Cassia's POV

The next day, we all sat together at breakfast. Cedric was sitting with us again, and as usual, I sat in between his legs.

Hermione was furious at Rita Skeeter's latest edition of Me, Myself, and I. "I can't believe it! She's done it again!" she snapped, "'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian bonbon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter is taking this latest emotional blow.'"

I rolled my eyes. Rita sure likes to gossip a lot.

"Dad's peeved at Rita because she overshadowed Harry in her article on the tournament," Cedric chimed in.

"That woman is so on our enemies list," I muttered.

A first-year boy walked up to us, holding a large brown package. "Parcel for you, Mr. Weasley."

"Oh, thank you, Nigel," Ron said, taking the package.

Nigel just stood there, looking at him expectantly. Hermione glanced at him and then at Ron.

Ron then got the hint and whispered, "Later, Nigel. Later."

Nigel walked away. When he was out of earshot, Hermione looked at Ron suspiciously.

Ron sighed. "I told him I'd get Harry and Cassia's autographs." He turned his attention to the package. "Oh, look, Mum sent me something!" He unwrapped the box and opened the lid to reveal very frilly-looking robes. He looked surprised. "Mum sent me a dress?"

"Well, it does match your eyes," Harry complimented.

I giggled. "Is there a bonnet?"

Harry rummaged around in the box and pulled out a lace collar. "Aha!"

Cedric started to chuckle.

"Nose down, guys," Ron warned. He went over to Ginny. "Ginny, these must be for you."

Ginny looked up from the bowl of cereal she was eating, and glanced at the dress robes. "I'm not wearing that. It's ghastly."

Hermione covered her mouth to muffle the stream of giggles coming out of her mouth.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked her.

"They're not for Ginny. They're for you," I told him, laughing.

Everybody at the table started cracking up.

"Dress robes," Hermione jumped in.

"Dress robes?! For what?" Ron asked.

<><><><><>

Transfiguration class was a lot different than usual today. All the desks had been cleared away, and a phonograph sat in a corner of the room. We were instructed to sit on opposite sides of the room, with the boys on one end and the girls on the other end.

"The Yule Ball is approaching--a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception, and an opportunity to socialize with our foreign guests. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity," McGonagall explained while Filch stood near a phonograph. "The ball will be open only to fourth-years and above. Now, as representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

At this, the boys on the opposite end of the room groaned, while us girls got really excited.

"Silence!" McGonagall barked. "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." Her voice softened a bit as she went on to instruct us how to properly dance. "Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion, prepared to prance." She looked at Ron. "Mr. Weasley, would you join me, please?"

Ron walked up to her, looking a bit nervous.

"Place your right hand on my waist," McGonagall instructed.

Ron blinked. "Where?"

"My waist," McGonagall repeated.

I heard Fred or George (I have no idea who) wolf whistle as Ron put his right hand where he had been told to do so.

McGonagall looked over at Filch. "Mr. Filch, if you please?"

Filch fiddled with the phonograph for a few moments before it started playing music.

"1, 2, 3 -- 1, 2, 3 --" McGonagall counted as they began to waltz around the room.

Once the demonstration was finished, we were all instructed to pair up and practice the dance. Neville seemed to be the only one willing to dance with any of the girls.

"I'll be your partner, Harry," I offered, walking over to my brother.

Harry looked really grateful. "Thanks."

I put one hand on Harry's shoulder. One of his hands went on my waist. It was a little awkward at first, because we were brother and sister, but we got used to it quickly.

"Alright, every time I move forward, you move back. If you move forward, I move back. Same thing with sidestepping," I directed. "It's like doing box steps, but with two people."

"Hopefully I don't step on your foot," Harry said.

I laughed. "It's okay if you do."

