Hush

I know they said the end is near
But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes
Spinning in my highest heels, love
Shining just for you

I want you to know
I'm a mirrorball
I can change everything about me to fit in
You are not like the regulars
The masquerade revelers
Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten

"mirrorball"
Taylor Swift

LUCY:

I dutifully made my way up to the Room of Requirement fifteen minutes before the moon would rise --- or at least, I tried to. The door didn't reveal itself to me.

"I know I'm in the right place," I whispered to myself, looking around desperately. I swore under my breath and reached forward to touch the wall. "Please, not tonight, please. It'll be so cold."

But the door didn't appear, so I tore my eyes away from the wall and started running. I ducked around the corner, and, to my shock, ran smack into someone.

"Sorry!" I squeaked, peeling myself off of... "George? Fred? Wh-What are you doing here? Wait, no, don't answer that, I-I need to go, I'm sorry-"

"Where are you going?" George asked, gripping my arm. "Lucy, it's okay, we know. We know about, well, you."

"You- what?"

"Lucy, where are you going? We'll go with you," Fred said.

I shook my head. "N-No, don't, you c-can't, I... I'm sorry."

I ripped myself away from George and started sprinting. I would have so much to explain in the morning...

I turned around when my feet hit the grass. They were still following me. I wanted to shout at them to turn around and that I would explain everything in the morning, but I couldn't risk anybody hearing me and also deciding to follow me. So instead, I gestured for them to keep following me and continued my mad dash to the forest.

As soon as I reached the trees, I sagged against a tree, panting. They caught up a minute later, and I glanced at the setting sun, already beginning to shiver in the December chill despite the raging fever.

"I don't have much time," I said. "Promise me you'll tell me how you figured it out in the morning?"

"Promise," they replied in unison.

"Oh, and would you mind telling Cedric I'm out here and not in the Room of Requirement?"

"The Room of Requirement?" Fred echoed.

"I usually transform there, but it didn't open tonight, as I'm sure you saw." I bit my lip. "I wonder who was in there. Anyway, as soon as the sun sets, you need to get out of here, as fast as possible. Don't let anyone see you, with Rita Skeeter lurking, we can't have any unnecessary questions. She heard me telling Hagrid that Harry doesn't know my secret yet, so I know she'll be trying harder than ever to get to me, and I'm sure she saw us together at the first task."

They nodded.

I managed a laugh. "No need to look so worried. I'm sure she won't ask you questions, I'm just being overly cautious."

"Cub, do you honestly think that's why we're worried?" George asked incredulously.

I looked down at my shoes. "I'm guessing you didn't figure it out until last month?"

"Yeah. Took us bloody long enough," Fred said.

"There's no need to sound so upset with yourself... Hermione and Cedric are the only other two students in this entire school who know. I... I've tried to keep it that way, but you two are too smart for me." I glanced at the horizon. "I should go. Meet me in the common room tomorrow?"

They nodded again, beginning to back away.

"Be safe, Cub," George said. Fred, for once, couldn't find anything to say.

I offered the best smile I could find. "Always am. See you in the morning."

I turned on my heel and began running directly into the heart of the forest without waiting for a reply. I dropped to my knees as the horrific pain overtook me, knowing I was in for a very long, very cold night.

When the pain launched me back into reality in the morning, I was aware of only three things.

1. I was freezing cold.

2. My head was about to split in two.

3. The twins owed me a long and detailed explanation.

I pushed myself to my feet, immediately staggering backward against a tree. The world around me pitched and rolled, and stars whizzed around my vision. I tried to recall what I had done to earn myself this concussion, but I couldn't remember anything from the night before.

Once the world seemed to balance itself again, I opened my eyes and tried to figure out where I was. I located the first rays of the sun that managed to pierce through the December haze and used that marker to figure out the right way to the castle. I had to stop and crouch to the ground periodically to make the spinning stop, but I eventually made my way to the edge of the woods.

I heard a distant voice say, "There she is!"

I squinted to try to see who shouted, but the ground beneath my feet gave way, and I lost consciousness half a second after I felt strong arms catch me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the Hospital Wing, unsurprisingly, with Cedric perched at the foot of my bed, Hermione on one side and the twins on the other.

Cedric smiled and held out a goblet of wideye potion. "Good morning. Looks like you had an eventful night. How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I'm warm!" I was swaddled in blankets, but I wrestled one arm free to accept the goblet and point a finger at the twins. "Explain."

