"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" The strict voice of Professor Mcgonagall echoed through the classroom. Rose looked and saw that they were having a sword fight with fake wands that Fred and George had made. She didn't exactly blame them. The class was basically over and the bell would ring at any moment.
"Now that Potter and Weasley have decided to act their age," Mcgonagall started, sending a strict look at the two boys. "I have something to say to you all."
"The Yule Ball is approaching. The Ball is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and it allows for us to socialize with our guests. The ball will be open to fourth years and above but you may invite younger students if you wish-"
Lavender and Parvait let out loud giggles at her words and turned to look at Harry. Rose glared at them and they quickly turned around. Rose found it a little unfair that Mcgonagall didn't say anything to the two girls, as she had just called out Harry and Ron.
"Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at 8 on Christmas day and end at midnight. Now then-" Mcgonagall paused and looked at the class, her face showing some displeasure. "The Yule Ball is a chance for us to...let our hair down."
Several students giggled at her words and even Rose thought it was a little funny. The Professor didn't look like she was used to wearing her hair down. It was placed in a tight bun every single day.
"That does NOT mean that we will be relaxing our standards of behavior. I will be most disappointed if any Gryffindors disappoint the school," Mcgonagall finished. The bell rang and most students quickly picked up their bags and started leaving.
"Potter, Black, a word?" Mcgonagall said. Rose and Harry looked to each other and shrugged before approaching the professor.
"The champion and their partners-" Mcgonagall started when the class was empty.
"What partners?" Harry interrupted, looking slightly panicked.
"Your partner for the Yule Ball. Your dance partner," Mcgonagall explained. Rose felt her heart sink, as she never learned how to dance.
"I don't dance," Harry and Rose said at the same time.
"Oh, yes, you two do! That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball," Mcgonagall informed the two students.
"I'm not dancing," Harry declared.
"Yes you will. You are a champion of Hogwarts and you will represent us. Do I make myself clear?" Mcgonagall asked, lowering her voice. Harry went to argue but stopped when Rose elbowed him in the ribs.
"Crystal clear, Minnie," Rose said with a smile before quickly pulling Harry out of the classroom. Sirius and Remus had told her about their time at Hogwarts, including that they called Mcgonagall Minnie all the time.
"Minnie?! She's going to kill you!" Harry laughed once they were far enough away that she wouldn't hear.
"I don't think so," Rose said with a smile.
She was right, of course. Although neither of them knew it, the professor had sat down in her chair with a fond smile on her face and was remembering when life was much easier.
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"Why do they have to move in groups? How are we supposed to ask one?" Harry asked Ron as they passed by multiple groups of girls. Neither boy had asked anyone to the ball yet.
"I mean, quite a few boys have asked me, even when I was standing with other people," Rose pointed out. Harry and Ron both turned around to look at her.
"Boys have asked you? What did you say?" Harry choked out.
"No, of course. It was a bunch of boys from Beauxbatons and a few from Durmstrang so I didn't know any of them. And the boys at Hogwarts who asked me, I don't like enough to go with them," Rose explained.
"So there's someone you would like to go with?" Harry asked, trying to sound as if he didn't care. Rose looked slightly hurt at how nonchalant he seemed.
"I...I don't know. I guess we'll see when the right person asks me," Rose responded. Harry felt his shoulders sag a little at her response.
"Oh, honestly! You two are so oblivious!" Ron yelled as he stomped away.
"What's he on about?" Harry questioned.
"No idea," Rose said with an amused sigh.
The next few days were filled with whispers and giggles about the ball and who was going with who. Harry and Rose had both been asked multiple times but always turned down any requests.
"She was cute," Ron teased Harry after he walked back over. They were studying in the library and Harry had stood up to get a book when the girl had practically ambushed him.
"Yeah, and about a foot taller than me," Harry scoffed. "Imagine what I'd look like dancing with her."
Hermione and Rose both opened their mouth to argue when Viktor entered the library. Rose knew that he was probably going to ask Hermione to the ball, but the problem was that anytime he entered the library she would leave, as it was impossible to study with all his fangirls around him.
"We're leaving?" Rose guessed when Hermione slammed her book closed, not even 2 minutes after Viktor entered the library.
"Yep!" Hermione responded angrily. This quartet ended up at Hagrid's, as they were all interested in hearing how his interview with Rita Skeeter went and the class was starting soon.
"She didn't seem very interested in magical Creatures, to tell you the truth," Hagrid admitted when the quartet asked. "She just wanted to talk about Harry and Rose. She asked me a bunch of questions about you two and seemed disappointed when I told her how good you two were. Pretty strange."
Harry and Rose shared a look, neither excited for when the article came out.
"Course she did," Harry sighed as he cut into a dragon liver. They were preparing food for the skrewts as their Care of Magical Creatures lesson. "She wants to hear that we're crazy."
"She wants a new angle, Hagrid! You're supposed to say that Harry is a delinquent and that Rose is a murderer!" Ron pointed out as he cut open a dragon kidney. A splash of blood flew and came within 2 millimeters of landing on Rose. She held up her knife and pointed it at him.
"Get dragon blood on me and I will be a murderer," Rose fake threatened with a scowl on her face before brightly smiling. "Ok! Glad we came to an agreement!"
