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As November passed into the early weeks of December, the walls of Hogwarts were buzzing with news of the Yule Ball. Who was going with who, Who got rejected, and who was eagerly awaiting a very important question. Zinnia couldn't stand all the chitter chatter about love notes and dates. It's not as if she resented the girls in her dorm for this, but she hated being reminded of her own miserable love life when everyone else was happy. In addition to that, she had no clue who she could go to the ball with without making it weird. She thought about going by herself but decided it would be much more fun to have someone to dance with.

Her classes passed in a haze with idle concentration. Not that people were paying that much attention to classes, rather whispering in groups as their friends stared at someone across the room. Multiple times she found herself repairing the burnt potions in the cauldron during Snape's classes, as her partner stared at a girl from across the room and blatantly ignored the dangerous concoctions brewing.

Although the air was filled with the sickly sweet scent of love, Zinnia found compromise with the universe as it began to snow. The winter was her favourite time of year not only because it meant Christmas, but it meant she could rugg up near the fireplace with warm hot chocolate or have snowball fights on the grounds with her siblings. Of which she found herself doing.

Just after she had mailed a birthday present to her father, along with a letter from the three eldest Beaumont children at Hogwarts saying they won't return that Christmas due to the Yule Ball. Aster was beside himself in a tantrum about this since he wasn't able to go to the ball and will return home. He even went around to Zinnia's friends and tried convincing them to take him; he was that desperate, only to be met by the dismissive giggles of the girls.

Zinnia found her siblings on the way back from the icy owlery and they proceeded to a vast open patch of grass where Aster began the fight by throwing a snowball at Primrose's head. She returned it with a scream and chased him playfully. Not even a second later they all burst into a fight where Zinnia had tackled Violet into the snow and Prim had caught up with Aster, of whom she dropped wet snow down his jacket. They all laughed and ran until their ribs gave out and their noses turned a worrisome red.

Once the group of siblings had split their separate ways after Violet demanded them to warm up, Zinnia perched herself on the red couch of the Gryffindor common room with a heavily worn out version of 'Pride and Prejudice' in her hand. She basked in the warmth of the fire as she felt her fingertips slowly regain their feeling.

Suddenly she felt the weight of the couch shift beside her, she turned around to see the smiling blushed face of Hermione next to her, staring into the fire.

"What's got you all red?" Zinnia chuckled into her book, nonchalantly turning the page and marking her place.

"I've just been asked to the ball" Hermione said through a grinning smile, trying to push down the giggles she felt rising through her stomach. Zinnia's head shot up and her face grew the most devious smile.

"By who?!" she said rather loudly, catching the scowl of some of the studying students. Hermione promptly shushed her and leant in eagerly.

"Okay you can't tell anyone, right?" Hermione asked, looking around for eavesdroppers, learning her mistake from last time. Zinnia nodded excitedly.

"Viktor Krum" she whispered in a half squeal. Zinnia's mouth fell open as she lightly hit Hermione's lap in excitement. The two girls laughed with each other in a rush of adrenaline, much to the confusion of those around them.

"Wait so why don't you want to tell anyone, I mean, that's a pretty good catch!" Zinnia asked quietly

"Well I've sort of mulled it over, I mean we're both pretty private people and I don't want Skeeter to hear a word of it. Plus the boys would just take the mickey out of me. Not to mention how Ron would react" Hermione mumbled in one breath.

"Yeah I don't think he'll take too kindly to you dating his idol, I hate to burst your bubble but he's bound to find out" she told Hermione in concern. The girls both looked at each other and simply sighed, wondering why it all had to be so bloody complicated.

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The following week, the students of Gryffindor had gathered in the great hall for study. Unfortunately for them, this study was overseen by Professor Snape who wandered the isles ominously in search of a student to tell off.

Zinnia was concentrating hard on a Charms essay that she had re-written once already but kept knocking ink all over. Luckily by now she had it practically memorised and breezed through her writing with the speedy scratches of her quill.

"This is mad. At this rate we'll be the only ones in our year without dates." Ron spoke from across the table, staring at the room around them for any girl that was desperate enough to go with him at the last minute. To which Snape caught him and shoved his messy head back to his paper. Ron groaned as he flipped his hair out of his face and leant over to Harry.

