The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up, they were the most stunning yet to be seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armour had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armour, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.
Skylar had been studying for Snape's potions test in the library when Draco joined her. Over the last month, he'd joined her rather often, much to her own amusement. This time however he seemed more different than usual. He sat down with a pink tint to his cheeks before she even opened her mouth. He didn't greet her but pulled all his books out and knuckled down on the same revision as her. She watched him, waiting, as he usually made some sort of comment, whether it was about Harry, Ron or her. It never came and so she cleared her throat and made him look up.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He looked away again.
She waited this time and he felt the stare before looking up.
"You didn't even insult me or my friends when you sat down. In fact, you barely even looked at me."
"So."
"So, don't make me force you to tell me." She warned.
He scoffed and she raised an eyebrow. Skylar raised her elbow to the table to prop her chin onto. "Draco, speak."
He was still for a moment before, "Will you go to the ball with me?"
He moved, blinking and his cheeks went redder. Skylar was still for a moment, wondering how exactly she felt about this…
Draco got mad rather quickly then and he stood to his feet.
"Sorry," she said quickly. "But you probably wouldn't have said anything for hours if I hadn't intervened." She added as he looked at her furiously. Honestly, it was a look usually given to Harry after he got away with something Draco tried to get him in trouble for. "And I'm afraid I have to make it worse by declining." She muttered nervously.
Draco's expression changed, to annoyance and curiosity from anger and humiliation. He didn't ask why, but she knew he wanted to know.
"Someone asked me already." She confessed. "And I said I'd go."
He scoffed now and looked at her. "Potter asked you, didn't he?" Skylar was silent for a moment, she hadn't actually considered that she could go with Harry, even with him fretting over finding a partner… maybe because Stephen asked her so soon.
"No, actually, he didn't." She said,
"Then it was that Ravenclaw."
She was a bit annoyed now. "You know, actually quite a few people asked me, even people I don't know the names of, as if you left it till the last week." She snapped. "What, did you think I'd just be waiting for you specifically?"
Draco was silent but his expression had returned to his usual sneer.
"And what does it matter if someone asked me, and what does it matter who it is?" She demanded. "When are you going to realise that I am not your puppet! Nor your property. What I do does not concern you and you have no right to belittle whoever I decide to go with!" Skylar stood up and began to collect her things. "You should ask Pansy, after all, she is willing to wait for you. And she is brainless enough to be a puppet." She grabbed her bag and with a glare at the boy, she left the table and the library.
She grumbled on her way through the corridors before she turned a corner and stopped. A grin spread over her face, being completely distracted from Draco, as she saw the familiar bushy-brown hair ahead of her. What was interesting however was that she was facing Viktor Krum. Skylar waited as Krum lifted Hermione's hand and kissed the back of it before he moved off. Skylar moved to stand beside the girl and they stood there until Hermione jumped, realising Skylar was beside her.
"So… Krum?" The auburn-haired girl grinned.
Hermione blushed and avoided Skylar's gaze.
"Did he just ask you to the ball, Hermione?" Skylar asked simply.
Hermione was quiet before she smiled. "Yes."
"What happened to him not being good looking, and only being famous?"
Hermione hesitated. "I… may have misjudged him." She muttered.
Skylar beamed. "Hermione is going to the dance with Viktor Krum!" Her voice rose as she got excited.
Hermione however shushed her, looking around worried that someone heard. "You know what the fangirls are like, you want them flocking me!" She demanded.
Skylar paused. "Very good point. They'll eat you alive." She thought for a moment. "Probably shouldn't tell Ron either…"
"I don't think he'd take it well." Hermione agreed.
"Especially as he adores Krum." Skylar mumbled. "He'll be super jealous you were asked and not him."
Hermione looked at Skylar for a moment before she started giggling. Skylar however glanced at her hands as she fiddled with them for a moment.
"And if we're confessing who asked us to the dance…" she mumbled.
"I already know Stephen asked you Sky, I was there." Hermione said, confused.
"But you don't know who just asked me." She said,
Hermione waited patiently.
"Draco."
Hermione looked conflicted, it wasn't that surprising, but at the same time, it was horrifying. Hermione thought for a moment. "If you weren't already going with someone, would you have said yes?" She asked.
"Doubtful. I'm not his toy and he seems to think I am, accepting to go would not benefit me and would increase his ego." Skylar confessed.
"Suppose it's not that surprising then." Hermione nodded. "Though, probably best—"
"— to not tell the boys." Skylar agreed. "Ever."
The two nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of, they still don't have dates, do they?" Hermione said.
"Nope. Ron it seems never will because he cares about looks too much and Harry is so hung up on Cho and asking her that he's too scared of the rejection." Skylar said as they moved down the hallway.
"They're such boys. Even Malfoy managed to man up enough."
Skylar bit her lip guiltily, "Well," Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. "He was going to ask, and he did want to, but he, technically, couldn't get the words out… by himself…"
Hermione stopped. "You forced him to speak?"
"We would have been there for hours if not. Besides, he should have better control of his Occlumency."
"Sky!" Hermione scolded.
"What? He's Draco, he'd have never spoken!" Skylar exasperated.
Hermione still gave her a disapproving look but didn't respond for a moment. "I suppose it is Draco. Think he'll be nasty to you in Potions?"
Skylar's expression dropped. "Drat, I forgot about that." She groaned.
While Skylar worried about her last potions lesson likely to take a turn for the worst, given they also had a test, Harry and Ron still didn't have partners to the dance. Harry was trying to build the courage to ask Cho, and was failing in doing so, while Ron was eyeing many people he passed on Friday.
