▬▬ thirteen; the yule ball.
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LAUREN DIGGORY ALWAYS remained her kind self. She used her social skills to lift people up and hated to see someone else the slightest upset, but she never let anyone look down on her or mistake her pure heart for being weak. So when she heard about Harry and Ron's decision of dates she became angry, but she held it inside her shut mouth and stern eyes.

Taking a deep breath before she asked, "who am I going with then?"

The boys felt bad for leaving their friend alone while they were going with the Patil twins. She had nothing personally against them, sure she found them annoying sometimes but she always smiled at them and worked well with them when paired in classes.

"I thought, uh—" Harry asked nervously. He gave her a glance pointing to the red-haired boy like he wanted to say something, but Ronald wasn't to hear it as well. She understood what he was trying to say and sighed loudly,

"We're not even speaking, he's the last person to ask me to the ball."

"Who?" Asked Ron.

Just then Hermione stepped into the room and gave her a best friend a sympathetic smile, "You can go with me and my date. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"No, I'm not ruining your night," said Lauren and then looked at the boys, "And I'm sorry, it's not your fault."

"Who is your date again?" Asked Ron.

Her face expression changed and she stared firmly at him, "shut it, Ron! Now, Lauren, let's go find you a date!" The girl dragged Lauren out of the common room—leaving two confused and awkward boys behind.

"Who was Harry talking about?" Asked Hermione as soon as they reached a quieter hall of the castle.

"No one, really."

"Oh, don't be so rude. We always tell each other everything," pleaded Hermione but Lauren raised an eyebrow and chuckled,

"says the girl who won't tell anyone who she's going to the ball with!"

"Alright," she said giggling. "Oh, I bet Seamus hasn't got a date!"

—

"No, come on 'Mione. You look stunning!" Lauren gently knocked on the bathroom door that her friend had run through and locked behind her as soon as she had got into her dress. "It's only me."

The door went open again and Hermione wore a shy smile as she stepped out. Lauren smiled widely as she looked at the girl with a beautiful pink dress, and her hair well done in a slightly loose bun. She really was beautiful.

"But look at you, you are so beautiful," gasped Hermione as she for the first time saw Lauren in her dress, in any dress at all. It was light blue and shimmered under the candlelight in their chamber. Her smooth back was being revealed under the lacing pattern. She didn't feel very comfortable showing so much of herself, but she felt beautiful at the same time—and she wanted people to see her as beautiful, if only for tonight.

"I'm still not sure about this. It will look so sad when I enter without a date," she groaned as she sat back on the couch. They asked Seamus yesterday, but he declined and looked frightened—as if someone was holding a knife to his throat making sure he didn't say yes. And after that Lauren quickly went back to the girls' chambers and laid down in bed.

"Lauren Diana Diggory, up with you! We are going down there, and we're going to have so much fun!"

"I never thought I'd see you like this. So ready to party." The girls laughed and then continued getting ready before they could hear the chatter and music get louder and louder, coming from the Great Hall. Lauren turned around, "you ready?"

Hermione inhaled and then nodded, linking arms with her friend, "I think so."

—

Ron and Padma walked inside the hall, she wasn't very pleased with leaving her sister to go with an ugly dressed boy. Harry remained outside with Parvati waiting to go inside with the other champions to do the first dance, but McGonagall's voice was interrupted with students admiring voices as the two Gryffindor girls walked down the stairs; giggling and smiling.

Viktor Krum walked up to them and smiled at them both before placing a gentle kiss on Hermione's hand and then walking to the corner where the others stood. Lauren, who didn't have anyone supposed to come to greet her, gave Harry a wide smile before walking inside the hall.

The walls were now covered in white snow, and from the roof dangled magical crystal chandeliers. The tables were beautifully decorated with ice sculptures and luxurious food. The walls had been 'painted' with white shimmering white, it was like walking into a winter paradise except it was warm.

A familiar song to the ones they had been practising to was playing, and everyone was keeping the doorway clear. She walked up to Ron and Padma, not saying anything just standing beside them to look less lonely. Her eyes drifted around the students dressed in colourful dresses and black robes before her eyes locked with Draco before he quickly looked away. Her gaze then looked down at the floor as she tried to think about something else then her desperate want to be the one holding hands with Draco Malfoy.

Who thought she could ever feel so much about a friend she only knew in the shadows?

As the champions came inside everyone clapped their hands and just watched them dance. Except for Draco Malfoy. He stole many glances at the girl with brown wavy hair opposite the dance floor, he couldn't help himself. She was, without any doubt, the most beautiful girl in the room and the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He loved the way she seemed so confident in her dress that revealed so much skin, and her hair resting on her bare shoulders. Just by looking at her, he could remember how she smelled like flowers.

And his focus remained on Lauren for the rest of the night, even when he was dancing with the Slytherin girl he had asked to go with him, Sophia Suñer. And a smart girl like her noticed it quickly—but not like someone else would've done, she gave him a smile and explained, "I'll go find something that wants to dance with me now. I hope you find some courage and aks out the girl you really want to dance with"

"I'm sorry, Sophia," he said ashamed. She nodded before walking into the crowd again.

