Everybody Party Till the Gasman Comes

Though I'd said otherwise, I was slowly going insane. Ginny said I would crack soon, and she had been right. Almost. I hadn't actually broken down and talked to George yet, but I had started making up scenarios in my head in which I did. Everything from simply plopping myself down on the couch in the common room and saying hi to falling to my knees apologizing for taking so long to apologize had been played out in my mind.

However, I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to start talking to him again. I forced myself to remember that and remain strong until the time I saw fit to act. That technique was far more harmful to me than it was to him in the end. I never was one for waiting.

Many students, myself included, had been looking forward to the last week of term for a few reasons. These reasons ranged from wanting a break from class to just being really excited for the Yule Ball. I was in both of those categories. Most of the time teachers would give us all an early break once Christmas was looming around the corner, which I very much enjoyed, and though I still had no date to the ball, I was looking forward to it.

This time round, though, quite a few of the teachers decided not to stop early. If anything, they piled on the homework and essays more than ever before. Professor Binns droned on in long lectures, Professor McGonagall and Moody had us working up until the last second during classes, and Snape decided that it would be a fantastic idea to give us a test on poison antidotes during the last lesson we had with him for the term.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and I were sat in various chairs around the common room. Ron was at a table, building a card castle with his Exploding Snap pack, and he and Harry were whining about Snape's test to Hermione. I sat sideways on the couch, my Potions notes in my lap and my feet in Ginny's.

"It's Christmas, Hermione," Harry said, looking up from Flying with the Cannons.

Hermione glared over at him. "I'd've thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"

Hermione had been badgering Harry since the night after the First Task to get a move on with figuring out what the egg meant. She'd also been adamant about him doing it all by himself. As if it really mattered how he figured it out; as long as he did and didn't die during the following task.

"Come on, Hermione. I've got till February the 24th," Harry said, not worried in the slightest.

"But it might takes weeks to work it out! You're going to look really stupid if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't."

"Leave him alone, Hermione. He's earned a bit of a break." Ron placed the last two cards on top of his castle and the whole thing blew up, singeing his eyebrows.

I broke into a fit of hysterical laughing, but stopped the moment I heard Fred speaking from behind Harry's chair.

"Nice look, Ron. That'll go well with your dress robes."

They sat down at the table where Ron and Hermione were sitting, and Ron reached up to feel how bad he'd done his eyebrows.

"Ron," George asked, "can we borrow Pigwidgeon?"

"No, he's off delivering a letter," Ron answered. "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred said, voice dripping sarcasm.

My heart skipped a beat and I realized that this would be the perfect time to go through with my plan. I bit my lip as I watched their bantering, waiting for opportunity.

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?"

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too." Fred waved his wand around threateningly.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Ron, they won't even tell me what they're up to." I glared pointedly at Fred, keeping my eyes as far from his twin as possible; which, let me tell you, was an extremely hard task.

Fred raised his eyebrows at me but didn't make a comment. He turned his attention to Ron and Harry. "So, you lot got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope," said Ron.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone."

"Who're you going with then?"

"Angelina," Fred replied proudly.

"Might be a good idea to ask her first," I mumbled, earning a snicker from Ginny.

Fred looked back at me. "What was that, Sam?"

I grinned. "I was just saying that you might want to ask her first, before you just assume you're going together."

"Ah, good point." Fred turned and yelled across the common room. "Oi! Angelina!"

Angelina stopped talking to Alicia and looked back at Fred. "What?"

"Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina looked him over. "Alright then," she said, then turned back to Alicia with a small grin on her face.

"Piece of cake," Fred said to Harry and Ron. Fred stood up, stretching and yawning, and turned to his twin. "We'd better use a school owl then. Come on, George."

The two of them got up to leave the common room, and I sprang. Metaphorically, that is. I stayed put on the couch as I called, "Georgie!"

Startled by the sound of his name coming from my mouth for the first time in over two weeks, George spun around. He stared at me, the expression on his face one of happiness, though I could still see a spot of worry, as if he thought I was only going to do something rude to him. "Yeah?" he asked, cautious.

"You're going to the ball with me."

At first he only continued to look at me, but a grin slowly spread across his face. "Are you telling me or asking?"

I donned a contemplative look for a few seconds before returning his smile. "Telling, definitely."

He nodded, and I feared his cheeks would fall off if his grin grew any larger. "Alright then. Talk to you later?"

"Of course."

He left the common room behind Fred, a new spring in his step.

"That was your plan?" Hermione asked. "You had me worried sick! I thought you were going to hurt him or something."

I laughed, shaking my head in good spirits.

Everything was back to normal again.