「010. dates and jackets」

"NOW I want all your attention for what i am about to say next!" called professor sprout as she stood in front of the fireplace in the hufflepuff common room, which was now cramped as it was filled with hufflepuff students from fourth to seventh years. honey was currency being squashed between the seventh year lynn ong (the one friends with cedric) and vi, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

"as you know," professor sprout called, "the triwizard tournament comes with many traditions- such as the champions-" there were a few murmurs, "which i hope you are all treating with fairness. however the circumstances, both harry potter and cedric diggory are our true champions."

"now as tradition follows," sprout continued, "the yule ball is fast approaching! it'll be open to fourth years and above- though you are allowed to invite a younger student if you wish. formal clothing will be worn- be it muggle or dress robes, it is expected that you behave properly at the ball."

"when's the ball, professor?" called a sixth-year hufflepuff.

"the yule ball will start at eight in the evening on christmas day, finishing at midnight in the great hall." professor sprout hummed, "i believe that is all. if anybody has any questions- please speak to me at another time for i-" gestured to the stack of paper she was holding, "have things to mark, unfortunately. teacher things. shameful." she sighed, "oh well- lovely seeing you all!"

"i can't tell if she's mad," freya muttered, "or endearing."

"she's a bit of both, like a pick and mix." honey shrugged.

"pick and mix?"

"muggle thing," chorused freya and honey.

"so," hannah said brightly as they made their way back to their room, "who are you lot going to ask to the ball?"

"no fucking clue," muttered freya. she huffed, "i'll think about it later." then, she side-eyed hannah, "why'd you ask?"

"no reason!" hannah hurried.

"do you like somebody?" vi asked, suddenly interested as she and the remaining few flocked to hannah's bed which was where the girl in question was sitting. "do you?"

"circe's tits- she does!" declared honey as she pointed at hannah's red cheeks, "she does! look at her face- it's red!"

"who are they?" asked freya, "will you go to the ball with them? are you going to ask them?"

"do we know them?" added honey, "do we-"

"VI ONLY SITS NEXT TO GILES MONROE IN DEFENCE BECAUSE SHE LIKES HIS HAIR!"

"you did not!" screeched vi, looking utterly betrayed, "hannah i told you that with confidence!"

"she might also have a crush on him!!"

"where the hell is the hufflepuff loyalty, hanah?!"

"monroe? seriously?" honey said, jaw slack. she looked at them all, "is there any other hidden crushes you have all been hiding from me?"

"what about you?" vi spluttered as she began to gesture wildly to honey in absolute embarrassment and alarm, "with harry potter!"

the escalating and exciting atmosphere dropped down to rock bottom the minute vi had said the words harry potter because all honey could do was laugh and laugh- which, in hindsight, made her look quite mad.

but she continued to laugh, throwing her head back with her head eventually landing into hannah's lap as she continued to cackle with absolute amusement. vi, of course, did not look impressed at this. her mad hand waving had stopped, but she added, "well?"

"you think he likes me?" she cackled. "that's so cute!"

"no- i mean: you like him."

honey snorted, "dear god- no. he's lovely, awkward and has lovely hair- but really, i don't like him."

"what about the flirting?"

honey shook her head, sitting up. "jesus christ- that's our banter! honestly, girls, it's like you've never seen a comedian."

they did not look impressed.

"look," honey said, shrugging, "i tell you with complete honesty- i don't like harry. and i already know nobody will want to go with me to the ball- i'm too much. which is why..." she grabbed a pillow and hugged it as she grinned at vi, "you have to tell us more about giles! he's such a stickish white boy, isn't he?"

"honey you can not switch the conversation so quickly- and badly, by the way."

"there's nothing to say about harry potter," snorted honey- "we're good friends, that's all. you can be friends with somebody and not like them, can't you? if not..." she fluttered her eyes at hannah, "i am sorry hannah- we must kiss now."

"wouldn't be the first time," muttered the girl.

