(Y/N)'s pov
"I have an announcement!" Dumbledore's soft voice rang through the Great Hall. I sat up straight, trying my best not to fall asleep. It was the first day of October and the past week of quidditch practice have been tiring, especially with studying for O.W.L.s and homework. Students stopped their murmuring when they heard Dumbledore's voice. "A few weeks ago..." Dumbledore announced, "your very own Miss (Y/n) came up with an idea." Being called out was unexpected and I furrowed my eyebrows. Everyone started to stare at so I did nothing but shrug. I don't remember giving Dumbledore any ideas. Dumbledore cleared his throat to grab everyone's attention again, "She suggested Hogwarts should have a ball." It all came back again and I smiled.
'Are we really going to have a ball?!'
"It took me some time to decide, but I've made my decision. We will have a Halloween masquerade ball called the 'Midnight Ball'." Everyone started to whisper excitedly. "It's at 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Halloween night and it'll be here, in the Great Hall. Remember, it's a ball, your outfit requires to be a ballgown or dress robes. You mustn't forget to wear your masquerade mask. Before you can ask, of course you can bring dates to the ball." Dumbledore smiled while everyone kept nudging each other and smile ear-to-ear. "That's all I have to say, enjoy your dinner." Food finally appeared and everyone began to serve themselves.
"(Y/n), I don't know what this school would do without you." Marlene smiled as she served herself some peas.
"So, Evans...need a date?" James winked at Lily as she stared blankly at him. Lily fixed her hair and sipped some water to get herself in character.
"Yes actually, do you know anyone that's worthy of taking me?" Lily asked, batting her eyes.
"Totally," James smirked, "he's name starts with a 'J' and he's fantastic quidditch player. Forgot to mention, very good looking and charming." I facepalmed myself and Lily rolled her eyes.
"You mean Jasper?" Lily questioned and James's facial expression changed, "Hufflepuff's quidditch team's keeper?" Lily and I looked back at the 6th year, dirty blonde Hufflepuff.
"He's not bad." I shrugged, looking back at James, then at Lily. "You guys would look nice together." I raised my eyebrows.
"I second that." Lily smirked and then started to eat her mashed potatoes. I looked at James and he gave me a 'you're-dead-to-me' sort of look. I gave him a 'you-know-you-love-me' type of expression.
"But where will we get ball gowns and dress robes?" I asked and took a sip of my pumpkin juice.
"There is a formal clothing store in Hogsmeade. Our trip to Hogsmeade is in 2 weeks, we can go look for dresses together!" Mary suggested and nodded my head in agreement.
"I much rather wear suit than a gown." Marlene mentioned.
"That sounds cool. Nothing is stopping you, you should totally wear a suit." I encouraged.
"I seconth thath too!" Lily said with her mouth full of mashed potatoes.
~~~
My eyes popped open. It was finally the day. My first Hogsmeade trip. The past couple weeks have been the same -as if someone has been playing my life on repeat. Classes, quidditch practice, James asking Lily to be his date, Lily rejecting him, homework, studying, visiting Regulus on Sundays, and of course, sleep.
Some students had dates for the Midnight Ball already. Mary is going with 7th year Ravenclaw, Adam Posy. The word travels fast when someone gets a date -the paintings like to gossip. According to them, Galton doesn't have a date yet. Not that it matters, but it's good to know.
I got out of bed and saw that Dorcas was awake too. Lily, Marlene, and Mary were already up and out of bed. They were probably eating in the Great Hall already.
"Wow. You're up early." I teased Dorcas as I slipped on my slippers. Dorcas sticked out her tongue.
"We have Hogsmeade and I want to be prepared." Dorcas responded as she tied her shoes. "What kind of dress do you want? For the ball."
"I really want to follow the idea of midnight, y'know? What about you?"
"Well, I realized that I would much rather wear a suit than a dress."
"I see that. What color are you planning?"
"I don't know yet. I'll see what that formal place has."
"What other places are at Hogsmeade?" I asked curiously.
"Zonko's Joke Shop, The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes Sweetshop, Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. Those are some popular shops, but there are some small businesses throughout Hogsmeade."
