"𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞."

ℂ𝕒𝕟 𝕀 ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 - ℤ𝕒𝕔 𝔼𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕍𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕒 ℍ𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕤

A/N: Buckle Up Besties!

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

Y/N had just entered the Gryffindor common room and unfortunately for her, she walked right into the middle of a party. 

"I have got to stop doing this," Y/N sighed being pulled in by Fred and George. 

She gladly took a custard from them before walking over to the couches where Neville and the golden trio were seated. The twins following behind. 

"Hey, Harry...and everyone else," Y/N said looking around at the group of frantic Gryffindors. "What's up, did you figure out the clue in your egg yet?"

"Nope," Harry said messing with the golden egg that sat in his lap. "The egg opens but it just screeched," he shuddered. 

"Sounded like a banshee," George said. "Burst our eardrums."

"It sounded like someone was being tortured," Neville said, his face a bit pale. "What if you have to fight off the Crutiartus Curse Harry!"

Y/N placed a hand on Neville's arm. She knew how tough the subject of the Crutiartus Curse was on him. 

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," George said. 

"And throwing someone into a firey pit with dragons isn't?" Y/N said glaring at George for being so inconsiderate. 

"They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions," George insisted. "I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing...maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred suddenly offered. 

Hermione looked at the plate of tarts suspiciously while Fred was grinning from ear to ear. 

"It's alright," Fred said. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you got to watch out for–"

Neville and Y/N both choked and spit out the custards they had been offered into napkins. 

"Just a little joke," Fred laughed. 

Y/N glared at him while he offered jam tarts to Hermione again, which this time she took. 

"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" Hermione asked trying to sound casual. 

"Yep," Fred said smiling widely at her. He then mimicked a house elf's voice and said, "Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!'"

"How do you get in there?" Hermione said innocently like she was just trying to hold conversation. 

"Easy," Fred said, "Concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit and–" He then stopped speaking, eyeing her suspiciously. "Why?"

"No reason," Hermione said quickly. 

"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" George said. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"

Several people in the common room snickered but Hermione didn't reply. 

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" Fred warned. "You'll put them off their cooking!"

All of a sudden, diverting everyone's attention, was Neville and Y/N now turned into large canaries sitting right in their spots. Neville red, and Y/N yellow. 

"Oops my bad," Fred said over all the laughing. "Forgot we did  jinx the custards."

In just above minute Y/N and Neville had both molted and reappeared looking back to normal. 

"You better run Fred," Ron warned. 

In under a second, Y/N had sprung up from the common room couch shouting every single hex she could think of at Fred while he ran away laughing.

"FREDRICK GIDEON WEASLEY GET YOUR CARROT-LOOKING ASS BACK HERE!"

"Well, rest in peace Freddie," George sighed sitting down on the couch taking Y/N's spot. 

"You're not going to help your twin?" Hermione asked. 

"What's that going to help?" George said taking a bite of a pastry. "I'm the cuter twin anyways."

"Obviously not the smarter one," Hermione muttered. 

"What was that Granger?" George said. 

"You're eating your own stupid Canary Creams idiot."

George was suddenly turned into a canary right in his seat while Ron, Neville, and Harry broke out laughing while Hermione rolled her eyes. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

As the beginning of December started the fires were always burning in the common rooms and the weather brought wind and sleet to the grounds. 

"How was Divination?" Y/N asked in a fake cheery voice once she met up with Ron and Harry in the hallway after dinner. 

"Y'know the usual," Ron said. "'Death my dears, it circles overhead lower and lower,'" he said mimicking Professor Trelawney's voice. 

"It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before," Harry sighed. "But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to die, I'd be a medical miracle."

Y/N let out a light laugh before looking around noticing someone was missing. 

"Where's Hermione?"

"I don't know," Ron said. "She wasn't at dinner, we haven't seen her since Care of Magical Creatures and that was before lunch."

"Harry!" Hermione suddenly shouted running up to them and skidding to a halt right beside the group in the corridor. 

"How does she always manage to do that?" Ron asked. 

"Do what?" Hermione said. 

"Just show up whenever we mention you," Ron said annoyed. "You've been doing it since first year."

"That's preposterous Ronald," Hermione said turning her attention back to what she came to do. "You've got to come—you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened—please—"

She grabbed both Harry and Y/N's arms and began to try and drag them from their spots.  

