Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

34. A Bugger's Holiday

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR;

A Bugger's Holiday

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Why do girls move in packs?" Harry asked, watching as multiple gaggles of girls walked past the three of them and snickered to themselves upon seeing Harry. He turned to Cassie. "Why do you lot travel in packs?"

   "Maybe you can lasso one, Harry," Ron suggested. "Got any idea on who you're going to try?"

   Harry fell silent. Cassie glanced sideways at him, but he held no expression on his face. His lips were pressed in a thin line. Cassie only knew – he was thinking about Cho Chang.

   "You're not going to have any trouble with them – whoever you ask, I mean," continued Ron obliviously. "You're a champion. You've just beaten a bloody Hungarian Horntail! I bet they'll be queueing up to ask you."

   He was quite right; over the next few days, wherever Cassie went with him, Harry was being asked by a girl. First, it was a short third year Hufflepuff. Then, a second year Ravenclaw followed by a scary-looking fifth year who looked as though she might've knocked him out if he said no.

   The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, such as the theory that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta. Some teachers had even given up on trying to teach them when their minds were so clearly elsewhere.

   As for Cassie, her mantra for the week was "I don't know". When asked who she might want to attend the Yule Ball with – "I don't know." When asked to the Yule Ball by a sullen-faced fourth year Slytherin – "I don't know", (though she probably should have flat out said no, as he continuously asked her if she'd made up her mind).

   "So, you lot got dates for the ball yet?" George asked the evening before they were released for holiday.

   "No," said Ron, sighing lightly.

   "Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," advised Fred.

   "Who're you going with, then?"

   "Angelina," said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.

  "You've already asked her?"

   "Good point... oi, Angelina!"

   Angelina looked over. "What?"

   "Want to come to the ball with me?"

   "All right, then!"

   "There you go!" said Fred to Ron, grinning. "Piece of cake."

   "How did you do that!?" sputtered Ron in disbelief. Fred and George grinned, stood, and walked off without another word. Ron turned back to his friends. "We should get a move on, Harry. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."

   Hermione and Cassie let out matching sputters of indignation.

   "A pair of what, excuse you?" said Hermione.

   "Trolls, I think he said," said Cassie lightly, raising her eyebrows. "I'll say, Hermione, do you think we are two trolls?"

   Hermione, who caught on quickly, acted as though she were pondering for a moment. "No, on the contrary. I believe we are two spectacular girls who don't need boys to validate our feelings."