"𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝."

𝔽𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 - ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖𝕤

A/N: My dumbass forgot to tell yall I aged Romilda up a year. She's in Ginny and Luna's year.

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

The days leading up to the Yule Ball were filled with anticipation and excitement making most people forget about the end-of-term homework they had to complete. 

However, with Y/N and Harry, everything seemed...off.

Y/N didn't exactly know why. Despite her being convinced what happened on the Astronomy tower was a fluke, and the fact that she was couldn't help feeling jealous over the sight of Romilda and Harry together she still made an effort to not let that get in the way of their friendship. 

Harry felt differently. 

He barely talked to her and for some reason, it seemed like he was more pissed than she was about the Yule Ball situation. 

When Y/N sat down at the Gryffindor table the day after she had accepted Adrian's invitation Harry refused to even look her in the eye. Hermione was too busy with her book and Ron gave Y/N a partly sympathetic look like he was longing to tell her something but couldn't. 

With everything going on, she couldn't even enjoy dress shopping with Hermione in Hogsmeade. She looked on their racks but none of the dresses made her excited. Hermione thought Y/N was projecting her feelings on how going to the ball with Adrian wasn't exactly her "dream" onto the dresses, rejecting every single one in the shop. 

"You can't show up to the ball in sweatpants Y/N," Hermione said from behind a changing stall at a dress shop. 

"Are you sure about that? because I think I read somewhere that sweatpants are the new ballgowns in the Muggle World."

Hermione opened the curtain of their stall and gave Y/N an annoyed look. "No. No, you didn't," she said. "Now zip this up if you're not going to get anything."

She walked out in a beautiful periwinkle dress but she was holding up the front turning around for Y/N to help her. 

Y/N got up from her seat and helped her zip up the dress delicately. 

Hermione turned around and Y/N let out an excited gasp. 

"Oh my god, you look amazing!" Y/N said admiring her.

Hermione broke into a giddy smile as she looked down at her outfit. 

"Hermione..." Y/N started. "Did you do something different to your teeth?"

Hermione's usual teeth that had always stuck out slightly were now pushed back and straightened. 

"Well...when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk after that spell rebound from Malfoy, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," she started. "Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces."

"Well you look beautiful both ways," Y/N said putting an arm around her. "Ron's going to faint."

"I am not going with Ron Y/N," Hermione said shaking her head. 

"Yeah I know," Y/N sighed dramatically, talking her seat again. "He's going to faint when both his crushes ending up going together though."

Hermione tried to hide her laughter with an unamused look but failed terribly. 

"Has my brother seen you yet?" A voice came from behind them. "If not you might want to brace him beforehand."

Y/N and Hermione both turned to see Ginny and Luna walking into the dress shop. 

"No he hasn't," Hermione said. "I am not going with Ron."

"You look very lovely," Luna complimented. "Like that Muggle fairytale."

"Cinderella?" Hermione asked. 

"I was thinking Belle," Luna said. "When she wore the blue dress at the beginning of the story."

Hermione broke into a smile while Ginny looked entranced by Luna as her dreamy eyes gazed around the dress shop. 

"Well, what dress are you wearing Y/N?" Ginny asked. 

"She doesn't know," Hermione huffed. "She's turned down every single one."

"Can I say I'm just picky!" Y/N protested. 

"Picky is when you don't want to eat your vegetables at age three," Hermione said. "You don't like anything."

"Well you'll be beautiful in whatever you choose," Luna said. "I've already seen Ginny's dress and she looks breathtaking."

Ginny's face flushed a deep shade of red behind her freckles as Y/N smirked at her. 

"Wait you're going to the ball, Ginny?" Hermione asked. 

"Oh yeah," Ginny said. "Neville asked me and I thought it would be fun to go."

"What about you Luna are you going?" Y/N asked. 

"A nice boy from Slytherin asked me," Luna said making Ginny bite her cheek in annoyance. "Blaise Zabini."

Y/N made a mental note to yell at Blaise for not telling her about Luna but she couldn't help smirk at Ginny who's jealousy was written all over her face. 

"That's great Luna," Y/N said. 

"We're going to get butterbeer, do you want to join us?" Luna asked. 

Y/N started to say yes until Hermione pulled her back. 

"I'm sorry she can't," she said. "Y/N needs to find a dress so she doesn't show up naked."

Ginny laughed while Y/N scowled at Hermione. 

"It's okay," Ginny said. "We'll be going."

Once they left Hermione turned to Y/N and pulled her off the chair. 

"Pick a dress by the time I'm done changing," Hermione ordered. 

