n i n e

"Woah." Maeve gaped in awe at the now-completely-unrecognisable Great Hall. "I can't believe this is Hogwarts." she laughed, twirling around she looked around the enormous room. "The professors did a wonderful job." She was a little disheartened she had missed the Champions' dance but compared to her anxiety earlier that evening, it was nothing.

"I agree," Theodore noted, admiring the Christmas decorations as well. "I don't even want to know how they brought those three Fir Trees in here though. They're enormous."

"By the way, Susan sort of told everybody we're each other's 'date' date." Maeve bit her lower lip nervously. "I told her I was going with you and she freaked out before I could tell her we were going as friends and... well she went all Susan on me."

"That's fine. I mean, it won't be the worst thing to go with you." Theodore winked. 

"I'm surprised no girl asked you. You're quite the looker." Maeve laughed at his compliment.

"I did get asked - more often than I was comfortable with. But most of those girls - well they expect me to be some stereotypical Slytherin. It gets awkward." he shrugged.

Maeve nodded in response. If it weren't for Pansy or their study sessions, she would never have known that the guy who looked like an intimidating bad guy was actually an adorable goofball. 

"Look! There's the others." the boy grabbed her hand and pulled her to the 'others'. 

To say the least, most of the 'others' were not people Maeve was comfortable with. 

For starters, there was Draco, along with Goyle and Crabbe, with Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davis as their dates. No surprise there. Instead of focusing on the negatives, Maeve chose to look at the people she had been excited to spend the night with - Pansy, Daphne and Blaise. 

She had decided to let Cedric and Cho spend the night together. After all, it wasn't every day Cedric was so confident as to ask out his crush. 

"You're both late." Blaise quirked a brow. "The first dance just finished."

"We would have come here on time if Maeve had found her locket sooner. She almost cried." Theodore snickered, earning a slight shove from Maeve. 

"What matters is you're both here," Pansy said calmly - quite unlike herself really. Maeve had a feeling it had something to do with her knowing it was her mother's necklace. She had almost broken down in her dorm after ten minutes of not finding it. "And you both look great." Pansy continued.

"I must say. I never thought you'd be wearing black, May." Daphne looked her up and down. "It weirdly suits you."

"Thank you." the Hufflepuff beamed. "Megan and Hannah dragged me to Gladrags a few days ago and practically bullied me into buying it." 

"Well, then Megan and Hannah have great taste." murmured the exquisitely dressed blonde in a silk emerald green dress, still analyzing Maeve's outfit. 

"I like your hair. You look amazing." Theodore told Daphne at which Pansy groaned. 

"Oh, don't remind me. I spent almost all of last night braiding it into one hundred and three individual, skinny plaits, just so that she could impress Zabini." 

Daphne blushed, looked over at the snack table a few yards away where the boy was getting punch for the both of them.

"That's... specific." Maeve giggled. 

"I would have done the same for you." Daphne protested.

"Like hell you would. I don't even have braid-able hair." the Slytherin rolled her eyes. 

"What I'm surprised, Pansy dear." Theodore said, waving his eyebrows suggestively, "Is that you chose to wear pink."

Pansy glared at the boy and managed to land a nice punch on the boy's stomach at which he bent over with a groan. "I didn't have a choice, okay? Mother sent them over." she gagged, looking down at herself in distaste. 

"Look what the scum brought in. Really, Theodore? I thought you would have had better taste than a lousy Hufflepuff." Draco appeared, with Crabbe and Goyle by his side as always. 

"Unlike you, Draco, I'm capable of making friends who are actual friends. And May here happens to be one of them." Theodore said firmly, wrapping an arm around the surprised Hufflepuff. "The only reason I'm not hexing you right now is that you're Pansy's date."

"I don't need this." Draco lifted his nose up in the air. "Come on Goyle, come on Crabbe."

"Does he have better comebacks?" Maeve chuckled, once the three had gone a good distance away. 

"It's either his father or that." Pansy shrugged. "I'm already bored and Draco already left. So enlighten me Prissy." she said, grabbing Maeve's hand and leading them to the dance floor.

"You know, you don't look as bad as you think in pink. It doesn't suit you, but you look good." Maeve smiled as they danced along.

"Since when do we give each other false compliments, Maeve?" Pansy laughed sarcastically. "So, you couldn't find your mum's amulet?"

"Yeah..." Maeve trailed off. "I almost freaked out. Thankfully, it was inside my cushion cover. Merlin knows how it got in there." 

They were silent as they danced for a few more moments. 

"I'm sorry you had to take Draco tonight. I bet there was someone you wanted to ask, huh?" Maeve pouted slightly at her partner.

"Yes, yes there was." Pansy replied, looking straight into Maeve's eyes. 

The Hufflepuff looked away and nodded, having no idea why her heart felt as if it had been punched in the face. "Well," she gulped before looking back up, "Let's hope you get to make your move soon. Don't let Draco or your parents hold you back. Go after whomever it is, or it might be too late and he might end up dating someone else."

Pansy nodded. "You're right, Prissy."

Maeve gave her a forced smile as the song ended and they parted to go back to the table where the rest were sitting. Pansy was almost immediately and angrily dragged away by Draco.

After a few dances with Blaise and Daphne, Maeve dragged a very shy and reluctant Theodore to the floor. While Daphne and Blaise danced, Theodore and she were then arguing about whether Bowtruckles would make good pets over a shared plate of cake when Maeve stopped. She saw Elizabeth enter the room. The girl looked like a Goddess, her light wavy hair cascading down her back as her yellow gown trailed behind her slightly. 

