The Half-Blood Princess

The Yule Ball

The Gryffindor dorm was crowded and stank of perfumes, all bought in Hogsmeade. Dresses and accessories were strewn everywhere, and Harley saw the male students staring at them incredulously. Indeed, she felt silly getting all dolled up like this.

"That's some dress," Alicia said smoothly. "Who's funeral is it?"

Harley glared at her and responded. "I haven't decided yet, but keep it up: you're currently in first place." She was in front of a mirror she'd conjured up, trying to do something with her hair. Alicia and Katie's old jab had been correct: she did not need Sleekeazy to make her hair straight. It would do absolutely nothing, not even spells worked on it's slightly too-greasy texture. She looked over at Hermione, who had managed to tame her wild hair and look like a princess.

"Hell with this." Harley found a thin black band and tied her shoulder-length black hair into a smooth ponytail at the base of her neck. Not great, but with her silver and black makeup it hopefully looked like this was her intended style all along.

She was not a vain person, but being a teenage girl is difficult, especially rooming with three girls who looked flawless even after Quidditch practice. Harley was frequently reminded that she was not pretty, or stylish, or cool in any way, and for one night she wanted to feel good about her appearance.

"Harley," Hermione asked, "you don't happen to have any potions you could give me to calm me down, do you? I hadn't been nervous at all, but this is the biggest Quidditch player ever we're talking about and I-"

Harley waved her hand and Hermione stopped talking. She couldn't believe the Silencing Charm worked for her nonverbally. They had just started learning nonverbal spells in DADA, and so far the only people she had seen do wandless magic had been Dumbledore and Snape. "Hermione, he might be able to chase a little gold ball around an arena, but you are one of the best witches of this age. He did not figure out Lupin was a werewolf on his own, he did not figure out how to open the Chamber of Secrets, and he sure as Hell would have had no idea how to get past The Devil's Snare that you told me about in your first year. Krum should be nervous about going with you, not the other way around."

Hermione grabbed her around the waist and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"

Harley was about to finish getting ready when she saw that her bracelet was no longer on her wrist. She was not a forgetful person, so had it fallen off?

"Angelina, have you seen my silver bracelet?" She was looking under her bed, knowing it would not be there.

"That charm bracelet? Sorry, no," the Quidditch Chaser said, looking as flawless as she always did, ready for her date with George.

Harley felt her heart sink. That bracelet was her most treasured possession after her mother's journals.

"You dumbarse, you're a witch," that voice in her mind told her. She raised her wand and said, "Accio bracelet!"

From the bed across the room, her bracelet shot out from under a pillow. Alicia's pillow. Harley put it on and stepped up to face the curly-headed Mudblood, fury singing in her veins.

"Unless you want someone to think I was sleeping with you, I suggest the next time you try and steal my property, you hide it somewhere that can't be traced back to you. You know, you are lucky I have too much self-respect and fear of Azkaban, or you'd be writhing in pain, begging me for forgiveness right now." She could picture it, and the thought made her heart race with anticipation, but she refused to use the curse. Instead she lazily pointed her wand at Alicia and said, "Levicorpus." Alicia shrieked and dangled in the air, her robes askew and her hair falling around her.