"Honestly, you two! Why don't you just go together?" Hemione demanded.
"What! Me and Ron?" Harry asked.
"Me? Go with Harry!" Ron spluttered. "But we can't do that! That's gay!"
"Ronald! What if Viktor Krum asked you, would you mind then?"
"That's different," Ron said immediately. "Krum is a Quidditch player. He's fit. Everyone would be jealous of me, it wouldn't be gay at all."
"Harry plays Quidditch," Luna noted.
Ron pondered that, spinning around in his seat to eye Harry.
"Hang on, excuse me! What the hell is this conversation?" he complained. "I am not a piece of meat!"
"Harry snores too much. And he's scrawny. He's not fit." Ron decided. Neville nodded. Harry threw his hands in the air. For some reason, he found that very offensive.
"I guess we'll both have no one to go with!" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh fine. I guess. You're not ugly."
"Ron!"
"What! I have a reputation to uphold. I'm Hogwarts' top contender for the dueling competition, didn't you know, Hermione?"
"You could have easily gotten a date if you weren't such an arse," Hermione huffed and stormed off.
"You know, she's got a point. Girls are weird. Fuck that! We'll go together. Less drama." Ron announced. Luna gave him an equally offended look and took off after Hermione. Neville glanced between the two groups with very wide eyes before he muttered something under his breath and fled after the girls. "Well, are you in or what?" Ron asked, helping himself without worry to the leftovers on Luna's plate.
"Wow, thank you for the kind offer, Ron. I feel real special."
...
Harry wished he was back with the dragon. He would have paid good money to set one loose in the stuffy, awkward environment that was the Yule Ball. Ron's face was affixed with a scowl as they waited beside the other champions for the first dance to begin. Hermione had been asked to the ball by Viktor, and the glare that Ron kept on the pair was filling Harry with a very heavy bout of dread.
They were all huddled together for a group photo, and Harry elbowed Ron to smile.
Luckily, at least, Ron's awful dress robes had been gleefully lit on fire. Molly had gifted Ron a new set of robes shortly after his first duel because, as she had said, they all expected him to win, and he would need something nice to wear when he collected his award. The pleased tint to Ron's cheeks as he accepted the box had been about the only positive thing to come out of this terrible endeavor.
His new robes were new and not remotely dorky and were a simple ensemble in a charming shade of navy that contrasted nicely with his hair and skin tone. Harry, meanwhile, was dressed in a bizarre Pride and Prejudice type thing with a cravat and buttons and lapels in a demented sort of three-piece suit that he kept mostly hidden under his formal cape and yeah, he was regretting allowing Sirius to pick out his outfit. Fancy was certainly a word one could use, but ridiculous was also one. It was similar to what most other people were wearing, at least. But ridiculous nonetheless. He looked like a spirit, summoned through time in lacy funeral garb, and he felt very silly.
And then came the realization that both boys had completely skivved off the dancing lessons. They settled for an odd sort of shuffle as they stepped on the other's toes. Harry let out a groan as he realized two of his dear friends had abandoned him to make doe eyes at Viktor Krum.
He looked around the room to find everyone was staring at them, watching the dance in silence, so he focused instead on Ron's collar and begged the musicians to play the song faster.
Ron stepped on his foot again and Harry bit back a wince. The string quartet gave one last gentle note and everyone watching the performance clapped. As the dance floor was flooded with other students, Harry and Ron released their clasped sweaty palms and retreated to the punch bowl. They watched Hermione twirl around the dance floor in her pale pink robes. Luna and Neville were nearby, doing a strange wiggling dance that was earning them a lot of stares, but both were laughing. Neville had crafted a corsage of wild plants that stood out against Luna's honey-toned dress. She and Hermione had thought it was incredibly sweet, and Harry was jealous that Neville knew how to be charming and somehow look comfortable in his own Edwardian-era formal attire.
Ron was a good friend, but he was not a good date. Harry was very neglected sitting in the corner while Ron shoved his face with tiny cakes, fuming under his breath and staring down Hermione and Viktor. Resigned to a night of people-watching, Harry downed a few cups of the rather bitter-tasting punch as the slow formal string music was replaced with more energetic pop. The crowd screamed and danced and Harry chugged another cup of the unfortunately alcohol-free punch as he enviously watched.
.....
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