I was positively furious. How could Alex do that to Zo?! If I had my way, he'd be dead at my feet already, the little-

"Lyssa!" I heard Nadia's voice. I was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, so apparently someone had let her in.

"Hi Naddie," I replied.

"Hi Lys- Why is your quill broken...?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Nothing." In reality I had been thinking about what I was going to do to that son of a snitch.

  "Well," she continued. "We need to cheer Zo up. She's moping around. Besides, the Ball is in three days-"

  "WHAT?"

  "Lyssa, can't you count?"

  I scoffed. "Ugh. Well I guess we have to start getting ready! I don't even have a dress man! Can't I just wear sweats?" (Hiya: EXACTLY! Raf; Heck yeah!!!)

Nadia looked horrified. "Lyssa!" She gasped. "You can't !"

"But-"

"I don't want to either," she sighed. "But it has to be done. C'mon- let's go off to Hogsmeade."

***

  After three hours, I was finally finished with the excruciating torture otherwise known as dress shopping. Nadia and Zoey, who had also been tagged along, had chosen gorgeous dresses. Mine was pretty, but I still did not want to wear it. I'd rather show up in sweats. 

   Three days wasn't very much time, and before I knew it, the day of the Ball was upon us. 

***

  "Fine, Zo," I huffed, as the Slytherin pushed me away. I had been trying to do her makeup. I mean, I was forced into this dress, so it was only fair. I then moved over to the mirror in my dormitory, which we were all using to get ready, and lazily combed my hair. I didn't have the skill or patience to style it. 

  Naddie had other ideas. 

  "Are you done yet?" I cried in pain as Nadia pulled at my hair. 

 "Now I am." I looked in the mirror to see my platinum blonde waves fashioned in a beautiful half-up-half-down style. Nadia truly had a talent. 

 "I hate it," I lied, though I'm sure Nadia caught the smirk I was trying to hide. 

"Well then," Zoey groaned. "If you two girlies are finished, we have a Ball to attend."