✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N'S P.O.V. 

Y/N, Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the Owlery that afternoon so Harry could fill Sirius in on his survival of the task. 

Harry and Ron walked ahead of them, chummy once more, while Harry (who had the golden egg tucked under his arm and the miniature Horntail in his pocket) filled Ron in about Karkaroff and Moody and all. 

Trailing a little ways behind them was Y/N and Hermione. Hermione was trying to refresh Y/N's brain - apparently, during the task, a boulder had exploded and released shards of silvery metal. 

"It was you," said Hermione. "You made it...move backwards. It has to be - your eyes were glowing white again, not the usual emotional glow, but a bright one." 

"But how do you know-" 

"Metal doesn't do that normally," Hermione said tiredly. "And you seem to have an affinity for metal, right? The beads on Elijah's bracelet, the dragon ring, the flask that turned into a knife-" 

Y/N shushed Hermione, "Alright, yeah. But I didn't do it, at least, not on purpose." 

Hermione contemplated this. As they reached the doors of the Owlery, she said, "Letter Remus. Even if he can't tell you what's happening, isn't it best that he knows?"

"Yeah, alright," Y/N muttered. It could have been any teacher with any spell, but something deep down told her it wasn't. 

"...Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here - I'll do it!" Y/N heard Ron say as they approached the boys. She knew that he was making up for all the nasty things he had said, but it was sweet nonetheless. 

Y/N smiled as Pigwidgeon came and crashed into her shoulder, Ron chasing him. She called to Bandit, who swooped down from one of the higher levels of perches. 

"Got parchment, Hermione?" asked Harry, putting the golden egg down on a ledge.

"Yeah," said Hermione, pulling out parchment and quills for Harry and Y/N. The two shared an inkpot to write their respective letters. 

In her letter, Y/N outlined what she remembered of the odd metal shards (since she was more focused on Harry...) and Hermione helped her fill in the rest. 

Bandit hooted happily and took the letter in his beak, flapped up to Y/N's shoulder to nuzzle into her cheek, then flew out of the Owlery. 

Harry's letter looked pretty long to be just reassurance. When Y/N glanced over, she saw that he was giving Sirius a play-by-play at how he beat the dragon. It was quite cute, how excited he was. It pulled a small smile onto her lips. 

"What?" Harry asked, tilting his head and looking at her, smiling as well. His dark hair ruffled slightly with the action.

"Nooothhin'," Y/N giggled, leaning on his shoulder and feeling that same dark hair tickle her cheek. "I know I already told you, but good job with the task. I had full faith in you." 

"Sure you did, Silv," Harry laughed. "I think you were just waiting for something to go wrong." 

"Nope!" Y/N lied, "Full faith. I knew you could do it, easy." 

"Light work?" asked Harry. 

"Yep." 

He again laughed and shook his head, walking to Ron, who was holding Pigwidgeon. He let Pig take the letter. Ron threw the bird out of the window. Pig dropped at least twelve feet, then rapidly flapped his wings and took off into the quickly darkening sky. 

As they were leaving the Owlery, all walking in a group once more (Hermione was beside Ron and their hands brushed at every step), Ron said, "Harry - for your surprise party-" 

"What a surprise," Hermione joked dryly. 

"-I think Fred and George nicked some food from the kitchens-" 

"Of course they did," Y/N said with the hint of a smile and an eyeroll.

Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor Common Room, the party was roaring and people exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface.

Y/N caught Denis Creevey near a flagon of butterbeer and gave him the stinkeye, walking over. "Your brother wasn't allowed Butterbeer until third year. Same goes for you." 

"Yeah, Denis!" Colin's voice came from beside Y/N, startling her. 

He had a butterbeer in his hand, sipping away while giving Y/N and his brother a smug expression. "Way better than the buttermilk you substituted it for last year, Y/N," he commented.

Y/N scowled. "Just don't have too much. Three drinks max."

The boy nodded and ran off into the crowd.

Y/N picked up a bottle of butterbeer for herself, looking around the decorated common room.

Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks. Dean excitedly waved Y/N over, showing her the various banners he made. 

"Look," Dean grinned. "It's your boyfriend winning the task-" 

"Not my boyfriend," Y/N chimed, slightly sad. "And yes, it's very obvious that you drew Harry." 

"Who said anything about Harry?" Dean asked slyly. 

"We're literally here for his party," Y/N said through gritted teeth. "Okay. I'm done. Bye, Dean. I hate you," she pouted. 

"I love you too!" Dean grinned as she walked away, putting the banners up. It was Harry on his Firebolt, zooming around the head of the Hungarian Horntail. 

Y/N found Harry, Ron and Hermione, sitting on a couch and talking comfortably while munching on some chips. 

She plopped down beside Harry, who slung an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close to him. His legs were positioned in a slight manspread that Y/N one-hundred percent did not find attractive. 

"Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules."

"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry muttered, so only Hermione and Y/N could hear him, and Hermione grinned rather guiltily. 

Several people echoed Lee, "Yeah, go on Harry! Open it!" 

Harry stood up, took the miniature Horntail out of his pocket and set it on the side table, leaving the other three on the couch. Y/N huffed and took a sip of her butterbeer.

 Out of nowhere, Fred and George appeared and hoisted Harry onto their shoulders with a loud whoop, eliciting a yelp from Harry.

"Harry!" exclaimed George. 

"We knew you wouldn't die," Fred said. 

George grinned. "Might lose a leg-" 

"Or an arm!" 

"But pack it in all together? Never!" 

Harry gave a wide grin, truly happy, sending butterflies straight to Y/N's stomach. "Do you want me to open it?" Harry asked the crowd. 

He got roars of "Yes!" in return. 

"Who wants me to open it?" Harry asked again, louder, from his position atop the shoulders of the twins.

