Alcohol Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
The fourth years had been given a heavy load of homework to complete over the holidays, and although she normally left it until the very last moment (something that annoyed Hermione to no end seeing as she still managed to get top marks), she found herself quickly completing it as soon as possible. She tried to convince herself it was just to get it over with, but truth be told it was just something mind-numbing to do to try not and focus on how Fred was going to the ball with Angelina. It was so bad that Briar couldn't even find it in herself to be all that pleased with the success the twins had with their canary creams, people bursting into feather all over the place. She wasn't even sure what they were working on right now, in fact she wouldn't have even known they were working on anything knew if they hadn't told Harry, who had then told her: "Don't let me accept even a crisp from them. I haven't forgotten Dudley and the Ton-tongue toffee."
Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. Aleksandr had told her that if anything the snow was making him feel more at home, more used to this weather than anything else. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savoury puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about. (Which had her, Ginny and Hermione all rolling their eyes and scowling.)
"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening (Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur, even though Briar pointed out that to her he probably wasn't all that memorable). "I will not fit into my dress robes!"
"Oooh, there's a tragedy," said Hermione snappily, as Fleur went out into the Entrance Hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"
"Of course she does Hermione," Briar said. "It's the one thought she can fit inside her head with all that air filling it." That finally had Hermione cracking a smile.
"Hermione – who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron for the umpteenth time.
Briar and Harry shared a look and roll their eyes. He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking when she least expected it.
However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll make fun of me."
Briar was about to point out that if anything Ron would probably be jealous by the close and personal feel of Viktor Krum – Ron's apparent new man crush, but she was interrupted by the voice she least wanted to hear.
"You're joking, Weasley?" said Malfoy, behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"
Harry, Ron and Briar all whipped around.
"And who are you taking, Malfoy?" Briar retorted, sneering his name like it was foul on her tongue. "Going to have an intimate evening with your right hand?"
Ron and Harry both snorted, while Malfoy turned rather pink. He opened his mouth angrily, but Hermione said loudly, waving to somebody over Malfoy's shoulder, "Hello, Professor Moody!"
Malfoy went pale and jumped backwards, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table finishing his stew.
"Twitchy little feet, aren't you, Malfoy?" said Hermione scathingly and she, the twins, and Ron went up the marble staircase laughing heartily.
"'Mione, I have never liked you more than I do in this moment," Briar grinned and Hermione smiled cheekily back.
"Hermione," said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth…"
"What about them?" she said, ignoring the knowing look Briar shot her.
"Well, they're different…I've just noticed…"
"Of course they are – did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?
"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you…they're all…straight and – and normal sized"
Hermione suddenly smiled very mischievously and Briar smirked as she noticed her twin notice what Ron had.
"Well…when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror, and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," she said. "And I just…let her carry on a bit." She smiled even more widely. "Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my brace. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think magic should – look! Pigwidgeon's back!"
Ron's tiny owl was twittering madly on top of the icicle-laden banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to its leg. People passing him were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girls paused and said, "Oh, look at the weeny owl! Isn't he cute?"
"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, hurrying up the stairs and snatching Pigwidgeon up. "You bring letters straight the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!"
Pigwidgeon hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The third-year girls all looked very shocked.
"Clear off!" Ron snapped at them, waving his first holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air. "Here – take it, Harry," Ron added in an undertone, as the third year girls scuttled away looking scandalised. He pulled Uncle Padfoot's reply off Pigwidgeon's leg, Harry pocketed it, and they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to read it.
Everyone in the common room was much too busy letting off more holiday steam to observe what anyone else was up to. Briar, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat apart from everyone else by a dark window that was gradually filling up with snow, and Harry read out:
Dear Harry,
Congratulations on getting past the Horntail, whoever put your name in that Goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a conjunctivitis curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point-
"That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered.
"He did worse than that," Briar muttered, but low enough that the others didn't hear her.
-but your way was better, I'm impressed.
Don't get too complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open particularly when the person we discussed is around and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble. Bambi, I know you're probably reading this too, so keep an eyes on him and watch out for yourself, they could go after you too.
Both of you keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.
