(A/N: I suggest you give the link I've attached a listen while you read this! Also, yes, I'm aware of the time difference between the time the fourth book took place and the time the song had been released. Bare with me, though. Let's pretend it makes sense? Thank you, I love you!! <3)
Song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1QtpKRXtJZSdJp3Y299zkQ?si=wzMYGCWnTH2fW2DrrDkDyw
Alright, enough a/n, and onto what y'all are really here for. hope you're enjoying reading :^)
~
Pansy began to trudge against the dark, stone floors next to Holland as they exit the room after waiting for all the lower years to leave. "Who do you suppose you're going with?" She asks Holland. The question immediately brightened Holland's face, the girl was now beaming at Pansy.
"May or may not be George Weasley," Holland gushes, not caring that her group of friends were disgusted with the Weasleys and their blood-traitor means of living. They had wanted to cut off ties with Holland at first, knowing very well none of their parents would be supportive of them being friends with such people who had no cares for blood purity in the wizarding world. It would just have to be the small price for them to pay, as Holland's parents weren't exactly ecstatic about their daughter spending time with them either.
"And you're happy about it?" Pansy forms a face of disgust, her black and green robes swishing as she brought a hand up to tuck a strand of raven-colored hair behind her ear. Holland was about to tell her off, until she chuckled. "Joking. I know you've been in love with him since forever." Pansy says, hugging her friend as she was happy for her. Holland smiled for the hundredth time that day, feeling her heart swell at the fact that her friend were okay with her and George.
"Oh, you know I love you." Holland hugged her friend just as tight. "You and I haven't had a proper day together yet, huh? Let's go off to the common room, then!" Holland says excitedly, grabbing Pansy's hand and running off to the dungeons.
The two spent the rest of the afternoon giggling and gossiping with one another, Holland had to pinch herself whenever she'd almost let it slip about Cedric, she was in no energy to retell the ridiculously complicated tale of her current situation.
"And your afternoons with Diggory? Have you snogged yet?" Pansy teased, too busy snickering to herself to notice the tiny layer of sweat that had formed in her friend's face.
"Bloody hell, how I could ever still be fully functioning to tell the tale if that ever happened.." Holland lied through her teeth, clenching her entire body to resist the temptation. Pansy was her friend, surely telling her the truth would eventually blow over, but Holland decided against it anyway.
-
Cold wool scuffed against the ground, dainty fingers running through the walls, appreciating the details of the portrait frames she was passing in front of. The residents of each portrait flashing grins and whistles of greeting as Holland sung quietly to herself while she made her way to the kitchens, ready to tickle the pear for a piping hot mug of cocoa.
"I was too young to see the truth
In my grandma's lap, I'm drowning in her perfume
Too naive to even care
'Bout the words she whispered while she brushed out my hair," She sang, admiring how her voice echoed so serenely and peacefully as she walked, ghouls and paintings in awe, as well. Tonight Holland was sporting her favorite baby pink wool slippers, her sleeping clothes a striped pastel purple and white.
"Marvelous voice, darling. Do keep singing." A knight flirting with a maiden carrying her child says, alarming Holland. Not that she didn't expect him to talk, but more of the fact that she'd just seen him about five paintings back.
"People gonna say, If you need a break, someone'll take your place
People gonna try," She finishes as she's reached the pear, a single pair of hands clapping to applaud her. She cringed in embarrassment, knowing the applause wasn't from any of the portraits.
"Diggory, didn't see you there." She says as she turns around to face him, yawning after waving at the boy who was in blue pajamas.
"Your voice," He begins, eyes glazed over in a haze as he was visibly falling for her once again. "It's beautiful," Holland blushes, she didn't like singing in front of people often as she wasn't used to it. "You sound like a mermaid." He says, tilting his head as he stared at her almost as if he were in a trance. "Can you sing again?" He asks hopefully, Holland blushing once more. Holland hastily brought her palms up to her cheeks, rubbing it so Cedric would think that was how they'd become crimson.
"Oh, stop." Holland says, moving to sit next to Cedric. "Any luck with the egg?" She asks, the last time the two talked about it, Cedric said he'd open it when he was alone in the dorms, regretting doing so immediately as the egg did nothing but wail instead of giving an actual clue. Holland didn't know if the boy had bothered to keep trying on his own, but she just assumed that he did just so for his sake.
