star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next Monday, Professor McGonagall called for all Gryffindors fourth year and above to gather in a chamber on the first floor. Wondering what in the world for, they did so after classes that day, chatting excitedly. McGonagall was waiting for them when they arrived and instructed for girls to sit on one side of the room while boys sat on the other. They were all confused but obeyed. Arabella sat down next to Hermione. They were left to wait until Mr. Filch brought in a rather large record player.

"The Yule Ball," McGonagall began, "has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since it's inception. On Christmas Eve 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."

Arabella and Hermione looked at each other. "The dress robes," they whispered, remembering the item on the supply list they received in August.

The rest of the girls in the chamber began to whisper amongst themselves and the boys all groaned.

"Silence!" said McGonagall. "The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!"

"What a sentence," Arabella muttered.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe."

"Really? 'Cause, I thought that was just plain breathing."

"Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight."

Arabella raised her eyebrows at the woman.

Ron murmured something to the boys sitting around him and they all laughed. McGonagall turned to them abruptly, causing Ron's eyes to widen, afraid she had just heard whatever he had said.

"Inside every boy," she said, "a lordly lion prepared to prance."

"Those boys? Prance?" Arabella snorted. Hermione laughed.

"Mr. Weasley."

"Yes?" Ron asked nervously.

"Will you join me, please?" McGonagall held her hand out to him. He reluctantly got up and they stood in the middle of the chamber. "Now, place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?"

"My waist."

Arabella wolf-whistled and everyone laughed as McGonagall struggled to get Ron to correctly place his hands where they were supposed to be. Filch started the music and they began to dance. Arabella couldn't hold back any longer and began to laugh hysterically.

"Miss Weasley, if you cannot pull yourself together, I will have to dismiss you."

Arabella stopped immediately, not wanting to miss the show. "Sorry, Professor."

"So who do you think is going to ask you?" Ginny asked Hermione and Arabella once they came back to the common room and told her everything.

"No one," both girls answered.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Boys obsess over you, you're bound to be asked."

"No one obsesses over us, Ginny," Arabella disagreed. "Especially not now with all of the nonsense that wretched Skeeter woman is publishing."

"Everyone thinks we're mad and stuck-up now," Hermione added, crossing her arms.

"Well, to be fair, you are," Ginny said. "Just not to the extent Rita would like everyone to believe. But," she held up a finger to silence the girls as they opened their mouths to speak, "I happen to know of two boys that like that about you and haven't stopped speaking with you since the article came out."

"And who would they be?"

"Malfoy and Krum." The girls began to protest. "Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me I'm wrong?"

"If you'd shut up and let us, yeah," Arabella said.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Okay, say I am wrong and they don't ask you. You've still got other boys that don't fancy you that I'm sure will be willing to go with you."

"They don't see it that way," Hermione said, her eyes on Harry and Ron.

"Yes, but that's because they're idiots. They don't know a decent girl when they see one. But my point is, you will have dates to that ball, so I hope you've got your dress robes ready."

[word count: 718]
[written: 5/14/20]
[published: 6/14/20]