He quickly left the dance floor and sat down, making it look like he was busy with something while he studied the girl he dreamed about. She was laughing with Hermione Granger and Viktor Krum for a while, before dancing around with Fred Weasley. He sighed and got up, knowing that he would never be able to walk forward and dance with her. She would never want him to do that.

—

It didn't take much time before Ron and Harry sat down by a table with their dates while everyone else danced. And even when the hall emptied out and the girls walked away from the couples slowly dancing close to each other, they remained by that table—but now the Patil twins had left.

Lauren joined the boys while Hermione and Viktor talked, and then he went to get drinks while she joined her friends. She seemed out of breath and couldn't get rid of the wide grin on her face, "hot, isn't it? Viktor's gone to get drinks, would you care to join us?"

Ronald on the other side had a jealous face but tried to cover it up with a rude tone, "No, we'd not care to join you and Viktor."

She looked offended and nervous, Lauren did know that the girl didn't want to fight with him. She leaned slightly forward and asked him, "What's got your wand in a knot?"

"He's a Durmstrang. You're fraternizing with the enemy," he said.

"The enemy?" She exclaimed. "Who was it wanting his autograph? Besides, the whole point of the tournament. . . is international magical cooperation. . . to make friends."

"l think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind," mumbled Ron.

She stood up and took a step away, preparing to say something but stopped herself and walked over to Krum instead. Lauren looked at him disappointed and told him, "you go apologize or I'll smash your bloody head into the table."

He ignored her and scuffed, "it's the truth."

"Are you going to ask me to dance or not?" Interrupted a bored Patil sister.

He barely met her eyes and muttered, "not."

—

"He's using you."

"How dare you?! Besides, l can take care of myself." Lauren just listened to her friends arguing as she and Harry came back from their walk outside. She was really upset, and Lauren knew better than trying to calm her down.

"l doubt it. He's way too old."

"What?! What? That's what you think?"

"Yeah, that's what l think."

"You know the solution then, don't you?"

"Go on."

"Next time there's a ball. . . pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does! And not as a last resort."

"Well, that's— l mean, that's just completely off the point."

"Where have you been?" She asked as she noticed them, but before they could respond she cut them off, "Never mind! Off to bed, all of you!"

"They get scary when they get older," said Ron as he and Harry walked up the stairs.

"Ron, you spoiled everything!" She shouted after them, taking off her shoes and sitting down.

Lauren approached her but was quickly waved away, "I wanna be alone, Laure, but thank you."

She nodded, "I'll meet you in the chambers later."

—

All music had died out now as she sat in the Astronomy Tower, and not the old one but the new one—she didn't want to remind herself about the close friend she had lost. She dangled her feet over the edge of the balcony and looked out on the black sky filled with white dots. The only sound up here was her own slow breathing and the sound of her fingernails tapping against the metal floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry— I, I didn't know someone was up here." She quickly turned around as the familiar voice had jumped and broken the silence. He stood awkwardly a few feet away from her, looking between her eyes and the door.

"I should go," he said and walked to the door.

And for some reason, she raised her voice and said, "you don't have to."

And for some reason, he turned around and nodded, "I don't want to either."

It was awkward, but there was no anger left between them now. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his neat black dress robe, shifting between one foot to the other. She turned around again, ignoring his presence and looked at the stars again.

After a lot of hesitation and walked forward and sat down beside her, but not too close. She met his eyes but looked away before all emotions came out as waterfalls from her eyes.

He nervously played with his hands as he said, "you look pretty."

She remained silent as she looked down at the school ground underneath them. She wasn't sure how to respond, and sure he knew that because he instead continued saying, "I'm sorry."

Lauren looked up at him with a frown, "for what? I was the one being too kind," she spoke with sarcasm and sadness.

He sighed, he needed to tell the truth. And he needed to tell her now before he pushed her even further away. As tears left his eyes her expression changed into worry, she placed a hand on his shoulder as his glassy eyes met hers. "I went to the tower when I ditched the game because I was freaking out. My father, he told me to do something and I really didn't want to do it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know—"

"But you should know, I should've told you then but I. . ." He tried to hold back his sobbing but he couldn't, "I'm too scared. He'll be so mad at me if I don't do what he says."

"What did he tell you to do?"

Another silence passed before he gathered himself and explained, "he told me to stay away from you."

Wrinkles appeared between her eyebrows as she asked, "why?"

"I don't know. . . It doesn't matter. I can't stay away from you, I tried, and I thought being mean to you would make it easier but I just can't stay sane without you."

She smiled faintly, he adored her smile so much, "it's fine. I'm just happy you're here now." Somehow her hand had moved from his back to his hand, and their fingers intertwined as if it was the most normal thing that could happen. "I missed you."

His other hand reached up to stroke her cheek gently as he admired all her features, and she had missed his. "I missed you too."

She was confused about what he was doing, but she knew the way she looked at him had changed. She looked at him like he was her world, but what she couldn't see was the way he thought of her; he thought of her all the time because he adored her so much.

They broke away when they became aware of how close they were. It was too soon. So she went back to focus on the view. The sky was filled with sparkling stars, but he was looking at her. Just like it used to be, only she was too drowned in anxiety these days that she couldn't see it.

▬▬ author's note ▬▬

A long chapter today, you're welcome!

[ last updated: 24/11/20 ]
Stay tuned, thank you! <3