Dear Livia...

Autumn 1994

I sat deliberately over my homework, trying to draw as little of Snape’s attention as possible. The professor sauntered around the desks and stuck his nose in a book, but anyone who had spent a few years at this school knew that he caught every little disturbance. Like a bloodthirsty animal, he waited until one of the sheep made a mistake, and he could punish it. I had made myself comfortable on the bench next to Hermione and could literally feel the cold aura of the professor approaching us. “This is mad. We’ll be the only ones without a date.” Ron murmured, turning his back on his books and paying the least attention to his homework. Not a second later, he was punished for this lack of interest with a smack on the head by Snape. Instead of taking the gesture to heart, he whispered something to Harry that I didn’t catch. Hermione was able to get away from her papers for a short time and explained to Ron that he was wrong. “I know that Neville already got someone.” The Weasleys’ youngest son let out a sigh and was now hovering over his homework. Fred carefully placed a small piece of paper in front of Ron’s nose without letting it be noticed. Harry’s best friend looked around for the teacher and then eyed the message. Puzzled, he looked at his older brothers, who were watching him with a knowing smile. “Who are you going with?” Ron whispered to Fred. Before I could fully pay attention to the whisper, a paper ball whizzed past my face and hit Angelina on her shoulder. What did he mean by that? He was waving his arms around wildly, and if I’m not mistaken, it was supposed to represent a dancing position. To an outsider, one might think, he had gone insane. I took his gestures as an invitation to the ball. Snape had approached us again, but Angelina was spared the professor. He ended his show with a cheeky wink at his younger brother. Well, that was fast. I looked amused at the twins across the table. With an uncertain gesture, Ron leaned towards the clever girl, “Well Hermione,” the youngest sprout began. “You’re a girl.” Pick-up lines were definitely not Ron’s fort. “Well spotted.” Hermione must have shared my thoughts on him, too, if her voice wasn’t drenched with joy. He was already wanting to imitate his older brother when Snape swung his book out and punched the red hair. I didn’t know why Harry got hit, too. “It is one thing for a boy to show up alone. But for a girl, it’s just sad.” Oh Ron, one blunder after the next. “I won’t be going alone, because – believe it or not – someone has already asked me.” The young witch’s otherwise solemn voice snapped sharply at her neighbour. With a meaningful look, she handed Snape her homework and returned to her friends one last time. “And I said ‘yes’.”

With angry steps, she left the hall, and Ron watched after her for a short time. I was starting to get the feeling that Ron wanted to be hit, the way he kept whispering to Harry. Not a second later, the young wizards felt Snape’s hands on their heads again. I let out a small snort, not denying that the last few minutes had entertained me. I glanced over at Fred and George, who also had to hold back a laugh if they didn’t want to feel the envy of Snape like their younger brother. “You don’t win women’s hearts that way.” George whispered across the table. Ron was clearly annoyed. “I don’t know what’s there to laugh about? You don’t have a date, either.” The younger brother scoffed. He was right. Fred had only received Angelina’s approval a few minutes ago, while his twin just sat next to him. Maybe George already had a date. Katie Bell? Like Angelina, she was a member of their Quidditch-team, so it made sense that he could ask her. George leaned over the table for a moment and pulled the piece of paper that Fred had handed him out of Ron’s hand. With his feather, he scribbled a message on the paper and folded it up. Did he want to put the note under her bed? Shaking my head, I finished my last thoughts and put down my quill. I swung my leg over the bench and handed my notes to Snape. I didn’t have to watch the performance of just now again. When I returned to my seat and collected my books, it seemed like nothing had ever happened. Ron finally got down to his homework and had given in to his frustration. He was probably more successful at it than with women. I left my seat with quick steps and brushed past my classmates in the direction of the door. I couldn’t see Katie anywhere, so George must have saved his message for later. It was unavoidable that my thoughts also wandered to the evening, and I wondered who my companion should be that day. Until now, nobody had asked me. Well, I also had to consider that the news had only been for on the students’ lips for a few days, and that it was still some time before the evening in question. I don’t know how Ron got the idea that it would be sad for a girl to show up alone. Would he ever lose restricted vision? Maybe I should go to the ball with Tessa. On the other hand, I could well imagine that she was already thinking of another partner who wasn’t me. Inwardly, I went through the Slytherin boys and wondered who else could be the least evil. Draco? I shook my head dismissively. The day would end in an argument or a fight, that was for sure. Blaise? No, he was almost worse than Draco. He knew how to deal with the girls, so that they probably kissed his shoes voluntarily, but at the same time his arrogance was on par with Draco’s. Adrian? My thoughts were slowly trying to tease me. The boy wasn’t ugly, but he was as easily distracted as a child. Not satisfied with the choice of my house, my thoughts turned to the twins again. Couldn’t at least one of them have thought of asking me? Either, I was content with their choice or I tried my luck myself. I had to get George before he met Katie or anyone else. Snape would glare at me if I showed up in the great hall again, but lying had never been a problem for me. I could say I forgot something and then -. Before I could finish my thoughts, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and saw Katie in front of me. Should this now be a race? “Hey Livia, I think something just fell out of your book.” The Gryffindor girl held out a folded paper in front of me, which I accepted, a little puzzled. “Thanks,” I said curtly, and Katie gave me a friendly nod. I didn’t remember using bookmarks in my books. I stayed where I was and unfolded the beige material. ‘Get a move, or all the good ones will have gone’. I recognized Fred’s handwriting immediately. It was the note the wizard had passed to his younger brother. Another message was written in a different font that belonged to George. ‘Dear Livia, will you take me to the ball?’ Kindly, the wizard let me choose between ‘yes’ and ‘yes’. I refolded the paper and put it in the cover of my book, careful not to lose it again. All my thoughts of the last few minutes were useless. George was already a step ahead of me in the great hall.