"What's the matter?" Harry asked. 

"I'll show you when we get there—oh come on, quick—" Hermione begged. 

Harry, Ron, and Y/N looked at each other confused but also intrigued, and ended up following Hermione down the corridor. 

"Hermione, where are we going?" Y/N asked once she had led the three back into the Great Hall and headed straight for a door in the great hall.

"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" Hermione said excitedly. 

She led them down stone steps and they found themselves in a stone corridor only lit by torchlight. 

Y/N noticed oddly familiar pictures on the wall that were plastered with paintings of food. 

"Oh hang on..." Harry said slowly. "Wait a minute, Hermione.."

"What?" Hermione snapped. 

"I know what this is about." 

Ron looked confused and Y/N nudged him and pointed to the pictures on the wall. 

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed in realization. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"

"No, no I'm not!" Hermione protested. "And it's not spew, Ron—"

"Changed the name, have you?" Ron said sarcastically. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front?"

"Hermione we can't just bust into the kitchen and free them like we're patriots spearheading the revolution," Y/N said. 

"I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found—oh come on, I want to show you!"

She pulled open the large green door of the kitchen and the three were pulled in by Hermione. 

In a matter of seconds, Harry felt something hit his midriff hard and wrap around him so tightly he felt as if his ribs might break. 

"Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!"

"Dobby?" Harry asked. 

"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed a voice from the house elf that had attached himself to Harry. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"

Y/N had heard all about Dobby and quite a bit about the 'incompetent elf' from Draco in the common room but from what she could see he was a very...energetic...elf.

Dobby had been free for a little over a year and Harry had never seen someone do so poorly at dressing themselves. He was wearing a tea cozy hat with brightly colored badges pinned to it, a tie around his bare chest, and what looked like a pair of children's soccer shorts. 

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed happily. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"

"Winky?" Y/N asked becoming intrigued, remembering that Winky was one of the last people to see Rue alive. "She's here too?"

"Yes miss," Dobby said. "Dobby has only been here for a week miss."

"Erm—you don't have to call me 'Miss' Dobby," Y/N said. 

"Would you like me to call you Mrs. Potter?" Dobby asked like the question was normal. 

"What! No!" Y/N said quickly while Ron stifled a laugh. "I'm Y/N Sinclair, you can call me Y/N"

"Dobby has heard much about you. Dobby only thought that was your name because of sir Ron Weasley calling you that in the hallways," Dobby said thoughtfully. 

"It's fine," Y/N choked, trying to resist the urge to strangle Ron who was now heavily failing to stop laughing. "Erm—you said Winky was here."

"Yes, miss, yes!" Dobby said seizing Y/N's hand and pulling her to four wooden tables that looked like they were directly below the ones in the Great Hall. 

There were at least a hundred elves in tea towels with the Hogwarts crest stamped on them who bowed to them as they passed. 

Y/N had only snuck into the kitchens late at night with Harry back in Year three but there weren't any elves inside. The kitchens looked incredibly different now. 

"Winky, miss!" Dobby said.

Winky was seated by the fire on a stool. She was wearing much nicer clothes than Dobby. A nice skirt and blouse with a blue hat that had holes in them for her ears. Despite the much better choice of clothing Winky had than Dobby, It looked like she had put no effort to keep her clothes clean. Her skirt was singed and there were soup stains all over her blouse. 

"Hello, Winky," Harry said cautiously. 

Winky looked up at the group and her lip began to quiver. Suddenly she burst into wails, tears spilling out of her big brown eyes. 

"Oh dear," Hermione said. "Winky, don't cry, please don't..."

But she just began to cry harder. 

"How did you get this job?"Harry asked Dobby. 

"Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir," he said over the crying. "You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed—"

Winky began to cry even harder at this. 

"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby said. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

The house-elves that surrounded them looked away from him like he had said something shameful.

"Good for you, Dobby!" Hermione said. 

"Thank you miss," Dobby said. 

Multiple house-elves edged away from Dobby the more he talked about fair pay. 

"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too sir," Dobby said. 

Winky then dropped face first down on the floor and began crying even harder, kicking and screaming. 

Y/N and Hermione crouched down trying to comfort her but it was no use. 

"And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!" Dobby said, joyful tears welling. 

