(I recommend listening to I Wish by One Direction when the ball scene comes up!)

I didn't have a very clear idea of how I had managed to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel and into the castle once more. All I knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that I hardly noticed what I was doing, because my head was still pounding with the conversation I had just heard.

Why had nobody ever told me? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr Weasley, Cornelius Fudge...why hasn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that my parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them?

Everyone watched Harry and I nervously in the Great Hall, not daring to talk about what we'd just overheard, because Percy was sitting close by us.

Fred and George set off half a dozen Dungbombs in the common room in a fit of end-of-term spirits. But Harry and I sneaked up to his dorm and found the photo album Hagrid had given us of our parents.

We stopped on a picture of our parents' wedding day. There was our father waving up at us, beaming, the untidy black hair we had both inherited standing up in all directions. There was our mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with our dad. And there...that must be him. Their best man...I had never given him a thought before.

If I hadn't known it was the same person, I would never have guessed it was Black in this old photograph. His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. Had he already been working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? No, no he couldn't - Hagrid had said that once someone goes to the dark side, nothing and no one matters to them any more. He looks so HAPPY in this photo...

Harry and I looked at each other simultaneously. 

'Did he know that -...' Harry sent to me.

'I don't know. I don't know.' I sent back.

~~~

"Twins, you - you look terrible." 

"Thanks." I said dully, flopping down next to Terry, who had obviously sneaked up.

Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Amy, Suzanne, Shannon, and Draco were lounging around the common room, as it was the first day of the holidays.

"You really don't look well, you know. Go see a doctor." Terry made a lame-ass attempt at a joke.

"I'm fine." I said, looking at my lap. Terry obviously sussed out that I wasn't and dragged me onto his lap. Then, of course, we snogged.

"Guys, listen." Shannon said, exchanging looks with everyone else. "You must be really upset about what you heard yesterday - those peeps told us -" she pointed at the Insurgents, Draco, Ron and Hermione, "But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" Harry said.

"Like trying to go after Black, you idiots." Fred said sharply.

"You won't, will you, Daisy and Harry?" Hermione said.

"Because Black's not worth dying for." George said.

"D'you know what I hear every time a Dementor gets too near me - and Harry, too? Yes, I hear Tom Riddle, that Muggle, Floppy - and my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her -"

"There's nothing you can do, mate." Amy said. "The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and - and serve him right!"

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. He's perfectly sane compared to the other prisoners in there. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" Fred said, looking excited. "You want to kill Black or something? Cool, let's go now - Bushy - Hopper -"

"Don't be silly." Suzanne said in a panicky voice. "The twins don't want to kill anyone, do you?"

I don't know.

~~~

On Christmas morning, I was woken by Terry (who had sneaked into our dorm to use Lee's bed, seeing as he went home for the holidays, and no one else in Terry's dorm was staying) throwing his pillow at me.

"Oy! Presents!" 

The twins and Terry were already ripping the paper off their own presents.

I opened all mine (I got, like, a hundred), and I finally arrived at the last one.

It was a long, thin, suspiciously broomstick-shaped parcel.

I held the package carefully in my hands and started gently tearing the paper off. A - a fucking FIREBOLT dropped out.

I made a started, strangled noise and stared at the piece of heaven in front of me. This must be a dream. This isn't real...

"Wow..." Fred whistled as he noticed it. Terry and George looked up and saw it too.

George gasped.

"Oh-my-fucking-Godric-is-that-what-I-think-it-is?!" Terry screamed.

It was perfect. The mahogany wood was smooth and shiny, the tail-end was perfectly clipped, there was a registration number and all on it!

"Can - can I see it?" George whispered as Fred looked to be fainting with excitement and Terry was jumping up and down, screaming about the Firebolt and its perfections and perks.

I passed the perfection to George, and he gently spun it in his hands, looking awed. Fred then grabbed it off him and examined it, his eyes wide. Terry then snatched it, holding it as though it was made of glass.

He then passed it back to me, and I swung a leg over it. I tugged it upwards slightly, and it followed my exact command. This is AMAZING.

"Open the window!" I yelled, laughing, and Terry wrenched the window open. I zoomed out of Gryffindor Tower, and over the school. I soared around the Tower and over the Forest. It was perfect, it was such an easy ride, and it felt so smooth. It responded to each command immediately. I gestured to the Insurgents from hovering a hundred feet from the ground beside the Tower.

They each snatched their brooms and dove out the window. We chased each other around on them and dive-bombed each other as we pretended to fall off.

I heard shouting from a window in Gryffindor Tower. I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione leaning out of the window, Harry looking annoyed, Ron laughing and looking at my broom in admiration, and Hermione, panicked and yelling.

"What's wrong with you, Mynee?" I sniggered, curving to a halt in front of the window.

"Did it say who it was sent from?" She called.

"No." I frowned. "Why?" 

"Because it may have been sent from Sirius Black!"

