Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 19 - The Yule Ball

Hermione and I awoke on Christmas day to find loads of presents at the foot of our beds. We opened them — I received some books from Hermione and my dad and a beautiful new quill, along with some chocolate frogs, from Remus — wished Lavender and Parvati a happy Christmas, then went down to the common room, where Harry and Ron were waiting for us before going down to breakfast together. We had a lovely breakfast before going back to Gryffindor Tower where everyone was enjoying their presents.

We returned to the Great Hall for a lunch comprising of turkey and Christmas puddings before going out for a walk outside. It had snowed during the night so that the snow was untouched except for the paths leading to the Durmstrang ship and the Beauxbatons carriage. Harry, Hermione and I had a snowball fight with the Weasleys before Hermione, Ginny, and I decided to go back to the Tower to get ready for the ball.

"What, you need three hours?" Ron asked Hermione, looking at her incredulously.

I took advantage of his lapse in concentration to throw one last snowball at him. I wasn't the only one, however. Ron received three snowballs at once, George's hitting him on the side of the head.

The three of us laughed heartily as we walked back inside. The Fat lady was sitting in her portrait with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them looking extremely tipsy.

"Fairy Lights," I called.

The Fat Lady hiccuped. "Lairy fights, that's the one!" she giggled as she swung forward to let us in.

We took a shower, then dried and did our hair before leaving Ginny and going back to our dorm to get dressed. I arranged my hair into a simple half updo, leaving it in its natural curly state. Then I applied a little bit of makeup. I really didn't know how to apply it so Hermione helped me arrange something simple. It was already six o'clock when I changed into a long maroon dress with a square neckline. At Hermione's request, I twirled around to show it off to her, but I gasped when I saw her fully changed into her ball outfit. She wore a beautiful floaty pink dress and her hair, which was usually very bushy, was sleek and shiny thanks to Sleekeazy's hair potion, twisted into an elegant knot at the back of her hair.

"Oh, Mione!" I gasped. "Forget Krum, please go with me! I want to go to the ball with the prettiest girl in school!"

She laughed, shaking her head, but she smiled radiantly. "Please, you're the prettiest!"

I gave her a warm hug. "So, where are you meeting Krum?" I asked her, still giggling slightly.

"Down in the entrance hall," she said. "Actually, I should get going now."

We hugged each other once more before she walked out. Lavender and Parvati were just coming back to the dorm, all dressed up.

"Was that — Hermione?" Lavender asked.

"Yeah."

"But — but she's beautiful!"

I chuckled at the surprise in her voice before walking out of the dorm then going up the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory. The door to Harry and Ron's dorm was open, and when I reached it, Dean was telling them, "I still can't work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year."

"Thanks, Dean," I said with a smirk as I leaned against the doorframe.

Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville, all looking quite different in their dress robes, whirled around to look at me, their eyes widening.

"Oh — er, Elizabeth," Dean stuttered. "I didn't see you there."

"I see that," I chuckled, smiling at him. "Are you guys ready?" I asked Ron and Harry to find them staring at me silently. Harry, to my surprise and embarrassment, was blushing. "Harry?"