𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 || 𝐃.𝐌

XXXIII

“The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to—er—let our hair down.”

[Minerva McGonagall.]

☄. *. ⋆

The days seem to fly by so fast that none of them noticed it was almost Christmas. The students and teachers alike had to wear robes every time they went outside, as the cold winter breeze was palpable. They were all excited for this year, as there would be a very special ball that would occur—the Triwizard's Yule Ball. This year's ball was particularly special because it would only occur once, and to make it more special, it will happen on December 25, Christmas day.

The students were busy preparing for the ball, with the girls excitedly discussing their dresses and the boys trying to look their best. The Great Hall was being decorated with holly, ivy, ice, and mistletoe, and a large Christmas tree was being set up in the corner.

The school was buzzing with excitement for the upcoming festivities, and everyone was looking forward to a night of music, dancing, and celebration during this coming Christmas next week.

“Y/n, did you know about the Yule Ball already?” asked Capella. “Cedric invited me as a plus one but I told him I don't want to attend.” she said. “Balls are too cheesy, I don't even know why adults love that.”

The little girl looked up at her friend with curiosity. She had never heard of the Yule Ball before, and Y/n felt left out. She wanted to know more about this mysterious event.

“What's a Yule Ball?” asked Y/n.

“Oh, oh! Yule Ball is where you wear formal gowns or dresses to dance with the person you want to!” Alcyone exclaimed, adjusting her glasses. “It's a really big deal, and there's going to be so much preparation involved. But it's worth it, because it's like stepping into a fairytale.”

Alcyone then proceeded to say, “You know what, guys? My brother, Roger, is so lucky because one of the champions, Fleur. She said yes to my brother's proposal, and they will go together to the ball!” With a hint of excitement and happiness in her voice.

Y/n's heart skipped a beat at the thought of attending the Yule Ball. She could picture herself in a beautiful gown, dancing with Draco as if they were royalty. She had always dreamed of feeling like a true princess, and now that dream was within reach. As the trio continued to talk about the Yule Ball, Y/n couldn't help but imagine herself there, surrounded by the magic and wonder of the event. She knew that it would be a night she would never forget.

But then again, her daydreaming was interrupted when Alcyone said, “But the catch is, first years can only attend if an adult invited them, so basically we aren't actually allowed if none of our older leaders invited us over.”

“Oh, so does that mean we can't actually go?” Y/n asked, she was disheartened upon hearing that she couldn't participate in the Yule Ball due to the fact that none of the older leaders had invited her. Capella and Alcyone nodded in agreement, sympathizing with her.

However, Alcyone tried to cheer her up by giving her a small pat on her head and saying, “Don't worry Y/n, we're pretty sure Malfoy's gonna invite you anyway!”

Capella, on the other hand, had a different opinion. She rolled her eyes and countered, “Oh please, do you expect Malfoy to dance with a little girl who's really just half his size?! No offense to Y/n but he's gonna be a laughing stock at that point!”

“Capella!” Alcyone sternly called her name, raising an eyebrow, cue in asking her to stop being mean.

“What?! I'm just telling the truth, okay? Which is why I also refused Cedric's invite.” Capella exclaimed. “It's not like we'll meet someone in our year in that ball, mostly we'll be the only first years there. Not fun at all!”

Alcyone shook her head, a frown etched on her face. “You're too mean for this soft baby!” she exclaimed. “I should've taped your mouth since the morning I saw you coming here inside the library!”

“And you're too delulu!” Capella scoffed. “You shouldn't keep Y/n's hopes up, I don't want her to hurt more.”

At this point, Capella's words were actually making a point. Y/n was just a first year, still young and naive, while Draco was already a fourth year, more mature and experienced. Their height difference was also something to consider, and Y/n didn't want people to laugh at Draco just because he was dancing with someone who was much smaller than him.

That's when Y/n realized that she didn't have any fairy godmother who could make her look beautiful and a sparkly dress, just like every other princess has. She felt embarrassed and ashamed, and as she thought more about it, Y/n began to feel more and more sad about it, but she tried to hide it all with a fake façade.

“Guys, please stop fighting,” Y/n called out in a calm tone, trying to diffuse the tension between Alcyone and Capella. “I understand Capella's point of view,” she said, smiling weakly.

Alcyone immediately responded by pulling Y/n into a tight embrace, expressing her sympathy. “Oh Y/n,” holding her friend tightly. “I still believe that there might be a way for you to attend the ball.”

Y/n shook her head, indicating that it was okay. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up,” she said, trying to keep her emotions in check. “But it's not like I have a dress to wear to the ball anyway. Maybe I'll just stay in the common room during Christmas to catch up on my reading.”

As she made her way towards the door, Capella tried to stop her. “Wait, Y/n-” she said, reaching out for her.

However, Y/n had already left, leaving Capella to wonder how she could have handled the situation differently.

Capella let out a deep sigh, feeling a mix of guilt and defeat weighing heavily on her chest. She didn't want to be mean, but at the same time, she didn't want to give Y/n false hope and hurt her more in the long run.

People may not realize it, but Capella's the only actual person who can see that Y/n's feelings for Draco are growing more serious each new day and she didn't want that to happen. Capella knew that it was not the right time for Y/n to pursue a romantic relationship with Draco, not because she still found him unworthy, but because Y/n was still too young and inexperienced to handle the complexities of love.

She could not help but wonder if she was doing the right thing. Was it wrong for her to try and protect her best friend's innocence? She just wanted to shield Y/n from the cruel realities of the world and spare her from the heartbreak that often comes with romantic relationships.

Capella knew that Draco would never reciprocate Y/n's feelings in the same way, not because she wasn't good enough, but simply because she was born too late to catch his eye.