I burst out laughing, the rest of the Insurgents with me.

"No, knowing Daisy Potter, it would probably be from Draco Malfoy, 'cause he's her secret admirer and he's that rich, from Dumbledore because she's like, his favourite student, or from another student, because she's so fucking popular!" Fred grinned.

"But Harry got one too!" Hermione called back.

"Well that's nice, saying that I'm not popular." Harry huffed.

"Or Dumbledore's favourite student." Ron added.

"Or Draco Malfoy's secret crush." I snickered.

Harry glared at me as I nearly fell off my broom laughing.

"The point is, Black may have cursed them!" Hermione called out desperately.

"Oh please, Mynee, I've just flown on it, and it hasn't thrown me off yet! Take a chill pill." I laughed.

"Calm your ham." Terry added.

"Have a Kit-Kat." Fred said.

"Take a Time-Out." George said.

~~~

When we took it down to the Great Hall later to show Draco, Amy, Suzanne, and Shannon, they pretty much had a freak attack over it.

"OMFG look at that shit -"

"That's pretty fucking amazing -"

"Holy crap -"

"I WANT ONE I WANT ONE I WANT ONE -"

Everyone wanted a go on it (Harry had left his back in his dorm as he didn't want anyone to 'trash' it) so we took it out to the Quidditch pitch and zoomed around on it. When I was riding it, I took a selfie and uploaded it to Facebook and Instagram.

'Omfg I got a fucking FIREBOLT for Christmas how crazy is that'

Ron Weasley, Fred Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and 194 others like this.

Hermione Granger, Felix Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson dislike this.

Minerva McGonagall: On the fence here about this one. I don't want my best student to die because this may have been sent by Sirius Black, but then again I want Gryffindor to win the Cup this year.

Daisy Potter: come on Minnie it's perfectly fine I just rode it

2 likes

Terry Boot: and like half the remaining school over the holidays.

2 likes

Fred Weasley: so Minnie don't you worry

George Weasley: no one has died

Dudley Dursley: don't u worry don't u worry child 

Daisy Potter: omg Dudley gtfo you're not supposed to be on this post you're a Muggle

Dudley Dursley: :,(

Then we all had a snowball fight in the grounds. Us girls (Amy, Suzanne, Shannon, and I) were against Fred, George, Terry, and Draco. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were lounging on the benches, watching us and eating Doritos.

I grabbed the girls and dove behind a wall as the twins charmed a bunch of snowballs at us. Suzanne giggled as snow stuck to her hair.

We darted into the middle courtyard where Professor McGonagall's office overlooked. Several snowballs whizzed past us, and I whirled around, charming my snowballs at the twins, Terry, and Draco as they fell to the ground, laughing. My snowballs hit them, but one whizzed past them and hit McGonagall's window. We all stared up at it in horror, then we saw a figure moving towards the window.

"Fuck, run!" I giggled hysterically, and we ran from the courtyard, laughing our heads off.

We arrived at the front courtyard and we all flopped down on the snow, still laughing. We were arranged in a circle, our heads all pointing towards each other's. 

We all linked arms. "McGonagall's gonna kill us." Amy commented.

We all nodded in agreement. 

"The ball's coming up in a few weeks." Shannon grinned.

"Oooh, yes!" Suzanne squealed.

"Will you be asking Harry, Suzanne?" I cackled.

"Um, uh - what makes you think that?" Suzanne struggled, going pink.

"I see the way you look at him. I think he likes you too, you know." I grinned.

"Oh yes, that reminds me, Daisy, go to the ball with me?" Terry asked casually.

"Sure." 

Fred and George made kissy faces at us and I rolled my eyes at them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined us in the circle on the ground, slipping in between Shannon and George.

We all fell silent, just staring up at the pure white sky, watching the soft snow falling on our faces, content with each other. Here were eleven friends, linked arms, lying in the snow on Christmas. 

I got a sudden foreboding feeling like this was the last time we would all be like this. A shadow passed across my mind - a scream, a hiss of "Avada Kedavra!", a figure in Hogwarts robes falling to the ground...

I shook the foreboding image from my mind and enjoyed the rest of my day with these loveable idiots.

I even emptied an entire bucket of snow over them on my Firebolt later.

~~~

When everyone came back from the holidays, a notice appeared on the notice board.

It was about the ball. Everyone was asking each other to the ball in both Gryffindor Tower and in the Great Hall. I sat down at the Gryffindor table, watching them.

I saw Suzanne at the Hufflepuff table, glancing both hopefully and apprehensively at the doors.

Fred and George sauntered in, and Fred stopped to casually ask Amy to the ball, and she said yes. Then George casually asked Shannon, and she said yes too.

They came and sat by me. We watched Ron awkwardly ask Katie, and Hermione was asked by Dean. Damn, I was hoping those two would ask each other...