"Are you okay?" they asked in unison, looking utterly baffled and highly concerned.

I shook my head in disappointment. "I'm offended by the fact you think a little knock on the head could take me down."

"It was not a 'little knock,' Lucy!" Hermione said reproachfully. "What hit you?"

"I don't remember." I closed my eyes, searching the events of the night. Now that my head didn't hurt anymore and I was significantly warmer, it was easier to think. I suddenly recalled a flash of headlights, and the roar of an engine. My eyes snapped open. "It was the Ford Anglia! That car hates me. It's gotten me in the past, too." I turned to the twins. "But enough about that, I'm fine now. Explain."

"Good luck, boys," Cedric chuckled. "Hermione, you'd better head up and make sure nobody tries to come down here while they're talking. I'm going to see if Madam Pomfrey needs help with anything, and stick around just in case any blonde reporters decide to make an appearance."

"Good thinking," she said with a nod. She reached forward and squeezed the hand sticking out of my blankets. "See you at breakfast?"

I nodded. "Of course. Thanks for keeping Harry and Ron away."

Hermione and Cedric headed off, leaving me alone with the twins. I tucked my arm back into my blanket cocoon and looked from George to Fred and Fred to George.

"Well... now you know," I said softly after a moment, looking down and away. "My big, terrible secret. I understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore."

"Are you bloody kidding?" Fred reached forward and tipped my chin up, settling on one side of my bed while George sat on the other. "Prior to watching you crumple like a rag doll this morning, we thought it was wicked! Why in Merlin's name would we not want to be friends with you?"

"Because I... isn't it obvious? I'm a monster."

"No you're not."

George said this so quickly, so firmly, I found myself taken aback. "You don't understand. I am."

"Yeah," Fred scoffed. "Sure you are. And I'm a house elf. And George is a yeti. And Cedric's a vampire."

Cedric, overhearing our conversation, dramatically pressed a hand to his chest. "How did you know?"

Despite myself, I smiled. "That's not the same. You're not actually-"

"How do you know?" George pressed. "Maybe I shave off all of the thick white hair every morning just to hide my identity. You should see the way all of the house elves get excited when Fred comes around, it's like they're all one big happy family and Fred is just the cool cousin who shows up to reunions sometimes. And who knows, maybe every time we've seen Cedric and Cho snogging, he's actually using it as an excuse to suck her blood."

Cedric, still listening, turned bright red. "I appreciate the point you're trying to make here, but... no."

"Fine, fine, keep your secrets," Fred said, waving him off. "Anyway, Lucy, you're no monster. Whatever happened to make you this way isn't your fault, and since there's nothing you can do to change it, there's no point worrying about it."

I bit my lip. "You're sure you still want to be my friends?" I turned to George. "You still don't mind going to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Of course I don't mind, Cub, what kind of a question is that?" George shook his head, grinning. "Just because Harry missed his chance doesn't mean I'll miss mine."

"What do you see in him anyway?" Fred asked. "I mean, he's cool and all, but he's a little thick. What if he never wakes up and realizes how you feel about him? You'll have to move on eventually, right?"

I felt warmth creep into my cheeks. "I don't know if he'll ever feel the same way about me that I feel about him, but he's worth waiting for."

"But why?" George pressed. "In the spirit of vulnerability, go ahead and disclose every last detail. Why Harry James Potter?"

"I'd be interested, too, actually," Cedric said, wandering over and smiling. "You kind of dropped it on me the day I left in June without much explanation."

My face grew even redder as I shook my head. "Another conversation for another time. I don't want to risk anyone overhearing, him least of all."

"Well, if you're blushing, you must be feeling warm now," Cedric commented.

I nodded emphatically, beginning to peel blankets off. "Yeah, let's go to breakfast."

"Someone doesn't like being interrogated," Fred remarked with a laugh.

"Imagine that," I replied dryly. "You're sure you two aren't... well... more bothered? By my secret? I promise I'll understand if you are."

George shook his head, looking more serious than perhaps I'd ever seen him. "The only thing that bothers us is how much it hurts you. Trust us, Cub. We aren't going anywhere."

The Hufflepuff Christmas Eve sleepover was legendary.

The Hufflepuff prefects arranged with the Heads of Houses a Christmas Eve sleepover for anyone who wanted to join in. So, at 10:00 on Christmas Eve, I found myself in a game of Scrabble against Hermione, Viktor, Cedric, Cho, and Ginny, with Hermione and Viktor on a team and Cedric and Ginny on a team --- we all knew Cho didn't need help, and as the person who had come closest to beating her, it was decided I didn't need help either. The game really ended up being Hermione versus Cho; they were unstoppable.

