Only a week had gone by and Riley was already fed up with the Triwizard tournament. All anyone could talk about was how to trick the goblet or gossip on who was going to put their name in to win. Her older twin brother would whisper to each other none stop for weeks, keeping to themselves. They hadn't pranked anyone since the tournament was announced and Riley was starting to miss it, although she would never admit it.
The only thing that Riley did not mind was the other two schools that came to visit to also participate in the school tournament: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute. Surprisingly enough to herself, Riley had become friendly with a few witches from Beauxbatons. She liked the fact that they treated her just like any other girl, unlike the other Gryffindors who treated her like any other guy. Durmstrang didn't bother Riley due to the attractive guys that were a part of that school. Riley would giggle with the other girls as the boys would pass by. Some would even check her out which was a huge boost to her confidence.
Yet here she was, sitting on one side of the classroom with the Gryffindor girls from year four and up, facing the boys with Professor McGonagall in the middle. Riley was not listening, she really could not care less about what was expected from them. That was until McGonagall called Ron to dance with her in front of them all. Riley made eye contact with her older twins who were exaggeratingly swaying to the music, and she fought hard to not burst out into laughter. Fred winked at her and she could not hold it anymore. She let out a loud laugh which caused Ron to turn the color of her hair and Harry to laugh with her.
"Enough!" McGonagall scowled. "Now, it is your turn. Everybody stand up and choose a partner."
All the girls stood up at the same time and waited for the boys who looked like they didn't want to be there. All except Neville who hesitated a bit before standing and walking across the room. Riley smiled widely as she saw Neville make his way towards her direction but her view of the cute Gryffindor was blocked by a tall ginger.
'George!' she thought angrily.
"May I have this dance, madam?" he teased in a fake, very posh accent.
Riley rolled her eyes and began to tease him, "It must be so devastating for you that even your own sister won't dance with you. How pathetic!"
George gasped and clutched his chest but Riley ignored his dramatics as she looked around the room looking for the only person she wanted to dance with. She saw him standing alone and got a glimpse of hope until she realized George Weasley ruined her only chance. He found someone else to dance with Alicia Spinnet, who was not only older than Riley but more beautiful than she could ever hope for. She just stood there watching them until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, pretty little lady! Let's boogie." The voice said in what could have been described as the worst American accent in the whole universe. Riley spun around and came face to face with her older brother's best friend, Lee. Riley's face lit up and took his hand, "Why, sir. What will my family say?"
Riley's mood quickly changed for the better as Lee and she spent the rest of the class trying to trip each other up but there was still a slight sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach every time she saw Neville and Alicia.
"I don't understand why you don't just ask someone to the dance." Riley whispered. She did not want to get in trouble with Snape but she couldn't concentrate on her work with Ron and Harry being complete idiots. "It's not like it's hard."
Both boys looked at her as if she was crazy. "Harry James Potter! You are the boy who lived! If you cannot get a girl, my poor brother here stands no chance."
"Miss. Weasley!" Snape's monotone and obnoxious voice filled the air. She sent him an apologetic smile and continued her homework.
Ron glared at her, "At least we aren't alone. Neville can't get a date either."
"Actually," Hermione scowled with disappointment in her voice. "Neville got a date to the ball."
Half of the quartet froze in shock but for different reasons. Ron froze because he felt pathetic. How could Neville Longbottom show him up. There was no way he got a date before he even got the nerve to ask a girl. Riley froze due to the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach returning. She felt like she could not breathe and felt her eyes beginning to water. She abruptly stood and handed her work to professor Snape before rushing out of the great hall. She left so fast she did not notice the Slithering that went after her. Riley made it to the lake before grabbing a rock and throwing it into the lake as hard as she could.
"Little Weasley sure does have some anger issues." Draco Malfoy taunted. "I thought your blood traitor parents taught you all about peace and love."
Riley ignore him as she grabbed another rock and threw it at the lake, this time make it skip. "Ignoring me, Weasley?" Draco demanded for an answer. He demanded for her to say anything to him, even just a simple 'leave me alone'. "You left that great hall pretty quickly yet no one else followed you out. You should be grateful that I took time to check on you."
Riley scoffed and turned around. There were already tears down her face yet she did not have a sad expression on her face. It was angry and annoyed. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she challenged. "Are you expecting me to actually talk to a twat like you? Do you really expect me to pour my heart out to you as if you were my friend? What do you want me to say? T-That I don't have a date to the ball! That my best friend is going to the ball with such a handsome, gifted quidditch player, the guy I've had a crush on since Merlin knows when has a date and yet here I am. Waiting for this guy to ask me out when I lost my chance. He never will!"
"Go to the ball with me." Malfoy replied without missing a beat.
Riley looked appalled, "Excuse me?"
"Be my date to the ball. Just because your parents and brothers are a load of traitors, doesn't mean you have to be too. You can join me and we can be a proud purebloods. You belong next to me. You belong next to a pureblood. You deserve the best things in life and you'll never get them hanging out with Potter and Granger. They will only bring you down."
"I rather be the only girl who doesn't go to the ball than go with you." She spat and started walking to the castle. She stopped for a second, wiped the tears from her face and spoke again. "I rather die!"
She continued walking towards the castle making it her mission to finally get a date. With help from her new friends at Beauxbatons, she was asked by a handsome boy from Durmstrang who was old enough to enter his name in the tournament, to the dismay of her brother. They definitely did not approve and Riley definitely wished it was a certain shy, Gryffindor boy who asked her instead but she was not going to let him ruin her first date.