K A T E

It was time for breakfast in the great hall about two weeks after the first task, Rosie and I were discussing dresses for the Yule ball on Christmas Eve. I was set on having a dark green dress, but Rosie wanted one aswell.

"You can't have a green dress! That's what I want." Rosie exclaimed, munching on a piece of toast.

"Yeah, but the green goes with my eyes. If you want something that suits you, get a red dress. You're called Rosie for a reason you know. Look at your lips, they're red as blood."

"Oh alright, you win. Now that I think about it, red would suit me better."

Barney -my barn owl- came flying in through the window with a letter in her talons. She dropped it infront of me and perched herself on my shoulder. I stroked her feathers as a thanks and then opened the letter. The writing was neat and curved, clearly written by a woman.

Dear Katheryn,

I bet you're all grown up by now and it's time for you to move on with your life. I'm sure you've gotten my other letters, this will be my last one. I have no idea what is going on in the world with you at this moment, but I'm glad that this letter has reached you. 

If I am correct, this is the first ball you've been to in your life and I'd like to be apart of it. This letter was set to come to you on your first ball. I was thinking about getting you a dress, but then I realised I wouldn't know your size. So instead I left a present in the envelope that has been in our family for generations. It was given to me by my mother and my mother's mother, and now I'm passing it down to you.

I reached inside the envelope and pulled out a silver charm bracelet with multiple initials on it. One of them was 'E.R' and because I knew that my mother was called Evangeline and there were no other charms with initials beginning with 'E', I knew that it was her. I clipped it around my left wrist and continued to read.

As you can see it has all the initials of the women in our family. When you were born I couldn't wait to give it to you, but then it happened, and I lost you. I am so very sorry for giving you up and I know I keep apologising, but it's all I can do. My only wish was for you to grow up loved. And i'm sure that you being with Severus has given you just that. He was more to me then a friend, even if I wasn't to him. He was always in my heart, as are you. 

Have courage and be strong, Katheryn. I'll always be with you.

Love, your mother.

XXX

"Who was it?" Rosie asked as I placed the letter on the table.

"My mother."

"I thought she died? You're adopted aren't you? You said you were adopted by Snape."

"Yes, she wrote these before she died. This is the last one." I replied, fiddling with the bracelet that now rested on my wrist.

"That's sad." Rosie said, finishing off her toast before saying, "I wonder how she died."

"You and me both."

◙ ◙ ◙

Snape had called in the whole of Slytherin into a classroom. Girls were seated on one side and the boys on the other. Once everyone was sat down, Severus began to speak.

"As you all know, the Yule ball will be held on Christmas Eve. All students are permitted to be able to dance once it arrives. I expect every one of you to practice until your feet bleed, but that is against the school rules. So I'll settle for a few sessions a week until the ball arrives." 

Students stared to whisper to one another. The boys in annoyance and the girls in excitement. Rosie turned to me.

"It's a dance! I love dances."

"I've never danced before." I mumbled, fiddling with my fingers.

"Silence!" Snape called and all the students shut their mouths. "The Yule ball is not for excitement and crazy child shenanigans. We must show respect when representing the house of Slytherin. Girls must be graceful and boys must be respectful."

"Well that's Malfoy out of the way." Rosie snickered to me, but Severus had heard what she had said and was now looking in our direction.

"Ms. Smith."

"Yes?" She asked timidly, her shyness began to show.

"Come forward." 

Rosie got up hesitantly and walked over to Snape. He placed his hands on her waist as he said: "Put one hand on my shoulder and the other in my hand. Mr. Filtch if you would."

The caretaker turned on some classical music and students laughed at how uncomfortable Rosie looked dancing with my father. Even I joined in.

"Don't laugh, Katheryn. You'll have your go next." Snape said, not even looking at me. I instantly shut up, I didn't want to dance with my father. Talk about embarrassing. "Everybody grab a partner. Don't leave anyone out. Get up boys, or I'll give you detention for not co-operating."

Draco was the first to get up, and to my annoyance he came over to me. He gave no time for me to protest as he dragged me to the middle of the room and held onto my waist.

"What are you doing you bone idled toad!"

"Dancing, which isn't what you're doing. Have you got two left feet?" He asked rhetorically.

