✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

14 | I N V I T A T I O N S

   "Technically it wasn't on fire." Wriggling a strain of her thick, black hair around her finger, Ember absentmindedly stared at the still closed door.

   "It's said you completely blew it up", George snorted.

   "I said technically", the small Hufflepuff muttered, while the two redheads bursted out laughing.

   It had been no surprise to her that it were the Weasley twins she had to share her attention with. What they had done, she didn't even ask; for weeks now Fred and George regularly got themselves in this sorts of trouble caused by nothing but Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

   For Ember herself, detention was a rather rare occasion. Indeed she only gotten herself into it twice; one involved Draco Malfoy and half of his hair turned to stone in third year during a legendary Transfiguration lesson; the second one she owed no one other than Fred and George, who once more used her for one of their stupid pranks.

   This time it was nothing but her own fault. Pathetic stupidity. Getting asked out to the Yule Ball by a Ravenclaw Fifth year got her so startled, she accidentally blew up her cauldron thirty minutes later in Snape's classroom. Of course the potions master was not amused, and it wasn't helpful at all that the Shrinking Solution she was about to brew, was spilled all over Snape's legs, having him look like the strangest, grumpiest goblin you'd ever met. A full night of detention was her reward, and before supper the rumor that Ember had burnt down the potions classroom had spread through the whole castle.

   "And technically, is it true that you were distracted by a certain Grant Page has asked our little sunshine here to to Yule Ball?", Fred then asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

   With flushing cheeks, Ember mumbled, "technically" under her breath.

   "So the Ball has just being announced this morning, and tiny Potter already has a date", said George, pouting his lips. "I'm impressed, but shocked at the same time, Emmie."

   "I don't have a date", she replied, turning even more crimson. Two pairs of chocolate brown eyes looked at her curious, eyebrows raised up to vanish under messy red hair. "Of course I told him no."

   "Of course?", Fred echoed, the grin back on his lips. "What's so obviously in telling a polite young man asking you out 'no'?"

   "I don't even know him! And I'm sure he doesn't know me as well. Why would he ask me?"

   Fred snorted. "Maybe he wants to get to know you?"

   "And to be honest, everyone kinda knows you, you're —", said George.

   "Harry Potter's sister, I know", Ember sighed. "But —"

   "I wanted to say that they know you for being befriended with the two best looking, funniest and most charming guys of Hogwarts", George plainly cut her off. "Well, but you for sure got a point."

   Rolling her eyes, Ember couldn't surpress a chuckle. "I just won't go with anyone."

   "But you would go with someone you know?", George asked, and Fred added, "And who knows you?"

   "Well combined, Sherlock and Watson."

   "So if — let's say ... Neville would ask you, you would say yes?"

   "Why, yes, I think I would", she replied shrugging, and a voice in her mind grew louder, begging for Snape to finally open the door and let the detention begin, so those two devils would finally have to shut up. Her skin was growing hotter with every passing second, leaving her bathing in all the discomfort this ridiculous ball was giving her.

   "And you'd go with Lee?", Fred asked furthermore.

   "I think so."

   "So let's say I would ask you", he then suddenly said, having Ember shifting uncomfortably on her feet, nervously tucking down the sleeves of her jumper, "because I know you and you know me, then would you say yes as well?"

   "Fred, just leave it", she sighed. "Why are we talking about hypotheses?"

   "I'm just curious." He shrugged and his lips curled into a crooked smile. "So what if I would ask you, Emmie?"

   "I guess — well, I'd say yes", she finally muttered, feeling her cheeks being set on fire.

   Beaming, Fred clapped his hands. "Fantastic! So we have a d—"

   But right a second before Ember could die of embarrassment, the door to Snape's classroom opened, and Fred's voice was shut silent immediately, and Ember's mind was booming with a million curious thoughts.

·

   A full week after their detention, Ember no longer knew if it was her avoiding Fred, or Fred avoiding her — or if they just both started to avoid each other.

   It wasn't Fred's fault. Ember just wasn't feeling like going to the Yule Ball with anyone. While Susan and Hannah had their dates — Ernie McMillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley — quickly after the announcement, Ember had been asked by several guys she'd never spoken to ever before in her life, but was declining every single invitation.

   "Why don't you just say yes?", Hermione asked her during their Herbology lesson. "It's just a dance, you don't have to marry whomever you're going with."

   "Don't push her, Hermione, if she doesn't feel like having a date, that's absolutely fine", Harry said in a cough while he tried to cut the Snargaluff's vines back that tried to suffocate Ron.

   "Of course that's what you would say", Hermione scoffed, catching one of the plant's vine midair and cutting it off.

   "And what's that supposed to mean?", Harry sharply asked.

   "That you're an overprotective little git, and an absolute buzzkill", sounded Susan's voice from a table further down the room, and Ember couldn't surpress a snort.

   "Miss Bones!", Professor Sprout shouted from the front of the greenhouse. "This work needs you full attention, stop talking and take care of Miss Abbott! If you let the Snargaluff kill her, I fear I have to write your parents."

   "I'm not overprotective", Harry growled, his eyebrows furrowed.

   "Then I suggest you start to be right now, Potter", Professor Sprout now spoke right next to Ember's ear, as if she'd just apparated there, "because Weasley's turning blue." Then she looked at Ember's and Hermione's Snargaluff, her face brightening up to a gleeful smile. "Perfect, Miss Granger and Miss Potter! Ten points each for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!"