the only exception | ron weasley

xi. dance practice

"Nose down, Harry," Ron chuckled, walking over to his sister. "Ginny, these must be for you."

The girl looked up and scrunched her face, "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly."

Hermione cupped her hand over her mouth as she laughed along with Harry and the Weasley twins. Lorraine was withholding her laughter to try and prevent herself from embarrassing the boy, but as soon as he turned to face them again, she burst into laughter at his confusion and clear denial.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked the group, walking back over to them. It seemed that he had gotten the attention of the entire dining hall as they were all staring at him with wide smiles.

"They're not for Ginny," Hermione giggled. "Dress robes."

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

"The Yule Ball, Ron," Lorraine answered with a wide grin. "To celebrate the Triwzard Tournament. We're supposed to have practice today, do you not remember?"

"B-But..."

"If it's any reassurance, I think you look dashing," she reassured him, trying to keep a straight face only to burst into laughter once more.

"Oh, sod off, Lorraine."

***

"Hello, my fellow Hufflepuffs!" Madam Sprout chirped as she walked into the classroom for the Hufflepuff house meeting. It had already been shared that the meeting was purely for dance practice in preparation for the Yule Ball. "I hope you've got your dancing shoes on because we'll be practising for the Yule Ball, which is as old as the Triwizard Tournament itself. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night filled with excitement and fun! I do hope, as representatives of the host school, that you all set lovely examples. Of course, as you all may have figured, this Yule Ball is indeed a dance where you all can show your lovely dancing skills! I do imagine that this will be quite a breeze for all of you dedicated students here as Hufflepuff is, of course, a house of well-mannered and dedicated students. Although, if you cannot seem to master such a skill, never fear--there is never a correct way to dance. I want this ball to be for all of you to let loose and have some fun! So, up you come--find a partner and dance!"

Lorraine was the first to stand, followed by all the girls and some of the boys, which included Cedric. The boy approached her with an amused grin before he held out his hand and bowed before her.

"May I have this dance, my fair lady?" he joked. Lorraine took his hand with a matching grin and let him whisk her away onto the dance floor.

"I would've said yes regardless of how you asked," she laughed. "There's no way I'd dance with any of the other boys, considering I don't know them."

"Jacob's alright."

"Don't you mention that buffoon to me again, Diggory."

Cedric laughed and nodded rapidly, "You got it, Lorrie."

"Got any ladies in mind?" Lorraine asked after a brief pause. She was curious to see what girl had caught his attention. She assumed maybe it would be Beatrice, considering that they had been friends since he had started his first year.

"I...Not really," he replied, chuckling nervously. "I was either going to ask you--platonically--or Cho."

"Me? I'm flattered. Tell me about Cho though, she's clearly the better option." She could see the blush on his face as clear as day--it was clear that he liked her a lot.