A few days later, I found myself in a large room filled only with Slytherin students. Our head of the house, Snape, had called us to a meeting, and everyone wondered why. “You think, we’re going to get in trouble?” Tessa asked, sitting next to me on the bench, smacking a bubble gum. A loud and confused murmur went through the room as each group whispered. “Have you and the twins been up to something again?” Her voice became more inquiring, and her eyes glared at me admonishingly. “No, we haven’t.” I waved it off. Why did she always have to assume that? It had been a few weeks since our last prank. Though, it was more amusing to me and the rest of our classmates than Fred and George. On the other hand, their plan had been to brew an Ageing-Potion, and use it to trick Dumbledore’s barrier of the Goblet. I warned them from the start that it wouldn’t work, but they just smiled at me. So, knowing it better, I had brewed them a simple potion which, of course, couldn’t work. Did they really think Dumbledore was that stupid? The Goblet of Fire hadn’t taken their names and the potion punished them for it as well. “But there must be some reason why he’s chasing us all together.” Tessa stated more calmly and looked at our classmates. “Who are you going to the ball with?” I asked my friend who turned her head towards me again. I had a premonition. “I asked Sophie.” A smile crept onto her lips. My hunch was confirmed. “And she said ‘yes’,” she admitted, happily, almost as if a small child was sitting in front of me. “This is going to be a fun evening,” I thought. “With our partners? Definitely.” She winked at me. With a dynamic movement, Snape stormed into the room, all voices went silent. His dark suit underscored the suspicious aura surrounding the professor. “The Yule Ball is a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, and lest you all embarrass yourselves, we have decided to teach you.” Snape’s voice managed to make the good thought sound like an insult. I was pretty sure, it wasn’t his idea, it was McGonagall’s that encouraged teachers to train their students. I bet the rest of the Hogwarts students shared our fate and heard a lection from their Heads of House. The only question left was, which teacher would do their job best. I didn’t see Snapes as number one. “You might think, you’re going to the ball for fun, but it’s all about the dancing.” His dark eyes swept the room. A few of the boys groaned at his words, but the presence of our Head of House quickly silenced them. Nobody wanted to clean the glasses in his laboratory. “Let’s get this over with as soon as possible.” Happiness personified. At moments like this, I had the thought that he didn’t even like the students of Slytherin, but maybe it was just his way of not meeting everyone with a grin. He took a record from the small table in one corner, and put it on the record player. “You should be smart enough to understand the sequence of steps.” Nice as ever. Now, even the last one realized that Snape was talking about dancing and that our gathering should serve as a practice session. “Who do you think the victim might be?” Tessa whispered, as she leaned slightly in my direction. “I see you want to be the first to try it.” Snape’s warning words were aimed at us and our tutor had caught us in the act. All students suddenly turned to Tessa and me and many pairs of eyes examined us silently. I didn’t move an inch, not knowing which of us he meant. My friend’s face was also filled with surprise, and only the bursting of her chewing gum bubble echoed on the high ceiling. “What is it, Miss Jones?” he said tightly, raising one of his dark eyebrows. Luckily, he had given my friend’s last name and not mine, but Tessa probably didn’t share my sense of relief. She swallowed her gum and stood up cautiously. “Go ahead, we don’t have all day.” Snape demanded sharply.