"US!" everyone called, including Y/N, who was clapping in time with the crowd.

Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open. It was hollow and completely empty - but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. 

Fred and George abruptly dropped Harry to the ground, slapping their hands over their ears. "SHUT IT!" yelled Fred. 

"What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again, wincing, as he was just dropped. "Sounded like a banshee...Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

The Cruciatus Curse...the reason Y/N's parents were - don't think about it, Y/N. 

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

Y/N snorted a laugh, wiping her lips of butterbeer. Fred and George grinned down at her, and then struck up a conversation with Hermione as Harry seated himself in between Y/N and Ron and slipped the miniature Horntail into his pocket once more. 

After a couple of minutes of Y/N giving Ron a rough time for being a dick, they heard a loud squawking noise. Whipping their heads around, they saw Neville explode into a flurry of bright yellow feathers. 

"Canary creams!" Fred announced. "George and I invented them - seven Sickles each, a bargain!" 

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, eh?" Y/N asked them from her seat. 

"Yeah," George shrugged. "Mum's not here, is she? Do whatever we want." He pulled a sweet from his pocket and offered it to Y/N. "Up for it?" 

Y/N scoffed in his face, "Yeah, sure, 'cause I want to end up without a nose." 

Fred and George rolled their eyes, setting off to go advertise their merchandise to more gullible people. But not before having a thorough conversation about Elf Rights with Hermione, which Y/N mostly tuned out. It was something about House Elves in the kitchens, Hermione freaking out, etc, etc. 

Harry, tired from the task, leaned against Y/N and held her hand. "You alright?" Y/N said softly to him, stroking her thumb across his hand. Harry hummed, the sound sending vibrations down her body and a rush to her face. 

All this happened while Ron poked the girl repeatedly. "Y/N, Y/N, Y/N-" 

"What do you want Ron," Y/N groaned. He poked her again. "I swear to Godric if you poke me one more time you'll wake up looking like an exact replica of Draco Malfoy."

"I'm sorry! It won't happen again," Ron apologized hurriedly. "I just...er...how should I apologize to Hermione? I know I was pissed at Harry, but you two weren't talking to me either..." 

"Figure it out yourself," said Y/N, fighting a satisfied smile. Ron was so in-love, he just didn't know it yet. 

There was a comfortable silence for a couple moments, and Hermione finished her conversation with Fred and George, coming to sit, looking annoyed. 

Ron gestured to Y/N, asking if he should apologize right now. She shook her head slightly - this wasn't the time.

"You said you wanted a dragon, Silv," Harry said suddenly, but softly. 

"I - what?" 

"A dragon," repeated Harry. "That day, with the Skrewts. You asked me if I would buy you a dragon when we're older." 

"Oh," said Y/N, the memory hitting her her. "Yeah, I suppose I did...

Harry shuffled a little, reaching into his pocket. Y/N looked at him confusedly, eyebrows furrowed and eyes trained on his hand. 

Out of his pocket, he pulled out something small, black and leathery. Y/N only realized it was the miniature Horntail when the beast let out a tiny puff of smoke and fire, the force of it's cough sent it flying backwards into Harry's chest. It fell back on Harry's palms and looked up at Y/N with big, round eyes.

Gingerly, he dumped the small dragon into Y/N's outstretched hands. "It'll never grow, that's the spell on it. It was just for the task...so, I guess she's yours now." 

"You're not serious," Y/N uttered, looking down at the small dragon, who was prancing around in her hands, with wide, happy eyes. "You're joking me right now. She's really mine?" 

"'Course," said Harry, smirking down at her. "You said you wanted a dragon, I said yeah. Jus' keepin' my promise, Silv. I'll get you another one when we're older, yeah?" 

How could a person be so thoughtful? Y/N had said on a whim, as a joke, one random day that she wanted a dragon. Now, Harry James Potter, the most oblivious but sweet boy in the world, gave her a dragon. 

Could Harry get any more attractive? Y/N didn't think so, but every time she had that thought, he somehow did. 

"You get to name her," Y/N insisted, her grin incredibly wide, giddy with happiness. 

Harry leaned against Y/N again and stroked the miniature Horntail's head. The dragon nipped his finger lightly and Harry chuckled, "What's that band you like - the one that isn't the Weird Sisters...right, Silver Spell, saw your band-tee when I chose your clothes for your birthday."

Y/N hummed in response, eyes still focused on how gentle Harry was with the small dragon. 

"Her name is Spellie, then," Harry said proudly. 

"Spellie?" Y/N repeated with a light laugh. "Seriously?" 

"Yeeesssss," Harry dragged, giving the dragon a little boop! on the nose. "Spellie. Look at her eyes, they have the same gleam as yours!" 

"My eyes have a gleam?" Y/N questioned playfully.

Harry smirked. "Well, they do when you look at meeee," he teased, pouting when Y/N, red, thwacked him on the head. "Alright, jeez, sorry." 

"Thank you, Harry," Y/N said quietly. She looked down at the boy's head near her chest - he was still playing with Spellie, who was sending tiny puffs of fire at his fingers. It didn't burn him, though, 'cause it wasn't too hot anyway. 

"No problem," Harry said offhandedly, but since he was pressed against Y/N's chest, she could feel him relax. 

This whole situation was making her heart race. At this point, she had locked the thoughts about Cho in the back of her mind. She didn't need to think about that right now, when Harry was with her.

Spellie gave a tiny, squeak of a yelp, blowing a tuft of flame at Elijah's bracelet. It didn't catch fire, thankfully, and Y/N pulled the dragon away. "Spellie's trying to sabotage Elijah's bracelet," Y/N announced to Harry. 

"Good," Harry said sleepily. "Mine's better - see? She's cuddling up to it right...noowww..." he yawned.

