Dorothea, on Ezra Nott's arm, after a couple of swigs of firewhiskey, in her silver dress, was sublimely happy at the Yule ball. Every time she saw Hogwarts dressed up, she loved it more than she thought possible, and everytime the thought of leaving entered her head, her heart fell a little. She stood with the girls in her year, holding onto Ezra's forearm lightly as they waited for the champions. Leila and Adrian, and Priscilla and Felix, and Lilith and Leo all stood next to each other, with no contact. Felix and Leo were snickering to each other and glancing over at Beauxbatons girls, and Adrian kept his jaw clenched and looked straight ahead, which didn't stop Leila looking up at him hopefully. Elvira, in her natural way, was chattering along sweetly to Marcus, and Juliet swore that he laughed a few times, which was quite out of character, he was usually the most stoic of them all.
"Classic Vi, can even get Flint laughing," Ezra said into her ear.
"I know," Dorothea said, beaming at her friend.
When Cedric Diggory walked in with who she now knew to be Cho Chang, Dorothea noticed Elvira's face fall a little. On the opposite side of the room, the Weasley twins were whistling and hooting at their friend, eventually being silenced by a stern Professor Mcgonagall. Dorothea rolled her eyes, but then noticed Elvira giggling a little, so her expression lightened, she looked back to the twins and noticed that Fred was already looking right at her. Once he had her eye contact, his moved to Elvira's, and then back to Dorothea, questioningly. She furrowed her brow at him, confused, and looked back to see Harry Potter and Fleur Delacour walking in with dates she didn't recognise. She glanced back to the Weasley twins, to see Camille Rosier, scowling at Fleur.
"She looks beautiful," Dorothea said, leaning up to Ezra, as a silent rebellion against her moody cousin.
"She's alright," Ezra nodded, "no you, though."
Dorothea smiled slightly and rolled her eyes, looking around as there were whispers from the Gryffindor side of the room, she glanced at a girl she didn't recognise, in a beautiful dress.
Elvira turned around dramatically, reminding her friend of her crush on Viktor Krum, "that should be me!"
Marcus and Ezra snorted, shaking their head at the dark haired witch,
"Who is she?" She asked her friends.
"That," a snotty voice said from behind them. "Is the mud- that's- it's Granger. Potter's best mate."
Dorothea raised an eyebrow at the furious expression on Draco Malfoy's face, and noticed Priscilla's sister, Pansy, mimicking it.
"You look very nice, Pansy," Elvira said kindly.
"Yeah, I love your dress," Dorothea smiled.
The younger witch's face un-twisted a bit, and she looked a little gratefully at the older witches. Dorothea was sure that she hadn't heard the same compliments from Draco.
"Oh, you're looking very dashing too, Malfoy," Ezra grinned, stepping back from Dorothea to ruffle the younger boy's hair. "No need to get angsty on us."
For the Slytherins, the dancing part of the ball was incredibly boring, they had been attending ballroom dances every year, at least twice, since they were five years old. There was a clear distinction in skill, as well, Dorothea and Ezra were muttering to each other, she stifling laughs into his shoulder, as they watched Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs try to dance. The Slytherins all moved elegantly, she had been dancing with Ezra every year since she was a little girl, and she didn't miss eyes on them from every corner of the room. Every now and then, she'd glance at Elvira, who stuck out immensely. She hadn't been going to the same balls, and they all knew this, but it didn't stop Marcus from looking extremely frustrated at the witch.
"Bloody halfbloods, eh?" Ezra joked into her ear, watching Vira trip over again.
Dorothea stiffened a little and hoped he didn't notice, she looked up at him and smiled politely.
"Have I told you how beautiful you are, Rosier?" Ezra asked, a little drunk.
"Almost every week since we were thirteen, Nott."
Ezra blushed a little and opened his mouth to say something else, but decided against it.
Once the formal dance finally broke up, Elvira rushed to Dorothea, and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from their friends.
"Uh- girls?" Ezra asked, holding up a flask of firewhiskey from where he stood in between Marcus and Adrian.
"Dress disaster!" Elvira called back to them.
Dorothea let herself be dragged out of the hall by Elvira, and into a corridor where they bumped into - literally - Cedric Diggory standing very close to Cho and whispering to her.
"Oh, fucking hell," Elvira said, flustered and embarrassed.
Cedric looked between Elvira and Cho. He noticed the look on Elvira's face and asked quietly, "you okay, Vi?"
"I'm fine," she replied curtly. "I just want to speak to Thea."
"Alright," he said, holding his hands up and gently leading Cho back into the hall.
Dorothea rolled her eyes as they left, and looked back to her friend, who cried out and threw her arms around her.
"Wouldn't go that way, mate," Cedric said shortly to Fred and Oliver, who were also making their way out of the hall.
"Lee's fucked," Oliver replied with a grin.
"We're going to the kitchens," Fred continued.
"There's food in the hall," Cedric said slowly.
"Godric, I hate prefects. The issue is, Jordan drank all our firewhiskey!"
"So we're off to get more," Oliver grinned.
"Ollie has decided to stop being a goody two shoes for one evening," Fred said cheerfully, saluting Cedric.
"I wouldn't-" Cedric called after them, but the pair had gone.
Fred and Oliver also bumped straight into Elvira and Dorothea, he had his hand on Elvira's shoulder to stop himself, and held her at arm's length when he saw her tear-streaked face. Dorothea said nothing, unsure whether Elvira's Gryffindor friends could perhaps be of comfort to her.
"You alright, Jones?" Oliver asked quietly.
Fred realised who had just left the same place, he put an arm around Elvira, "oh, Vi, I know you just saw Ced and-"
Elvira shook Fred off her, "I couldn't give a fuck about Cedric and Cho."
"You turned him down, Vira, a man's gotta-"
"It's not about him!" She exclaimed, glaring at the boy, flattening her hair.
"Then what is it?"
Elvira groaned, "you can't help with this!"
"Well, if you tell us-"
"I just want to talk to Dorothea!" She snapped.
Fred met Dorothea's eye and thought to himself that this was probably the longest either of them had stood next to each other without hurling insults. Dorothea nodded slowly at him and he stepped back a little.
"We're going to the kitchens-"
"You know where the kitchens are?" Dorothea asked.
Fred and Oliver smirked at each other.
"You don't?" Fred asked.
The blonde witch shook her head and Fred sighed, "Merlin, Slytherins are boring."
"Where are they?"
"I'll show you some time," he winked, before cringing at her dark expression. "Sorry, forgot who I was talking to," he said, grinning slightly.
"Can we get you anything?" Oliver asked, looking at Elvira.
The witch shook her head sadly and Dorothea nodded, "firewhiskey, Ezra's hogging all ours."
The two boys grinned, "that we can do," Fred said.
"Feel better, Elvira," Oliver said, as they walked away.
"What is it?" Dorothea asked, once the Gryffindors had turned the corner.
Elvira sighed and fanned herself with her hand, "I'm just a bit drunk, I think."
"Already?" The blonde witch laughed.
"I've just been so nervous," she sighed, "after what you said about Flint. I stuck out like a sore thumb, then."
Dorothea raised an eyebrow but didn't question, she'd grown used to Elvira's odd muggle terms.
"How do you mean?"
"I just looked so out of place, even wearing red, what was I bloody thinking!"
"You look gorgeous."
"I know that! But, I just, I don't know. Marcus was clearly annoyed. I can't dance for shit, I don't do the same things you all do."
"They just think you're a halfblood," she said, almost whispering. "You're fine."
"He started asking about my parents," she murmured quietly.
"And what did you say?"
"What I've always said, I don't know my dad, and my mum's a muggle. So he joked that I'd basically grown up a mudblood."
"Oh, Vi."
"Then bloody Cedric," she laughed, pushing hair out of her face. "I know I turned him down, and I don't even know if I fancy him. But I could have been having fun!"
