polaroids (cedric diggory)

fourteen

"Band of baboons"

"The Yule Ball," McGonagall began, addressing all the Gryffindors, "has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception."

Professor shot Mr Filch a pointed look as he attempted to fix the music, sending a crackling of static instead.

"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."

The boys, sat in chairs against one wall, all groaned, while the girls opposite then began chattering excitedly. Tayla and Aria looked at each other and squealed.

"Silence!" McGonagall bellowed, "The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly 10 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."

She looked around, "Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, is a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance."

Her hawk eyes scanned the boys, before settling on one, "Mr Weasley?"
"Yes?" He replied worriedly.

"Will you join me, please?"

Tayla and Aria held back a fit of giggles as Ron awkwardly walked to the middle of the room.

"Would you place your right hand on my waist?"

"Where?" He looked halfway between shocked and wanting to be sick.

"My waist." He reluctantly agreed, Seamus wolf whistling, "And extend your arm. Mr Filch, if you please?" A slow waltz played through the speaker, "One, two, three." Ron's face paled as he danced stiffly with their Head of House, "Everybody, come together."

The girls shot onto their feet, eagerly trying to find partners with the boys, who looked like they would rather pitch themselves off the Astronomy tower.

"Boys, on your feet!"

Tayla and Aria looked at each other mischievously, the former bowing slightly, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

"You may, my lady." Aria clutched her hand, placing one on Tayla's waist, the two waltzing exuberantly around the room.

-

Ginny and Aria were supporting a shaking Ron between them, guiding him through the portrait hole and sitting him on the sofa in the front of the fire.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked.

Aria rubbed her brother's back reassuringly as Ginny answered, "He just asked Fleur Delacour out."

"What'd she say?"

"No, of course!" Hermione interjected, earning a noise from Ron that sounded like he was holding back sick, "She said yes?"

"Don't be silly." Ron eventually spoke up, "There she was, walking by. You know how I like it when they walk. I couldn't help it. It just sort of slipped out."

Ginny grimaced, "Actually, he sort of screamed at her. It was a bit frightening."

"And what did you do then?" Harry asked.

"What else?" Ron cringed, "I ran for it. I'm not cut out for this, Harry. I don't know what got into me. I've always liked looking at them from behind. Oh, she's never going to forgive me, ever."

-

Aria spent much of the next day in Hogsmeade, having been dragged there by Tayla and Katie who both said she was certain to be asked to the Yule Ball. Tayla had already agreed to go with an unnamed Hufflepuff and Katie was going with a boy from Durmstrang, so the three of them had made the trek from the castle and into one of the tailors in the nearby village to buy gowns.

Ginny had already bought her dress, running up to her older sister eagerly and telling her she had got a date and could now go, through she wouldn't say who.

Aria's two friends had already settled on dresses from the shop. Tayla's was a emerald green ballgown that just skimmed the floor and Katie's was a red cocktail dress. But Aria had no such luck.

Her two friends had told her not to go until she finds something that made her feel like a Veela and she just hadn't found it yet.

That was until a certain dress caught her eye. She gently pulled it from the rack and she thought of something.

"Hey girls," Aria said turning to the mirror, "what if I buy this dress and customize it?" She brought the mint green dress next to her body.

The other three looked at the dress, "Oh you want to totally Aria it?" Katie asked and Aria nodded, laughing.

"That would be wicked! You have so much talent to do that!" Tayla admitted, excitedly.

"You have to get this one, you would look lovely!" Her sister stated.

"Really? Okay, let me buy this one then!" Aria responded, grabbing her bag and taking out her wallet.

-

When Aria came back to her room, she immediately started working on her dress.

After some hours of sewing and using magic to customize this dress, Aria got up from the floor and put her dress into her storage unit.
She later headed down to the Great Hall for her prefect shift, waiting for the Hufflepuff.