Silver Lining

Chapter 10

The Ball was all anyone could seem to talk about for the next while, and though I tried not to make a big deal out of it, I was secretly very excited for the upcoming event. The Hogsmeade weekend had fallen on the first weekend of December, and though there was plenty of time to prepare for the Ball, Olivia, Alice, and Marlene insisted they accompany Lily and I in buying our dresses. So, I ended up with a stunning outfit for the dance and absolutely no excuse to get out of going. 

I had no objection to going, of course - in fact, I'd planned to go anyway, but I wanted to avoid anyone knowing I was going until the last minute for one reason: dates. I thought our talk about dates to the Ball in the Three Broomsticks had been completely hypothetical, but it seemed I couldn't be more wrong. I'd left my roommates with no answer as to who I would fancy going to the Ball with, and they took every opportunity they could to put me on the spot with various boys I'd never spoken to in my life.

"Vi! Vi, wait a second!" I shot Lily a look of exasperation as I heard Marlene's voice behind me for the third time that day, turning on my heel.

"What is it, Marlene?" I sighed, as she dragged a rather shell-shocked-looking boy towards me.

"This is Hamish Richardson. Want to go to the Ball with him?" I shrugged and shot the poor mousey-haired boy an apologetic look.

"I'm sure you're lovely, but I'm not looking for a date. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." I turned again and rejoined Lily, continuing on our way to class. I heard Marlene mutter a hurried order to Hamish Richardson and I felt a tap on my shoulder moments later.

"Vi! He was a good one," she said indignantly. "Why won't you accept my help?"

"Because I don't want it," I sighed, continuing to walk with her skipping along beside.

"Violet doesn't need a date to look stunning," Lily said pointedly. "None of us do." I nodded in agreement, raising my eyebrows at Marlene. She let out a noise of defeat and dropped back to head to her own classes.

"Thanks, Lily," I grinned at her. "It came with a compliment and everything."

"Well, I was right," she laughed. "I expect you to look lovely no matter what."

By the time the end of the next week came around, I knew I needed to spend some time away from giggling girls - and people in general. After ducking into the Great Hall quickly to grab some toast from the array of afternoon snacks, I stepped out into the chilly air and wandered towards the lake. There was a beautiful tree on the bank - an old, gnarled tree with branches winding out over the water. In warmer weather, it would be covered in leaves, blossoms bursting from the masses of green. Now, it was bare and its dark wood was a sharp contrast to the snow covering the grounds. I sat down at the base of the trunk, not caring that my robes would be soaking wet in a matter of seconds, and bit into my toast, the warmth filling my mouth. The grounds were silent, the branches wavering in the wind above me. Then, a quiet snuffling noise sounded from my right elbow. I looked down in surprise, and saw a large black nose wavering dangerously close to my piece of toast. I jumped back, and a full view of the creature made my heart melt. It was a large, black dog, panting and waving its tail happily as it eyed my toast. I laughed slightly, my free hand moving to pet the dog's furry head.

"Hello," I smiled, rubbing its ears affectionately. "Where did you come from?" The dog let out a bark, setting off my giggles again. "Another one of Hagrid's are you?" The dog barked again, and I beamed; it hadn't taken its eyes off my toast. "Want some toast?" It wagged its tail enthusiastically, and I sat back against the tree, laughing. "Well, its mine. Go and get your own." I took another bite, looking across the lake as I chewed.