Till The End | h.p

practice makes perfect

A few days later, Professor McGonagall calls a large group of Gryffindors down to the Great Hall. As they enter they notice that all the tables have been pushed back. She orders the ladies to sit on one side and the boys to sit on the other.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

The girls gasp and look around at each other, whereas most of the boys groan.

"Silence! The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly 10 centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

George turns to Fred and whispers, "Try saying that five times faster."

They both go back and forth saying faster each time.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight."

Ron whispers to Seamus, "Something's about to burst out of Eloise Midgen, but I don't think it's a swan."

McGonagall turns sharply to face them, "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr. Weasley."

"Yes?" Ron responds apprehensively.

"Will you join me, please?"

She pulls him up out of his seat and to the middle of the hall, "Now, place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?"

"My waist," she guides his hand and he looks at Harry who is trying to hold back his laughter, "Mr. Filch if you please."

Filch puts on a slow waltz track and McGonagall begins demonstrating the proper dance steps. Fred and George begin mocking Ron and Harry calls them, "Oi, never gonna let him forget this, are you?"

They turn to Ron and back to Harry, "Never."

"Everybody come together. Boys, on your feet!" McGonagall orders.

George walks up to Sam immediately and puts his hand on her waist. She looks slightly shocked and then falls into the steps, having danced with the twins multiple times.

Everyone partners up and Harry, not being able to dance with who he would like, dances with someone in the grade below.

George looks at him and sniggers, "Looks like he's going to need extra help."

Sam follows his gaze and chuckles, "I'll help him later."

George follows the steps effortlessly and ends up twirling her and throwing her into a dip. She laughs loudly, drawing a few of the boys to look at her. Harry is sure that several of them would be asking her.

After a few days, Harry and Ron are walking through the courtyard and Ron looks around frantically, "Why do they have to travel in packs?"

Harry shrugs completely uninterested in everyone else, he wonders if he should just ask Sam or if that would make things awkward for them.The boys walk down the path to meet Sam and Hermione at the lake. They all sit on the rocks as Krum walks by with a hoard of girls following close behind him, but he only looks at Hermione. Sam smirks at her knowingly.

The day before Sam's birthday, the four of them sit in the Great Hall to work on their Potions essay. Snape patrols through the aisles to make sure there's no talking.