"Alright, third years, you're in charge of snacks for the ball," McGonagall announced, walking in front of them.

Brady and Victoire were in the back, wanting to beat everyone out when McGonagall released them.

McGonagall put her hands at her sides, heels clicking against the stone floor as she paced in front of the class.

"The End-of-the-Year Ball is a new tradition. My fellow professors and I decided that you all need something to... strengthen the bonds between houses."

Brady and Victoire exchanged a look, both of them thinking the same thing. They're trying to prevent another war.

"Aright then. I suppose you all are free to go," McGonagall stated, looking over her spectacles to the students.

Brady and Victoire rushed out, going out of the castle and out to the courtyard.

"You don't think Marvello is going to try something, do you?" Victoire asked Brady in a hushed whisper as they walked.

Brady looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Let's find the rest of the Fighters."
——
"What do you two need?" James sighed, crossing his arms.

Callie was leaning against the wall of the Room of Requirement, while Teddy was near the fireplace.

"You've heard about the ball, right?" Brady started, leaning forward in his chair, strawberry blonde locks falling into his face.

"Yeah," Teddy said bitterly, glancing at Callie. His hair was turning bright red, no matter how he tried to stop it.

Callie rolled her sapphire eyes, not even looking at Teddy.

Victoire looked at the floor awkwardly. They were in the middle of a fight when she found them. Victoire allowed her long, silvery hair to hide her face.

"Well, wouldn't it be an opportune moment for Marvello to try something? All five of us in the same room on the same night?" Brady asked, looking between Callie and Teddy, seemingly not noticing the tension between the two.

Teddy straightened, glancing at Callie. They may be fighting, but there's no way in hell he's letting anything happen to the love of his life.

"You're right, Brady. What do you think we should do?"

"What can we do?" Victoire responded, looking up.

James smirked. "Let him come. It'll be our chance to kill him once and for all."

Callie snorted. "You think that five teenagers have a chance against him? The oldest of us are me and Edward. James, you're just a first year. Brady, Victoire, you're third years. It's too dangerous."

Teddy laughed dryly. "We don't have a choice, do we? We have to let him come."

Callie turned towards him, throwing her hands up. "Are you really telling me that we should let our family be put in danger?" She shrieked.

"They can handle it. Have you forgotten who our parents are?"

"No. I'm not letting them be put in danger. If we let him come, they're staying in here all night."

"Why are you being so dramatic? It's not like they're normal teenagers! We're magical! We've lived in danger all our lives!"

Callie glared at him. "This discussion is over. They're either not attending the ball, or we put up enchantments."

The younger three shuffled out awkwardly. They didn't want to be present for the rest of this fight, as it would surely piss Teddy off that Callie had told him that the discussion was over.

Callie let a tear slip down her cheek as she slid down the wall.

Teddy's hair changed to brown, the color it went to whenever he was feeling guilty.

He made his way over to her, squatting in front of her. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"No, you're right," she said blankly, letting another tear fall down her cheek.

Teddy reached up and brushed it away. "You weren't being dramatic. I was."

Callie smiled sadly. "How are we ever gonna work? We fight over the most stupid things! We were fighting over the ball earlier!"

Teddy's face contorted in anguish. "Don't say that. I'm in love with you, Cals."

"But it's true! How many times have we argued over the past fifteen months, Ted?" She let more tears fall as she said this.

"It's who we are, Cals! How many times did we argue in the fifteen years before we were a couple?"

She smiled sadly and put a hand on his cheek. "And how much pain have I caused you? I'm sorry, Ted. This is the last time I'll ever hurt you; We're through."

She stood up and slid past him, walking out and wiping her cheeks as she opened the door.

She paused before continuing out.

Teddy stayed frozen where he was. Did he hear that right? Did she really just say that? He broke down, sobbing as he turned and sat against the wall.

Callie did the same, wandering aimlessly around the halls. She didn't even attempt to stop the tears. It would be pointless to try.
——
"You ready to go get our dresses for the ball?" Victoire asked Callie, who was still curled up in bed.

Victoire exchanged a glance with Leah, Callie's best friend. Leah had let Victoire into the Gryffindor common room this morning.

It had been two weeks since Callie had made the worst mistake of her life. She had barely gotten out of bed. She only did to go to classes. She didn't attend the Fighters meetings.

"C'mon, Callie. You're going to need to go to protect us, remember?"

Leah gave Victoire a confused look, which Victoire ignored.

Callie's black cat, Stone, hopped up onto her bed and curled into her side.

Stone, whose green eyes were staring into her human's, purred. Callie sighed and reached a hand out from under the blankets to pet her. Stone seemed to be telling Callie that Victoire was right.

"Okay," Callie said, her voice hoarse from underuse.

She got out of bed, grabbing a random shirt and shorts from her trunk. She went to the bathroom and changed, slipping on her orange Converse before walking out to join the others. The shirt was a dark grey one with the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes logo on it.

She had put her hair up in a messy bun, with strands falling out to frame her face. She slipped on her large-framed glasses, as she didn't want to put her contacts in.

Victoire and Leah led the way downstairs. Callie suddenly feared that Teddy was in the common room, causing her to bite her nails, which was a bad habit of hers.

Sure enough, Teddy was in the oversized chair in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames despite the June heat.

Callie ignored him, no matter how much her heart ached to go over to him.

Teddy was replaying every memory of her.

Everyone in their family had expected him to be put into Hufflepuff. He knew Callie would be put in Gryffindor and he didn't want to be in a different house than her.

"Lupin, Edward!"

Teddy nervously made his way up to the stool, glancing back at Callie as he did so.

She gave him a thumbs up.

He let McGonagall put the hat on his head.

"Hmmm... interesting. You would do well in Hufflepuff. What's this? You want to be in Gryffindor?"

"Please. I don't want to be separated from my best friend. Please put me in Gryffindor."

"Well, you do possess many Gryffindor qualities. Are you sure that is what you want?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

"GRYFFINDOR!"