Sirius
"He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes, "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banding of the walls…"
"Well, that would be a sight to behold, and you might as well do with how unobservant you are, no wonder he told me to watch out for you," Briar taunted and Harry smiled reluctantly, nudging her should with his. "Anyone, it doesn't surprise me if he does sound like him, he trained under him after all.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, turning to Briar sharply.
Briar's brows rose.
"Didn't you know? I said how Moody trained our dad when he was working to become an Auror, well he trained Uncle Padfoot too," Briar explained. Harry's eyes got that special light in them that they always got when she told him something about the past that he didn't know.
"Anyway," Hermione said sternly, trying to get them back on track. "Sirius is right. You have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, start working out what it means…"
"Hermione, he's got ages!" snapped Ron. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"
"Yeah, okay," said Harry. Then, spotting the look on Hermione's face, he said, "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."
Hermione sighed as Harry and Ron went to go and play chess. Briar just patted her shoulder in a would-be sympathetic gesture.
"He'll get round to it, 'Mione. He works better under pressure," Briar said soothingly. "Besides, I doubt he'll spend much time playing chess with, Ron. He must be a masochist to even bother to be honest. I haven't played Ron since first year when he beat me in ten moves"
Hermione laughed slightly.
"I suppose your right," she said.
On Christmas morning Briar woke up to Hermione yanking her curtain apart and dropping herself down onto Briar's legs. Briar groaned, reaching a hand up to cover her eyes from the sunlight, suddenly intensely regretting having a bed in view of the window.
"Merry Christmas!" Hermione half screeched and half sung.
"Merry Christmas," Briar yawned back, slowly sitting up and rubbing her hazel eyes to get rid of the blurriness of sleep.
Lavender and Parvati stuck their heads out of their respective beds and glared at them. "Some of us are still trying to sleep," Lavender sniffed, before both she and Parvati simultaneously retreated back to their beds and put up silencing charms.
Hermione and Briar shared a look before letting out small snickers.
"Here you go," Hermione said, crossing her legs to sit more comfortably and handing Briar a very neatly wrapped present.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess its…a book," Briar smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes, but her smile was bright.
Briar unwrapped her present and her smile grew as bright as Hermione's. She had gotten her a book called Quidditch teams of Britain and Island, which Briar had mentioned about wanting offhandedly about four months ago.
"I can't believe you remembered!" Briar exclaimed, pulling Hermione into a hug. "Thank you"
"Your welcome," Hermione said, clearly pleased at the reaction. "I got Harry a copy as well. I mean, sometimes you can't be more different but more often than not you're practically the same person so I figured he'd enjoy it too"
"Well we are identical twins, made from the same egg and all that," Briar said, waving a hand flippantly. "I'm sure he'll like it." After pulling out a packaged wrapped in bright, lurid wrapping paper she added, "Here's your present"
After seeing from the shape that it was clearly a book too, Hermione opened it eagerly. When she finally caught sight of what lay within the paper her jaw dropped and she looked at it wide eyed. It was a beautiful leather bound book with a gold trim on all the pages, on the front in glittering gold writing was Ancient Runes Through History.
"Oh, Briar…" Hermione breathed.
Briar grinned, seeing that she clearly liked it.
"I found it with some of my family's things that are in my loft at home. It's been in my family for generations, look, you can see the Potter family crest on the inside of the cover," Briar said pointing. Then she turned to the contents page and said, "and look, it's got a whole section on runes that tie in with Arithmancy since I know that's one of your favourite sub-"
Briar was cut short when Hermione lunged at her with the tightest hug possible.
"It's perfect," she said when she pulled away, her eyes teary. "Thank you so much"
"Your welcome" Briar said, smiling softly.
Once Hermione went back to her bed to open her other presents, no and again looking back at the beautiful book Briar got her, Briar began to open the other gifts that were at the foot of her bed.
From Ron she got a bulging pack of Dungbombs; Uncle Padfoot, a pretty crystal ring that was turn a blood red were she near anyone with bad intentions; Uncle Moony, a pretty hair clip that had once belonged to her Aunt Dorcas; Fred and George she had gotten another picture to put in her locket, this one of the three of them on the ground, arms around each other and pulling faces with the whomping willow in the background; Ginny a pretty second hand neckless which coincidentally matched the 'sisters' charm bracelet Briar had gotten the girl; and Hagrid, a vast box of her favourite sweets: Liquorice wands, Fizzing Whizzbees, Chocolate Frogs and Strawberry Blasters (A strawberry flavoured sweet that literally exploded into your mouth). There was also of course, Mrs Weasley's usual package, including a new jumper (Red with a pretty flower on the right breast) and a large quantity of home-made mince pies. She also got a gift from Zingy: A huge box of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Finally from Harry she had gotten a beautiful silver notebook that physically pulse different colours and shocked anyone else who tried to open it, inside she could see that he had started listing all of the spells they had learned in defence against the dark arts, figuring she could keep helpful duelling spells in there for when she became an Auror.
Briar and Hermione met up with Harry and Ron in the common room, and they went down to breakfast together. They spend most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbages Wizarding Crackers.
They went out into the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione chose to watch the Potters and the Weasleys snowball fight rather than join in (And also sent Briar knowing looks as she sent an unusually vicious snowball at the back of Fred's head despite them being on the same team). At five o'clock she had dragged Briar from the game and said they were going to get ready for the ball.
"What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at them incredulously, and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. "Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved as the two of them went up the stone steps into the castle.
"Ugh, I need a shower," Briar groaned as they walked up to the common room, shivering in her wet clothes and pushing her hair away from where it was sticking to her face.
"That's why you shouldn't have joined in," Hermione said in a knowing voice that made Briar glare at her.
"I can't just not join in," Briar said defensively. "It's a yearly tradition. You can't just break tradition, that's like sacrilege"
"Didn't Sirius break tradition when he was sorted into Gryffindor?" she pointed out.
"Yes, but that's…that's different," Briar sputtered.
"Why? It doesn't seem different," Hermione said.
"Look, Hermione, I don't know why things that seem the same are very different, they just are okay, and stop using logic on me when im cold and wet and annoyed that I'm going to have to go to a ball where Fred will be with someone that's not me" Briar burst out. "fairy lights," She told the Fat Lady, who hiccupped, clearly already having started her Christmas tradition of getting drunk.
Lavender and Parvati were already in their dorms when they got there. Make-up and hair products were spread everywhere, as well as about a million pair of shoes. Hermione and Briar shared a wide eyed look before deciding silently that they would get ready together in Ginny's dorm instead. They grabbed there things and went one door over to the third year dorms. Ginny was sitting in front of her mirror, seemingly not being able to decide what to do with her hair.
"Oh, thank Merlin," she breathed when she saw them. "I really need help"
"Sure thing," Briar grinned before she turned to the other four inhabitants of the dorm and saying "Get out."
"This is our dorm you can't kick us out!" One of the girls, Briar had never bothered to learn any of their names, exclaimed.
Briar just fixed them with the glare she usually reserved for Slytherins and annoying firsties and the four of them quickly scrambled away.
"Briar," Hermione said in her scolding mother voice, but Briar just ignored her.
"I'm going to take a shower, Gin, 'Mione, why don't you get in your dresses and I'll help you do your hair afterwards" Briar grinned and quickly went into the bathroom before they could say anything in reply.
After the quickest shower she had ever had in her life, Briar cast a drying charm on herself, her hair taking several, and pulled on the beautiful dress robes her uncle Padfoot had gotten her. The crushed velvet bodice clung to her tightly and the navy skirt flowed down in beautiful satin. With her dark hair and pale complexion paired with the dark dress she couldn't help but think she looked startlingly like the pictures of her grandmother on her father's side, who had been stunning much like all the Black family were.
When she exited the bathroom Hermione and Ginny had done as she had said and gotten in their dress robes. Hermione's were made of a floaty periwinkle blue material that suited her nicely, while Ginny was wearing robes of a dark green, which Hermione was currently changing with her wand so that they fit her better.
"Get rid of the sleeves, they don't suit her at all," Briar commented as she came in and Hermione hummed and did just that.
"Thanks, you guys, I don't know what I would have done otherwise, I mean I love them, but having six brothers doesn't make it easy to learn this sort of thing," Ginny said gratefully, a nervous smile on her lips.
