"Hey, Harry!"

That was how it started that morning, with Cassia and Poppy sitting together at the Gryffindor table opposite Harry, Ron and Hermione, with Parvati and Lavender walking down the hall behind them.

Harry turned, very confused, as Parvati and Lavender dissolved into giggles and ran off.

Cassia, who was sitting still as Poppy painted her nails for her, scoffed. "Sorry it's not Cho Chang, Potter but dang, you got admirers."

Harry gave her a sarcastic smile as Poppy shrugged, continuing to paint Cassia's nails a warm lilac. "It's just cause you fought off the Horntail, Potter, they'll focus on another boy in a couple of days."

"Oh, thanks," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Urgh!"

Hermione's cry of irritation as she slammed down the Daily Prophet that she was reading made all four of them, even Ron, who was eating, turn to face her.

"I don't believe it, she's done it again!" She ranted on, angrily quoting from the article she was reading. " 'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow'."

"He seems to be fine," Cassia shrugged, blowing on her nails. "I mean, he's getting hit on, so why wouldn't he?"

"Shut up, Cassia," Harry muttered.

"Parcel for you, Mr Weasley," a small first year called Nigel came up to Ron, handing him a huge box.

"Oh, thank you, Nigel," Ron said. "Off you go."

But the boy didn't go. He stayed, staring at Harry, mooning over him slightly.

"Nigel, not now, later!" Ron hissed, pushing him away. "Later!"

Nigel pursed his lips before ducking his head and setting off.

Hermione leaned over the table, raising her eyebrows.

Ron sighed. "I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph."

"What, he wants Potter's signature on a bit of parchment?" Cassia chuckled. "Personally, I would go for a picture, but-"

"Cassia, shut the hell u-"

"Oh look, mum's sent me something!" Ron interrupted them both, unwrapping his parcel and opening it.

What was inside seemed to be a bit of clothing, but very, very old clothing. It was a brown robe, with bits of light pink and white lace all over it, and it looked like it hadn't been touched in fifty years.

As Ron took it out the box Cassia saw that it was in fact a dress robe, but she was still confused as to why on earth Ron would need one.

"Mum's sent me a dress," Ron frowned.

"Well it does match your eyes," Harry joked. "Is there a bonnet-? Ah," he grinned as he found it, all white and lacey.

"Nose down, Harry," Ron rolled his eyes, striding along to where Ginny was sat. "Ginny, these must be for you."

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly," Ginny snapped.

At this point, Hermione, Cassia and Poppy were all in stitches, so Ron turned to them. "What you on about?"

Hermione giggled. "They're not for Ginny! They're for you! Dress robes!"

"Dress robes?" Ron seemed horrified. "What for?"

"Fuck knows," Cassia shrugged. "But if I was betting, I'd say it had something to do with the tournament."

❦︎❦︎❦︎

And she would've been right.

It was the last lesson before the Christmas holidays, and it had been arranged for all Gryffindors, fourth year to seventh year, to gather in the hall.

The girls sat on one side, the boys on the other. McGonagall stood in the middle and Filch, of all people, stood to the side, controlling a gramophone.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception," she explained. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the great hall for a night of well mannered frivolity."

And with that, it all made sense. The dress robes, the gramophone, all of it. The next task in the tournament wasn't a task. It was a ball.

"As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward," McGonagall went on. "And I mean this literally because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost... a dance."

Cassia and Poppy were looking in absolute glee at Ron and Harry's expressions. Their jaws were practically on the floor. And, as the girls started to whisper about dresses and dates, the boys all threw their heads back, groaning.

"Silence!" McGonagall called over everyone. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirch that name by acting like a babbling, bumbling, band of baboons!"

As Fred and George started to be stupid (saying that tongue twister again, no doubt) on the other side of the classroom, Cassia and Poppy looked to each other with smiles, before bursting into silent, uncontrollable giggles.

"Now, to dance," McGonagall sighed, looking at them in despair. "Is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight. Inside every boy, a loudly lion, prepared to prance. Mr Weasley?" She finished, looking to the boy.

Ron, quite bewildered, turned. "Yes?"

McGonagall held out an arm. "Will you join me, please?"

Cassia, already prone to giggles, was absolutely dead at this point, practically sobbing in Poppy's arms.

Ron got up reluctantly, standing opposite McGonagall in the middle of the room. "Now," the professor commanded. "Place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?" Ron exclaimed.

"My waist, Mr Weasley," McGonagall said exasperatedly. "Now, extend your arm-"

As they got into a dance formation, a boy wolf waisted and Cassia and Poppy laughed harder.