Harry and Ron had opted to spend Christmas Eve with the rest of our house in the Gryffindor common room. They still didn't know Viktor was Hermione's date to the Yule Ball, and the two of us were having fun (too much fun, really) keeping that secret. It was just as well, really, that Hermione, Ginny, and I were the only Gryffindors in the room; there were a surprising number of Slytherins who had hesitantly trickled in with their much-more-excited Durmstrang friends, and I doubted Gryffindors would be terribly thrilled to see them. But the uncharacteristically shy Slytherins were as enthusiastically welcomed by the Hufflepuff hosts as the Ravenclaw students and the Beauxbatons students and the Durmstrang students, and our Christmas spirits were high.

When the clock struck midnight, the couples in the room exchanged a sweet kiss. Including, to my surprise, Hermione and Viktor.

"May I?" I heard him ask in a soft voice as they both looked around and saw the kisses happening one by one.

Hermione nodded, her cheeks glowing bright pink. "Sure," she replied breathlessly.

He tipped her chin up with the knuckle of his index finger, and Ginny and I clapped our hands over our mouths as their lips met.

Hermione seemed equally stunned, suddenly bubbling over with giggles.

"Are we the only ones in the room not kissing?" Ginny wondered aloud.

"Nope," Henry said from behind us. "I don't think you two are missing out on much. You're still young, anyway."

"Younger than you," Ginny pointed out with a teasing wrinkle of her nose as we turned around.

Henry laughed good-naturedly. "I'll be single forever. I'm in no rush."

"I'll be single forever, too. At this rate," I added with a roll of my eyes. "Who're you taking to the ball, Henry? I don't think I've heard."

"Bea asked me," he replied. "Strictly as friends though, which is why I'm sitting here with you two while she's kissing..." He craned his neck to try to see. "Someone from Beauxbatons, judging by the long blonde hair. Anyway." He took a sip of his butterbeer. "How about you two?"

"I'm going with Neville Longbottom, and my brother's taking Lucy."

Henry cocked an eyebrow. "If Ron's taking you, who's going with Harry?"

I shook my head, blushing. "No, not Ron, I'm going with George. Harry and Ron are going with the Patil twins."

Henry exhaled slowly. "Well, they're officially both idiots. Good for George, though. Say, maybe sometime over holiday we could play another Quidditch friendly, if the snow lets up."

"Do you play Quidditch, too?" a deep voice behind us asked. Ginny and I turned to see that Viktor and Hermione had stopped kissing and were now listening to our conversation.

"Yeah, I do," Henry replied, turning slightly pink as he smiled.

"What position?"

"Keeper."

Viktor nodded thoughtfully. "You have the right build for it. You seem to be big enough to block the better part of a hoop while being small enough to be fast."

Henry laughed, gesturing toward me with his chin. "Probably not fast enough for Little Diggory here. We played a friendly in October, and I was very glad she was on my team rather than opposing me. I've seen what she does to every other Keeper."

I blushed bright red as Viktor turned to me with a curious expression.

"You are small for a Chaser. But I did see you in the rain that one day. You have a strong arm." Viktor glanced at Ginny. "You look like you would play Quidditch. What position?"

Ginny shrugged. "Whatever's available. Chaser is my favorite, though."

Viktor nodded thoughtfully. "If you play another friendly sometime, I would love to join you. Perhaps we could have a competition between the schools."

We all liked that idea --- a lot. For a while, we even considered dropping everything to go play in the dark, but we doubted we could play without getting caught. But a tentative plan was made for New Year's Day, weather permitting, and I'll admit I was a bit starstruck. Playing against Viktor Krum in a Quidditch friendly?

But eventually, as expected, discussion returned to the Yule Ball. A number of Durmstrang girls were particularly interested in Hermione, seeing as she was the one going with Viktor Krum. They even offered to help her get ready, an offer she eagerly accepted since she hadn't told Parvati or Lavender who her date was, either.

"Say, you're Cedric Diggory's sister, are you not?" one of the girls asked, turning to me for the first time.

I nodded. "That's me!"

"Ooh, I bet you had all kinds of boys lining up to go with the sister of the most attractive champion," another one said in a low voice. "Who's the boy?"

