~Harry's POV~
"The Yule Ball," Professor McGonagall begins as we all sit together in the assembly hall – the boys on one side and the girls on the other. "Has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament..."
She stops as Filch tries setting up the record player.
"Since its inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I except each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."
The girls begin chattering while us boys start moaning.
"Silence!"
We stop the noise.
"The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly 100 centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."
"Try saying that five times fast," Fred whispers to his twin and I watch as they try it quietly.
"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe."
She sways her arms out either side of her.
"Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers..." She indicates towards the girls. "Longing to burst forth and take flight."
"Something's about to burst out of Eloise Midgen," Ron says quietly. "But I don't think it's a swan.
McGonagall turns to us. "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr Weasley."
"Yes?" he replies none too happy to be addressed.
She comes over to him and pulls him up. "Will you join me please?"
He joins her in the centre of the hall.
"Now, place your right hand on my waist."
"Where?" he asks in shock.
"My waist."
He places his hand on her waist and somebody cat whistles so he moves his hand up but she puts it back on her waist.
"Mr Filch, if you please."
The caretaker puts the music on and McGonagall counts as she leads Ron round the floor. Fred and George begin taking the piss.
"Oi!" I say to them and they lean over to me. "Never gonna let him forget this, are you?"
"Never," they both say together.
"Everybody come together," McGonagall says. "Boys, on your feet!"
None of us move as all the girls stand but a few seconds later, Neville stands.
~Bella's POV~
I'm sitting in the common room, reading when Hollie comes in with Ben, holding his hand.
"Hey, when did you two get together?"
"When he asked me to the ball not ten minutes ago," she smiles.
"Speaking of the ball," Edward says, walking in. "Bella, would you like to go to the ball with me?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
I give him a kiss and a cuddle.
In study hall, the whole gang are sitting with Jess, Fred and George.
"This is mad," Ron says. "At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates."
Snape, who is overseeing study hall today, pushes Ron's head down.
"Well, us and Neville."
"Actually," Harry says. "I asked Cho and she said yes."
"Are you serious?"
"Looks like you're the only one without a date, Ron," Hermione smirks.
"Bam and Ryan don't have dates."
"Actually," Ryan says. "Me and Bam do have dates."
"And Neville has a date," Hermione says.
"Who's he going with?" Ron asks.
"Your sister, actually," Neville smirks.
"You what?"
"Chillax," Bam says. "It's only a ball."
George passes a note to Ron.
"Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone," Ron reads out quietly. "Who you going with, then?"
George throws a screwed up piece of paper at Angelina and she looks at him with annoyance.
"Oi, Angelina?"
"What?"
"Do you..." he points at her. "Wanna go..." he does dance movements. "To the ball with me?" He points at himself.
"To the ball?" she smiles. "Yeah, alright."
George winks at his younger brother.
"Oi, Hermione," Ron says. "You're a girl."
She looks at him with annoyance.
"Very well spotted."
Harry starts tapping him as Snape approaches but he ignores him.
"Come with me?" He tries to do the dance movements George did but Snape hits him.
Hermione looks annoyed as Snape walks away.
"Come on. It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone," Ron says. "For a girl, it's just sad."
"I won't be going alone, because, believe it or not, someone's asked me!"
She gets up, goes over to Snape and hands him her homework before walking back to us.
"And I said yes."
She picks up the rest of her things and carries on out of the hall.
"Bloody hell," Ron says. "She's lying right?"
"Actually, she's not," Ryan says. "She's going with me."
"I thought you liked Merida."
"I do and I've asked her but she refuses to leave the bathroom."
"Look, you have to help me get a date," Ron says to Harry. "I can't be the only one going, especially in the dress robes I have to wear."
Snape comes up behind them and shoves their heads down.
When me and Edward arrive at the ball with Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, we are joined by Hollie and Ben, and Harry and Cho.
Hermione comes over with Bam.
"I thought she was going with Ryan," Emmett says.
"Change of plan," Bam says. "Hermione, Hollie and Bella did Merida up and she was so amazed at her new look, she told Ryan she'd come to the ball with him after all. Faye's not feeling very well so I stepped in for Hermione."
"Doesn't she look amazing," I say and the others turn and they all look shocked as Merida comes down the stairs. Ryan's mouth hits the floor and Merida smiles.
"Wow, I'm..." Ryan stutters.
Merida just smiles at him.
"Ah, there you two are," McGonagall says as she approaches. "Are you four ready?"
"Ready Professor?" Harry asks.
"To dance. It's tradition that the three champions... well, in this case five, are the first to dance. Surely I told you that."
"No," I say.
"Well, now you know."
The others proceed into the hall while Harry, Cho, Edward and myself follow McGonagall over to the other champions and their dates.
"Now, I need you all to line up in the procession, please," McGonagall instructs. "Oh, you are very late. This way, this way, come along."
We make our way into the hall and onto the dance floor where we take the first dance. Soon the teachers and other students join us and the ball really begins.
~Draco's POV~
I never wanted to go to the ball, there wasn't anyone I wanted to take except Emberlee and I have no idea where she or my babies are and I miss her dearly so I'm sitting alone in the common room, listening to the music from the hall and looking out the window at the clouds passing over the moon.