"Well, us and Neville" she chuffed slyly. Zinnia rolled her eyes at this and laughed to herself, knowing full well that Neville was already taking Ginny. Zinnia had thought if they took the time to actually have a conversation with him then they wouldn't be so ignorant.

"Yeah, but then again he can take himself," Harry laughed with Ron. Zinnia gawked at them with a disgusted scowl, no wonder they couldn't get dates she thought to herself.

"It might interest you to know that Nevilles already has someone" Hermione told the boys from beside them, to which Zinnia grinned at and the boy's faces fell with a sigh.

"Well now I'm really depressed," Ron huffed as he dropped his head. And played with his quill absentmindedly.

"Don't get all pissy with Neville cause you can't muster up the courage to ask someone" Zinnia laughed at Ron, reminding him that this was a hole that he dug himself.

"Yeah, and I suppose you've got a date huh?" Ron remarked back at the girl with a playful smirk.

"That's none of your business" she immediately retreated back in the seat and returned her head to her paper, realising she was being rather hypocritical

"That would be a no" Ron returned back to Harry, only to be kicked in the shins by Zinnia under the table. As the two pouted at each other like 10 year olds, they were interrupted by a piece of paper floating towards Ron from the direction of Fred Wealey. Ron looked around for Snape who could be learning behind him and hushly opened the note.

"Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone" Ron muttered under his breath as he read the note, Harry leering over his shoulder. Zinnia found herself quite offended at that, mentally sneering at Fred for his objectifitory language towards women.

"Who are you going with then?" Ron whispered faintly to Fred, leaning over the table so that Snape could not hear. Fred merely cocked his eyebrows at his brother in a gesture to say 'watch this' and threw up a crumpled ball of paper at Angelina Johnson from across the table.

"Oi Angelina" he whispered to the annoyed faced girl as he had so rudely interrupted her conversation

She mouthed and irritated "what" with a wry face. Fred merely pointed to her and mouthed "you wanna go to the ball with me?" as he gestured with his body to make his message crystal clear. Everyone around him started to smile, completely not expecting Angelina's demeanor to open and for her to accept his invitation. Zinnia scoffed in surprise as Fred turned back to the group and winked in their direction.

Ron and Harry had the most baffled looks on their faces and they could not believe it could simply be that easy. Ron slowly turned to the concentrated girl next to him with a look of uncertainty on his face. Zinnia thought this couldn't be leading anywhere great.

"Oi Hermione, you're a girl." he stated rather idiotically, not being as smooth as he wanted to.

"Very well spotted" she sarcastically remarked at Ron, deciphering where he was going with this conversation. Although Harry and Zinnia had both spotted Snape coming their way, Harry warned Ron with a tugg of his shirt but Zinnia merely let it play out, curious as to what would happen.

"Come with one of us?" he got out before being smacked on the head by Snape's book. Zinnia escaped this as she was sitting on the other side of the table, however received a cold glare from Snape when she chuckled at what he had done, to which she ducked her head back down in her essay.

"Come on. It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl it's just sad." Ron miserably tried to convince the girl. Zinnia let in a breath of air through her teeth at this, mentally scorning Ron for his very poor choice of words.

"I won't be going alone because believe it or not someone's asked me." she growled at Ron before taking her paper up to snape to grade and stomping back to collect her books. "And I said yes." Hermione stormed off out of the hall and presumably to the library.

"Well that went well for you didnt it" Zinnia stared at the boy with raised eyebrows as if to say 'told you so'.

"Hey Zinnia-" Ron started, about to pull the same trick on her

"Don't even start," she uttered without care, looking down at her paper . Ron let out a baffled grumble at the girl.

"Like it's so easy, let's see you ask someone to the ball" Ron quietly spat back at her in defence.

"I could do it, easy" Zinnia scrunched her face at Ron, ignoring the stares she was getting from Harry. They had been ignoring each other for quite a while, neither one fully understanding the truth about each other's feelings. Harry truly wanted to ask Zinnia to the ball but figured she wouldn't want to go even as friends considering their cold relationship. Neither did Zinnia ask him as she knew he would rather go with someone he actually liked, someone like Cho.

"Alright then, I bet you return to the common room tonight without a date" he smiled smugly, knowing that ever since they were kids, Zinnia was never able to turn down a challenge or a bet.

"Fine then, we can work out the finer details when you lose" she teased as she shot up from her place at the table and exited the hall, leaving the two boys shocked at the table.

