I sip in my coffee while sitting at the Gryffindor table, trying to help Ron understand the assignment because Hermione had suddenly given up on the boy over the Daily Prophet in her hands "Ron its simple," I mumble, "did you even read the chapter?"

 "I- well of course I did- not," Ron mumbles.

 "Of course," I groan, "now look at your recipe... first off your base would just speed up the poison so scrap that." I catch Parvarti and her twin Padam checking out Harry as they walk past. 

"Hey Harry," They say in unison.

"Damn Potter," I mumble.

"What?" Harry asks as he looks back at Ron and I.

"You've got girls lining up to get in your pants," I say, "congrats." He shares a look with Cho then spits out his tea.

"Gross," Ron says.

"Disgusting," I mumble. Hermione slams the paper down and scoffs loudly.

"Look at this! I can't believe it! She's done it again. 'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl. . . . . .seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards," She reads off the paper, "Her latest prey, sources report. . .is none other than the Bulgarian bonbon, Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow.''

"Congrats on the catch Mione," I say sarcastically, "good trade up on Harry eh?"

"Sod off," Harry groans.

"You're just pissy because Cho won't give you the time of day," I say. He rolls his eyes and grabs his coffee again. "Besides Mione Rita's a rat stop caring about her articles."

"You're only saying that cause you're not in them," Hermione says.

"Yeah thats because I've made it an effort to avoid that nasty woman," I tell her, "and Harry when he's around her..... And Ron you can't use that or it'll make your potion explode."

"Maybe I should read the chapter," He says.

"Its like we were assigned it for a reason," I mock, "but that couldn't be."

*****

    The Slytherins had been pulled from classes to meet in an old classroom tucked away in the dungeon. This request seeming really shady was by Snape himself so I complied. On one side of the room sat the girls the opposite side the males. Once Snape steps in the curious whispers stop.  "Hello...... I have something to say to you all.....  The Yule Ball is approaching... a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament.... The ball is only for fourth years and above... although you may invite a younger student if you must...."

  "Who'd want to go with a lame 2nd or 3rd year?" Pansy mocks.

  "Who'd want to go with you?" I say harshly forcing her to look back to Snape.

 "Now this is a dance...." Snape says. Soon people were groaning or cheering. "Quite you nitwits!" We all stop and I look over across the room at Draco and wink at him. "Now.... I've been instructed to remind you all how to ballroom dance.... So partner up..." We all get up and awkwardly stand while Snape orders some 1st year to play music. I start to approach Draco until Pansy slides in between him and I.

"Drakiepoo! Come dance with me!" She squeals.

"Pansy darling get your own boyfriend to dance with," I whisper in her ear, "he wouldn't choose you over me in a million years." She scoffs and backs away as I look to Draco.

"Care to dance?" He smirks.

"Eh," I say, "I don't know I think Blasie better matches my superior skills."

"You have two left feet doll," Draco says, "a mop better matches your skills." I place a hand over my heart. 

"That hurt," I say, "that really hurt." He smirks and looks at me again.

"Do you want to dance or not?" He asks.

"I guess," I say. He places his right hand on my waist then takes my other hand. We slowly dance among the rest of the couples as Snape mumbles directions. Most of us not needing them, seeing as we were Pureblood families, balls and dances weren't a new thing. In fact it was a thing most of us had to learn growing up. Even though I still kinda sucked.

"That will suffice," Snape mumbles, "You're dismissed." 

"Isn't that rather exciting," I say to Draco as we rejoin his cult of followers. 

"The ball?" He asks.

"Yeah," I say, "a ball at Hogwarts that sounds magical."

"It sounds boring," He says, "you don't actually want to go do you?"

"I mean I do," I say, "is that a problem."

"I'm not going," Draco says flatly, "I'd rather not spend more time here than I have to."

"You're kidding?" I ask, "you seriously don't want to go to the ball?"

"No," He says, "I'm not going."

"You're no fun," I pout.

******

      "Hows date hunting going boys?" I ask as we sit in a tucked away corner of the Library trying to study.

    "Why do you girls travel packs?" Ron asks, "why make it harder on us guys?"

   "Girls like effort," I tell them, "although it depends on the girl...."

   "You're lucky you get a built in date," Harry groans.

  "No I don't," I admit. They both look at me, ever Hermione looks up from her essay.

"What?" Harry asks, "Doesn't Draco have to take you?"

"He would if he was going," I say, "but he's not so I'm going dateless."

"You don't have a date?" Ron asks.

"Nope," I say, "because my boyfriend is a boring git." Ron nods.

"Good to know no one here has a date yet," Ron says.

"You'll get a date soon, and Mione here will pull one real quick," I say to them, "now get to your essay before I cram it down your throat."

*****

   "Cultven!" I hear someone scream from down the hall. Lydia, Savannah, and I stop and turn to see Fred and George rushing towards us. As they reach us Fred looked as if he was about to puke. Ears bright red.

 "You okay Fred?" I ask.

 "Yeah yeah he's fine," George says, "you were serious about not going to the Ball with Malfoy right?"

"Yeah Draco isn't going so Lydia and I were going to go as friends until she got a date with some Gryffindor," I say looking at her acting angry, "why?"

 "Well today is your lucky day," George says shoving his brother slightly, "right Freddie?"

"Right- um, Well since Malfoy isn't going to the ball and you have no one to go with I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me," Fred says. I chuckle at him causing his red ears to get redder. 

"Do you really want to go with a girl in a relationship?" I ask him, "it'll be really lame. Plus Draco would have you murdered."