"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" Winky began to shirek. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" Y/N asked. 

"Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you–" Hermione began. 

Winky just clapped her hands over her ears. 

"You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," Dobby said. 

"Yeah, no shit," Ron muttered. 

"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters?" Harry asked. 

"Oh no, sir, no," Dobby said seriously. "' Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them."

"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Y/N asked. 

"Dobby–Dobby could," he said. "Dobby could tell Y/N Sinclair that his old masters were – were – bad Dark wizards!"

Dobby stopped and began to bang his head hard on the nearest table. 

"Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Harry grabbed him by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table. 

"Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you," Dobby said. 

"You just need practice Dobby, it's okay," Harry said. 

"Practice!" squealed Winky furiously. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters! Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby! My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her... oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!"

She buried her face in her skirt began to break down again. 

"I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know.." Hermione said. 

"You is seeing my master?" Winky said looking up, goggling at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah," Y/N said with a furrowed brow. "He's judging the Triwizard tournament. He and Mr. Bagman."

"Mr. Bagman comes too?" Winky squealed, and to all their surprise, she seemed angry. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"

"Bagman–bad?" Harry said, making Y/N and Ron look at him stupidly for talking like a small child. 

"Oh yes," Winky said nodding fiercely. "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying...Winky–Winky keeps her master's secrets."

She began to sob again, "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!"

They couldn't get one more logical word out of Winky's mouth so they left her crying and enjoyed a cup of tea with Dobby while he talked happily about his wages and his life as a free elf. 

"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next!" Dobby said. 

"Tell you what, Dobby," Ron said. "I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?"

Dobby looked delighted. 

"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you," Ron told him, "but it'll go well with your tea cozy."

As they prepared to leave, many of the surrounding elves offered tons of sweets to the group. Hermione denied it because of the way, they kept curtsying and bowing but Harry and Ron couldn't say no to miniature pies and Y/N had to take at least take one mini cream cake. 

"Thanks a lot!" Harry said waving. 

"See you Dobby," Y/N smiled. 

"You know what?" said Ron, as they began to walk to the entrance hall. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens – well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"

Y/N and Harry looked at each other and smirked remembering how easy it was for them to sneak in and eat chocolate pudding in the kitchens the previous year. 

"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," said Hermione. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!"

"Yeah if they don't look too closely at Winky," Y/N said starting her cake. 

"Oh she'll cheer up," said Hermione, though her tone seemed a bit doubtful. "Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man."

"She seems to love him," said Y/N.

"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?" Harry said. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?"

"Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department," said Hermione, "and let's face it...he's got a point, hasn't he?"

"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch," said Ron finishing his first pie. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor."

"Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Hermione said, smiling slightly. 

"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?" Ron said beginning to start a chocolate eclair. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy."

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"Did they say what this meeting was about?" Y/N asked as she saw a large group of students pass over to the Great Hall. 

"Nope," Daphne said. "All they said was that it was for students fourth year and above."

"For what?" Y/N asked as she got shoved into Daphne by an eccentric passing Gryffindor. 

"You do realize I'm out here with you," Daphne said rolling her eyes. "Come on."

They walked into the Great Hall with the rest of the students to see that chairs and bleachers were set up amongst the wall and the middle of the hall was empty. 

There was a rather large record player that Filch was messing with that was making horrid scratching sounds while he tried to get it to work. 

Professor McGonagall was standing by him as Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, Slytherins, and Hufflepuffs all made their way into the seats, piling into their respective house corners. 

Professor McGonagall put up a hand to be silent once it seemed like everyone was here. 

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" She yelled to Ron and Harry who were on the Gryffindor side having a battle with a pair of fake wands George had given them. 

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," Professor McGonagall said with a harsh glance at the boys, "I have something to say to you all."

"Why do I feel like we're in trouble?" Daphne whispered into Y/N's ear. 

"The Yule Ball is approaching–a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above–although you may invite a younger student if you wish–"

Lavender let out a shrill giggle while Parvati jabbed her in the ribs but she was also trying to make sure she didn't laugh herself. 

"On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests, gather here for a night of well-mannered frivolity."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Theo hissed from behind them. "I don't even know what that word means."

"It means 'how about you shut up?' dumbass," Daphne hissed making Y/N snicker. 

