𝐎𝐃𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓 harry potter.

19: Sweet Teen Angst

You'd think I'd be
a fast learner

But guess I won't ever mind
crisping up on your backburner

ALLY WEASLEY LAY on her stomach on Amelia's bed, watching her dormmates scramble around the room. They searched for mismatched socks, pulled a long-lost jacket from under the bed, and tossed aside books they planned to leave behind in the castle. "I should've signed up to go home," she said wistfully. But the idea of returning home only to suppress her feelings for her mother's sake made her hesitate.

Lottie plopped down beside her and gently stroked her hair. "Have you tried asking the other girls for a spare dress robe?"

Ally nodded, mentally ticking off the names of girls she'd already approached. Each had either said they didn't have a spare or seemed too reluctant to lend one. "I heard Pansy has three sets," Ally grumbled, picking at a stray fiber on Amelia's sheets. "But I think she'd cut off my hand if I even touched them."

Amelia sighed. "Promise us you won't pitch yourself off the Astronomy Tower once we're gone?"

Clutching her chest dramatically, Ally stared at them. "I can't make that promise."

They all chuckled, returning to their packing. Ally helped them clean up and walked with them to the entrance of Hogwarts. She squinted at the faint sky. "Have a good holiday," she said, hugging them both.

Ally kept waving until her friends' figures became tiny specks. Reluctantly, she turned back to the castle, dragging her feet, feeling more out of place than ever. The common room was oddly crowded for a Christmas holiday, unlike previous years.

But her dormitory was eerily empty. Gone were the robes strewn across the floor, the scattered hairbrushes, and the dried polish on the windowsill left behind by an open window. She found an odd comfort in the silence, sprawling on the cold wooden floor as a faint green light filtered into the room. Ally hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she awoke, grunting and dizzy, having missed lunch. She trudged to the Great Hall, hoping to find some food left.

There, she spotted Blaise, the only older Slytherin who was somewhat friendly. She sat next to him, her hair still in disarray from skipping a brush. Blaise looked at her with that familiar, judgmental expression. "I fell asleep," she said absentmindedly.

Blaise gave her a once-over, his gaze sharp and appraising. "I can see that."

Ally, her patience with nearly everyone long since worn thin, concentrated on the plate before her. She didn't care if Blaise judged her for eating like she hadn't been fed in days. The roasted lamb was a rare treat, likely served only because Hogwarts was hosting two other wizarding schools for the Triwizard Tournament.

"Are you going to the Yule Ball, Alvona?" Blaise asked, his expression tightening as he watched her eat with little regard for propriety.

Ally downed her food with a long sip of cold pumpkin juice, savoring the sweetness before meeting his eyes. "No. But there's no point in going home. My twin's staying."

"If you haven't got a date, I could take you," he suggested, his tone almost casual.

Ally barely reacted, shaking her head. "Oh, no—it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Blaise asked, his curiosity tinged with a hint of irritation.

"Funny story..." Ally sighed, her voice heavy with frustration. "I can't get dress robes."