"Stop hunching your shoulders." Angeline snaps in Bulgarian. I try to ease my shoulders, but with every yank of the hairbrush, I flinch more and more. "You're acting like a child."

"Sorry, I'm just not used to being pampered over so much." I say. Angeline doesn't reply, but I see her roll her eyes in the mirror. She's already ready for the ball, dressed in dark rose dress robes that spills like water around her ankles, and a short cinched dress underneath that shimmers as if it's made of spider silk. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a tower, like an ancient Greek's, and it curls around her ears and honey-colored skin. Dark eyeliner emphasizes her blue eyes, making them even more startling. Angeline has never messed around with this sort of stuff. "That should be it." Angeline grasps my hair gently, and twists it up behind my head in a tight bun. She holds up a small mirror so I can see the finished product. The bun looks like a rose, puffing in all the right places.

"You're amazing at this." I say. "I know." Angeline sniffs, "Stand up and smooth your dress. I'll get your robe." She disappears into the closet. I stand, and glance down at my dress. It's dark and lacy, and is long enough to touch my sandalled toes. The fabric is coarse on my knees, but not unpleasant. I glance up at my reflection in the mirror.

Angeline had moved all of my dark hair out of my face into the bun, showing off my large eyes and tan skin. The only makeup she had applied was some blush to my cheeks. "Yes, this will do nicely." Angeline purrs, coming back. She pinches a long, velvety purple robe. With a flick of her wrist, she loops it around me, cuffing the wrists up to my elbows, and stands back to admire her work. I look at the mirror again. The robe falls like petals, making me look like a flower at night. The added darkness just make my blue eyes pop more. "Thanks, Ang." I say, smiling.

"Don't even think about hugging me. You'll ruin us both." Angeline replies snappily, but there's teasing in her eyes. "We should go. It's probably already started." I say. Angeline nods and follows me out of the girl's dorms, into the Gryffindor main hall. Durmstrang doesn't have a very large girl population, se we were all able to squeeze in with the Gryffindors, met with varied responses. Some of the Hogwarts girls still doing their makeup glare after us as we leave.

"Where are our dates?" I ask Angeline. She's taken it upon herself to set us both up, since she's the one who actually has an interest in it.

"They'll meet us at the ball." she says, and smirks to herself. "Everything is prepared. I made sure your date is a good dancer as well. It would've been better if he was a Durmstrang boy, but I had to settle with a Hogwarts one. It should be fine." The halls are stocked with gentlemen and ladies, heading for the ball. Robes upon robes upon dresses swirl around like multi-colored dishes as everyone spills outside. Glowing, white orbs fly above in the hall's ceiling, catching every glittery piece of fabric to reflect. The whole school is bright with color, supplied by each and every student. I look around, caught up in the excitement and singing and lights.

"C'mon, let's go." Angeline grabs my wrist and pulls me forward. We burst through the crowd and hurry down the pearly steps, into the Hogwarts garden. More glowing orbs float above , shining gently down on the party below. They look like stars hung over the bustling ball. I catch my breath. The garden is decorated in white and gold, shining like a lantern itself. Tame fairies flit around the air, throwing glitter into the sky and on the guests. Students and teachers dance and sing and chat, all in a flurry of excitement and ease. A band of wizards are up stage, singing and playing a high, tittery song. Some sort of webby, shimmery substance swirls around their feet, like cobras being drawn upward by the music. "There they are!" Angeline yanks on my wrist again, pointing to two boys at the base of the stairs. I follow after her more slowly. The boys look up as we approach. They are both very tall with blonde hair, but the similarities end there. One of them has a very square face and broad shoulders, with small, angry blue eyes. The other is very willowy, with a thin, elfish face and a bored expression and a freckled nose.

"Mia, this is your date, Bracken." Angeline says, motioning to the thinner one. Bracken nods, and looks me up and down. "You look nice." he says indifferently.

"Thanks..." I mutter, rubbing my arms. His dark dress robes look like they've been hastily shoved on, either on purpose or by accident.

"So... Angeline says you can dance?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." he says. His voice is thin and tired, "Do you want to dance now, or later?"

"Um, maybe we should wait until the champions' dance." I say, anxiously yanking on my dress. I totally forgot about the dancing part.... I think.

"Mia, look out." Angeline warns, nudging me. She nods to a spot a couple paces away, at three Hogwarts students. I recognize the brown, streaked hair of Alissa, the Hogwarts champion. She's talking with a girl with ginger hair and freckles, and a boy with messy dark hair.