We started to waltz. I intentionally went slow at first to give Harry time to pick the dance up. He stumbled a few times, but he wasn't too bad for a beginner. I guess I should be one to talk, because I'm just as much of a rookie at ballroom dancing as he is. I gradually began to speed up, just a little, so we were going at a normal pace -- you know, for waltzing. As we gradually moved faster, we also moved around the room instead of just dancing in one spot. I really enjoyed it because it was a lot of fun and it was a good way to bond more with my brother.

"Not bad for a beginner," I remarked.

He smiled sheepishly as he twirled me around. "I could say the same about you."

I giggled. "Why thank you."

<><><><><>

The weeks before the ball were ticking down and people were rushing to get dates and dresses. I was all set with both; I had purchased my dress a few days ago, and I was attending the ball with my boyfriend. Hermione didn't have a date, as far as I knew, and neither did the boys.

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past us, sniggering and staring at him. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested, making me roll my eyes. That's not funny.

Harry stopped in front of the group of girls, trying to find the courage to ask one of them to the ball, but he bailed.

Ron shrugged. "Well, we know Cassia's already going with her boyfriend. Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Harry was silent. So was I. He and I both knew perfectly well who he was planning to ask -- Cho Chang -- but working up the nerve was something else for him. Even though she was a year older, I could see why Harry was crushing on her. She was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was very popular.

"Blimey, Harry. You've slayed dragons," Ron remarked.

"He didn't slay the dragon, it just crashed into one of the bridges," I corrected him.

"Touché," Ron said. "Point is, if you can't get a date, who can?"

"I think I'd take the dragon now," Harry replied, looking back at the girls, who were still gawking at him.

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "If Cedric and I weren't already going to the ball, I'd go with you."

"You really mean that?" Harry asked.

"Of course! You're my brother," I replied.

He cracked a smile. "Thanks, baby sis."

I playfully rolled my eyes at that. "You're only older than me by 15 seconds! How does that make me the 'baby' out of the two of us?"

"Kidding," Harry said, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "But can you promise me something?"

"Sure," I answered.

Harry smiled. "Save a dance for me?"

I very daintily placed my hand in his own. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Potter," I said in a fancy voice.

<><><><><>

Unfortunately, Professor Snape made us complete an assignment for Potions the day before the ball. Not just me and Harry, though. Our whole class had to do it. We all sat in the Great Hall, working tirelessly to complete the assignment. Let's just say some of us were able to concentrate better than others.

"This is mad. At this rate, we'll be the only ones without dates," Ron whispered, making Snape thump him hard on the back of his head with a notebook. As Snape moved on to another table, Ron added, "Well, us and Neville."

"Yeah, but then again, he can take himself," Harry whispered back. They both snickered as quietly as possible to avoid getting thumped on the head again.

"It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone," Hermione whisper-snapped.

I nodded. "Yep. He's got a date."

Ron groaned silently at this news. "Now I'm really depressed." Fred slipped him a piece of paper. He read it with Harry looking over his shoulder. "Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone." He shoved the note back at Fred. "Who're you going with, then?"

Fred glanced about to make sure Snape wasn't watching. When he saw the coast was clear, he crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Angelina, making her look at him with annoyance and confusion. "Oi, Angelina!" he whispered. He mouthed 'Will you go to the ball with me?', acting it out as well.

"The ball?" Angelina whispered. "Yeah." Well, that's one way to get a date. Fred smirked and winked at Ron to rub it in.

Ron looked at Hermione, who was sitting next to him. "Hermione, you're a girl," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Very well spotted."

"Go with one of --" Ron was cut off by Snape hitting him over the head with a notebook first, and then Harry. "Come on, it's one thing for a bloke to show up without a date. For a girl, it's just sad," he corrected himself once Snape walked away.

"I won't be going alone because, believe it or not, someone's asked me!" Hermione snapped. She marched up to Snape and handed him her notebook. Then she came back and grabbed her books. "And I said yes!" She left.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. He glanced at Harry. "She's lying, right?"

Harry shrugged. "If you say so..."

"Look, we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," Ron said.

