The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

22. The Yule Ball

"And we were just kids in love, the summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from. The last kiss stole the breath from my lips" ~ Kids in Love, Mayday Parade

Despite the heavy workload of homework given to us for the holidays, I'm in absolute no mood to work when the term ends and spend the week leading up to Christmas enjoying myself as much as possible with everyone else. Gryffindor tower is hardly less crowded now than during term-time; it seems to have shrunk slightly, too, as its inhabitants are being much rowdier than usual. Fred and George have had great success selling their Canary Creams, and for the first few days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feathers left, right and centre. Before long, however, we all learnt to treat any offered food with extreme caution. 

Snow is falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looks like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that is Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes are glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The House Elves, it seems, have been working extremely hard, outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savoury puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seems to be able to complain about it. 

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," we hear her saying, as we leave the Great Hall one evening. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

"Oooh, there's a tragedy," Hermione says snappily. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

Riley and Tessa both nod slowly, grimacing slightly. "Lovely girl," Tessa says hastily, "but god, does she love herself."

"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asks, springing the question he's been asking for days. 

"I'm not telling you," she says, "you'll just make fun of me."

"You're joking, Weasley?" comes Draco's voice, from behind us. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball?"

We all whip around, and I roll my eyes. 

"Keep that going, boyfriend, and you won't have anybody to go to the ball with," I say warningly. 

"Hello, Professor Moody!" Hermione says suddenly, halting any response I may have gotten. Draco goes pale and jumps backwards, looking wildly around for Moody, only to find him still seated at the staff table. 

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy? Hermione says scathingly, before the group of us begin the climb upstairs, laughing. 

"Hermione," I say, giving her a sideways look, as I stare hard at her, "your teeth are different."

"Of course they are - did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"

"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put the hex on you...they're all...straight..."

Hermione suddenly gives a very mischievous smile. "Well...when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get my teeth shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," she says. "And I just...let her carry on a bit." She smiles even wider. "Mum and Dad won't be pleased. I've been trying to convince them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my brace. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think magic should - look! Pigwidgeon's back!"

Ron's tiny owl is twittering madly at the top of the icicle-ridden bannisters, a scroll of parchment attached to his leg. Several people are pointing and laughing. 

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hisses, after we say goodbyes to Riley and Tessa. "You bring letters straight to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off! Here, take it, Hayles.'