It was the beginning of December when Gen finally knew she wasn't going to go to the ball with Fred. Ron and Harry had made up after the First Task, and I could hear Ron going on about how hard it was for him to find a date, Fred said it wasn't that hard and he was being a baby. Ron asked who he was going with, and Fred replied with Angelina's name.
"Angelina? You've asked her?" Asked Ron, sounding in disbelief.
"Oh yeah, I should probably do that," said Fred, "Oi! Angelina!" He shouted across the Common Room, Angelina looked at him. "You want to go to the ball with me?"
Angelina shrugged and said yes.
I watched Gen's face fall into a look of sadness. She went upstairs. I waited a minute and then I followed her. She was very upset when I entered our dorm. "I am so stupid to think that he was actually going to ask me to the ball. Why would he, when she's right there. She didn't even seem happy about it. She just shrugged and said sure. She doesn't deserve him. She's so unappreciative."
I sit next to her, "Maybe the ball will help him figure that out. You never know. He might think that he's going to have a great time with her but they could end up having a terrible time together and he'll realize that he should have taken you instead."
"Yeah, a girl can wish."
"If it makes you feel any better, George still hasn't asked me. And I'm starting to lose hope that he will. He said he needed time to sort out how he feels about me but he's taking forever. We kissed in July, it's December now. If he doesn't know by now I don't think he ever will. I'm starting to think that he's just thinking of a way to tell me that he doesn't like me anymore."
"Sorry but that does make me feel a little bit better," she admits. "At least I'm not the only one in pain over a Weasley twin."
I actually laugh at that. "We can eat ice cream and cry together, sound good?"
She nods, smiling, and then she hugs me, "Thank you, Daisy."
"No problem," I tell her. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, I just need a night to be upset and then I'll get over it."
"Do you want me to stay with you?"
"No," she says shaking her head, "You go finish your homework. I'll be fine."
"Alright, I'll be right in the Common Room if you need me."
I exited the dorm then, heading back to the Common Room. I sat by myself by the fireplace. I caught the end of a conversation that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were having about dates to the Yule Ball. Ron tried to get Ginny to go to the ball with Harry and Hermione should go with Ron, but Ginny said that she was going with Neville and Hermione said she had a date but she wouldn't tell them who she was going with.
"This ball is driving everyone crazy," said a voice that I knew pretty well. I felt a dip in the couch and saw that George was sitting next to me.
"Yeah," I agree, "It really is making people nuts."
"Is there anyone in particular that you'd like to go with?"
"There is one guy I've been hoping would ask me," I admit, "but he hasn't yet."
"Who is it?" He asks, sounding interested.
I give him a confused look, "Really? You don't know who it is?" He is confused now. I laugh. "Oh you simple minded boy. You, silly. It's you who I want to go with."
"Oh," he says as the realization comes over him. "You really want to go with me?"
"Yeah," I admit, "Why wouldn't I? Of course."
"I don't know," he admits, "You don't think that you can do better than me?"
"What?" I ask, closing my book and sitting forward. "You don't think that you're good enough for me."
"I mean," she shrugs, leaning back, "I just haven't been treating you the best lately. I'm not the best communicator. You sure you want to deal with that? You should be holding out for someone better."
"You have been genuine with me since I've known you. You got scared and made a mistake. So what? Feelings can be intimidating. I forgave you. And you're 16, I'm not exactly expecting you to be a master communicator, George. That's crazy. I like you for you. If you can't see that by now I don't think you ever will."
He smiles, it was that, sly smirk I've grown to find very attractive. "Daisy, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"I don't know," I say, totally just teasing him, "I'll have to think about it." We both laugh, and after a moment of good laughter, I say, "Yes, George, I would love to go to the Yule Ball with you."
"Thank you," he says and he gives me a hug.
"Thank you for asking me," I told him as we hugged.
I decided not to tell Gen that night. She was upset enough so I didn't want to add to it. But I did tell her the next day. She was very happy to hear that George finally asked me to the ball. She was glad that one of us gets to go with the guy we wanted to go with. She was asked to the ball by a Ravenclaw boy in our year that day, so she wasn't completely dateless to the ball.
December went by slowly, I think because we were waiting for Christmas so we could go to the ball. When it finally got here, us girls were all very excited. Genevieve curled my hair for me and did my make-up. I left my hair down, letting my dark brunette curls fall where they wanted to.
My dress was light blue, v-neck, made of tulle and with a lace bodice. It was absolutely stunning and I fell in love with it right when I saw it. I had to get it. The skirt flowed when I twirled around in it. That was honestly the cherry on top.