Tessa was a person who rarely showed insecurity. If this happened anyway, it only took seconds for her emotions to turn. Even if she was surprised by Snape’s choice, that expression was already disappearing from her face. Her gait tightened, and the corners of her mouth twitched up confidently. “In the beginning, the boys put their hands on the girl’s hips.” Snape managed to make those words sound dry and lose their romantic meaning. Clearly, he had imagined his afternoon better. “Don’t we have a first date?” Tessa asked with a smile and raised her eyebrows in amusement. I let out a small smile, but it was too quiet for Snape to hear. “Concentrate on your task,” the professor replies, admonishingly. She really had no inhibitions, and I wondered which of the two of us was worse. With a quick movement in the direction of the table, the music began to play. Our Head of House held out a disapproving hand to Tessa, which she took without hesitation. He put his other hand on her hip and began to move on the rhythm of the music. It was a picture for eternity, at least when it came to amusement. Stern Snape dancing with Tessa in his arms, clearly uncomfortable. I would have loved to have had a camera at that moment, so I never forgot this picture. The two moved to the beat and circled through the room. It was a simple form of dancing, and Snape didn’t bother to explain to us how to move in three steps. After all, he appealed to our intelligence. Or he wanted to get this lesson over with as quickly as possible. I watched as Draco said something to his friends who were surrounding him. The group started laughing, but Tessa didn’t let that deter her and gave her opposite a sugar-sweet smile, as if she would take this dance completely seriously. “Before you get bored, let the boys dance with the girls.” Of course, Snape had caught the whisper and directed his snide words at Draco’s group, who now also felt caught. “Come on!” Since none of us had moved, the black-haired man commanded us to do it again. The students slowly got up and walked toward the middle of the room. Visibly relieved, Snape finished his dance with Tessa and handed her to a male classmate. She gave our teacher a cheeky wink one last time, but all he could do was shake his head bitterly. “Ready for a dance?” a deep voice asked me. Blaise Zabini held out his hand and gave me a sly smile. Gritting my teeth, I agreed and put my hand in his. Deciding on one of the boys at that moment was tantamount to asking whether it was plague or cholera. His dark skin was the perfect contrast to my light one. Although he was only in his fourth year, a year younger than me, he was already tall. But he couldn’t get to the twins. Without hesitation, he put his hand on my hip and pulled me closer to him. It certainly wasn’t his first time. His high cheekbones gave him distinctive facial features that spoke to his attractiveness. While many saw him as the handsome Slytherin student, I knew he wasn’t lacking in arrogance. If someone had any self-esteem, it was wiser to stay away from this boy. I’d heard him judge other girls often enough when we were in the common room. “I heard you’re escorting one of the twins,” he said confidently, his hazel eyes ensnaring me. He didn’t bother to tell the brothers apart like so many did. Another minus point for him, and I didn’t show my opinion of him. “You heard it right,” I said calmly, as we moved to the beat of the music. “You could rather go to the ball with me.” His dark eyes sparkled at the statement. I didn’t know if I should feel honoured that Blaise felt I was good enough for him, but I hadn’t sunk that low yet. He wanted to get me off George. Was that his interpretation of an invitation to the ball? By presenting himself as something better and making a condescending comment about the twins? “Since I don’t want to play your trophy and also want to have fun on that night, I pass.” I said with a candy grin. As if he could intimidate me. His victorious smile faltered for a moment, but recovered a second later. He hadn’t expected a rejection, he had been so sure of himself. “You stand me up and prefer to go to the ball with the Weasley’s instead?” My counterpart assured himself. “Yes, you heard me right. I’d rather go to the ball with George,” I emphasized my friend’s name, “than with you.” I playfully twisted my mouth into a narrow line. Likewise, I loved having the upper hand. Before he could reply, Snape stopped the music, and the students were able to go their separate ways.

A few weeks later, the time had finally come: Today, the Yule Ball took place. Tessa and I had made ourselves comfortable in front of a large mirror. “Are you excited?” asked my friend, who was busy taming her blond curly hair. “Am I supposed to be excited?” I pause in the act of applying some eye shadow over my eyes. “Don’t know, maybe because it’s a special evening. The clothes, the music, the wizards and witches.” Tessa always wore her long hair down, but today she dared to wear it in a high ponytail. “If it were up to me, I should get excited every time my dad is invited over by his colleagues.” I focused again on the soft powder I was dabbing my brush into. I carefully closed my left eye and spread the eye shadow on my skin. “And yet it’s different tonight. Or does George always show up at these celebrations, too?” With an inquiring face, she tugged a few strands loose. I dabbed into the powder one more time and now closed my right eye. “If that were the case, then I would finally have fun at such celebrations.” I evenly distributed the flittering beige on my eye. With a curious look, Tessa searched my make-up bag for something useful. “Man, that’s not what I’m trying to get at,” she teased playfully, shaking her head. At the same time, she gestured with a lipstick in her hand, but it wasn’t the object she was looking for. I cocked my head and checked that I had worked evenly. My gaze fell on a spot above my right eyebrow. If you looked closely, you could see a delicate scar over the brown hair. It was where the Bludger hit me three years ago. “What are you getting at?” I asked cheerfully and took the red lipstick from her hand. Out of curiosity, I joined her game. I carefully traced the contours of my lips, hoping I was doing a good job. “It’s the Yule ball. I don’t think you can fall in love at co-workers parties.” She struck gold and pulled out the mascara. “In love?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise and studied her with my grey eyes. I expected a lot, but not this. “Yes, you heard me right, Livia.” When she called me by my name, she did it for a specific reason. Carefully, she first washed the right eyelash gran, then the left. “Why should I fall in love tonight?” I had to chuckle at her thoughts. I would love to see the world through her eyes for a few hours, so I could even begin to understand her hopping thoughts. “Why not? How long have you known Fred and George? You guys have been friends since day one, and I think it was only a matter of time before you fell in love with one of them.” She handed me the mascara. I did the same and coloured my eyelashes in the dark black. “Luckily, for you, they’re twins. It doesn’t matter which of the two you choose.” She mused. Of course, Tessa knew I hated it when Fred and George weren’t seen as two individuals. She had teased me with pure intent, so that I jumped at her ideas. I took a brush and ran it through my hair. With fidgety fingers, I began braiding a bun out of my hair. “I have to interrupt you,” I admitted, playing into her hands. She was one of the few people, I showed my thoughts to. “Even though, they’re twins, they’re still different. Fred is the funnier one of the two. He develops our plans and speaks. George, on the other hand, is more personable, has the ideas for our plans and explains things better. And while Fred doesn’t like to hear it, George is a little better at Quidditch than his brother.” The list of the two could go on and on, but I knew Tessa stopped listening after a few minutes. Just the approach was enough to satisfy her. “Do you see! You know them both like no other. You fit together like a glove. George invited you to the ball, so you can fall in love with him.” Tessa walked over to her bed and examined the clothes she had planned for the day. She made her words sound like I had little choice but to fall in love with George. After several minutes of discussion, I expected her to be a little more creative with her goal, but she gave an overly simple answer to a complicated equation. “Before you want to shape my love life, think about your own.” I wanted to bring her back to reality. I fastened the plaited grans with a clip and finished my work. “Oh, don’t worry about that, I’m at least trying to make it reality.” She grimaced and took off her uniform. The murmurs of the rest of the Slytherin girls grew louder, and I knew they were moving toward our location. Luckily, that was a reason to bring this now hilarious conversation with Tessa to an end. My friend pulled on a pair of black pants and put on a classy shirt. The rich and powerful rusty red matched her blonde hair perfectly, and it felt like autumn was in front of me personally.