I hear footsteps and turn to see a red-head coming in with a trunk. She stops, lets go of her trunk and looks at me.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't think anyone would be here. I heard there was a ball on today."
"Yeah but I'm not attending."
"Why's that? Nobody go with you?"
"I didn't ask anyone because my girl isn't here."
"Shame, good looking guy like you? Bet the girls are jumping at the chance."
"Who are you?"
"Name's Rebel Eme, I'm new here. Had some personal problems at home so missed registration but I'm here now."
"What sort of name is Rebel?"
She just looks at me.
"You know, I'm not tired from my journey and surely you don't want to sit up here alone when everyone else is having a good time. Why don't I put on my best dress and we go together?"
"I'm sorry Rebel but I won't go with anyone else but Emberlee. You can go if you like, I'm sure there are plenty of lonely boys down there."
"Now what would the triplets think of their mother if she attended the ball with anyone other than their father," she smiles and I look at her. "I couldn't stay away from you any longer, I needed to be near you but I couldn't come as myself."
"Emberlee?"
"Hello my fiery dragon."
"Emberlee," he says again before picking me up and spinning me round. "Damn I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"How are they? The babies?"
"They're fine but there was actually four and one died."
"Oh no!"
"Hey, let's not make a big deal out of it. We have three healthy babies and I want to enjoy you while I can."
I grab her gently and begin kissing her. While in the kiss, I move her back with me and sit on the chair where she climbs on top of me and kisses me with great intensity.
We remove each other's tops and I pull my manhood from my trousers and enter her before we move together, making love for the first time since she found out she was pregnant.
Afterwards we get changed and make our way down to the hall to join the others for the ball.
~Hollie's POV~
Me, Harry, Bella, Ron, Ben, Cho, Edward and Padma are sitting at a table having a rest when Draco walks in with a pretty red-head. They are holding hands and laughing like they're a couple.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" I ask, getting to me feet.
"Hollie, leave it," Edward says.
"No, I won't leave it," I say. "Our sister is out there, probably in danger and struggling to cope with three young babies while he's here gallivanting with some bimbo."
"That's enough, Hollie," Edward scolds.
"Are you condoning this?"
Edward goes to speak again but the red-head stops him.
"Listen Hollie, you have no idea what you're talking about so please, leave well enough alone and let Draco have some fun."
Draco smirks so I punch him.
"Hollie, you dark horse," Bella smirks.
"You don't deserve Emberlee or those beautiful babies."
Edward grabs me and keeps hold of me until Draco and his date are out of sight.
"That was completely uncalled for," Edward says as he lets me go.
"Why are you defending him?"
"Because I read his mind."
"So, what? He's thinking of Emberlee so that makes it alright does it?"
I feel the anger really boiling up inside me.
"You don't understand," Edward says.
I growl before I turn on my heel and stomp out of the room with Ben right behind me.
~Harry's POV~
"What was that all about?" I ask.
"It's complicated," Edward says.
Hermione and Bam come away from the dance floor and he kisses her hand before he walks off so she comes over to us.
"Hot, isn't it," she says, smiling from ear to ear. "Brandon's gone to get drinks. Would you care to join us?"
"You calling him Brandon now are you?" Ron scoffs.
"What's got your wand in a knot?" she asks.
"He doesn't even like you; he's just trying to make Bella jealous."
"Bam and I are just friends, and I know he's trying to make Bella jealous but as least he asked me."
"No, Ryan asked you actually."
She stands and begins walking away before she turns back to us. She goes to say something but decides against it and continues walking away.
"Are you going to ask me to dance or not?" Padma asks Ron.
"No."
She gets up and walks away.
Bam comes over and stands in front of Ron.
"You got something to say to me, you can say it to my face instead of making my date upset."
"Ease up, Brandon," Edward says.
Ron stands up.
"You're a useless waste of space, Brandon," Ron says. "Always hanging on to the hope that Bella will change her mind."
Bam looks at Bella and she stares at him.
"Is this true?" she asks but he doesn't answer so she turns to Edward.
His face tells her everything so she turns back to Bam.
"Look, you have to stop this obsession. I belong to Edward and nothing is going to change that – ever."
"Please, Bella, I love you."
"I know you do and I love you too but I'm in love with Edward."
Hermione comes back over.
"What is going on here?"
"Hermione, Brandon is just using you," Ron says.
"How dare you? Besides, I can take care of myself."
"I doubt it. You're just a girl."
"What? What? That's what you think?"
"Yeah, that's what I think."
"You know the solution then, don't you?"
"Go on."
"Next time there's a ball pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does!"
She starts crying.
"And not as a last resort."
"Well, that's... I mean, that's just completely off the point."
He starts to head for the door.
"Harry, you coming?"
I stand and go with Ron to the door.
"They get scary when they get older," Ron says.
"Ron, you spoilt everything," Hermione shouts at him as she comes after us.
"What's this about?" I ask.
"No idea," Ron replies.
As we head back to the dorms, Bella appears in from of us.
"How did you...? Where did you....?" Ron asks.
"You are so naive, Ron," she says.
"What have I done now?"
"Hermione likes you, as in likes you likes you."
"No, Hermione hates me."
"You really don't understand women do you?"
"I don't think I ever will," he smirks and I snigger.
"Oh, you men are all the same," she growls before she storms off.
The two of us laugh before continuing along the corridor.