Fallen Dreams - An Aikatsu Stars x Harry Potter Crossover

Chapter XVIII

"I can't believe my parents set me and that Marcus for a date tonight." Ako complained as she curled her auburn hair in the Slytherin dormitory.

"I also can't believe my elder sister is having a date with some man tonight and she hasn't told me about it until this morning when we ate breakfast." Mahiru grumbled in response.

"At least your sister made her own decisions, Mahiru. What about me? Ugh, my dress is just so tight."

Since Professor Minerva McGonagall stepped up as the headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had rigorously campaigned for banning the Triwizard Tournament, which caused a lot of deaths and accidents heeding to Voldemort's wishes, including one of her favourite students, Cedric Diggory. After two years of battling, with the help of Britain's Ministry of Magic, the wizarding parliaments of all European countries finally agreed to stop the event for the sake of pupils from all three schools — Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

Instead of a Christmas celebration, Hogwarts, under the directing of Minerva McGonagall, had a new yearly custom. The Winter Ball, held in honour of the Yule Ball during the Triwizard Tournament, was held every year on the same day for Hogwarts Students and their staff, on 22nd December. Many pupils looked forward to the Winter Ball, where they could finally show off their expensive gowns and tuxedos.

Every year in October, Wizarding families whom had their child enrolled at Hogwarts started bidding so that they can be 'Host' of the Winter Ball, participating with the school to design the ball, paying for the decorations, music and food. In return, they can attend the winter ball as an honorary guest, and invite a maximum number of a hundred fellow co-workers to join in, too. It was a great glory to be the Host Family, and their children often had the best clothes that night.

Ako's family, the Saotomes, were in charge of the ball this year as the Host Family, spending almost a hundred thousand Galleons for their daughter to have the best night of her entire eleven-year-old life. The Kasumis, good friends and co-workers of the family, had access to the ball, paying the Saotomes a hundred Galleons per guest. However, the Kisaragis, Tsubasa's family, didn't even have to pay a Bronze Knut.

Ako and Mahiru had their gowns sponsored by the Kasumis, famous fashion designers inside and outside the Wizarding community. To Ako's dislike, the dress was all in pink, one of her least preferred colours. It was made of silk and satin, with a big pink ribbon tied around her waist, reaching to the floor. It wasn't the only thing she was displeased with — her parents had ordered her to wear a traditional Victorian corset, a crinoline, a pair of four-inched high heels and makeup at only eleven years old.

Mahiru wasn't a lot better too. She also had a dress in pink, which unlike Ako's, had sequins instead of silk and satin to make it shimmer and stand out. Her knee-length dress had almost her entire back exposed on the coldest night of the year. She had heels too, but it was two inches shorter than Ako's. Her honey blonde hair was let down straight without curls, and she had pink streaks taped to her hair, which opposed Ako's curled hair with no streaks.

"Ready, Mahiru?" Ako grinned.

"I'm okay, Ako. Have fun on your date!" Mahiru waved as she ran to join her sister Yozora, whom was already waiting for her in the Slytherin common room. Ako shook her head and sighed once more, and with the help of a maid, gracefully walked towards the great hall where the ball was taking place.

Meanwhile, the other girls spotted three very familiar figures standing near the table of food. "Subaru! Asahi! Kanata!" Yume, Koharu and Aria ran towards the three boys. "Sorry we're late! We've just got carried away with our hairstyles."

Subaru acknowledged how cute Yume was looking. Hair tied in the usual twin-tails, her bangs were shoved up and clipped with a pink ribbon a few inches on top of her right ear. Dressed in a beaded halter-white top and a mesh pink skirt with satin and ruffles at the ends, she matched the epitome of 'cuteness.'