Chapter Sixteen

The Halloween Feast

Over the next few weeks, the interest in Cassie gradually died down, and she slowly returned to her normal self. In fact, in some ways Mia thought Cassie seemed more relaxed now her secret was out. It was like she could finally be herself. She never wanted to talk about the contents of the Daily Prophet article, but there existed an understanding between her and the rest of the gang that if she did want to talk, they would be ready to listen.

As October wore on, everyone became so busy with homework and extra-curricular activities that there wasn't much time to think about Cassie. Even weekends were mainly taken up with catching up on homework which Mia hadn't been able to do on Thursday due to Quidditch practice or Friday due to the HEC.

On the last Thursday in October, the Gryffindor Quidditch team and the reserves were practicing together. Mia was defending goals from Lily, Reuben and Kyle, whilst Eiley fended off attempts from the reserves. Lily was in excellent form tonight, scoring at least half the time. Even Kyle was playing well – mostly staying in the background and setting Lily up for goals, but also scoring a goal himself – but Reuben seemed to be having an off day. Mia stopped every one of his goals, until right near the end of practice when she felt sorry for him and deliberately moved slower than usual to try and block a goal from him so he scored.

"You let that last goal in because you felt sorry for me, didn't you?" Reuben asked Mia as they walked back up to the castle after practice.

"No, I didn't-" Mia began.

"Mia," Reuben said.

"Alright, I reacted a bit slower than usual," Mia conceded. "I could tell you were having an off day. What's up?"

"Take a walk with me?" Reuben asked.

"Sure," Mia said, and the two of them turned off to walk around the lake. "So, what's up?" Mia asked again as the sound of the rest of the team's voices faded into the darkness.

"I wanted to ask you something..." Reuben said. "I guess my mind's been on that rather than Quidditch."

There was a moment's silence, and then Reuben continued,

"I know we said we'd take some time to think about The Kiss," he said, "but that was weeks ago, and... I was wondering if you would be my date to the Halloween Feast."

To be honest, Mia hadn't really had much time to think about how she felt about Reuben, what with Cassie and then being so busy with homework. But Reuben was lovely, and sweet, and good looking, and what was the harm in agreeing to go to the Halloween Feast with him? It didn't mean they were going to get married. In fact, maybe being over-cautious was depriving Mia of a relationship which could be enjoyable, and didn't have to last forever, after all.

"Okay," Mia said. "Yes, I'll go to the Halloween Feast with you."

"Really?" Reuben asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes, really," Mia laughed. "Now I just have to find something to wear!"

"Wear anything – you'll look beautiful, you always do," Reuben said, reaching out for Mia's hand. She let him take it, and the two of them walked around the lake, hand in hand. They walked back to the castle talking about Quidditch and paused in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"So..." Reuben said.

"So..." Mia said.

"See you Sunday night, I guess, then," Reuben said.

"Uh-huh," Mia nodded.

There was a long pause, and Mia realised she and Reuben were still holding hands.

"If you two are going to kiss goodnight, you'd better hurry up about it," the Fat Lady said. "I'm not waiting around all night for you to make your minds up, you know."

Reuben looked at Mia. "May I kiss you goodnight?" he asked tentatively.

Mia nodded, and Reuben stepped closer to her and kissed her. As their lips met, Mia leant against Reuben and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You know, since you're both in Gryffindor, you could continue this inside," the Fat Lady observed.

Mia and Reuben broke apart.

"Carved pumpkins," Reuben said to the Fat Lady.

"And about time too," she grumbled, swinging forward to admit them to Gryffindor tower.

"So..." Mia said, as the portrait swung shut behind them.

"So..." Reuben said, and the two of them laughed. "See ya 'round, Mia," Reuben grinned, kissing her on the cheek and walking off.

Mia looked around and saw Lily sat at a table by herself. She walked over and sat down opposite her.

"What's going on with you and Reuben, then?" Lily asked.

"We're going to the Halloween Feast together," Mia said.

"Good!" Lily said. "I was wondering what you were gonna do when I was going with Mac, and Hugo and Louis are going with their girlfriends."

"So... homework," Mia said decisively.

"Not so fast," Lily said. "I need all the details. How did he ask you? Has he kissed you yet – properly, not just on your cheek like just then?"

"Shh," Mia said. "I need to do some homework."

"What are you going to wear to the Feast?" Lily asked Mia in Potions the following day.

"No idea," Mia shrugged, not looking away from the board where she was re-reading the instructions.

"I've got a new dress," Zoë said, stirring her potion. "It's from Italy – I was measured for it when we were there in the summer, and it only arrived last week."