"Mr Filch, if you please," McGonagall eventually said, and with a feedbacky scratch of the gramophone, a tune started to play.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three..."

Ron and McGonagall danced slowly in a waltz around the room, and Cassia and Poppy only stopped laughing for a second to imitate him.

"Now, everybody come together!" McGonagall called. "Boys, on your feet!"

Whilst the girls got up almost immediately, it took a while to coax the boys out. Well, apart from Neville, of course, who was up quickly. Cassia sighed as she turned to Poppy.

"Shall we dance, milady?" She asked, extending her hand.

Poppy grinned, taking it. "Why, my dear Cassia, I'm so honoured you should ask!"

They danced around the room, laughing and giggling and making fun of the terrible dancing that the boys did. Cassia still didn't really believe this was her life, didn't believe that she had a best friend as amazing as Poppy.

But she did.

And boy, was she thankful for it.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Cassia had never known so many people to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. Hogwarts was absolutely packed, with giggles and murmurs and whispers all going about it.

Snow was falling thick and fast, so everyone was having to wade through it all as she went about the castle. Right now, that was just trying to go and meet Cedric.

However, she had now been interrupted twice. She supposed it was because she was alone, and easier to single out and ask.

The first time it was a little third year, timidly looking up at her and asking if she wanted to go to the ball with him. She politely turned him down, though. She knew who she wanted to go to the ball with, and hoped it was what he wanted, too.

The second invite, however, she was still trying to decline.

A fifth year had stopped her, physically blocked her path in the courtyard, and asked her. But the difference with this one was when she said no, he didn't back down.

"Fucking come on!" He yelled at her. "Just ditch whatever ugly, wart faced bimbo you've managed to pull and take m-"

"No, you fucking creep! No!" Cassia yelled.

"But you're so prett-"

"She said no."

Cassia felt a considerable amount of relief flood through her at the sight of Cedric behind her, staring at the fifth year with annoyance and anger.

"Oh yeah, and why do you care, Diggory?" The fifth year leered at him. "Suddenly got a taste for younger girls?"

"Or maybe I just don't have a taste for creeps who can't take a rejection," Cassia snapped.

"Get out of here," Cedric snarled at him, causing him to look at the boy in anger before stomping off through the snow.

Cedric turned back to Cassia. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Cassia smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, I was coming to meet you, I just got held up."

"It's fine, I understand," Cedric smiled down at her. "But I actually had something to ask you."

Cassia started smiling. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Cedric smiled back at her, his cheeks starting to redden. "And I have this, for you."

He handed Cassia a white rose, and the girl looked down at it in shock. They'd had one conversation about favourite flowers, and he'd remembered?

"Cassia," Cedric smiled down at her, cheeks crimson. "Will you go to the ball with me?"

Cassia grinned up at him, her cheeks red, as well. "Yes."

And with that, Cedric leaned down and pressed another kiss to her cheek, and butterflies spread through her stomach and her cheeks flushed an even deeper red, but she didn't care.

"I'd love to."

Because Cedric was here, and always would be.

And on top of that, he had just made it a lot easier for her to reject people.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Poppy had squealed so loud when Cassia told her that evening what had happened, her best friend thought her ears would implode.

However, the next day was a Hogsmeade trip, which meant one thing for both girls and boys. Shopping.

Everyone from fourth to seventh year swarmed into the village, buying ballgowns, dress robes, accessories and more. Cassia and Poppy were lucky enough to arrive pretty early, meaning the best dress shop was relatively empty.

"Ahhhh, I'm so excited!" Poppy grinned into Cassia's shoulder as they looked for dresses in the shop. "These are gorgeous..."

"So are we," Cassia joked, causing Poppy to giggle hard.

Eventually, after much laughter and hilarity, each girl had four dress options picked out, and they headed to the fitting rooms.

They were big enough that the two girls and their dresses could fit, so they both just went into one.

"You first," Poppy told Cassia, sitting down.

"Okay," the girl smiled, getting her first dress and beginning to change into it. Whilst she was doing it, she asked Poppy. "So... who are you planning on going with?"

Poppy shook her head. "I have no clue, Cass. All I know is that I will not be going alone."

"So what are you planning on doing?" Cassia raised her eyebrows.

Poppy shrugged. "Having you ditch Cedric and go with your proper true love?"

Cassia chuckled. "Can you zip me up?"

"Yeah, but that is not the dress for you, Cass, it doesn't match anything..."

Ironically, it took Cassia trying on all the dresses she had picked to get the right one for her. But once she did, it was abundantly clear.

"Oh my fucking god, Cass!" Poppy said when she saw her. "Cedric is going to faint when he sees you in this!"