"That sounds interesting. I'm assuming the Marauders spend a lot of time in that joke shop."
"They do." Dorcas laughed and stood up from her bed. "Oh! You know where we should go?"
"Where?" I asked out of curiosity.
"The Shrieking Shack! People in the village say that it's haunted. That they hear howls, shrieks, and everything eerie."
"Yes! That sounds exciting!"
"Finally. I've been wanting to go but nobody wanted to go with me. Anyways, I'll be in the Great Hall. See ya."
"See ya." I smiled as Dorcas left our dorm.
~~~
"Good morning, love. Excited for Hogsmeade?" Lily asked me when I entered the Great Hall and walked towards them. Lily was sitting across from Remus and in between Marlene and Mary.
"Of course I am." I responded when I sat next to Remus. "Where's Dorcas? She told me she was going to be in here."
"In the loo." Marlene answered, picking at her french toast.
"Y'know...Dorcas wants to wear a suit, too." I told Marlene.
"Really?" Marlene questioned silently, a hint of pink in her cheeks.
"Really." I confirmed.
"That's cool. I'm glad I'm not the only one."
"What are you planning to do for your first Hogsmeade trip?" Remus asked politely and took a bite out of his toast.
"Well, I'm hoping to go to Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks. After we get our formal wear, of course. Oh, and Dorcas and I are going to go to the Shrieking Shack." I replied, but once the last two words slipped out of my mouth, Remus began to choke on the food that was in his mouth. "Are you alright?" I asked while I patted Remus's back as he coughed.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He answered with a red face. "But- uh...isn't that place...uh- haunted?"
"That's why we're going. It's an adventure." I responded, handing a glass of water to Remus.
"Thank you." Remus nodded and took a sip of the water, "I don't think it's a good idea though."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." I slightly elbowed Remus's shoulder and looked to the platters of food.
"That's not the reason why I'm worried." I heard Remus mutter quietly.
"What?" I questioned, looking back at Remus.
"Nothing." Remus said, drinking some more water and looking away.
~~~
I walked with Dorcas, Mary, and Marlene to Hogsmeade. Lily was walking with Snape and she told us that she's going to spend the Hogsmeade trip with Snape.
"Where are we going first?" Mary asked as she kicked a rock from the floor.
"Belle's Boutique. That's the formal wear place. We find our outfits, and we're done with that. Then, we'll go to Honeydukes, then, Dorcas and I are doing to the Shrieking Shack. We'll meet up at The Three Broomsticks. After that...we'll do what we want." I listed our schedule that I've been planning for weeks now.
"Do you guys really want to go to the Shrieking Shack?" Mary questioned, giving Dorcas and I a worried expression.
"Yes." We confirmed calmly at the same time.
Minutes later, we arrived at Hogsmeade. The cool, snowing air made Hogsmeade even more interesting.
"Hogsmeade is always snowy." I remember Lily telling me before we left for the trip. Thankfully, I casted 'Incendio' to keep warm.
There were sounds of people laughing as they walked, and there were people going in all kinds of shops. It felt strange to be somewhere that wasn't Hogwarts after almost two months, but Hogsmeade felt so happy and welcoming. I stood there and let this wonderful moment sink in. To notice all of the pretty taverns that were lit by laterns and to smell the wonderful scent of pumpkin and caramel.
"Come on! We have to get our outfits before everything is gone!" Mary interrupted my moment and pulled my sleeve, leading me to Belle's Boutique.
The boutique looked three stories tall. It was the color of a dove and there were two window displays on each side of the building, revealing dazzling dress robes and dresses. 'Belle's Boutique' was labeled and written in a big, beautiful cursive font that made the place look even more elegant.
When Mary, Marlene, Dorcas, and I entered, there was ribbons flowing everywhere and fabric rolling around. There was a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling that lit everything up. The inside had the smell of clean fabric and sweet tea.
"Welcome to Belle's Boutique." A middle-aged woman with shy brown eyes and blonde hair welcomed, "Is there anything particular that you lovely young ladies need?"
"Do you have any suits? For girls?" Dorcas asked for her and Marlene.