The other girls were meeting their dates at the Ball, but I was meeting George in the Common Room. They all wanted to stay and see the look on his face when he saw me, but I told them that they needed to go before I did. If they were there I'd just be nervous, and I didn't want to be nervous tonight. George was probably going to be nervous enough for the both of us.
When I descended down the staircase to the Common Room, Ginny was behind me. I didn't know it was her until we had reached the Common Room though because I was. She looked absolutely adorable in her pink and green ruffled dress. As a third year student, so she was happy to be asked. She was very excited that Neville asked her to go with him.
"You look so cute!" I exclaimed upon seeing her.
"Thanks," she said, kind of shyly. I've never seen her so shy before. "You look beautiful, Daisy."
I said thank you and then we headed over to George and Neville who were standing by the fireplace. So we headed that way. Neville and Ginny took off as soon as we got there, but George and I hung back a moment. He was holding a plastic box, it was a smaller box but his large hands made it look even smaller.
"Ginny was right," he says, smiling wide. "You look so beautiful, Daisy."
"Thank you, George," I say, smiling at him now, too. "You look very nice, too."
"Thanks," he opens the plastic box. It had a decent sized daisy flower in it. "My dad sent this to me earlier today. Said it's a Muggle thing that they do for school dances. The girl wears it on her wrist. It's a daisy so he thought it was cute. I know it's kind of stupid -"
"I love it," I say, smiling wide now. He smiles too, taking the flower out of the box and placing it onto my wrist. "Tell your dad thank you from me." I tell him after the flower is on my wrist.
"I will," he says, nodding. He then holds his arm out for me to take. "Shall we?"
"We shall," I say, wrapping my arm around his and we head to the Great Hall. We met Fred and Angelina there, and we watched the contestants pile in. Cedric Diggory and his date Cho Chang, Fleur and Ravenclaw boy Roger Davies, Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger walked in together and it certainly surprised all of us. Then last to come in was Harry came in with his date, Parvati Patil. They took their positions and began to Waltz.
After a few minutes of the champions dancing the professors began to dance too. Then us students joined them on the dance floor. George and I got our footing after a few steps. I let him take the lead in the moves. I looked up at him smiling the entire time.
Then it was time for dinner. My brother and Luna sat with us, but Irina sat with her date's friends at a different table. She looked beautiful in her dark pink gown. Fred and Angelina were also with us, of course because Fred and George don't do anything without each other. Neville and Ginny were here too, because they saw two seats open and asked, and we said yes.
Luna was wearing a very lavish, frilly dark purple dress with puffy sleeves and feathers in her long blonde curls. She was honestly adorable, and William looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Which made me happy to see him so happy.
Fred, George, Neville, and my brother left to get us some drinks, and I turned to Luna to talk to her. I wanted to get to know her, since I'm sure my brother is probably going to ask her to be his girlfriend soon. I smiled my best smile at her and said, "Thank you for being so kind to my brother, Luna."
"Oh," says as she perks up, "You're welcome. He is very kind to me, too. So I don't mind. He has a very interesting mind, your brother. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He doesn't hide his emotions like most people do. I like that. I never have to guess how he's feeling."
"Yeah, he wears his heart on his sleeve, that's for sure. He's very happy that you help him with his school work. Most people find him too frustrating to work with like that."
"Oh, it's not a problem. He just needs someone to be patient with him is all. I had my dad send me a Muggle book about Dyslexia so I could learn more about him and help him properly. You're brother is a very kind soul. I wanted to help him. I've been teaching him how to read upside down but I don't think it's working."
"I bet that means a lot to him," I say, smiling, "You sound like you care about him very much."
"I do," she says, nodding, "he told me about how he was bullied at Ilvermorny, and I am very glad he's not there anymore. I know how he feels. The kids here make fun of me, they call me Loony Lovegood, I don't like that name. But William tells them to stop. I appreciate that very much."
I smile, "I'm sure you do. He has told me all about how much he just loves being your friend. He was so happy when you said you'd come with him tonight."
"I was excited when he asked me," Luna admits, a small smile on her lips, her cheeks flushing red.
Oh, I know what this was. She likes William too! Oh thank Merlin. Awe this was so cute. My brother had found a great girl. I just love Luna, honestly. I could tell she was very kind. I can see how people thought she was odd though, but her weirdness didn't bother me one bit.
The boys had all come back then with the drinks. William took his seat in between his date and I and I leaned in and whispered, "I love Luna so much," to him.
He smiles at me and says, "I do, too."
My heart felt so happy to hear that. Seeing my brother and sister so happy was probably one of my favorite things in the world considering they are my best friends.
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Here's part 10!
Luna and William? I've said it before. But I ship it so hard.
I'm thinking of hooking her sister up with Neville too, but I haven't decided on it yet.
-Emily Winchester.