godsent | h. potter

nine.

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA

Latin. through adversity, to the stars

Patricia thought she was doomed when she realized she had no money to buy a dress. It was two weeks away until the Yule Ball and so far, everyone in her dorm room already had their outfits ready.

Left with nothing else to do, Patricia started for Professor McGonagall's office as a last resort. Never in her demigod life did she think that she'd have to ask for a dress from a teacher, much less, a dress for a school dance.

When she arrived, however, Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be found. Patricia groaned as she thought of just ditching the dance altogether. But if she did, she knew Lavender would gang up on her with Hermione and Parvati.

Patricia returned to the Common Room dejectedly. Slouching on the sofa, she spotted Ron and Harry doing the same.

"Why the long faces, you two?"

Harry spoke up for them, "Well, We can't find a date and Ron kind of blew it with Hermione," the ravenette trails off and sends his friend a look of pity, "...and Fleur."

Patricia muffled a laugh. Despite not sitting with them at that time, she knew all about what happened with the two. She would've paid a billion drachmas to be able to witness Hermione's epic comeback and the look on Ron's face. Alas, she was penniless and had a stroke of bad luck.

"What about you? Nobody asked you yet?" Ron asks. Harry sits up, curious about her answer.

Patricia rolls her eyes, "No, loads of people have asked. But I'm probably not going." Harry visibly deflates, but Patricia doesn't see it, "I don't have an outfit for the Ball."

"Didn't your family send you one yet?" asked Ron.

Shaking her head, Patricia lies, "We're a little on the poorer side of society."

"I feel you." Ron mumbled sadly from beside Harry.

All of a sudden, Harry perks up, "I can buy you one?"

Shaking her head, Patricia sends the boy a grateful smile, "You don't have to, Greenie. Besides, I don't really have a date to the ball, I turned them all down."

At her answer, Harry looked up, almost hopeful, "Maybe...maybe ㅡ well, if it'd be okay with you, really, I'm not forcing you or anything ㅡ I'd buy you a dress and you could go with me...to the ball. As a date. As payment, so you don't have to feel guilty about the dress and-"

Ron nudged the rambling boy, an amused smirk on his face. The redhead felt a little relieved that he wasn't the only one who's made himself look like a blithering idiot around his crush.

Patricia felt like fainting. Her heart was thumping so loudly and her blood was roaring in her ears. It felt like she was back on that fateful night on Half-Blood Hill, facing the Minotaur injured and weaponless, only this time, the fluttery feeling in her stomach was not one of dread. It felt light and sent pleasant tingles down her spine.

The two teens were redder than Ron's hair and had been glancing at each other shyly for the past couple seconds. Clearing her throat, Patricia sent Harry the same, heart-attack-inducing smile that punches him in the guts with euphoria, "I'd love to, Greenie. Thank you."