"George Weasley. But he was the only one who expressed interest," I admitted as I blushed.

"Wait, really?" Ginny asked. "I thought you were turning people down just in case you-know-who asked you."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Lucy has a crush?!"

"No!" I protested, blushing even more intensely and shooting Ginny a warning look. "No, no, I don't. I just thought someone might ask me because it would have made everything easier- I mean, I would have said an easy yes, since we're friends- if he had asked me, anyway-"

An older girl laughed. "Why do boys have to make everything so complicated?"

"I don't know!" I replied with a loud laugh. I turned to Ginny. "Bloody hell, why didn't we just go together?"

Ginny slapped her hand to her forehead. "Because we're stupid."

"That's what we're doing," one girl said, leaning her head against another girl's shoulder. "We wanted to go together as friends to try to make the boys we like jealous, but now they're going together as friends!"

The idea of Harry and Ron going to the ball together was a hilarious one, and we all laughed about it for a long time. The conversation soon shifted to how we'd look the next night, and each school happened to have an area of expertise. The Durmstrang girls proved to be excellent when it came to hair, and the Beauxbatons girls were great with makeup, whereas we Hogwarts girls had the best dresses.

All in all, it was an incredibly fun night, and it was nearly sunrise when everyone crawled into sleeping bags.

Maybe this tournament has its benefits, I thought to myself as I drifted off to sleep.

Everyone at the party slept through Christmas morning. Cedric and I were among the first awake Christmas afternoon, so we slipped away to give each other our gifts in private. He laughed out loud at my book on fire-proofing charms, and immediately slipped the Magpies hoodie over his head, swearing he'd never take it off. I fell in love with the model Swedish Short-Snout as soon as I laid eyes on it, the one he had been given in the first task, and I raced up to my dormitory to put him on my dresser.

At the foot of my bed, I found my gifts from my friends. My favorite was Harry's --- he, too, had given me his dragon model, his being the Hungarian Horntail, and in a small box laid a dragon charm to add to my bracelet.

I found Harry along with the Weasley boys outside having a full-on snowball fight, and I jumped in eagerly on the side of Harry and George against Fred and Ron and later Ginny. Hermione came to watch for a little bit, but she slipped away at five o'clock to start getting ready.

"What, you need three hours?" Ron called after her.

I scooped up a massive clump of snow and lobbed it at his face.

Harry laughed and high-fived me. "Nice shot!"

"Thanks! I'm not a Chaser for nothing, Potter," I replied. I flipped my braid over my shoulder. "Ron seems unfazed, anyway."

"Who're you going with?" he shouted after Hermione, who merely turned around and smiled mischievously.

"I should probably start getting ready, too," I said. "See you boys tonight!"

I hurried up to the castle, watching with satisfaction as Hermione turned the corner to head in the direction of the Durmstrang boat.

"I can't wait to see you tonight!" I called after her.

When she turned around, she was grinning from ear to ear. "Same for you! See you in a couple hours!"

"See you!"

While I waited for Parvati and Lavender to finish getting ready, I reached for the paper airplane I kept in my drawer.

Fred's scrawl. We tried to warn you! You should have asked him!

George's slightly-neater scrawl. Professor McGonagall turned down my invitation this morning. Can you imagine? The nerve! Will you go to the dance with me, as each other's second choices?

My handwriting. Of course!

George's scrawl again. Harry and Ron looking at you. Go sit over there with them, I have an idea.

I recalled the curious expressions on their faces and the way they hurriedly looked in the opposite direction when I caught them staring. The way I had thought Harry was about to ask me to the dance when he really just wanted to ask me how long Cho and Cedric had been dating all along.

I folded the airplane carefully and tucked it back in the drawer. I then rose to my feet and glanced in the mirror one last time.

At my request, the girls had gone relatively light on my makeup --- I wore only a bit of mascara and eyeliner to make my eyes pop, and my lips were only a little pinker than usual. My exposed skin was scar-free, thanks to a combination of Parvati's handy charms and Lavender's handy concealer skills. My hair fell in loose curls around my shoulders and down my back, shiny and golden-brown in the candlelight.

And the dress... oh Merlin, how I loved the dress. I twirled experimentally, unable to stop myself from grinning when I saw the way the flowing skirt billowed around me.

"Save your moves for George!" Parvati scolded from across the room. "Honestly, Lucy, it still amazes me you're going with someone two years older than us!"

"Says the girl going with a school champion!" Lavender giggled.

