Chicago Is so Two Years Ago

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Really?”

“Really, really.”

“Yes, I will!” I reached up and hugged him as he lifted me up off the ground. We kissed then held onto each other, it finally happened; Cedric and I are finally in a relationship. “I love you so much!” I continued, letting go of his hug.

“I love you too,” Cedric reached down and kissed me on the lips once more. He let go and began speaking again, “If it’s not too late, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?”

“Of course!”

Cedric explained to me that he broke up with Cho sometime during the month of October. He never told me because he said he wanted time for Cho to move on and for us to become more than just friends. Everything that I was thinking was completely wrong; Cedric was no longer the bad guy as I once thought he was. I began to understand his reasoning; I knew that rushing into a relationship with your best friend was a bad idea. However, our friendship strengthened and romantic feelings grew. I believe my relationship with Cedric will only be stronger because we waited.

The next day I decided to take a trip out to Hogsmeade to shop for a dress for the Yule Ball. My friends Hannah and Susan decided to go with me even though they have already gotten their dresses. Hannah and Justin Finch-Fletchley planned a double date with Susan and her boyfriend Seamus Finnegan before they knew I was going to the ball. They invited Cedric and I to make the double date into a group date, but I declined. I wanted the ball to be perfect, since it will technically be our first official date. All I wanted was to be alone with Cedric for the entire night, instead of hanging around my fellow fourth years. In Hogsmeade I found a navy blue dress with an A-line silhouette and a sweetheart neckline. I knew every girl going to the Yule Ball was probably going to wear a full ball gown, but this dress was simply perfect.

After a couple of days it was now the end of the week, Sunday to be exact. It was the night of the Yule Ball, which was held on Christmas Eve night within the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The girls and I who were invited to the Yule Ball within the Hufflepuff house all got ready together within our dormitory. Hannah, Susan, and I were the only fourth years to be invited to the ball, as all the other girls invited were upperclassmen. Getting ready with all of the Hufflepuff girls was really fun, especially now that I was dating Cedric.

“So, Ellie, I heard you’re dating Cedric,” A fifth year, named Tamsin Applebee, said as she zipped the back of my dress. She was a fellow chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and is rumored to be the next in line to become the captain after Cedric graduates in two years. However, once Tamsin graduates she has hinted that I will have seniority and will have the opportunity to become captain.

“It’s finally official!”

“Well I’m glad he finally asked you, I was rooting for you two all along.”

“Yeah, girl, literally no one liked that Ravenclaw girl,” Tamsin’s best friend, Lavanya Davey, added into the conversation. “What was her name again? Who cares!”