"You better get to sleep," Y/N said. Harry lifted his head a little, only to snuggle closer. The common room was rapidly emptying, everyone full with food and drink and the excitement of the First Task. 

When Harry stayed on her chest, she nudged him a little. He groaned and grabbed one of her arms, wrapping it around himself. Her other hand held Spellie. "Can't we just sleep here..." he muttered as the common room only had a couple people left. 

Y/N sighed, but gave in to his request. "Always getting me roped into this, Scarboy," she chuckled. "Hermione, Ron - you can go up to bed," Y/N called. "Our Champion's having a moment." 

Hermione and Ron gave Y/N knowing smiles, then bid them goodnight and headed up the stairs, making sure the common room was dark before they left. 

Harry, after a lot of shuffling around, had found his position: 

His head now rested on Y/N's stomach, with his arms around her waist, using her as a pillow. Y/N was leaned against the arm of the couch, hands in Harry's hair, and Spellie curled up in a ball on her chest. 

"Goodnight, Spellie," Y/N said tiredly, grinning when Harry frowned.

"Say goodnight to me," Harry huffed, glaring at the dragon slightly. "I'm the one who gave you Spellie-" 

"Goodnight, Harry," Y/N said mockingly with an eyeroll.

Harry gave her a squeeze around the waist, as though to fix her attitude. "Be short with me again and I'll take Spellie back - she likes me better anyway." 

With another mocking smile, Y/N closed her eyes and shook her head childishly. Harry huffed again and rested his head on her stomach once more. The night was quiet, as the two Gryffindor's fell asleep, with Harry in Y/N's heart and a Spell on her chest. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. It was the worst kind of weather, and almost all the students complained about it on the daily.

Y/N was walking with Harry and Ron after their Divination class. Hermione had disappeared after Arithmancy, muttering something about, "The kitchens..." and running off. 

Nursing her burnt fingers (that was the work of the Blast-Ended Skrewts) she considered the Daily Prophet article that might come out in a few days. You see, Rita Skeeter had interrupted the middle of Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures Class, thinking of writing a report on it. Rita had asked Hagrid to interview him, to which Hagrid excitedly agreed. 

Y/N couldn't shake off the feeling that Rita would twist his words, just like all the other rubbish articles she puts out. 

"It'd be a bit more impressive if she hadn't done it about eighty times before," Harry said as Y/N caught up to them near Professor Trelawney's room. "But if I'd dropped dead every time she's told me I'm going to, I'd be a medical miracle."

"Predicted your death again? What was it this time, death by waterboarding?" Y/N grinned. 

Harry rolled his eyes and reached down into her bookbag, where Spellie was snoring away, petting her head. Y/N had recently started bringing Spellie everywhere - for one, she could warm Y/N up in this horrid weather, and two, she was adorable.

"He'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost," said Ron, chortling, as they passed the Bloody Baron going in the opposite direction, his wide eyes staring sinisterly. 

"At least we didn't get homework. Y/N, did you and Hermione get any off Professor Vector? I love not working when you are." 

Y/N laughed and shook her head, "Didn't get any. Still, I don't know where  Herms went...Hopefully we see her at dinner..." 

But Hermione wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, debating in whispers with Harry whether he should ask for an autograph - but then Ron realized that six or seven girls were lurking in the next row of books, debating exactly the same thing, and he lost his enthusiasm for the idea. 

"Wonder where she's got to?" Ron said as Y/N, he and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower. 

"Dunno..." said Y/N, glumly, missing her Herms. She faced the Fat Lady and muttered, "Balderdash." 

Well, they found Hermione!

The girl was running towards them, and grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry - oh, Harry!"

"That happens to be me," Harry said, bewildered. 

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said, beginning to drag the boy back out of the Portrait Hole, Y/N and Ron scampering to keep up. "You'll never believe it! I'll show you when we get there!" "

"Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder. 

"Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. 

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

She turned left at the bottom of the staircase. Y/N, who trekked this path many-a-times (it was the same path to the Hufflepuff common room), found that she knew exactly what Hermione was up to. They found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food.

 "Oh hang on..." said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. Y/N was sure he had figured it out as well. "Wait a minute, Hermione..." 

"What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.

"I know what this is about," said Harry. He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl. He didn't feel a need to nudge Y/N, because the girl was already shaking her head.

"Hermione!" said Ron, cottoning on. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"

"Shut up, shut up," Y/N muttered to him. "What happened to apologizing-"

"No, no, I'm not!" Hermione said hastily. "And it's not spew, Ronald -" 

"Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -"

Y/N chuckled weakly and stamped on Ron's foot. "That's enough, now-!"

 "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, Harry, I want to show you!"

"Herms, we exist too," Y/N grumbled. 

Hermione ignored her and stretched her forefinger towards a painting of a fruit bowl. Y/N, of course, knew that this was the entrance to the kitchens. She tickled the pear, and the door swung open almost immediately. 

The kitchen was huge, almost as big as the great hall, and bustling with House Elves - 

"Harry Potter, Sir! Harry Potter! Harry Potter and his friends!" called a squeaky voice.

Next second, Harry stumbled backward, clutching onto Y/N's arm for support. Y/N looked down, and a House Elf was hugging Harry around the torso rather tightly.

"Dobby?!" Harry exclaimed, slightly hugging the elf back. "What-" 

"And Harry Potter has brought his friends!" Dobby beamed at them. The small elf was wearing a tea-cozy for a hat, and had too many pairs of socks on his feet to count. 

"Er, well my friend brought me-" Harry muttered.

"And Mister Harry Potter brought his Miss!" Dobby said excitedly, attacking Y/N with a hug as well. 

She hugged back a little awkwardly. It was her first time meeting Dobby, and he just called her "Harry's Miss." 