"As representatives of the host school," Professor McGongall giving a stern glance towards the Slytherin side. "I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the Yule ball...is first and foremost....a dance."

The crowd burst into murmurs at the mention and Y/N looked up to catch Harry looking at her from across the room. 

Most of the girls seemed excited, but most of the boys, specifically from Gryffindor, groaned. 

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall said holding her hands up. "The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you and the rest of this school ruin that name by behaving like a babbling bumbling band of baboons."

"Try saying that five times faster," George whispered to Fred.

"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons." 

"Babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

"Now to dance," Professor McGonagall said happily. "is to let the body...breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight."

"Something is about to burst out of Eloise Midgen, but I don't think it's a swan," Ron whispered to Seamus making him laugh. 

"Inside every boy," Professor McGonagall said looking at the boys in Gryffindor fiercely, "a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr. Wealsey," she said walking over to them.

"Yes?" Ron said timidly while Seamus and Harry looked down on both sides of him. 

"Will you join me please?" she asked.

Ron got up while Harry gave him a push. He made eye contact with Y/N who was fighting back her desire to burst out laughing. 

"Now place your right hand on my waist," Professor McGonagall said once they had reached the middle of the room. 

"Where?" Ron asked nervously. 

"My waist," Professor McGonagall repeated. "No, bend your arm," she said moving Ron's hands where they were supposed to be. 

A couple of students whistled while Fred and George giggled from where they were standing. 

"Mr. Filch if you please," she said. 

The music started playing and Ron who looked like he was far from having the time of his life began following Professor McGonagall's steps as she counted out loud. 

Fred and George hummed to the music happily dancing along with them as Ron looked on the verge of tears. 

"Everybody come together," Professor McGonagall instructed. Most of the girls immediately got up but the boys stayed seated.

Neville was the first to bravely get up and more boys began to follow. 

"Hey Sinclair," Y/N heard turning around. She hadn't gotten up yet and just decided to lean in her seat as she watched Daphne dance with Theo who was being overdramatic with his dance moves. 

Draco stepped out of his seat in the bleachers and stood in front of her offering his hand. "Care to dance?"

Y/N acted like she was seriously considering the invitation. "Y'know? You were cuter as a ferret," she said. "Maybe then I would have said yes."

She got up and moved past him without a backward glance.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked over to see Neville. 

"Hey Neville," she greeted, noticing his cheeks were pink, and he looked a bit hesitant about what he was about to do. 

"Do you..erm..want to dance?" he asked. 

"I'd love to," Y/N smiled. 

To her surprise, Neville was a phenomenal dancer. After Y/N saying yes to his offer to dance he seemed to have gotten a burst of confidence and held her hand and waist as they glided across the floor. 

"She's dancing with Neville," Harry said watching Y/N as he was dancing with Hermione on the other side. 

"Your an idiot," Hermione sighed. "This is practice. She can dance with however she likes."

"But–"

"No but's, if you wanted to dance with her you should have gone up and asked her before Neville swooped her away," Hermione said. "She should be lucky, you're a horrid dancer–would you stop stepping on my foot."

"You think I spent my muggle life in ballet class?" Harry retorted. 

"No, but at least you would know your right from your left," Hermione hissed. "Y/N and Neville actually look good together. At least they can dance."

"Hermione–"

"I'm joking Harry," Hermione said. "Besides if you want to go to the Yule ball with her, just ask."

"That's stupid advice," Harry said. "I'll ask Ron for help."

"Ron, seriously?" Hermione scoffed. "He can barely keep up a conversation with a girl."

"Well at least he's not here insulting my dance moves," Harry said as Hermione winced from Harry stepping on her toes again. 

"Fine," Hermione said letting go of Harry's hands. "Go dance with Ron then. You two can go to the Yule Ball together since you both suck with women," she said and marched over to Dean asking him to be her partner instead.

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"What are you thinking for the Yule Ball?" Hermione asked Y/N the next afternoon at lunch. 

"What do you mean?" Y/N said taking a bite of her food. 

"Do you know what your wearing?" she asked. "Y'know any girl going with Harry's going to want to wear something a bit shorter so he doesn't step on it."

"Are you hinting at something Hermione?" Y/N asked raising an eyebrow. 

"Yes, yes I am," Hermione said plainly. 

