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As November passed into the early weeks of December, the walls of Hogwarts were buzzing with news of the Yule Ball. Who was going with who, Who got rejected, and who was eagerly awaiting a very important question. Zinnia couldn't stand all the chitter chatter about love notes and dates. It's not as if she resented the girls in her dorm for this, but she hated being reminded of her own miserable love life when everyone else was happy. In addition to that, she had no clue who she could go to the ball with without making it weird. She thought about going by herself but decided it would be much more fun to have someone to dance with.
Her classes passed in a haze with idle concentration. Not that people were paying that much attention to classes, rather whispering in groups as their friends stared at someone across the room. Multiple times she found herself repairing the burnt potions in the cauldron during Snape's classes, as her partner stared at a girl from across the room and blatantly ignored the dangerous concoctions brewing.
Although the air was filled with the sickly sweet scent of love, Zinnia found compromise with the universe as it began to snow. The winter was her favourite time of year not only because it meant Christmas, but it meant she could rugg up near the fireplace with warm hot chocolate or have snowball fights on the grounds with her siblings. Of which she found herself doing.
Just after she had mailed a birthday present to her father, along with a letter from the three eldest Beaumont children at Hogwarts saying they won't return that Christmas due to the Yule Ball. Aster was beside himself in a tantrum about this since he wasn't able to go to the ball and will return home. He even went around to Zinnia's friends and tried convincing them to take him; he was that desperate, only to be met by the dismissive giggles of the girls.
Zinnia found her siblings on the way back from the icy owlery and they proceeded to a vast open patch of grass where Aster began the fight by throwing a snowball at Primrose's head. She returned it with a scream and chased him playfully. Not even a second later they all burst into a fight where Zinnia had tackled Violet into the snow and Prim had caught up with Aster, of whom she dropped wet snow down his jacket. They all laughed and ran until their ribs gave out and their noses turned a worrisome red.
Once the group of siblings had split their separate ways after Violet demanded them to warm up, Zinnia perched herself on the red couch of the Gryffindor common room with a heavily worn out version of 'Pride and Prejudice' in her hand. She basked in the warmth of the fire as she felt her fingertips slowly regain their feeling.
Suddenly she felt the weight of the couch shift beside her, she turned around to see the smiling blushed face of Hermione next to her, staring into the fire.
"What's got you all red?" Zinnia chuckled into her book, nonchalantly turning the page and marking her place.
"I've just been asked to the ball" Hermione said through a grinning smile, trying to push down the giggles she felt rising through her stomach. Zinnia's head shot up and her face grew the most devious smile.