"None whatsoever. I'm too afraid to try and open it again." Cedric shakes his head, he had brought it down with him, cradling it between his thighs as he stared at it in contemplation.
"That's alright, you've got time to think about that after the ball." Holland nods, comforting the boy. She knew the two deserved a bit of rest.
"Speaking of the ball," Cedric begins, Holland fearing that she knew how this conversation would be going. "Has anybody asked you yet?" He asked hopefully.
"Has anybody asked me if I'm going to the ball?" Holland nervously teases, stalling for the question she was dreading to hear.
"No, don't be silly." Cedric chuckles, sounding like he had forced himself to laugh. "Has anybody asked you to be their date?" He says, clearing his throat multiple times when he asked this, Holland trying not to smile as she found it just a tad bit adorable that the boy was nervous.
"No, but I think someone will." She admits, smiling sympathetically at him. She hoped that he would catch her drift, not wanting to explain her rejection even more.
"Someone who isn't me, you mean?" He asks, Holland chuckling at his innocence.
"You want to take me?" Holland asks as if she were clueless.
"Well, I thought I made it clear that you're nothing but the girl of my dreams." Cedric admits, Holland gaining suspicion. She had spent so much time with the boy, and he had been obviously lovestruck at first, but the more she spent time with the boy, the less he behaved like so. She figured it was the potion slowly wearing off. That being said, it made no sense that he was still talking like that. Holland found the effects of the potion so unpredictable, never trusting how distanced she should really behave whenever they'd meet.
"Oh, er— I don't know," Holland laughs nervously. It's just George you see.." She tries to explain, Cedric interjecting immediately.
"Oh, no— okay, I get it. It's no problem with me." Cedric rambles, unsuccessfully letting Holland believe it did not upset him.
"Diggory, I really am sorry." Holland said, trying to comfort him without leading him on.
"No, please let's leave it." Cedric says quietly. "Thanks for coming tonight. I think we should head on to bed now." He says, not looking at the brunette who was frowning at him. He was clearly upset, but what could Holland do? She wasn't just about to turn down the boy of her dreams to spare Cedric's feelings.
"Goodnight, Cedric." She says, giving a sad smile at the boy, turning around to head on to the dungeons. As she began to make her way back to her dorm so soon, she didn't see the brown-haired boy suddenly smiling to himself at the realization that she'd called him by his first name.
"Goodnight, Avery." He says after her. Lightly letting the back of his fist hit the window behind him in despair, having thought that he could have taken the girl to the ball somehow.
-
"It's bloody horrid out there." Harry slumps down in his seat, looking sallow and defeated. Holland eyes the boy, feeling sympathetic at his disheveled appearance and fixing his collar that had messed up in his cardigan.
"What's with you?" Holland laughs, shoving a spoonful of cereal in her mouth after letting go of her friend's clothes. It was breakfast and Holland had been catching up with Hermione and Ginny, the two gushing and sighing in adoration as Holland tells them about George. Ginny had no problem whatsoever that one of her closest friends had a thing for her brother, for she, too, knew he'd been crazy for her as well. She even claimed that if neither of them had gotten a move on, she might have been the one to say something as they'd been so clueless, it drove the entire lot crazy.
"Harry and I are trying to go on about and look for girls we can take to the ball." Ron explains, just as breathless and unbuttoning the first three buttons of his shirt, looking like he was ready to sweat up a storm. Holland blew in the boy's face, laughing at how much his cheeks seemed to resemble his hair.
"But why do you two sound like you've circled the entire perimeter of the castle, then?" Holland asks before the two boys eye each other, each sporting uneasy expressions. "Don't tell me you've actually gone through the entire castle asking girls to the ball..." Holland says.
"We didn't walk through the entire castle asking girls to the ball," Ron confirms.
"Yeah, we circled the entire castle looking for girls and that's it. We just looked at them, Holland. Care to explain why you all travel in groups? It sure makes battling a dragon sound like a piece of cake." Harry rants, earning another chuckle from Holland, the girl placing a hand on her chest as she tried to recollect herself. Harry and Ron were now glaring at their friend.