Yeah, she was red, but...who wouldn't be? 

✦

After a long conversation about how Dobby arrived at Hogwarts, his pay, and how Winky (the Elf from the World Cup) was there as well, the House Elves shoved a bunch of food into their arms and politely threw them out of the kitchens. 

They were walking through the halls, back to Gryffindor tower with eclairs, pastries, cookies, anything, really.

"We should come down here more often," Ron said through a mouthful of pastry. "This shit is delicious!" 

Y/N laughed, "You got something, right there, Ron," she pointed to the corner of his mouth. 

"Did I get it?" Ron asked swiping his thumb across the area. 

"Nah," Y/N grinned. "It's a little hard to fix your whole face..." she pointed at him. 

Ron scoffed. "Ha-ha. But anyway, 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!" 

"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. "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!"

"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," said Harry quietly. Y/N heard him and elbowed him in the side. He grinned down at her. 

"Oh she'll cheer up," said Hermione, though she sounded 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." 

"Herms, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think Winky will ever get over Crouch," Y/N said.

 "She seems to love him," said Ron thickly (he had just started on a cream cake). 

"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?" said Harry. "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 Y/N. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor!" 

"Crouch is just annoying," Ron agreed.

"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?" said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy." 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Harry's P.O.V. 

"Potter! Weasley! Will you two pay attention?" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the Transfiguration classroom. 

Harry and Ron were having a sword fight with Fred and George's joke wands that Y/N had stolen off of them.

Harry kept on losing, because he was too busy staring at Y/N - it was for good reason, though! She had switched up her uniform a little bit today, due to the cold. Usually, she wore normal socks, but today, today she was wearing knee-length, white socks with a little bow at the top trim of each one. 

They looked really good - not that Harry was staring in a creepy way! Could he not admire the girl he loved...no...liked. 

"Sorry, Professor," Harry and Ron muttered, turning to face the front. 

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," Professor McGonagall said sharply, "I would like to tell you all something." 

"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-" she glanced at Harry "- because our youngest champion is, indeed, in fourth year. Although, you may invite a younger student if you wish -" 

Lavender Brown squealed and elbowed Parvati hard in the ribs, to which the other girl also giggled, turning to look at Harry. He gave them a confused look in return.

"Dress robes will be worn, partners are optional," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall."

There was a silence. Ron handed Harry a crumpled piece of paper. 

"We shall meet here tomorrow to begin practicing our waltzing - it shall be there whole Gryffindor House, fourth year and above." 

Harry uncrumpled the paper gingerly. In Ron's scraggly handwriting, the message was: 

You're going to ask Y/N, right? 

Harry stared at the message. Was he going to ask Y/N? What if she said no and their whole friendship was ruined? He could ask her to go ask friends, but he didn't want that. Frankly, he just wanted Y/N to be his.

He quickly wrote back, 

I dunno. What if she rejects me? She likes Elijah Collins, seems like it. 

Taking one glance at the paper, Ron furrowed his brows and frowned. Then, he began scribbling very aggressively, so fast that ink flew onto his nose.

Harry James Potter if you don't ask her to the Yule Ball, then Elijah will, and she'll say yes and then you'll be heartbroken and then they'll probably start dating and then you'll want to die and then the friendgroup will grow apart and you'll probably start being distant and then Y/N will be confused and then everything will go to shit. 

Plus, you guys have been really affectionate recently! What could go wrong if you ask her? 

Mostly, Harry was impressed that Ron could write all of that in fifteen seconds flat, and that it was still (sort of...) legible. He considered the note. 

Harry couldn't even dance - though, he supposed, Y/N wouldn't give him a hard time about that. If he asked her, and she said no, he could play it off as practice for someone else...right? And if she said yes, that would mean that she had some attraction to him, right? 

Right. 

Okay. 

He could do this. 

Just...when he was ready.

After class, Harry tried to catch up to Y/N, who had hurriedly slung her bookbag over her shoulder and left the classroom. 

When he did, and asked, "Where're you going in such a hurry, Silv?" 

"Elijah," Y/N said, "We're hanging out today - sorry, can't talk! I'll see you later, yeah?" 

"What're you guys doing?" 

"Raiding the kitchens, then we'll probably go to this part of the hallway to eat our food and just talk!" 

Harry waved her goodbye, a slight pang in his heart and a new reason to check the Marauders map when he arrived back at his dormitory.

✦

The quartet arrived at the Transfiguration classroom the next day. All the chairs and tables had been pushed to the sides, leaving a large space for...dancing. 

The girls and boys were separated, which Harry didn't like, because he wanted Y/N to sit next to him. Hermione dragged her away, whispering something in the girl's ears...Y/N turned red.

Professor McGonagall walked in, closely followed by Filch, who was holding a huge record player. 

"The Yule Ball," she began, as Harry and Ron sat down near Fred and George, "has been a tradition since the inception of the Triwizard Tournament, and takes place on Christmas Eve Night. We and our guests gather in the great hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." 

She narrowed her eyes slightly, as though a warning not to get too frivolous. 

"As representatives of the host school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. I mean literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

Most of the boys groaned, slumped in their seats, or ran a hand over their face. 

Most of the girls, however, giggled and whispered to their friends, some even pointed to some of the boys across the room. Harry shifted awkwardly when he saw a fifth-year girl he didn't even know point at him (trying to be subtle). 

Professor McGonagall continued, "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling, band of baboons!"

Fred and George nudged Harry and Ron. 

"Try saying that five times fast," George grinned. 

Fred considered for a moment. 

"Babbling, bumbling, band of baboons, babbaling, bimbling, band of baboons, bambling bubbling bland of backbones-" 

Harry and Ron laughed in their faces, abruptly stopping when Professor McGonagall sharply cut across. 