I glanced across the way and saw Snape pulling the cuffs of his sleeves up. Uh oh. "Guys --" I whispered.

"When we go back to the common room, we'll both have partners. Agreed?"

"Guys --" I repeated as Snape approached us.

"Agreed," Harry whispered back.

Snape grabbed the back of Ron's head with one hand and did the same to Harry with his other hand, and forced them down so that they were bent over their notebooks, earning a painful grunt from the two of them.

I shrugged. "I tried to warn you..." Some people just never listen to me.

Later on, Harry and I were in Gryffindor Tower, cuddling together on the couch in the common room. I read a muggle book that I had previously checked out in the library. Harry rested his head on his shoulder, reading silently along with me. He was sad because when he'd asked Cho to the ball and she had turned him down.

I looked up from my reading when we heard the portrait swing open and Ginny led a mortified Ron into the common room.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"He just asked Fleur Delacour out," Ginny replied, helping Ron to sit in one of the chairs.

Hermione looked just as appalled as we were. "What?!"

"What did she say?" I asked.

"No, of course," Hermione reckoned.

Ron shook his head. He looked totally embarrassed.

"She said yes?!" Hermione and I exclaimed.

"Don't be silly. There she was, walking by -- you know I like it when they walk -- and I couldn't help it. It just, sort of, slipped out," Ron told us.

"Actually, he sort of screamed it at her," Ginny said, "It was a bit frightening."

"What did you do then?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "What else? I ran for it!"

Harry jumped up once he saw the Patil twins walk by us. "Wait!" he called out, trying to catch up to them.

<><><><><>

Hermione twirled in front of me and Ginny. "Do I look okay, guys?" she asked. But she didn't look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. A few loosely-curled strands escaped, falling over her right shoulder. Her ombré pink dress was made of a floaty material that was almost silk-like in appearance. The bodice was light pink, and then the cascading ruffles on the skirt gradually faded to a dark magenta. A magenta ribbon was tied around the waistline of the dress. To finish the look, Hermione had bought a pair of matching heels with straps that buckled around her ankles, and light pink flower earrings.

I smiled. "Gorgeous."

"You look like a princess," Ginny added. She looked over at me. "Now that Hermione and I already put on our dresses, I can't wait to see what yours looks like, Cassia." We had decided to let her get ready with us tonight. Her dress was a mix between pale pink and light green. The light green collar and sleeves had a vintage feel. If you looked closely, you could see they were adorned with white lace at the end. Three pink buttons in the shape of stars fell in a vertical line down the front of the bodice, which was a light shade of blush. A matching pink ribbon was tied around the waist, and the tulle skirt alternated between light green and blush. To complete the look, she'd added a necklace. It wasn't anything too flashy, just a silver pendant on a light green ribbon. Hermione did her hair and I did her makeup. Ginny's hair was straight, as it usually was, but in a half-up half-down style that somewhat resembled a waterfall braid, tied together with a pink ribbon. I gave her a very neutral look with the makeup, to showcase her natural beauty.

I eagerly grabbed my dress from where it was hanging on one of the curtain rods of my four-poster bed. Since the day I had bought it, I'd kept it in its bag. That's how paranoid I was about not ruining it. It cost me 19 Galleons, for crying out loud! I took it into the bathroom with me and locked the door so I could have some privacy while I changed. Butterflies filled my stomach as I unzipped the bag and took the dress off the hanger. My dress was a ballgown, strapless and silver on the top, with a midnight blue skirt. What made it such a standout was that the entire dress was basically covered in sparkles.

I unzipped the back of the dress and carefully placed it onto the floor, and then undid my bathrobe. Then I stepped into the dress and pulled it up onto my body. Reaching behind me with both hands, I zipped it up. Thankfully, I'd already done my makeup half an hour ago, so that was one less thing to worry about.

My outfit:

I opened the door just wide enough to poke my head out without showing my dress, deciding to surprise the girls with my completed look. "Close your eyes, guys. No peeking! That means you, Ginny!"