"Why are you dancing with me?"

"All the other girls are obsessed with me, so I chose the one that I can tolerate instead."

"Rosie's not obsessed with you." I pointed out.

"But if I chose her, you would have screamed at me."

"Fair point. Let's just get this over with so I can get as far away from you as possible." I huffed and continued trying to dance even though I had no clue how.

◙ ◙ ◙

The dancing session was finally over and I only stepped on Malfoy's feet five times. That's a new record. Rosie and I had gone to get our dresses. Rosie had done what I suggested and went with a red lace dress, whereas I had completely changed my mind and got a black dress that shaded into different colours of purple and a bit of pink. All we needed now was a date.

To our luck, Ash came up to us during the day and he seemed to be very nervous. It was clear as day that he was going to ask one of us to the ball, but I was waiting for Cedric to ask me, even though I hadn't seen him all day.

"Hey, Ash." Rosie greeted.

"Hey, Rosie." He replied absentmindedly. "Kate? Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure."

"Do you- um, would you like to go to the ball with me?" Ash asked nervously.

"Oh um. Ash, I would but I was kind of hoping that Cedric would ask me." I tried to reply as polite as I could.

Rosie, who looked heartbroken, came up beside me. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?" 

"Champions aren't allowed to partner with another champion. Otherwise the first dance would look weird. It's going around that Cedric asked Cho. You know, the girl from Ravenclaw." Ash carried on for Rosie. "That's why I figured it was alright to ask you."

"Oh, okay then." My words seemed to have brightened up Ash's face, but Rosie's only grew sadder. "But, you have to take Rosie as your date. I only need you for the first dance."

"Yeah. Yeah that's fine. Thanks Kate, I'll see you both lather then." He said happily as he basically skipped away.

"Thank you, Katie." Rosie said from beside me.

"For what?"

"For getting Ash to take me to the ball as his date. Even if he has to dance with you first." She explained.

"It's not a problem. I know you like him and you would do the same for me if it was Cedric." I smiled. "Now come on we have to get ready for the ball. It's only three hours away!"

◙ ◙ ◙

It had taken us almost all of the three hours to get ready for the ball. We did each other's make-up and hair, then had slipped into out dresses and shoes. We were currently taking in each other's appearance.

"You look beautiful!" We both gushed at the same time and then burst into laughter.

"No really, you do Katie. Cedric's going to be so jealous when he sees you." Rosie said in all seriousness.

"And what about you? Do you think Ash will finally see that he's crushing on the wrong girl? I think so." I replied, walking around her to get the full picture. We made some final touches and then made our way to where Ash agreed to meet us.

"Whoa." Was all Ash said when he saw us. "You both look beautiful."

"Thanks, now come along Ash. We have a dance to get to." I said as both Rosie and I liked arms with him. We walked in through the main entrance of the great hall and Rosie left us when she spotted some of her Gryffindor friends. Professor McGonagall came up to us.

"Is this your dance partner, Katheryn?" She asked.

"Yes, Professor."

"Very well, come along. We must get ready for the first dance."

◙ ◙ ◙

C E D R I C

I was thoroughly disappointing that I wasn't allowed to ask Katheryn to go to the ball with me. All because of a stupid rule that said champions couldn't take another champion to the Yule ball. As I last decision, I asked Cho to go with me and she agreed. If we went as friends of course. She told me that Harry had asked her earlier, but she had to decline even though she liked him. Professor McGonagall had gone to get him and once she came back over to us, she left again. 

When she came back, I saw an angel. Dressed in the night sky, filled with many purple, pink and blues. She was smiling and was literally a sight for god. I felt a nudge on my ribs from Cho and I realised that I was staring. 

"Hello, Cedric." Kate greeted, it was then that I noticed the boy beside her. Ash. She was with him? I thought her friend Rosie liked him? It doesn't matter, he was with the girl I liked. 

Wait, I like Katheryn? I suppose so. What's not to like? She's an angel as I said before.

Cho cleared her throat from beside me and I could see Harry's attention go to her. He liked her, it was obvious with the glances he threw between Cho and I. It probably looked as though Cho and I had a romantic liking towards each other, but we didn't.

