Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 45: Yule Ball

I decided to let Harry struggle with his egg by himself for a little bit. I could get Gillyweed easily enough, and I wanted to make him try and solve it himself first. He pouted when I hinted I knew but refused to help him. I was going to wait until Cedric knew, and thankfully Moaning Myrtle and I are on good terms, so she was going to let me know when he figured it out. Myrtle was easily the creepiest ghost in this castle, purely for the fact she spied on the boys in the bathrooms all the time. Then again, she died probably right in the middle of her puberty, so that's not too surprising.

The Yule Ball got announced shortly after the first task. Alexei wasted no time in formally asking me to attend with him, which I agreed to happily. He asked if I already had a dress, and I told him the colors of it, so he plans to coordinate to match. I did write home to Dad and Remus about the ball, since I wasn't coming home for winter break for the first time since I started school. They made plans to meet me in Hogsmeade during the Holidays though, so I was looking forward to seeing them then. Dad kept asking if I was taking a date, and I relented and told him about Alexei. I figured he was going to have some words to say to me later, but at least he didn't send a howler for this. I think he's just happy I waited so long to be with anyone.

Minnie was holding dancing lessons, which I was looking forward to purely to watch Ron freak out. I kept telling him and Harry to just hurry up and ask a girl out, but they kept putting it off. I knew Harry had a crush on Cho, he's slipped up and has been caught staring at her during meals, to which I relentlessly tease him about. I wasn't going to suggest Ginny yet, I wanted them to happen naturally, so I left them be. 

With Ron though I did tease him to be a man and ask Hermione out, but she told me that Viktor already asked her out. She wanted advice on how to get over the language barrier, so I just told her either learn Bulgarian or Russian, since Viktor and Alexei speak both, or just make out with Viktor a lot. I don't think she appreciated my answer much, especially since I still don't speak much Russian, so she figured out which route I took.

For waltz practice, I partnered with George while Fred was with Angelina. Alicia partnered with Kenneth, who had also asked her to be his date to the ball. Lee partnered with a 5th year girl he was taking. I teased George he needed to hurry up and ask someone else, and so he sauntered up to a different 5th year and asked her out, smirking at me the whole time. He and I both knew Fred was going to ask Angelina later, so we let them be.

"My Princess." George bowed dramatically when asking for my hand to dance.

"Loyal Subject." I say haughtily to him as I take his hand, and he places his hands on the proper positions on me. 

Molly tried to teach all the boys to waltz, but quit after the twins tormented her to near death about it. They couldn't take it seriously, so they don't know how to properly dance, and Ron never got to learn. Charlie and Bill were both taught though, even if neither are naturals or particularly good at it. I have full confidence that Alexei will be wonderful, he's naturally very graceful, and his mother is a model and enjoys the arts, so likely he was also taught.

George and I waltzed comically during practice, but I eventually made him properly learn. I learned to dance in my last life, Alfred made sure me and Jason could present ourselves properly when out at gala's under the Wayne name. As a result, I am quite the talented dancer, and could easily correct George. Minnie saw this and made me train others, starting with Harry since he was the champion and representing the house.

"Harry, sweetie, if you look at your feet one more time, I'm going to jinx them off." I scold the boy after he dropped his head to look at our feet for about the 50th time during our practice. He's also stepped on me maybe 10 times. "Honestly, I've been training you to be coordinated for over two years, how are you this bad?"