Dateless ✓

Chapter 6: The Ball

It was no longer possible to put it on hold. It was a night that had arrived far too soon, with days leading up to the date rushing forward like an unstoppable bullet. The gun had been shot in the form of a tournament, the bullet was released as he asked Ron to go with him, and now it had hit its target as they had a ball they were forced to attend, together.

The common room had turned into a battlefield as Gryffindors prepared for the event. Stressed, excited and drunk teenagers were everywhere. Girls were fixing their make up, checking their hair, and furiously attacking barely visible creases on their dresses with spells that Harry would never bother to learn. Once they were satisfied with their appearance they would reach for the glittering purple punch, delivered by house elves, spiked by Gryffindors.

At the corner of the room stood Ron, Seamus and Dean huddled together. One of the older Gryffindor students had smuggled Ogden's Old Firewhisky, and as the famous Harry Potter's best friend, Ron had successfully landed himself with one bottle. Now he was busy taking shots of the burning liquid and Harry wasn't sure how he felt about it, throwing some worried looks at his best friend.

Harry on the other hand didn't have any spare time for breaking the rules by drinking. He was busy helping frustrated Gryffindor boys with the task of how to make their ties into a Windsor Knot, knowledge derived from years of living with Vernon and Petunia. It was the first good thing he could contribute to those awful years, because no one else seemed to know how to, and few dared to try the Knotting-spell after they saw Neville accidentally set a tie on fire with it. An impossibility which probably only Neville could accomplish, still, others were fearful to try it after the grand show of screams and fire, settling for Harry's hands instead.

"You're a lifesaver," Fred let out as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. "I owe you one," He winked at Harry who simply gave him a faint smile.

The queue around them had dwindled and Harry guessed Fred was the last person who needed any help.

"By the way, who are you going with tonight?"

Harry gulped hard, trying to talk when he had no words to say.

"It's a secret," He murmured as he discretely looked away, locking eyes with Ron.

Fred grinned, "Sounds exciting."

A vague hum in agreement was the only response he gave, but it was enough as Fred slapped one of his shoulders in a friendly manner and told him to, "Have fun with your mystery date. See you later."

Later as in when he would in the centre of attention, both as a contestant and as scandalous gossip. He knew there would be less of a shock factor if he and Ron hadn't kept it secret, but he felt tongue tied whenever he was supposed to tell anyone.

Harry swallowed, "Yes, later..."

They both walked into different direction, Fred towards his beautiful date and where his twin hung out, while Harry made his way over to the visibly drunk Ron, Seamus and Dean. Their faces were flushed as they laughed louder than usual. None of them noticed his arrival at first.

He tugged on the robe Ron wore, one he had borrowed from the Room of Requirement, quickly gaining Ron's utter attention. His voice was only a small whisper in the tumultuous clamour of the room, "Are you ready to leave?"

Ron nodded confidently, no longer nervous after the liquid courage he had consumed.

Seamus, too busy with his and Dean's conversation to hear what Harry had said, turned to him and smiled mischievously. "Do you want to try some as well?" He held out the almost empty bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky, showing off just how much the group had consumed.