Zinnia scoured the halls looking for and thinking of anyone she could ask, feeling rather ashamed of herself in that moment as she felt almost creepy just staring at all those students. She was so stuck in a gaze she didn't even notice bumping into the figure of Cedric on her way down the hall to which she let out a very shocked gasp.

"Oh I'm sorry, I should probably watch where i'm going" She remarked shyly, embarrassed at herself for being so careless and wrapped up in something as silly as Ron's bet.

"Don't stress, lover boy doesn't mind" he joked about himself in the third person, recalling the daily prophet article in which their speculated love triangle was plastered all over the front page.

"Ugh, you saw that" She grimaced, embarrassed by the false tales by the horrible woman who kept on invading her personal life.

"I think the entirety of England saw it, no worries though" he laughed at her. "Well, I'll see you around, Zinnia" he said as he headed in the opposite direction. Zinnia thought to herself for a moment and decided to act on a whim and be spontaneous for once.

"Hey Cedric" caught his attention and he turned back around to her "Do you...do you want to go to the ball with me... as friends I mean" she spat almost incoherently. With her eyes just about fully shut, not wanting to witness the disaster she might have just caused.

"I would but.. I have a date. Sorry" he uttered awkwardly but comforting the girl.

"No worries at all" she scorned herself, she felt rather embarrassed and wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "No hard feelings" she waved as she left in the direction of the common room, finding herself retreating to an archway in the halls of the castle. She buried her head into her hands feeling a strong headache coming on at all the stress her love life was under.

"Looks like you've had quite the day" the comforting voice of Kian approached her and allowed her to lift her head. She chuckled as she made room for him on the windowsill she was sitting on. He sat down next to her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Something to do with Harry?" he asked, knowing about her disarray of fluctuating emotions at the moment.

"Basically yes, and this ball thing doesn't make it any easier between us." She complained feeling rather sorry for herself and just about ready to deem this her worst year of Hogwarts yet.

"Yeah I haven't had much luck on that front either" Kian dismally commented, sharing the pity with his friend

"Meaning?" Zinnia questioned, lifting her head to look at the fallen face of Kian

"I wanted to ask this girl but... she barely knows who I am and I'm pretty sure she's already got a date" Kian sighed, careful not to tell her who he was pining over.

"Who?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Don't worry, she's in my house but she's a couple years older, doesn't matter anymore. Guess I'll go stag" he stumbled on his words, tightly closing his mouth in a dispassionate smile. Zinnia then was hit with the best idea he had ever had. She scorned herself for not thinking of it before and excitedly stiffened her posture towards Kian.

"Well I say, we go together. As friends mind you. Wouldn't it be fun?" he asked him with a bright smile, ecstatic at the prospect of spending the evening with one of her closest friends. Kian returned her excitement with a kind and genuine smile.

"You know that's actually a good idea. I'll take that deal" he smiled cheekily at her as they shook hands on the desolate archway, watching the sun go down.

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Later in the evening, Zinnia had received a special tap at her window from a rather recognisable owl. It was her family's owl. She sprinted off of her bed where she had parchment sprawled across the sheets and opened the window. She took the parcel from the bird and sent it off to the owlery.

The parcel had the familiar wrapping job of her mother, of course it was in a natural paper wrap with the beautiful embellishment of a golden ribbon. Zinnia giggled to herself at the efforts her mother put in and made a mental note to thank her.

She opened the package to reveal a beautiful full length white dress with small silver and blue embellishments all throughout it. It was the most elegant dress she had ever seen with thin silver straps and a square neckline. The beaded embellishments looked to be blossom shaped all down the length of the sheer white tulle covering the dress. Zinnia gasped at the gown her mother had beautifully picked out for her, she thought she would leave the decision to her as hogsmeade didn't have the best dress options. She lay the dress down on her bed and picked up the note that lay at the bottom of the box.

Dear Zinnia,
I hope you're having an exciting year at school. I've heard a bit about what's happening and I can only urge you to stay safe. Give my love to Harry and wish him the best of luck from me. I've sent your sister some dresses too that each individually speaks to them. I hope you like this one as I think it will look the most beautiful on you. It's a shame you couldn't come back for christmas but I hope you have fun. Dad, Basil, Poppy, Daisy and Aster give their love from home. Merry Christmas Z.

