❦ 𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐇 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ❦

Ever since Jannah got sorted into Slytherin, her sister—strangely enough—hasn't spoken to her. Not after Jannah practically begged Vesper not to tell their parents, at least.

She talked to Maurice while the champions for the tournament got chosen. They quickly caught up on some things. He shared which classes he likes and dislikes, who his new friends are, and how many points he has already gathered for Ravenclaw.

After that, she returned to the Slytherin table. They were still cheering about Minho being their champion. A damn party was settled for that night.

She remembers the talk about parties. About how they're barely invited because they're too young. But this year's Quadwizard Tournament is all about the fourth years, so there is no way they're not invited now. Plus, she considers herself as one of Minho's friends. Two good reasons to be allowed to attend the party.

It excites her in a weird way. Once again, they only have stupid balls at home—

Her eyes wide. The seasonal ball.

When would that be organized again?

Searching in her mind, slight panic hits her. It's the 31st of October, because champions get chosen on Halloween exactly. That date makes the most sense for a seasonal ball as well.

It's currently six PM. Balls usually start later in the evening, around eight or nine.

She can make it.

Jannah's eyes squint. Why would she, though? Why attend another one of the exact same balls if she also has the choice to join one of the Slytherin parties?

"Psst." A tap on her shoulder.

The girl spins around. "Oh, hi, Newt— congratulations! You've managed to leave the judges fast."

Once the champions are chosen, they go to a chamber close to the Great Hall. There, they'll meet the judges of the tournament and get more explanations.

"Yeah, we made it quick," he says, smile slightly crooked. "Minho obviously wants to throw a whole ass party so we've decided to throw it together."

"How are you two going to manage throwing a whole party while you've barely ever been to one? Where do you want to get all the Ignis and Dragon's Breath?" asks Alby, wearing a rather judgy expression.

Newt pulls a face, as if it was the most ridiculous thing to ask. "I am a Hufflepuff. Trust me, I know more than enough about plants," he replies triumphantly.

"So that's where they get all the drugs," Brenda realizes out loud.

"But we don't need drugs to have fun," Gally says.

Newt looks at him. "We're all very proud of you for admitting you have a happy life, unlike the rest of us."

Gally scowls. Newt smiles sweetly.

"Anyway," the blonde continues, "Teresa will obviously also be there. Thomas won't. He had other things to attend, apparently."

"Speaking of, is Minho already preparing the party? Or where is he?" Harriet wonders.

"Oh, he threw a tantrum because one strand of his hair appeared to be sitting the wrong way, and the 'whole school has seen him walk around like that'." Newt rolls his eyes.

As Newt continues speaking, someone else taps Jannah on her shoulder.

It's Vesper. "We need to go. Come on. Our parents can be here any minute."

Jannah shakes her head. "I'm not going with you."

"What do you mean?" Vesper asks, her face falling.

"Just like I'm saying. I've attended millions of balls already. I'm going to join their party." She motions at her friends. "I doubt I'm even welcomed by our family."

They didn't even send a letter back after Jannah mentioned where she got sorted.

"I've been told to gather in front of the school and bring both of you. Maurice is getting his stuff right now, just like you should be doing. You have a date waiting for you there, for Merlin's sake!"

"I don't care." Jannah turns her back to Vesper as a final hint.

Harriet and Brenda's eyes have squinted at Vesper in the meanwhile. When Vesper presses her hand down on Jannah's shoulder, they become more alarmed.

"We need to go," her sister says through her teeth, "not talk about drugs or whatever it is what you were doing."

At her rather threatening tone, more eyes trail to the two sisters. "No," Jannah repeats.

"Yes."

"No—"

"Guys." Newt straightens his back. "Let's not do this here. Jannah go with..."

"Vesper."

"Right— go with Vesper."

With a wide open mouth, Jannah glares at Newt. She stands up, about to ask if he's alright in his mind, but then she feels his hand against hers.

"Will make the ball more fun," he murmurs, then he smoothly removes his hand from hers.

She slides the tiny plastic bag in her pocket before following Vesper out, waving at her friends.

"I don't even have a dress—"

"Mom got you one."

There's a lot of things to say about her family, but they do have style, so the chosen dress will probably be nice.

❧

Once arrived outside the castle, her parents appear. Her mother is wearing a long, black cape. The cap of it covers half of her face. Her father is dressed neatly as well. Or rather, as always.

