Hufflepuff In The Family

I'm Going With...

 The inevitable confrontation came the next day when Harry cornered me after Care of Magical Creatures. Part of me was hoping he'd ask someone else or he'd just chicken out of asking me altogether. Neither happened.

Every lesson we'd had together that day, I'd rushed away as quickly as possible to avoid talking to either my brother or Harry, but during the final lesson of the day, it was hard to make a getaway. I had instructed Danielle and Kelly to surround me at all times but even they couldn't stop him grabbing my wrist and pulling me to a halt.

Ron was stood a little way away with Hermione, both of them looking very uncomfortable. I looked at Harry and smiled and by his face, I knew what was coming. By the looks on their faces, I knew my best friends had an idea too. They hovered, unsure whether to attempt to save me from what we all knew would be a terrible interaction or if they should leave the sunken ship and save themselves.

I nodded to them, freeing them from witnessing the uncomfortable exchange. Kelly started scurrying away immediately but Danielle clearly wanted to see what was about to happen but Kelly placed a hand firmly on her arm and began to drag her away.

"Hey, Gina I was wondering if I could ask you something?" He asked, uncharacteristically shy.

"Technically you just did but sure, go for it."

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Yule Ball with me?" There it was. The inevitable blow.

"Oh um well, I was hoping you'd ask me," I started. His eyes lit up and my heart broke as I had to force myself to bite out the next words. "But you took so long that I thought you weren't going to so I um... kind of, sort of, may have said yes to... someone else."

"Oh." The dejected look in his eyes was almost too much for my heart to take. Every part of me was screaming to ditch Malfoy and just go with Harry but I couldn't. I'd promised Draco, I can barely go back on that now.

"Who is it?" He asked, seemingly harmlessly but I knew he was dying to know who beat him to the punch.

"Hmm?"

"Who are you going to the ball with?"

"Ah right well... um that would be mahoy," I mumbled, trying to put as little emphasis on his name as I could.

"Who?" He asked again.

"Draco Malfoy," I bit out. I made my eyes look anywhere but his face but after a while of awkward silence, I was forced to look. Up.

Harry looked completely ashen. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. "Malfoy? You're going with Malfoy?" His voice rose slightly and I cringed as Ron's head perked up. He began to make his way over and I held my breath waiting for impact.

"I'm sorry Harry did you just say what I think you just said?"

"Maybe I should go and let you two chat," I said in an attempt to get away. No such luck.

"Not a chance in hell. Did Harry just say you're going to the ball with DRACO?"

"What? Of course not! Except that that's a lie and yes I am going with him."

Ron's face matched Harry's for only a second before the pure rage kicked in. "So you're telling me, you're going to the Yule Ball with the person who has been out to get us for four years, whose family is completely elitist and looks down on all of us like we're less than dirt and whose father was literally a death eater."

"Listen, no one else had asked me and we're getting close to the Ball now so when he approached me, I panicked! What else was I supposed to do?"

"Say no! Christ, I'm starting to understand why you're a Hufflepuff now. You're allowed to say no, Gee," Ron argued. Harry was yet to say a word or even move and I knew neither Ron nor I was going to back down.

"Listen, if someone had had the courage to ask me sooner we wouldn't be in this mess, but I said yes and now I'm going so don't try and change my mind. Now, if you don't mind I'll be in my common room." With that, I turned and walked away as quickly as my short legs would carry me.

When I finally arrived back at my common room, I couldn't find Danielle or Kelly anywhere so I assumed they had gone up to our dormitory. I made my way up the stairs only to find Dani sitting on her bed, writing the letter that she sent to her mum every three days, without fail.

"Where's Kelly?" I asked her, as I began to take off my robes and get into my pyjamas.

"Becki asked her to meet so we both know they might be a while," she giggled. We'd all been shocked when Kelly had asked Becki to the Yule Ball, most of all the Slytherin herself. I'd had my suspicions that Becki had feelings for her for a while but when I found out Kelly returned them, I was overjoyed.

"Oh, an owl came by earlier, so I just put the letter on your bed. I think it's from Jacob. It looks like his handwriting anyway."

I looked at the letter on my pillow and gently opened it. I checked and it was from Jacob.

Regina

Sorry I can't talk to you in person, I've been trying to catch you but I've just been so insanely busy with lessons. Anyway, today I was in the common room and I overheard Malfoy and his goons talking about the Yule Ball. He told the most ridiculous lie and I just had to tell you immediately, knowing you'd get a good laugh out of it.

He said that he'd asked you to go with him because neither of you had a date yet and he figured it would piss the most amount of people off. But here's the kicker: he was telling everyone you agreed to it.

Can you believe that? You'd go with Moaning Myrtle before you went with that slime ball and besides, last time we spoke, you were certain Harry was going to ask you.

Naturally, I told him he was off his head if he thought you'd ever lower your standards to him but he just laughed and told me that if I didn't believe him to go straight to the source, obviously thinking I wouldn't.

Anyway, if you can write back to me as soon as possible (preferably tonight before we all go to sleep) so I can stick it in Malfoy's face and say "Look at this douchebag!" that would be great.

We need to meet up, and soon. We all need to approve each other's outfits for the Yule Ball. Can't wait to hear back from you,

Jacob

Some very unladylike words rushed through my head. And then I said them out loud, causing Danni to look up from her letter with concern.

"What's up?" She asked.

"He wants to know if Malfoy is telling the truth about us going to the ball together."

Danielle repeated the unladylike words I'd spoken moments before.

I quickly ripped off some spare parchment and pulled out my quill to scribble him a quick reply, telling him the truth. I gave it to the owl that sat on the end of Danielle's bed as she wrote. My guess was she'd been feeding him just before she got there because the owl was perched close to her head, eyeing her greedily.

I tied the letter to his leg before opening the window and letting him fly away. Let the second scolding of the day begin.