"wait-WHAT THE FUCK?"

trelawney's lessons where a bit of a god send, really. they were just an excuse for honey not to do her homework and have a valid explanation. and- she could quite literally visit whenever she pleased, which was always a bonus.

she didn't know how much she could call it a 'lesson' at times because there were times were they simply did breathing exercises and talked about old and powerful seers of history. other times, honey would spit-fire questions about being a seer- what exactly that meant, and if she was expected to spit out a sonnet as a prophecy.

"seers come in all shapes and sizes," shrugged professor trelawney, "not all will let out a verse of poetry- honey, that is true. some see pictures, events, and scenes. some will see words- or they'll hear things being said. some, like myself, are a mix."

"do you think i am a mix as well?"

"most likely," nodded trelawney, "you have a great gift- i would assume no less of you."

trelawney would then sometimes brew her tea and train her to help with her visions- making sure they didn't come often.

"you need to separate them," trelawney explained, "the minor and major events. it is not good to know every little detail of life- it can become claustrophobic and tiresome- it can addle with the brian just as much as the dreaded unforgivable. you must think of what is worth seeing. you do not want to wake up every minute you sleep just because you have seen you will stubbed your toe in the future- do you?"

"not really, no."

"besides," trelawney had said, "it is not good to know everything of the future."

but today, it was a bit of a mix- which honey found quiet nice.

after ten minutes of just silent mediation (which honey was never good at- it was too still for and annoying being able to focus on every sound around you), they brewed their tea and honey settled herself down as she got ready to ask a few questions.

"so- you can't change the future?" honey asked for what must have been the hundredth time.

"i keep telling you, child, we can't!" announced trelawney, frowning. "it is not within our nature to change the future."

"right, but can you?"

"not with a scarring consequence, that is." trelawney replied, sipping her tea quietly.

"so you can?"

"bad things happen to people who try change the future," trelawney simply said in reply- given a stubborn slurp of tea before she scoffed a biscuit, silently telling honey that was about as much as she was willing to tell her.

"are you enjoying the tournament then, honey?" trelawney finally asked after a moment of quiet.

"my cousin is competing."

"so i've heard- and you have the yule ball soon, don't you?" trelawney did a little jolt and hummed, "i quite like the weird sisters- they're enjoyable. it would have been nice if celestina warbeck were here- but, alas, beggars can't be choosers." she shrugged and sipped on some more tea, "still- i would keep an eye out for your friend, mr potter."

"is he going to die?" she joked- remembering all the times trelawney had predicted his death- and then harry had simply not died.

trelawney kept quiet for a few moments.

"he might."

"what do you mean 'he might'?" honey began, narrowing her eyes as she set down her teacup. "...professor?"

"it's not like he will die- but..." her divinations teacher frowned, "as much fun as the tournament is- i see dark things ahead. high walls- a labyrinth. he must be wary of who he trusts inside- people change when they are there..." she looked off into the distance, eyes glossing over before her eyes widened, "will you look at the time? it's almost dinner! come along, honey. we must not miss the food!"

honey still had questions, but she let them rest as professor trelawney practically skipped to the great hall.

she'd ask her, maybe. just another time.

harry and ron were teetering off the edge of 'stupidly amusing' to 'pathetic' in a very quick manner, and honey relished in their suffering greatly.  the two of them were doing a combination of wondering who they would take to the ball as well as wondering how they would ask anybody at all. because apparently, according to harry, he'd rather take on the horntail than ask anybody to the dance. hermione, of course, thought they were being stupidly incompetent, and did her very best to remind them of how weird they were acting.

"it is just a ball," hermione said simply, "you will be fine. simply ask somebody. if anything- you should be worrying about christmas and presents more." she gave a pointed gaze at honey, "this is your first proper christmas with us lot- we'll all have to get you good presents."

"presents?" honey said simply, "i mean- presents?" she froze before her eyes widened, "the bloody jacket!"

"what jacket?" ron asked.

"never you mind, biscuit boy." she muttered, "goodness- i fucking forgot about that jacket." she sighed before she continued walking with them, "right- i have one out of three of your presents, which is terrible but it's a start."

"presents are still not our biggest problem", groaned harry, "this ball! i have to get a date!"

"for fulfilment or champion needs?"

"champion, obviously!"

"just checking, lovely."