"This is bullshit," Harry said walking into the Great Hall in a huff with Ron following him. He took an angry seat next to Y/N. 

"What's wrong with you?" Y/N asked. 

"I have to dance in front of the entire school with my partner at the ball," Harry complained. "The Hogwarts champions have to open the show with a dance, and I can't dance for shit."

"I can one hundred percent support that statement," Hermione said. 

"If you have a good date Harry you'll be fine," Ron said. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Y/N couldn't lie and say she wasn't intrigued by this question. I mean, she didn't have a crush on Harry or anything like that, but for some reason the thought of him taking a girl to the Yule Ball and dancing with her in front of all the schools made her feel slightly.....what's the word?

Oh yeah.....jealous. 

"No," Harry said, sneaking a glance at Y/N while she looked down. "Why do they have to move in packs? How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested shrugging his shoulders. 

Y/N and Hermione both rolled their eyes. 

"You both need a lesson in women," Hermione said. 

"We travel in packs for protection," Y/N pointed out. 

"Doesn't explain why you all need to go the bathroom together," Ron said. "And what exact protection do you need?"

"First year," Hermione said flatly. "I was attacked by a troll."

"Myrtle," Y/N said. "Died in the bathroom by a Basalik."

"Second year," Hermione said again. "Ginny was abducted in the bathroom."

"Fair," Ron said. 

"Okay, none of this is helping me," Harry said. "I dance like Ron when he sees spiders."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed. 

"Well if you need help dancing, I can help you," Y/N said.

"And what exactly do you know about ballroom dancing?" Ron said. 

"I was forced to take ballroom lessons at the age of 4," Y/N scowled. "You go to enough stuck-up pureblood functions, you get pretty good."

"That's great!" Harry said a bit too happily. 

Hermione and Ron both smirked at each other. 

"Can you help me after dinner?" Harry asked. "Astronomy Tower."

"Sure," Y/N said. "But I won't hesitate to throw you off if you step on my foot."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Harry said. 

"Does he really dance like a walrus?" Y/N whispered to Hermione. 

"Try a walrus that's had one too many drinks," Hermione said. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"Hey Harold," Y/N said walking into the Astronomy Tower. 

Harry was leaning against the railing when she walked in. 

"Yes, your here!" Harry said. "You really think you can teach me how to dance for the ball?"

"Yeah," Y/N said. "But why do you want to be able to dance so bad?"

"Well..um...I just want to make sure I don't make a fool of myself," Harry said his cheeks growing pink. 

He knew that wasn't the whole truth. The truth was, he wanted to be able to dance so when he danced with Y/N at the ball he would actually look good with her and not embarrass her. Besides, her teaching him how to dance was just more time he got to spend with her.

"Well," Y/N said. "I promise you won't look more like an idiot than you already do."

"Wow thanks," Harry said sarcastically. 

"It's really not that hard," she said joining him in the middle of the astronomy tower. "You can count to four correct?"

"Yes Y/N I can count to four," Harry said rolling his eyes. 

"Just checking," Y/N said. "Okay, now dancing is easy. I'll teach you how to lead."

"Lead?" Harry asked. "I have to do the work?"

"In ballroom dancing, yes the boy typically leads," Y/N sighed. "But I'll lead first. You can play the girl."

"Yes," Harry said happily. "I would like to do that."

Y/N laughed, and directed his hand to her back, and placed her hand on his shoulder. 

Harry could already feel his cheeks heating up and watched Y/N as she slid her hand into his. He barely noticed when she started counting out loud leading him backward at first and then forwards. 

He tripped over his feet a couple of times which just made his cheeks go redder and redder.

"You're too in your head," Y/N said, chuckling at the way he looked down at his feet shuffling from side to side. "You shouldn't look at your feet." 

"How am I supposed to dance if I don't look at my feet?" Harry said frustrated. "I dance like a toddler who doesn't know how to walk."

"Yeah, yeah you do," Y/N laughed. She let go of his arms and moved over to the record player she grabbed from Tracey's side of their dorm. 

"No. No way am I ready for music," Harry said. "You learn the steps but then you have to multiply it by a thousand when the music comes on. And didn't we just establish I dance like a toddler?"

"You need to relax, the music will help that," Y/N said from her spot squatting down to the record player. 