"Hello, dear." Their mother cups Maurice's face and places a careful kiss on his forehead. At the same time, their father hugs him. Vesper then embraces them both.

Jannah stands at the edge of the reunion. The green-and-silver Slytherin emblem on her robes is practically burning into her skin.

Eventually, her mother's gaze flickers to her, and the smile falters. No hug. No kiss. Her father's eyes follow, narrowing slightly, as though seeing her in those Slytherin robes is a reminder of something horrible.

"Jannah," her mother says, voice clipped. "You've... grown."

"It's been a month," she replies dryly.

An awkward silence falls. Her parents avert their eyes, Maurice stares at the ground, and Vesper looks around as if nothing is happening.

"Your dress," her mother finally says. "It's in the carriage. We picked something... appropriate."

Jannah nods. There's a party waiting for her in the Slytherin common room—friends who don't look at her like she's a disappointment. But still, her chest tightens at the coldness in her mother's eyes, at how her father doesn't even try to meet hers. After all, these are the ones who have raised her.

As they turn back to Vesper and Maurice, Jannah's fingers curl around the small plastic bag in her pocket. Newt's little gift.

She knows exactly what it's for. It's supposed to calm you down, blur the sharp edges of reality. She could use that right now.

Her hand trembles slightly as she loosens the string on the bag, making sure her movements stay subtle. Her parents are too distracted to notice, and she quickly inhales a bit of the Ignis.

Magic doesn't take its time to work. The warmth immediately rushes through her, filling her chest, spreading through her limbs. Everything feels softer. Lighter.

A faint, lazy smile tugs at her lips. "I'll go get ready," she says, voice steady now as she steps away from them. She doesn't look back.

The carriage is parked near the castle gates, as grand as ever. Inside, the garment bag hangs from a hook, her name stitched neatly onto the tag. Jannah unzips it slowly, revealing the dress her mother picked for her. It's beautiful, of course. The bodice is embroidered with bronze and gold threads, ivy winding down like autumn leaves. The fabric—rich, brown silk—flows in perfect folds.

After making her way to a more private room, she slips out of her Slytherin robes, letting them fall to the floor, and steps into the dress. It fits perfectly, tight at the waist and flowing at her feet. Jannah tightens the corset on her own.

The dress whispers around her ankles as she approaches her family again.

Her mother looks over at her. Nods slightly. "Well, at least you look presentable."

Jannah just nods, lips pressed into a thin line, mind already drifting elsewhere. The castle looks pretty funny under the influence of Ignis.

❧

They all step out of the carriage.

Jannah's eyes sweep over her family's mansion as the October air hits her skin. Their home looks larger, colder, and even more fancier than she remembers. Lanterns float in the air, glowing softly like fireflies, and golden lights spill from the windows.

Her mother is in her element, dressed in her finest robes, her black cape trailing behind her as she glides through the crowd, giving orders to the staff.

Every detail, every flower petal, every twinkling light has been arranged to impress. This isn't just any ball—it's the ball of the year. The ball that will decide people their yearly opinions on the family Lockhart.

Jannah takes a steadying breath and steps forward. The weight of her dress feels heavier than ever, like it's pinning her down, dragging her closer to the ground. She doesn't want to be here.

Eventually, they arrive inside. Her mother leaves to greet all her guests. Her father is on his way to brag about his accomplishments. Vesper is talking to people who are interested in her school life. Maurice helplessly looks around, eyes scanning the table with snacks.

"Jannah," her mother's voice rings through her head out of a sudden. "Come here. There's someone we'd like you to meet."

"Oh!" Once she sees who it is, she nearly slams a hand to her mouth. "Mr. Romanov."

"Good evening, Miss Lockhart. It's always a pleasure to see you outside the classroom."

"Likewise, sir," she responds.

Her mother's hand rests on her shoulder. This whole evening is just one massive performance. A show for the guests, the press, the entire wizarding world.

"Jannah, Mr. Romanov's son, Thomas, will be here shortly," Lady Lockhart says. "You'll have the honor of dancing with him. I'm sure you've met him before."

From everyone out there?

As if summoned by her dread, Thomas appears. His Gryffindor robes are barely visible under his dress attire, but it doesn't matter. His whole presence makes her blood boil.

