One morning in November, Esperanza set up clothes lines along a flat area beside Hogwarts' lake. It was barely sun-up, but it looked to be a sunny day perfect for clothes dying. The area beneath the Castelobruxo ship wasn't flat enough and tended to get muddy and she couldn't dye inside due to the smell. The Yule Ball would be there before they knew it and she had sixteen ball gowns and sixteen suits to make for the event. Luckily, she had already achieved most of her credit hours. Her main purpose for going to Hogwarts in the first place was to search for her baby cousin, Herminia. Now that Herminia was found, she was there to keep an eye on her and protect her.
Protection of the heart counted, as did matchmaking. Her sisters never told her about their crushes out of fear that she'd embarrass them.
What did they have to be embarrassed about?
"One of your lines is a little droopy," said Merelin.
Esperanza set down the basket of clothes that needed to be dyed and fixed the line.
"Any others?" she asked.
"That is all."
Esperanza set up her cauldrons, heated up the water, and poured in her salt before dumping in the dyes. The smallest cauldron was the most complicated as that dress would change between all the colors of the rainbow. She would save that fabric for last.
For Herminia's dress, she had decided on a midnight blue, and it would glitter like the night sky. She would match perfectly with Cedric once the cloth was the same color. It was going to be beautiful.
"Someone is coming," Merelin hissed. "Don't look now, but I think it's your boyfriend."
"Viktor Krum is not my boyfriend," Esperanza replied in parseltongue.
"But you want him to be."
Esperanza bit her lips and looked out of the corner of her eye. Viktor was jogging along the lakeside and had slowed to a walk the closer he got to Esperanza.
"Your cloth is done."
Esperanza lifted it out of the cauldron and wrung out the excess dye.
"Ooh, Viktor is speaking to you," said Merelin gleefully. "Would you like me to translate?"
"Yes."
"Good morning, Esperanza," said Viktor. "What brings you out here?"
"Dyeing cloth," she said. "The Yule Ball is at the end of next month and I have thirty-two outfit orders, including my own."
"That is a lot." He studied the hanging cloth. "Is your dress blue?"
"Such riveting things you humans discuss."
"Oh, no." She shook her head and twirled her wand to change the shade of the dye to a startling cerulean. "My dress is white. What about you?"
Viktor placed his arms behind his back and glanced into the cauldron. "Durmstrang has school-issued dress-robes. Red."
"Translation: I love you, please kiss me now."
Esperanza gave Merelin a warning tap. "Do you like red?" she asked, wondering if she should change her dress color.
"Not particularly," he said. "Mamo always said red was unlucky color."
"Smooth flirting skills," said Merelin. "At this rate, you'll be married when you're fifty."
Esperanza fought the urge to roll her eyes. Viktor looked over her shoulder and scowled.
"Karkaroff is calling," he said. "I must go."
"Woof. Woof."
"Do you always do what he tells you?" she asked. "You're seventeen."
"Eighteen," he corrected. "It is my birthday."
"Oh, Happy Birthday!"
"You should give him a gift. Perhaps a token of your affections. Perhaps a kiss?"
Esperanza ignored her hearing aid and dug around her purse. "Wait, don't go yet."
She finally procured a wrapped package of coconut sticks, a Mas Mas bar, and a navy blue, cashmere scarf she knitted last week.
"Here." She hoped her voice wasn't shaking as she offered him the gifts. "Happy Birthday, Viktor."
"Oh, I couldn't."
"Please." She took his hand and placed the items in it. "I insist."
"Karkaroff sounds mad," said Merelin. "I wouldn't kiss him now, he would probably get in trouble."
Viktor glanced at the Durmstrang ship once more, before turning his attention back to Esperanza. His eyes were like obsidian. Dark, glittering, and beautiful. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He touched his fingers to his chin and arched them out, moving his entire forearm.
Thank you.
"You're welcome," she signed back.
Viktor nodded and hurried along, minding not to trip on any of her cauldrons. Esperanza leaned against her stirring stick and sighed.
"Viktor and Zaza sitting in a tree," Merelin sang.
"You were no help," Esperanza retorted. "I can flirt just fine without you whispering in my ear!"
"But if I weren't whispering in your ear, then you couldn't understand such poetry such as 'Is your dress blue?'"
Esperanza laughed, "You're terrible."