"To dance is to let the body breathe," stated McGonagall. "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, ready to burst forth and take flight," she gestured her arm out to the girls. 

Harry saw Y/N whisper something to Hermione, who rolled her eyes. Y/N huffed and her lip was stuck out in a subtle, but adorable pout, and - 

"Inside every boy, rests a lordly lion, prepared to prance! Now, Mister Weasley, would you care to join me?" 

"W-what...?" Ron said, as though he had not heard clearly. 

Holding in laughter, Harry watched as Professor McGonagall held a hand out to Ron, beckoning him to join her in the middle of the room. 

Giving Ron and pat on the back, Harry pushed him forwards, sitting back and chuckling with Fred and George. Across the Ron, Y/N was giggling shamelessly into Hermione's shoulder, who was hiding her laughter with her hand. 

"Now, put your right hand on my waist," Professor McGonagall instructed once Ron had reached her. 

Ron's face morphed into terror. He looked back at Harry, then faced the Professor again.

"Where?!" 

"My waist." 

Harry, at this point, was laughing along with the rest of the room as the music started, and Ron danced with their Professor. 

He leaned back, talking to Fred and George. "Never lettin' him forget this, are you?" 

"Never," the twins answered in unison. 

Ron and Professor McGonagall danced for a couple minutes, then the music stopped and Ron came back, red-faced. 

All the students were instructed to get up and find a partner to practice dancing. A partner of the opposite gender. 

Yikes. 

Somehow, Neville was the first person to step forward, holding a hand out to a girl Harry didn't even know. She blushed and accepted, which gave some of the other boys confidence to approach the girls. 

Harry watched Seamus and Dean take eachother's hands and begin to dance, laughing comfortably. See, if they could dance as friends, why couldn't he and Y/N? 

And so, with this false confidence, he strode over to Y/N, who had just left Hermione. 

Hermione was dancing with a tall, pale boy from fifth year - from Harry's memory, his name was Jeremy. Feeling a little bad for Ron, Harry shot him a glance. He seemed to be doing fine, already awkwardly trying to dance with Lavender Brown. 

"Hi," Harry said in a small voice to Y/N. 

"Hey," she smiled back. "Wanna dance? Nobody else seems to want to." 

Harry felt a little relieved that she asked to dance - obviously, it was casual, but it was something. 

The reason nobody had asked her to dance yet is because every time anybody got near her, Harry would glare at them until they backed down. 

"Okay, I might suck," Y/N admitted when they found some empty space. "Whenever dad and I dance, it's mostly just me shoving him." 

"Me too," Harry said quickly. "Well, I mean, I don't dance with Remus, like, never, but I mean, well, I'm not good at -" 

Y/N laughed at his rambling and grabbed his hand, placing it on her own waist. "You really need to shut up," she said breathlessly.

"Right, yeah, sorry," Harry replied in the same, slightly out-of-breath tone. His hand trembled on her waist and he was sure Y/N could feel it, but then again, her hand on his shoulder was unsure as well. 

He tried to begin the dance, which started a little quicker than he anticipated. Y/N was looking into his eyes, and Harry felt as though he could be lost in hers for hours. 

"You're stepping on my foot, Potter," Y/N snarked playfully. 

"Sorry, Silv, but it's not like you haven't led us the wrong way three times-" 

"You're supposed to be leading me anyway, dumbarse," Y/N reminded him. 

Harry rolled his eyes and tightened his grip slightly on her waist, leading Y/N in the correct direction. He saw a light blush tinge her cheeks - maybe she was getting tired from dancing. 

They danced for another fifteen minutes, with some guidance from Professor McGonagall. 

Every time either of them messed up, the other would snort a laugh and pull them in the right direction. Harry kept stepping on Y/N's toes and Y/N had no sense of direction whatsoever. 

Once they were done, McGongall told them they could leave, but held Harry back. "Could I have a word with you, Potter?" 

Y/N looked at him and jerked her head towards McGonagall. "Go, it's probably about the Tournament. I'll catch up with Ron and Herms, meet us in the common room?" 

"Yeah," Harry said thickly. Should he do it now? Should he ask Y/N now? 

But it was too late, the girl had skipped out of the classroom, and the only thing that Harry caught was her robe whipping out of sight.

He walked over to Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Potter," said McGonagall, voice filled with a hint of something. "You must have a partner-" 

"I must?!" Harry said. His backup plan, if Y/N said no, was going alone...so...

"Yes," his professor said shortly. "As I was saying, traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball." 

Harry had a sudden vision of Y/N, her hand around his arm, in a stunning dress accompanying him. He rather liked that...

But he was also an abysmal dancer, and in front of the whole school? Two more schools, in fact? 

"I'm not dancing," he said. 

"Oh, yes you are," McGonagall said firmly. "It is tradition, and your duty as a representative of Hogwarts. Don't worry, Diggory will be dancing as well. Make sure you find yourself a good partner," she said the last bit slyly. 

Harry left that classroom even more nervous than that one time he got past a dragon to get a golden egg.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

Waking up early on a Saturday morning (much to her displeasure), Y/N was with Elijah, Fred, George and Lee. All the boys were discussing who to take to the ball. Fred was set on asking Angelina Johnson, while the others had seemingly no clue. 

The group of five was sitting in the hallway, near the statue of Selene in the Moonlight. 

It was a beautiful marble statue of a woman in a ancient-greeklike dress. One hand, clasped around a danger, was outstretched to the sky in front of her. The other hand lay at her side, fingers clenched around a small hand-mirror. Her eyes were wide, tears on her cheeks, and a wreath of marble laurels was perched atop her head. 

For a moment, as Y/N stared, an inscription appeared at the base of the statue. 

Your Own Hostiles

She could've sworn she'd heard that somewhere...fuck, that book in Ottery St. Catchpole...Arabella Figg...

