Wot In The Harri Potter?

16 - The Yule Ball

I spin, pleased when Pansy and Daphne both gush with excitement.

"You're so beautiful!" Pansy squeals, clapping her hands together like a seal.

I am. I decided to go for red as a nod to my date - whoever that is.

I never did find out which twin agreed to go to the ball with me. I did try approaching Ron about it, but chickened out at the last minute due to the fear that it would get back to Fred or George and they would retract their offer of accompanying me.

Tricking Ron into telling me didn't work either as he just refers to them as Twit one and Twit two.

So I just resign myself to the fact that I'll just have to address my date as 'hey' all night.

All three of us now ready in our dresses, Pansy, Daphne and I step out into the common room where Blaise and Draco are languishing on the sofa both kitted out in black suits.

They immediately stand as we approach them, both Draco's and Blaise's mouths falling open as they lay eyes on their dates.

"Damn, Daphne," Blaise says as his gives a low appreciative whistle. "I'm one lucky Slytherin."

She giggles as he takes her hand and kisses it. Smooth bastard.

"Not as lucky as me," Draco says just as smoothly, placing a kiss on Pansy's flushed cheek. "You look beautiful tonight, Pansy."

I just stand there in the middle of all this like an unwanted dildo.

"Why, you look nice too, Harri," I say out loud. "Why, thank you, Harri, it's nice to be noticed after all the effort I've put in."

Draco pulls away from Pansy, tearing his eyes away from her long enough to glance at me.

"Have you done something to your hair?" He frowns. "Coloured it?"

"My hair has always been this colour!" I say crossly, stamping my foot a little.

Blaise too glances over. "Nah, something is definitely different about you. Have you made some enhancements?"

Bloody cheek! "No!" I snap, crossing my arms over my chest where Blaise's gaze is lingering. "I'm not wearing my glasses!"

I decided to try out contact lenses, but am regretting it already.

Blaise lifts his gaze and laughs. "Oh yeah. You don't look right without them though."

"Yeah, I agree," Draco says, still studying me curiously. "You don't look like Harri."

"I think you look gorgeous, Harri," Pansy says, hitting Draco's arm. "And I would kill for your figure. I just resemble an ironing board."

"Oh, yes," Daphne agrees, nodding enthusiastically. "And you've managed to snag an older guy. I'm so jealous."

Now it is Blaise's turn to look offended. "May I remind you that I am an older guy."

"Two days doesn't count, Blaise!"

Feeling my self esteem rise thanks to my fabulous girls, I beam, not even bothered by the fact that I have no one to walk out with. I'd have Fred or George on my arm soon anyway.

As Daphne and Blaise, Draco and Pansy link arms, I follow on with a lightness to my step. Crabbe and Goyle walk behind, but do not link arms, which I'm oddly disappointed by.

Outside the common room, in the dungeon corridor, I am thrilled to see a Weasley twin waiting, dressed in a maroon suit. I hope this is my date and not the other one simply here to pass on a message.

I decide to let him take the lead, just in case.

But from the way his jaw drops and his eyes light up, I feel fairly confident it is the right one.

"Surely that's not you, Harri?" He asks, looking around in mock surprise. "Where did my goofy little brother's friend go?"

I smile hard, I cannot help it. I only wish I had something more clever to say than, "Hey, you."

"Hey you, yourself," Fred or George says in such a smooth way, my stomach knots and my face immediately heats. "When I agreed to be your date tonight, I didn't expect it to be with the most beautiful girl in the school."

Holy shit! I am so flustered I don't know what to do with myself. I have never been flattered like this before and it is making me feel a kind of giddiness that I know will have me saying and doing stupid things all night.

I am grateful when he takes my hand and tugs me towards him. I have to stop myself from falling against his chest and declaring my undying love.

Just as Blaise did to Daphne, Fred or George lifts my hand and brings it to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine as he does so. My stomach is somasaulting and doing all sorts of crazy things. My skin tingles as he places a light kiss against the back of my hand, his lips cool against my skin.

"Shall we go on?" Fred or George asks, lowering my hand but not letting it go.

I nod, knowing my voice won't work.

We walk in silence together up to the Entrance Hall, our hands joined all the way.

The Entrance Hall is crowded but I am not aware of anyone except for my date. I wonder if he can dance, which leads me to wonder if he will kiss me.

The thought of kissing him makes my heart beat like crazy. I've never kissed anyone before, but now it's all I want to do.

"What are you thinking about?" Fred or George asks, his eyes gazing softly at me.

Kissing you. "I'm just hoping to get a drink. I'm thirsty." For you.

He immediately looks around. "I think we can find something for you. I see people with drinks over there, let's ask them."

Without another word, he leads me through the crowd, his hand never letting mine go. There is lots of chatter and lots of bodies, I am glad he has got me.

"Hey!" He calls to a witch in pink, who I realise after a double take is Hermione. "Where did you get your drink?"

Next to her with an arm tightly around her waist is Krum. Go Hermione bagging herself the Durmstrang Champion!

I slyly wink at her and she giggles.

"Over there," she replies to Fred or George's question, pointing her glass of what looks like champagne towards a house-elf holding a drinks tray. "Dumbledore has assured me that they are getting bonuses for this."

"Thanks, Hermione," Fred or George says, and I silently will her to say his name.

But she doesn't. However, a moment later, a glass is pressed into my hand. I smile a thanks at my date and sip it.

"Aren't they worried about us getting drunk?" I ask Fred or George who is sipping his own.

"Nah. This stuff is soft. Believe me, I can tell. Maybe sometime I'll take you out and show you what real champagne tastes like."

He wiggles his eyebrows, and I find myself blushing again. This date has barely begun and he's already talking about future ones.

"I'm only fifteen! I doubt I'll get served."

"You won't have to. I can arrange a picnic: strawberries and champagne. When the weather's warmer, I know a great spot down by the lake that we can go to."

"You take many girls out for picnics?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He sounds too confident at this.

He shakes his head, chuckling. "Nah, that's more George's domain. But I quite like the idea though."

BINGO. So, it appears that Fred is my date. Good, because I was getting sick of calling him Fred or George in my head.

I feel like laughing with relief.

"Well, Fred," I smile, tapping my glass against his, "here's to champagne picnics by the lake."

And, as his eyes twinkle back in mine, I have a feeling it's going to be a bloody good night.

*****