Love From,
Mum xoxo

Zinnia smiled at the note and gently placed the delicate fabric back in the box and into her trunk. Ecstatic now that she had a beautiful dress for the Yule ball she leapt down the stairs to the common room to share the news. When she entered the warm atmosphere she spotted Harry dolefully wasting away on the couch, staring at the fire with his precious egg in his hands.

"Watch ya got there gollum?" she asked as she walked around the couch to face him, pulling a face at his strange nature

"Hm?" is all he could reply with as his eyes glued to the dancing fire. He let out a mournful sigh as his eyes drooped. Zinnia gave him a concerned look and sat down on the table across from the couch.

"Hey , what's up?' she asked gently, moving her head so she was in his eyeline. He sighed slightly and let out an almost incomprehensible 'nothing' and turned his head to look at the ceiling. Honestly he did want to talk about what happened but felt too sorry for himself at that moment to reconcile with Zinnia. She let out a restraint huff through her nose and stood up only to see Ron being carried through the portrait hole.

"It's okay Ron. It's alright. It doesn't matter" Ginny comforted the sickly pale boy who looked like he had just seen a ghost, and not the good kind. They led him into the room as Zinnia and Harry followed the chaos.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked as he approached the white faced boy.

'Merlin! you look like hell" Zinnia added as she too proceeded towards the gathering group around Ron.

"He just asked Fleur Delacour out," Ginny explained as she eased Ron into a chair at the back of the room. The group of girls around him comforted the worried boy.

"What?" Hermione and Zinnia uttered at the same time, although Zinnia spoke with more of an offensive tone, worried the bet might be off if they both had dates.

"What did she say?" Harry asked hopefully as the three hovered over to kneel in front of the sickly Ron.

"No, of course," Hermione reprimanded realistically. Although she was met with the shaking head of Ron who looked like he was about to throw up.

"She said yes?!" Hermione gasped with her hands over her mouth.

"No fucking way" Zinnia uttered loudly with her mouth agape and earning a hit on the leg from Hermione.

"There she was walking by. You know I like it when they walk." Ron explained in a daze, turning towards Harry who gave him a fair nod and Zinnia who gave him a disgusted look. " I couldn't help it, it just sort of slipped out." he whimpered.

"Actually, he sort of screamed at her. It was a bit frightening" Ginny reasoned from beside Ron.

"And what did you do then" Harry asked optimistically

"What else? I ran for it, i'm not cut out for this harry, I don't know what got into me" Ron quivered as his voice broke. Zinnia laughed slightly and headed over to the couch, knowing she won the bet. It made it even better that it was Ron's idea. Harry looked at her as she walked away and decided to bite the bullet, what other option did he have?

"Hey Z, can I ask you something?" he gently spoke as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Shoot" she sighed as she turned her head quizzically, not understanding why Harry chose just now to finally start speaking to her again.

"Well since you don't have a date, I was wondering if you want to go to the ball with me?" he shakley spat out in a rush, so nervous he could feel his bones shaking. Zinnia stood there with a blank expression for what felt like hours to Harry.

"Are you serious?" Zinnia asked, raising her eyebrows, baffled at the boy.

"Yes" harry grinned, unable to pick up on Zinnia's emotions at that point as he was too focused on his own

"Not 'are you serious' i'm happy, 'are you serious' i'm mad at you" she sharply spoke at him, her eyebrows furrowing and mouth staying slightly agape.

"What?, what do you mean?" Harry stood quite confused, thinking he had made her quite happy.

"I mean I'm not going to be your charity work because you think I don't have a date. I don't want to be your last minute option, because trust me if you actually wanted to go with me you had plenty of chances to ask. I don't need a pity date Harry, and it might interest you to know I already have a date.'' She spat through her gritted teeth so that only Harry could hear the words she was spewing.

She gave him a last sight then abruptly stood up and stomped up the stairs, only to come back down for a moment.

'I won, ' she half yelled at Ron, then retreated back to her dorm in an angry flare.

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(A.N - heyo im releasing this chapter early too cause it sort of goes hand in hand with the last one as it's right before the ball. also drama af and a big thank you for 400 reads 💕. also i might be posting later next week because it's the end of term for me and i have a bunch of tests 🙃)

this is what i imagine the dress to be like: