"What do you need Hedwig for?" Ron asked suspiciously. Both twins rolled their eyes.
"George wants to take her to the Yule Ball," Fred deadpanned. "We're sending a letter, you thick git. And no, we're not telling you who. It's none of your business."
Harry wondered if it was anything he might know about. He'd have to ask later.
"Speaking of the Yule Ball, Harry, are you really going with Susan Bones?" Hermione asked curiously. "Yeah," Harry said, shrugging. "Why is it such a big deal?"
"You're a champion," Fred reminded him. "You breathing is a big deal."
"You got a date yet, ickle Ronnikins?" George cooed. Ron's ears went red.
"No," he admitted begrudgingly.
"Better hurry up," Fred advised. "All the good ones will be gone soon."
"Who are you going with?" Ron tried to turn the tables on his brother. Harry rolled his eyes. Had he missed Fred disappearing off with Angelina every other day? "Angelina," Fred replied, grinning.
"You actually got round to asking her, then?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows. Fred kept promising to do it, and then forgetting — too busy snogging, George insisted.
"Oh yeah," Fred realised. He glanced across the common room, where the three chasers were sat by the fire. "Oi, Angelina!" She looked up. "Wanna go to the ball with me?"
"Well that's romantic," Alicia muttered with a roll of her eyes. Katie giggled.
"Yeah, alright then," Angelina agreed, a smile tugging at her lips when she turned back to the other girls. Fred looked back at his brother, smug.
"See? Easy. Hop to it, Ronnie, or you'll have to go solo."
The twins left, no doubt headed to the Owlery, and Ron groaned, leaning back against the arm of the sofa. "I'm doomed," he declared. Harry snorted, sharing a look with Hermione.
"You'll figure it out," was his best attempt at being a supportive friend.
"So is Susan the reason you've been disappearing so much lately?" Hermione asked impishly. Harry looked at her curiously. "Ron said you've been out late a lot." Harry wondered what Ron was doing, to be noticing that. "Is she your secret girlfriend?"
"I don't have a secret girlfriend," Harry groused. "I don't have any sort of girlfriend." He desperately tried to keep the grin off his face. Draco was certainly not a girl, even if Harry did tease him for caring too much about his hair sometimes.
"We won't insisted.
tell
anyone,"
Hermione
"There's nothing to tell," Harry returned. "I don't have a girlfriend. It's none of your business where I go at night."
Hermione drew back, glancing into her lap. Harry wondered if he'd overstepped. "No," she said eventually. "No, I don't suppose we're back to there, yet."
Harry sighed, unsure what to say to her. There were so many landmines in their friendship these days, it was hard to say if it was worth trying to fix.
.-.-.-.
With only two days left of the term, Harry thought he'd be done having to avoid Professor Moody. The man was constantly trying to get him alone, to talk to him about the tournament, or classwork. There was something about him that made Harry's skin crawl, but he was running out of reasons to leave his presence without coming off as outright rude. He didn't want to get a detention over it; then he definitely wouldn't be able to avoid being alone with Moody. He was honestly surprised the man hadn't resorted to that yet.
If it got any worse, Harry was going to have to start keeping the map out at all times just to avoid the man. The only reason he didn't already was because he didn't want that magical eye catching sight of it. Dumbledore didn't know about the Marauder's Map, and Harry definitely wanted to keep it that way. At least the castle seemed to be on his side; staircases changing right when he needed them to, passageways that he was pretty sure hadn't existed five minutes before he needed them. Hogwarts was definitely trying to look after the Slytherin heir. Hearing the familiar thunk-thunk of the man's wooden leg on the tile, Harry ducked into a passageway behind a false wall, cursing under his breath. The man was determined, he'd give him that!
.-.-.
At last, classes were over. Annoyingly, Snape was one of the only teachers who hadn't given up trying to actually teach the distracted students, setting a quiz on antidotes for the very last lesson. Harry had spent his whole detention after the Wand Weighing catching up on antidotes privately with Snape, though, so it was easy enough. He hurried out of the dungeons as soon as Snape dismissed them, wanting to get an order out to Flourish and Blotts before they closed for the weekend, having had the perfect idea for Remus' Christmas present. He hoped Hedwig was back from wherever the twins had sent her.
When he eventually got to the common room, after a detour to the kitchens for food — where apparently both Dobby and Winky had been hired? Who knew he entered only to find Ron sat in a chair looking like he was about to be sick, Ginny hovering over him. The youngest Weasley seemed to be trying really hard not to laugh.
"What's the matter with him?" he asked. Ginny glanced up at him and smirked.
"He asked Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball." Harry gaped. "He what?"
"I don't know why," Ron moaned. "What was I thinking? She was just stood there, talking to her friends — there were so many people watching — but I'd heard she didn't have a date and I just— it just happened!"
Ginny pat his arm sympathetically, biting her lip so hard Harry thought it might bleed. He sucked in his cheeks to stop from grinning.
"You'll find someone," he encouraged.
"What if I don't?" Ron's voice was full of despair. "I'll be the only one in our year without a date!" Was that really true? Harry was impressed at everyone's ability to pair up. "Except Neville, of course."
"Neville's got a date," Harry piped up, glancing at Ginny curiously. Hadn't she told him?
"What?" Ron groaned loudly. "Great! Just great. Even bloody Neville's going with someone, and I'm not. Who'd go with him, anyway?"
"Me." Ginny's ears were red, but it was with fury more than embarrassment. Harry was glad he wasn't the only one wanting to smack Ron for talking about Neville like that. "I'm going with Neville."
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