Y/N pouted but gave in to Hermione's stern look and began looking through the racks. 

Everything she saw she'd rather wear a trash bag. She let out an exasperated sigh as she passed over a perfectly fine blue satin dress. 

Suddenly, the bell from the shop window dinged and Y/N naturally looked up to see Romilda and her friend Leanne walk into the shop giggling. 

Y/N heavily rolled her eyes even though it was just Romilda's mere existence that got on her nerves. 

"You're so lucky you get to go to the Yule Ball," Y/N heard Leanne say from a circular rack of dresses. "How did you manage that anyway?"

"I managed to get Harry Potter to go with me," Romilda said proudly looking at a light blue dress with lace.

Leanne let out a laugh before looking at her friend's face. "Your serious?"

"Yes. I am," Romilda said pulling out a new navy dress. 

"Wow," Leanne said. "I was so sure he was head over heels for that Sinclair girl."

Romilda slammed the dress she was holding back onto the rack with a loud clang. She turned to her friend and gave her a very annoyed look. "I got him to ditch the Slytherin girl," Romilda said in a passive-aggressive tone. "Now help me find a blue dress."

"Your spying," a voice loudly whispered from behind her. 

Y/N turned around startled to see Fleur leaning over her shoulder looking over to where Y/N was staring.  

"No–no I wasn't," Y/N defended. Fleur definitely wasn't buying it. 

"Is there another reason Miss Rosy is hiding behind a stack of dresses," Fleur asked crossing her arms. 

"I–I was just looking at this dress," Y/N said quickly grabbing the royal blue one she had passed over. 

"That's, perfect!" Hermione's voice came as she rushed up to Y/N. "That dress is perfect."

"Shit," Y/N muttered as Fleur let out a chuckle. 

"Here I'll take our dresses to the cash register," Hermione said taking the fabric from Y/N's hands before she could object. "I'll meet you after I finish."

"I'm guessing that was not the perfect dress," Fleur said with a look of amusement. 

"No," Y/N chuckled. "But Hermione's on a warpath. Seems like I've found my dress."

"You'll look gorgeous," Fleur insisted. 

"I would like to believe that," Y/N laughed. "Have you found a dress yet?"

"No," Fleur sighed. "I can't find anything that perfectly matches me."

"Well.." Y/N looked around at the racks and pulled out a blue-grayish dress with gold decorations on the neckline. It gave the illusion that it was one shoulder while one strap was thicker than the other. "How about this one? Brings out your eyes."

"It's perfect!" Fleur exclaimed excitedly. "Now I just have to find the perfect shoes. Thank you."

"Anytime Fleur," Y/N smiled. "You're going to look amazing."

"Y/N!" Hermione called waving the blue dress by the door holding the shopping bag it was in.

Y/N sulked, said goodbye to Fleur, and made her way over to Hermione. Not before passing a smirking Romilda who was looking at the dress Hermione had in her hands devilishly. 

"Don't give me that look," Hermione said as they linked arms and exited the shop, each with their dress bag in their free hand. "Why are you complaining?" 

"I'm going to look like a blueberry that's why," Y/N whined. 

"A very cute blueberry," Hermione encouraged. 

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes as they continued through the cobbled stone streets of Hogsmeade.

"Hot chocolate?" Hermione suggested. 

"Yes please," Y/N said. 

They moved towards the hot chocolate cart and started to get in line until they realized who they had taken spots behind. 

Harry and Ron turned around in front of them once they had heard the two girls' voices excitedly discussing how smitten Ginny was with Luna. 

"Hey Y/N, Hermione," Ron greeted as Harry stayed silent with his hands in the pockets of his coat. 

"Hey Ron," Y/N smiled. 

Y/N debated greeting Harry but by the way, he was only looking at Hermione despite the two being interlocked she decided against it. 

"What are you two doing here?" Ron asked. 

"It's Hogsmeade Ron," Hermione said.

"Everyone goes here," Y/N finished with a chuckle. 

"Not everyone," Harry said in a condescending tone. Y/N turned to look at him. The first thing that had come out of his mouth in days was him correcting her. "First and second years can't come."

She decided to just ignore the comment and turn her attention back towards Ron. 

"Hermione–who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked suddenly like he was hoping he would startle Hermione into telling him the answer. 

"Your mother," Y/N smiled at Ron who narrowed his eyes at her. 

"I'm not going to tell you, you'll just make fun of me," Hermione said.

"You're joking, Weasley!" Draco said from behind them, entering the line. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Y/N, Ron, and Harry all went into defensive mode until Hermione waved her hand over Draco's shoulder, "Hello, Professor Moody!"

