Always There For You (Harry Potter OC X OC)

54. Yule Ball-

Anthony was impressed. Joel and Terry got a date already. The Ravenclaw fourth year hung out in the common room. They looked at each other, unsure who was about to speak first.

'Let's just take each other,' said Mandy, breaking the silence. 'I'll go first. Anthony, do you want to go to the ball with me?'

Anthony didn't see any point to this. But at least he knew Mandy better than the girls sending letters. 'Sure,' he said.

'Just like that?' spoke Sue. 'No romance, no anything? No flowers?'

'It is what it is,' said Mandy.

Isobel looked annoyed at her options. 'Michael, you're going with me.'

'No... I think I'll go with--'

'I'll do your assignments for a month,' said Isobel desperately.

Michael considered. 'Two months,' he bargained.

Isobel was scandalized. 'Fine.'

'Then this leaves Andika with Lisa,' said Padma. Andika and Lisa didn't say anything. 'Sue's going with Dean Thomas and I'm going with Ronald Weasley.'

'How did you and your twin sister manage to get with Harry and Ron, anyway?' asked Terry, curiously.

'Cause we can,' said Padma smugly. The girls rolled their eyes.

'It's settled then,' said Sue. 'I'm off to bed, good night everyone.'

'Right, me too,' said Isobel. 'Good night.'

The little conference disbanded.

***

A day before Yule Ball. It was 7 PM, Lizzy had finished dinner. The castle wasn't as crowded as it usually was, but not empty enough as it usually was on Christmas holiday. Her friends had gone home on 23rd of December. The ones here who stayed in Hogwarts were a majority of fourth to seventh year students, getting ready for the Yule Ball. Everyone were excited. Lizzy could feel the euphoria.

She walked the hallways to her dormitory. When she entered the common room, older kids were discussing about the ball.

'Oh, would it be better if I tie up my hair or let it loose?' Hannah Abbot talked to her friends.

'She told me, my robe has to be light purple. Help me dye it, will you? It's pink now, she'll be disappointed,' a seventh year spoke to his friend.

Lizzy was about to step a stair to the girl's dorm, when someone called her. 'Hey, Clark,' said a boy.

Lizzy looked at him. He was Zacharias Smith, a fifth year Hufflepuff. His feature was a bit rough yet oddly charming. His father was sort of a wizarding auror or hitman or something, and his mother was a fish monger. That might be why he seemed to be rougher than the average kids.

'Hi Smith,' greeted Lizzy. She didn't quite know the boy. She only talked to him occasionally about school.

'Are you here for the Yule Ball? Have you got a date already?' he asked awkwardly.

Lizzy glanced around, hoping this wasn't some kind of awful prank. No one seemed to be snickering about in the corner. 'Just spending Christmas here, why?'

'I'm supposed to go with Fiona, but she's in the hospital wing right now... her... her stomach burned after drinking a couple shots of firewhiskey... it was nasty--turns out she's allergic to rum,' he explained. Lizzy listened attentively. 'Just wondering if you're willing to accompany me to the ball, just friends, of course.'

Lizzy's mind ran to consider. The most burdonsome was thinking she would have to see Joel and the Beauxbatons girl together in the ball.

'Please,' Smith pleaded in a low voice. 'I only ask you to be there, dance, and we'll go our separate ways, yeah?'