"it can't be that hard," ron finally said (which was funny because he's spent the last five minutes comparing the girls at hogwarts to 'packs of wolves' which was of course rude- but also partially true. honey could certainly say she was vicious when she wanted to be). "i mean- it's just asking somebody, right?"

"and facing rejection," added honey.

ron glared at her, "you don't see me making it difficult for you to get a ball date."

"that's because i plan to go alone," she shrugged, "we don't need a date- and i don't think anybody could stomach going with me."

"that can't be true," harry said- frowning a bit.

"awe- very cute to care, harry. but i'll be fine."

"well hooray to you then," ron muttered, "but this is going shit for me."

the four of them walked to the portrait (the entrance to the gryffindor common rooms) which swung open as ron moodily spat out the password. they climbed in only for honey to be greeted by a mostly empty common room- bar a few stragglers enjoying rest before the final push of term arrived on monday and the ever imminent yule ball would take place.

"oi, kai!" called ron, who was sitting on the floor- emmery above him on an armchair- legs sprawled over the arm rests. "have you got a date to the ball?"

kai laughed, "thinking of asking me, are you?"

"oh yeah- definitely," ron sarcastically replied. "no- i just want to ask."

"he's going with me," piped in emmery, a bit red in the face (almost like her hair, actually).

"is he now?" honey called, cementing herself next to harry on the couch in front of the fire. she had a bit of a cheshire grin on her face, "really?"

"as friends," cut in emmery quickly.

"friends." confirmed kai.

"friends-"

"right we bloody get it," grouched ron, huffing as he crossed his arms, falling back onto an armchair as hermione slotted herself next to honey. ron groaned, bashing the back of his head into the soft armchair- perhaps hoping to drown in it. "i'm going to go all alone! i'm going to be a bloody spinster!"

"you'll be fine, ronald." hermione said in a clipping tone, "don't be such a baby about it."

"i'm not!" he whined.

"i think giles asked out vi," honey said conversationally. "i hope so- or else vi must've cast a powerful cheering charm on herself."

"who cares?" ron wailed, "i'm going to be all alone!"

"not worrying about the yule ball, are you?" called two familiar voices from behind them.

the group of six all turned at the same time to see the trio of troublemakers known as lee, fred and george. lee walked over, pulling at honey's ears as she squawked in protest. "hands off, you heathen!"

"our lezzers got a date already," grinned fred happily.

"the person he's been seeing?" honey guessed. she narrowed her eyes, "has he told you lot who they are?"

"oh she's familiar enough, alright." teased george, "basically part of the family for you lot- eh?"

"is this like the pygmalion incident again?" quizzed honey, rather suspicious. "if you convince me-"

"that lee's girlfriend's a pigeon? good merlin, we're not that fantastically gifted, honour."

"we are gifted," added george, "certainly. just not that level."

"you pricks," she muttered, "be glad i'm comfy sitting here or i'd get up and i'd hex your fucking-"

"enough of that, now." cut in hermione, elbowing honey. "don't give into their teasing."

"spoilsport," murmured fred in a pouty voice.

the twins finally hopped over the couch, sitting cross legged in front of the fire and blocking the fantastic warmth that had been keeping honey from freezing to death. lee went over too, lying down on the ground and covering his eyes with his hands.

"say, you two got dates yet?" asked ron.

"angelina," replied fred happily. "asked her this morning. dead surprised she said yes- quite invigorating, i'd say. though-" he snorted and glanced at george, "georgie's got a date too."

lee groaned as the younger teens all perked up in excitement.

"oh not this again!"

"you've both already found dates?" groaned ron.

