The Mudblood

Chapter 43 : Year 3

"Ooh, yes!" Astoria squealed. "What kind of pose should I do? Cute and giggly, or dark and sexy?"

"I am particularly interested to see your impression of dark and sexy," Fred mused.

"Oh—you asked for it—"

"No, no, Astoria," I insisted, covering her face with my hands. "Thank you Colin, but we do not need any pictures—"

"Are you going to the Ball Lainey? I can take pictures for you, if you want. If only we were a year older, I'd ask you to the Ball myself," Colin babbled cheerily.

"If only..." I mumbled sarcastically.

"Ooh—picture boy, I'll hire you to take photos for Ronnie and I," Astoria offered greedily.

Ron actually spit his food out this time, earning some howling laughter from the twins. "What?" he blurted, turning to face us with food dribbling down his chin.

"Oh—ew, Ronnie. You better learn some better table manners before the Ball," Astoria said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You better like to dance, too, because I love to dance. Oh—and your dress robes better be attractive."

The twins roared again, and even Harry joined in on the laughter now as Ron stared at me with blank terror.

"And blond boy, you better be a good photographer," Astoria said to Colin. "I plan to send these pictures to my Muggle boyfriend in order to make him passionately jealous."

"You have a Muggle boyfriend?" Harry questioned skeptically.

"Yes—Lainey's brother, Evy-poo," Astoria replied proudly. Harry raised his eyebrows at me, and I just shook my head.

"Do you have weird pet names for all of your boyfriends?" Fred questioned mischievously.

"We'd just love to hear you call Ronniekins 'Ronnie-poo'," George chimed in, wiggling his eyebrows.
Astoria studied Ron disapprovingly. "I don't believe Ronnie is worthy of the 'poo' yet."

"Oh, what a shame," Ron grumbled before shoving a mass of food into his mouth.

"C'mon, let's go before you embarrass yourself any more," I said, pulling on Astoria's arm. She gave Ron a flirty wave, but he wasn't even looking in her direction.

"Well, not as hot as Kent Higgins, and certainly not as hot as Evy-poo, but I will say that Ronnie's pretty cute. Good find, Lainey," Astoria commented as we walked back over toward the Slytherin table. "I just can't believe you're going with one of the Hogwarts champions! Obviously it'd be better if it was Cedric, but..."

I grumbled something incoherent as I took a seat next to Ashley. Melody was reading as Astoria sat down next to her, and Anderson and Harper were eating like gross boys on either side of the table.

"Guess who has a date to the Ball!" Astoria sang giddily.

"Someone actually asked you?" Melody blurted, looking up from her book with dark eyes of horror.

"Yes—Ronnie Weasley did! The more I think about him, the dreamier he gets..."

"Dammit..." Melody muttered as she began to dig through her pockets.

"Oh yes!" Ashley exclaimed. "Ten Sickles for me! He he!"

Melody rolled her eyes grudgingly as she shoved ten little coins across the table.