"Well, you've got two sisters now," Briar said, and Ginny positively beamed back, looking down fondly at her wrist and Briar noticed with a smile that she was looking at the sisters bracelet she had gotten her. "Come on, I'll do your hair first, Ginny"
Ginny sat down in the position she was in when she and Hermione first came in and Briar set to work on her hair. she separated the top layer from the bottom and put in a bun at the crown of her head and then using her wand she carefully curled the rest of the hair and kept it down to her shoulders.
"Thank you," Ginny breathed, touching at a curl with a look of disbelief, as though she wasn't sure it was actually her hair.
"Your welcome. Hermione, you're turn," Briar said and Hermione switched places with Ginny, who started doing her make up.
"I was up all last night looking at charms for hair work and I think I found one that will be perfect for me," Hermione grinned, handing Briar a slip of paper with detailed notes of a spell that would tame her hair and give it a more silken quality.
"Well, you certainly need it," Briar comments offhandedly as she read the notes and practiced the wand movement a couple of times before proceeding to actually do it on Hermione's hair.
"You can't really talk," Hermione sniffed.
"Well, no," Briar conceded, "but my hair's messy in a 'just stepped of a broomstick' kind of way, while yours is just bushy and wild"
"Briar!" Ginny exclaimed, but Hermione just rolled her eyes, having gotten used to Briar's blunt and, vaguely mean, comments.
Briar shrugged and looked over her shoulder at Ginny, "What? It's true"
"That's what you said when Lavender started crying because you told her she gained weight," Hermione pointed out.
"You did what?" Ginny asked in shock.
"She asked!" Briar cried defensively. "Honestly, what's the big deal? Lying about little things like this does nothing but discredit everyone involved. How could you ever trust you really look good if that's all your friends ever tell you?"
Hermione and Ginny didn't seem to have a response to that.
Hermione's hair was now slick and shiny and tied in an elegant knot at the back of her head.
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny breathed. "You look wonderful"
Hermione turned a pretty pink.
"Of course she does, I helped her," Briar smirked, ruffling her hair and throwing a wink at the two girls that made them laugh.
While Hermione sat beside Ginny to do her own make up, asking Ginny what shade of pink eyeshadow she should use. Briar got started on her own hair. She tied to up in a rather messy bun, but left a small bit down, which she proceeded to plait and then move across her head to resemble that of a head band. (She used her aunt Dorcas' pretty clip to keep it in place, smiling sadly as she did). Finally she used her wand to cast a spell so that the messy strands escaping the bun turn into elegant curls. For her make-up she used a smoky grey that faded into gold to bring out her eyes and a clear lip gloss.
When all three of them had done their make-up they pulled on their shoes, Ginny's a brown wedge (not having yet mastered the heel), Hermione's a pale pink heeled sandal and Briar's a pretty silver pair of heals to match the buttons on her bodice, which she had transfigured from a pair of converse, not seeing the point in buy new shoes when she was only going to wear them once.
"We don't even look like ourselves," Ginny breathed as they looked in the mirror.
"I know," Hermione agreed, moving slightly as though to make sure her reflection was in fact her own.
"Sure we do, this is how I see myself every day," Briar said arrogantly and went to ruffle her hair only to remember she had styled it and her hand dropped awkwardly at her side. "Come on. Let's just forget the fact that Harry, Fred and Ron were being utter idiots, and drop them dead," Briar said, trying to give herself a shot of confidence and hooking her arms into those of Ginny and Hermione and leading them from the dorms and then the common room.
They had spotted Neville first in the entrance hall so Ginny split apart from them with a small wave to go and greet him, the both of them were very pink in the face as they spoke and Hermione and Briar shared a look and smiled. Not soon after they had found Viktor Krum, standing a little ways apart from the other Durmstrang boys.
"Hermy-own, you look vonderful," he said, bending to kiss her hand.
"Thank you," Hermione said, blushing slightly.
'Hermy-own'? Briar mouthed to her with a smirk and amusement twinkling in her hazel eyes. Hermione just grinned over her shoulder as Krum led her away.
Finally she had found Aleksandr, who whispered a word to his friends and split apart from them to come over to her. He blushed lightly when he looked at her and was smiling widely.
"You look very beautiful," He complimented.
Briar didn't blush as Hermione had, just smiled charmingly.
