"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"
Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class.
It was the end of the lesson, and most of them had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs were shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk. The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Josephine and Hermione were quietly talking.
"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them. "I have something to say to you all."
"The Yule Ball is approaching, a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above, though you may invite a younger student if you wish-"
Lavender let out a shrill giggle. Parvati nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she fought a laugh.
"Dress robes will be work," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to, er, let our hair down," she said in a disapproving voice.
Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Josephine could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.
"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standard of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."
The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them on their shoulders.
Professor McGonagall called above the noise, "Potter-a word if you please."
Josephine, Ron, and Hermione left Harry to more or likely be yelled at by Professor McGonagall.
She plopped on the common room couch and threw her bag to the floor.
The common room was full of excited chatter.
"A ball is rather exciting, isn't it?" said Hermione, her smile wide. Her expression was dreamy.
"Now I really have to choose which dress to wear," Josephine said, groaning.
Her indecisiveness with clothes was terrible. She wished her mom only sent one option. Everyone she asked chose a different option. They both were so beautiful. She just couldn't pick.
"We'll have to ask someone to the dance!" Harry rushed as he waltzed into the common room.
"Really? Oh, that makes it more fun!" Hermione squealed, clapping her hands togeher.
"Way more fun," Josephine added, grinning.
To dress up with her friends and dance the night away on Christmas Day sounded straight out of a Muggle movie she'd pay to see. It was like a dream. A night to live like the princesses she pretended to be.
Ron and Harry stared at the girls with preposterous expressions.
"Fun?" Ron repeated in shock. "More like a bloody nightmare." He dropped his face into his hands.
"Aw, Ronald, you can always ask me," Josephine said, her tone light and jokey to hide how much she meant the words.
She meant them too much.
YOU ARE READING
No Goodbyes \ Ron Weasley
Fanfiction"You said it was unimportant, Joe! This is monumentally important!" "A foe like she'd never known." "Friendship was going to be the only way to get through this." "He looked at her, actually looked at her, and wondered how anyone who saw her didn't...