"Thomas," his father says sharply as the boy approaches. "You're late."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Thomas mutters, his eyes sliding to Jannah with clear disgust. "Great. This is who I'm stuck with."

"Thomas." Mr. Romanov shoots his son a warning look.

"I think I need a bathroom break," Jannah announces.

For like, the rest of the night.

"Be fast. The first dance will start soon," all three parents say.

The girl rushes away. Once she's around a random corner, and no one else is close to her, she inhales another good amount of the Ignis. She'll need it if she wants to survive this stupid dance.

Thomas is still standing there when she returns. "Let's get this over with." He extends his hand toward her like it's the most painful thing in the world. "Shall we?"

Her fingers curl into fists at her sides, but with her parents' expectant eyes burning into her, she has no choice. She grabs his hand tightly—maybe too tightly—and lets him drag her toward the center of the ballroom.

The music starts the moment they do, and the eyes of every guest turn toward them.

Jannah wants to scream. She wants to hex him, shove him, do anything to get away from him. But she can't.

Instead, she grits her teeth and follows his lead, moving stiffly through the motions of the dance. His hand on her waist feels like the one of a troll.

"You're enjoying this a lot, aren't you?"

"Thrilled," she bites back. "Can't wait for it to be over."

He rolls his eyes. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon enough. Then you can go back to whatever dungeon you crawled out of."

"And you can go back to pretending you're some kind of hero just because you wear red."

She steps on his foot—hard. He winces but doesn't stop moving.

They spin across the floor, their movements sharp, tense. Neither of them cares about the music or the elegance they're supposed to be showing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jannah sees her parents watching. They're waiting for her to screw up.

She lifts her chin higher up and sniffs, every last bit of Ignis making its way inside her body.

Jannah's head begins to feel heavy, but light at the same time. She blinks, her lips curving into a crooked smile as they move across the floor,

Thomas is glaring at her in a disgusted way that makes her want to slap him. His hand is still on her waist, but it feels distant—like it's someone else's hand, not his. Not hers. Everything feels... far away.

"I know you're high right now," he says. In her ears, he says it a little too loudly. As if everyone can hear it.

"Okay, genius."

"Anyone could figure it out if they look at your eyes for long enough."

At those words, her eyes meet his. She stares through the warm shade of brown, trying to find something, but other than hatred, there isn't a lot.

She steps on his foot again. This time, not on purpose.

"Watch it." His grip on her tightens. "We don't want to tumble to the ground right now."

"I see nothing unpleasant in seeing you tumble to the floor."

"That's why I said we."

Finally, the music seems to go to a stop. Then it smoothly becomes another tune.

The duo immediately aparts. Jannah stumbles a bit, weight dropping on her. Thomas might've been holding her up through the whole dance.

Time for another bathroom break— she rushes out the back door. Something slams straight into her.

"Woah, darlin'. Watch out there. Can't destroy your savior."

"What?" Groaning, she blinks until Minho's face becomes clear.

He grins. "Hi."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Right, I'm not wealthy enough to be here. But I've come to save you and Thomas both. He's a champion for the tournament, so he can't miss our party. And neither can you."

She presses her hands together. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." 

"Yeah, you're welcome. Looking nice, by the way." Minho looks her up and down. "Anyway, here's the plan. We dance our way to Thomas, then the three of us switch as we dance back out."

"Imagine if we didn't already meet here... then what would the plan be?"

"I'd walk up to an old woman and ask her for a dance, duh. Do you know how charming I am?"

"Kind of do, yes."

"Well, then there's your answer. Let's go now."

Minho is dressed in a simple black suit, so he will fit in just fine.

But the three of them dancing... or Minho's dance skills in the first place? She's not so sure about that.

He takes her waist before they march into the ballroom. They spot Thomas talking to some men.

"Here we go," Minho mutters. The two of them slowly make their way to the boy. "Psst, Thomas!"

He spins around, his jaw dropping in surprise.

"Sorry, gentlemen, but Thomas needs to figure out his... interests," Minho tells the men.

Before they can say anything, Minho takes Thomas by the waist and starts swinging with him. Thomas, caught off guard, quickly embraces Minho.

Jannah follows behind. Halfway there, Minho forces Thomas to dance with Jannah to attract less attention to the two dancing boys.

They even switch up one last time—Minho and Jannah together—and then close the door behind them.

"Easy peasy."