Draco went paler than he already was and whipped around letting out a slight scream. 

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione said. 

Y/N, Harry, and Ron all broke out into laughter as Draco scurried away. 

"Hermione," said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth..."

"What about them?" she said.

"Well, they're different...I've just noticed," Ron said. 

"Of course they are–did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"

"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you...They're all straight and–and normal-sized."

"That was almost a compliment," Y/N said as Hermione snickered. 

"They're not bad!" Ron said quickly. "I just-"

"I know what you mean Ron," Hermione said. "Thanks."

"So what's in the bags?" Ron asked.

Harry tried to hide his intrigue with a tired complaint. "Why is this line moving so slow?"

"People like hot chocolate. That's why," Y/N said. She didn't mean for it to come out annoyed but all their exchanges seemed to be passive-aggressive. 

"Well I was asking because it's cold out here," Harry said his tone laced with annoyance. 

"It's winter. Of course, it's cold out," Y/N challenged. 

"Oh really Y/N? I didn't know-"

"Our dresses are in the bags," Hermione said quickly interjecting. 

Y/N and Harry shared an annoyed glance before turning to Hermione. 

"Anything you two wear is going to look better than me," Ron complained. 

"What?" Y/N asked. 

"Oh, you didn't see his robes at lunch today?" Hermione asked. 

"You mean that atrocious blanket you were holding?"

"It wasn't a blanket!" Ron whined. "They're my dress robes."

"Ron I told you, we could find a matching bonnet for you," Harry said. "Make it look loads better."

"Haha very funny Harry," Ron said. "At least your robes won't make your date look like a complete fool."

"No, she does that by all by herself," Y/N mumbled.

"What was that Y/N?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes at her. 

"Nothing," Y/N said quickly fakely smiling at him. 

A slightly awkward silence fell over the four of them. The topic of dates was definitely a sensitive topic for them. 

Ron gave Harry a look Y/N had no idea how to decipher but Harry just shook his head at him annoyed. 

Thankfully they found themselves at the front of the line and Harry and Ron got their hot chocolate and moved on without delay. 

"What's going on with you and Harry?" Hermione asked once they had paid for their warm drink. 

"To be honest I don't know," Y/N said. 

"I thought you guys almost kissed," Hermione said. 

"I mean...I thought we did–" Y/N stopped her sentence. "Wait how do you know about that?"

Hermione froze and then let out an awkward laugh. "I mean–it was so obvious."

"No, it wasn't," Y/N said shaking her head and looking at the girl suspiciously. 

"New topic," Hermione said quickly. "Let's go find shoes."

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

Y/N was woken up on Christmas Day by Tracey excitedly hitting her with a pillow at seven in the morning.  

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" 

All the girls let out tired groans as Tracey's cheery voice filled the dorm. 

"Remind me to never have Christmas with you ever again," Daphne said yawning. 

"Hey Davis," Pansy called from her bed. "Shut the fuck up!"

"What a scrooge," Tracey complained. 

"I feel bad for your parents on Christmas," Y/N complained putting her pillow over her head. 

Tracey walked over and pulled Y/N's sheets off of her.  

"I hate you."

"Awww Merry Christmas, I love you too," Tracey said smiling. 

Y/N scowled at her and reluctantly got up and rubbed her eyes. 

Christmas used to be her favorite holiday. Last year was probably one of her favorite Christmas's she's had. Spending it with the golden trio, dancing to Christmas songs with Harry. 

Christmas at home wasn't even that bad. Her parents usually insisted on working or doing something else so it was always her and Rue. Her old house in America would be wildly decorated. Rue once took her to Muggle New York for Christmas to see the huge tree in Rockefeller Center. 

Now all of that was gone. 

Rue.

Even Harry. 

Y/N let out a sigh and began unwrapping some of her presents at the foot of her bed. 

She got a new romance novel from Hermione. This one was titled 'The Princess Bride'. Batches of her favorite candy from Ron, and Theo, a beautifully scented perfume from Daphne, A bracelet from Tracey, and a set of cool rings from Blaise (given the boy had a thousand). 

Y/N would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed to not see a gift from Harry. Her eyes went to the present she had neatly wrapped on her nightstand for him that she had bought just days before their "fall out" if you could even call it that. 

Confusion stilled filled her brain with the topic of Harry. There was not a place she could pinpoint where the two stopped talking, and she didn't even know if she could still classify Harry as her best friend, or whatever it was she felt for him. 

Right next to the present was the locket he gave her last year hanging neatly from her jewelry hanger. 

