Flame || F. WEASLEY

Chapter 14 - Dates to the Yule Ball

The next few weeks flutter by in a haze. The Second Task won't be taking place until after the Christmas holiday, which means all the chatter is about the Yule Ball and who everyone is going with.

Since that night on the astronomy tower, things have returned to normal, much to my own dismay. Fred and George still tease me and ask me to help with their pranks. The Fred I saw that night has faded back into the Fred I know. Sometimes I wonder if it meant anything to him, or if it was just a kiss. I avoid bringing it up, though sometimes I catch him staring in the Great Hall.

My friends, when I told them about it all, were ecstatic. Malein, Avianna, and Mini whooped while Hollyn and Nora smiled. Stella simply rolled her eyes and said finally when she found out. All of them had promised to keep it a secret. I did not need any more rumors about me flying around the school.

"So, are you going to ask Cedric to the ball?" I nudge Nora, who is working on her potions homework next to me in the library.

We have a free period today before something to do with the ball. It was all Flitwick told us and Nora hadn't heard anything else from Sprout either. They'd probably just lay down the rules of the ball, like no inappropriate dancing or hexing people who stole your date.

"Yes. No. Maybe." She drops her head into her hands. "I don't know."

A small laugh escapes me as I turn back to my transfiguration homework. McGonagall is really trying to kill me with this essay. Nora goes back to her homework as well and the sound of quills scratching on parchment fills the air. One time, second-year Nora brought back a muggle pen. She'd astounded all the pure-blood wizards with it.

The sound of footsteps makes me raise my head. I'm surprised to see Cedric Diggory walking our way. I elbow Nora in the side as he stops in front of our table. There's a posse of people standing a few feet away, giggling to themselves. It appears to be mostly girls from all four houses and even some Beauxbatons girls.

Cedric smiles and it's easy to understand why girls throw themselves at him. He grabs a chair and spins it around to straddle it, directly across from Nora. Her mouth hangs slightly open and I kick her in the side of the foot. Her mouth snaps shut.

"Williams. Rose," he greets both of us before turning to Nora. "Could we talk privately?"

I take this as my cue to leave. I wander into the stacks surrounding us, making sure to stay out of sight but within earshot. Unfortunately, Cedric keeps his voice low. Nora's voice is a short squeak before Cedric chuckles. Grabbing a book off the shelf, I pretend to be surveying it.

"Is it any good?" A voice whispers in my ear. I jump and almost drop the book.

Spinning around, Fred towers over me with a smirk on his face. My back presses against the bookshelf and he props himself up on an arm above my head. I smack the book against his chest.

"Don't scare me like that," I say.

"Why?" He cocks his head. "Are you hiding from someone?"

"No. Cedric approached Nora and asked to talk privately." I wiggle my eyebrows at him, which makes him chuckle.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Oh, he's definitely confessing his undying love to her."

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that what girls dream about?"

I smile, a slight blush creeping across my cheeks. I peer down the aisle toward the table I left Nora at. "Some of us."

"Amelia, I came to--"

He's cut off by scrambling at the other end of the aisle. It's Nora, with a grin on her face. That went well then. I meet her halfway and she grasps my hands.