"This is too much for my fragile heart, you two are hopeless." Holland says between hearty laughs.
"Shut up, Holland. Suppose my tosser of a brother's already asked you?" Ron asks Holland in a sneer.
"Actually, Ronald, he hasn't." Holland admits worriedly, shifting in her seat as she hoped her disappointment wasn't too obvious. "He hasn't mentioned taking another girl to the ball, has he?"
"No, I don't think." Harry shakes his head, Ron doing the same, both not looking Holland in the eyes. Holland narrows her eyes, making them look like she only had slits on her face. She eyes the girls, Hermione and Ginny also not able to look at her. Things felt weird.
"Don't be stupid. He probably forgets that some of his friends are even girls." Ron mutters.
"Where is he, anyway?" Holland asks, changing the subject as millions of conclusions had made her feel even more worried.
"No clue. Not blowing up another toilet, I hope." Holland snorts, it had been years since the boys had their little adventures and blowing up toilets in random lavatories. In her third year, Holland found out they'd even sent Harry one when it was their first year in Hogwarts when he was in the infirmary healing from his encounter with You-Know-Who, the two thinking it might make a wonderful 'Get Well Soon!' gift.
Just then, Holland spots her owl, Teagan, up in the air soaring and dropping an envelope in front of her. Holland quickly moving her bowl of cereal aside in time for the envelope to land. The lot gave each other knowing looks, Holland raising her eyebrows at her friends as they'd been acting odd. There were no more owls sweeping in the hall, it was peculiar that the owl had come in such a random time. Holland loosened her tie as her nerves began to work her up the minute her eyes landed on what her owl had dropped in front of her.
"What is this?" Holland asks nervously at the letter, it was no ordinary white-enveloped letter. It was red and ribboned, making Holland gulp. Could her parents have been informed about her and Cedric's pranks? Her parents were never the type to support Holland getting into trouble, being powerful aurors and all. It sort of made sense, the last time Holland had written them, they never wrote back. Would it be her dad disappointed that she thought he was alright, but he would have actually been kidnapped by dark wizards? Did she fail another part of her auror training? What if it was because they were too disappointed with her? They were too afraid of too much attention being brought to their daughter, scared death eaters and dark wizards would try and get a hold of her. That being said, if they had found out about her wondrous, infamous pranks, they'd go ballistic. And this was the exhibition.
"Oh, Merlin. My parents have sent me a howler. I can't do this." Holland rambles, not ready to have the entire Great Hall listen in on how her parents scold her. Holland tried to see if the envelope was named, but all she saw was her name in a plum-colored ink.
"I dare you to open it, Holly." Ron says, finally looking at Holland again, smiling as if earning a howler was so exciting. The boy had his own taste of a nasty howler two years ago, Holland recalling how distraught Ron's mother was and how frightened Ron was. Mrs. Weasley's voice echoed through the entire hall, letting the entire school know what Ronald had done, and Holland didn't want the same to happen to her. Because she hadn't been friends with the twins yet, the idea of their mum absolutely terrified her. It wasn't until meeting all of the Weasley's at the Leaky Cauldron when Holland realized that Molly Weasley was second warmest, purest, and most savage women she's ever met. Having a very skilled auror as a mother, it was saying a lot.
"No, I can't." Holland began to sweat, standing up to leave so she could listen to her parents yell at her through paper in private. Hermione and Ginny both hold the girl by her arms, making her sit down. Holland blinks in astonishment, pulse beating quicker by the second. "What are you doing? If I stay any longer it'll explode!" She panics, voice wavering in fear. None from the group answer, Ron quickly taking the howler from Holland and ripping it open. "Ron, you idiot!" Holland yells, scared for her life. The entire Great Hall was now watching the lot, two girls holding a manic one down while the two boys in front of them were laughing and excitedly opening a howler. Hogwarts did have magic and creatures and all that, but the sight was not something they saw everyday. Harry and Ron then sit down as they'd successfully opened the howler, the letter immediately springing to life. It was facing Harry and Ron, about to speak, Ron hurriedly pointed towards Holland, the levitating letter turning to face her before it began to let hell break lose.