Parvati blushed, adjusting her bangles for the fiftieth time that hour. "Do you think he'll think I look nice?"

"You both look stunning!" I said, twirling around a couple times before stopping to face them. "Are you ready?"

"Yes! No." Lavender hurried over to the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair. "Up? Or down? I still can't decide!"

Parvati reached for her wand and flicked it in Lavender's direction. Lavender's curls were instantly pulled up into a high bun, and she gasped.

"Good thinking!" I said, high-fiving Parvati. "Are you ready now?"

"Oh, Merlin, I hope so," she whispered. "I'm the only one who actually fancies my date. Do you think he'll fancy me too?"

"He asked you, didn't he?" Parvati asked. "Harry only asked me because I was a last resort. I thought he would ask Lucy, honestly, so I was surprised."

"So was George," I chuckled. "He waited so long to ask me because he wanted to give Harry a chance to ask me. Well, that, and Professor McGonagall said no when he invited her."

Lavender and Parvati both laughed at that, and I smiled.

"You both look incredible, and both of your dates are very lucky to have you. Now, the question is," I said in a more serious tone, "are we going down one by one, or all together?"

"Lavender should go first, since she fancies Seamus," Parvati said.

Lavender squealed, then took a deep breath. "I'm calm. I'm calm. I'll go."

She hurried from the room, leaving Parvati and I standing alone. I had expected myself to be upset with Parvati for being the girl Harry asked, but now that I was standing there with her, glancing in the mirror yet again, I was actually incredibly relieved to be going with George instead. I didn't need to worry about embarrassing myself in front of him, or not looking pretty enough for him, or stepping on his toes while we danced. He knew my secret, after all, so I knew there was nothing I could do to hurt him or frighten him away.

"You go next," I said. "You are the one going with a champion. Shouldn't keep him waiting."

She smiled. "Alright. Have fun with George."

I returned her smile. "I know I will. Take good care of Harry for me. Try not to let him trip over his own feet and embarrass himself."

"Oh, Merlin," she giggled. "I might die of secondhand embarrassment if he does. But without further ado, here I go!"

In that moment as I watched her leave, I decided Parvati could have Harry for that night. I'd never give up on him, and the thought of seeing him in those emerald green robes to match his emerald green eyes made my stomach flutter, but that night, I was grateful for the fun I knew I'd have with George without the additional pressure to try to impress Harry.

I glanced in the mirror one last time. Hair, check. Eyes, check. Dress, check.

Smile?

On any other day, I would pick apart every inch of my smile. I'd hate the way my right eye crinkled more than my left, I'd hate the way that I had a dimple in my chin rather than my cheeks, I'd hate the way my nose scrunched up if I smiled too hard. Most of all, I'd hate the way smiling made my scars stretch and pull.

But that night, I let myself smile. I spun in one last circle for good measure before making my way down the stairs.

The common room was fairly full, but I spotted George easily. He was leaned up against the fireplace, fiddling with something in his pocket. But as soon as he saw me, his face lit up in a broad grin, and he approached me, pulling his tie out of his dress robes.

"A perfect match," he commented with satisfaction. "You look lovely, by the way."

I blushed. "Thanks. I tried, for once."

"Aw, for little old me?"

"No, for Fred," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Yes, for you. You're the one who asked me to the ball, after all."

George laughed and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Harry sure looks like he wishes he'd asked you."

"Don't say something like that," I said. Even though the very thought made me blush, I very intentionally avoided looking at Harry, not knowing how I'd react if I happened to turn around and saw him looking at me like... like he did wish he'd asked me. "It doesn't matter. My dress matches your tie, not his."

"That it does!" George held out his arm to me. "Shall we?"

I slipped my arm through his, glad I had let Hermione convince me to wear heels. "Sounds great."

The entrance hall was full to the brim. George led me over to where Fred and Angelina were talking and laughing with Lee and Alicia.

Angelina and Alicia both squealed when they saw me, obsessing over my dress. Fred reached forward and tugged on one of my curls, looking rather gleeful when it bounced back into place.

I swatted his hand away. "I need these curls to last all night, Fred Weasley!"

"What, and you think my grubby paws will ruin them?"

"They will!" Angelina, Alicia, and I all exclaimed in unison, making us all dissolve into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, it's the Gryffindor Quidditch team! And our commentator!" an excited voice said behind us.