"I know," She smirked. "You look very handsome," she added to his slightly take-aback expression.
And she wasn't lying. He did look very handsome in hi dark robes of red and black, similar to what many of the Durmstrang students were wearing, she supposed it must be the style in Bulgaria or something.
"Vould you like to go in?" He asked, nodding to the wide oak doors.
"Sure," she replied and he put a hesitant hand on the small of her back and led her inside.
The walls of the Great Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The house tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.
"There are you friends," Aleksandr said. "Vould you like to sit with them?"
Briar nodded, but when she saw Fred and Angelina sitting there, Angelina dressed in flattering yellow dress robes she wanted to turn and run, but she forced herself to keep moving, taking a seat in between Ron and Padma and Ginny and Neville, which unfortunately left her opposite Angelina and Fred, who was gaping at her as she sat down, but as soon as he looked at Aleksandr, he forced his gaze downwards.
"Krum? Hermione, came with Krum?" Ron hissed to her, leaning over Padma, who didn't look very impressed with him doing such a thing.
"Yes," she whispered back. "More impressive than you thought, right? Nice dress robes by the way" she smirked. Ron had chopped off the frilly cuffs of the robes, but it did little to improve their general appearance.
Ron glared at her.
"How did that even happen? And it's not like I could have bought new ones, is it?" he said bitterly.
Briar ignored the first question and said, "Why didn't you just transfigure them?"
"Because-" Ron started, but he quickly seemed to realise that he had never considered that. "Why didn't you mention that before"
"I thought it would be funnier this way," Briar smirked, and she heard Padma let out a little giggle.
Ron glowered even more but he wasn't able to respond as in that moment McGonagall entered the hall with the champions and their dates in toe and everyone began to applaud. Briar grinned brightly and waved at Hermione and Harry, but noticed that Ron was staring at Hermione with narrowed eyes, while Padma looked sulkily at him, and she rolled her eyes.
Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Briar narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, knowing her Uncle Padfoot told her to watch out for him, and wondered what exactly he had a problem with, that Hermione was a Hogwarts student or that she was a muggleborn. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the studnets; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr Crouch was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley. Briar caught Fred and George's eyes and nodded towards him questioningly, but they looked just as confused as she was and shrugged their shoulders.
Dumbledore, more than likely to show everyone what to do, looked down carefully down at his menu and then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!" and pork chops appeared.
Briar looked down at her menu and said "Chicken" to her plate and that's what she got. There was the rumbling of everyone else around the hall doing the same.
"So, Aleksandr," Briar said, trying desperately not to look at Fred, who was laughing with Lee, Alicia and Angelina. "What's Durmstrang like?"
"Vell, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," Aleksandr replied. "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these – though in vinter ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. but in the summer everyone flies, over the lakes and the mountains"
"So you like flying?" Briar asked eagerly, latching onto a subject that they would maybe have in common. "Do you play Quidditch?"
"I do like flying, yes, but not so much the Quidditch. I'm not into flying vor competition, I just do it vor fun. Makes me feel…free, like im leaving all my troubles behind" Aleksandr said.
Briar frowned at him not liking Quidditch. She didn't really understand where he was coming from. Sure she loved flying, to almost an obsessive level really, but she greatly enjoyed the competition and the attention she got from it, she didn't so much feel free, if anything she was more determined than ever when flying. She only ever felt free in the way he described when she was running in her animagus form, and she couldn't very well tell them that, so they lapsed into a silence. She pushed her fork around her empty plate, looking bitterly at Fred who was deep in conversation with Angelina and was only slightly cheered by the fact that Ron and Padma seemed about as miserable as she did.
When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore up and asked the students to do the same. Then, at a wave of his wand, the tables zoomed back along the walls, leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised plat form into existence along the right hand wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello and some bagpipes were set upon it.
The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to enthusiastic applause, they were all extremely hairy, and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments and the lanterns on all the tables other than the head table went out. Briar snickered slightly when she saw that while all the other champions got up Harry had stayed sitting staring at the band, Parvati having to pull him to his feet to snap him out of it.