"wait- really? who?" honey asked.

lee grimaced, taking his hands away from his eyes so he could look honey dead in the eyes as he said, "fitz."

the last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. several rumours were flying about- such as how dumbledore had bough eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from madam rosmerta. another, being honey's particular favourite, was that dumbledore was rumoured to be going dressed as santa clause to the ball. though, sadly, that rumour was then quickly denounced when dumbledore himself declared he instead would be going dressed as a turkey.

some teachers, like professor flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere; he allowed them all instead to spend his lessons playing games. professor sprout had organised for to do a scavenging game around hogwarts on their last day (in which the hufflepuffs beat the gryffindors by so much that it was particularly fantastic).

however, not all teachers had grace and kindness in their hearts. professor binns, for example, persisted to plough through his nots on goblin rebellions and bore them all to death- with moody and snape keeping them on their toes until the very last day. snape, embodying the most foul things about the earth, had decided to test them on their very last lesson with something that wou,d according to him, affect their very finally grade with and important insight as to how much students had taken in from lessons when they had not studied.

this, by translation, meant professor snape was a mean, mean wart of a man sent to earth to torment the good soles of this earth with his hellish and demonic behaviour.

but after their very last lesson (a gruelling class of defence against the dark arts in which moody had taught them all to resist the imperius curse) the weekend had come- and as had the fantastic trip to hogsmeade.

the school itself looked almost angelic as honey woke up on the first day of the christmas holidays, rushing to get herself ready for hogsmeade. it was miserably cold now- and so she had to bundle up warm if she hoped not to freeze to death. her roomates and herself all planned to go to hogsmeade together so as to get presents for each other (which they were sworn to secrecy not to tell each other about) as well as have a cosy catchup over butterbeer in the three broomsticks.

christmas had never excited honey when she was little because at home, it was filled with shouting. the weather during winter was cold and spiteful, and the snow was pretty to look at- but annoying when it had melted and turned the ground into a murky looking slushie. and whilst there were always a few who stayed over for the christmas holidays usually- it seemed this year that every fourth year to seventh year had stayed for the delights of the yule ball. and so the castle was full of life, and perhaps honey was too.

the obnoxiously long and puffy coat she wore went right down to below her knees to midway down her shins and was a black colour. that, along with the ruby red turtle-necked jumper and thick leggings under her black jeans made her look warm enough already. the addition of the thick white and woollen scarf was a bit much, but honey was not made for the cold.

and that was proved the minute they stepped into hogsmeade.

"my fingers are so cold they might fall off." hissed honey as they made their way straight to honeydukes, money in hand to go buy a few sweets. "this is terrible!"

"don't worry," freya assured her as they stepped into honeydukes, "you'll be fine."

they'd spent a total of twenty minutes in honeydukes, going out of their way to buy the limited edition christmas themes chocolate along with a few 'bountiful brownies' which honey had to admit were far too addicting for their own good. they'd chatted happily amongst themselves until vi had finally blurted out, "giles asked me to the yule ball."

that had caused a lot of excited chatter which caused them to bustle out of honeydukes and head straight for the streets as they walked to an antique shop.

"oh thank goodness!" grinned hannah, "that's fantastic!"

"are you three going with anybody, then?"

"hannah and i are going as friends," freya said simply, "mostly because i don't really want to go with anybody and hannah's partner she wants to go with-"

"-is already going with somebody else," hannah added gloomily.

"well, looks like i'm going by myself," sighed honey.

"really?" hannah asked as they entered the antique shop.

"unless somebody asks me or i have the sudden urge to go with somebody- i don't think i'll bother going with anybody." she replied. honey milled around a bit, picking up little trinkets before setting them down. she continued to do so for a few moments, picking up bits of jewellery before placing them down again- looking at skirts and doing the same.

"well- you could always ask harry," hannah suggested, "you two are friends, it'll be fine."

"he'll probably be going with somebody. ron and him were moaning about not having dates- but knowing them they'll come back with some at dinner." her eyes caught on a pearl necklace, "hermione would like this!"

"let's see!"

honey grinned, turning to hannah as she dangled up a peal necklace. it had two chains of dainty pearls with a golden clasp at the back and a small gold pendant in the front. the whole thing looked like something from a fairytale reassure chest. it wasn't too loud, the pearls weren't too big and neither was the gold pendant. it was fantastic, really. very hermione-esque indeed.

"i think she'll love it," hannah said simply as honey hooked her arm through the girls and they made their way to the counter.

"now i've got to get ron's," honey happily stated.

"you've got ours already? and your brother's?"