“It’s starting soon.” Pansy Parkinson stepped into the archway and reminded us of the importance of the evening. “Yes, we’re almost there.” I waved her off. She had been the proudest student when Draco invited her to the ball. Though she’d never said it outright, she admired the blonde boy. She was probably the perfect female equivalent to him. Would she ever bear the title Mrs Malfoy? I went to my closet and pulled out my dress for tonight. I quickly took off my uniform and slipped into the noble material. Tessa helped me zip up and then took a step back. “You won’t just amaze George tonight, that’s for sure.” She eyed me. I had to sigh in amusement. “You’re not leaving me alone with this any more, are you?” I walked over to the large mirror and looked at my counterpart. The red fabric of my dress was striking, there was no denying it. “And you picked this colour by?” she countered with a knowing look. Well, I had to agree with her on that point. I could have worn any colour, yet I chose red, the colour of Gryffindor. Another peculiarity of mine: to provoke inconspicuously. I offered my arm to my friend, which she hooked, and we left the dormitory together.

“Even if you don’t plan on falling in love tonight, at least promise me you won’t refuse for no reason. Try it, if only for the sake of me…and you.” She added the latter quietly, as we walked towards the common room. “And if I promise you that, will you finally leave me alone?” The conversation of our classmates grew louder, and we weren’t the only one meeting in the room. “Never.” She poked my side with a cheeky grin. I could only smile and roll my eyes, and yet I didn’t want to change anything about my friend. “Oh, I forgot something.” Tessa stopped moving. “I’ll be right back.” With quick steps, she walked on the direction we had come from, while I leaned against the back of an armchair in the meantime. The room was lit by a faint green, the water of the lake above us, and the soft glow of the fire in the hearth. Frantic girls ran through the room and straightened their hair one last time or smoothed the skirts of their dresses. My dress took on a different nuance due to the shimmering of the lake, and yet you could still clearly see the red. A red stone glowing in the forest. “If you ask me, you’re wearing the wrong colour tonight.” A voice rose out of the tumult and approached me. Draco stopped in front of me and looked me up and down. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt and a white vest. The cold colour accentuated his pale hair and cold eyes, which resembled mine. He had his coat casually on one of his arms. This sight was crowned with a confident expression on his face. “To wear what instead? Green?” I looked unenthusiastic into his eyes. I expected this conversation to end in bickering, but Draco smiled against it. “I just wanted to compliment you on your looks.” If so, he should have made it more obvious. Insidious as ever. He fiddled with the cufflink on his right wrist with one hand. “Thanks,” I said curtly. On the one hand, I wasn’t in the mood for a slug fest, on the other hand, it wasn’t worth arguing with Draco right now. It was moments like this where you could think that Lucius’ son wasn’t actually a bad person, but I’d rather eat my racing broom than actually say so. “There you are.” Pansy joined us with quick strides, stopping beside her date for the day. Her brown eyes stared at me intently for a moment. “It’s time we leave.” She put a hand on Draco’s arm to draw his attention, which was still on me. It couldn’t have been more obvious, Pansy. Like a bad tragedy being acted out before my eyes. “See you later.” I smiled at both of them and at the same time took away the opportunity for them to stay longer with me. With one last scrutiny, Pansy pulled her eyes away from me and left the room with Draco. “Here I am again.” Tessa stood in front of me with a big grin, a small package in her hand. “Shall we go?” she asked, happily. I went to my normal height, and together we went to today’s festival. As we stepped out of the common room, I felt a brief shiver, still used to the warm fire and my dress only having thin straps. “Dancing will get you warm…and hopefully your date too.” My friend had noticed my chills, and I had been waiting for her to comment again. I couldn’t roll my eyes that often, so instead I just pulled her behind me with a quacking step. “How you can walk in shoes like that,” she just grumbled, trying to keep up with me. The heels of my shoes could be heard clearly in the corridors of Hogwarts, which fortunately were warmer a few floors up. I knew who my date for tonight was. Even tough, I’m now 5’6, a full head taller than when I was my third year, it felt like Fred and George would never stop growing. They were only sixteen, and yet they already towered over their father half a head. We heard music and the voices of the student’s muffle. We swung around a corner and recognized the small groups that had formed in front of us. I abruptly scanned the crowd and after a few seconds located Sophie. “Hoping we have a good evening.” Tessa pulled away from my arm and held out her pinky finger. “A good evening.” I hooked my pinky on hers and sealed the promise. Because of our previous topics, I didn’t want to know what she meant by a good evening. I looked at my best friend with satisfaction, and she looked in Sophie’s direction. “Go on.” I released Tessa from our conversation, and with quick strides she walked over to the Ravenclaw. She had her long black hair fastened in an elaborate updo and wore a dark yellow dress. Had they agreed on their colour choice? Because they fit together perfectly. Tessa rubbed behind her right ear. She always did that when she was nervous. She handed the small package to Sophie, who, surprised by this gesture, thanked her with a hug. My friend was on the right track. “Have you seen Mr Potter by any chance?” McGonagall suddenly asked me. The professor wore a black hat and a green robe. “No, I have to disappoint you there,” I admitted. Her lips curled into a thin line, and she searched the crowd for the boy. “Who are you going to the ball with, if I may ask?” Her search was unsuccessful, and she gave me her attention.