"Shut up," Ginny muttered playfully as she and Hermione closed their eyes.

I picked up my skirt as I exited the bathroom, making my way over to the foot of my bed, where my black heels rested, seeming to wait for me. There were two reasons why I opted to wear plain black high heels: 1) they matched my dress pretty well, and 2) basically the same reason why I chose not to wear jewelry -- the dress was sparkly enough as it was and adding more would just detract from me. With my shoes on, I carefully walked over to stand in front of Ginny and Hermione. "3 -- 2 -- 1 --open your eyes!" I said.

Hermione and Ginny opened their eyes and gasped in unison. They looked flabbergasted at the sight of me all glammed up.

"Oh my gosh, Cassia, you look amazing!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Wait until Cedric sees you -- his jaw is going to hit the floor," Hermione added.

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Says the girl who's going with the Durmstrang heartthrob." This remark earned me a warning glare from Hermione.

She pointed her finger at me. "Don't even go there."

After checking ourselves over in the mirror one last time, we headed down to the Great Hall, linking arms with each other. We got to the last staircase leading to those big double doors and stopped, hiding behind the wall. Looking out, I saw that the entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Ginny waved goodbye to us and walked off to find Neville, leaving Hermione and I alone.

We peered around the corner and saw Harry, Parvati, Ron, and Padma.

"I'm not sure I can do this, Cassia," Hermione whispered to me. I could see her nerves were getting the best of her.

"Why don't we go down the stairs together?" I suggested.

Her nervousness vanished, and she nodded. She grasped my hand in her own, and together, we descended the stairs. Almost everyone's eyes were fixated on us. A great majority felt the need to do a double-take. Parvati's mouth dropped when she saw us. She said something to Harry, who agreed, his attention drawn to Cho, who stood across the way. When he realized what Parvati was talking about, he looked up at the staircase to see us approaching. He had the biggest shocked face I have ever seen.

"Cassia? Hermione? Is -- is that really you?" he asked, glancing between us.

I nodded, while Hermione gave a shy smile. She seemed too anxious to speak at the moment, so I wasn't going to pressure her to do so.

"You guys look amazing," Harry complimented us.

"Thanks, Harry." I hugged him.

Viktor, dressed in red formal wear, made his way over to Hermione. He looked to be mesmerized by her beauty as he offered her his hand like a gentleman. As she let Viktor lead her to the closed doors standing between us and the Great Hall, Hermione waved at us.

Cedric's POV

I stood outside the doors to the Great Hall, talking with a few of my friends. Cassia was nowhere in sight. The last time I saw her was around four-fifteen, right before she and Hermione had left to go get ready for the ball. She hadn't shown me her dress or told me what she was going to do with her hair and makeup, so I had yet to see the finished product. It didn't matter what she looked like, though. No matter what she wore, Cassia was always beautiful in my eyes. Both inside and out.

"Merlin -- is that Cassia Potter?" I heard someone ask, looking towards the stairs. I followed their gaze to see Cassia standing near Harry, clad in a silver and midnight blue strapless gown. One glance at her took my breath away. Her dress, riddled with sparkles, made her shine brighter than the stars. The bodice was fitted, and then the skirt puffed out into a big ball gown. She hadn't applied much makeup. Very subtle, but just enough to make her green eyes pop. Normally, her hair was straightened, but now it was swept over her right shoulder, falling in soft voluminous waves. She truly looked like the belle of the ball.

Several minutes passed before I was able to get the guts to walk up to her. Yes, we had been dating since July, but even now, looking at her gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Cassia turned as soon as she saw me approaching. "Hi," she greeted, curtsying.

"Wow..." I breathed.

"You like it? You don't think it's too much?" she asked anxiously, gesturing to her dress.

"No," I assured her. "You look absolutely gorgeous, as always."

She giggled. "You're looking rather dapper yourself."

I chuckled at her. "Why, thank you."