Dorothea put hands on both of Elvira's shoulders and shook her a little, "we will have fun, Elvira Jones. The boring stuff is over now and Flint has probably gotten drunk in the five minutes that we've been gone."
"You looked amazing with Ezra. You two just work."
Dorothea grinned and rolled her eyes and Elvira sighed and wiped her eyes, laughing as Dorothea continued to shake her.
"We will have fun," Elvira repeated.
On cue, Oliver and Fred turned the corner, carrying several flasks, Oliver holding a bottle up, and Fred transfiguring it to be smaller. The Gryffindor wizards grinned at the sight of Elvira laughing and Dorothea had never before been glad to see them.
Fred held out the first flask he had transfigured to her, "Rosier."
"Dorothea?" A voice came, and she turned around to see Adrian Pucey.
She shook her head a little at Fred and he understood, pocketing it.
"You alright?" Adrian asked, looking between the two Slytherin girls, and then glaring at the Gryffindor boys.
"Oh, yes, we were just fixing my dress, then bumped into Fred and Oliver," Elvira smiled. It wasn't a rare sight to see Elvira not with people from her own house to the boy just shrugged a little and turned to the blonde witch.
"Can I speak to you?" Adrian asked.
"Where's Lei?"
"She's fine," he replied.
Dorothea visibly sighed, she turned to Elvira and said, "go, I'll see you soon." Before glaring at both Fred and Oliver, giving them a look that said look after her.
"Not very nice to leave Leila, Adrian."
"You mean like how you've left Ezra?"
"Ezra knows what he means to me," she replied, leaning against her wall.
"And what is that?"
Dorothea tilted her head at the boy, saying nothing.
"Everyone thinks you'll end up married," Adrian said casually.
The witch shrugged, "I'm sure we will."
"Do you like him?"
"Oh-Merlin, Adrian, what is this? Has Ezra put you up to it?"
"No, no. I just wanted you to know, should you not wish to marry Ezra, there are other options for you."
Perhaps it was the firewhiskey or the sheer audacity of Adrian Pucey but Dorothea Rosier threw her head back and started laughing. Not even at the concept of marrying Adrian, but at his ridiculous belief that he thought she had options.
"Alright," he scoffed, beginning to walk away.
Dorothea caught his arm, "Pucey, I'm sorry, that just caught me off guard. I'm afraid Clementine has her heart set on Ezra, and, well, that's always been the future, in my mind."
Adrian looked down at where she held her arm and caressed hers back, she frowned a little.
"You're far too good for him," he said quietly, "and for me."
"You're here with Leila," she said sternly.
When Adrian's hand moved to her waist she put a hand on his chest, pushing him back a little, "watch it," she hissed.
"Who can think of Leila Davies, when-"
For the second time in the evening, she had been exceedingly glad to see a Gryffindor turn the corner into the corridor. Fred Weasley stood, holding up the flask he meant to give her, and watched as Adrian let go of her and retreated.
"Once again, Weasley, impeccable timing," Dorothea said, swiftly walking past him and taking the flask from his hand.
"Are you - Flint came and took Elvira away from us," Fred called after her. "Heard Nott asking about you, as well."
Dorothea paused and turned around, "did Flint seem okay?"
"He's so ugly that it's hard to decipher an expression."
After an incredulous stare from the witch he spoke again, "kind of dragged her away, actually."
"Fucking hell," Dorothea sighed, opening her flask and taking a swig. "Bloody Slytherins."
"They're not figuring anything out about her, are they?"
"No."
"Then what did Pucey want?"
She snorted, "to try it on with me."
Fred recalled her dark expression when he turned the corner and sighed.
"Nott seems to be in good spirits still," he said, changing the subject. "Get them all drunk, charm them with your Rosier spirit."
Dorothea half smiled and held back a laugh, "well, my Rosier spirit is certainly what I'm known for, Weasley."
A/N thanks for reading, please vote if you enjoy!