Being they had a test, Draco couldn't shout at her, but he knew another way to annoy a legilimens when she was trying to concentrate. As Draco was Snape's favourite student, he could get away with many things, and mentally shouting random things, wrong answers, to annoy Skylar throughout the period as she tried to do the test, was one of them. She ignored him best she could and completed her test before the bell rang. Harry, it seemed, was daring to ask Cho and he grabbed his bag and hurried out of the classroom with a quick "I'll meet you at dinner" to Skylar, Ron and Hermione.
Skylar and Hermione proceeded up the stairs and into the Great Hall for dinner while Ron fell behind. Skylar felt a pit in her stomach as the two ate, she stopped eating as the feeling made her queasy, she might have to go see Madam Pomfrey before the dance if it didn't lighten up.
Neither boy showed up.
"What are they doing?" Hermione asked, looking at the open doors to the Hall.
"Well, Ron needs a date so maybe he's chasing one, and Harry went to ask Cho, maybe that didn't go well?" Skylar offered, she frowned. "Or he can't get her away from her friends?" Cho was always surrounded by four or five of her friends, regardless of where she went. "You know, I might go make sure he's alright." Skylar muttered thinking. Knowing Harry he could be following them forever. The queasiness was still there.
"He needs to do it himself, Sky."
"And if he was turned down?" She muttered. Hermione sighed and didn't argue as Skylar left the Great Hall and headed upwards.
She moved through the halls before she spotted the messy black hair ahead of her and hurried forwards.
"Harry!" He paused and turned to her and she came to a stop. "I was kinda worried, did you manage to get Cho alone?"
"She's going with Diggory." He said dully.
Skylar paused before she lowered her head. "Oh." A part of her felt rather enlightened and she hated it. "Sorry." She mumbled.
"Hey Sky," Harry said. "Are you going with someone?"
Skylar blinked in surprise at him, "Was that an invite?" She muttered.
Harry brushed the back of his head with a shrug. She frowned and he glanced at her to notice it. "Sorry, someone asked me, and I did actually say yes rather than turn them all away."
Harry nodded with a sigh.
"I would have gone with you if you'd asked me beforehand though." She said and she hooked her arm through his as they moved down the corridor.
"Fred was right, gotta hurry." He muttered.
"Well, why didn't you ask me sooner?" She wondered.
Harry was silent. The truth was, he was so hooked on Cho he forgot that Skylar was sitting right beside him.
She nodded. "Crushes do that. How awful Diggory is though? Honestly, you tip him off about the dragons and he can't even do a decent thing back. He is so selfish."
Harry chuckled, Skylar always had a way of cheering him up.
"And if it makes you feel any better, I know a certain boy who is a lot worse off than you."
"Who?" Harry questioned.
"Leon. God I know he would want to ask Ginny so badly, but he's too young to attend and so he can't." She shook her head with a deep sigh. "What could be worse?"
"Being rejected?"
"I think being able to ask someone you like, confidently, but not even being invited is a lot more torturous."
"You think he'd be able to do it?"
"I think being a legilimens makes it really easy to confess what you're thinking."
"Coming from you?"
"Fine. The boys are better at it than me." She muttered, earning a chuckle.
They reached the portrait hole and Harry gave the password, "Fairy lights," to the Fat Lady — the password had been changed the previous day.
"Yes, indeed, dear!" she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit them.
Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice. Leon was with them looking very irritated with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What's up, Ron?" said Harry, he and Skylar joining them.
Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face. "Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"
"What?" said Harry.
"He — er — just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny. She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.
"You what?" said Harry.
Skylar gapped, her mouth falling open. "No!"
"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people — all around — I've gone mad — everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall — she was standing there talking to Diggory — and it sort of came over me — and I asked her!"
Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.
"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then — I dunno — I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."
"She's part veela," said Harry. "You were right — her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it — but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."
Ron looked up.
"I asked her to go with me just now," Harry said dully, "and she told me."
"This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone — well, except Neville. Hey — guess who he asked? Hermione!"
"What?" said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news.
"Really?" Skylar asked.
"Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the colour coming back into his face as he started to laugh. "He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff — but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville… I mean, who would?"
"That's rude Ron." Skylar rolled her eyes.
"Don't!" said Ginny, annoyed. "Don't laugh —"
Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.
"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Hermione said as she moved over to join them.
"Because — oh shut up laughing, you two — because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.
That shut Harry and Ron up.
"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.
"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Hermione loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."
But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.
"Hermione, Neville's right — you are a girl…" He turned to Harry. "We were looking for dates, but we had two girls right with us all along!"
Skylar gaped at him, an eyebrow raised. He did not just do that.
"Oh well spotted," Hermione said acidly.
"Well — you and Skylar can come with us!"
"No, we can't," snapped Hermione. Harry glanced awkwardly at Skylar but she was staring at Ron, astonished by his nerve.
"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"
"Neither Skylar or I can come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because we're both already going with someone."
"No, you're not!" said Ron to Hermione. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"
"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"
Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again. "Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"
"I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"
And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.
"She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.
"She's not," said Ginny quietly.
"Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.
"I'm not telling you, it's her business," said Ginny.
"Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just —"
"I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with — with Neville."
"Well that explains why you're mad." Skylar muttered to Leon.
"I'd have asked her if I was allowed to go." He grumbled.
"He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought… well… I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.
Ron goggled at Harry.
"Well, Sky—"
"Are you kidding me!" She cut him off instantly. "What, just because you don't have a date everyone you know is free for you?" She demanded. "Hermione has a date, I have a date, you saw me turn down a few invites, you think I did that because I was waiting for you to ask me! Do you have any idea how rude this is? First you don't believe us when we say we have dates, that people actually want to take us out. That's insulting. Then, you say we were not even considerable as partners for you because we are not 'girls' in your minds. Also insulting. No wonder you don't have a date." She snapped before turning and stalking off into the dormitories after Hermione.