She turned her head back to the foot of her bed and noticed one more present wrapped in a silver rectangular box with a green bow and ribbon. 

Taped to the box was a letter with the Ministry's seal. 

She brought it closer to her and carefully opened the envelope. 

Dear Miss. Sinclair,

We found this on the premise of your late cousin's flat and thought it would be nice to give this to you on which date it is intended. 

Our condolences, 

The Department of Mysteries 

Ministry of Magic

This was a present from Rue? Y/N knew that Rue did Christmas shopping all year round given she took the holiday seriously but, Y/N definitely didn't expect anything from her. 

Y/N tossed the note on the floor and opened the box. Whatever was inside was wrapped in tissue paper and there was another envelope. This one marked with her family's stamp. 

It's been a while since she had seen it. 

Merry Christmas Y/N!

Please don't get mad at me for not telling you about the Triwizard Tournament because I have known all summer! I found this cleaning up and knew I had found the perfect Christmas present even if it was July. Since you won't be home for Christmas given the Yule Ball and everything I thought you might want this. I was going to wear it at my Yule Ball before we moved and they canceled the tournament for years but no good outfit should go to waste. I hope you love it and Merry Christmas cuz. 

Love, 

Rue

Despite the tears that had fallen from her face from just seeing her cousin's handwriting, Y/N wore a soft smile on her face. 

She took out the box she had saved all her important notes in, (her first letters to and from harry over the summer, letters she sent to Hermione, the note harry sent her the second day of school, Rue's last letter she had in her jacket pocket). She placed the letter into the box and shut it close placing it under her bed as usual. 

She turned back to her present and began carefully unwrapped the fragile tissue paper to reveal one of the most gorgeous dresses she had ever seen. 

It was a deep red that cinched just above the waist. Layers of red tulle fell from it draping down like a waterfall. It flattered all body types and had a slight slit in it. 

"Merlin, is that your Yule Ball dress?" Tracey gasped moving over to Y/N's bed sitting on her left. 

"I thought you were wearing that blue one?" Daphne asked pointing to the bright blue dress that was hanging on the armoire with the rest of the girl's dresses to avoid them getting wrinkles. 

"It's a present," Y/N said in shock, running her hands along the fabric of the dress. "I just got it in the mail today." 

"What do you have a fairy godmother or a guardian angel who sends you gorgeous dresses?" Tracey asked. 

"I guess you could say that," Y/N said laughing to herself. 

"Well Harry's going to finally die when he sees you in that," Daphne said rushing over to Y/N and pulling her off her bed. 

Daphne stood Y/N in front of the mirror in their dorm and held the dress up in front of her. 

"He's going to faint," Tracey said letting out a breath. 

Y/N held a soft smile as she looked at the dress against her. The perfect dress that she had been searching for was right in front of her. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

Once the clock had struck five o'clock on Christmas Day dorms began to be filled with curling irons, makeup brushes, hairspray, and every other beauty tool imaginable. 

Harry and Ron had made a snide comment at Hermione for getting ready so early but she ignored them and made her way to the Slytherin Common Room.

Daphne and Tracey had gladly welcomed Hermione to get ready with them in their dorm despite the disapproval from Pansy. It heavily worked in their favor given Pansy stormed off to get ready in Millicent's dorm because she didn't want to be with Hermione and the four girls were free to do what they wanted. 

Songs like Dancing Queen, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Uptown Girl, and I Wanna Dance with Somebody filled the dorm from Tracey's record player as the girls danced around the dorm and got ready. 

Y/N had a candy cane in her mouth as she did Hermione and Daphne's eyeliner for them and sat still letting Tracey do her hair. 

While the girls were vibing in the dorms, Harry, Ron, Dean, Neville, and Seamus all waited until seven o'clock to start getting ready. 

"I still can't work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year," Dean muttered. 

"I'm not going with Y/N Dean," Harry said not meaning to sound so annoyed with him. 

"Funny he knew exactly who we were talking about," Seamus whispered to Dean. 

"Well then," Dean said. "I still can't work out how Ron got one of the best-looking girls in the year."

"Animal magnetism," Ron smiled proudly. 

"I asked out Padma for you," Harry said looking at Ron. 

"Details, details," Ron waved away. 

"If you're not going with Y/N, who are you going with Harry?" Neville asked. Ron shook his hand in front of his neck signaling him to "cut off the subject" but Harry answered anyways. 

"Romilda," Harry said going into his trunks to find his dress robes. 

"Romilda Vane over Y/N Sinclair?" Seamus asked obviously not getting Ron's hand signals either. "She's a year younger." 