"Well, what song do you even learn to dance to?" Harry asked. "The music McGonagall played was just screeching."

"They're called violins," Y/N said rolling her eyes, "And besides, there are better songs to dance to. "

"If you put on show tunes I'm going to vomit," Harry said. 

"No it's not show tunes," Y/N said shaking her head. "Okay well it kind of is..but it's from a musical movie so there's a difference."

"A musical, show tunes, I don't see a difference," Harry said. 

"Well you need a song with instructions in it obviously," Y/N said. "And I'm the one who can actually dance so how about you shut up and let me teach you."

"Fine...fine...but if they start singing about jazz and happy days I will cry," Harry said. 

"Yeah, yeah," Y/N said fumbling with the player. 

(A/N: Yes, I'm using the song from HSM 3 for this scene because that song lives in my romance fantasies so enjoy. You can play the song or not it doesn't matter either way.)

The soft flow of the music began to start as she made her way back over to him. He looked extremely nervous but he tried to hide it by looking down at the floor. 

"You fought a dragon and you're scared of this?" Y/N asked.

"I think I'd take the dragon right now," Harry said. 

Y/N laughed, "Breathe. I promise it won't be that hard."

Harry took a breath and tried his best to remember what Y/N had taught him before. He placed his hand on her back while she fit into his hands. 

He looked down at his shoes but Y/N took the hand that was on his shoulders and lifted his chin to look at her. 

She pulled his hand to take a step forward while she glided back easily. Harry's arms loosened and he began to get into a better rhythm the quicker footsteps aligning with the beating of his heart. 

A smile formed on Y/N's lips as he started to get it, his confidence growing and he smiled that he actually showed promise. The beat began to quicken and Harry's zeroed-in-focus expression dropped as he began to adapt to what was wrapped in his arms. 

Rather than try and control his movements, Y/N perfectly matched any mistake he made hiding it. What had seemed like complicated steps began to seem more like one, two, three, four, then a complex five, six, seven, eight. 

"You ready to lead?" Y/N whispered. 

"What no," Harry said. "You doing a beautiful job I say we keep it like this."

"You want to not make a fool of yourself you're going to need to lead," Y/N laughed. 

"Okay," Harry sighed. 

"At the change in beat.." Y/N instructed. 

The music began to flow beautifully into a slower pace like the beginning of the song. The male singer now forcing Harry to take control of the dance. 

He turned her around in place trying to shake his nerves of leading now placing a soft touch on her waist. He did a movement and Y/N matched it elegantly. He wasn't an overpowering lead, he was subtle and open. 

The beat quickened up again and miraculously they were in sync. One with the song, and with the dance. Neither of them could stop the smiles that spread as they improved with every step. 

When they separated for a step they were somehow still one and would fall right back into each other's arms. 

Dancing with her felt like everything Harry ever wanted had come to life. The way his heart fluttered and the way his smile kept growing. 

Y/N never wanted to be anywhere else but in that moment with him. The touch of his hand on her waist gave her flashbacks to every moment she's ever met him and the way his emerald eyes looked at her were irresistible. 

She moved under his arm as he twirled her never failing to bring her right back to where she started. 

With him. 

As the song slowed and the two circled each other nothing else really mattered. For the two fourteen-year-olds, nothing was confusing. 

Worries about the tournament, Y/N's family, Bagman, Karakaroff all floated away. 

All they knew was there was someone willing to look at them like they were the only person in the world. 

The song came to a close and the two were facing each other. Their hearts beating and there breathing heavy. There were now no smiles on their faces except for the piercing gaze they were holding that was moving from each other's eyes to each other's lips and the fact that they were only inches apart. 

A small noise came from down the stairs and suddenly everything snapped back. 

Two best friends were just dancing in the astronomy tower. 

They untangled from each other's arms and moved apart.

Y/N let out a cough, "That was great...you're going to do beautifully at the Yule Ball with your date."

"Yeah—thanks," Harry choked out. 

"Y/N do you want to—"

But she had already left the Astronomy tower by the time Harry had mustered up his courage to finish his sentence. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟒: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟔

A/N: So...how we feeling right now?

Well, you all better stay buckled for the next chapter and I'm just going to say my apology video in advance. 

Thank you all for the reads 19K OMG I feel like I was just crying over 50 I LOVE YOU ALL <3