November came and went, and with it, the first task of the Triwizard Tournament: Dragons.
The fear that she felt when she first saw those creatures, she got goosebumps just thinking about it. Cassie still made sure to thank whichever was responsible for not allowing her name to come forward, she did feel bad for Harry though. Poor boy, all alone fighting against wizards who were much older and skilled than him. She was rooting for him, of course, not that she had anything against Cedric, but she had to stick with her house always.
She felt an elbow sharp on her side and turned to look at Grace, asking for answers with a look. "You keep staring at the boy. It's creepy."
"I am not." she said, offended. "He just happens to be in my line of sight. Plus, I told you already, I've developed a strong maternal feeling."
Grace sighed. "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer, just admit that you're glad it's him and not you."
"That's not—!"
"Ms.Price! Do you have something to share? Or can I continue?" Prof. McGonagall's voice rumbled in the classroom, everyone stopping and turning to look at her.
"No, Professor. I'm sorry." her face had heated up and she suddenly wished for the earth to swallow her.
She heard giggles and the sound led her to her twin friends, trying not to laugh just a few steps behind Harry. To make matters worse, the whole house of Gryffindor was there. Well, from the fourth year up at least. Apparently Prof. McGonagall had an announcement as Head of Gryffindor house and had asked every single student from the year four to the year seven to gather in this, fairly big, classroom.
She was standing on the right side of the classroom with Grace, Olivia, Angelina, Alicia and all the other girls while the boys were standing on the left side of the classroom. It was, undoubtedly, strange. She feared that nothing good could come out of this.
Prof. McGonagall cleared her throat. "The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the Ball will be open only to fourth years and above—" Well, that explained something at least. " —although you may invite a younger student if you wish."
"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the Ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall." After that Cassie couldn't really hear the rest of her speech since a group of fifth year girls had practically started screaming next to her.
Olivia seemed eager to join them while Grace looked like she was having the worst day of her life. "A Ball? Seriously? That is exactly why I'm not coming home this Christmas, to avoid a stupid dance my parents are attending."
"Seems like the universe wants you to go to one." Olivia said, placing her arm on Grace's side. The later one gave her a dirty look. "The universe can go fu—"
"Okay! Teacher present!" Cassie interjected, pointing to McGonagall's direction, because even though it looked like she couldn't hear them, that woman heard everything.
"Whatever, I'm not going." Grace crossed her arms.
"Oh, c'mon, It will be fun!" Cassie tried to change her mind, which she knew was probably futile. When Grace made up her mind about something, there was no convincing her otherwise.
"We have very different definitions of 'fun', for example, you think that spending time with the hellish twins is fun, i think its torture. We are not the same."
"Liar, I saw you spend more than ten minutes with George without screaming or inflicting pain on him, that's something."
Grace smiled at her, "That's because we were trash talking about Roger."
"Right. Well, I'll take whatever I can—"
"Dresses!" Olivia's shrill voice caught their attention. "We need dresses! But Hogsmeade weekend has already passed! What if—?" The girl was spiralling.
"Calm down!" Grace shouted at her face while she shook her shoulders. "I'm sure they'll allow a day for people to go buy something, If not you can just ask your parents to send you something. Isn't that right, Cassie?" Grace was giving her a look that implied if Cassie didn't agree with her there would be trouble.
"Of course! Don't worry about that Liv, I'm sure we'll get that sorted in no time and then we can dedicate our time to practise dancing with a partner so—"
"A partner! What if nobody asks me to the Ball?!" Olivia's face contorted into full panic and Cassie had to resist the urge to slap herself. Grace also seemed to be resisting the urge of slapping her.
After some more talking while on their way to their next class of the day, Herbology, Cassie and Grace finally succeeded in calming down Olivia. For a normally calm girl, she sure could find every worst possible outcome of any situation. There were two weeks until the Yule Ball, she was more than sure that Olivia wouldn't be short on options, neither would Grace, but she knew that her friend was going to turn down every poor boy that even tried to ask her out.
Cassie smiled to herself while writing down what Prof. Sprout was saying. She was so grateful she didn't have to worry about dates for the Ball, just the thought of having to wait for someone to ask her gave her a stomach ache. That was one of the advantages of having a boyfriend, she thought, of course it was way more romantic for someone to invite you, but nothing could top the stability of having a date assured.
She wondered if Roger had already been notified of it by now, but knowing him he probably knew before everyone else and was asked to keep quiet until it was official. Yes, that was it. Plus, they haven't been talking that much in the past few days. He had been rather busy lately, or at least that's what he had told her. She had no reason not to believe him, even though she did see him every time in the Great Hall and he didn't look all that tired. But it was nothing, just her imagination. It clearly didn't bother her that he was always with that golden haired girl. Fleur. Oh yeah she had fought against a dragon and survived, big deal! Cassie could fight a dragon too...maybe a smaller one but it wasn't like—She noticed movement by the side of her eye and lost her train of thought as she watched how Fred was trying, unsuccessfully, to incorporate the class without anyone noticing his tardiness.