And then the inscription was gone.

She must've imagined it, just getting over the stress of Harry completing the first task without dying.

She was just seeing things...

"You two made any progress on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Y/N asked Fred and George. 

"Yeah!" Fred said. "So many sales-" 

"By 'so many,' he means, like, four in the last few days," informed Lee, matter-of-factly. 

Elijah snorted a laugh, which caused Y/N jump slightly, since she was seated right next to him. Then, Elijah grabbed her hand and she rested her head on his shoulder. "You woke up early," Elijah said softly. "And I know how you are without sleep...so...rest, just don't tap out on us."

Y/N hummed into his shoulder, letting her eyelids droop but not close. "Freddie, Georgie, you're businessmen now."

"How much have you two made from that anyway?" asked Elijah.

"Thirty galleons, give or take," said Fred. "It's not too bad," he defended. 

Y/N nodded her head in agreement, about to support him, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Lifting her head off of Elijah, she turned to find a sandy-haired Ravenclaw boy she'd never spoken to before. 

"Hi," he said. 

"Hi...?" Y/N asked. "Do I know you?" 

"Umm...no," replied the boy. "I'm Ian, you hexed my best friend's balls together in first year," he explained, expression pained as though every single one of those words physically hurt him to say.

Y/N reminisced. "Wonderful memory. Thanks for bringing that up. Anyway, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd go to the Yule Ball with me...?" 

Before Y/N could even say anything, her four friends bristled, immediately getting defensive. 

"No," George said at once. 

"Who do you think you are?" asked Fred.

"She literally doesn't even know you," Lee said, rolling his eyes. 

Elijah seemed the most offended. "How daft must you be to approach a girl who's head is already resting on another guy's shoulder? Either daft, blind, or falsely confident. Get away from Y/N before I hex your balls together." 

Ian's eyes widened, and Y/N tried to shut Elijah up, but his mind was set. He kept glaring at the boy, who just stood there rather awkwardly.

"What're you waiting for?" George asked. 

"That was your cue to leave," scoffed Fred. 

Ian nervously looked at all of their faces: the boys' angry ones, and Y/N's apologetic one. He muttered, "Sorry," quietly, turned, and left. 

"You didn't have to scare him like that," Y/N scolded her friends. "Did you see his face?" 

"He should've have asked," George shrugged. "Should've known it was coming. We reject everyone for you - remember that sixth year Slytherin girl the other day?" 

Y/N rolled her eyes. Obviously, she was waiting - no, hoping - for Harry to ask her. "She was sweet, you shouldn't have been so mean." 

Fred, George, Lee and Elijah just rolled their eyes right back at Y/N. Elijah put her head back on his shoulder and Y/N caught a glimpse of his attractive hands, and the rings that decorated them. His Family Crest red-orange ring was definitely her favorite.

"You guys are annoying," Y/N announced. "And I'm not your friend anymore." 

"Whatever you say, pretty lady." 

✦

"Ten days," Y/N told Hermione fervently, sitting in their dorm. "Ten days and fifteen people have asked me out and none of them were Harry," she said, flopping backwards onto the bed.

"It'll be okay, Trouble," Hermione said reassuringly, "Two fifth year Hufflepuffs asked me, turned them down since they were being too loud in the library. Gonna go back to the Library in a bit..."

Y/N snorted. "That's such a Herms thing to do."

Hermione laughed, "Anyways, I'm sure Harry will ask you soon, he's probably planning some big surprise!"

"Or he's planning a big surprise for Cho..." Y/N said glumly, her eyes trailing to the clock. 

Frowning, Hermione said, "No...that's not-" 

"Shit!" Y/N exclaimed, flying out of bed. "Shit, shit! Speaking of Cho, I've got to go. I'm helping Cedric figure out how to ask her out!" 

She quickly pulled on a jumper (Harry's grey jumper she nicked last week), some jeans, and her shoes, grabbed a scarf, threw on a lightweight leather jacket and ran out of the door. 

"If you're hanging out in the courtyard, it's too cold for that jacket!" Hermione called. 

"I'll be fine, mom!"

Y/N ran through the halls, avoiding teachers who would scold her, and arrived at the courtyard, doubling over and taking deep breaths. Hermione was right...a little bit. It was slightly chilly, but nothing Y/N wouldn't endure for the aesthetic. 

Cedric, Liana and Mathew were sprawled on some rocks, all bundled up. The moment Y/N arrived, Cedric pestered her, "You're going to get a cold!" 

"You're not going to get Cho if you keep scolding me," Y/N retorted, sitting down as well. 

Mathew raised his brows, hand in hand with Liana. "Right...since you're here, we can start." 

"So, Mathew and I were thinking something cute and simple," Liana explained. "Flowers, bowing and holding her hand, kiss to her knuckles, etc." 

"Awwww," said Y/N. "I love it. Mmmm...what kind of flowers? I think she'd love chrysanthemums!" 

"Chrysantha-whats?" Cedric repeated, wringing his hands nervously. "Yeah, sure! Sure. I'll...place an order, that one advertisement in the the Daily Prophet..." 

They thought for another moment, when Y/N asked, "How will you approach her, though? Sure as hell wont just say, 'yo, Chang! Wanna go to the Ball with me?', will you?" 

Cedric gave her a horrified look, as though she was absolutely insane, and groaned, face in his hands.

"It's okay," said Liana. "Rick, you just gotta practice..." 

"Stop calling me Rick," Cedric said. "And practice... how?" 

"On one of us," Liana said simply. "It's the least awkward. It'll help you be more confident when you ask Cho." 

"You're not asking Liana, though," Mathew intervened quickly. "Even if it's just for practice. She's my girlfriend." 