"She's perfectly fine," Harry said, but he didn't know who he was trying to convince. "Beside's Neville's going with Ginny!"

"Well, Ginny's hot," Dean said. 

"HEY!" Ron shouted. 

"Sorry," Dean said while Neville and Seamus were trying to hide their laughter. 

"I don't see what's wrong with Romilda," Harry said, the words feeling like paper in his mouth. "She's fine."

"Of course she is Harry," Neville said. "But we all kind of thought you and Y/N were always on that track to being together."

Harry just moved over to his bed laying out his clothes on his bed in silence. 

"Why don't you just tell Y/N the truth about the Yule Ball?" Ron asked walking over to Harry and lowering his voice. "Your pride's going to be the death of you."

"That's rich coming from you," Harry said snapped. 

"Look, all I'm saying is that if you tell Y/N what happened she would definitely dump the Duramstrang bloke and go with you," Ron said. 

"It's whatever Ron," Harry said. Harry's eyes traveled over to his nightstand with his present for Y/N he got way before the whole yule ball situation. 

He snapped his eyes back towards his bed and gathered up his stuff and moved out of their dorm to the boy's bathroom.

Ron let out a sigh and began getting dressed. 

Once Harry had returned, toothbrush in hand, Ron was standing in front of the mirror on the verge of tears. 

"Bloody Hell," he whined tugging at the lace that was on his sleeves. He kept whispering to himself as he checked out his appearance in the mirror. 

 Ron let out a gasp when he looked up to see Harry enter. 

"What are those!?" he exclaimed. "What are those?!"

Harry surveyed himself before looking up at his friend, "My dress robes."

"But there alright!" Ron whimpered. "No lace, No dodgy little collar."

"Well I expect yours are a little more traditional," Harry said trying his best to be encouraging. 

"Traditional?" Ron exclaimed. "They're ancient! I look like my Great Aunt Tessie!"

He sniffed under his arm, making Harry use every bit of his strength not to laugh. 

"Smell like my great Aunt Tessie."

He looked back in the mirror as Harry came up from behind him. 

"Murder me, Harry," Ron sighed. 

The girls were definitely having more luck with their outfits. 

Tracey's green floor-length dress with spaghetti straps perfectly went with her skin tone, Daphne's white dress with blue flowers complemented her blonde hair and blue eyes elegantly, and Hermione's blue layered dress went perfectly with her hairstyle. 

Y/N however was still trying to find the zipper on her dress and ended up misplacing her shoes. Daphne and Tracey had gone ahead to meet up with their dates, while Hermione was sweet enough to stay back and help Y/N find her shoes after she managed to zip her up. 

"Found them!" Hermione announced picking them up from under her nightstand. 

"Thank's Mione!" Y/N exclaimed jumping up and giving her a hug. 

Hermione walked over and took a seat on Y/N's bed as Y/N began slipping into her gold heels.

"Oh you don't have to stay," Y/N assured. 

"No, no it's okay," Hermione said. 

"You've done more than enough Hermione," Y/N said fumbling with her shoe. "Go ahead, make Ron drop dead when he sees you, I just want a picture."

Hermione let out a chuckle and gave Y/N a quick squeeze with an encouraging smile before leaving the dorm. 

 Y/N let out a sigh and took a seat on her bed as she pulled on her gold strapped heels she had originally bought for her blue dress. 

She fumbled with the latch until she got her shoes on tight and stood up making her way over to her mirror to check everything. 

Something still oddly felt missing. 

She noticed despite her gold earrings, simple gold rings, and shoes, her neck seemed pretty bare. 

Her eyes flickered over to her locket on her desk. 

I mean it would go great with the outfit. And even though Harry did give it to her, it doesn't mean she should put the outfit in danger just because he's being an ass. Right?

She walked over to her desk and ran her fingers of the necklace's engravings. She opened it and ran her fingers over the pictures. Everything was so perfect in that captured moment. I mean sure her parents were still assholes, and they thought Sirius was coming to murder them, but in that moment in time, frozen forever, everything was happy. 

She shut the locket and took a deep breath as the necklace was grasped in her hands, the chain dangling through her fingers, 

She looked in the mirror again and clasped the gold locket around her neck. 

She felt hesitant before fully turning the doorknob of her dorm. 

She let out a breath, opened the door, shut off the lights, and then shut her door behind her. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

As Y/N approached the Great Hall her heart was pounding and she had no idea why. There weren't too many students in the hallways given most of the time Y/N had used to find her shoes was when most people took their efforts to head to the ball. 

