Thick Smoke

Teenage Disappointment

"Hey, Liz! You forgot this!" Fred Weasley, Eliza hoped she was right and that it was Fred, not George, ran after her, holding tightly onto what looked like a black ball.

"Huh?"

Eliza stopped in her tracks and waited for the ginger to catch up to her. Once Fred was right in front of her, the black ball looked very familiar.

"Right..." She trailed off as she looked between the ginger and her cat. "Where did you find him?" Eliza asked in her normal voice.

"In the Entrance Hall. I think he was trying to find the kitchen."

Hearing the magic word, the black ball opened up, showing his true identity. His bright green eyes stared up at the ginger innocently, looking like he wasn't even real.

"Aw, look at him! Such a cute little guy," Fred cooed at the kitten, and it seemed like Furvus was enjoying it.

"Furvus. Come here," Eliza ordered her kitten, but Furvus didn't move an inch. Instead, he purred and jumped on Fred, digging his little claws into his clothes.

"I think he likes me!" The ginger exclaimed happily.

The kitten glanced over his shoulder at his master and purred again. It looked, in Eliza's eyes, as if Furvus was taunting her.

"I have to go to class. You can hang around Fred for now, but behave. Be nice, Furvus," she repeated, her tone getting stricter.

Furvus purred again and turned back to Fred happily.

"How the heck did he get here again?" She mumbled on her way to Divination.

*****

Furvus was a troublemaker, so naturally, he liked following the Weasley twins around. They quite liked him too and were using him as a pawn in their games. Sometimes to attract girls. But whenever the cat got in trouble, the one to suffer the repercussions was her.

Eliza arrived late to Transfiguration because Furvus found the entrance to the kitchen, and there was a house-elf that found the black cat very entertaining.

"Who the heck is that elf anyway? He's taking great care of that little troublemaker..." She mumbled, her attention far from the subject in class.

Only when Professor McGonagall threw a very sharp look, Eliza finally shut up and looked at her teacher.

"Now, before you leave, I have an announcement to make. The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

Eliza was sitting in the back. All the girls around looked delighted while the boys were confused and worried. Eliza groaned because, to her misfortune, she actually did learn how to dance. She could still remember Remus teaching her because you never know what may happen in the future and I won't be there, nudging you towards a boy.

Her eyes widened when realization struck her. Remus probably heard about the Yule Ball and sent her a dress. Oh no. He probably sneaked one inside her trunk when she wasn't looking, or maybe that was why Furvus appeared at school...

"I'm not going," Eliza firmly stated when they got back to their dormitory.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest, ready for a lecture.

"I-I'm serious! I am not going to that ball wearing a dress—Hermione!" Eliza whined at the end, feeling like everyone was against her.

"It's going to be fantastic! We have to find a date and I already have someone in mind," Parvati trailed, her eyes looking into the distance with sparkles in her eyes.