I spun around and smiled. "Hi, Colin! We're missing Harry, if you want the whole team. And Oliver, of course, but-"

Colin puffed out his chest proudly. "Professor McGonagall made me the official Yule Ball photographer, and a picture of the Gryffindor Quidditch team would be great! I'll go get Harry!"

He ducked into the crowd and returned with none other than Harry James Potter.

I'll admit my breath hitched in my throat when I saw him. He looked incredible.

When his eyes landed on me, it was as if the world stopped spinning. It wasn't until Colin nudged him forward that I realized he had frozen when he saw me, too.

"Smile, everyone!" Colin instructed, raising his camera to his face. I obliged, and turned to Harry once Colin darted away in search of more photo opportunities.

"He's the official event photographer, so in other words, you might want to try to stay away from him. Wouldn't it be horrible if he took a picture just as you tripped over your own two feet and Rita Skeeter got a hold of it? Front page news, 'The Boy Who Lived with Two Left Feet!'"

Harry laughed. "Shut up, Diggory."

"Just trying to help, Potter," I sassed back. "Now go, I think Parvati's trying to get your attention."

His eyes lingered on me for a second longer before he hurried off to join her.

I glanced up at George, who was smirking. "What?" I asked accusingly.

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

"George Weasley, I know that look. That is absolutely not your 'nothing' look."

"Don't worry about it, darling," George said, smirk deepening.

Before I could press further, the oak doors swung open.

"Let's get this party started!" Fred whooped, and everyone in his vicinity agreed.

The six of us joined Ginny and Neville and Lavender and Seamus and Katie and Dean at a table for dinner, and the twins easily held the attention of the table with their hilarious stories of products gone wrong. The fact that I already knew all of them and had been present for most of them didn't matter --- they were great storytellers, and even people at other tables were turning their chairs around to listen.

And then the dancing started... oh Merlin, the dancing.

It started with the champions and their partners. Cedric and Cho were by far the most coordinated, and the smile on my brother's face was one of absolute bliss. Viktor looked rather satisfied, and rightly so. The Durmstrang girls had transformed Hermione into a fairytale princess, and I couldn't remember the last time she had looked so happy. Fleur's date --- Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain --- looked utterly enchanted by Fleur, again rightly so. She was beautiful.

And Harry... well, he looked like he was trying very hard not to trip, which I supposed was good. Parvati seemed to be the one leading him, rather than him leading her, and I couldn't help but giggle.

George rose to his feet after about a minute and extended a hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked in a deep and gentlemanly voice that made me laugh.

"You may," I replied in my best imitation of said voice and accepted his hand. He helped me to my feet and perfectly positioned our hands, and we swayed back and forth in time to the beat. There was still a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as we danced, but he hadn't slipped any frog spawn soap into my drink or any puking pastille prototypes into my dinner, so it was alright so far.

Soon, the slow song ended, and a much perkier tune started up. Several more upbeat songs followed, and the energy on the dance floor grew and grew and grew.

George started spinning me in faster and faster circles, laughing as I tried to keep up. I nearly spun straight into Fred at one point, curls flying and skirt billowing, which made us all laugh.

"If you wanted to dance with me, why didn't you just say so?" he asked, grabbing me by the hand and spinning me in three quick circles.

"George, help!" I laughed as I reached for him with my free hand.

"What's that, Cub? Is Fred too fast for you?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, if slow is what you want," Fred teased, stopping me instantly and lifting me off the ground, spinning me in a slow, wide circle before setting me back down. "Was that slow enough for you?"

I laughed and shook my head. "You're impossible."

"Oh, you want slower?"

"No!" I giggled. "George! Help!"

"Fine, fine, Fred can have Angelina back," George said, spinning her one last time and releasing her hand. He grabbed mine next and spun me around. "Is that more your speed, Cub?"

"Yeah, it is," I replied, feeling quite breathless now. "You two will be the death of me, I swear."

George suddenly wrapped his hands around my waist and hoisted me into the air, spinning me a few feet off the ground like Fred had. I was laughing too hard to protest, and he set me down before long.

"Laughing as you die isn't a bad way to go," George commented with a smirk.

"No, I suppose it's not."

"But dehydration sounds like a positively miserable fate," he continued, more seriously. "I'll go get us drinks."

"I'll catch my breath and say hi to Hermione."

"Perfect. Meet you there!"

I was still smiling as I crossed the room, but the smile vanished from my face when I heard what was going on.

"If you really want to know, he- he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Hermione was saying, turning a very bright shade of red.

