"Quinn! Come on!" Demanded Stacy as she stood glaring at the back of her best friends head. "I'm coming! Jesus woman!" Quinn quickly downed the last of her pumpkin juice before Stacy grabbed her arm and hauled her out of her seat at the Hufflepuff table. "Is four and a half hours, really necessary?" Quinn whined as all the other girls glared at her.
"Necessary?! Try vital." Victoria snapped, helping drag Quinn from her spot beside Teddy. "Cuz I love you but one more remark about how we don't need all that time and I will bitch slap you into next year." Threatened the usually meek and quiet Molly.
Stacy, Quinn, Victoria, Dominique, Molly, Lucy, Laurie (who has all but joined their group in the past three days), Roxanne, Rose, Grace and Alice all had agreed to get ready together in Quinn's private dorm in the head's commons.
Quinn had been forced, by Stacy, to spend all morning transfiguring her furniture into vanities fit for the use of all eleven girls.
The boys had been relegated to getting ready in Adam and Dan's dorm in Hufflepuff. Much to the chagrin of those two boys.
Eventually the girls managed to drag Quinn from the hall and up to the seventh floor where they all took one of their four hours to relax.
That was until the clock struck four o'clock and the girls began to get prepared to get ready. They had all taken showers earlier that day and so they divided into a system to best do each others hair and make up.
The three youngest girls being Rose, Grace and Alice were pampered first. Quinn and Stacy taking Grace to frost do her hair, while Vic and Molly worked on Alice's makeup and Dom and Roxanne felt with Rose's unruly curls.
Meanwhile Lucy and Laurie prepared everyone's dresses and shoes handing them up on the far wall of the dorm room.
Soon enough the younger girls were all ready and retreated down stairs to relax while the older girls helped each other.
Victoria and Molly forced Lucy into a seat beginning on her hair while Quinn and Stacy began with Laurie's. Dom began to apply make up to Roxanne's face.
They continued in a sort of carousel formation until three more hours had passed and they were all glowing.
They helped one another into their dresses and shoes and eventually they were all done. By 19:15, a whole fifteen minutes before they were due down to meet the boys in the entrance hall.
(Left to right- Roxanne, Dominique, Lucy, Molly and Laurie)
(Alice, Grace and Rose)
-.-.-.
The girls made their way in their group of 11 down toward the entrance hall, all giggling with excitement for the ball.
Quinn was the only one who seemed quiet. "What's up Q?" Asked Stacy grabbing her friend's arm as they descended the last stairs onto the first second floor before the set that led to the hall.
"Nothing I'm just so scared to dance in front of everyone.."
"But you're a great dancer..." Stacy cut Quinn off before she could finish. "...With Teddy." Quinn finished.
"Well, I do agree, Teddy's dancing should be made illegal....but it'll be fun and if he steps on your toes, stamp right back on his." This made Quinn laugh before she took a deep breath and the followed the other girls down the stairs.
Teddy's breath was completely knocked out of him as he spotted Quinn making her way down the stairs. Despite being aware of the colours of her gown- elegant and royal gold, and sleek and mesmerising black- he was taken aback by her beauty. She looked divine.
Her auburn hair hung in neat, loose curls around down her back as her golden skin was complimented beautifully by the gold on the dress.
The low cut V shapes on the neckline and back of dress matured her by ten years, she looked gorgeous and sexy yet still kept her dignity in the dress' flattering shape. Her face was beautifully painted in warm tones with perfectly sculpted brows and doe-y looking eyes under thick and long lashes. Finally the lips were stained a wine red to compliment her hair and add a sophistication to her face.
Teddy's jaw dropped.
His hair was it's usual vibrant blue as he stood, handsome as ever (in Quinn's opinion) in a black and gold suit and tie combo. The sleek colour matching her dress and suiting him perfectly. He looked dapper and charming in a crisp white shirt, black suit jacket and golden tie, with his hair gelled back.
Their eyes met and a grin spread across both of their faces.
She met him at the bottom of the stairs where he offered his arm and she took it grinning at him. "You look stunning." He whispered as the nearer the group. "You look handsome."
Stacy and Laurie followed the couple with their hands clasped together.
Stacy's dress was an elegant baby blue with a rhinestoned bodice and a ball gown-esk skirt made of soft chiffon fabric.
Her hair was half up, half down pulled back from her radiant face as her expertly painted high lighter caught the light. "You look perfect babe." Laurie whispered to her as they approached Dan, Jake, Adam and Victoria behind Teddy and Quinn.
"So do you gorgeous." She whispered back.
