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(warning: alcohol use and mentions of anxiety)

On christmas morning, it snowed dreadfully. The subtle shine of the stoney castle was engorged in the glaze of ice and the blanket of snow.

As per Violet's intensive planning, the three Beaumont girls gathered for an early morning Christmas celebration in the great hall. The girls painfully felt the absence of the classic Christmases they would have at home.

Zinnia ached for the smell of caramalised popcorn and her father's homemade sticky date pudding. All she could do was hold onto the echo of Christmas music ringing in her ear, almost as if it were coming straight from the decaying radio in their living room.

The three girls greeted each other with warm smiles and hugs, all knowing what they were missing at home. Presents in hand, they all sat and exchanged the poorly wrapped boxes of different shapes.

"It's bloody freezing you guys" Prim let out a strangled shiver as she looked around at the nearly desolate hall.

"Don't be so dramatic, you love us" Zinnia smirked as Violet let out a silent chuff. Zinnia leant over and gave the refusing Prim a teasing hug, Prim chuckled to herself in return and playfully pushed Zinnia off. The owls flew down from the windows and dropped a abundance of presents to each Beaumont child.

They all eagerly opened the gifts with bursting smiles and amused chuffs.

From Basil, Zinnia received some new mixtapes. From Daisy a horribly drawn image of a dog alongside many chocolate frogs. From Poppy, some beautiful new earrings and rings. From Aster, some of Zonko's prank products, most of which she assumed he would ask to borrow later if she had not used them herself on Filch.

The rest of her family graced her with new books to fill her lexicon, 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil', 'The Alienist' and finally 'Bird by Bird', all of which she had placed on her list as they came out during the year. Although Zinnia was a classic novel fan, she tried to reach out to contemporary authors as much as possible, it was her way of keeping up with the muggle world.

Once the girl had departed to the warmth of each of their common rooms, Zinnia retired to hers. When she entered the room all heads of the Weasleys and companions faced her with gleeful smiles. Everyone cheered her arrival as they invited her to sit around the Gryffindor tree and open presents. By the time they had finished, her sweet's collection grew a substantial amount and she worried if she could finish it before they went bad.

The day was spent with the people she loved most and awkward encounters with Harry, after her burst in the common room they had basically no interaction beside the simple nod they would give each other in the hall. Sometimes not even that. Although Zinnia was outraged by Harry's behaviour and stupendous idiocy, she couldn't help but yearn for the simple laughs she shared with him and the way her whole body warmed when he was near.

It was an especially cold Christmas this year.

When the sun began to set, and a twilight gaze set upon the castle, Zinnia slipped on her dress with intense delicacy and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Violet has graciously opted to do her makeup and hair for her as Zinnia did not trust herself to do it adequately, sure she had a wand but she was adamant that she would mess it up somehow. The girls of the dorm all laughed as they placed the final details on their looks and wished each other luck.

"Look at you!" Fred and George synchornistically toyed with her as she descended the dorm stairs.

"What happened to the scrawny nine year old who thought putting leaves in her hair was cool?" George remarked with a smirk as she approached them.

"Time Georgie, precious time" she laughed at them, noticing their tidy dress robes. "You clean up quite well yourself, could use a few leaves though"

The boys burst into laughter to the sound of heels clicking approaching them. The boys greeted their dates as Zinnia left to meet Kian. Outside the common room, Zinnia greeted the waiting Kian.

"Look at you" Kian remarked as Zinnia twirled in her ornate dress.

"That seems to be the general reaction, shall we go?" she laughed as she straightened the collar of his shirt in a motherly manner. He swatted her hand away with a chuckle and took her arm.

They both walked out the hall, passing students on the way and spotting the smiling couples on their way to the hall, nodding at their friends and laughing with nerves. Just as they were about to turn the corner to the wall, Zinnia got an immense sinking feeling in her stomach, her head became woozy and her breath became uneasy.

She stopped dead in her tracks with her eyes unmoving from the stairs that lead to the hall doors. Kian, only a few steps ahead, turned around with a worried brow and a frown.

"Hey , Hey, what's wrong?" he comforted his friend, smoothing his hand over her arm.

"I don't know, im- i just don't know if i can see Harry." she stumbled out, her body's caving in on itself. Her head felt hot at the prospect of Harry's pitying gaze, but truly she was worried about how her heart might cope if she saw another on his arm.

"Harry doesn't exist tonight alright? Now you listen to me. You are going to take deep breaths, then we are going to walk into that hall like no one is watching and have the time of our lives. Can you do that for me?" he bent down to match her eyeline and encouraged her with a toothy grin.

She took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of the cool air filling her lungs and clung to Kian's arm once more. With a smiling glance to one another, they proceeded down the stairs to the entrance.

