"Dancing is a form of art."

The entire group of Gryffindors, First to Third Years excluded, sits mesmerized around the Common Room as Professor Macgonagall walks around with her hands in the air.

"Behind every young lady is a swan waiting to fly out. Behind every boy, a lion waiting to pounce."

Squacks and roars rise amidst the sea of giggles (most of them because of the Weasley Twins).

"Hush!" Macgonagall shushes them all. "I will not have you act like a bunch of bumbling baboons before our guest schools. Now I'll need a volunteer to show how to waltz."

Aline watches Harry across the room, who's chosen to sit with Ron. He's holding his breath, pale with fear as their professor approaches them, but she chooses Ron as her volunteer. Ron looks mortified, and his two older brothers make hooting noises and whoop as he shakily follows the Head of the House to the floor. Taking his hands, Macgonagall leads him in a simple dance she calls the "Wizard's Waltz". By the end, Ron has grown even more stiff and awkward.

"Well done Mr Weasley!" Macgonagall says encouragingly. "Now it is time to partner up. Choose quickly, or your partner will be chosen for you!"

Then, it's everyone elses turn stiff and awkward. The Weasley twins take the first step, inviting two of the older Quidditch player girls to the floor. The girls then take the lead, staring at a guy across the room. Aline shakes her head, stands up and head over to Harry, who looks both relieved and surprised.

"Uh, me. You want to dance? Right..." he mumbles.

"Yeah," Aline says, suddenly dry-throated. "Well I thought since we were the school champions, we should-"

"-go to the Yule Ball together."

"Sure!"

As Aline and Harry walk to the dance floor, it hits her...has she just gotten a date to the Yule Ball? It was that easy all along? An unexpected surprise! Now she wouldn't have to wait around to be asked and play the 'will he or won't he game'. What a relief!

"So, our hands go like this?" Harry fumbles, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Uhm, I don't think so," Aline adjusts it so one hand is just above her hip and the other behind her shoulder like Macgonagall showed them.

"Easy!" Harry begins to step forwards just as Aline does, and the two butt heads, laughing stupidly. It takes them a few mishaps before they don't step on each others' toes to much and are more or less moving in the same direction.

They're going to the Yule Ball together. As dates. It is happening. A date with Harry. But aren't all boys prats? Well Harry doesn't count, he's just...Harry.

"I'm glad we're going together," Aline says, "I had no idea if I'd be asked and all."

"Me too," Harry says. "I mean, I'm sure someone would have asked you."

She huffs. "Because I'm a champion."

"Because you're a girl," Harry says quickly. "A pretty one."

Aline holds her mouth, making a sound that sounds something between a squack and a grunt. So much for lions and swans. Harry grins in return.

It's nice like this.

-x-x-x-

"Are you excited for the Yule Ball?" Remus asks slowly and awkwardly.

"Sure," Aline says.

It's anouther evening of them sitting beside the fireplace and chatting, with Ellie close by 'reading' her textbooks, but really, listening into the conversation.

"And you have a gentleman to go with?" Remus asks. "Or a lady. Could be either."

Aline lowers her voice. "Well." And pauses. It's awkward to talk about boys with Remus. He's her dad, for wolf's sake, not some girl. Besides he has such a high opinion of Harry, it's like he'll be urging her on to go with him. Truth be told, ever since suggesting they go together, Aline's been getting some intense second thoughts. He's just Harry, she kept telling herself. But when he held her by the waist on the dance floor, it didn't seem like her was just...just anything. It seemed like she biting off a lot more than she could chew.

"I don't have anything to wear," she blabbered on, changing the subject. "All the girls will have dresses, I think."

Remus looked pensive. "That's true. I didn't think of that." He smiled. "Why don't you go down to Hogsmeade with the other students on the weekend? It's just outside of Hogwarts and I signed your permission form. There will be places to buy dresses there. Maybe take one of your friends with you. Hermione? Or Fleur."

"Yeah." Aline mumbled. "I don't know if I want to wear a dress."

"It will be nice to pick out something new for the ball. It is a special event. Just make a day of it, get some icecream at Florean's after. Maybe go to Honeydukes for treats."

Here even Ellie piped up. She was too young to go to Hogsmeade, but the sound of treats certainly peaked her interest.

"I'll send some galleons by the owl post tomorrow," Remus said. "Get yourself something nice."

-x-x-x-