Annabeth Smith in the Goblet of Fire

Chapter Nine: The Yule Ball

Annabeth sat between Fred and George in the Great Hall in study hall, which Snape was overseeing, a little ways down from Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

Ron was turned away from the table looking around. "This is mad. At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates." He told Harry before Snape, who was walking by, came and shoved his head around to look at his books. "Well, us and Neville."

Ron and Harry looked to where Neville sat on George's left and laughed. "Yeah, but even then, he can take himself." Harry joked.

Hermione leaned over to them. Ron was on her left, and Harry was on Ron's left. "It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone."

"Aw." Ron exclaimed quietly, out of frustration. "Now I'm really depressed." Fred passed Ron a note. The note read: Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone. Ron looked up for Snape as he walked by behind them. Harry read the note over Ron's shoulder. Ron passed the note back. "Who you going with then?"

Fred crumpled up the note and threw it at Angelina across the table. Angelina slowly turned around, not impressed with him for throwing it. "Angelina." Fred whispered. As he asked her, he motioned about as well. "Do you wanna go to the ball with me?"

"To the ball?" Angelina eyed George before she answered. George was looking at his brother, so he didn't see, but Annabeth did, and she saw red. With a smile, Angelina answered. "Yeah, alright."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Really, Fred?" Fred ignored her and just looked back at Ron all cocky before he winked.

Ron was shocked but thought he'd try it himself. "Well, Hermione. You're a girl."

"Well spotted." Hermione joked. Harry tried to warn Ron that Snape was coming, but Ron didn't notice.

He started to do the moves as he asked. "Fancy going—" Snape smacked Ron's head with the book Snape had in his hand. It scared Hermione too. Then, he smacked Harry for good measure as well. "It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone, but for a girl it's just sad."

That angered Hermione. "I won't be going alone because believe it or not someone's asked me." She grabbed her notebook and got up, heading for Snape at the front of the room. After handing him her homework, Hermione came back to the table and grabbed her books before snapping at Ron again. "And I said yes."

"Bloody hell. She's lying right?"

"If you say so." Harry said.

Snape walked back down the aisle towards Ron and Harry as Ron spoke again. "Look, we've just got to grit our teeth and do it. Tonight, when we get back to the common room we'll both have partners, agreed?"

Harry nodded. "Agreed." Suddenly, behind them Snape shoved their heads down into their work. Annabeth, Fred, and George snickered.

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24 December 1994

It was the night of the Yule Ball and Annabeth was helping Ginny, Hermione, Kit Orlov, and Lysandra Grey get ready. She'd left Alicia to get ready with Angelina so Alicia could still get ready with a friend and Annabeth wouldn't have to spend the entire night with Angelina.

As Annabeth did Ginny's hair, the girls were discussing Annabeth's gown. They were all excited to see it. "Did you hear?" Ginny asked her friends. "Annabeth's gown is a Muggle Couture gown. Right off the Paris runways."

"How'd that happen?" Lysandra asked.

"It's really no big deal." Annabeth tried. She always hated when people discussed the fact she came from money.