keeper → g. weasley [EDITING]

↝twenty one

BY THE TIME MALLIE CHECKED the calender again, it was already December eighteenth, a week before Christmas and the Yule Ball.

The Yule Ball had been amongst the main topics of conversation it's announcement, and Mallie couldn't remember what they possibly talked about before it.

The girls were the worst.

Dress comparisons, shoe fittings, cat fights for the better looking gentlemen of campus.

After a bit of nagging, Cedric confessed that he had had nearly thirteen girls asking him to the Ball.

West spat out his pumpkin juice and Scarlette almost rolled to the floor in laughter.

He was henceforth dubbed: the "Love Doctor".

But still it was thirteen requests more than Mallie had received, so she kept the teasing to a minimum.

Scarlette, however, was having no hard time finding a date and - amongst the other tens of boys drooling at her feet - she had found a new boy toy.

"Guys, this is Jacob!" She had said loud enough for the Gryffindor table to hear, where she waited for Seamus to turn around and look.

He stiffened, but didn't.

West looked up from his parchments momentarily, and then back down again. He had confided in Mallie that he was working to get over Scarlette. Mallie was proud of him, and she could see that every day it became lighter on West's shoulders.

It was a snowy day on the Hogwarts grounds, and there was a Hogsmeade trip scheduled to leave just after breakfast.

"Yeah, I'm definitely heading out. Been running low on Dungbombs,"
Lee mumbled through a mouthful of porridge, "Filch might think that I've surrendered."

"So is everyone decided?" Cedric asked.

West took a breath from his and Fred's conversation to nod at him and take a bite of his sausage.

To Mallie's great surprise, Fred and West had taken to each other very well since they had become aquatinted that day at the First Task.

They would often be seen in heavy conversation and every once in a while West could be noticed at the Gryffindor table when he wasn't with the Hufflepuffs.

Scarlette nodded aswell,
"Mal, we can go look for Ball dresses!"

"I thought we were going to ... lunch?" Jacob interrupted Scarlette. She giggled and leaned over to whisper something in his ear causing him to smile and sit back silently.

Mallie rolled her eyes, she knew where this was going.

From the corner of her vision, she noticed a large tawny brown and grey owl swooping towards their place on the table.

Shark came to a staggering landing in Mallie's bowl of cereal, knocking over her goblet of juice.

He shook off some snowflakes from his wings and offered the package in his beak to Mallie.

She pulled it from between Shark's beak and offered him a strip of bacon, before he took off again.

There was a Ministry of Magic seal on the front of the envelope and Mallie quickly pulled it open in excitement.

'Mal,

The tournament sounds awesome, send my congrats to Cedric!

Sorry it's taken so long to reply, it's been so hectic here at the ministry, Aurors are being sent out all over the place. But I brought you back a gift from a job in Blackpool, it's attached.

Yule Ball, hey? Any good looking gents asked you yet? Tell them you've got a big brother who will drown them in the Black Lake if they try anything funny,'

Mallie chuckled,

'Get a good one, will you? I'll await your reply,

Love from (the one and only),
Ash.'

"Who's it from?" Lee asked.

"My brother, he sends his congrats, Ced." She told Cedric who smiled in appreciation.

"He also threatens to drown my Yule Ball date in the Black Lake."

The table laughed and Mallie picked up the little brown package, it was barely bigger than her palm.

She pulled back the brown packaging, beneath was a little blue box: inside a small slip of paper.

"For you to wear at the Ball:)" Scribbled in Ash's terrible handwriting, and beneath it, a gold chain with a pendant: 'MJ' and a small broomstick hanging beside it.

Mallie gasped, so did Scarlette who was watching over her shoulder.

"Woah! You're brother is loaded," She said dreamily.

"Don't even think about it, Scar." She snapped playfully.

Mallie buried the necklace in her bag for safe keeping before everyone got up to leave, the twins promising to catch up later at Hogsmeade - Lee tagging behind them.

The rest of the group made it into Hogsmeade together before splitting, Cedric taking Cho to lunch and West along with Charlie were going on their own mission and preferred to stay out of Mallie and Scarlettes "girl stuff".

It took a long sappy goodbye, but Scarlette and Jacob eventually let go of each other so that Mallie and Scar could make their way into Jasmine Blossoms, a dress shop of the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Walking into the white and pink shop, Mallie noticed more than a few Hogwarts girls sifting through dresses on the racks.

She greeted Angelina and Katie, while Scarlette entertained some Slytherin friends.

Mallie pulled dress after dress off the racks, Scar insisting on several highly suggestive ones that Mallie refused to try on.

The afternoon had cleared up slightly by the time Mallie and Scarlette left. She was more than thrilled with her dress.

"Up for some lunch?" Scarlette smiled at Mallie who returned the gesture.

"Yeah, sure. Where to?"

"It's a surprise," She winked.

Scarlette kept Mallie busy enough in conversation to not notice their path nearing Madam Puddifoots.

"Scar..." She whined as they neared the entrance, Mallie noticing Jacob standing leaned against the wall by the door.

"Hey, love." Jacob pulled Scarlette into a long kiss.

Mallie rolled her eyes. She wanted to inform Jake of exactly what number he is in the long line of tongues that had been down Scarlettes throat, but decided he was far too busy at the moment to listen.

When the two eventually pulled back for breath, Scarlette turned to Mallie.

"Come on Mal, it will be fine. Plus you said you were hungry!" Scarlette argued.

The look on Jakes face said that it definitely wasn't going to be fine.

No way, Mallie thought. I am not being third wheeled.

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