"Hence why it would just be us hanging out as friends," Fred says quickly, "it'll be fun."

"You deserve a real date Fred," I tell him, "not a pity date with me. Seriously Angelia's been checking you out all week."

"Right right," Fred mumbles.

"Lets get you outta here hot shot," George says to his twin. Fred nods and waves to me and he walks off with his twin. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff with me were dying of silent laughter.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," Lydia says, "you'll understand when your older."

"Yeah," Savannah says.

"I'm older than you Lydia!" I squeal.

*****

    "Evil, he is, " Ron says bitterly as we sit along the table trying to study for Snape's antidote test.  "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying. "

"Mmm... You're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?"  Hermione asls, looking at Ron's card castle from his exploding snap pack.

"Seriously Ron if Snape poisons you you're dead," I warn quietly watching as Snape patrols the room, "you literally have no clue about any of this.'

"It's Christmas, " Harry says lazily as he rereads his book. The lines of students filling up the tables of the great hall, now being used as a study hall.

"I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!" Hermione whisper shouts.

"Like what?" Harry whispers back.

"That egg!" Hermione hisses. 

"Exactly!" I whisper, "do you even know anything?"

 "Come on, I've got till February the twenty-fourth, " Harry says Snape catching this and shooting our table a glare.

"But it might take weeks to work it out!" Hermione says quietly, "You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!"

"Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break, " Ron says, as he places the last two cards on top of the castle and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.

"I swear you two are ridiculous," I groan as Snape walks over to us and glares at Ron, taking his cards them stomping off.

 "Nice look, Ron ... Go well with your dress robes, that will. " Fred says as he and his twin join us.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asks. 

"No, he's off delivering a letter, " Ron says, "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball, " Fred  says sarcastically

. "Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat, "George says. 

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" Ron asks. 

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too, " Fred says, waving his wand threateningly.

"You can use Lunar," I tell them, "you just have to warn me... She doesn't fancy being around strangers."

"Thanks," Fred says, "So... You lot got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope, " Ron says, "its mad!" 

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone, " Fred whispers to him.

"'The best ones'?" I ask, "really?"

 "I don't suppose you've asked anyone?" Ron asks.

"Matter in fact I did, But she said no due to her boyfriend being a git," Fred whispers.

"Oi Draco would murder you if and I don't much care for you dying on me," I say, "besides. What did I tell you?"

"Oi Angelina, " Fred says promptly,

"What?" Angelia asks looking away from her friend. 

"Want to come to the ball with me?" Fred asks. 

"All right, then, " Angelia says with a smile. I high five Fred and smirk at the boys.

"Now I'm depressed," Ron says Snape smacking the back of his head to shut him up, "Ow...At this rate we'll be the only ones in our year without dates.... Besides Neville."

"But then again he can take himself can't he," Harry chuckles. 

"You two are ridioclous," I say laughing quietly.

"Why?" Ron asks sternly.

"Neville already got someone," Hermione informs them.

"Oh now I'm really depressed," Ron bellows.

"Just ask someone," I tell him, "have you actually asked anyone?"

"No but Harry's been asked and turned girls down," Ron informs us.

"See Harry if you're turning down girls you don't get to complain," I say as I look over at Fred's paper, "the third one is wrong. Mandrakes remember."

"Right," Fred says, "Ron its a piece of cake to ask someone." He nods then looks to Hermione. Oh the fool.

"Oi, Hermione. You're a girl," Ron mumbles. Harry desperately trying to warn him as Snape rushes behind them.

"Very well spotted," Hermione says as Ron gets smacked with the book, then Harry. Ron looks around until Snape walks away.

"Come with one of us? Come on," Ron says, "lt's one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl, it's just sad."

"Ron!" I hiss.

"l won't be going alone, because, believe it or not, someone's asked me!" She says harshly as she collects her things and hands her notebook to Snape. "And l said yes!"

"Bloody hell," Ron sighs, "She's lying, right?"

"If you say so," Harry says.

"She's not lying and you're an ass,"  I say to Ron, "I mean seriously!"

"What about you?" Ron asks.

"What about me?" I ask him.

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?" Ron asks desperately.

"Not in a millon years Ronald," I say, "besides. Like I told your brother. Draco would have you murdered. And you'd be a lame date." He looks back to Harry who was laughing and rolls his eyes.

"Look, we've just gotta grit our teeth and do it," Ron says as Snape looms behind him, "Tonight, when we get back to the common room. . .we'll both have partners. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Harry says nodding. Snape shoves their heads down harshly and I silently chuckle.

"Dumb gits," I chuckle at the boys as I hand my notebook to Snape who nods. I go back to my seat and grab my bag, "You're last one is wrong Fred."

"What is it then?" Fred asks me. I lean close and smirk.

"usss teba usss," I whisper in parseltounge. Flubberworm, thats what it was.

"Damn woman," He exclaims as I walk away, "you know I can't understand that!"

******

   "Draco," I whine as I sit beside him, "why aren't you going? Whats the real reason?"

"I've been to enough balls in my life," Draco says, "I don't need to go to this one."

"Okay but you're going with me to this one," I say, "and I'm fun."

"Come on do you really need to go?" Draco asks.

"I want to have fun!" I squeal, "it would be fun."

"I don't want to go," Draco says.

"Fine," I say, "I'll go without you."

"Fine," He says.

"Fine," I repeat, "I'm going to bed good night!"

"Whatever," He groans. I stomp upstairs and flop onto my bed and scream. Why does he have to be so difficult! He'd let me go on my own rather than go! Really! Bloody prick.