Harry Potter and the Bucket List

Year 4 - 6 (The Yule Ball)

 Beta: Cloudy

(≖‿‿≖)ノ⌒●~*

Daphne ended up roping Tracey and Pansy into my room to help tame the insanity that was my curly red hair. Because I normally swept it up in a bun or ponytail, the girls decided it was time to let my hair down.

They tamed the frizz, yanked out the knots with a pain-free brush (bless you magic), then softened the curls. After that I had to get into my dress before they continued on with my hair, then make up.

Hermione arrived shortly after I was done getting ready and they switched over to her. My room had officially been taken over by the girls and it smelled of perfume, make up, and some type of hair potion. Knowing they'd have the rest handled, I decided it was time to meet back up with Tom in the chambers. I needed to make sure his dress robes fit, since he didn't have a wand of his own to fix them if they didn't.

It was, admittedly, very satisfying to get looks of surprise from my fellow Slytherins. I received several compliments—most of which I felt were sincere. I was terribly proud of my babeh snakes. Despite how lovely I looked, I didn't receive any catcalls or any compliments that made me uncomfortable. All the boys and girls were cordial and respectful.

My pride for them made it impossible not to smile warmly and brightly at each of them in return. Some of them blushed, and others beamed in response.

I wondered how different my House had grown from canon. Were the snakes warm and affectionate in canon behind closed doors, or was that a change brought upon my guidance?

Would it be too arrogant to admit that I wished it was because of me?

(≖‿‿≖)ノ⌒●~*

I stepped off Iris—no way in hell I was letting my dress and shoes get dirty with the pipe water—and glanced around the Chambers. From the shadows of one of the hallways, Tom Riddle stepped out in black dress robes. He was fixing the cuffs on his left sleeves, a coy smile on his face.

He said, "You look absolutely beautiful, Rosie."

I couldn't fight back my silly smile, a small blush over my cheeks. He wasn't wrong. I looked amazing. Thank you, Lily, for being such a beautiful lady.

The dress was primarily a deep blue to match my eyes. It was a ballgown dress, enchanted to be flowy and easy to dance in. It had short sleeves with an embroidered design, pulled down my shoulders to give a v shape neckline. The bottom half of my dress had shimmering stars enchanted onto it. It was meant to look similar to a night sky, the magic sparkling with each step I took. My mask was the same shade of blue, stylized in a traditional shape that only covered the upper half of my face.

Used up all of my allowance and then some for the dress, shoes, and mask, but I was happy with the results. I never went to prom, or owned such an extravagant dress in either of my lives. I was happy to cross that off the bucket list.

Tom, unsurprisingly, looked absurdly handsome. The dress robes had a suit-vibe to them. He had a deep blue suit vest and bow tie to match my dress. His own mask was black, and would cover his upper face.

I hoped it would be enough to not catch Dumbledore's attention. I mean, really, what were the odds that Dumbledore would immediately assume Rosie Potter, a Twin-Who-Lived, was being escorted to the Yule Ball by Tom Riddle?

Surely, surely, Dumbledore wouldn't conclude that. That'd be insane! He wasn't that Gandalf-ish.

There were plenty of dark haired students. It'd be logical to assume I was being escorted by someone from one of the other visiting schools. No way Dumbledore had all their faces and names memorized. He was good but he wasn't that good, right?