"Merlin, you can be scary," Ron shuddered. Rose sent him a bright smile and nodded her head while Hermione scoffed.
"Are you coming to the ball, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, not wanting the Slytherins in the class to see Rose playing with her friends and somehow tell Rita about how she threatened Ron.
"Thought about it," Hagrid admitted. "I'll probably go. Who're you takin', Harry?"
"Oh, I don't...I don't have a date yet," Harry admitted, his cheeks red. He glanced at Rose for a second and watched as she cut into her dragon heart a little harsher than she had before. Ron laughed at her and she picked up the heart and squeezed it, sending dragon blood all over him. Ron squealed like a little kid and ran away from Rose, who just ran after him. Hagrid yelled once at them before deciding not to get them to stop, as it was quite amusing. Harry watched Rose with a small smile on his face, watching as her black curls trailed behind her and her grey eyes flickered with happiness.
"You like her a lot, don't you?" Hermione whispered. Harry jumped a little at her voice.
"I...I don't like Rose! That's-that's crazy!" Harry tried to say but Hermione just raised her eyebrow at him. "Ok, fine, maybe a little."
"Ask her before it's too late," Hermione advised the boy before walking over to her assignment, leaving Harry to watch his two friends fight over a dragon heart.
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The last week of term came quickly. Harry still hadn't asked anyone and Rose still said no to anyone who asked. Ron also did not have a date yet.
Some professors had given up on teaching. Flitwick let them practice summoning spells all class. Mcgonagall still lectured every day but had started giving less homework. Snape, however, hadn't changed his teaching pattern at all. In fact, he told the class that he would be testing an antidote on one of them on the last day of term.
"He's evil!" Ron said angrily as the quartet sat in the crowded common room after the class. "What does he think he's doing, springing a test on us on the last day of term?"
"You're not exactly straining yourself, are you?" Hermione pointed out.
"It's Christmas time, Hermione," Harry interjected before they could start arguing.
"I thought that you, at least, would be doing something productive," Hermione huffed. Rose lifted her head from the arm of the couch but didn't move her feet from Harry's lap.
"Like what, Mione? Most teachers aren't even giving us homework!" Rose pointed out.
"Like the egg," Hermione hissed.
"We have ages to do that," Rose reminded her friend and put her head back on the couch.
"It might take weeks to work out! You two are going to look like idiots if the next task comes around and neither of you know what to do!" Hermione argued, looking more stressed than Harry and Rose combined.
"Leave them alone, Hermione. They deserve a bit of a break," Ron said. At that moment an exploding snap card that he was messing with went off and singed off part of his eyebrow.
"Nice look, Ron. It'll go well with your dress robes," Fred teased as he walked over to the quartet, George not far behind.
"Ron, can we borrow Pig?" George asked, referring to the owl that Sirius had given Ron the year before.
"No, he's off delivering a letter. Why?" Ron replied.
"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred said sarcastically, causing Rose to let out a small laugh.
"We need to send a letter, idiot," George replied.
"Who do you keep writing to?" Ron questioned his brothers.
"Nose out or I'll burn that too," Fred warned. "So...got dates for the ball yet?"
"Nope," Ron groaned.
"Well, you better get on it or all the good ones will be gone," Fred said.
"Who are you taking?" Ron replied.
"Angelina," Fred said promptly, looking proud.
"What? You've asked her already?" Ron asked.
"Good point," Fred mumbled before turning to where Angelina was sitting and talking to Katie Bell. "Oi, Angelina! Wanna go to the ball with me?"
"All right then!" Angelina yelled back and turned back to Katie with a smile on her face.
"What about you, George?" Harry asked.
"Well...I was actually hoping that our dear little murder's daughter would go with me," George replied. Rose sat up quickly and choked on air, causing her to start coughing and Harry to slap her back.
"Me?" Rose asked once she finally got her breath.
"Yeah, why not?" George asked with a small smile on his face. He looked slightly embarrassed. Rose glanced at Harry who had turned his face away from her. Rose felt her heart sink a little as she turned to George and gave him a smile.
"I would love to," Rose replied.
"Great! That's great! See you then," George told her. Fred and George waved goodbye before leaving, presumably to send a letter.
"We should get a move on, you know?" Ron said to Harry, who had an angry look on his face. "We don't want to end up with some trolls."
Hermione and Rose both let out angry yells at his words.
"Trolls?! Ron, you're the worst sometimes!" Rose told him, anger in her voice. "Right, Harry?"
"Why don't you go ask George?" Harry snapped at her. Rose stared at him in shock for a few seconds.
"Is there a problem?" Rose asked him, her voice soft.
"Why would there be?" Harry practically scoffed.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Rose said. Harry rolled his eyes and Rose stood up quickly. "You have no right to be upset! If you wanted to go with me, you should've asked me! I would've said yes in a heartbeat!"
Rose stomped up the stairs and Hermione quickly followed after her, flicking Ron and Harry on the back of the head as she went.
"You messed up, mate," Ron said lowly, his eyes still wide.
"Yeah...yeah, I did," Harry whispered, staring at where Rose had left, feeling his heart sink in his chest.