She peaked around the corner of the doorway seeing Adrian at the bottom of the small staircase leading to the entrance hall. It looked like he was talking to Krum who was standing not far from Hermione. Cho was greeting people kindly with Cedric wearing a gorgeous gold dress and Fleur was standing a bit farther away in the beautiful dress Y/N had suggested with the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, Roger Davis. 

And finally at the bottom of the stairs talking with Hermione and his back turned to the stairs was Harry in his black as night, dress robes. Y/N couldn't even deny that her heart skipped a beat just from seeing him from behind. 

Clung to his arm was Romilda Vane. 

Y/N did a double-take at her and then scoffed to herself. 

Romilda was wearing the same blue dress Y/N had planned to wear that night. Of course, she had seen it in Hogsmeade that day and decided to buy the same dress in Y/N's size just to piss her off more. 

However, Y/N wasn't thrown at all. It sent a bolt of confidence through her. 

She decided for once she was actually going to listen to what Daphne, Tracey, and Hermione had told her. She looked gorgeous in this dress and if Harry decided to pick Romilda to go to the ball over her, then she had every right to have the best night of her life. 

Y/N pressed her back to the wall right outside the great hall and awkwardly smiled at a couple who approached entering the hall. 

She took a deep breath and after the couple had fully left the stairs and entered the great hall she entered the doorway and descended down.  

"She looks stunning," Cho breathed, smiling up at Y/N as she walked down the stairs.  

Hermione was wearing a proud smile up at Y/N as she walked. 

Harry furrowed his eyebrow at Hermione and followed his gaze to Y/N. His stomach flipped and it seemed as if the entire room behind him had dissolved into only him...watching her. 

He couldn't even stop himself from smiling when he saw her. Completely taken over by her. 

That is until Romilda snapped her fingers in front of his face. 

Her scowl was never as severe as it was now. She thought she was going to embarrass Y/N by wearing the same dress as her. Instead, Y/N showed her up without even trying. 

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs Adrain smiled at her and took her hand. 

"You look absolutely gorgeous," he complimented. 

"Why thank you," Y/N genuinely beamed. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Champions over here please!" Professor McGonagall announced.

Hermione squeezed Y/N's wrist with a knowing smile as she passed over with Krum to the teacher. 

Adrain smiled down back at her and they moved off fully into the Great Hall as they waited for the champions to arrive. They stood next to Padma who was wearing a turquoise dress, and Ron who was wearing his....odd...dress robes. 

The judges had a specific table at the front and the Great Hall was decorated with icy decorations, silver frost, and garlands of mistletoe above. The House tables were replaced with circular tables for dining each fit for about a dozen people. 

The doors opened as trumpets sounded and the four champions entered while everyone broke into claps. 

There was a newfound confidence in Hermione as she walked and Y/N couldn't be more proud of her friend. 

"Is that Hermione Granger? With Viktor Krum?" Padma asked clapping. 

"No, absolutely not," Ron said. 

"That's not Hermione over there?" Y/N asked sarcastically. "That's not Viktor? Merlin, maybe I need glasses."

"Shut it Y/N," Ron said while Adrian snickered. 

Y/N didn't even bother to make eye contact with Harry as he entered with Romilda. Harry looked like wanted to be anywhere else and Romilda was smiling profusely. Y/N couldn't tell if it was fake or not. 

Professor Flitwick turned to the student orchestra and raised his baton. 

"Take my waist," Romilda ordered not failing to drop her smile. 

Harry looked around nervously as he saw Y/N and Adrain laughing together from the side.

"What?"

"It's a dance is it not?" Romilda asked, her smile happy but her voice laced.

Harry reluctantly put his hands on her waist but the thing he was most scared of was tripping over his feet. Y/N was a perfect dancer who made it seem so effortlessly easy. When he had danced with her everything fit but with Romilda everything was off-balanced. 

One or the other would keep stepping on each other's feet and Romilda loved to exceptionally blame it on Harry. The orchestra music was deeply fast-paced and he almost dropped her when Adrain had put a hand on Y/N's shoulder to lean down and tell her something. 

Y/N beamed at Hermione who's smile never faded as she danced elegantly with Krum and Cedric was dancing so perfectly with Cho. 

 Even though everything, she couldn't help staring at Harry and Romilda. Her blood was boiling at the touch of his hands on her waist and vice versa. She only hoped he thought of her deeply while he had his hands on her waist. 

After a while, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore joined in on the dance floor and more and more people began to waltz across the floor. 

Neville and Ginny were first as he twirled the third-year girl and glided her onto the dance floor. 