Before I could answer that question, an arm slung on my shoulder. I tilted my head to the right and saw a wrist surrounded by pure white. His hand was adorned with some calluses he picked up from Quidditch practice. “Of course, with your favourite student.” I heard George’s voice behind me. “I wouldn’t have expected anything else.” The Head of Gryffindor house smirked knowingly. Her thoughts would rather focus on tonight than respond to my companion’s comment. “Ah, there’s Mr Potter. Enjoy the evening.” With hectic steps, McGonagall disappeared and left us both alone. George pulled his arm away from me and now stood in front of me. My friend was wearing a white shirt over his black pants. Simple but stylish. The light brown of his vest matched his eyes perfectly and the bright red of his hair. “Sorry you had to wait. Ron was always complaining about his suit.” He put one of his hands in his suit pocket. He stood in front of me and looked at me with a relaxed expression. “As long as none of us have to wear that thing,” I replied, amused. Fred and George had told me about the suit their younger brother had received from their mother. “I’d still dance with you,” he admitted. “Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?” I raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You can choose.”, the tall wizard smile. George held out his arm, and I linked my arm with him. Together, we went into the Great Hall, which was already crowded with students. As if ambling in this position all day, we walked past our classmates. It wasn’t news to many that I was such close friends with the twins, but I felt a few eyes on me. I didn’t care what they fought of us.
Because of George’s height, we lined up in the back rows. Not that he blocked the view of the others. In the meantime, I had completely lost sight of Tessa’s blond hair and there was no trace of Sophie either. After a few minutes, the murmuring of the students stopped, and the music started playing. The doors of the Great Hall opened, and the chosen students of the Triwizard Tournament strode in. The crowd began to applaud. While everyone seemed to enjoy the attention, Harry seemed a bit lost next to Parvati Patil. The four couples stopped in the large circle and now came halfway into my field of vision. “Would you like me to pick you up?” George leaned over my shoulder, so I could feel his breath on my cheek. Sometimes he had no shame. Flitwick silenced the music and students and began a new song. Now the four couples would open the Yule Ball. Taken by surprise, Harry managed to join in the music at the last moment and started dancing with his partner. Although, it was more like a stumble. “Better save that for the dance.” I tilted my head a few inches, so that the red hair came into view. We were so close now that I could count the faded freckles on his cheekbones. “I hope we look better dancing than Harry and Parvati.” I added. Unlike the other couples, they looked out of place. “Or like Filch and his cat,” George chuckled, still by my ear, pointing his finger at the janitor. Sometimes, I wondered what strange relationship the older man had with his cat. With a puzzled look, I let go of Filch and turned my attention forward again. After the first lift, Dumbledore and McGonagall followed the students onto the dance floor and began moving to the beat. The professors seemed like a well-established team and also showed this picture to their students. Now, little by little, the rest of the students entered the dance floor. That’s how I recognized the red hair of Ginny being led by Neville.
