They went up to the Owlery that evening to update Sirius on the events of the day, which led to them filling Ron in on everything he'd missed over the last few weeks.
Fred and George had been stealing food for the surprise party,
"The point of a surprise party would be that Harry doesn't know about its existence" Sophia pointed out as they kept walking,
"Yeah well you were worrying about Diggory, that's not sending a good message is it? Conflicting support" Ron huffed, Sophia laughed.
"Because I don't want one of my friends to die?"
"None of us want him to die!" Hermione folded her arms.
"Fred does, been plotting it for months" Ron replied, Sophia smiled slightly,
They entered the common room and were treated to a feast and celebrations,
When the egg opened, a loud screeching could be heard, everyone covered their eyes in shock and horror.
"Shut it!" Fred shouted, still covering his own ears. It sounded like a banshee.
Neville seemed to think that the next task would involve the cruciatus curse, Sophia shivered slightly and Hermione instantly wrapped her arm around her.
"Don't be a prat Neville" Fred shouted and walked over to her, George began saying how it sounded like Percy's singing.
"You alright Goldie?" He whispered, putting his arm around her, she nodded and smiled,
"Yeah, perfectly fine" she replied, he didn't seem to believe her and kept his arm around her,
"Anyway, jam tart ladies?" Fred offered them the plate which the treats lay on, Hermione looked back at him, distrustful. "Oh relax, you think I'd offer Goldie something that was hexed?" This calmed Hermione and both Sophia and her took a tart, "besides it was the custard creams we hexed" Neville hurriedly spat some out from across the room, "only a little joke Neville!" Fred called back,
Hermione and Fred then started discussing how to reach the kitchens, a slight squawking caused Sophia to turn her head, Neville had turned into a canary.
"Oh it was the custard creams we hexed!" Fred called out, the whole common room burst out laughing, Neville quickly turned into himself again, "canary creams!" Fred called out and announced how much they were selling them for, Sophia smiled and rested her head on his chest. She could've sworn Fred blushed at this,
After spending a few hours with Fred, she turned in for bed around one.
The weather grew worse as December started, and Rita Skeeter had invaded their Care of Magical Creatures lesson,
After divination, Hermione had run off somewhere and none of them knew where she was. Then she ran over, trying to drag Sophia and Harry with her,
"Oh come on! You both need to come see!"
Once they reached the kitchen, Dobby stood there smiling.
"Dobby!" Sophia smiled broadly, the elf hurried over to her and Harry, a smile on his face. Winky worked there too apparently, they'd only been working at Hogwarts for a week. Dobby was happy to be free but Winky wasn't.
The Yule Ball announcement caused joy and annoyance for Sophia,
McGonagalls explanation had made her extremely excited, it would be the perfect occasion to finally have a date with Fred, plus, she understood balls better than anyone, having been to so many,
But McGonagall also had to reach them how to dance. Sophia didn't understand why she had to attend the session, she'd been able to ballroom dance since she was four years old. One of the few perks of being raised in a 'Noble Pureblood Family' who hosted balls and parties galore.
"The Yule Ball is an ancient tradition associated with the Triwizard Tournament. As representatives of the host school, I will not have any of you acting inappropriately" McGonagall's eyes locked into Eileen, who smirked, "and besmirching the name of Gryffindor House" she looked amongst the members of her house, "now the Yule Ball is a dance..." excited chatter broke amongst the room, "so, its important that you all know how to dance..." McGonagall turned and locked her eyes onto Ron, "Mr Weasley, join me please" McGonagall and Ron then started dancing and Sophia found herself bursting out into laughter, Hermione was laughing next to her. "Everyone rise and find a partner" Sophia began weaving through the crowd to Fred, she didn't want to dance with anyone but him. "Sophia" McGonagall interrupted her,
"Uh yes professor?" She replied, McGonagall was standing there with her hand on Harry's shoulder,
"You know how to dance? Am I correct?"
"Yeah, I learnt when I was a kid...."