"Could you be any more noisy?" Cassie whispered to him once he had finished sitting besides her.
"I'm the king of stealth, what do you mean?" he grinned at her and hurried up to copy from her notebook. After a while and when Prof. Sprout wasn't looking in their direction, he turned his attention to her once more. "So...this Ball thing, you already know who you're going with?"
"Why? Wanna ask me out?" she joked.
He scoffed. "You wish." and then silence, he kept writing.
"Yes, I'm going with Roger, why?" she asked again.
"No reason, just making conversation." he shrugged.
She didn't buy it for a second, Fred always had a reason for everything. But she let it pass. "You?"
Now he did look at her. "No one, yet. I like to keep my options open." he followed that with the biggest grin she had ever seen on him.
She shook her head. "And—?" she started after a moment of silence.
"Yes?" he rested his head on his hand, a mixture of mischief and expectation on his face. She pushed his elbow, making him hit his head on the desk. "Ouch!"
"Don't give me that look, I was just going to ask, out of curiosity—"
"Oh, yeah...'curiosity'"
"Shut up, do—?"
"No, George didn't ask anyone, either." he finished for her, the fact that he knew where her mind was going so far ahead scared her, was she really that transparent?
"I wasn't going to ask that." She lied.
"Oh, sweet sweet Cassie," he gave her a kiss on the cheek, like she was a stupid child who had said the most outrageous thing. "You're not a good liar, I've told you this before."
Her entire face contorted into a frown. "Oh bugger off!" She tried to give him a soft shove on the shoulder, but miscalculated her strength, and the fact that Fred was sitting in a very awkward way. The sound he made when the chair fell off, with him still sitting on it rumbled all over the classroom. The entire class erupted in laughter. "Alright, I deserved that." he said, still on the floor.
(...)
"What do you think of this one?" Olivia asked, holding a purple gown that was way too long for her, it seemed to have feathers glued to the sleeves and a puffy skirt. Cassie made a disapproving face. "Hideous, yes, I'll keep looking." the girl disappeared behind another rack of dresses.
As Grace had said, they had allowed students to go to Hogsmeade over the weekend for those who had no possibilities to have one sent from home or simply wanted to buy themselves something nice. Cassie had come along with Olivia since neither of them had any dress back home that would be appropriate for the Ball, Grace hadn't come. There was a concern that Cassie started to fear that the Ball wasn't optional but she didn't want to bring up her doubts to her friend so for now, she was still adamant on her decision not to attend it.
"What about this one?" Olivia emerged from nowhere holding a bright yellow gown, mermaid style, with bright stones on the upper body.
"Are you being serious? Why do you like that one?" Cassie was starting to lose her patience. They had arrived at Gladrags Wizardwear over an hour ago and all the options that Olivia had shown her had been one uglier than the other.
"Oh no, this is not for me! I already chose one." the girl replied, putting the yellow dress back on the rack and showing her a silver dress.
"Are you saying...that you're looking at these options...for me?" Olivia nodded.
Cassie took a deep breath to try and avoid strangling her friend. "I just assumed—"
"What? That I have bad taste?" Olivia was about to open her mouth when she stopped her. "Don't answer that." Cassie left her belongings on the chair she had been sitting on and started looking over the dresses herself. She didn't think she had bad taste. Perhaps she liked simpler dresses but there was nothing wrong with that.
Looking over the blue section of the shop there weren't so many options. She took two out of their hangers. The first one was a blue velvet dress, with a dropped neckline and side slits, the straps were ever so thin and it made it look super delicate, the off putting part was the floral embroidery that almost took over the whole dress. The other, was more of a light blue and made out of satin most likely, it was another fine choice if it weren't for the fact that it was strapless and Cassie wasn't looking to flash anyone during the dance.
She tried both on, it wasn't like there were much more to choose from. "So, what do you think?" exiting the changing room, Olivia was waiting for her.
Her friend put her finger on her chin, thinking. "Dunno, I don't see it." was her final decision. Cassie turned around to look at herself in the mirror, it wasn't a good look, definitely strapless wasn't for her. Quickly she closed the curtain and wasted no time to put the other one on. "Thoughts?" she let her friend take a good look, spinning a few times. This one looked a lot better but that damned floral print was bothering her.
"That is nice..." Olivia said, unconvinced. "But I don't know if blue is the colour for you."