"HOLLAND COSETTE AVERY!" Holland's eyebrows knit together in confusion, not hearing either of her parents' voice, like she expected. She faces her friends, turning to each and every one of them confusedly, as if begging for some kind of help. The girl was completely lost, students still watching in anticipation as they'd been from the beginning. "ONLY MERLIN KNOWS JUST HOW MAD I AM FOR YOU! WOULD YOU EVER SO SLIGHTLY DO ME THE FAVOR OF DOING ME—er, I mean— GOING TO THE BALL WITH ME? IF NOT, THAT'S ALRIGHT! I'LL SIMPLY SPEND CHRISTMAS ALL ALONE IN MY DORM, MAKING NO NOISE AND SHALL PRETEND AS IF I DON'T EXIST! Yours truly, George Fabian -better looking twin- Weasley," The howler exclaimed, Holland in shock from what she'd just heard, but smiling in disbelief. Instead of how howlers usually disappear and ripping themselves up in front of the recipient, this one exploded and released big black clouds of iridescent glitter, taking about 3 seconds to fully clear up. Holland who was still coughing and fanning away glitter, was then met face-to-face with a smiling red-head in front of her, kneeling on one knee on the ground behind her, and holding up a paper that had been enchanted to take the form of a rose, slightly bent towards her as if it were a real flower.
"Yes, a million times yes." Holland nods feverishly while standing up .
"Yes to doing me?" The boy joked, wiggling his eyebrows. Holland gaped and flushed at the sudden suggestiveness of the boy. She decided to switch it up a bit, be a little courageous herself.
"That can be arranged," She banters along, winking at George who had risen from the ground and proceeds to engulf her in a bear hug. The hall erupts in applause, as they'd witnessed the entire proposal. Students from different houses all exhibiting a mixture of reactions, Cho Chang and her friends clapping in the Ravenclaw's side of the hall as they coo in a chorus at the sight, Pansy swatting Millicent Bulstrode's hand in the Slytherin table as she'd whispered that Holland had settled when it came to picking a date to the ball, and Hannah Abbott smiling dreamily in the Hufflepuff table, hoping the same would happen to her. At the end of that table sat Cedric Diggory with his head bowed down in disapppointment, a bouquet of roses and cherubs ready to pop out of a magical box kept in his pocket.
-
The trio alongside Holland were now seated on a large stone in silence, admiring the lake. Holland scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she'd heard a group of girls giggle and chatter looking up from the book she's reading to see the Bulgarian bon-bon, Viktor Krum himself, walking and doing a few stretches as a group of girls followed him. Holland took note that his eyes rested on Hermione's for a bit, just like when her and Hermione were at the tent of the first task. Holland snuck a glance at Hermione, the girl looking like she was trying to focus on what she was reading herself, obviously knowing Viktor had been looking at her.
"Ahh, the Bulgarian bon-bonehead." Holland jokes, laughing.
"I'll have you know, he's the greatest seeker in the world!" Ron says after his wave had been ignored by the Bulgarian.
"I don't doubt it." Holland defended herself, having no grudge against the boy, just in the mood to make fun of someone.
"What's your problem?" Holland snickers, noticing Hermione's disapproving face.
"Just remembered the column Rita Skeeter wrote about him and me, is all." Hermione mumbles, so quietly almost nobody heard.
"Had a feeling you'd wind up in the paper somehow, Holly." Ron admits, earning a sharp look from Holland.
"Meaning?"
"Well, you're not exactly quiet about the people you don't like," Ron tried to explain, waving his hand as he trailed off, obviously having to intention to bother finishing his sentence.
"How can I? Have you read what she's said about Hermione and Viktor?" Holland asks, Ron's face immediately turning sour at the question.
"Right," Holland and Harry say instantaneously as Ron seemed to suddenly be so interested in the rocks they'd been resting on. Holland sensed that there really had been something budding between the genius witch and the Bulgarian, and Holland was determined to find out just what.
-
Holland made her way to the kitchens once more, sighing happily to herself at how pleasantly her day had gone. She began twirling her fingers in her untamed hair, hastily pulling her fingers out as they found themselves stuck between tangles.
