Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 17

On the weekend, a visit to Hogsmeade was arranged. At first I was looking forward to going there with Fred and George, but seeing as they were nowhere to be seen and Hermione wasn't on speaking terms with Harry and Ron, the two of us decided to go there together.

The school had offered its fond to those of us who couldn't afford to buy dress robes. So after helping each other to buy our dresses from Gladrags Wizardwear for the Ball, Hermione took me on a tour on Hogsmeade, showing me everything; from Honeydukes Sweetshop to Zonko's Joke Shop, which I enjoyed the most.

The night of the Yule Ball, the girls' dormitory was a mess, as everyone ran around, trying to get ready in a rush of excitement.

     I was wearing a long silver dress, bringing my hair into a high bun with the help of Katherine, who wasn't going to the Ball with anyone, though she said that she might just pop in to see how it was going.

Fred was going to the dance with Angelina as I already knew, though George had asked a blonde girl named Anna to the Ball, who was in the same year as the twins.

     As Hermione and I walked towards the Great Hall, I felt my stomach lurch, excited that I was living my greatest fantasy and my wildest daydream.

     When we finally reached the Great Hall, Hermione and we parted as she went to say hello to Krum, who was delighted to see her.

     Not too long after, Ivan spotted me and a broad smile appeared on his face. He came towards me, placing a charming kiss on my knuckle. "You look beautiful tonight, Lexi."

      "Thanks," I grinned. "You don't look too bad yourself."

      Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened and all our jaws dropped in awe at the beautiful sight. The ceiling was enchanted as snowflakes fell from it gracefully.

     Ivan and I walked inside with my hand wrapped around his arm and took a seat around a table along with his other Durmstrang friends.

     Other than the delicious food that was magically served, I found myself growing slightly bored after our meal was over. But my mood was suddenly picked up as they asked us to get to our feet, ready for the dance to start.

     It was a magical moment, as the music started playing on cue and the champions started to dance. And then one by one, everybody else joined in.

     "Would you like to join me, Lexi?" Ivan offered me his hand and I took it gladly, walking with him to the dance floor.

      My heart fluttered as I felt his hand grab onto my waist and then we started swinging around to the music. Soon, everyone else started to join the dance floor and thus the Ball started.

      But for some reason, my eyes were wondering around, only stopping when I found Fred in the middle of the crowd, dancing with Angelina Johnson.

     When he caught my eyes, I gave him a thumbs up, because he had managed to ask Angelina out, even though deep down I wasn't as happy for them as I thought I would be. But in return, Fred looked away without even a mere smile.

     I felt an ache in my heart that I couldn't shake away. I was so distracted that I almost stepped on Ivan's foot. So after the song was over, I took a step back from him.

    "Would you excuse you me for a second?" I said, offering him a polite smile.

     "Um... yeah, sure." He nodded, returning back the smile.

    With that, I left the dance floor and walked out of the Great Hall, going toward the first bathroom that was on my way.

     When I got in there, I saw Angelina Johnson in front of a mirror, reapplying her lipstick.

     When she spotted me, she gave me a little wave. "Hey, Lexi."

     "Hi," I said, going toward the sink to wash my hands, hoping that the cold water could calm my racked up nerves a bit.

      "So you and that Durmstrang boy, huh? Are you two together now or something?" she mused, putting her lipstick back in her handbag. When I didn't answer, she frowned, saying quickly, "What's wrong?"

     I'd never talked to Angelina much before, but for some reason, I suddenly blurted our,

     "No, we're not going out, if that's what you mean."

     "What!?" her eyes widened and I stared at her, bewildered at her unexpected reaction.

     "Well, I don't really like him that way," I said earnestly.

     "Really? He thought – I mean I thought that – er – you were going out now," she said, smiling broadly.

     When she saw me giving her a weird look, she shook her head, regaining herself. "I mean – I'm sorry."

     "No, it's fine," I shook my hand reassuringly. "Not everyone's supposed to find their prince charming this early in life." I said in a mocking manner, seeing as I was always careless when it came to these matters. 

     "Well... I hope you figure things out. There are better guys out there that you'd be surprised how much they would one day care for you." Angelina said sympathetically.

     Something in her voice told me that she wasn't just saying these to comfort me. It seemed like she actually meant it.

     "Thanks, but for now, I better get back to Ivan," I said. "He's must be waiting for me."

     By those words, Angelina's grin faded away. "Uh oh," she muttered under her breath.

     "What? What's wrong?"

     "I – I better go. I have to tell him not to..." she looked away, talking mostly to herself. "Oh, I hope he hasn't done it yet." And with that, she left.

     I stood there surprised for some while, but shook my head. After I had freshened up, I left the bathroom, trying to get back to Ivan.

     But I stopped in my tracks as I got to the entrance hall and saw that a group of Durmstrang boys had gathered around something, or rather someone, trying to help them out of the Hall as they yelled out in shock and fury.

     Walking closer to the crowd, I paid more attention to the boy they were helping and then my jaw dropped in shock.

     There was a boy in Ivan's robes, but he now had a pumpkin as a head as their friends tried to lead him out of the Hall and back to the Durmstrang ship.