"Do you even have a date?" Lily asked.

"Of course," Zoë scoffed.

"Who?" Lily demanded.

"Michael Vincent," Zoë said, puffing up importantly.

"Who?" Lily repeated.

"He's a seventh-year, Hufflepuff," Zoë said.

"You're gonna overdo it," Cassie said, catching Zoë's hand – she was still stirring her potion. "And isn't he going out with Cara Moore?"

"They broke up last week, so he asked me," Zoë shrugged. "So, what are you going to wear, Mia?"

"I don't know," Mia repeated. "I really don't have anything."

"I know!" Zoë said. "Cass and I can come up to your dormitory on Sunday, and we can get ready together."

"As fascinating as the Halloween Feast is, girls, I think you need to stop talking and concentrate on your potions," Professor Cooke said, walking over. "Zoë, you've over-stirred yours. Add a few drops of dittany and see if you can salvage it."

Turning back to their cauldrons, the four girls stopped talking and focussed on their potions for the rest of the lesson.

On Sunday afternoon, Lily and Mia were doing homework in the Gryffindor Common Room when Matilda came bounding over.

"Zoë and Cassie are outside and the Fat Lady won't let them in!" she announced.

"Already?" Lily asked, looking at her watch. "It's only ten past four!"

Lily and Mia got up and walked over to the portrait hole, which swung open as they approached.

"... you're not Gryffindors, and you don't know the password," the Fat Lady was saying to Zoë and Cassie, who were stood in the corridor, holding their dresses.

"It's okay, we invited them," Mia told the Fat Lady. "Come in."

"This is highly irregular!" the Fat Lady spluttered as Zoë and Cassie climbed through the portrait hole.

"I've always wondered what the other houses' common rooms were like," Zoë said, looking around. "It's nice... but not as nice as ours, though."

The four girls went up to the fourth year girls' dormitory.

"Right!" Zoë said. "Cassie and I already have our dresses sorted; let's see what you two are going to wear."

"I already know," Lily said, opening her wardrobe and taking a floor-length black dress out of it.

"That's the one you brought specifically for the Feast?" Mia asked – she remembered Lily mentioning it when they unpacked at the beginning of term.

"Uh-huh," Lily nodded, laying it out on her bed.

"Did you start going out with Mac just so you had an excuse to wear this dress?" Mia asked, grinning.

"I would've worn it anyway," Lily shrugged. "Now then, what are you going to wear?"

"These dress robes," Mia said, taking her dark blue dress robes out of her wardrobe.

"No way," Zoë said. "You can't wear dress robes to the Halloween Feast."

"We all did last year," Cassie pointed out.

"I didn't," Zoë said. "And you lot didn't have dates then. What about this?"

"Too small," Mia said, looking at the dress Zoë held up. "I've grown so much over the past couple of months that the dress robes are literally the only thing that fits me."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. But we need to do something to make them more exciting. Put them on, and then I'll think."

Mia put her dress robes on, and then let Zoë walk around her. She stepped away, however, when Zoë drew her wand and said,

"If only I was good at dressmaking spells..."

"Don't ruin them!" Mia said. "I have to wear something!"

"I'll help," Lily said. "My mum's taught me a whole load of spells – she had to modify lots of her clothes when she was growing up as the little sister of six older brothers."

Twenty minutes later, and Lily and Zoë had turned Mia's dress robes into an elegant floor length dress. Mia surveyed herself in the mirror. She had to admit that her friends had done a good job.

"Right! Now for hair and makeup!" Zoë declared.

Eventually, after almost two and a half hours, Zoë decided they were ready to go down to meet their dates.

The Entrance Hall was packed with people meeting dates from other houses. Zoë headed off by herself to find Michael, whilst the others fought their way through the crowd to where Al, Mac and Reuben were standing. Mac wolf-whistled as the three girls walked over.

"Wow, you all look amazing – I almost don't know who to kiss."

Lily rolled her eyes and punched Mac playfully as he pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Al put his arm around Cassie's shoulders and guided her into the Great Hall and Reuben offered Mia his arm so they could follow, leaving Lily and Mac snogging in the Entrance Hall.

"You look beautiful, Mia," Reuben said, as they followed Al and Cassie over to find a table.

"Thanks," Mia said. "I should do, the amount of time Zoë spent dressing me up and doing my hair and makeup. This isn't really me," she confessed as they sat down.

"You do seem more at home on the Quidditch pitch," Reuben grinned.

The Great Hall was almost full by the time Lily and Mac joined them, hand in hand.

"Finished snogging?" Al asked, looking up.

Lily just poked her tongue out at her brother.