Pyrrhic Victory

sixty

Year Four
sixty. As a Date

As Lucille made her way back to the Hufflepuff common rooms she bumped into Cedric who was leaving the prefect bathrooms with his golden egg.

"Lucy! What are you doing out?" Cedric questioned her as her eyes widened realizing she was stopped by the person she didn't want finding out she was at a Gryffindor party.

"Hanging out with Maggie," Lucille responds. Her eyes trailed down to the golden egg in Cedric's hands. "Why do you have your egg? I get it's special but I don't think anyone plans on stealing it Cedric."

"Oh, yeah... when you open the egg, it screeches at you." Lucille nodded as if she didn't know, and wasn't there when Harry opened his. "I was taking a shower in the prefect bathrooms when Moaning Myrtle suggest I open it underwater... at first I thought it was her being a perv, but the egg sings!"

"The egg sings?" Lucille questioned Cedric. What did he mean by that?

"The mermaids, they're singing a song. I think our next task is in the Black Lake. That's the only place around here with mermaids." Cedric tells Lucille who nods. She wonders what exactly they will be doing in the Black Lake. It's going to February, that's pretty cold to be swimming around then.

"I need to tell Harry soon," Cedric mentions as the two of them walked towards the Hufflepuff common room. "Harry, why? You're technically competition."

"He told me about the dragons. The first competition." He tells Lucille as she wonders how Harry knew about the dragon competition.

"What? How did he know? Is he getting insider information from Dumbledore?!" Lucille asked Cedric but kept her voice below a whisper. Cedric shook his head denying Lucille's accusation.

"No, no. Ron's older brother, Charlie, handles dragons in Romania. He brought them down here." Cedric tells her as Magnolia nods. "Surprised Maggie didn't tell you, isn't she close with Fred?"

"Yeah, something like that, but I don't know if she knew." Lucille tells him as they parted their ways into their respective dorms.

Lucille crawled into her bed as she looked at her ceiling. She got over Blaise pretty quickly last year, and took the time for herself. She hasn't really spoken to Draco at all. They have been in group settings but as for speaking to each other? Non-existent.

She was happy for Magnolia. She was finally getting around to admitting to herself that she liked Fred, and he liked her back.

She closed her eyes and got some sleep, she needed to get up early and study for an upcoming potions exam.

——

It was the end of their Transfiguration lesson and McGonagall had just put away the guinea pigs they were working with. Lucille watched as Magnolia spun her wand in her hand.

"I have something to say to you all," McGonagall starts which caught the attention of the whole class. "The Yule Ball is approaching. It is a traditional part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and an opportunity to socialize with our foreign guest. Now the ball will only be opened to fourth years and up- but you may invite younger guest if you'd like."

Lucille looked over at Magnolia who was smirk on her face. She turned back to look at the rest of the Ophidians. She made eye contact with Draco, but they both quickly broke it as she turned back around to face the front.

"Dress robes will be worn, and the ball will take place at 8' o-clock on Christmas Day and end at midnight in the Great Hall." She continues as some of the students were giggling. Professor McGonagall goes on to say how the standards of Hogwarts will not be relaxed. The bell rang and all of the students were chatting as they left.