"Uh- Lia" Cordelia heard Neville's voice, making her stop and turn back towards him.
Neville looked a bit red.
"Yes Neville?" But before he could say anything, Draco came around the corner talking loudly.
"Lia what are you doing with this?" He asked giving Neville a disgusted look.
"Ignore him Neville. Can you tell me what it was? I'm late for my Runes class" Dora urged Neville.
"I-uh wanted to-uh" Neville kept giving Draco side glances, who was now joined by Blaise.
"You surely don't want to ask her to the Yule Ball Longbottom, do you?" Blaise intervened in his cold voice.
Dora was surprised when Neville gave a small nod.
"I'm sorry Neville. I'm already going with-"
"Me, you surely didn't think Longbottom that you could have a chance with Lia" Draco said stepping forward.
Dora held Draco back by his robes, "You can ask Granger though" she quickly added.
Neville nodded and quickly scurried away.
"Who'd want to go with that mudblood" Draco scoffed.
"Wait you're actually going with him" Blaise asked perplexed, "So he was not lying when he was boasting about how you two are going together."
This made Draco give Blaise a jab. A hard one.
"Yes, I'm going with him, Blaise" Dora rolled her eyes.
"I'll walk you to runes" Draco added, giving Blaise the side eye. Making him leave.
"So you were boasting huh" she giggled.
"I was only doing you a favour" he drawled.
"A favour how so?"
Huffing and with a sneer he added, "Half the Slytherins wanted to ask you out. So I told them that they can't. Even Blaise was preparing to ask you out today" he rolled his eyes.
"Then I think I should thank Cissa. Maybe I will owl her. I have to yet thank her for the heels she gave it, they're very pretty. Shame I can't wear them everyday." She chuckled.
Ancient Runes was as alright as it could be.
Dora spent most of her time in the library that day, catching up on whatever she thinks she could've missed and studying extra for interest.
Sitting in the common room, Dora went through a textbook she had found in the library.
"Can't sleep?" She heard Harry's voice.
"I see you can't either" she said looking up.
Shrugging Harry sat down next to her, making Dora blush lightly.
After few minutes of silence Harry whispered, "I'm bored."
"And what can I do to help you Potter" she drawled.
"You sound like Snape" he chuckled.
"Eww, not the dungeon bat" she gagged a bit, giving Harry an offensive look.
"We can go out." Harry suggested.
"It's late and Filch. I'm not in mood for another detention, I can hear Remus telling me how unacceptable that is already."
"I-Filch won't catch us. If he can't see us, then he won't be able to catch us" he grinned.
"What are you on?" Dora was a bit confused.
"Wait here, I'll be back"
Harry ran upstairs, Dora closed her book, keeping it in her bag.
Harry came running back, a cloak and a piece of parchment in his hand.
The invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map of course!
Dora was a bit thrilled to actually see the map.
"You cannot tell anyone" he spoke a bit nervous now.
"I won't" Dora quickly replied, eyeing the parchment.
"Right. This is my dad's, this is a map. Of Hogwarts. So you still don't want to come with me?"
"Let's go" Dora giggled.
Slipping on her flats, she stood up straight.
Harry draped the cloak over the two of them, moving out of the common room.
They heard the fat lady groaning behind them, making them give each other mischievous smiles.
"I solemnly swear that I am upto no good" Harry whispered while pointing his wand at the map.
Dora watched in awe as the map started to appear.
Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.
Why couldn't dad leave something so cool behind.... she thought to herself.
Walking around under the invisibility cloak and with the help of the Marauders Map, Dora and Harry stayed clear of Filch and his cat.
Sitting in their usual spot on the seventh floor, the two bonded over small things.
"So you said Remus, does that mean you live with Pro- Lupin now?" Harry questioned out of curiosity.
"Yes, he's my guardian now."
"So how do you know Malfoy's mother? You don't live with her"
"Ah, that reminds me of what you said about my godmother Potter. You should be glad I'm not throwing you down and out the window" she said coolly.
"Godmother? Malfoy's mother is your godmother?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes. My father and Cissa were cousins. They were close, which is why he made her my godmother. I honestly didn't know, until I came to Britain" she explained.
"Oh" Harry frowned, "So Draco is your cousin?"
"Yes" she looked at him, "Tell me about yourself. Your godfather" she said with a sly smile.
"Funny" Harry said flatly, "There's not much to know about me. I lived with the Dursley's, my mum's sister, I didn't know I was a wizard until Hagrid came down to my rescue." Harry chuckled, remembering Dudley's tail.
"You didn't?"
"No, they're not the best pair of muggles you know" he added softly.
"Are you telling me that they do not treat you right Harry?" She asked turning towards him.
Giving him her full attention.
"Uh-sort of. But enough about that, you know I was so happy when I learned that Sirius is innocent and my godfather. I thought it was my shot at having a family" he smiled sadly.
"Oh you will, one day perhaps when his name is cleared..." She trailed off.
"That's what he said, told me we could be a family and I could move in with him when his name is cleared"
"Also," he said, with a bit of hesitation, "He knows."
Dora raised her eyebrows in question.
"About me having a soulmate. Said it was only my dad, mum and himself"
"Oh," her mouth formed an 'o' "So did you tell him who it is?"
"Uh, yes" he chuckled nervously, scratching his head.
"What did he have to say then?"
"To be honest, he was actually shocked to find out he had a niece. Told me to woo- I mean uh, to get yo to know you better" he flushed.
"He was the one who told you to woo me? Potter..... ask me when you want to actually go with me. Not because your dear godfather has asked you to do so" Dora rolled her eyes.
"It's not only that. I do-" he stammered a bit, "I do want to go out with you"
"Let's try being friends first" Dora gave him a small smile.
-
The ball was approaching much sooner than anticipated.
Dora and Harry had been out on their little nightly adventure only twice, but those two times were quite enough for Dora to know how oblivious Potter could be.
Dora was in the common room, ready to move upstairs to the girl's dormitories when she heard the commotion.
"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Said Hermione Granger.
"Because - oh shut up laughing, you two - because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginevara?
"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Weasel sourly.
"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" said Granger loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."
Who would want to go with him... Dora chuckled to herself.
But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.
"Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl...."
"Oh well spotted," she said acidly.
"Well - you can come with one of us!"
"No, I can't," snapped Hermione.
"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has..."
"I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."
"No, you're not!" said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"
"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"
Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again.
"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"
"I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"
And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.
"She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go.
Dora couldn't help herself but laugh a little. Catching Harry's and the red head's attention.
"What are you laughing at!" He snapped.
"Oh nothing. Oh yeah maybe your fancy dress robes" she said emphasising the word 'fancy'.
This made Ron go a bit red.
"Can you imagine some blokes went to ask her out.... I saw them Durmstrang and Beauxbatons." He whispered to Harry, but it was loud enough for Dora to hear.
"Uh, whereas not a single dunderhead asked you" she retorted in a Malfoy like voice.
Walking up the spiral staircase to the dormitory.