They thought they might have been the last ones to arrive since everyone seemed to be there. Heads turned and people gasped at the two descending the stairs. They were an unmistakably attractive pair that grasped the envy of everyone that night.

Even though the gathering couples stared in awe at Zinnia and Kian, Zinnia herself could feel nothing but flutters as her eyeline was directed straight to Harry.

Beautiful Harry.

Her breath hitched and she couldn't help the automatic surge of affection she felt towards him.

He looked good.

He thought she looked like art, untouchable art.

There was not a thing about her he wanted to change or ruin, he ought to put her on display then and there.

Zinnia's feet carried her to the bottom of the staircase unknowingly, her gaze still imprisoned by the blinding green light of Harry's eyes. Until the tornado of Hermione Granger came swooping in. Zinnia was returned to earth as a natural smile forced itself upon her face.

"Wow, you look amazing Z" Hermione squealed as the two girls leant in for a hug

"Speak for yourself!" Zinnia enthused. They both immersed themselves into a series of comical poses, showing off their dresses and laughing.

Zinnia's eyes turned to Harry, who was lining up outside the hall, his attention turned from Pavarti and glued on herself. She felt the urge to go and speak to him but before she could, she was swooped into the hall by the stressed Professor McGonnagal.

"Into the hall students, the champions are about to start!" she exclaimed over the bustling crowd. Zinnia tried to ask what was happening but it was no match for the determination of the professor.

Once she had entered her eyes filled with blinding white and blue, the once dim great hall had been turned into a phantasmagorical winter palace, with ice sculptures and perpetual snowfall above them. The gentle noise of smooth procession music filled Zinnia's ears and she huddled with everyone else.

"What is everyone waiting for?" she loudly asked Kian over the rumbling noise of chattering students whilst looking around. She spotted the joyus Fay heading towards her with a dashing Durmstrang boy on her arm, her dazzling golden silk dress following behind her.

"Beautiful Zinnia, this is Egil" she showed off her arm candy as the group hugged and greeted each other.

"Good to meet you miss" he warmly spoke in a heavy accent, taking Zinnia's hand and kissing it gently. Zinnia couldn't help but let out a shocked expression, unfamiliar with the polite greeting.

"Zinnia, lovely to meet you too" she spoke with unease, turning back to the glowing Fay. "Any idea why everyone's gathering around?"

"The dance" Fay told her with a shrug

"Dance?"

"Yeah, the champions proceed to the Ball with a dance," Fay explained. Zinnia's face gew into a shocked smile, thinking of how Harry must have taken that news.

"Can you imagine Harry ballroom dancing? In front of everyone, mind that?!" she laughed to her friends.

"What's going on?" Ron spoke from behind her, catching up with the group

"Harry is gonna ballroom dance for us" she laughed, then suddenly feeling uneasy when remembering she wouldn't be able to tease him if they weren't on speaking terms.

The sounds of booming trumpets interrupted the group as the now golden doors of the great hall opened dramatically. In pairs the champions and their dates proceeded into the hall in time with the music, being cheered on by their peers, Hermione fighting the smile off of her face and Harry looking like he wanted to bolt.

"Is that Hermione Granger? With Viktor krum?" Padma spoke from behind them

"No. Absolutely not ''Ron refused with a smiteful growl.

"Believe it Ronald, don't get your knickers in a twist about it" Zinnia demanded before whistling her friends on.

The champions walked to the impromptu dance floor as the music silenced. Harry looked around dumbfounded like a deer in headlights before the ballroom music began and he stumbled on his feet. As the group danced elegantly and Harry tripped, it reminded Zinnia of her own dancing a bit. She let out a slight giggle as Harry was obviously out of time and in a panic trying to follow along.

Before she knew it, the rest of the school proceeded to the dance floor and followed suit. Kian held out a hand to her with raised eyebrows gesturing to the dancers. Zinnia let out a chuckle and took it, being led to the dance floor.

She found it that Kian was a very good dance partner in comparison to her, although she stepped on his feet and clashed with other students, she felt herself laughing at what would normally embarrass her.

Once the dance had finished and everyone proceeded to the dinner tables, Zinnia finally calmed down from her fits of giggles. She sat at a table with Kian, Fay, Egil, and some other students that were practically strangers.

The night carried on in a blur as soon as the Weird sisters began to play. Zinnia danced of course with a fire no one had ever seen her in, although she was not the biggest fan. She preferred muggle music.

When she had gone to get water, the snickering voices of Fred and George caught her attention. She walked over to the two with a suspicious smile.

