Charms. | h. potter

024

The rest of Cameron's morning is spent simultaneously cooing over Nyx as the kitten curls itself up in her arms outside and watching her friends partake in a vicious snowball fight that both her and Hermione had opted out of for fear of their hair being soaked. As taken as Nyx is with Harry and Cameron, she isn't getting on too well with Crookshanks, who is now also in Cameron's bad books for trying to pounce on the kitten less than playfully. Since Hermione smells like Crookshanks to Nyx, she keeps her distance from the bushy haired girl warily.

Harry loves the sight of Cameron, cheeks and nose dusted with pink from the cold, with her hair falling from behind her ears as she pets her new kitten with all the gentle care in the world. He's so distracted with the sight, that Ron manages to catch him in the side of the head with quite a large snowball.

It was five o'clock when Hermione decides that it's time for her to start getting ready.

"What? You need three hours?" Ron asks incredulously. "Who're you going with?"

Hermione ignores him as she walks through the double doors to the Entrance Hall and disappears up the marble staircase. Thankfully, Crookshanks follows obediently. Nyx becomes a bit more playful once the ginger menace is gone, beginning to stalk around in the snow. She leaps around and Harry abandons the snowball fight and sits with Cameron.

"You're going to be getting ready soon, right?" Harry asks, petting Nyx as she twists her way around his legs with loud purrs.

"Yeah, soon," she says very unconvincingly.

"I can't wait to see you in your dress," he smiles, taking her hand gently. "You're going to look wonderful."

"Even if it's luminous yellow?" she jokes.

"I know it's not because you made me choose a shade of blue, but if you magically decided luminous yellow, you'd still look gorgeous," he confirms.

"Oi! Lovebirds! You joining in?" Ron yells. Cameron grins at the redhead, spotting some Beauxbatons girls making their way down the slope towards their carriage.

"Can't! Got to go and get ready for this stupid dance," she shrugs before gathering Nyx and bidding her goodbyes.

When she gets to the dorms, Hermione has her dress hung from the top bunk. Lavander, Romilda and Parvati are dressed and beginning their makeup, chattering excitedly. Lavender is taking Gregor, Parvati is going with a Beauxbatons boy and Romilda is going with someone from Durmstrang (Cameron remembers being asked by him first, but she doesn't voice that). Ron ended up getting Parvati to set him up with Padma, her twin sister.

Cameron first helps Hermione with her hair, helping her style it into an elegant up-do. Then she jumps in the shower, taking the longest shower that she has in a while.

When she gets out, she hangs her dress where Hermione's was. Her friend is gone, probably to meet Viktor early. Cameron stares at it in the light, nerves beginning to build up. It's a lovely blue, not quite as dark as Ravenclaw blue, but also not quite the blue of the sky and with little hints of lavender in a particular light.

She puts it on and the slit up her leg is glaringly obvious. Lavender whistles appreciatively and Pavarti and Romilda start showering her in compliments. She grins at them and her cheeks flush red. By the time she finishes her makeup, she feels like maybe she can pull this Yule Ball thing off. Nyx is curled up on her bed and the other three girls have left to the Common Room. She pets the kitten gently, sitting and contemplating for a moment before Lavender pops her head in.