She watched Harry in amusement as the champions began to dance, Parvati was leading him and he looked awfully clumsy. Though honestly she had to admit she was expecting much worse. Soon, many other people began to dance too. Neville and Ginny were among the first and Ginny was wincing frequently as Neville stood on her feet. Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.
When the final, quavering note from the bagpipe came, the Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the air and she saw that Harry looked very relieved.
The next song that started up was much quicker than the first and one of Briar's favourites. Aleksandr noticed her smile and her foot tapping and said "Vould you like to dance?" she agreed and took his hand for him to lead her to the dance floor. She actually found herself having fun as she danced, both of them grinning at each other and laughing as he twirled her around. It wasn't until she caught sight of Fred again that she even remembered why she wasn't having such a good time before.
Fred and Angelina were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away for fear of injury. Briar's lips twitched. Fred was the type of person to dance like nobody was watching, even, and perhaps most especially, when they actually were. What she liked about Fred was that he did and said whatever he wanted, not caring about what others thought. He was similar to her in that respect, in most every respect really. The small smile twitched into a scowl as she looked at him with Angelina, the horrible feeling of jealousy roaring in her chest. What made it worse was that the person she was hating on was actually nice. She couldn't go 'pshsk, that bitch; because Angelina was a pretty, opinionated Quidditch player who was always up for anything, basically someone Briar found it hard to dislike.
"Vould you like me to get you a drink?" Aleksandr asked, snapping her out of her staring and it was only then that she noticed they were dancing slower than they had been before as there was a different song playing.
"No, I'm fine," Briar replied. "So, erm, what do you like to do for fun?" she asked, putting her hands around his neck as his hands settled on her waist. "Besides flying I mean"
"I very much like reading," he replied, and her brows furrowed, she wondered why it was that she had picked someone who appeared to be the exact opposite of her. "Books can evoke such emotion in you, they're so powerful and I love that," he said and she noticed his face light up with a passion that she had when she talked about Quidditch or pranking.
"Hermione gets the same about books," Briar said.
"The girl who is vith Viktor?" He asked.
Briar nodded, about to response but she was cut off by a tap to the shoulder. She turned around, both her and Aleksandr pausing in their dancing and she was surprised to find that it was Fred, with a not at all impressed look on his face.
"Mind if I cut in, mate?" he asked.
Briar gritted her teeth hoping that Aleksandr would say no, but of course he was much too nice for that so he politely nodded and stepped away to return to their table, where Harry was talking to a still sulking Ron.
For a moment she and Fred just stared at each other until rather reluctantly she put her hands around his neck and started swaying to music, trying to ignore the heat that spread the her torso from where his hands were on her hips. She sighed and looked up at Fred, who was already looking down at her. Fred looked very handsome in his dark dress robes and the lurid tie he was wearing just made it even better because it was just so him. His blue eyes were the same colour as her dress and were sparkling as he looked at her with such a tender expression that she almost trembled.
He opened his mouth and she was sure she was going to tell her how pretty she looked, but he instead blurted, "why are you even with him?"
Briar's brows rose and Fred himself looked as though he wasn't expecting that to be what he said either, but he didn't take it back. He never took anything he said back. And she hated that it was another thing she liked about him and another similarity they shared, just highlighting how different Aleksandr was with all his differences.
When she realised Fred was looking at her expectantly awaiting an answer she said, "He's nice"
"He's nice?" he said incredulously.
"Congratulations, you have successfully repeated what I just said," Briar replied with a snarky voice and Fred scowled at her. "And if you don't mind," Briar said as the song slowed to a stop. "I'm going to return to him"
She then turned and, without looking back, returned to Aleksandr, who smiled sweetly at her reappearance.
Briar danced with Aleksandr a few more times. She was tempted to help out when she saw Fred and George attempt to get to Ludo Bagman, only to be brushed off, but then she remembered Fred laughing with Angelina and she decided against it.
"Vould you like me to get you a drink?" Aleksandr asked politely for about the fifth time and Briar resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He may be handsome with an pretty amazing accent, but he really was annoyingly nice.
"You know what, I think I would," she said. "How about I go get one and you go hang out with your friends for a bit, I feel bad you haven't spent any time with them"
"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning.
"I insist," she implored hurriedly, before quickly walking away before he could say anything. She sighed in relief when she turned and saw he was in fact talking to his friends.