"Wow, hey Kate. You look beautiful." I complimented, taking in her attire.

"Thank you Cedric. You look rather handsome yourself." She said back to me. Her cheeks grew a cute shade of pink and she looked to the ground.

"Now, I need you all to line up in the procession, please." McGonagall instructed as she clapped her hands. "This way. This way. Come along." She pushed us all in to a line and then Harry finally came up.

◙ ◙ ◙

K A T E

The music began and I linked arms with Ash once again. The doors opened and all the us champions walked in with our partners. I was behind Cedric and Cho, With Harry and his date behind Ash and I. Clapping followed us as we made our way to the middle of the hall. Our surrounding were decorated with snow and Christmas trees. Which was obvious since it was Christmas Eve.

We stopped in the middle of the dance floor and the intro music stopped. I looked around and spotted Rosie, Ash noticed too and he sent a smile in her direction. She returned it and he placed an arm on my waist, whilst I put mine on his shoulder. I had practised nonstop with Rosie so hopefully I wouldn't fall over during the dance.

The ballroom music started and we began a fast waltz. My dress was flowing and spinning at my feet, but it wasn't getting in the way, which was good. I had a bright smile on my face as Ash lifted me up and then back down as we continued to dance. I spotted Cedric looking at us a few times as I laughed, but I payed no notice of it. He was with Cho, he should've been dancing happily with her. The teachers soon joined in and then the students. Hagrid was being cute with Madame Maxime. He even combed his hair!

The fancy dancing was soon over though, and the rock music soon came on. As promised, I let Ash go and he went to dance with Rosie, who was now smiling like a Cheshire cat. I was sat with Harry, Ron and their twin dates as we watched the Hermione dance with Viktor.

"Ruddy pumpkinhead, isn't he?" Ron voiced, clearly jealous.

"I don't think it was the books that had him going to the library." Harry replied.

"I saw this coming." I said, leaning my chin on my palm.

"No you didn't." Ron denied.

"I did! They gave each other looks when he put his name in the goblet. It was only a matter of time."

"May I have your arm?" A guy from Durmstrang asked Harry's date. 

"Arm. Leg. I'm yours." She replied, happy to dance as Harry wasn't offering. Her sister sighed and slumped back in her chair.

"Right, I'm gonna go and find Rosie." I said as I got up to leave. Ron and Harry nodded and I pushed through the crowd. What I saw was not expected. 

Ash and Rosie were in the middle of a snog fest. They were going crazy, not even caring that they were showing major PDA. I stepped back and sat by myself for about an hour. Most of the students had left and there were only a couple on the dance floor, including Rosie and Ash.

"Care for a dance?" A familiar voice asked from behind me. i turned and saw Cedric with his arm stretched out. I grabbed it and we began to dance to the slow music.

"Your date off with someone else?" He questioned, looking in Ash's direction.

"He wasn't my date. We agreed to do the first dance together and then go our separate ways. That's Rosie." I said as I pointed to her kissing Ash. "She's his date. I got them together. Speaking of dates, where's yours?"

"Cho wasn't my date either. We decided to go as friends. I was going to ask you, but there was that stupid rule."

"Oh."

"You do look beautiful. Any guy would be a fool not to fancy you." Cedric smiled.

"Does that make you a fool?" I asked with a smirk. He was so caught.

"What?!"

"You said that any guy would be a fool to not fancy me. You don't fancy me, so that makes you a fool."

"I-" He tried to say an excuse, but never got to because I saw Ron and Hermione having a heated argument. Even I could see that Hermione was getting upset and I stopped Cedric from speaking.

"I have to go Ced. I'll see you later. Sorry." I apologised as I stopped dancing and rushed over to the steps where Hermione was sat crying.

"You alright, Hermione?"

"Yeah." She said back with a weak voice. I sighed and sat down beside her, pulling her into a hug.

"What happened with Ron?"

"H-How did you know that Ron was the cause?"

"I saw you having an argument as you left the hall." I answered.

"He was getting all jealous about me going with Viktor and I said that he should just ask me next time and not as a last resort." Hermione told me as she leaned into my hug.

"He was jealous?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Serves him right for being oblivious to the fact that you like him. Now, let's get you cleaned up."