"So George really asked you, eh?" Cedric asks, smiling at the girl. This confused Holland, as the girl knew that should have broken the boy. Not that Holland was hoping the boy would cry for the girl, it was just expected as the potion were still in his body, after all. "I'm quite happy for you," He admits. Holland eyes him for a short moment, trying to see if the boy was telling the truth.
"That's sweet, thank you. What about you? Are you, er.. Have you asked someone?" Holland asks, trying not to make things awkward.
"Oh, yes! She said yes, actually. Took me by surprise, to be honest." He says, playing with this fingers. It was ridiculous that he would even think that, he was easily one of the most handsome boy in Hogwarts, and he was currently fighting through the tournament, representing the school as he did. Holland smiled, waiting for the boy to continue on, chuckling when he didn't.
"Well, aren't you going to tell me who?" Holland asks cheerily, happy for the boy as well.
"Cho. Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw, don't know if you know her—" He begins to explain.
"Cedric, oh no!" Holland couldn't stop herself from exclaiming, covering her mouth with both hands as the two listen to her voice echoing through the corridor. The two wince as portraits begin to scold them as Holland hastily tried to jump up to tickle the pear, Cedric unnecessarily grabbing her by the waist and hoist her towards the pear before they ran inside the kitchens to hide in case professors would check on where the voice had come from. The two were now in a warm-lit, enclosed room, the change of lighting and amount of free space immediately evident as Holland found herself feeling hot.
"What's the problem?" Cedric asks in alarm, not expecting Holland to respond so negatively.
"No, there's no problem with me. It's just Harry— he really likes Cho and I think he wanted to ask her, too." Holland says worriedly, feeling sorry for the boy. Could Harry going to the ball dateless be Holland's fault? Then again, Holland couldn't take Cedric just so Harry could go with Cho. Holland began to panic and have words spew around her head again.
"Oh dear," Cedric frowns sincerely, obviously not meaning to do anything to Harry. "I hope he won't think.." Cedric trails off, not wanting Harry to be upset with him.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure he can find someone else." Holland says, laughing unconvincingly as she tried to ignore the burning sensation in her sides that were left by Cedric's fingertips.
-
Scribbles and doodles. That had been the only thing Holland had accomplished so far in study hall with Snape. She was currently seated between Fred and George, Neville next to them. Harry and Ron were still moping on about how they've got no dates, while Hermione religiously finished her requirements.
"Hey, Holly. Watch this," George nudges before gesturing to Fred as he'd thrown a crumpled piece of parchment at Ron. Holland didn't know what had been written on the paper, but she figured it was about the ball when Ron responded.
"Who are you taking then?" He whispered, and Fred gives him a knowing look and gesturing him to watch like George had with Holland. Fred crumples another piece of parchment, flinging it towards Angelina Johnson who had been talking to her friend. She turns her head, not looking too happy that their conversation had been interrupted.
"Oi, Angelina!" Fred whispers.
"What?" Angelina mouthed, not being able to speak as Snape was talking to a student just behind her.
"Do you," Fred mouths, pointing at her. "want to go to the ball," He brings his hands up and started to sway, Holland bringing a palm to her face at what she was witnessing. "with me?" He finishes with his thumbs pointing at him, looking very pleased with his presentation.
"To the ball?" Angelina's facial expressions lighten immediately. "Yeah, alright." The two nod at each other before Fred winks at Ron.
"Would you have still said yes if I asked you like that?" George asks Holland, who was now actually writing something for class, chuckling as she did.
"I think you'd be lucky if I could still speak to you if you asked me like that," She jokes, not looking up from her writing. Holland knew that she'd say yes to him even if he didn't ask. Just then, Hermione had finished talking to Snape and was about to leave. Before she could, she grabbed her books and snapped at Ron, Holland not able to hear, but had seen the angry look on her friend's face.
"What? What was that about?" Holland asked the two, Harry shrugging before pointing at Ron with his quill.
"The girl's clearly upset she hasn't got a date," Ron shrugs himself before returning to his work. He then began to talk to Harry, Harry calmly responding in nods as Snape slowly made his way to them. The two were clueless about the professor's presence, grunting in alarm and pain after the professor had pulled his sleeves back before shoving their heads back towards their parchment.
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