"Right this way, darling." The woman gestured her hand upstairs but then looked back at Mary and I. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No. Not right now, at least." I responded, smiling at the woman.
"When you do, if you do, just holler." The woman smiled at the two if us and then led Dorcas and Marlene upstairs to the girls' suits. Mary immediately started searching for the perfect dress.
"Look at this one!" Mary exclaimed and ran up to a blood red gown that had off the shoulder sleeves.
"Pretty." I commented. "But you would look better in blue or green." Honestly, Mary looked nice in any color, but blue or green compliments her eyes much better.
"Not for me." Mary laughed, "For you."
"Oh, it's beautiful, but-" I mumbled but I was cut off by Mary.
"If there is a 'but' then this dress is automatically out." Mary then moved onto the next dress.
We stayed searching for a dress for an hour, but I couldn't find one. Mary chose a simple silk dress that was navy blue, perfect for her. "(Y/n) you have to find a dress soon." Mary told me as she was placing her dress in hold so she wouldn't have to carry her dress around the boutique.
"I know, I know." I sighed, looking at all of the dresses I denied.
"You stay here and find a ddress. I'm going to go and find a mask." Mary happily shrugged and walked upstairs to the third story that held all of the accessories.
I stood around for a bit, looking at the dresses again to see if I changed my mind about any. As I looked, I caught a glimpse of the fabric that seemed hidden. The fabric was inside of the storage room. I walked towards the storage room that had the door slightly open. I opened the door, just enough for me to squeeze through, and stepped inside. In front of me sat a dazzling, black, tulle dress, patterned with small sparkles all around the dress. The dress would cover my chest and it had short puff sleeves. I circled around the dress, observing every detail. It was perfect.
"Who's in there?" Someone asked in a demanding voice. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't run, there was no where to run to, and I couldn't lie, that would make things worse.
"I'm sorry." I let out, hoping that I wouldn't get in trouble. The person opened the door and revealed the lovely middle-aged lady from before.
"What are you doing in here?" She asked with a change of tone in her voice.
"I'm sorry! I really am. I just saw the dress and I was curious about it. I was just looking, sorry." I bowed my head down and tried to walk away.
"Wait." The woman said, and brought me back inside the room. When I turned to face her, the lady had a proud smile on her face. "I knew you wanted something in particular."
"You did?"
"I did. I asked someone to save this for you." She calmly said. "Do you like it?"
"I absolutely adore it." I place my gaze back on the dress.
"Then it's perfect for you. Just ask for Belle at the register when you're going to leave. I'll grab it for you." Belle went to leave the room.
"Wait!" I exclaimed before she exited, "What if it doesn't fit?"
"It will. Like a glove. Trust me." Belle gave me a small nod and left the storage room. I examined the dress a little more before I slipped out of the room and walked upstairs to the accessories.
Once I reached the top, Marlene and Dorcas were leaving with a mask in each of their hands. Marlene had a silky white mask and Dorcas had the same, but in black.
"Did you two find what you wanted?" I asked politely.
"Yup. Did you?" Dorcas questioned, "Mary told us you were having a little trouble finding a dress."
"I found one. Where are you guys going? Leaving already?"
"Already? We've been here for over an hour." Dorcas laughed, but I turned to Marlene to answer my questions.
"We're done shopping here. We're planning to...uh- go to Honeydukes together." Marlene stumbled on her words.
"Honeydukes? I thought we were going together?"
"We'll go together later. You still have to find your mask, don't you?"
"Yeah." I mumbled.
"Well then, we'll see you later." Dorcas looped her arm through Marlene's and they began to walk downstairs.
"See you later." I said, after they were gone. I began to look at the masks that were displayed. There were hand-held ones, but I knew my arms would get tired. There were large ones and small ones, simple ones and exquisite ones. But nothing really clicked. As I was looking, Mary came up from behind me. She showed me her mask that was a shiny blue -that matched her dress- and it had other colors when it shined in the light. The mask also had purple feathers sticking from both sides. "It's like an Occamy." I smiled. Mary's mask was absolutely gorgeous.