"Oh, that's Alissa." I say, "We should go say hi." Angeline narrows her eyes and wrinkles her nose.

"Why? She's the competition. And Hogwarts students are always so chattery and annoying... A bunch of mudbloods."

"Oh please." I wave her off, and walk forward. Alissa looks up when I approach, and smiles. Her dress is a light periwinkle, and the material shines in the dim, starlit lights like water. Nervousness suddenly splits through me, making my fingers tingle. Maybe Angeline was right. How is Alissa going to react to my sudden interruption? I should've planned this out. I'm just going to sound like an idiot...

Angeline's sudden appearance at my side stirs both of our dresses. She doesn't say anything, but I'm relieved to have her beside me. I've never been good at speaking to people without her, and she usually faces a similar problem without me. Her brashness and my shyness tends to get tangled up in any conversations we try to attempt.

"Um, hi." I start, wincing when my voice shakes, "You're the Hogwarts champion, right? I'm Mia, f-from Durmstrang." I can't help glancing over my shoulder at Bracken. He watches through drooped golden eyebrows, obviously uninterested.

"Um, hi yourself." Alissa says. She seems caught off guard, but not hostile, thankfully. "Yeah, um, I'm the Hogwarts Champion. I'm Alissa... Or Al if you want." She motions to her date, the boy with the bedraggled black hair and green eyes, and to her freckled friend. "This is Albus Potter, yeah, his dad is Harry Potter, and this is my friend Rose Weasley." Her friendly brown eyes latch on to Angeline, and Angeline tenses beside me. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Angeline, my friend from Durmstrang." I say. Angeline waits a moment to reply. I don't have to look at her to tell she's uncomfortable, and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Charmed." she almost spits.

She's just Angeline being Angeline. I wave off her hostility, and smile again at Alissa. "So, how did your first trial go, Alissa? Was it hard?" I ask. Thankfully in this situation, we have some common ground. She nods, eyes widening.

"Yes, I had to fight a sphinx and solve some riddles." she says, her curled hair bouncing, "It was terribly hard! It's um..." She pauses, and seems to struggle for the right choice of words, "Charming to meet you too, Angeline. How about your task, Mia?" I relax. This actually isn't so bad.

"Stressful." I say honestly, "I'm not even sure what it was. There was an egg thing, and a trillion dead souls..." A laugh bubbles against my lips. "It was exhausting."

I hear Angeline scoff. "A sphinx? Riddles?" she echoes Alissa in an unrealistically high tone. "It doesn't sound particularly difficult to me." I elbow her hard, a little wounded at her harsh words. Why can't she just be willing to make friends for once? Does she always have to be so difficult? It was a trial in itself, dealing with her. Angeline just pulls away, and pretends to look uninterested. My blood starts to boil. Of course she chooses this opportune moment to embarrass me...

Alissa gives a nervous laugh. "Wow, yeah, yours does sound hard." she says to me, before turning to face Angeline coldly, a smile still on her face. "Well, I apologize for not defeating Voldemort. I'll let them know that that should be my next challenge."

Her friend Rose leans close to mutter in her ear. "Hey, it's okay. Be nice. I'm sure she didn't mean it." she says. I shoot Angeline a glare. She better not.

Angeline ignores me, and just gives Alissa her best death stare. The soft moonlight seems suddenly harsh on her pretty features. I grab her arm, and wrench her a couple of steps away. "What's your problem?" I demand.

"My problem is you speaking so lightly with the competition!" she says, so sharply that I almost flinch, "What, are you trying to get some pointers by talking to them? If so, leave me out of it." Part of me wants to be the adult, but I shove it away, burning from her cruel tone with me. This was getting ridiculous.

"Who do you think you are, my manager?" I hiss, "I'm just being friendly! Stop acting like you own me." I sigh, trying to gather my patience, and shoot an apologetic glance at Alissa. This is embarrassing, but I've had enough of Angeline. Making my voice as cold as possible, I glare at her through half-closed eyes. "Why don't you go dance with your date, now? He'll be wondering where you are."

Angeline rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Stop acting like a child."

"Oh, I'm the one acting like a child?"

Angeline ignores me, and swivels to point an accusing finger at Alissa. Alissa blinks in surprise at the sudden attention placed on her. "And what's your damage?" Angeline hisses, "Trying to get some tournament secrets? You Hogwarts students are all weasels." Angeline has always been crude, but her words are a slap to the face. I can't imagine what Alissa might be feeling. "Angeline!" I say, furious. My clenched fists vibrate, as if all of my anger has been balled up in them.