Laurie wore a wine red dress with a sweetheart neckline and a hemline just above her knee leaning into a gorgeous train.
The two couples reached their friends all exchanging pleasantries. "You guys look great." Quinn had laughed seeing Adam and Jake in their complimentary suits:
"Thanks Q, you look gorgeous. As do you ladies." Adam said noticing Stacy and Laurie. "Awww thanks Ad." Stacy smiled, "Hey, you owe me that 10 galleons by the way."
"What for?" Quinn asked her friend. "Dan asked Vic to the ball." This made Dan and Vic both flush as she stood fixing his tie:
"Doesn't mean they're dating." Adam defended. "Actually mate, we are." Dan broke the news. Quinn grinned when she heard this, "really?! Welcome to the family Dan, good luck with uncle Bill, he'll eat you alive."
"Oh hush Quinn, you'll scare him off." Vic frowned.
"Don't frown V you'll get wrinkles." Joked Laurie. They all laughed at Vic's mortified face as Dan placed an arm around her waist, kissing her head. "Who's ready to get their ball on?" Asked Jake receiving amazing immature snort from Dan and an eye role from Teddy.
"Aw come on by the end of the night I bet we'll all be on our feet jamming out to the weird sisters." Adam persuaded. "Speaking of bets, who wants to bet Teddy will fall on his face while he and Quinn dance in front of everyone. God help you Q."
"Oh piss of mate." Teddy grumbled burying his face in Quinn's shoulder making her giggle. "Leave him be, he'll be fine."
Soon they were joined by the other group of lads:
(James, lorcan, Fred, Lysander, Albus, Louis, Fred and Liam) (imagine Scorpius is here too)
"Well don't we all look dashing?" James quipped as he appeared behind Teddy and Quinn.
This was gonna be a long night.
They all made their way into the hall that was glistening with false ice-sickles that where hung like stalactites from a cave ceiling. They icy blue gobo lights from the stage shimmered over the white tables as they moved across the room.
Teddy and Quinn were picked up at the door by Professor Longbottom who guided them over to a larger table full of professors and ministry officials including Mistress for Magic Hermione Granger-Weasley and Head Auror Harry Potter and their spouses. Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron grinned at their niece and god-son/god-nephew as they approached the table.
"Hey guys." Teddy greeted them. They all smiled at the young couple, "you two nervous?" Asked Harty, knowing all too well how awkward it was to dance in front of his peers.
"Kinda I would just like to have all of my toes in tact by the end of the night." Quinn joked making the adults laugh and Teddy flush red.
He kindly pulled her designated chair out for her and allowed her to take a seat between himself and Hermione. "You'll be fine. Just have fun that's what tonight's for." She smiled at them wisely.
They relaxed into conversation with the adults until Professor McGonagall stood in the Center I'd the room with a glass and a small spoon, tapping the glass tentatively the the room fell silent.
"Good evening, I thank you all for dressing up so wonderfully and for joining us for tonight's celebration. This ball has been a Hogwarts tradition for nearly nineteen years. Held at this festive time to celebrate our history and our family. I would firstly like to give thanks to those who lost their lives those nineteen years ago at the battle of Hogwarts, and to those who survive to lead on their legacy. I would also like to honor the families of these hero's and their friends. I would like to give thanks to our ancestors who created our very school and this castle and finally I would like to thank you, our hard working and devoted students and staff. To the the mistress of magic and ministry members here today. So please join me in raising a glass to our founders, our past students and professors and those lost to battles to creat the safe community we live in today. To many more years of prosperity, learning and family." McGonagall raised her glass and the whole hall followed suit. "to Hogwarts." She cheered.
"To Hogwarts." The hall echoed.
The meal was a delicious cream of potato soup, followed by a main course, mouth watering turkey and fresh new land potato's with heavenly gravy and mixed veg. This was topped off by a scrumptious melt in the middle pudding with golden custard.
"Well that was delicious." Ron patted his stomach making Quinn and Ginny giggle while Harry and Teddy laughed but Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Good to know you haven't changed Ronald."
"Thank you dear." He replied.
Suddenly the plates disappeared and after a short respite of about 20 minutes, McGonagall returned to address the hall again. "Now if it is a Hogwarts Winter Ball tradition that the head boy and girl lead us in our first of many dances. So with out further ado, please can we have a round of applause for this years head boy and girl: Theodore Lupin and Quinn Weasley."
The hall erupted in applause, while a certain table sent cat calls and remarks to the couple, Teddy bravely took Quinn's hand and guided her out into the Center of the hall as the music began...