"Very good then you shall teach Mr Potter, as a champion he really must know how"
"But professor!" Her eyes cast over to Fred,
"There will be plenty of time for you to dance with Mr Weasley at the ball itself" Sophia groaned and nodded,
"Sorry Soph" Harry sighed as she began attempting to teach him to dance,
"It's not your fault Harry" she smiled slightly, wincing as he stepped on her foot for the fifth time,
"Oh sorry!" Sophia nodded,
"No it's fine... totally fine... I was rubbish when I started learning too" her eyes cast over to where Fred was staring at her and she went red,
"He really likes you" Sophia turned her attention back to Harry,
"You think?"
"I know"
**
Over the next few days, Sophia received countless invitations to the ball, all of which she rejected, waiting for Fred to ask her. Ernie MacMillan had gotten her such a sweet bouquet that she felt awful about rejecting him,
Sophia had however accepted her next invite,
"So you've been asked, I don't even know how many times now, and you still haven't said yes?" Hermione asked, laughing as they walked down the corridor. Hermione had been asked by Viktor Krum but requested that it be kept secret, especially from Harry and Ron,
"Because I'm waiting for him to ask me" Sophia replied, Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed,
"I have no doubts that he will ask you, but he better hurry up"
"Who we talking about?" Ron asked as him and Harry caught up, Sophia and Hermione began giggling, "oh girl stuff... I don't want to know" Sophia rolled her eyes at Ron before their path was blocked by a crowd, they all let out a groan and that's when the fireworks went off.
Sophia's eyes widened in amazement as she watched the colours glow in the air before forming words,
Go to the ball with me Goldie?
She squealed as did Hermione, and Fred flew over to her, riding his broomstick.
"What do you say Goldie?" He smirked, placing a rose behind her ear. A smile spread across her lips and she attempted to contain the blush that spread across her face,
"Sure" she answered, he slid off the broom and picked her up, holding her close and swinging her around, Sophia was giggling like crazy,
"She said yes!" George announced and the crowd in the corridor started cheering and clapping,
"What is going on here!" McGonagall shouted, the crowd parted and allowed her to reach Fred and Sophia, Hermione went pink,
"He just! She just!" Ron was rambling, clearly disturbed by the events that had just taken place,
"You told us to find partners professor" George answered, smiling at Sophia and Fred, "and that's what my darling brother has done, much to Ronniekins annoyance" McGonagall stopped herself from laughing and offered a small smile to Sophia,
"I see, hurry along to your lessons now" Fred smirked and waved to Sophia before walking off,
"Mione" Sophia smiled dreamily,
"Yes!?!" Hermione smiled excitedly,
"My legs are about to fail" Laughing, Hermione rushed over to support her as her legs did indeed stop working, McGonagall then offered a 'congratulations' before she left them be,
"This is pure insanity!" Ron complained, folding his arms, but Sophia ignored him, she had a date with Fred Weasley. The last four years of her life had been working up to this, and she'd gotten it.
*•*•*•*
"Soph!" Cedric called, running up to her as she left lesson,
"Oh hey Ced, what's up?" She smiled as the two began to walk with one another, to nowhere in particular,
"Firstly, congratulations. Our plan has been half a success" she laughed and nodded,
"Thank you, and it has... now you just have to ask Cho out!" He laughed slightly, there was something off about it but Sophia couldn't figure out what,
"About that, can you help me? I've got her flowers but I think I should dress the part and I know nothing about clothes...." Sophia's smile grew and she nodded,
They spent the next hour in his dorm with Sophia throwing clothes across the room,
"Ugh why do you own this!" She complained and threw a jumper over her shoulder, it ended up hitting Cedric in the face. "This is disgusting" she threw something else at him, Cedric laughed slightly,
"Thanks for insulting my whole wardrobe" Sophia smiled slightly
"Welcome" after a while, she'd found a suitable outfit and handed it to him,
Before he asked Cho out, she offered him a supportive smile and thumbs up which made him smile too and she'd then hurried off to meet everyone else at Hagrids,
Hagrid told them about his awful interview with Rita Skeeter, and showed them the suit he was planning to wear to the Yule Ball. Sophia hated it and had insisted on getting a new suit for him, Hagrid refused her efforts but they compromised when Sophia announced she'd make a suit,
Cedric found her a few hours later, excitedly saying that Cho had said yes,
The next few days were spent fashioning Hagrids suit, it wouldn't take her long, she'd made clothes before just not for a giant,
She'd taken it to Hagrid who had almost crushed her in a hug in thanks,
Harry and Ron still hadn't found dates as lessons came to a close,
"It's not that hard" Fred stated, sliding down onto the sofa next to Sophia, placing his arm around her and pulling her closer, "you just ask"
"Yeah watch, Bree!" George called out, they looked back at him, "wanna go to the ball with me?"