"So it's official?" Cassia asked, turning to look in the mirror. "This is the dress?"

And it was. It truly, clearly was.

The dress was beautiful. It was a lovely light green, with a satin skirt and sheer of the same colour over the top with little flowers embroidered all over. The top was spaghetti straped and a criss cross back. And Cassia loved it all.

"Yes, Cass!" Poppy said, grinning, practically tearing up at how happy she was for her best friend. "Now get out the way and let me try!"

Cassia laughed, quickly taking off the dress and changing back into her winter robes, sitting down in the seat Poppy had previously been in to watch her best friend try on her dresses.

Poppy was luckier than her. Though she tried on all the dresses, the best one for her was the first one. It was purple and lacy and strapless with a corset top and it looked fucking hot on her.

"I might have to ditch Cedric if you're gonna wear that," Cassia had joked.

"Shut up, Cass, you'll make me blush!" Poppy giggled, saying as an afterthought. "We're probably gonna have to tell the shop owners that we're both straight so they don't start to assume things about us."

Cassia dissolved into laughter at this as Poppy changed out her dress.

Soon, both of them were at the cash register, paying for their dresses. Actually paying for it made Cassia beyond excited. This would be the first ball she'd ever been to.

Her mother and father used to go to ministry balls when she was younger, and sometimes Draco was granted permission to come, but never her. Cassia had always dreamed of what it would be like, so to actually experience one... she was gonna go crazy.

After they left the dress shop, dresses safely packed away into bags, the two girls headed to The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer before heading back up to Hogwarts with everyone else.

Cassia and Poppy, arms linked together, both slightly tipsy from the butterbeer, laughed the whole way back, over a variety of different things.

Cassia didn't say it at that point.

But she made a mental note to thank Poppy for how amazing she was, and how loving.

Even to someone like her.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

The next day brought the news that still, neither Harry nor Ron had managed to get a date.

Poppy had, though.

A very flustered Neville Longbottom had asked her in the common room last night, his face red, stumbling over his words. Poppy had thought the whole thing was absolutely adorable and had accepted right away, causing Neville to almost faint right there and then. Cassia had been a witness to the whole thing, and she had to admit that it had been very cute, but not as cute as her and Cedric's, of course.

But anyway, the next day, as she and Poppy sat opposite Harry, Ron and Hermione in the great hall, the topic of Harry and Ron's single problem was brought up.

They were supposed to be finishing their Christmas homework. That's why everyone from fourth to seventh year was sat at their house table doing it, but instead, they were chatting about the ball.

"This is mad," Ron hissed to Harry. "At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates."

Snape, who was patrolling up and down the hall, was quick to shove Ron's head down over his homework the second he noticed him talking.

Cassia concealed a snort as a cough.

As Snape walked off, Ron chuckled to Harry. "Well, us and Neville."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, but then again, he can take himself-"

"He's taking Poppy," Cassia said in a harsh tone, looking up at the two of them. "And you can both fuck off, he's more of a gentleman than you two put together."

"Urgh..." Ron looked down. "Now I'm really depressed."

It was that moment that Fred slid his brother a note. Cassia couldn't see it but she heard it as Ron muttered. " 'Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone', who are you taking?" He hissed at Fred, shoving the note back to him.

In answer, the boy scrunched up the parchment and threw it at Angelina Johnson, a girl on the Gryffindor quidditch team. She turned, frowning as Fred mimed out 'will you go to the dance with me?'.

Cassia rolled her eyes. What sort of romance was that?

However, Angelina seemed to like it, because she smiled slightly and nodded.

Fred turned and winked at Ron.

Ron who was looking at- Hermione?

Then he said. "Hermione... you're a girl."

"Oh fuck off," Cassia muttered. "You mean it's taken you this long-?"

"Yeah, well spotted," Hermione hissed venemously.

"Come with one of us-? Urgh!" Ron grunted as Snape hit him on the back of the head with his book, then Harry, who was doing a poor job wat coveting his laughter.

When he left again, though, Ron just sighed. "Come on, it's one thing for a bloke to show up alone, but for a girl it's just sad."

Cassia and Poppy just stared at him in disbelief.

But Hermione had this. "I won't be going alone because believe it or not, someone's asked me!"

She got up of the bench with her work, stalked up to Snape and gave him her book before marching back to the table and telling them. "And I said yes!"

Then she was out the hall, before anyone could say anything else.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered once she was gone, turning to Harry. "She's lying, right?"

"Ron, stop being such a prick," Cassia snapped. "She's been asked, she's not open for you. Get. Over. It."

