' she spoke in a slightly more serious tone. 'I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. I think you've got the hots for my Beater, and if Jane knew that, she would wrap herself around you and never let go.'

Maura could only stare at her with wide eyes as they continued dancing, a fawn caught in a lumos spell. 'The next time we go past Jane and Ruddy, I'm going to start dancing with him,' Rowan continued. 'Which leaves you with Jane. Act nonchalant, and hold that girl as close as you can. Okay?'

Maura nodded quickly, unblinking, and still unspeaking, shocked at Rowan's bluntness and accuracy. There was only half the floor to go until they got to Jane and Rowan abandoned her.

She saw Ruddy catch Rowan's eye and give her a subtle nod. They had planned this whole thing!

'Sorry, Rizzoli,' Ruddy apologised, stepping back. 'But I want to get my waltz on with somebody who knows how to move. And, how convenient, here comes the Captain herself.'

Jane frowned. 'But, Rowan's dancing with Mau-'

'Hey Jane,' Maura stammered, freshly detached from Rowan. 'I think I've just been abandoned. Do you want to dance?'

'Nah, Maur, let's go sit down,' Jane turned to go, deflated. 'I don't even know how to waltz.'

'I'll teach you!' Maura said quickly, reaching for Jane's arms. 'We'll do the box step, there are only six moves!'

Jane said nothing, but made no further move to leave, which Maura took as acquiescence. 'Okay,' Maura said breathlessly. 'I'll lead.' She stepped closer to Jane, close enough so that Jane was breathing in a wonderful mix of her perfume and conditioner. Her heart doubled its speed as Maura placed a hand beneath Jane's shoulder blade, and held her other hand out to the side.

Jane looked at her friend, three parts thrilled and two parts terrified. Her heart was about to thud out of her chest. 'I put my hand… here?' Jane sought confirmation, her hand hovering, shaking, mere millimetres from Maura's outstretched, upturned palm.

'That's right,' Maura nodded. 'And rest the other hand on my shoulder. That's perfect.' She gave her friend's hand a squeeze. 'It's okay, Jane,' she reassured. 'Don't be scared; it's just a waltz.'

'Half a waltz,' Jane joked weakly, marvelling at how perfectly they fit together, at how comfortable her hand felt resting in Maura's. 'What do I do with my feet?'

'Right foot back,' Maura instructed calmly, and as Jane stepped back, she looked down to see Maura's left foot going forward, as though attached to her own. 'Left foot out to the side. Don't look at the ground, Jane, look over my shoulder.'

Jane did as she was told, waiting for Maura's next instruction. 'Right foot next to the other one, so we're back how we started. Good! Now, we're going to do the reverse. Left foot forward, right foot out to the side, and feet together.'

'Okay,' Jane frowned in concentration, fighting the urge to look at her feet. 'What next?'

'We start all over again; that's the whole thing. You hear the music? One two three, one two three. Right foot back!'

Jane soon got the hang of it, and it hit her suddenly: she was dancing! With Maura! And it felt incredible! Maura had instructed her to look over her shoulder, but Jane found herself pulling back a little so she could gaze at Maura's face and give a giddy grin. Maura smiled back at Jane, every bit as happy. And even nervous as she was, Jane couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from her dance partner. Even without makeup, Maura's eyes were indescribable, and now Jane was truly at a loss for words.

When the waltz ended, she wasn't terribly surprised to find disappointment pooling in her stomach. At this moment, she wanted the Weird Sisters to play a hundred slow dances in a row so that she wouldn't have to let go of Maura's hand all evening.