it's okay to stare at me, i understand🖤

22

POV: Mira

"So how'd you guys do? I see that everyone is still alive." I turn to face Fleur. We sit with each other in the great hall at breakfast.

"All of us did well. We had to retrieve an egg from a dragon."

"What is the purpose of the egg?" I ask, confused.

"I haven't figured it out yet. I know Cedric already has though." I look down into my cereal. That was the end of that conversation. After, we separate and I head to transfiguration.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard tournament since its inception. On Christmas eve night, we and our guests gather in the great hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally, because the yule ball is first and foremost, a dance." McGonagall says. A dance? That means I have to dance with someone. 

I stop listening to her speak and turn to Fred and George. They are making fun of something she said, and it was quite funny. They go quiet when they see me looking.

"What?" I ask smiling.

"Nothing." they say in unison.

"Are you guys going to go?"

"Of course," Fred says.

"It's the perfect place to make fun of Ron." says George.

"If I come, I will gladly join you both in your antics." They both smile at me. I turn back to the professor.

"Mr. Weasley, would you join me please?" McGonagall asks. Speak of the stupid weasel. He is slow to get up.

"Now place your hand on my waist." says the Professor, grabbing his hand.

"Where?" he stutters. I have to physically restrain myself from absolutely dying of laughter.

"My waist." she repeats. He slowly moves his hand there and hovers it over the area. The professor removes her hand from his other and forcefully puts his hand on her waist herself. Fred whistles. Everyone laughs. She shows us the steps and sends the weasel back to his seat.

"Alright now. Please distribute yourselves among each other and practice." she says. No one moves a muscle.

"Come on now, as fourth and fifth years of all houses, you all must have a friend or two in this room of the opposite gender." She says crossing her arms. "Don't make me call on you each to pick partners." Still no one moves. She sighs.

"Hermione, please. Pick a partner." She gets up and makes eye contact with Harry. He stands and joins her in the center of the room.

"Mira," She says. Shit. I rise and walk over to the other side of the room. I scan the rows of boys. No one dares to meet my eyes. I consider picking one of the twins, but I wouldn't want to be seen touching a Weasley. 

"Professor, I don't even plan on attending the ball," I say, turning to her.

"Nonsense, pick someone or I'll assign someone for you." The boys all shift uncomfortably in their seats. I would severely pity whomever she would have picked for me. I fear that they would cry, judging by how they all look at me now. My eyes land on the only head not turned down.

"Cedric?" I ask, holding out my hand. His friends slap his back. McGonagall continues to pick girls to pick other boys. I lead Cedric to the center of the room and he places his hand on my waist.

"I guess we've already had some practice with each other." He smiles. I fondly remember our night on the astronomy tower.

"I suppose that might be so. How was the task?" I ask. I might as well find out how to solve it to help Potter.

"Good. When you open the egg, it screams. There was a hidden hint for the next task in it."

"The hint is...screaming?" I ask.

"No." he reconsiders his response, "Well, yes. When you listen to it underwater you can hear the real message." What made him put it underwater?

"How'd you find out it was supposed to go underwater?" I ask, now curious.

"Well, I couldn't properly close it so I pushed it into my bath in hopes to make it stop. And I heard singing." I smile. Of course he found out by accident.

"I envy the fact that you can take baths." I say

"Why is that?" he asks, spinning me around.

"I could never take a bath in our dorm room's bathroom. The girls I share it with would be banging on the door the moment I sat down." 

"As a prefect, I grant you permission to use our bathroom whenever you choose." He laughs.

"I'll be heading over there tonight for sure," I smile. With Potter. This is perfect. 

"Mira?" he asks.

"Yes, Cedric?"

"I know you said you didn't want to go to the ball, but I was wondering if you would consider going with me?" He asks, biting his lip. I want to say yes, I do. But if I go, I would have to be with Potter for my task. I guess I will be attending after all.

"Oh, Cedric. I think I'll just go on my own. But would you save me a dance?" His face falls a little.

"Sure." he says quietly. We dance in silence for the rest of the class.

Back in the common room, I grab one of the outfits from Mrs. Malfoy. Just a skirt and a white button up. Underneath them I wear the swimsuit: it's smart to wear it. I think of Malfoy's plan. This could actually work. I'm willing to do anything, except touch him, to get him to fall for me. It shouldn't be too hard, all things considered. It must be hard for Potter to get any action in general, so it would be a nice surprise to have someone flirt with him and see some skin. I button up the shirt and head over to the Gryffindor common room. Oliver Wood is just leaving.

"Wood," I say, "would you do me a favor?" he seems startled. I mean I would've been too, especially if someone not from my house was at the entrance to my common room.

"Uh...yeah?" he asks meekly.

"Get Potter for me, will you?" He smiles.

"You can just go inside yourself," he says, keeping the door open for me. So helpful. I walk into the Gryffindor room. It's very ugly. So bright and so....red. Gross. I immediately miss the green, black, and silver of the Slytherin room. All eyes turn to me. Their gazes follow me as I walk over to Potter. I stand right above him, waiting for him to notice me.

"What are you doing here?" he whispers looking up.

"I'm here to help; now put on swim trunks and grab the egg." I whisper back, trying to keep people from overhearing us.

"But it's so late." he complains. Of course he'd complain. Doesn't he see I'm trying to help him?

"Just go." I say. He groans. Potter stands up and walks down a hallway to his dorm. I wait for him patiently.

"What are you up to?" asks Hermione from behind me. I turn to meet her brown eyes. She looks a lot different than she did last year. A little more pretty.

"Nothing that concerns you." 

"Where are you taking him?"

"That doesn't concern you," I repeat. "Don't you have a weasel to fuck? I see the way you look at him. Does he know that you fancy him? Or should I tell him myself?" She glares at me and walks away. Merlin, I'll kill her after Potter.