Y/N could see Theo gesture to dance and Daphne heavily shaking her head no, before being pulled onto the dance floor and trying to hide her smile as she danced with him. 

Ginny tried to hide her scowl as Blaise and Luna began dancing together on the dance floor. 

"You any good at dancing Agapov?" Y/N asked. 

"A natural," Adrain smiled proudly.  

"Good, make sure to keep up," Y/N smiled grabbing his hand as they joined Hermione and Krum on the dance floor. 

Soon enough the floor was filled with students dancing beautifully to the waltz and Adrian wasn't lying, he was a fantastic dancer lifting her up exactly on the music.

The night went on and Y/N and Hermione, despite Harry and Ron's sunken efforts, were having the time of their lives. They made the best out of the situation and Y/N's smile stayed on for most of the night as she tried to block Romilda and Harry out of her head. Even though the scowling from him and smirking from her during dinner was positively atrocious. 

Soon enough the music changed to a more upbeat tone with rock and pop mixed together. Fred and Angelina were dancing so violently that people were backing away in case of injury. The two seemed encased in their own world as they let the beat carry them away. 

Viktor and Adrian decided it was the best time to show off their very odd moves making the two girls laugh as they joined in and they twirled them around. 

Viktor kept pronouncing Hermione's name wrong because of his accent but Hermione just giggled at his failed attempts at saying 'Hermione' instead of 'Hermy-own'.

"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly. 

"Herm-own-ninny." 

"Close enough," she laughed, catching Y/N's eye and smiling.

"Ruddy pumpkinhead isn't he," Ron sulked given they were the only ones sitting with their dates at the circular tables that they had eaten at.

Padma watched her sister dance happily with Seamus sitting to the right of Ron, and Romilda was seated to the left of Harry trying not to show how much of an epic failure her night had been. 

"What does she even see in him?" Harry scoffed. "His weird curly hair or his full of himself attitude?"

A Beauxbatons boy came up to where the boys were sitting and held out his hand to Romilda. 

"May I have your arm?"

"Leg, arm, whatever you want," she said, getting up before looking back at Harry scowling. 

Padma watched her get up and sighed looking at Ron in disgust. 

Y/N nudged Hermione and nodded over to where the boys were seated as she saw Romilda ditch Harry in the middle of the dance. 

Hermione nodded in understanding. 

"Umm...could you guys get us drinks," she asked. 

"Of course," Adrian smiled and they both placed a kiss on their hands. 

"What do they teach the boys at Duramstrang?" Y/N asked smiling with Hermione as they walked over to the boys. 

"Obviously something that they need at Hogwarts," Hermione said doing a little twirl in her dress. 

The two took seats next to Ron and Harry. Y/N taking Romilda's old seat and Hermione seated behind her. 

"Hot isn't it?" Hermione asked, their faces were both a bit heated from dancing. 

"Viktor and Adrain's gone to get drinks," Y/N said in an effort to talk civilly with the two boys. "Would you like to join us?"

"No, we would not care to join you, Vikky, or Adrain," Ron said as the two boys looked away from the girls in anger. 

Y/N and Hermione both looked at him in shock. Y/N was expecting Harry to be cold, but now Ron was pissed.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Hermione asked the happiness in her voice depleting. 

"They're Duramstrang," Harry said. 

"Okay and?" Y/N asked. 

"You two are fraternizing with the enemy!" Ron concluded. 

"The enemy?" Hermione gasped. "Who was it wanting his autograph Ronald? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"

"That's completely different!" Ron said. 

"It's really not! " Y/N said heatedly. 

"They're just using you to get to Harry," Ron said. 

"So the only way to perfectly fine boys would go to a ball with us is if they're trying to get at Harry?" Y/N asked. 

"Bet he's asked about the egg hasn't he?" Harry said. "Suppose that's what he's been whispering into your ear about all night has he?"

"What? Are you pulling these accusations out of your ass right now?" Y/N hissed. 

"Whatever," Harry scoffed, Ron scowling right along with him. 

She got up angrily pulling Hermione with her and they joined their dates again trying their best to push the events out of their mind. 

"Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked Ron. 

"No," Ron said still glaring at Hermione and Y/N. 

"Fine," Padma snapped as she got up and joined her sister Parvati whose date conjured up a friend for her. 

The night began to come to a close and when the Duramstrang boys were called to their ship the two boys each kissed the girl's hands before leaving the ball. There was still a good number of Hogwarts students around and Y/N and Hermione danced with Daphne and Tracey for the remainder of time. 

After a while, Hermione left to go to the bathroom and a bit later Y/N greeted Daphne and Tracey goodbye, all the tiredness from dancing finally catching up with her.

