December 24th 1974
"Help where's my eyeliner" Mary shrieked. Ella looked over at her friend and sighed
"It's in your hand you wanker" she laughed. Mary looked down at her hand and then at Ella
"Oh....thanks"
The three other girls laughed and continued getting ready.
El was sitting on the floor in front of her mirror making her final touches to her makeup before getting dressed.
Her hair was in a low bun with a few strands of loose hair framing her face.
"Oh fuck we're late" Lily said getting her heels on
"I'm not" Marlene said
"My date isn't done yet either"
Ella looked over at her and laughed
"Well we told the boys we'd meet them outside of the great hall in....less than a minute" Mary said
"Alright hang on" Ella said getting up. She got into her dress and put on her nude heels.
"I am now officially ready" she said after putting on a gold drop necklace
"Finally" Lily sighed hurrying downstairs. The others girls followed and they all excitedly walked towards the great hall.
Everyone around them was dressed in their best, the energy buzzing throughout the castle.
Lily and Mary immediately spotted James and Sirius and hurried down the stairs.
Ella and Marlene walked over to Remus, Peter and Dorcas meadows.
"Hey Dorcas" Marlene said with a smile
"You look great"
"Thanks, so do you" Peter stepped closer to her a big smile on his face.
"You both look lovely ladies" Remus said
"Awe Moony" El gushed
"Casanova is more like it" Marlene laughed
He flashed a smile and put his arm around El
"Ready to go in?" He asked and everyone nodded.
They all headed into the great hall that was covered in floor to ceiling ice and snow, kissing the top of her head earning a giggle.
"Over here" James shouted waving his friends over.
They all joined the four at their table and El sat as far away from Sirius as possible.
He noticed and frowned. He didn't even want her here at all.
He looked around the room and saw his brother...dateless as well. What a coincidence.
The music was blasting and James had passed his flask around more times than Ella could count.
She was currently on the dance floor with Marlene jumping to the music.
James and Lily were in deep conversation at the table and Sirius and Mary had wandered off down the hall.
Peter and Dorcas had danced a few songs but ended up around the punch bowl.
The music changed and slowed down so Marlene and Ella headed back to the table.
"I need a drink" Marlene said
"You want one?"
"I'm fine" El smiled at her friend as she went in the other direction
"I'll be back"
"Ella" Fabian said coming up behind her, gently touching her arm. She turned around and smiled up at him.
His usually unruly hair was combed down and he was wearing the most handsome black dress robes.
"Hey Fabian" she said looking at him
"You..look really..." he breathed out his hand rubbing the back of his neck
"Uhm really nice"
"Thanks Fabian" she smiled
"You clean up pretty well too"
He chuckled, his eyes unable to look away from her.
"So....."she said awkwardly after a few moments of silence
"Oh sorry" Fabian said blushing slightly
"I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to dance?"
"With me" he added making her giggle.
"I'd love to" she said.
He smiled with relief and took her hand in his leading her out to the dance floor.
He kept her hand clasped in his and pulled her closer wrapping his arm around her waist.
Ella put her hand gently on his shoulder and glanced up at him, he was already looking down at her.
"I have to admit I'm not much of a dancer" she laughed nervously
"Don't worry" he said softly
"I've got you"
Fabian began leading. They moved in time with the music as he guided Ella across the floor.
"You look beautiful" he said quietly. She blushed and her stomach flip flopped.
"I wish I would have asked you to come as my date" he told her
"I was going to in the library the other week but I kind of...chickened out"
This surprised Ella, they hadn't had a proper chat in ages, but nonetheless made her happy.
She laughed and shook her head her hair falling in front of her face.
"It all worked out"
"I suppose you're right" Fabian reached down and tucked her hair behind her ear his fingers brushing against her cheek.
They danced for a few more songs before they walked back to Ella's friends, his hand still holding hers.
Students began leaving the great hall, the final song of the night starting.
"Oh there's my date!" Marlene teased
"Sorry it's my fault" Fabian said holding his hands up.