"Where's Pansy?" Theodore asked, looking around the room.

"I don't know..." Maeve trailed off, doing the same thing until she found a very bored looking Pansy participate in a seemingly dull conversation with Millicent and Tracey as Crabbe and Goyle stuffed themselves silly. Draco was sulking as he looked around the room. Their whole table was the complete opposite of the one Maeve was seated on. She was about to suggest they go over and give Pansy some company when a girl in a golden dress stopped in front of her. "Oh, hey Lizzie." Maeve smiled distractedly. 

"Hi, May." the prefect gleamed. "You look beautiful tonight. Black somehow suits you very well."

"Thank you." Maeve blushed. "I uh- you look pretty too." 

"Well, I was promised a fair share of tonight's dances, was I not?" the girl smirked, offering Maeve a hand just as the Weird Sisters started playing. 

Maeve watched from behind the girl's shoulder as Draco exited the room. She looked back to the table Pansy was sitting on. The Slytherin looked like she had hardly noticed her date leave. 

And then she remembered Elizabeth's hand was hovering around her face and she grinned at the girl. "I would love to." she stood up, taking it. 

"Your date doesn't mind, does he?" Elizabeth sent Theodore a worried look.

"I don't know, date. Do you mind?" Maeve looked at him too, but with a teasing smile. 

"Oh dance away my friend." Theodore leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. "Dance like the Black Swan."

Maeve had no idea how much time had passed since Elizabeth had asked her to dance. It could have been half an hour, one whole hour, maybe even two hours. All she knew was that by the time they were done, her legs were hurting as if she had just completed one of Madam Hooch's physical training exercises. Elizabeth, feeling the same way herself, led them to another table. 

"I think my legs will give away if I dance any longer." Maeve laughed as they sat down. 

"Agreed." Elizabeth grinned along before the two fell into an awkward silence. Elizabeth was the first to break it. 

"May, um - what you said about not liking any of the boys in school... is it true?"

"Yes." the fourth-year replied, curious as to where the topic was leading to. "Why do you ask?"

"There's no easy way to say this." Elizabeth blushed. "And I don't even know if it's what you like... but... I like you, Maeve. More than as a friend. Romantically, I mean." her hand covered Maeve's. "And I may be wrong, but I have a feeling you like me back. I know it's not how most relationships are but-"

Maeve stopped her. To begin with, she had so many emotions rushing through her in that moment - happiness, guilt, confusion, shock, and so many more. "I had a crush on you too, Liz." she said hesitantly when her eyes caught a very visibly upset Pansy storm out of the Great Hall. "I - I'm really sorry, but can we continue this conversation later? I think a friend needs me." she said hurriedly, not waiting for a response as she followed the Slytherin out of the room.

Pansy was a good distance ahead of her and Maeve had to almost jog to not lose sight of her. Finally, when she was in one of the corridors of the East Wing, Pansy slid down one of the giant pillars and screamed. 

"Pansy?" Maeve caught her breath, coming to a stop in front of her. 

Pansy looked up, her eyes raw and vulnerable. Maeve had never seen her look like that. 

"Pansy, what's wrong?" Maeve frowned softly, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm of comfort over the girl's shoulders. 

Pansy said nothing as she continued sobbing into her pink dress robes. 

"Is it because of Draco?" Maeve tried. "I saw him leave a while ago-"

"It's not Draco." Pansy's muffled voice replied bitterly. 

"Then what is it?" Maeve whispered. "Don't cry, Pansy. I can't bear it." the girl teared up herself as she wrapped both arms around Pansy tightly. 

"Don't you get it?" Pansy yelled out in frustration, breaking away from Maeve, as she faced her. "Are you that oblivious? Or are you just dumb?"

Maeve completely confused, couldn't help but feel a bit hurt as she wrapped her empty hands around herself. "What are you talking about?"

Pansy groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Merlin, Maeve..." she continued crying into her dress.

"Pansy, whatever I did to upset you, I'm sorry okay? Please, don't cry." a tear slid down Maeve's eyes as she saw the girl who was normally so tough and confident break down in front of her.

After a few minutes, Pansy finally stopped and looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. 

"You didn't do anything. This is all on me." she whispered, her lower lip trembling as she spoke. 

"Don't say that." Maeve moved closer, taking the girl's hand in hers. "Whatever it is, just don't say you want to stop being my friend. I wouldn't be able to handle it." she said, an involuntary tear sliding down her cheek.

She looked at Pansy's tear-stained face and her nose - red from crying. Despite the mascara running down her face, Maeve thought Pansy had never looked more beautiful.

Before Maeve could figure out what was going on, Pansy leaned ahead, kissing Maeve as she squeezed their intertwined hands. But just as the former found herself kissing back, the Slytherin broke away. 

"Pansy-" Maeve whispered.

"I'm sorry." Pansy let go of their hands and ran down the corridor as Maeve just sat there; still shocked.

She then went straight to her dorm, trying to process what had happened through the night. Elizabeth had finally confessed her feelings for Maeve. And yet, the girl wasn't a third as happy as she had imagined herself to be in the hundreds of scenarios in her head. But one thing was clear. She knew now. She knew why she felt guilty every time Elizabeth was around. She knew the real reason she had refused to go to the Yule Ball with Elizabeth. She could've easily told Theodore Elizabeth had asked her and he would have understood. But she hadn't. Because she knew the reason now. And that reason comprised two words. Pansy Parkinson.

Word Count: 2149