"Well, you look cheerful," Hermione said as she came in.

She had left the common room to study in peace.

"... "

Megan was leaning against the wall, her heart thundering in her chest, her face red and hot.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"... Cedric just asked me to the ball," Megan grinned.

"What?!" Hermione dropped her book and hopped off the bed.

"Yeah, just now..."

She told her exactly what had happened.

"I knew it!" Hermione said.

Megan stared.

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, it's clear you like each other."

"I do," Megan corrected. "I'm not sure he does."

"He asked you to the ball, didn't he?"

"Yeah, because I'm not a terrible dancer," she said. "So we don't look like idiots."

"You really think that he's like that?"

"Besides, I'm pretty sure he's more interested in Cho..."

"Why didn't he ask her to the ball, then?" Hermione argued.

"Because she'd already agreed to go with someone else, probably." Megan said.

"He said he'd turned all the others down," Hermione countered.

"Probably so I didn't look like a consolation prize, and because none of the girls who asked him was Cho."

Hermione seemed about to argue again, but before she could answer the other girls came in for bed.

So Megan saw the upcoming arrival of the ball with a little less dread, and the general ambience of her days improved greatly. The badges were found to be a lot more scarce. Megan suspected Cedric and Cho had something to do with it, but she appreciated just the same, and even tried bonding with Cho. She still wasn't sure she and Cedric were going out, or wanted to, but if he'd invited her to the ball, it meant he wasn't going with Cho. She had to admit it was a little odd, but she was too happy that Cedric had invited her to really mind. Malfoy and his many class mates kept pestering them but she didn't care. And most fortunately, no story had been published on Hagrid in the Prophet.

"Didn' seem all tha' interested in magical creatures," he said when they asked him about it just after the last lesson of Care of Magical Creatures of term before heading to lunch. "All she wanted was to hear about Megan. So I told 'er I knew 'er since I got 'er to the Dursleys when she was a little girl, model student, an' all... she didn't seem too pleased, s'matter o' fact."

"Of course not," Megan sighed. "If she keeps writing what a tragic little heroine I am, it'll get boring."

"Yeah, she wants a new angle." Ron said. "She wanted you to say she was a horrible criminal."

"But she's not, why would I go sayin' things like that?" Hagrid said, sounding shocked. "Sounds like a load o' codswallop, if yeh ask me."

"She should have interviewed Snape," Megan said, rolling her eyes. "He'd have done it nicely, I'll bet. "Potter is a disruptive student who shows no respect for authority and has been crossing lines ever since she first stepped into the school..."

Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed.

"Said that, did he?" Hagrid chuckled. "Well, yeh might 'ave bent the odd few rules, Megan, but yeh're all right, in my book."

"Cheers, Hagrid," Megan smiled.

"Are you going to the Yule Ball, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"Might do, jus' ter see Megan opening," he chuckled.

Megan groaned, embarrassed. Hagrid chuckled.

"Who're yeh goin' with?"

"... Cedric." Megan said, flushing (and not because of the cold).

Just then, a snowball hit her in the back, followed by the laughter of the three others.

"I'm going to get you for that!" Megan called, bending over to make a ball herself.

She then threw it, hitting Ron in the chest, who retaliated but she dodged and flicked another one at Harry and then Hermione. They chased each other back to the castle, laughing and throwing snow at each other.

The last week of term was each day more and more boisterous. The Yule Ball was all everyone could think about (girls with impatience, boys with dread). Some lessons were more relaxed than usual, owing mostly to the clear and unbeatable lack of concentration of the students. Flitwick spent a lot of his time discussing Megan's perfect Summoning Charm during the first task. Some of course, were not so lenient. Binns, for example, made them work relentlessly, as did Moody, McGonagall, or Snape, though this didn't really surprise them. Snape was about as likely to let them have games in class as he was to compliment Megan.

"That git..." Ron said, that evening. "Now we have to ruin the last bit of term with revision..."

"Well, not exactly straining yourself, are you?" Hermione said, looking at him make a castle with his pack of Exploding Snap.

"It's Christmas, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione ignored him.

"Megan, have you managed to figure anything out with the egg?" she asked.

"I've tried looking it up in the library," she said, looking up from the antidote list she had been studying for the coming test. "But I haven't had much time to do it."

"Not had time?" Hermione said. "It might take weeks to work out! You'll look like a fool if the others all know the clue and you don't!"

"Leave her alone, Hermione," Ron said. "She's earned a break, she's been studying her eyes out, and attending those dancing classes, and helping the two of us with our homework."

Just then, the twins came up to them.

"Ron, can we borrow Chudley?" Fred asked.

"Sorry, he's on a delivery," he said. "Why?"

"Need to send a letter, of course."

"Who to?"

"None of your business, little brother," Fred said. "So. You guys got dates for the ball?"

"Megan has," Ron said.

"Ron!" Megan protested, going pink.

"Who?"

"... Cedric."

"Ah, I see. Not bad."

"What about you two?" Megan asked, mainly to deflect the attention.

She was sure that they would easily find dates.

"I'm going with Angelina, and who was it you asked, George?"

"Katie."

"Oh, yeah."

The boys looked impressed. Both were pretty and popular.

"Better get a move on or all the good ones will be taken," George said.

"I guess so, yeah."

"Well, better use a school owl, then..." Fred said. "See you around."

He and George headed out.

"Should get a move on, I suppose." Ron said. "Wouldn't want trolls."

"Excuse me?" Hermione said indignantly.

"Yeah... I mean..."

"So you'd rather go with a girl who looks good even if she's foul?" she asked.

"Er... something like that." Ron admitted.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed out.

"Guys, there is more important than looks," Megan said.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you're pretty and going with the popular, good looking boy." Ron said.

Megan flushed, but said nothing.

The Christmas decorations were even more incredible than the previous years. Megan had a suspicion the staff were trying ever harder to impress Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. The suits of armour were singing carols, there were scented candles all around, ribbons and tinsels and the trees were even more beautiful than ever, glittering with multi- coloured, non heated candles with flames that burned different colours. Harry and Ron were determined to have dates, they said that morning. When Hermione came in a little later, having needed to double check her History of Magic homework, Ron seemed to get an idea.

"Hey, Hermione... you're a girl." Ron said thoughtfully.

"Oh, well spotted," Hermione said, bristling.

She hadn't taken his behaviour from the night before very well, and clearly hadn't forgiven him for it.

"You could go with one of us." Ron pressed on, woefully oblivious.

"No, I can't." she said shortly. "I've got a date already."

"Come off it," Ron snorted. "Who'd ask you?"

"Well, clearly, not you!" Hermione said, storming out.

"What's with her?" Ron asked in disbelief.

Megan sighed and shook her head.

"You just insulted her, that's what."

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did." Megan said. "You implied no one would want her but you, and that she was just a fill in, because you don't have any dates. It's hurtful."

"She doesn't either, what's the big deal!" Ron said.

"She does," Megan said. "She told me."

"Who?" they asked together.

"Not up to me to say." Megan said pointedly.