Cassie looked down at the gown and the royal blue of its colour. It didn't drive her crazy, but she knew that Roger loved blue and he was most likely going to wear something out of that colour, it would be better if they matched, she thought. "I have to wear blue, if not—" her words caught on her throat when she saw the new dress that Olivia was holding for her. It was a long flowy dress with a v-neck, long thin straps crossed in the back. The fabric was unknown to her but whenever light fell upon it, it shone.
The dress, however, was burgundy. A beautiful red with violet undertones.
"You were saying...?" Olivia mocked her while handing her the dress. She changed in a second and exited the changing room, her friend gasped. "You look so beautiful."
Cassie looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, she looked more comfortable in this dress, and felt more at home with its colour. "Alright, I'll take this."
When they were back in their room, they made a small fashion runway for their friends. Alicia joined them, having been sent a dress by her mother just this morning while Angelina was still waiting for hers.
"So..." Angelina started. "Have any of you been asked to the Ball yet? People with boyfriends are not allowed to answer." She looked right at her and Cassie laughed.
"Not yet." Olivia answered first, she looked a bit disappointed.
"Well, it's still early. You have more than a week left." Alicia responded.
Cassie looked at her. "Who asked you?" Alicia laughed before spilling that an older student from Hufflepuff had asked her to the dance this morning and the bedroom erupted into excited screams.
"Alright, alright, so It's me and Liv," Angelina spoke while the screaming quieted down. "Grace, are you still thinking of not going?" the aforementioned nodded. Angelina's attention went back to Olivia. "Care to make it interesting?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"How about...the last one to get asked has to..." Angelina stopped to think.
"Bring real drinks to the Ball, not that pumpkin juice shit." Grace interjected for her and Cassie resisted the urge to laugh.
"You're not even going Grace." Alicia reminded her.
"Well, I might if I know there will be actual fun. But no date, I'm not taking part in this."
Cassie watched as both Olivia and Angelina seemed to think about it. "Alright" "Deal" they both said and shook hands.
"And now we wait." Grace said, a mischievous smile on her face, happy to corrupt her friends.
As it turns out, they didn't have to wait that long.
It was Friday and they were sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room when it happened. Cassie had been concentrating on her Potions essay, her friends and roommates Grace, Olivia, Alicia and Angelina were sitting near her when she heard a conversation by chance.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins were talking about the Ball. She tried her best not to eavesdrop but they weren't talking all that quiet in her defence. She looked back to her group to see if anyone else had picked up on it but no, she was the only one.
"So . . . you lot got dates for the Ball yet?" It was Fred. She was still surprised how over the years she had managed to develop a talent not only for telling them apart physically but also their voices, it freaked her out.
"Nope," said Ron.
"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," Fred spoke again and Cassie, even though she was with her back turned to him, had to contain the urge to roll her eyes. What about 'keeping his options open'?
"Who're you going with, then?" said Ron, and Cassie sharpened her ear. She was making assumptions, of course, but somehow she knew that Olivia secretly wanted Fred to ask her, it wouldn't be something so far fetched, as far as she was concerned they did go on a date even though Olivia says it didn't count because it was a double date. It did count.
She looked to her friend, sitting on her right and focused her attention once more on the conversation happening behind her.
"Angelina," said Fred promptly. What?! Cassie practically reacted out loud.
"What?" said Ron, he sounded just as surprised as Cassie was. "You've already asked her?"
"Good point," said Fred and now Cassie did roll her eyes. "Oi! Angelina!"
Cassie watched all of it play with a heaviness in her heart.
"What?" the girl asked, she was sitting just in front of Cassie, next to Grace.
"Want to come to the Ball with me?" he finally asked and Cassie watched as Olivia's face fell.
"All right, then," she said with a smile and in an instant turned to look at Olivia. Oh no. "Seems like you're bringing the fun to the Ball." It was said without malice, of course, but she doubted Olivia was thinking the same.
"Oh, yes. No problem—Excuse me." She stood up and almost ran out of the common room. Angelina looked confused so it was up to her to cover for her friend.
"She...had mentioned before she wasn't feeling so great." Cassie explained and both Angelina and Alicia seemed to have bought it. Grace on the other hand looked just as sad as Cassie was sure she looked. A few moments later she watched the twins leave the common room so she took advantage of the situation and slipped right out after them. Once outside she decided to start looking for Olivia in the bathroom, she made her way over there through stairs and corridors until she finally arrived. When she entered, every single stall was empty except for one so she crouched down and recognized her friend's shoes. She didn't want to invade her privacy so she simply called out her name and waited, letting her know that she was there if she needed a friend. But Olivia never came out.
