Surviving Hogwarts

A New Year's Kiss

"DAISY! GET DOWN HERE! WE'RE ABOUT TO BE LATE!" Iris called up the stairs.

Daisy took one last look in the full-length mirror in her room, doing one last check. Her mother had helped her with her makeup, but she had opted to do her hair on her own. She had one large braid that wrapped around her crown while the rest hung in loose curls.

Satisfied with how she looked, Daisy walked to her bed to grab her purse. She then ran down the three flights of stairs to the first floor and stopped abruptly once she reached the bottom.

Standing next to her brothers in dress robes was none other than Chris. Both were speechless as they took in the other.

"Oh good, you're ready," Iris said as she stepped in from the living room where she had been checking herself in the mirror.

She wore a sweeping navy blue off the shoulder gown that probably would have looked too young for other women her age, but was fitting on Iris.

"What are you doing here?" Daisy asked Chris bluntly.

"Oh, the boys wanted to invite him since he was coming over for a few days tomorrow anyway," Iris said, preoccupied with checking her purse.

She snapped it shut as Daisy tried to play off her surprise in front of her brothers. Remus and Alan gave each other a look that went unnoticed.

"Get your cloak, dear," Iris ordered.

Daisy walked past the boys and grabbed her dress cloak from a hall closet and quickly pulled it on, hoping she wasn't blushing. Iris stepped next to her, winking as she pulled out her own and slid it on.

"OLIVER WILLIAM WOOD! YOU WILL NOT MAKE US LATE TO YOUR OWN BLOODY BALL!" she then boomed.

Oliver stepped into the front foyer from the dining room, dressed in black dress robes with a blue and gold tie.

"Ready then, are we?" he asked.

Iris smiled and nodded. She held her hands out. Daisy took one and held her other out to Chris.

"Mam likes to travel this way. Much better than floo or apparating," Remus explained as he took Chris' other hand.

Soon they were standing in a circle.

"Here we go," Iris said as they all closed their eyes.

When they opened them, they were standing in front of a large abandoned looking building in London. Oliver took Iris' arm and led them all to a wooden door. He knocked three times and it opened to a grand foyer. Oliver handed the man an invitation and they all followed him in, Daisy glancing nervously at Chris in front of her.

Once they had arrived at the coat check, Daisy stopped, taking in the grandeur of the hall.

"Whoa," she said softly.

It was like something out of one of the muggle fairy tales her mother read to her when she was younger. It was all cream marble with gold trimmings. They were on a second-floor terrace, walking towards a large, grand staircase that led down to the main floor of the ball room. It was lit up perfectly. Light enough to see clearly, but still a bit dim to add a romantic air. There were three large chandeliers hanging over the ball room that were dripping with clear crystals.

"Something, isn't it?" Iris said, looking back and obviously enjoying the enchantment on her daughter's face.

Daisy followed her parents with Chris and her brothers behind her. They made their way down the grand staircase to the main floor. An orchestra and band were set up at the far end of the ballroom. On one side, there was a long bar with a champagne fountain at the end.