Then Harry came in. We all watched with bated breaths as he crossed over to the Gryffindor table and ate some toast. 

"What are you all looking at me for? Look at my sister, she's radiant." He said, annoyed. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

So I did. We all took a selfie.

Then we watched as Harry crossed over to the Hufflepuff table, attempting to smooth down his hair, but only making it messier.

Suzanne looked up at him, her cheeks pink and hair falling into her eyes, as he stopped beside her.

"Will you go to the ball with me, Suzanne Wanders?" Harry said, his voice wavering nervously.

"Y-yes!" She squeaked, throwing herself at him. They hugged as we all cat called at them.

Yes! Hazanne has set sail!

~~~

The night of the ball, I thought of the image I saw on Christmas as I dressed into my light blue dress. I had saw that image when I had thought that we would all never be like that again, who was there in that circle? Harry, Ron, Hermione, Amy, Suzanne, Shannon, Draco, the twins, Terry, and me. One of us is going to die soon...

No. It's just those dark thoughts trying to trick me again...

I hurried out of the fifth-and-third-year bathroom incase Fred, George, or Lee decided to suddenly make an appearance.

Terry met me in the Entrance Hall. 

"You look stunning." He grinned.

"Same to you, gorgeous." I winked, and we both fell about laughing.

We sauntered into the Great Hall together. Ron and Katie weren't even dancing, they were hanging about laughing. Hermione and Dean were dancing, and Hermione looked to be in a deep discussion about books or a subject - with herself, as Dean was looking a bit bored. Neville and Ginny were clumsily dancing, Fred was dancing wildly with Amy, George was hanging out at the buffet table with Shannon, Draco was lounging on a sofa in the corner - but Harry and Suzanne weren't here yet.

Terry led me onto the dance floor and we started dancing, even though waltzing and slow dancing isn't really my thing. But it is with Terry.

Then the doors opened. Harry appeared in the doorway, in black and white robes, leading Suzanne, who was in a puffy white dress. They were - they were holding hands!

We were dancing to This Is How We Do by Katy Perry. But then it ended, and Doing It by Charli XCX came on and we started dancing the way I like it. Fast and frenzied. It was so much fun, and Terry kept falling over.

Then I Wish by One Direction came on. We stared slow dancing again, but I saw Draco watching us with a sad look in his eyes. I listened to the lyrics. Oh yes. I guess this is kinda relevant to us.

In fact it's really relevant...

"When I see you with him, slow dancing, tearing me apart, 'cause you don't see...Whenever you kiss him, I'm breaking...Oh, how I wish that was me..."

Terry chose that moment to kiss me. Draco turned away, his heartbroken face making my heart fall.

Draco's POV

Daisy looked beautiful. Her straightened hair fell, shiny, down her back, and her amazing dress suited her perfectly.

She's perfect. But she's not mine.

When that stupid song came on, I thought about how much it relates to us. Boot kissed her softly as they danced, and I could feel my heart breaking. I thought about all the times Daisy and I had together, of how I could have asked her out, but didn't. Because I'm a damn coward.

I saw her laughing, because of some joke Boot told her, and I marvelled at her perfect face, until the chorus of that Godric damn song came on again, and I remembered that it wasn't me making her laugh. It was him. And I'll never have her. 

She's his, and he's hers. She'll never be mine, and I'll never be hers. No matter how much I love her, she'll never feel the same way.

I'll never be hers, no matter how much I desperately want to be.

Suzanne's POV

As I danced with Harry, I looked into his eyes. His beautiful green eyes! He's so GORGEOUS!

I felt so special here in his arms, dancing with him, laughing with him. But I'm not special. I'm just ordinary old me, I can't imagine being anyone's special person like Harry is mine.

Shannon felt the same way, but worse, way worse. We're best friends, have been since first year. She felt like no one loved her, so she nearly jumped off a bridge. It just...it just grew and grew, because everyone was ignoring her except for Daisy, Amy, and I, and she felt so alone and unloved. So she stood on the ledge of the bridge leading off from the front courtyard of Hogwarts, but I persuaded her not to jump. I told her about what everyone would do, how they would react if she jumped. 

So she didn't. I promised not to tell anyone of that night.

But I'm just like any other person on the planet, why would Harry choose me? I'm so dull, drab...

"What are you thinking about?" Harry whispered, looking concerned. Cripes, did he see something in my eyes?!

"I'm thinking about how no one will ever love me." I said matter-of-factly, before realising what I had said and clapping my hands over my mouth.

Harry studied me. "You know, I'm not sure about love yet, but I'm quite sure that I like you. I like you very much."

Oh my gosh, is this happening? Is this really happening?

"I - I like you even more." I stuttered. "As in -"

Harry cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. I was startled, not responding for a second, then I melted into the kiss.

We broke apart, resting our forehead's on each other's.

"Will you go out with me?" Harry breathed, gazing into my eyes.

"Yeah. Of course." I breathed back.