Rose turns to Alissa, eyes wide. "Tell me she didn't just say that." When Alissa speaks, her voice is venomous and hard. It is impressive that Angeline doesn't cower like a dog. "Because all I ever do is try to get people to tell me things. I'm nothing. You're right, I can't do anything by myself. I'll never be anything important. You know, I think you would really like my father."

I blink, taken aback. There's something I obviously don't understand, here. Rose and Albus seem to catch the meaning behind her words, and exchange glances of worry. Alissa gives Angeline a cold nod. "Good day to you."

Without waiting for a reply, she stalks off, her chestnut hair swishing behind her. Albus stumbles after her, and Rose and I look at each other, mirroring each other's shock. Angeline gives a small snort of triumph, and the last bit of humility I have snaps in half. I twist to face her, feeling my cheeks go red with fury. Years of bottled words spills past my lips in a hurricane.

"How dare you!" I yell, "You've really crossed the line, you selfish brat! Do you really find pleasure in doing these things? It's sick!" Angeline blinks in surprise, obviously not expecting my outburst. The anger feels hot and raw, but pleasant to release. I don't hold back. "This is all I ever get from hanging out with you: trouble and shame! It's like you enjoy embarrassing yourself! I'm always apologizing for you, because you're too stupid and shallow to do it yourself!"

The air tingles, as if all of the words have been released into the breeze, like gnats. My insides twist and knot together, and my fists shiver with all of the tension bottled into them. Angeline stares at me, and for a moment, she looks wounded, afraid. A sense of hope for her tickles my throat. But whatever feeling had crossed her eyes are replaced with cold anger. The proud, normal Angeline is back.

"You're not my mother." she sneers, and for a moment I wonder if I had imagined the flicker of guilt in her face. "Forget it, Mia. You're dead weight. Go make up with your new friends that you obviously care more about than me."

She turns away, flicking her hair cockily behind her.

"Fine! See if I care! Have fun trying to make friends without me!" I scream after her. A hint of sadness touches my eyes, and for a terrifying moment I feel like crying. Heads turn in my direction, and I recoil under their gaze. This wasn't supposed to happen...

"Um.." Rose mutters. I turn to look at her. To be honest, I had forgotten that she was there. I shake my head, trying to wipe away any trace of tears.

"We should go after Alissa." I say, "I need to apologize for my bad taste in friends." I glare at the spot where Angeline had disappeared into the crowd. She must be really happy with herself.

Without waiting to see if Rose is following, I jog in the direction that Alissa and Albus had gone. It doesn't take long to find them in a corner. Alissa's bare, pale shoulders are hunched, and her head is lowered. She holds onto Albus's hand as if it's a safety line. It looks as if something else has happened....

"I'm tired of this competition." As I get closer, I hear Alissa's whispers to Albus, "I want to drop out. Everyone's right. I can't do this. The competitors hate me, I can't do this."

Albus looks like he wants to comfort her, but doesn't know what to say. He hasn't said anything as far as I know, but his presence seems to help Alissa in some way. I'm glad that he's there for her.

"What? No!" I can't help myself from stepping closer, and words tumble out of my mouth. After all of Angeline's scorn, it feels good to have the power to comfort someone. My voice shakes as I speak. "Look, I'm so sorry about Angeline. She's just being a brat, like usual. You shouldn't have to worry about her." A shallow breath escapes me. "And neither should I."

Alissa stares at me, a look of confusion in her wide, brown eyes. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. The last thing Alissa probably needs right now is my lame excuse of comfort, but I need to finish what I start.

"My point is, who cares? The competition isn't worth giving up, just because of some idiots." I hesitate, trying to find the right words. What can I say? Everything I've already said makes no sense. I absently rub my wrists. "And...I don't hate you."

Alissa doesn't say anything for awhile. She stares, and I'm not sure what to so. Albus looks just as blank, and I feel like they're waiting for me to say something. I awkwardly lean against the wall.

Alissa doesn't say anything for awhile. She stares, and I'm not sure what to so. Albus looks just as blank, and I feel like they're waiting for me to say something. I awkwardly lean against the wall.

"I mean, you seem really cool. I'm just sorry we have to compete against each other. But Angeline isn't worth it, and neither is anybody else." I rest my head, feeling anxious under their gazes. "What an idiot." A few moments pass, and a soft bit of nervous laughter comes from my mouth, along with some more words. "I'm...kind of alone, now. As sucky as she is, Angeline's pretty much my only friend." What, did they ask for my life story? I shake my head again, and rub it. The beginning of a migraine is starting to creep in. "Sorry." I mutter.