Ron looked from Cassia to Harry, as if he was waiting for his best friend to stand up for him. However, when Harry didn't, he just hissed. "Look, we've just gotta grit our teeth and do it. Tonight, when we get back to the common room, we'll both have partners, got it?"

"Got it."

Cassia and Poppy saw Snape preparing himself, but didn't say anything, because what was the fun in that?

"Urgh!"

So when Harry and Ron got their heads shoved down get again, she and Poppy had to shove their own down in order to stop themselves from laughing.

It was funny to see them get what they deserved.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

That night, Cassia sat with her legs in Poppy's lap on the sofa as she read her book by the light of the fire. Well, that was until Potter came in, his head hung low, looking so down she didn't have it in her to take the piss out of him.

"What's wrong with you?" Cassia frowned, sitting up to give him a space on the sofa.

Harry didn't answer her, sitting down beside her and looking into the fire.

"Um, hello, Potter, you there?" Cassia waved her hand in front of his face and he batted it away.

"Yes, Cassia, I'm here," he rolled his eyes. "What?"

"What's happened?" Poppy frowned at him.

Harry sighed. "Just got turned down."

"What? Someone turned you down?" Cassia chuckled. "From what I've heard, you've had quite a lot of offers, you've just not taken any."

"Well, that's true, but this is different," Harry sighed. "I asked Cho and... she's going with Malfoy."

"Hold on, what?" Cassia demanded. "My brother managed to get Cho Chang to be his date?"

"I thought Draco'd go with Pansy," Poppy shrugged. "She's been mooning over him since first year, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, that's probably why Draco didn't ask her," Cassia rolled her eyes. "She's annoying as fuck."

"But regardless, Malfoy's going with Cho, so I can't," Harry looked down. "And if I had just asked her sooner-"

"Do you want me to punch Draco again?" Cassia offered. "I would."

Harry smiled weakly. "Thanks, Cassia, but I'll p-"

"It's okay, Ron, it'll be fine..."

"It was just that moment, it's gone now..."

Cassia, Poppy and Harry, all very confused, turned to see Ginny and a few other girls holding a very subdued Ron, who looked pale as hell and crazed. Hermione had also entered the room, rushing in after them.

Ron had certainly changed his tune since that afternoon, Cassia noticed.

The girls sat Ron down and gathered round him, Cassia, Poppy and Harry joining them.

"What's happening?"

"He just asked Fleur Delacour out," Ginny informed them.

"What?!" Cassia and Poppy started to laugh, shocked but amused. Hermione, who had also said that with them, just stood there.

"What did she say?" Harry chose to ask.

"No, of course!" Hermione said matter of fairly, but when Ron gave a slight groan and shook his head, she covered her mouth. "She said yes?!"

"Of course not," Ron looked down, like he was going to be sick. "There she was... walking by. You know I like it when they walk... I couldn't help it- it just slipped out!"

"Actually, he sort of screamed at her," Ginny helpfully added. "It was a bit frightening"

Cassia knew it was wrong to laugh when Ron was in his current state, but he was making it very hard not to.

"And what did you do then?" Harry asked.

"What else? I ran for it," Ron was mortified. "I'm not cut out for this, Harry! I don't know what got into me."

"Great, so you're still both dateless," Poppy sighed, standing up. "I mean, at this point you're gonna have to take each othe-"

"Hey, Harry!"

As Parvati and Lavender walked past, giggling like crazy again, Cassia and Poppy exchanged a look.

And as Potter stood up, Cassia realised that he was thinking the same thing.

"Do- do they-?" Harry stuttered.

Poppy smirked, calling. "Parv, Lavender, come back!"

Parvati and Lavender turned, frowning as Poppy called them back.

"What, Poppy?" Parvati raised her eyebrows.

Cassia sighed. "Would you and Lavender go with Harry and Ron to the ball?"

At this, Parvati and Lavender giggled harder and Cassia couldn't help but smile. This was pretty funny.

"I'll go with you, Harry," Parvati said through the laughter, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"Really?" Harry said, smiling. "Th- that's brilliant! What about Lavender?"

Lavender giggled even harder at this and Parvati, also giggling, said. "She's going with Seamus."

"Wait, what about Padma?" Poppy said. "Has she got a date? I haven't spoken to her about it, cause she's in Ravenclaw."

"No, she doesn't," Parvati chuckled.

"Okay, I'll go see her and ask her, see you later," Poppy said, squeezing Parvati's hand before letting her go off with Lavender.

"D'you hear that, Ron?" Poppy clapped the boy's shoulder. "You and Harry are going to the ball with my sisters."

Ron looked up at her, still half dazed.

"Huh?"