"What are you boys doing?" she caught them hovered in the corner of the hall. The ghostly faces of Fred, George and Lee turned around in shock.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it" Lee condescended with the slur of his words. Immediately Zinnia could smell the burning of firewhiskey coming from their breaths. She laughed to herself at the state of the boys.

"I think you guys have had enough" she laughed and attempted to grab the flask from their hands.

"You've had enough" Fred whined as he turned away from her childishly. Zinnia crossed her arms in defeat.

"I'm sure your mum would love to hear about this" She remarked to the boys, their faces went cold as they handed over the flask to Zinnia's open hands.

"Dot had too much fun with it," George laughed in a daze. Zinnia chuckled as she went to put the flask in her bag, but as she turned she saw the longing eyes of Harry staring at Cho dancing on the floor.

Her heart shattered and her face dropped. The painful reminder of his rejection still burning in her chest. She looked down at the flask in her hand with an apprehensive glance.

"Screw it, I can have fun, '' she turned to the boys as she took a couple of hefty swiggs from the bottle. Immediately regretting it as the burn of the drink traveled through her at a rapid pace, the sting of heat left to linger in her mouth. She screwed up her face and shoved the flask back to the boys.

"There she is!" George celebrated as the boys laughed at her grimacing face.

Zinnia was a lightweight. Undeniably. She tore up the dance floor with a careless wonder as she danced the night away. She wasn't sure if it was the burn of the firewhiskey or the burn of Harry's eyes, but she danced like she had something to be angry about. And she did.

All was well until a monster began to roar in her stomach. She wasn't sure if the music was actually fading or if it was the extra sips of firewhiskey she had.

She followed the people off of the floor as the song ended and a more mellow tune bagan. Looking around she saw Hermione sitting with Ron and Harry, and against her own will she headed towards them out of instinct.

"I think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind" Ron spat as Zinnia strumbled towards the group. Hermione gave him a baffled look then stormed away back to her date.

"What's all that stompin for" Zinnia giggled as she fell into the chair next to the boys, her arm resting on the table and her head falling into her hands. They both gave her a bizarre look at her abnormally giddy behaviour.

"Are you going to ask me to dance or not?" Padma said annoyingly from next to Ron.

"No" he told her without even glancing in her direction, then ignoring her as she stormed off.

"Bit harsh Ronny" Zinnia cooed, shaking her head in her hands.

"Okay what's with you?" Ron asked, leaning over the uncomfortable harry. Zinnia slowly moved closer and closer to Ron and tapped the tip of his nose with her forefinger, laughing in the process.

"Get a hold of Fred and George's collection did we" Ron scoffed, half laughing at her trying to stay sour

"Get a hold of your mum" Zinnia spat back in a childish attempt to pick up banter. Ron raised his eyebrows at her before Harry seized her arms.

"Alright, you need air" he led her out of the hall and she dizzily followed along.

"I can take care of myself" she disobeyed as she lent on the wall of an empty corridor which Harry had taken her to.

"Yeah you seem it" Harry remarked sarcastically, being patient with her.

"Don't act like you suddenly care" she found the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could think of them.

"What's that supposed to mean, of course I care" Harry narrowed his eyes at the slowly sobering girl.

"Yeah it shows" she looked down to her feet, turning to Harry's direction

"Why are you being cruel?" he asked sharply

"Am I being cruel? You haven't spoken to me in days" she looked up to him, feeling the sting of pain and firewhiskey burn in her throat.

"Don't act like you've made such an attempt to be friends" he rebutted quickly.

"Merlin Harry you- you. It's been a month, and you still act so terribly around me" she felt the tears build up, she wasn't sure why but she felt she needed to tell him everything in that moment.

"No Zinnia you kept your distance, you acted like you wanted all this space from me" He rambled confused.

"Is that what you tell yourself, so you don't have to deal with me?" she scoffed letting out all the anger she had in her.

"What are we fighting about here? I honestly can't get lost in this confusion anymore. I'm losing track and I'm losing my best friend" he shouted, their voices raised now.

"If you don't know what this is about then you're just as much of a fool as I thought you were!" she yelled. They both basked in the silence as tears silently ran from Zinnia's face.

Momentarily her heart had warmed at Harry's words, but found herself much too hurt by him to cave.

She let out a frustrated huff and proceeded back to the hall in a blur of emotion, now sober enough to carry herself back to her dorm. She uttered a brief goodbye to Kian and dismissed herself to her bed.

Several minutes after Zinnia had been lying on her bed in pity, Hermione came moping in behind her.

"Bad night?" hermione whimpered

"Not my best" Zinnia sniffled back. And the girl lay there in each other's arms with complete pity for one another.

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A.N- sorry for the delayed release but i hope you enjoy. don't worry i am planning on having harry and zinnia make up in the next couple of chapters, they won't suffer too long.