Alissa speaks suddenly, stepping closer. "That...That means a lot to me. I don't hate you either. Thank you for that." She cracks a small smile. "I'd....I'd be honored to be called a friend of yours." A new flicker of determination comes into her eyes. "We can do this competition together." She sticks out her hand. "Friends?" A new feeling of warmness touches my stomach. I just lost the closest friend I've ever had. I think, But that doesn't necessarily mean that this is the end.

"Yeah." I say, and take her hand. We shake. Out of habit, I yank my dark dress, thoughts surfacing again in my head. "Now I'm going to have to deal with Angeline... She won't let me hear the end of it...." I mutter out loud. Our beds are right next to each other, along with most of our other belongings. Glares and snarls are definitely in my future.

"Mia!" Bracken shouts from the dance floor, motioning impatiently. "I better go. Talk to you later?" I ask, feeling a little mixture of sadness and pleasure.

Alissa smiles. "Absolutely. See you around, and Merry Christmas." she says. I smile, and jog over to Bracken, hiking my robes up out of reach of tripping.

I stumble to a halt in front of Bracken. He extends a hand, which I take. He wraps his other arm around the base of my back, and begins to sway and step expertly with the music. I try not to trip over him as we move across the dance floor. Heads turn to look at the dancing champions, and a few "oohs," and "aahs," erupt from the crowd when my skirt whisks slightly with a turn. I can imagine the dark fabric catching the soft light and rippling like fur. Angeline withers from my mind as I focus on the steps. Bracken and I fall into a rhythm, and I find that Bracken does most of the work with no complaint. The breeze ripples through my hair, and I try to enjoy this moment of no worrying thoughts.

"You dance well." Bracken says softly, and I open my eyes at his sudden words. I look up at him His eyes are still drooped in boredom, but there is a hint of a smile on his thin lips.

"Thanks." I say, smiling, "So are you."

"I saw what happened with Angeline." he says, and I flinch. O-of course he did. He must have been watching, with nothing better to do. I think. "It's a shame, really. You two must've been friends for a while." he replies. I stumble a bit over his foot, but he doesn't say anything. Just continues on, with his soft voice. "I could be your friend." he says, and looks down at me. I don't know how to reply. What is he talking about?

Bracken shrugs. "It's rewarding to be the friend of a champion. I could help you win, maybe. Of course, some of your profits would go to me, naturally." He spins me, and my mind whirls with the motion. I don't understand.

"Not to mention publicity." Bracken continues, "That's always stressful. I could help you with some of that, as well. We could be great friends. You and me, Mia. Think of it as a business proposal."

"What are you talking about?" I mumble. My feet are all over the place. Bracken lets out a light laugh.

"I'm talking about taking Angeline's place as your 'friend.' Honestly, you didn't actually think she stuck around for so long because she liked you?" He says. His words push into my stomach, like a cold butter knife. I remain silent, waiting for him to continue. His words are poison, but I need to hear what else he has to say. Something just keeps me listening. "I think it's a pretty fair deal. I be your friend, since you obviously don't have any besides the one you just lost, and I'm payed. It's all very clever, Mia." He stops, and stares down at me with the same blank, expressionless face. "I might be willing to be even more than a friend."

"Stop." I say. A cold weight drops in my stomach. Is that all that matters to him when he looks at me? When anybody does? Angeline...

"Mia, it's perfectly logical. Consider the possibilities. We could become celebrities through this little bit of luck you've stumbled upon. And I'll help you. It's no trouble...."

"Stop!" My hands try to twist away, but he holds fast to my wrists.

"Mia-"

With a heave, I wrench myself free. My hands burst forward faster than I can think, and hit Bracken hard in the chest. He stumbles at the sudden impact, and slips into one of the tables holding intricate deserts and food. The world seems to stop for a moment, before coming to with the shatter of the glass punch bowl as Bracken falls into it. His bored eyes are wide with surprise. The ball ceases. Eyes turn on my, quick and like fire on my skin. I stare, panting, at Bracken, sitting in the remains of a table, now doubled over and splashed with punch and food. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Snickers act like a ripple around me. At my shaking, thin figure, at the shocked and furious look on Bracken's face... Everything that has to do with me is worth snickering about.

A strangled gasp escapes my throat, and tears make my eyesight blurry. I hike up my dress and run.