"I suppose I might forgive you" she said squinting her eyes at him.
"I was actually just going to ask if I could walk your date back to her dorm?"
El looked over at Marlene and they shared a look
"I'll allow it....this time"
They both laughed and Ella said Goodnight to her friends.
As Fabian lead her out of the great hall she saw Regulus sitting with his housemates out of the corner of her eye.
Her heart sank for a moment.
She had promised him a dance. But it was too late now.
She turned back to Fabian and smiled as they walked out of the dance together.
"Did you have a good night?" He asked as they slowly walked back to Gryffindor tower.
"I did" she said
"I'm glad I went in the end"
"Me too" he agreed
"And look at you"
Fabian spun her out showing off her dress
"Would have been a waste not wearing this dress"
Ella laughed and hid her face in her hands. She peaked through her fingers and he was smiling at her.
"Don't hide yourself" he said quietly and she dropped her hands.
She looked up at him feeling her cheeks flush
"Come on" he chuckled and they kept walking.
They talked the whole walk back, not a moment of awkwardness between the two.
Once they were inside the common room they stopped at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the girls dorm.
"Thanks for walking back with me" she said her voice quiet
"Of course, I had a great time" he said. He opened his mouth to speak again but didn't say anything.
"Well Goodnight" Ella said giving him one last smile
"Night" he said watching her go upstairs.
December 25th 1974
"Alright everyone get over here" Mary said the following morning.
She pat her bed and the other three girls hurried over.
"Time to dish about last night" Mary said
"Marlene go ahead"
"Well my date got stolen but all in all a great night" she said sticking her tongue out at Ella.
Mary and Lily quickly looked over at her
"Ella...care to share?"
"I wasn't stolen" she laughed
"Fabian asked me to dance and then he walked me back at the end of the night"
"I'd say that's a stolen date" Lily teased
"Okay okay but get to the good stuff" Mary giggled
"I don't know" Ella said blushing slightly
"Oh yes you do!" Marlene shouted
"There isn't much to tell, we danced, he was sweet he said I looked beautiful" she told her friends who were hanging on her every word.
"What about the walk back?" Lily asked
"Yeah anything good?" Mary asked wiggling her eyebrows.
Ella let out a long sigh
"Oh no" Marlene said
"No nothing bad really, he just....he didn't kiss me Goodnight" she said with a shrug
"What why not?" Mary asked
"Was there a moment?"
"Kind of and I was hoping he might but...." Ella trailed off.
Her mind went to the small kiss on the cheek Regulus gave her the other day.
"But?" Lily asked
"But nothing" she shrugged.
The girls kept talking and eventually moved on to Mary and Lilys nights.
Ella however couldn't think straight. Fabian was confusing her and she was upset with herself for how she handled everything with Regulus.
When the girls finished with all their gossip Ella got dressed and headed out of the dorm.
A lot of students were in the common room talking about last night and celebrating Christmas.
She headed out into the hall and hurried downstairs towards the dungeon.
She didn't have to go far because she ran into Regulus leaving breakfast.
"Oi Reg!" She shouted but he just kept walking
"Regulus!"
He didn't turn around or even look.
She jogged after him and quickly caught up
"I was calling you" she said
"And I was ignoring you" he said
Ella frowned
"What why?"
"Why would I want to talk to you?"
"....look Reg, I just wanted to apologize for last night, I know I said I'd dance with you but-"
"I didn't actually care to dance with you" he said cutting her off
"Oh well....I wanted to" she told him and he just shrugged.
"You looked pretty pleased with Prewett" Regulus scoffed
"Why does that matter?" She asked.
He stopped walking and let out a long sigh
"Just drop it El"
"No what does he have to do with it?"
"I just thought that maybe we were moving...in a certain direction" he said
"Clearly I was wrong, so just leave me alone"
Regulus shrugged and walked off leaving El alone in the hall.
Did he fancy her, was that the problem?
She thought about Fabian and frowned. She had no idea where his head was at after last night.
And now Regulus throwing this at her. All Ella knew was that she was at a loss.