"Did you find a dress?" Mary hopefully asked. I smiled and nodded my head in response. "Good. I have to purchase now, I'm meeting up with Adam." Mary smiled and started to walk to the stairs.
"But...I thought-"
"Don't worry, (y/n). We'll still do things together, I won't be with Adam forever. Besides, we're just going to Madam Puddifoot's. You can walk with me there." Mary assured.
"I guess so." I shrugged with a tiny smile. Mary and I walked to the registry and Mary purchased her things. I asked the register person for Belle and she came with my dress in a garment bag.
"Here you go, darling." Belle smiled as she handed me my dress.
"Thank you." I smiled back, waving at her as Mary and I left the boutique with two garment bags.
"Put them in here." Mary opened her large purse, "I casted the extension charm so we wouldn't have to carry everything."
"Smart." I complimented and placed my dress bag delicately inside of her purse.
"Marlene has a purse of her own. She has the suits in there." Mary mentioned as I held the purse so Mary could put her own dress -and mask- inside. "Did you not get a mask?" Mary asked, clearly she didn't notice before.
"I couldn't find one."
"You'll find one, but we better get going. I don't want Adam to wait." Mary said and we began to walk. The walk wasn't long, we just had to pass by other shops before we reach Madam Puddifoot's. When we arrived, Adam was already there, holding a red rose for Mary. She scurried up to him with a beaming smile and took the rose.
"M'lady." Adam said in a posh voice and brought out his had for Mary to take. Mary giggled sweetly and graciously grabbed his hand. The seventh year gave Mary a small kiss on the cheek and she blushed, giving him a small kiss on the cheek back. Mary then looked at me and smiled as a goodbye. Adam and Mary entered the tea shop, leaving me behind.
'Well that was a nice view.' I thought to myself, unamused. I looked through the window of the teashop and saw roses and ribbons of all colors. There was sweets and tea pots floating everywhere. There were couples kissing -(but it was more like making out)- and holding hands. I noticed Mary and Adam were one of those couples. I didn't mind, Mary could do whatever she wants. But...I was looking forward to a day with my friends. Just as I thought this day couldn't get any worse, it did.
"(Y/n)?" A familiar voice asked. I turned around, looking away from the window to see Galton.
"Galton! Long time no speak." I smiled.
"Yeah...uh sorry about that." Galton said and scratched the back of his head.
"It's fine. No one is forcing you to talk to me." I laughed and Galton only lightly chuckled.
"What are you doing here?" Galton asked, looking in his reflection through the window as he tidied his hair.
"Mary had a date." I answered, "She asked me to walk with her and I did."
"Yeah, but, were you stalking them?" Galton pointed to the window that I looked through, which was the same window he used as a mirror.
"Oh no! I was just...curious. That's all." I smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh! Well...I've got a date." The Hufflepuff blushed. The last word made my mouth drop.
"Date?" I questioned unintentionally.
"Yeah. I'm running a little late, I'm sorry but I have to go. She's already waiting for me inside." Galton gestured to the door.
"Of course. Go ahead." I nodded. Galton went inside of the tea shop and sat with a beautiful girl named Patricia. I didn't want to watch whatever that was, so I kicked a rock on the floor and started to wander around, alone. I kept walking around and tried remembering the places Dorcas had listed. I stopped by Honeydukes but I noticed Dorcas and Marlene wasn't in there. I checked inside The Three Broomsticks just to see that they were having their butterbeer together. I moved along and began to look at the smaller shops. There was a bookstore, and a crystal shop that seemed interesting, but I kept walking. I only stopped when I came across an antique shop. Inside looked warm and my spell was slowly wearing off. I couldn't wander around forever, so I walked to the porch of the antique shop and opened the door.
A/N: I actually planned to make this longer, but I just decided to continue it in the next chapter ;). Sorry for the wait, but I got a plan for the next couple of chapters. I changed the cover again, but I think it's really pretty :)).
ALSO, I wrote in my notes, all of the things that I'm planning to happen and let's just say...I got butterflies while writing it (and that I'm excited to write your 6th year). It may not happen soon, but it will. So stick with me and this (sort of) slow burn fanfic.
Thank you so much for being patient! I love you and stay safe! <3