Junoesque ✿George Weasley✿

17.

After Blair's joint detention with George, she laid out on her bed while playing with Jasper. Her detention hadn't been pleasant and Professor Flitwick stood over them the whole time, meaning they couldn't even talk. They just scrubbed at the marks on the tables, walls and floor in silence. Occasionally, he would ask Blair about her studies. Since he was head of Ravenclaw, he was naturally interested in his students' studies and momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be supervising detention. George had immediately complained about the favouritism as they walked back to their common rooms, to which Blair just listened to mindlessly. She was so used to his whining now that she was able to block it out, yet take in most of the relevant information at the same time.

Blair had sprouted a cat toy from her wand and was waving around the feathery end on her bed sheets, watching Jasper instinctively follow it around. While the feline played, Blair was deep in thought about her conversation today with George. They would be having their dancing lessons weekly now and she still wasn't positive that George was ever going to dance with her. Sure, she knew that he wasn't interested in Alicia. But Blair couldn't help but think about the fact that they had had that entire conversation today, yet he hadn't hinted to asking her to the ball.

Fred had already asked Angelina and Ginny had constantly asked Blair if George had asked her yet. She didn't want to be too optimistic, but she was sure George was going to ask her to the ball. She wanted to have a reason to enjoy Christmas this year. She wanted a reason to sneak out to Hogsmeade again and look for a dress. She wanted a reason to be girly for once in her life.

"Poppy?" Blair called out to the girl who was rummaging around in her trunk.

"Yeah?" she replied and Blair let Jasper finally catch the feathery end of her lengthened wand.

"Has anyone asked you to the ball yet?"

"I've had two fifth years ask. But I'm waiting on someone else," Poppy admitted with a bashful shrug. "Why? Has someone asked you?"

"No... I think I'm waiting on someone else too," she said truthfully as she watched Jasper roll around.

"Is it George?" Poppy asked with a growing smile. Blair didn't even try to deny it this time and nodded lightly, feeling defeated and disheartened.

"Well the ball was only just announced today. Maybe he's waiting for the right time," Poppy suggested.

"Hm... maybe."

"Well, if you're that keen-" Poppy started again. "-why don't you ask him first?"

Blair blinked as she looked away from her cat and stared back at Poppy with a blank face. There was nothing that said girls couldn't ask boys to the ball. It was only the silly tradition that the male had the responsibility to make a romantic scene where he would ask the female to be his date. Seeing as Fred asked Angelina through a visual dance in the Great Hall during study period, there didn't seem to be any formality with the process.

"Maybe I should."

---

Blair didn't even prepare herself to ask George to the ball. It just kind of slipped out while she was walking with him to Transfiguration. They had been talking about the various people they had seen ask others to be their date to the ball and winced at the many painful rejections they had seen. Blair didn't want the subject to change before she could ask, and it was obvious that George wasn't intending to ask her at that moment either.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" she blurted and George halted in his pursuit, making her do the same. They then stood in the empty corridor staring at each other with wide eyes and open mouths. Neither was expecting the outburst and Blair immediately regretted everything.