The oak front doors then opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff, while the Beauxbatons students entered with Madame Maxime. I, meanwhile, took the opportunity to check out the Great Hall. The walls had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. In the center of the room was a large dance floor, and behind it was Professor Flitwick's orchestra, standing at the foot of an enormous silver Christmas tree. I didn't get to see much more of it before the doors closed, but I was grateful to have the chance to see how the teachers had transformed it for the ball.

Professor McGonagall's voice called out, "Champions over here, please!"

Cassia placed her hand over mine. I escorted her to where Professor McGonagall was waiting. Professor McGonagall, who wore dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told us all to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; we were to enter in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves in front of the doors; Roger looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Viktor and Hermione were positioned behind them, followed by Cassia and myself, and then Harry and Parvati.

Shortly after we all got in line, the doors opened, and we heard the orchestra playing, signaling the start of our procession. Every student and teacher applauded as we entered the Great Hall. Quite a few were gawking in surprise at Cassia, and one or two boys sent wolf-whistles her way. I ignored those.

The applause ceased when all four of us champions got to the dance floor. Cassia put one hand on my shoulder, and my hand went onto her waist, while holding her other hand. When the waltz music started, so did we. I was surprised at Cassia's dancing ability. Her knowledge of ballroom was minimal, but now it was like she was a natural.

"Surprised?" she questioned, a coy smile playing on her lips.

"Very..." I confessed.

She giggled. "Well, I'm just glad I paid attention when McGonagall gave us the lessons. And I practiced with Harry."

Everything around us seemed to vanish. My mind was blocking everything else out; it was like we were the only two people in the room. Cassia looked like she was on top of the world. Seeing the joy on her face made my heart skip a beat.

We had to stop for a few moments, since both of us were becoming a bit tired. The music changed once we had regained our lost energy.

"They're all looking at you," Cassia whispered as we began dancing again. (Video below)

I shook my head. "Believe me, love, they're all looking at you."

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Cassia's POV

I giggled as Cedric twirled me, the tulle skirt of my dress flowing around me and making me feel like Cinderella. It was such an amazing feeling, waltzing with the boy I had fallen in love with less than a year ago -- I can't even describe it.

Our dance soon ended, and the entire school clapped and cheered for us. A rock band known as the Weird Sisters (ironic, because they're all boys) got onto the stage once the applause died down.

"Hogwarts, are you ready?!" the lead singer yelled.

It's a good thing we got off the dance floor when we did, because the dance floor turned into a giant mosh pit. Professor Flitwick somehow wound up involuntarily crowdsurfing. Watching that happen was one of the highlights of my night so far.

Cedric led me over to one of the tables, where Harry and Ron were sitting with Padma and Parvati, who looked bored out of their wits. "I'll go grab us a drink. Alright, love?" he said.

I nodded and took a seat next to Harry, just as a Durmstrang boy approached us. "May I have your arm?" he asked, offering his hand to Parvati.

"Arm, leg -- I'm yours," Parvati accepted, taking his hand and letting him take her back to the dance floor.

"Looks like you had fun out there, sis," my brother remarked.

Ron huffed. "At least somebody did."

"Are you going to ask me to dance or not?" Padma asked. She seemed jealous that her sister was dancing and she wasn't.

"No," Ron answered.

Padma responded by abruptly getting up and walking to the dance floor, joining the mosh pit. Not too long after she did, Cedric returned with two glasses of water and took a seat to my right. I thanked him before taking a sip, secretly slipping my already-burning feet out of my heels to give them a break. Beads of sweat had formed on my forehead. Thank goodness I had charmed my makeup so it wouldn't get ruined if that happened. My hair had also maintained the style I had initially put it in, but it wasn't all swept to one side anymore. The voluminous black waves now fell down my back, exposing both of my shoulders.

I picked up my menu and studied the different options. The dinner plates had been enchanted so that whatever food the person ordered by speaking directly to the menus would appear. Dumbledore had demonstrated this by simply saying "Pork chops" to his, and pork chops appeared on the plate.