“I hope you can keep up with me.” George straightened to his full height and placed a hand on my lower back. “Show-off-“ It was already too late to protest, and with some pressure in his arm he pushed me towards the large circle. I barely managed to stumble onto the open space, as my partner guided me into the right position with a quick movement. He put one hand on my waist, the other on my own hand. With flowing movements, we lined up to the beat of our classmates. Due to the rotations, I could no longer place faces on the wizards and witches around us. With the next lift, he grabbed my hips with both hands and lifted me up. It was easy for George to raise me up like a little bird. I knew how much strength was in his arms. It was not for nothing that he and his brother had been the Beaters of the Gryffindors for five years in a row. But unlike the bat, whose force could easily deflect the Bludgers, he gripped me with the utmost care, as if I were made of precious glass. He had to know that I was made of different stuff. With every minute, we twirled and danced, his brown eyes locked on me, and it seemed a miracle we didn’t collide with the other couples. It was the look on his face he had shown me the day we met. As if it were yesterday, I sat across from the boy in the train compartment. He casually leaned against the window and looked at me with a satisfied smile. It was like a déjà vu as the brown eyes, which could gleam like pure amber in the sunlight, gleamed at me under the Christmas candlelight of the Hall. I could feel like a princess dancing with her chosen prince at the prom – at least that’s how Tessa would say it. The last bars sounded and with the end of the song, George pulled me towards him one last time. The students, who weren’t dancing yet, began to applaud. With a quick breath, I look up at my friend and memorize this moment best. At that moment, the friends weren’t the ones who liked to hatch plans or play pranks. We weren’t the opposing Beaters who hit the Bludgers. It was something different, something more intense. I felt the warmth of his hands even through the fabric of my dress. His large body, which built up in front of my and provided every protection if the worst came to the worst. They were things that he had already owned in previous years, and yet they felt different. Familiar and yet foreign. “Would you like something to drink?” he calls softly. As if I was somewhere else, I blinked a few times to clear my thoughts. It was a simple question, but coming from him, it sounded like the most difficult task. “What?” I made sure. “I asked you if you would like a drink.” He let go of my hand. I followed this movement. “Yes, sure.” I answered curtly, whereupon he nodded. His hand was still on my hip, so he easily led me off the dance floor and approached the wall. He released me and walked over to the long table where punch was being served. With a sweeping movement, he poured me some red drink in front of me again. “A great evening.” Playfully polite, he held out his glass, which I touched with mine. The clinking finally pulled me back to reality. “On the fact that we can dance better than Harry,” I said, unable to think of anything better. I sipped the sweet drink and surveyed the crowd. I watched on to Hermione and Viktor, who was dressed in the same red as me tonight, and watched them talk to their classmates. The student seemed genuinely happy to the Bulgarian Seeker and the frustration felt at Ron never seemed to have touched her face. She got the recognition she deserved. In contrast, the Weasley’s youngest son stood by his date like a wet sack. George followed my gaze. “I didn’t think you were one of those girls who adore Krum and Cedric.” His voice was flat, but he tried to hide it with a provocative smile. Frowning, I looked up at my friend. “I don’t,” I said directly, shaking my head slightly. Neither of them were ugly, I had to give them that, but Viktor was clearly too taciturn and Cedric seemed too confident in himself. He enjoyed the attention he was given. “Or are you jealous?” I raised my eyebrow defiantly and looked back at my friend. Actually, I just wanted to have fun with him, but he answered the question. “Should I?” he countered. “You don’t have to.” Before I realized the deeper meaning behind my words, they had already left my lips. “I was just watching Hermione and Ron,” I confessed, trying to change the subject at the same time. “If only he had the courage to ask her sooner.” George shrugged calmly. “We told him that if he wanted a good date, he had to hurry.” He twisted the stem of his glass. “Was that the message on my invitation?” I had to giggle, remembering the note I recognized Fred and George’s writing on. “By the way, thanks for giving me a choice,” I added wryly. “But with exactly this scam, I got the best date.” He taught his punch and then smiled at me victoriously. He was a master at turning a simple answer into a compliment. I did the same and drank from my glass, hoping he couldn’t see the faint blush on my face. His direct manner had never caused me any problems, I was no different, and yet he could always go one better. “Ron really didn’t do himself a favour tonight.” Fred’s voice appeared next to us. He wore the same suit as his brother and was accompanied by Angelina Johnson. Her dark dress matched her hair perfectly, and you could tell she was clearly comfortable with her date. “We were just talking about it,” George added, casually crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You don’t miss a chance to tease your little brother.” Angelina laughed. “Otherwise, it would be boring.”, George acknowledged unenthusiastic. “It shouldn’t be up to us. We gave him a tip.” Fred handed Angelina a filled glass, which she gratefully accepted. “They’re not always worth their weight.” The Chaser rolled her eyes. I looked at George and had to hold back a laugh. “Of course, they are. Ask Livia!” Fred replied confidently and toasted me. “I think, I’d like to dance,” I said, ignoring Fred’s request and stuck my tongue out at him. Angelina could only laugh and put her hand on Fred’s shoulder. Holding George by the hand, so I wouldn’t lose him, I picked my way through the fray. The classical music had given way, and a band played their first song. The students moved to the rhythm of the music and forgot the dance steps of the opening. The fun was in the foreground. With hopping movements, I began to dance with George. Whether it was classical or rock – he knew how to move. He seemed so carefree, as if he were far from any evil thoughts. His red hair bobbed with his movements, and with his right hand he pulled me into a twist. I felt as light as a feather, just drifting with the