"of course i have," snorted honey, "they're hidden so you can't reach them- and so i can and it'll be fantastic when you get them because i put in proper effort this year, hannah!"

the hufflepuff girl laughed beside her, brown hair swept into a ponytail- freckles splattered across her face- though they were quite pale now due to the winter sun. "well, i'm glad that's the case. i've already bought all your presents, and i'll relish in the happiness you all get when you see your presents."

"for some reason, hannah, that is slightly diabolical of you," honey mused. "now... ron's present- oh and wrapping paper! i need to wrap harry's present!"

seeing a load of gryffindor's in her common room three days before the yule ball  was slightly alarming, ron seemed to be having a grand little time (which evidently meant that he'd gotten somebody to go to the dance with him).

she'd walked in after dinner, glanced at her friends before glancing at hannah, a single brow raised.

"hermione was with them!" hannah desperately replied, "you know how she is! she could break into any common room she wants!"

"that's true," chorused harry, ron and hermione together.

"see what i mean?"

"oh it's alright hannah," honey replied, waving the words of apology away. "don't worry about them- they're just being worms. i'll catch up with you lot later, alright?"

"i'll help with the wrapping of your other gifts!" called hannah as she walked back to her dorm.

"don't you dare go searching for your presents!"

"wouldn't dream of it!"

honey turned back to her other friends and sighed, "you lot are terrible, you know that- right?"

"i have a date to the yule ball," grinned ron happily.

"who? your pillow?" snorted honey as she sat next to hermione who was also smiling under the large volume of books she was trying to read simultaneously.

"no- thickhead. i'm going with padma patil!" he replied happily before adding in a bit of a darker tone, "now- if i can figure out how to fucking transfigure those damn bits of lace on my robes- i think i'll be fine. anyways- only harry hasn't got a date to the ball now!"

"i'm going to be a laughing stock," the raven-haired boy cried, lowing his head in shame (whether mocking or genuine, honey could actually not tell).

"don't be daft, harry. you'll find somebody," hermione said lightly.

"i still don't see why he can't go with you," ron said, sounding very much like they'd talked about this before (which was sending warning bells in honey's mind of: argument approaching, argument approaching, argument-).

"i told you ron, i'm going with somebody." hermione said in a snippy voice.

"you are not!" honey gasped, "who? tell me!"

hermione widened her eyes before she scribbled something on a piece of paper. she slid it to honey, letting her glance at it for just long enough for her to see: 'victor krum' before it shot into the hufflepuff's fire, burning all evidence of it with a flick of hermione's wrist.

honey's jaw (which had already been dropped far too many times this week) dropped once more.

"seriously?"

"what- you tell her but not us?"

"well, ronald. it turns out she is believing me!" snapped hermione before she turned back to honey, "it turns out he can in fact hold an intellectual conversation."

"by god, you are certainly lucky, aren't you?" muttered honey.

"stop rubbing it in," hissed harry, "i haven't got anybody!"

he ran a hand through his messy hair, the light curls knotting together more as he agitated it forcefully. he sank into the couch, arms crossed with a frustrated and a bit of a sad look on his face.

then, honey had the most wonderful but terrible idea.

"i'll go with you, then."

"really?"

"why not?" she shrugged, "i haven't got a date- you haven't got a date. your fit- i'm fit. it'll be fine, harry."

"don't you already have a date? i heard some ravenclaw in our year asked you."

"i didn't want to go with him," she said cooly. "besides- nobody really wants to go with me so-"

"i'd have asked you from the beginning if you told me nobody was your date! i thought you'd already been asked or asked somebody!" harry said, suddenly exploding the words out of his mouth.

she looked at him, a bit unimpressed, "what do you not understand by the words i'll probably go by myself, harry? i've said i'd only go with somebody if i felt inclined to. so- i'm going with you, unless you have any qualms with that?"

"merlin, no."

"then it's settled," honey nodded. she grinned at him, "pick me up at quarter to eight or else i'll stomp on your feet."

rosie speaks!

this was such a mess of a chapter. i can assure
you that the next chapters will be amazing asf
this one was like crack treated seriously tbh.

anyways i hope you are all having a fantastic
day <3

stay safe and wear a mask !

word count: 4,230 words