"Hot, isn't it?" Hermione spoke, diverting my attention from the menu I was holding. "Viktor's gone to go and get drinks. Would you care to join us?" she offered.

Harry was about to accept, but Ron spoke first. "No. We would not care to join you and Viktor," he spat.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Hermione asked.

"He's a Durmstrang," Ron spat.

"So?" I questioned. Who spit in his pumpkin juice?

"Cassia, she's fraternizing with the enemy," Ron told me.

Hermione had a look of utter disbelief on her face. "The enemy?!" she echoed. "Who was it wanting his autograph? Besides, the whole point of the tournament is international magical cooperation, to make friends."

"I think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind," Ron grumbled.

Angered by his words, Hermione got up and left.

<><><><><>

Later on, after a splendid dinner of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and steamed asparagus, Harry and I took to the dance floor. The Weird Sisters sang a slow-dancing song as a nice refresher from the rock n' roll songs they had done earlier. At the request of one of the girls, they were currently singing a cover of a song called "Humble & Kind" by Tim McGraw. He was a Muggle country artist from the United States. I'd heard one or two of his songs on the radio in Dora's apartment. Two weeks after she had moved in, I was hanging out with her after she'd finished her Auror training for the day, and we were listening to the radio she'd gotten in downtown London, and while I was flipping stations looking for a good song to listen to, I found one that was primarily country music, and the current artist singing happened to be Tim McGraw. I really liked his song that the Weird Sisters were singing right now. It really described Harry's personality.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

I intertwined my arms around my brother's neck as we danced together. Harry twirled me every so often, and he sometimes even dipped me. He's gotten so much better at this than last time!

"Thanks, baby sis," Harry said suddenly.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" I assumed.

He nodded. "Pretty much."

I gave a shy smile. "Well, it's the truth."

The song soon ended and we left the dance floor, but as we were walking back to our table, the sound of shouting caught my ears.

"What?! What?! That's what you think?!" we heard Hermione exclaim.

"Yeah, that's what I think," Ron replied. Harry and I saw them leaving the Great Hall and decided to follow.

"Well, you know the solution then, don't you?" Hermione snapped, walking after Ron.

"Go on," Ron taunted.

She cornered him. "Next time, there's a ball, pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does! And not as a last resort!" I saw tear stains on her cheeks.

"Well, that's -- that's completely off the point," Ron fumbled.

Hermione turned around and looked at us, particularly Harry. "Where have you been?" She shook her head. "Never mind. Off to bed, both of you!"

Ron leaned close to Harry and muttered, just barely audible, "They're scary when they get older."

"Ron, you've spoiled everything!" Hermione screamed at him, making the two boys bolt back to the common room in fright. She sank to the ground, undoing her shoes and weakly throwing them aside as she started crying.

I sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "Pay no attention to his words, 'Mione. He'll have put this behind him within a few days."

"I-I know, Cassia. But it just...hurts," she said through her tears.

"Wanna know what I think?" I asked. "I think Ron's just jealous."

She sniffled. "Why?"

I grinned. "Because he missed out on taking an amazing girl like you to the ball."

Hermione chuckled, wiping away her tears. "You know what? You're right, Cassia." She hugged me. "Thanks for cheering me up."

I patted her shoulder. "What are friends for?" An idea popped into my brain. "Hey, why don't we go dance together?"

"Okay!" Hermione conceded. She started to put her shoes back on, but I stopped her.

"You're not gonna need those," I said to her.

Hermione had a skeptical look on her face. "You're not seriously suggesting we dance barefoot, are you?"

"It's not like anyone would notice," I pointed out.

We went back into the Hall and left our shoes under our table, before heading back to the dance floor. Some people did look at us funny, but we ignored it and continued dancing, making the most of our last couple of hours at the ball before it ended at the stroke of midnight. It was a night that would be embedded in my memory forever.