wind. All the stressful and negative thoughts disappeared for the moment, and there just seemed to be pure happiness in both of us. A girl next to me started screaming as the singer shook his hair. I just looked at her in surprise, then back at George. Immediately we both laughed, and he pulled me a few inches away from the overwhelmed girl. It was such small moments together that we enjoyed without even noticing it at the moment. We had to dance like this for at least an hour before the pain in my feet caught up with me. I would like to strip off and throw them into the crowd. Luckily, I didn’t turn my thoughts into reality, otherwise I would have hit Flitwick with it, who was being carried past me on the hands of our classmates. I gripped the white fabric of George’s shirt and pulled the tall wizard down to me. “I need a break. My feet hurt.” I whispered in his ear while the loud music could be heard from every corner of the Hall. “Want to do something forbidden?” he answered. Before I could think about the answer, I respond just as passionately, “That you’re still asking.” He pulled his head away from mine and looked at me with a knowing expression. He grabbed my hand again and pulled me out of the crowd. We walked past the tables that were only occupied by a few students. It didn’t even surprise me that Harry and Ron were sitting in the chairs like two old men, clearly bored. I didn’t even want to talk about their dates. I didn’t know where George was taking me, but he seemed to have a goal. He made several turns in the corridors until we arrived at an intersection. “Wait her,” he pointed with one finger, releasing me with his other hand. With quick steps, he turned into the stairwell and disappeared as a flight of stairs spun out of my sight. I took advantage of the quiet moment and leaned against the wall behind me. The cold rock was a nice change from the intense movements of the past few hours. I studied my hand in fascination, still clinging to the warmth George had given it. Or was it all just imagination? I shook my head, wanting to get rid of the dreamy thoughts. “If that isn’t Livia. Did your date dump you? You shouldn’t have declined my invitation.” Blaise stalked into the aisle and examined one of his rings. I was just missing the guy. With his appearance alone, he pulled my feeling down. “Oh no. And what should I do now? Crying?” All of my irony poured out unto my statement. His smug smile faded, and his expression turned irritated. “Your manner doesn’t make the boys like you.” His jaw muscle tightened, as if he were a stern teacher about to lecture me. “I’ll remember your words and will write them in my dream journal tonight.” I grimaced in boredom and examined my white-painted nails. “Actually, you’re already obnoxious.” Blaise said dismissively. Snore, I fell asleep right away. Did he seriously think I cared about his opinion? “Wow, now you got me worried.” I straightened up to my normal height, with matched my counterpart. “Do me a favour and go to your little puppets.” I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture and already spotted George in the archway. “It’s not over yet.” Deliberately, he rammed his shoulder into mine and followed the hallway. As far as I’m concerned, he should do it. “Should I have helped you?” George asked, glancing after the Slytherin. “Any help comes too late with him.” I drew my lips into a thin line and shook off the negative thoughts of him. “Better tell me what you’re up to.” I changed the subject and peered curiously at the fabric he had tucked under his arm. “You’ll see,” he said knowingly.

He peeked around the corner to make sure everything was safe. “Come on,” he whispered, walking quickly down another corridor. I followed him on his way, careful not to attract attention. Ever since the twins got hold of the Marauder’s Map, which was currently with Harry, we knew the hallways of the school inside out. The official ones as well as the unofficial ones. In my head, I went through our path and made a bet on where we had to arrive. “Here we are,” George said contentedly, pointing to the bridge that led to the hills. I looked up at him suspiciously. “You wanted to show me the bridge?” I wrapped my hands protectively around my shoulders. The snow did its best to let me feel the cold. “I’ve got a bit more on it.” He pulled the grey fabric out from under his arm and held it in front of my body, appreciatively. “Should fit.” He stated satisfied and handed me the jacket. I looked at the knitted piece in amazement. Judging by the size, it was definitely George’s. Was that what he did when I was supposed to be waiting for him? Get me a jacket? Shrugging, I pulled the soft fabric over my torso and followed my friend. The wind whistled around the wooden beams, and one would have thought that we were insane if we stayed here voluntarily. Luckily, we didn’t linger on the strangely shaped object, but only stopped in the small stone house. “Wait here.” And again, he left me alone. I wouldn’t think of playing in the snow with these shoes on. He disappeared behind the archway and stomped into the cold. After a minute, he reappeared before my eyes, holding a bottle in his hand. “Should I be concerned about your mental health?” I raised an eyebrow. “Give yourself a few more years,” he waved amusedly. “Smell it.” He handed me the bottle and meanwhile sat down on the cold floor. Before I could judge him, he wordlessly created a portable flame in his hands. I had already been through too much with him and Fred to turn back at this moment. I carefully sat down next to the wizard and felt the cold floor through the fabric of my dress. Without thinking about it, I pressed my shoulder against his. Even the small flame couldn’t change the cold that surrounded us. I pulled the cork out of the green glass and there was a soft pop. I smelled the neck of the bottle curiously, and it didn’t take long to identify Molly’s famous elderflower wine. “How did you get a bottle like that?” Surprised by the contents, I looked at George. Molly hardly thought of sending her son’s such a bottle to Hogwarts. “I think Errol was supposed to bring Charlie this bottle for his birthday, but the owl dropped it on us instead. How stupid would I be if I had just sent them back?” George whispered and looked at me invitingly. I put the bottle to my lips and took a long gulp. The sweet drink ran down my throat and made me shiver. If the wine had been hidden in the snow since Charlie’s birthday, then that bottle had been there for almost two weeks. I handed the bottle to George in exchange for the small flame that made my fingertips tingle. The wizard also took two sips of the drink and placed the bottle on the floor next to