"Yeah, well, that's his story," Ron replied with a glare.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with! He's just trying to get closer to Harry, get inside information on him, or get near enough to jinx him-"

"For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one-"

"Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions-"

"I'd never help him work out that egg! Never. How could you say something like that? I want Harry to win the tournament, Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"

Ron didn't give him a chance to reply before snapping, "You've got a funny way of showing it."

"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!"

"No it isn't! It's about winning!"

"Ron, I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum-" Harry tried to say, but he was ignored.

"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," Ron suggested in a bitter voice.

Hermione was on her feet in an instant. "Don't call him Vicky!" With that, she stomped away, soon getting lost in the crowd. I turned around to try to follow her, but someone caught my arm.

"What is it?" George asked.

"Hermione and Ron had a row," I explained, trying to wriggle free.

But his grip tightened. "Lucy-"

"I need to make sure she's okay-"

"Lucy, look at me, please."

I stopped struggling and glanced up at him.

"Don't run, okay?" He passed me a glass of butterbeer. "Come sit with me."

I looked over my shoulder in the direction Hermione had gone.

"Lucy." I turned back to George. "I've seen the way their fallouts over the years have hurt you. Please don't let Ron and Hermione ruin tonight, too. They'll be okay, they always are in the end."

I sighed shakily. "Okay."

"Attagirl," he said with a small smile. "Come on, let's go find a place far away where we can-" His smile faded as he looked at something else over my shoulder.

"What is it?" I asked.

He blinked. "Nothing. Let's go sit."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw none other than Ludo Bagman. Fred made his way over to us, looking serious for the first time that night.

"Now's our chance," Fred muttered to George. "Do you mind, Cub? I promise not to steal him for long."

I shook my head. "No, this is your perfect opportunity to confront him about the money. Go. I see Percy making his way over to Ron and Harry, it'll be nice catching up with him."

George nodded absently, following Fred over to where Ludo Bagman was. I calmed myself with a sip of butterbeer before making my way over to where Percy had just landed.

"Hi, Percy!" I said. "What brings you back to Hogwarts?"

"I've been promoted! I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."

"That's excellent!" I replied. "But where's Mr. Crouch? Is he alright?"

Percy shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising. Overwork. He's not as young as he was, though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called. Naturally, he dismissed her immediately afterward, but --- well, as I say, he's getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left. And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with, that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around, no, poor man, he's having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place."

I smiled. "You are quite reliable."

He looked for a second as if he'd smile back, but his jaw clenched as his gaze strayed. "What do they think they're doing?"

"What? Who?"

Harry gestured with his chin toward Fred and George, who had caught up to Ludo Bagman.

Percy shook his head again. "Annoying senior Ministry members? No respect..."

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. "Annoying" was hopefully an understatement. I switched seats to go sit next to Harry so I had a better view of the show. To my disappointment, he escaped them under a minute and hurried over to where we were sitting, having seen Harry.

"I hope my brothers weren't bothering you, Mr. Bagman?" Percy asked.

"I hope they were," I muttered into my glass, making Harry snort and look at me with a What? kind of look. I raised my eyebrows and took a sip of butterbeer. "Hearing things, Potter?"

"I heard what you said, yes," he muttered back, smiling.

Bagman blinked. "What? Oh not at all, not at all! No, they were just telling me a bit more about those fake wands of theirs. Wondering if I could advise them on the marketing. I've promised to put them in touch with a couple of contacts of mine at Zonko's Joke Shop."

My grip on my glass tightened. Lying bastard...

Percy looked rather upset at this news, but before I could hear what he said next, George appeared in front of me and offered a hand. "Another dance, m'lady?"

I laughed, sitting my glass down on the table behind me. "Only if you can promise me my feet will remain on the ground this time."

"Oh, sure," he said as he pulled me up. "Whatever you want."

"Why am I not convinced?" I chuckled, following him nonetheless. I glanced over my shoulder and made eye contact with Harry, mouthing "Wish me luck!"

He laughed, but there was another look in his eyes, one that I couldn't quite place. Odd. But I turned back around and followed George, and we danced until the lead singer announced there would be three more slow songs before the dance would end.

For the first song, George pulled me closer than we'd been all night. "Has anyone ever taught you how to slow dance properly?" he asked in a soft voice.

I shook my head. "Never. Do you know how?"

"I've done my research this past week," he said with a smile. "I positioned our hands properly earlier, for the first song, but we didn't really dance. If you want to dance, follow my feet."

