After very much enjoying her breakfast with Max, the two of them arrived back to the Hufflepuff common room to find it just as chaotic as they had left it. The two of them shared a smile neither of them wanting to start getting ready until later, set out to help the other girls calm down and to get ready. 

"Thea, help!" Sadie grabbed Thea and started to shake her. "I need help!" 

"What do you need help with?" Thea asked as politely as possible.

"I don't know what to do with my hair!" Sadie half screamed beside herself. "A-and my shoes don't fit! I don't know what to do!"

 Sadie practically broke down. Between the stress of finding a date and then to have to look perfect for the said date, she was just over it. Thea had a sort of understanding where she was coming from. Sadie was also such a romantic person and not having a date to the Yule Ball when her two best friends had dates would have been kind of stressful but the other half, that was just teenage drama. Needless to say, Thea current job was not to tell Sadie this but to try and calm her down, so she didn't ruin the makeup she had spent hours on.

"Sadie, breathe."

"I am!"

"Now about the shoe problem, you could borrow my pair of shoes for the Yule Ball. Mine are too big anyway, maybe you could fit in them?"

"What about you?" 

"Maybe I could borrow yours? Or maybe I'll go barefoot?"

"Ok then."

"Now your hair?"

"I don't know, Thea it feels like I've tried everything!" Sadie screamed again tears once again dripping down her face. 

"Updo? Down? Braids?" Thea tried to suggest. "What do you want?"

"I was trying to do braids and failed miserably." Sadie hiccuped.

"Ok then. I could do them?"

"You would?"

"Of course. What are friends for?"

Crisis averted, Thea could finally focus on herself getting ready. It was a bit difficult once Max realised what was about to happen. She would be going with her long-time crush and best friend, Alexander and once she fully comprehended it, she was a puddle of nerves, constantly checking her reflection in the mirror. 

"You'll be fine, Max."

"I suppose." Max sighed tearing her eyes away from the mirror. "Now can we finally go?" 

"Yes."

The two of them walked down into the common room where Cedric clearly nervous was talking to Marquis. 

"You alright, Ced?" Thea asked interrupting the conversation.

"Do I look alright?"

"No, you look nervous."

"Thanks for the observation, Thea."

"No problem." She replied. "But you'll be fine, Ced. I promise. Now let's get down there, we have people waiting for us!"

Thea, Max, Marquis and Cedric all walked down the stairs. The girls careful not to trip on their dresses. Cedric wished them luck and left to go get Cho and to prepare. The champions have the honour of the first dance. This was good in some cases but for people like Harry it wasn't, he simply couldn't dance. 

"Well, I probably should go as well, considering Jax is waiting for me and everything," Marquis said pointing towards where Jax was leaning casually against a wall but anxiety showed on his face. "Thea, enjoy your time with James and Max please just snog Alexander already, we've all been waiting for it." 

With those departing words, Marquis headed towards Jax and the two of them headed into the hall together. Max was bright red at Marquis' words but what he said was true. The rest of the group had sensed the chemistry between them a long time ago and was just waiting for them to announce that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Speaking of, Alexander suddenly appeared at Max's side offering her a hand and leading her into the hall. Thea scanned the entrance hall for James when she was shoved forward by a force behind her.

"BOO!"

"Hello to you too!" Thea replied from the unexpected greeting with a chuckle.

"You excited?"

"Of course, not got up at midnight last night because I was too excited but I am excited."

"Me too. Well, you look good."

"Thank you, so do you."

"Ready to go in?"

"Of course, let's go."

Thea gasped her mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish when her and James entered the Great Hall. 

The Great Hall which she had gone to nearly every day for the past five years was completely transformed. The hall was decorated perfectly. The Christmas trees adorned with what looked like a million ornaments bordered the room and the fake snow just added to the overall beauty of the hall. Even the roof of the Grand Hall had been enchanted so that snow fell from it.

"Wow!" James exclaimed looking around in astonishment.

"I know!" Thea agreed almost at a lost for words.

James and Thea found a seat at a table and observed the rest of the students arriving. Cedric and Cho stood a little way down both grinning happily. Cho's dress looked amazing, it was very traditional but she still looked stunning. Thea's eyes found Sadie sitting next to Lee and they seemed to be very happy conversing about a random topic, clearly, all nerves and anxieties had left Sadie and she was now just enjoying herself. Alexander and Max seemed equally as happy.

"I swear if those two aren't dating by the end of this, I will kill someone!" Thea said.

"Max and Alexander?" James clarified.

"Yeah," Thea replied pointing them out to James. She didn't have much time to say anything else before the champions took to the dance floor as was part of the tradition.

Cedric and Cho glided elegantly across the dance floor,  Viktor and Hermione although not as polished as Cedric and Cho were clearly having an amazing time. However the same could not be said for Harry who awkwardly danced around with Parvati constantly stepping on her toes. 

The sound of Parvati's squeal reached Thea and James and they both burst into giggles.

Eventually, after the champions finished their dance everyone else was invited to join. 

James rose from his seat offered her a hand. "Thea Diggory, may I please have this dance."

"Of course. Let's go!"