him. I provisionally held the small flame on my leg and his. “Fred and I have an idea,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. “It doesn’t always end well,” I replied curtly, giggling. “This time it’s something different, something bigger.” His elbow gently nudged my side. “When we finish school, we want to open a shop. A place where you feel comfortable and where we sell all our ideas.” His voice rose happily, and I realized how much that thought meant to him. “A nice dream. I hope it comes true.” I said softly and bridged the last few inches that separated us, as I was still a little chilly. Likewise, I would support them with any idea they had, no matter how absurd it sounded. For a brief moment, I thought of my savings. It wasn’t a fortune, of course, but at least it was a start that got them a step closer to their dream. “It’s probably going to be risky.” He took another sip of the sweet drink and then held the neck of the bottle to my mouth as my hands warmed against the fire. What would our classmates look like if they saw us like this? Making sure, I didn’t choke on the wine, he tilted the bottle, so I could have a drink. Carefully, he set the green glass down again and looked at my mouth. For a few seconds, his brown eyes rested on my red lips and didn’t move an inch. Finally, with his index finger, he wiped a drop from my cheek that I had carried away from trying to drink. “Are you scared?” I asked quietly. This conversation had assumed a serious mood. “Fear? A little, but that’s normal.” He shook his head and looked at the warm light. “It doesn’t compare to the fear felt by a Boggart. Ginny trained in class the other day and saw Tom Riddle.” George changed the subject. I remembered my third year when the poor girl was the boy’s victim. “What did you see back then?” I asked bluntly, realizing we’d never talked about it. “My loved ones to suddenly disappear.” His voice trailed off, and he watched his breath form a small cloud in the dim light. Nobody likes to talk about their fears. George was a family man like any of the Weasley’s, so I wasn’t surprised by his thoughts. “And you?” He turned his head to me and was very close to my face again. I remembered the lesson from two years ago. “Now, don’t say you’re not afraid of anything. Even you must have seen something in the Boggart,” he teased. Too bad, my idea could have worked. I had a clear picture in my mind: darkness and silence. I might as well not have seen anything, but I knew what the meaning of it was. I was forgotten and abandoned by my loved ones. Not my father, but the twins. Tessa. Sophie.

“Who is it?” Filch’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts before I could reply to my date. I jerked my hands from our laps, dying out the small flame, and turned to face George, who pressed his finger to my mouth. I looked at him silently and waited to see what we should do now. He took the bottle carefully, pushed the cork down as best he could and threw it out the window, landing in the snow. Now we just had to get out of here. The wizard rose quietly and peeked out from behind the archway. I didn’t know how far Filch was from us, but it had to be enough for George to motion for me to sneak out of the other arch. Careful, not to draw attention to myself, I kicked off my shoes and picked them up. I hopped quietly in the snow, and I would have liked to be able to snap when I felt the cold on the soles of my feet and between my toes. With spasmodic movements, I crept away from the house and approached a few trees. The wind blew up the snowflakes and clouded visibility. In the shadows of the night, I stared at the bridge, lit by a lamp in the middle. Filch would be here soon. With a jump, George landed next to me, and pushed me deeper into the branches with his body. The aromatic smell of the green twigs and the resin hit my nostrils. This scent was rounded off by the crisp cold that was in the air in winter. Quietly and secretly, we watched the caretaker, who hesitantly peeked into the walls. Curious, George bent over me, so I could feel the silk of his vest on the back of my neck. It was either his heart pounding with excitement or mine. Luckily, Filch seemed averse to the cold weather, so after a few minutes the light moved away from us. “I’ll punish that Zabini for his trick,” the older man mocked and at the same time told me the name of the person had betrayed us. We waited a moment longer for the lamp’s light to disappear from our field of vision, and then we emerged from under the tree. I tried to put my shoes back on with shaky movements. The only reason for this stupid solution was the fact that otherwise I would freeze off my bare feet. I trudged through the snow in my heels, stumbling every few seconds. At the same time, I was busy holding up the skirt of my dress. The cold wind brushed my bare legs, and I almost slipped. Reflexively, I reached out to George and clenched my free hand in his robes. “Would you like me to help you?” asked the wizard, who now had his hand on my forearm. “I’ve been through worse,” I dismissed, my eyes darting from my feet to my friend. “Besides, it’s not that smoo-hooth.” It came as it had to come, and my unsteady step knocked me off my feet. I tipped sideways and used my momentum to pull George down as well. We landed on the soft ground, which gave way a few inches below us. Half of my torso rested on his, and we both looked at each other’s faces. Suddenly, we broke out in a loud and hearty laugh. It was the culmination of the last few minutes. “I thought it wasn’t ‘smoo-hooth’,” the wizard mimicked, and continued to laugh. I took some snow in my hand and pressed it on his face. Reflexively, he turned his head and his arm began to move beneath me. The next moment, I felt an icy cold spread on my back. He had actually shoved snow under the fabric of my dress. I sucked in the air sharply between my lips and prevented a quickening on my part. No matter how cold we were, our laughter didn’t stop. In the meantime, a few strands of my hair had come loose and fell in my face, but I blew them off my skin. Nothing could spoil this funny moment. It was messy and perfect at the same time. I felt George’s upper body beneath me, rising and falling rapidly. “Merry Christmas,” he said while stilling himself from the fit of laughter. With one hand, he brushed the remaining snow off my back, and I felt the brief warmth that rested on my skin. It wasn’t the circumstances that surprised me – things like that happened to us all the time – but it felt different, unusually different. I was a person who liked to be right. Yes, I liked it when my counterpart was wrong, and yet I got the feeling that today Tessa had known more than I did.