"Yeah alright"
"See, easy" George laughed,
"Well Soph's had a thing for you for the last four years, you knew she'd say yes. And! Bree is dating you so you knew they'd say yes!" Ron huffed and folded his arms, Sophia now had her head on Fred's shoulder,
George whispered something about a letter to Fred who kissed Sophia's cheek before hurrying off, she went red.
"We should ask someone... we don't want to end up with a pair of trolls" Ron said to Harry, Sophia and Hermione stared at him shocked, eyes wide.
"A pair of what!?" They both said in unison, Sophia could feel the anger rising,
"Well you know.... I'd rather go alone than with Eloise Midgen" Sophia rolled her eyes,
"Her acne's loads better" Hermione stated, "and she's actually really nice!"
"Her nose if off centre" Sophia scoffed,
"Oh I see" Hermione folded her arms, "so you're going to take the best looking girl who will have you" Ron nodded, Hermione stormed off,
"You're such an idiot" Sophia snapped before following her,
Sophia had spent a lot of the next day with Fred, he was telling her about a new idea he'd had for a Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product, Sophia couldn't help but think he was a genius as she stared upon him, and an incredibly handsome one too,
Sophia had eaten dinner with Hermione but headed off early as Hermione had been approached by Krum,
"Oh Harry!" She smiled and walked up to him, but her expression faltered when she saw the look on his face, "what's the matter?"
"Cho's going with your stupid ex fake boyfriend" her eyes widened in shock, she'd forgotten about Harry's crush on Cho when she'd helped Cedric ask her out, she felt awful,
"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry... if I'd known I would've...." He looked at her confused,
"What did you do?"
"He asked me to help ask her out... I didn't do much, just found him a decent outfit...." Harry sighed,
"He's the bloody perfect one though isn't he, she probably would've said yes even if he'd worn nothing..." Harry went red realising what he'd said and Sophia burst out laughing, "that's not what I meant" she nodded in a teasing way as they walked into the common room,
Ron was sat in there, looking horrified,
"Why did I do it?" He asked, Sophia and Harry shared a confused look, "I don't know what made me do it....."
"Huh?" Sophia asked, confused.
"What?" Harry asked, equally as confused.
"He just asked Fleur Delacour to the ball...." Ginny told them, Sophia bit back a laugh and sat on Ron's otherside and tried to comfort him, although when her and Ginny made eye contact it took all their will power to not burst out laughing. Sophia had grown to consider Ginny like a sister after the summer, they'd also spent a lot of time together since the school year started,
"You what?" Harry asked, Ron looked helpless,
"I don't know what made me do it! What was I playing at? There were people! So many people! I've gone mad, they all watched. She was talking with Diggory and I just asked her!" Sophia watched as Ron dropped his head into his hands, she did feel bad for him and she couldn't help but think the people she'd rejected might've reacted in similar ways, "she looked at me like I was a sea slug or something! Didn't even answer, I just ran for it" Harry then told them Fleur was part Veela and explained the Cho situation to Ron,
Ron then told them Neville had asked Hermione, this Sophia knew. Ron then began laughing about this, as did Harry. Hermione then came in,
"Hermione! You're a girl!" Ron exclaimed, Sophia watched the interaction confused,
"Oh well spotted" Hermione scoffed, Sophia smirked slightly.
"Well, you can go with one of us!"
"No I can't"
"Oh come on!"
"No, I'm already going with someone"
Ron refused to believe her, he kept insisting that Hermione should go with him. Hermione stormed off upstairs,
"Ugh Ron! You can be such an idiot, she's also not lying!" Sophia shouted, Ron called a question after her but she ignored him,
Roxie had planned to ask Hermione to the ball, and Sophia felt very awkward having to tell her sister that Hermione had a date,