She poured herself a glass of punch and went to drink it, but a hand on her wrist stopped her doing so. She raised a brow at Lee, half part annoyed and half part questioning.
"You might not want to do that," he grinned. "George and I just spiked it"
"Even better," Briar said wryly, downing the glass in one go.
Lee looked like he wanted to ask her what's wrong, but after one of her famous glares – her 'leave me alone or die painfully' glare – he put his hands up in surrender and poured two glasses and went to sit back with Alicia.
She looked around at everyone and saw that Ginny was laughing with Neville as she rubbed her sore feet, Ron and Harry looked at miserable as ever, George was twirling Katie, who was dressed in a pretty plum dress, around the dance floor and Hermione was laughing happily as she danced with Krum. However then her gaze landed on Fred, who was holding Angelina close to him as they danced, this time with just a stepping motion rather than the wild movements from before, and she quickly gulped down a few more glasses of spiked punch.
Briar had drank before, but she had never drank as much as she had then, so the rest of the night was rather blurry. She could recall dancing with George and Lee at once point and Aleksandr kissing her kindly on the cheek at the end of the night, but that was all. Now she found herself standing outside of the sixth year boys dorms. She entered without knocking. Fred was the only inhabitant of the room and he looked shocked to see her. His shoes were off and sitting beside his bed and his tie was loose around his neck.
"You're a bastard, Fred Weasley," Briar slurred, swaying slightly on her feet as she glared at the redhead.
Fred shook his head and took a gulp from the bottle of firewhiskey she hadn't noticed he was holding.
"You're drunk," Fred shook his head again, but stopped almost immediately as his vision blurred from the alcohol.
Briar's glare hardened and she scowled angrily.
"I am a little dizzy, slightly nauseous, and I may have no idea how I got here, but I am not drunk," Briar insisted, putting a hand out to grab at George's bedpost to steady herself.
"Fine, how exactly am I a bastard?" Fred asked in a mocking complacent voice that made her want to hit him.
"You – you – you just – you were just dancing and having fun, and-" she stuttered, trying to get her words out but finding it hard to even think as all her concentration was on trying to stay upright.
"What, so I was supposed to just go alone and mope?" Fred asked angrily, standing up and taking a few steps towards Briar. "It's not like you spend much time alone either" - he pointed the bottle of firewhiskey at her accusingly - "spending the whole time with your nice Bulgarian guy!"
"Well, you should have manned up and asked me!" Briar screeched.
"I thought you were happy with Aleksandr" he put on a really bad Bulgarian accent when he said his name mockingly.
"Oh, please," Briar scoffed, "you and I both know I could never be with someone that nice"
There was a pause where they both glared at each other, chests heaving angry and dark blue eyes on flashing hazel.
Briar wasn't sure who made the first move, but a moment late it was all open mouths and demanding tongues. This kiss was exactly how she imagine Fred's kiss would be. Furious and unrelenting and containing a devilish amount of confidence as he moved his tongue against hers with a self-assurance that matched Briar's own.
However, even in their fogged minds they still heard the sound of thundering footsteps coming up the stairs. Briar shot away from Fred as though burned and sat down on Lee's bed opposite him, trying to smooth her rumpled dress robes slightly. Fred's hair was sticking up every which way from where she had dragged her fingers through it, his lips were swollen and his cheeks flushed and Briar suspected she didn't look any better. She flushed further when she noticed Fred adjust himself in his robes just as Lee entered the room.
"Hey, guys!" he greeted brightly, moving into the room and grabbing his wand from his bedside table and his and George's coats from the floor. "Me, George, Alicia, Angelina and Katie are going to Hogsmeade, want to come?"
Fred and Briar shook their heads.
"Your loss," he said, grinning, and Briar thought he too much be pretty drunk to not realise what he had just walking in on. "See you!"
Fred and Briar's silence continued after Lee left. They both sat awkward, not daring to look at one another as they slowly but surely sobered up.
"Well," Briar said, unable to take the silence anymore. "Good thing this isn't awkward because that would really suck"
Author's note: Finally another chapter, sorry it took so long, but there it is. And only one or two (I haven't quite decided yet) before Fred and Briar will officially be together.
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW! 3