I looked down and matched his steps as best as I could. When the second of the three songs started, we were moving effortlessly, and I didn't have to watch his feet anymore. As we danced, I noticed that we got closer and closer to where Harry was sitting with Ron, staring at the ground. Halfway through the second-to-last song, George released my hands.

"You know, Cub," George said, plunging one hand into his pockets. "I've been wanting to test one of these."

"One of what?" I asked hesitantly.

He smirked, the mischievous twinkle in his eye perhaps the brightest it'd ever been. "Stand back."

I took three quick steps backward, still confused but electing to trust him.

In a single fluid motion, his hand flew to his mouth, he chewed twice, and blood shot out of his nose.

"George, are you alright?" I asked, rushing forward. "What were you thinking? Come on, let's get you to the Hospital Wing-"

But he wasn't listening. He pressed the sleeve of his robes to his nose and turned to face Harry, whose table was now mere feet away. "Hey, Harry?"

He blinked from his stupor and looked at George with a horrified expression on his face. "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"Not important," George said, grabbing me by the hand and practically flinging me in Harry's direction. "Dance with her while I head up to the Hospital Wing, will you?"

Harry glanced at me, his cheeks beginning to turn red. "Er, yeah, of course."

George didn't give me any room to protest. He pulled Harry to his feet and pushed him toward me. "Great! Have fun, you two!"

With that, he hurried off toward the doors of the Great Hall. I watched as he left, and just before he reached the doors, he turned around and grinned at me. The bleeding had stopped. With a final wink, he disappeared.

Harry, however, had seen none of this. When I looked back up at him, he was still looking at me.

He shyly glanced away as soon as I made eye contact and reached for one of my hands with his. "So, shall we?"

I smiled and nodded, my stomach erupting with butterflies. He led me by the hand to the middle of the dance floor, and I reached forward and positioned Harry's hands the exact way George's hands had been just minutes before --- one on my waist, one holding mine.

Harry and I began to dance, and I prayed he couldn't tell how nervous I was as I watched our feet, careful not to step on his toes.

But as the song swelled, the familiar chorus filling the room, I glanced up at Harry.

"Well," he said softly, "I didn't expect this is how the night would end."

"Sorry," I replied. "I don't know what George was- you don't have to-"

"What? No, no, I didn't mean it to be a bad thing," he stammered. "This is nice, really. Parvati went to dance with a Beauxbatons boy."

I frowned. "She did? Why?"

"I suspect I wasn't the best date," he admitted sheepishly. "I tried to be, I just... I guess I'm not ready for anything like that yet."

"That's alright. You don't have to be." I sighed. "I don't know if I am, either."

He cocked his head. "You mean you and George aren't...?"

"Oh, no, we aren't together," I said quickly, too quickly, shaking my head. "We went as friends. Just friends."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Something tells me he had the right idea."

I felt the butterflies in my stomach intensify. Don't read too much into that, Lucy, I scolded myself.

"He's probably a much better dancer than I am," Harry commented. "Reckon that might be part of why Parvati left, too."

I couldn't help but smile. "Don't be ridiculous, Harry. You're not a bad dancer."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

I smiled wider as I nodded. "Really."

"Well, that's good," he said, sounding relieved. "In that case..."

Harry carefully lifted his arm, and I spun in a circle accordingly.

He glanced at the hand he was holding when we returned to our original position, and he did a double-take. "You wore the bracelet tonight?"

"Of course I did. I never take it off. I was even wearing it the night of the Quidditch World Cup, because I hadn't taken it off yet. Besides, I had to show off the new dragon charm, didn't I?"

Harry smiled.

We were silent then, just letting the music wash over us. I noticed it was Cedric's favorite song, which is why it was so familiar to me.

Believe that magic works
Don't be afraid
Afraid of being hurt
No, don't let this magic die
Ooh, the answer's there
Yeah, just look in her eyes

Harry was, in fact, looking in my eyes. His smile widened.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You were right about your dress matching your eyes. It's perfect."

I smiled back. "Mrs. Weasley had the right idea about your dress robes, too. Same shade of green."

"Really?"

"Really."

We fell silent again, just enjoying the fading music.

And don't believe that magic can die
No, no, no, this magic can't die
So dance your final dance
'Cause this is your final chance

As the final chord of the song played, Harry spun me a second time. I closed my eyes as we returned to our starting position, wanting to remember that moment forever.

What a magical night.