Y/N almost squealed at how protective Mathew was being, and how Liana blushed and hid her face in her hands. Her yellow ring pulsed orange again prettily, reflecting in the light of the sun (the sun was out, despite the cold). 

"Oh," Y/N said. "That means me. Don't worry, Ced, I'm a great actor." 

"Oh, here we go..." Cedric muttered under his breath. "If you laugh and mess up any part of this, I will feed you to the giant squid." 

Scrunching her nose at him, Y/N crossed her arms and said, "Jake is a vegetarian..." 

"Herbivore," Mathew corrected in a pained voice. "The word is herbivore." 

"You look like a herbivore," Y/N shot back, arms still crossed like a child, glaring at Mathew. 

Mathew shook his head. "Nah, but I am a vegetarian-" 

"Shut up, both of you!" Liana said. "Lights, camera, action!" She clapped her hands together, then held up her fingers in a camera motion. 

Cedric cleared his throat and approached Y/N, who was trying very hard not to giggle at how seriously he was taking this.

"Hey, so, Cho..." he began. 

"Yes, Cedric?" Y/N asked, trying to pitch her voice to match Cho's. Cedric glared at her and she looked back innocently. 

"So, I've been meaning to ask this for a while," said Cedric, pretending to pull flowers from behind his back and taking Y/N's hand in one of his. "These are for you," he handed Y/N the imaginary flowers. 

"Damn," said Y/N. 

Cedric scowled at her. 

He dipped down into a bow and brought his lips close to Y/N's knuckles, never kissing them, just close enough. Good. Save that nasty shit for Cho. 

Straightening up, Cedric asked, "Will you go to the Yule Ball as my partner, and maybe more?" 

Y/N was pretty sure that if she slacked on her acting again, Cedric would genuinely judo-flip her out of stress. So, she gave a squeal, a smile, hugged Cedric and said, "Yes!" very enthusiastically. 

Liana and Mathew were giggling on the side as Cedric mimed hitting Y/N on the head with imaginary flowers.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Y/N said, shoving him in the side. 

"Yeah, but Cho isn't just gonna say, 'damn,'" Cedric pointed out. "She's more articulate than you are. She's perfect, and smart, and pretty-" 

"We get it, loverboy," Mathew laughed at the same time Y/N said, "So you just called me stupid." 

"Yeah, I did," Cedric shrugged.

Y/N prayed to every deity that Cedric would ask Cho first, so they could be happy. Maybe Harry would come to Y/N, and they'd go to the ball together, and be happy...

✦

Harry's P.O.V. 

Harry thought Cedric was like a brother to Y/N, so why in the name of Godric Gryffindor had she accepted to go the Yule Ball with him as "Partners, and maybe more"?

It made his blood boil.

It would've hurt more if it was Elijah Collins, but at least it would've made sense. 

He didn't exactly know what to feel when he went on a walk to clear his mind, ending up near the school courtyard. He didn't know what to feel when he saw Y/N, the girl he was practically in love with, accept to go to the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory. 

He had immediately turned and sped away when Y/N jumped into Cedric's arms. Harry didn't need to see that.

Arriving back at the common room, Harry trudged up to his dorm, ignoring Ron who was waiting to play Chess. 

While Harry was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and generally hating life, the door clicked open, revealing Ron.

"Mate, why do you look like you just got ran over by the Hogwarts Express?" 

Harry tried to say, "Y/N's going to the ball with Cedric," but it came out muffled, since he had turned over and shoved his face into a pillow. 

"Y/N's throwing up in the halls with Cedric?" Ron repeated confusedly. 

Groaning and rolling over once more, Harry said, "Y/N's going to the Yule Ball with Cedric. He just asked her. She said yeah." 

Ron was silent for a moment, then Harry felt his bed mattress dip slightly. "Are you sure?" asked Ron. 

"Well, I just bloody saw her jumping into his arms, squealing, after he bowed and kissed her knuckles and asked her out!" Harry said, more aggressively than he intended. "I shouldn't have waited so long, and now she's going with him!" 

"I always knew there was something wrong with Diggory," Ron said darkly. "Ever since-" 

"But it's not his fault, Ron!" Harry said irritably. "It's mine, for not asking, for letting her slip away-" 

"She hasn't slipped away," Ron said firmly. "Maybe their evening will go terribly and she'll come to you-" 

"That means I'm the second choice!"

He was miserable, he could barely even describe what he felt. It was like his heart had been stomped on and thrown into an active volcano. 

"C'mon, Harry!" Ron said desperately, pulling him up into a sitting position. "You can't be hung up over this - just ask any other girl! You're not going to have any trouble, you just beat a dragon, a Hungarian Horntail, at that-" 

"I don't want to take any other girl, Ron. I'm not just hung up over this, I'm quite literally in love with her." 

But Harry knew he would have to take another girl to the ball, because he, as a champion, needed a partner. Maybe he could get Hermione to go as friends? He'd figure it out later, because now, he was just...

He was confused - Cedric was like a brother to her? 

He was devastated - he thought he had a chance with Y/N. Maybe not.

He was angry - at himself, for not asking her sooner, for being a disgrace to the Gryffindor name and being such a coward. 

All of the affection they shared, and he still couldn't just ask her? Was he that pathetic? And now the girl he loved was going to the ball with another guy, as partners, and maybe more. 

✦

Ron dragged Harry down to the common room that afternoon to "face the world." 

Harry really didn't want to see Y/N's face, especially after knowing that she was going to the ball with another guy, a guy Harry used to be on good terms with. 

Well, he supposed he was still on okay terms with Cedric. It wasn't his fault that Harry's heart had been crushed into a million pieces.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the staircase and saw Y/N laughing on the couch near the fireplace with Hermione. How could she look so painfully, but flawlessly beautiful? She was in one of his grey hoodies that she nicked off of him...how could she accept Cedric's request while wearing another guy's clothes?