She didn't realize how exhausted she was until she almost slammed right into Harry as he was walking the other way. 

"Sorry," she mumbled. She looked up and was met with his green eyes and they were both staring at each other angrily. 

Y/N pushed past him.

"What Adrian's done getting all the information he needed?" Harry asked. 

Y/N took a deep breath and turned around. 

"What is your problem?" Y/N asked angrily. "You've barely spoken to me in a week and now you have all the goddamn opinions in the world."

"I don't have a fucking problem," Harry shot back. 

"Well then, I hate to break it to you but just because you have a dick doesn't mean you get to act like one."

"Again," Harry said. "I don't have a problem. You just shouldn't be here with Adrain."

"You're here with Romilda," Y/N said crossing her arms. " I don't see the difference."

"The difference is that I don't like Romilda!"  

"What makes you think I have romantic feelings for Adrain?" Y/N asked. "He was sweet enough to ask me here. And if you don't like Romilda why are you here with her?"

"Because—" Harry started stammering. 

"None of this shit is my fault," Y/N said. "I don't even know what this is!"

"You shouldn't have gone with Adrain simple as that," Harry said. 

"I don't see why it's any of your business who I attend a ball with Harry?" Y/N hissed. "I said nothing about you and Romilda no matter how much it annoyed the hell out of me."

"It annoyed the hell out of you?" 

"Of course it did," Y/N yelled. "But I cared more about your well-being and your happiness to not ruin your night. Obviously, the same courtesy wasn't extended to me."

"As your best friend—"

"Don't you dare pull that 'best friend' bullshit with me!" Y/N said. "Because we both know that's not what this is."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. 

"You know what the fuck I'm talking about," Y/N said losing all her patience. "If you are this bothered by me and Adrain you should have asked me to the ball."

"I tried too!" Harry defended. 

"And you thought I would say no!?" Y/N asked. 

"I—I don't know what I thought!" 

"I didn't want Adrain to ask me, Harry!" Y/N shouted. "I—When are you going to get it through your head that he wasn't my first choice!"

"Then why would you say yes to him?!" Harry asked. 

"Because for once in my natural born life I wanted to go to the Yule Ball with someone who didn't want to go with me just so he wouldn't look pathetic and lonely!"

"That's not what that was!"

"Then tell me, Harry, what was that shit ask to the Yule Ball huh?" Y/N said. "All you had to do was ask someone to the ball, respectfully, but you couldn't even do that!"

Y/N inhaled and let out a breath letting her voice lose volume. 

"After the astronomy tower, I just thought—"

"What that I liked you?" Harry said, his eyes fixated on her and his anger taking over. "What happened on the astronomy tower was nothing, no one said it meant I liked you!"

Y/N just stared at him, her stomach dropping ten stories. She bit her bottom lip trying to take a breath in a failed attempt to stop tears from falling gracefully from her eyes. 

Harry looked up at her reaction and wished he could take back every word that came out of his mouth. 

"Y/N, wait," He said softly as she pushed past him and walked angrily into the entrance hall ignoring Harry's calls after her. 

"—and not as a last resort!" Y/N saw Hermione yell at Ron as she was on the verge of tears. 

"Well, I mean, that's just completely off the point," Ron said. He looked up to see Harry walking in. 

"Now where have you been?" Hermione said looking at Harry angrily as she saw Y/N pass the two taking a seat on the steps. "Never mind, off to bed, both of you!"

Harry passed Y/N in an attempt to talk to her but her gaze was at the wall. 

"They get scary as they get older," Ron said.

"You two spoiled everything!" Hermione shouted at the two and they ran up the stairs back to the Gryffindor common room. 

She let out a breath as tears immediately started flowing from her eyes. 

She took a seat next to Y/N and they both kicked off their shoes. 

"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Hermione croaked out.

Y/N just shook her head and leaned her head on Hermione's shoulder as quiet tears fell. 

She physically and emotionally ached. Everyone got it screwed in her head that she and Harry were so-called 'meant to be' and she had to go and catch feelings for her best friend. 

Feelings he apparently didn't reciprocate. 

"Do I want to know what you and Ron were about?" Y/N asked. 

Hermione shook her head.

"Boy's suck," Hermione muttered. 

"No shit," Y/N said.   

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟒: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟖

A/N: Still confused?.....good. 

Also, can we talk about how good everyone looked at the Yule Ball? Like even Ron looked hot in those dress robes. 

I LOVE YOU ALL WE'RE SO CLOSE TO 26K MWAH 

💕