Winter had come to England, on the outside it snowed like crazy and it was freezing cold in the castle. In September, Chara and Ted had started their last year at Hogwarts. To their delight, they had both been appointed Head students, which meant they shared a separate common room with adjoining bedrooms. This led to them spending even more time together than they already did. Ted didn't find it quite so easy, because he kept catching himself thinking about kissing Chara. Especially when she leaned against him to study or doze. That's why he tried to distract himself and invited James, who had started this year, or Victoire. He knew that the Weasley had a crush on him and he tried to warm up to her but subconsciously he always compared her to Chara. In few days the Christmas holidays would start and like every year there was a ball on the last evening. It was afternoon, Chara had finished her last lesson and was in the library to study. She tried to reach a book in the upper shelves and was standing on her tiptoes for this. She couldn't quite reach the book. She stuck out her tongue and stretched a little more when an arm came up beside her and took the book off the shelf for her. "Someday you'll bite your tongue off", Ted joked and handed her the book. "Not everybody can be a giant like you", Chara replied and stuck out her tongue at Ted. Ted just rolled his eyes, since he was taller than her Chara sometimes called him like that. "What do you want here anyway?" Chara asked and went with the book under her arm to her table. "I wanted to talk with you." "Oh what about?" Chara wanted to know, sat down and looked up at Ted. He sighed and sat across from her on the bench. "About the ball", Ted answered. Chara blinked confused, since they were allowed to go the ball they had always been together. "What about it?" Chara wanted to know and opened her book. "Well Victoire asked me if I would accompany her and I said yes." "Oh." Chara hadn't expected that, she had been invited by boys herself, but had always turned them down to go with Ted. "If it bothers you I can still cancel her," Ted said and looked at Chara. Quickly she shook her head. "Why should it bother me it's not like we're a couple or so", she said and even though her words were true it still stung in her chest. "I should go", she said and collected her things. "Chara", Ted started but she interrupted him right away. "It's fine Ted. Just go with Victoire." She threw her bag over her shoulder and left the library. "Scar!" Ted called after her but she didn't react to it. Sighing Ted buried his head in his hands. "Teddy are you alright?" he heard a voice asking. He looked up and saw James standing in front of him. "Everything's fine", he assured James. "You don't look like it", said James and sat down with Ted. "Did you have a fight with Chara?" Ted smiled sadly and shook his head. "We didn't have a fight, I just told her that I'll go to the ball with Victoire and that must've hurt her." James tilted his head and looked at Ted. "You like her don't you?" "Who are you talking about now?" Ted wanted to know. "Chara of course", James said grinning, You like her like Dad likes Mom don't you?" Sometimes James was cleverer than what was good for him. Ted sighed. "Maybe", mumbled Ted. "And why aren't you going to the ball with her that would be the perfect opportunity to tell her." Ted laughed and stood up. "It's not so easy", he said and brushed through James' hair before he left the library. James looked confused after him he didn't understand what should be so hard about this.
After Chara had left the library she went through the castle. Tears streamed across her face. She didn't knew why but it hurt her that Ted wanted to go to the ball with Victoire. She walked until she reached the Gryffindor common room, told the fat lady the password and went up the stairs to the dorm of the other seven-year girls. Without knocking she entered and threw herself on one of the beds. "Chara are you alright?" Eliot asked, who was sitting at one of the desk and looked at her classmate. Chara only shook her head, took a pillow and pressed it against her chest. "What happened?" Emily wanted to know. She sat on the bed beside the one who Chara had thrown herself onto. "Ted", she sobbed. Elliot and Emily exchanged worried glances they both knew how close Chara and Ted were and Chara had never cried because of him. "What happened, did something happen to him?" Elliot asked and sat beside Chara on the bed. Chara shook her head again. "What's wrong then?" The two girls were now really worried about their friend. Chara sat up and whipped the tears from her face. "He's going to the ball with Victoire Weasley", she sighed. "And what's so bad about this?" Emily asked confused. Chara shook her head. "I don't know, but it hurts me." Emily and Elliot exchanged a glance and started grinning. "Why because he's going with Victoire or because he's going with someone else than you?" "We always went there together I didn't think this would change now", Chara said with a shrug. Emily sighed how blind could you be. "Chara", she said and took Chara's hand. "Maybe you're jealous?" "Why should I be jealous?" Chara said confused. "Well because you feel more than friendship forwards Ted", said Elliot. Chara's eyes widened. When she thought about it, something had changed between them since the summer, but she hadn't been able to grasp it until now. With a groan Chara dropped backwards on the bed and put her face in her hands. "This can't be true", she mumbled. Elliot and Emily started to laugh. Chara peeked through her fingers. "What's so funny?" she wanted to know. "Sorry but it was so obvious. Everyone except you two saw it I think some even had a bet going," Elliot chortled. "That's not fun Elliot, what I'm I supposed to do now?" Chara said desperately. "Well you could with him about it", Emily suggested. Chara sighed. "That want work. What if he doesn't feel the same? Then I just lose him as friend and I don't want that." She was close to crying again. "Then you avoid him for a while. I'm sure it will settle down."
Chara took the suggestion of her friend to heart and had avoided Ted. It wasn't nice for her, because she missed him but she had to do it so she didn't endanger their friendship. On the evening of the ball Ted stood in front of the great hall and waited for Victoire. He hadn't seen Chara the whole day and he was asking himself why she avoided him. "Teddy are you alright?" Ted shook his head he hadn't realized that Victoire had shown up. "I was lost in thoughts sorry", said Ted. "You look great by the way." Victoire smiled and blushed about his compliment. It was true the golden dress really suited her. Ted offered her his arm and together they entered the hall. Other students had already gathered and were celebrating exuberantly. While Ted was dancing with Victoire he looked over the crowd and looked for Chara. When he saw her his heart skipped a beat. She wore a silver dress which reached her knees and made her eyes shine. Her hair was slightly pinned up and only a few curls fell to her shoulders. She looked lovely. Ted tore his eyes from her and took a deep breath. He couldn't feel that way about her that would destroy everything. Chara had spotted Ted right away in the crowd what wasn't hard with his turquoise hair. He looked good in his suit and she would have liked to ask him for at least one dance but she didn't knew were she would stand afterwards and just let it be. Throughout the evening, Ted gave Chara furtive glances, of which she was fortunately unaware. He was glad to see that she enjoyed herself even though he would have liked to punch the boys who danced with her. "Why don't to go to her?" he heard Victoire's voice beside him as he was looking at Chara once more. "Excuse me?" he asked and looked down at the blond one. "I see that you're looking at her the whole evening", she said and smiled sadly. Ted smiled sadly back at her and offered her his hand. "Let's dance", he said and pulled her to the dance floor.
Even after the Christmas holidays, the situation did not ease. Chara hadn't even said goodbye to Ted before the holidays and kept avoiding him after her return to Hogwarts. He didn't understand what had changed that she avoided him and he started to get desperate and his determination lessened from day to day. He wanted her back in his life but he didn't know what to do and it drove him crazy. One morning he stood in front the mirror in the bath they both shared. When he looked at himself in it, he was quite stunned, because his hair only had a few turquoise highlights, otherwise it was brown. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes he focused on completely dyeing his hair again. But when he opened his eyes again nothing had changed. "Damn!" he shouted and hit the mirror, breaking it. Chara, who was sitting in the common room, heard something shatter and jumped up. A moment later Ted rushed past her. She stood up and went into the bath where she found the broken mirror. "Oh Ted", she sighed and picked on of the jars up. Something had to bother him and she didn't know how she could help him. A silent tear flowed down her cheek.