Defeated, Cassie intended to leave but decided since she was in a bathroom already, might as well use it so she entered one of the stalls and closed the door. Not even two seconds later a pair of girls entered the bathroom too, Cassie didn't pay them attention, was about to go on with her business until she heard a familiar name. Her boyfriend's.
"Did you hear that Roger invited that posh french girl, Fleur Delacour, to the Yule Ball?" Cassie stopped breathing altogether, trying to not make her presence known. She shook her head, clearly she had not listened correctly.
"He did?" the other girl asked, her tone not sounding very interested in the topic.
"Yes, I overheard him talking with his friends about it, bragging about it more like it" her hands flew to cover her mouth when she felt a gasp trying to break free. What were these girls on?
"But wasn't he dating Cassandra Price?" Her eyes opened up twice its size. Was? He still is!
"They must've broken up. He sure is not one to waste time" the sound of water running and then they were gone. Cassie was so still she had to remind herself to breathe, a moment later she exited the stall, her need to go to the bathroom long forgotten. She was standing in the middle of the room, almost frozen when a voice broke her out of her state. "Cassie..." she saw Olivia, face stained with dry tears, looking sad but not for herself...for Cassie. She took a few steps towards her when Cassie backed down, putting a smile on her face.
"I...have to go." She pushed the bathroom door with more strength than needed and didn't know where to turn. Her mind was giving a million turns before settling in one: it wasn't true. There must have been some kind of misunderstanding, she needed to find Roger and ask him to clear things up.
With only one week until the Yule Ball, it was embarrassing for her if people started to think that her boyfriend had asked someone else to it. Because it was impossible.
Searching for him at their usual places proved to be unsuccessful, but she thought that perhaps if he was with his friends, the courtyard was most likely where he would be, even if it was snowing, raining or sunny, they loved to meet there. As predicted, she spotted Roger from a distance after entering the open area. She walked over there, shivers taking control of her body almost instantly due to the fact that she was severely underdressed for the weather conditions.
"Roger, can we talk for a second?" she asked him, trying to avoid her teeth chattering when the first snowflakes touched her skin. He was standing with his back to her, she watched as his friend's face changed and he quickly turned to look at her.
"Cass–Cassie" he cleared his throat. "Yes, we should talk, come here." grabbing her by the arm, he almost dragged her to the other side of the courtyard, where fewer people were around.
Seeing as he wasn't going to say anything first, she started. "So, It's silly,—" she started, faking a small laugh that she didn't know if it was because of the cold or because of the nerves. "—but I've overheard that some people are saying that you invited another—"
"Cassie." he cut her off. "I...was planning on seeing you later, maybe do this differently..." he looked down to his shoes while she waited, expectantly for an answer. She got one when he suddenly lifted her head again and blurted out, "I want to break up with you." Just like that, without any warning, without any feeling. She just stood there.
She fought really hard for the next words to come out. "Is this...because the other day I wouldn't—" she choked and couldn't continue.
Roger looked at her with sympathy, like she was a lost puppy that someone had kicked to the streets. Except he was the owner, the kicker. "I've...thought about us for a long time and...I don't think you're ready for a relationship," he said. "So...I'm letting you go."
Cassie didn't move, did not speak, didn't react. She couldn't believe this. She was furious on the inside, she wanted to scream, she wanted to hex him, she wanted to let all her emotions right there. But she couldn't move. "Are you there?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her face. She wanted to break that hand so bad that he could never chase one more quaffle in his entire life. Sadly, she didn't.
"Erm, I'm going to go now then, I'll see you around...I guess." he said and he just left. He left her there, alone. The snow falling on top of her had already got to her bones, freezing her badly dressed body. She needed someone, anyone to help her because she was stuck here.
After a while, when the shock had passed, her body reacted and she started crying. She was crying for a piece of trash boy, she hated it. But now that it had started, she couldn't stop. Still unmoving, she let the tears run down her face all they wanted to. She didn't mind the cold anymore.
She swore that she was going to be there until she couldn't physically stand anymore when she heard someone call her name. "Cassie?" The person was behind her but she didn't need to see him to recognize that voice, it was George. "It's freezing out here," she felt his jacket's warmth on her shoulders. "What are you–" he stopped when he was facing her, if the concern on his face was any indication of how Cassie looked, it was bad. "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, carefully wiping the fresh tears off her face. It was with that small gesture, with that miniscule act of kindness that Cassie finally broke out of her solidified state. She practically jumped on his arms, hugging him like he was the only thing that could protect her from the pain. And then she started sobbing again.
They stayed in that position for a few minutes, George did not attempt to ask her anything more, he just held her until she was ready to let go. Still clinging to him, she worked up the courage to finally explain the situation.
"Roger broke up with me."