Hermione whispered something in Y/N's ear, and Y/N squealed so loud that the Slytherins in the dungeons probably heard it. Her face lit up and she shook Hermione by the shoulders, still giggling. 

Ron grabbed him by the arm to plop down on the couch right next to her. Harry widened his eyes in warning, but Ron ignored him and sat down as well. 

"Hey, Scarboy, Ronnie," Y/N greeted brightly, face still wide in a smile.

"Hi, Y/N," Harry greeted, trying very hard to mask the bitter tone in his voice. The reason she was speaking so brightly was because she had been asked to the ball. 

Her smile faltered and Y/N shot him a confused look, but said no more to Harry and turned back to Hermione. "I can't believe you're going with-" 

Hermione put a finger to Y/N's lips, shutting her up. 

"Huh?" Ron said. "Can't believe she's going where with who?" 

"Nothing," Y/N and Hermione said quickly. "Anyways," continued Y/N. "I haven't seen you two in a bit, what's up? Asked anyone to the ball yet? Got a date?" 

Ron shook his head, "Got asked by a girl, she was in second year, though. Turned her down." 

"Ah yes," Hermione said teasingly. "Thank you, Ronald, for not being a creep." 

Ron's eyes turned slightly red. Harry knew that Ron wanted to ask Hermione, but felt sort of awkward...plus, they fought all the time. 

"What about you, Harry?" Y/N asked - was that a hint of uncertainty in her voice? 

"Asked by a bunch of girls," Harry said quietly. "Didn't say yes to any of them." 

"That fourth year Ravenclaw was pretty, though," Ron commented. "And nice, too." 

Harry shot Ron a look, asking him to stop. The ginger caught the hint and shut up, but not before mouthing, Y/N looked jealous. Harry shook his head at the ridiculous thought. Why would she be jealous when she was going to the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory of all people? 

"Same with me," Y/N said. "Been asked by a bunch of people, didn't say yes to any of them,"  she shrugged. 

Harry furrowed his brows. Why would she lie about that? Why would she lie about not saying yes? Maybe she didn't want them to know - or it was a surprise? Still, she had no reason to lie. 

"You don't have to lie, you know," Harry muttered quietly. 

It seems as though nobody heard him, for Y/N gave him another confused look. She took a deep breath and asked, "Planning to ask anybody?" 

Harry didn't know why he said it. Maybe he was petty, maybe it was because it didn't matter to Y/N anyway. He didn't even want to go with-

"Cho Chang."

✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

A simple, "Cho Chang," from Harry's mouth was enough for Y/N's eyes to widen in shock. She quickly hid it, but what...? 

So it was true - he did like Cho, and Y/N was either a game, practice, or he...was...imagining she was Cho when they flirted. 

Okay. That's fine. 

Fine...

Y/N gave Harry a thin-lipped smile. She hoped Cedric beat him too it and asked Cho out, and this time, it was purely selfish. "That's nice," she said dryly. 

Feeling as though she was about to burst like a dam, Y/N grabbed Hermione by the arm. "Herms, we forgot something up in the dorms...c'mon..." 

Hermione gave Y/N a soft look, and followed her, glaring at Harry behind his back. They made it to the dorm and Y/N caught a glimpse at herself from the handmirror on her bedside. Her irises were rimmed in that white light again, it drove her crazy.

"Told you, Herms," she said sadly. "He likes Cho." 

"I'm sorry, Y/N," said Hermione, coming to sit beside her. Hermione wrapped her arms around Y/N. "I really did think Harry liked you. Anyone would, with everything you two do-" 

"Don't bring it up," Y/N said miserably. She could feel the tears burn behind her eyelids, knowing it wasn't only tears, but glowing eyes as well. "Making it worse..." 

She glanced at her bedside table again, where Spellie was curled up in slumber. He had given her a dragon, remembering a random whim of hers. Even through all the affection they shared, he wanted to ask another girl?

She saw her silvery tears in the handmirror, running down her face like a waterfall of moonlight.

Hermione was silent, but it was comforting. At least she was there. 

Y/N was suddenly very conscious of what she was wearing. It was one of Harry's grey sweaters. Bitterly, scowling, she pulled it over her head, leaving herself in a tank top, and threw it to the ground. 

She'd return it to him so he could give it to Cho Chang, the girl he would ask out, the girl he liked.

He liked Cho. 

Harry had outright, verbally, to Y/N's face, chosen Cho Chang. 

Well, Y/N would have to stay true to her promise, then, right? Her promise of only choosing Elijah if Harry outright chose Cho. 

─── ☆: *.⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ .* :☆ ───

hey guys! so this is lowkey sorta a filler chapppttteeeer, but it's like 9k words so!! 🤠

there's clues in this chapter if u look carefully 🎀 i love adding clues n hints and stuff it's so fun! (u should be scared 😁)

 i had fun writing this chap ngl! sorry it's a bit late, still stressed from moving n stuff, but it IS 9k words, so...forgive me? 🫦🌹

thoughts 🎤

i lowkey don't have much to say 🧍🏽‍♀️ 

wanna know what's been stuck in my head recently?? i hate this song but yk that one by lil ambulance HAHAUJSS IM CRYING IT AUTOCORRECTED TO AMBULANCE I WAS TRYING TO TYPE "lil mabu" 💀💀

the one that's like 

i'm mr. take yo bitch 🫦 

take her for a trip ✈️🛩️

fly her to new york 🗽

and sign my name all on her tits ✍️✍️

yeah so that's the one! lowkey rly vulgar! what's been stuck in ur head recently?

remember to comment n vote if u like it! point out any mistakes so i can fix them asapppp 🎀

okay, i love you guys! bye troublemakers 💕

-dizzy