Ch. 22: Annoying Articles

Yesterday, it was announced that the Yule Ball was going to take place on December 24, the night of Christmas Eve, and the girls could not be more...annoying. Everyone I knew was freaking out, and for some god-forsaken reason, they all figured that I was the person to go to for dating advice.

I mean seriously, me? The girl who has never even been kissed gives out the best advice. What is this world coming to?

"I want Leo to ask me, but I'm afraid that if I don't ask him, he will ask someone else! Like Lavander Brown, for goodness sakes, please don't tell me he is going to ask Lavander," Jenna admitted as she paced around the room, her long, blonde hair was thrown up into a messy bun, dressed in a grey spaghetti strap tank and yoga pants.

"Look, Jenna calm down." I sighed and sat in the lotus potion on my four-poster bed. "There's an easy solution to your problems."

Jenna stopped pacing, a few blonde strands sticking to her face, and turned to me. "What? And if you say 'just go alone' I swear to Godric, I will strangle you."

"No, what I'm going to say is: you should just ask him yourself," I said. I ran a hand through my dark hair, already bored of all this drama and it was only the second day of it. There was a whole month before the dance! "Just gather your nerve, go up to him and say 'Hey, so I was wondering if you would go to the Yule Ball with me?' If he says no, then you move on. There's better fish in the sea. If he says yes, then you have your date." I tossed my hands into the air. "Easy as that."

Groaning, Jenna sat down next to me and moaned lazily. "Ugghh, nooo that's tooo hard!" Suddenly the door banged open and a furious Lana came marching into the room.

"I am so pissed off!" She screamed, causing me to jump a little. Lana was not known to lose her temper so easily. "He was my only choice -- I don't really know any other guys who wouldn't have dates, but low and be-fuckin-hold! She asks him one hour before I have the chance!"

Urgently, I threw my hands over my ears and loudly hummed a tune. "Lalalala! Drama cannot get to my braaain. I don't wanna heeeaaarr iittt." See what I mean? Drama, drama, drama.

Lana pulled my arms away from my head with a half-smile, but she still looked frustrated and upset. "You have no idea."

Jenna pat the seat in between the two of us with a knowing frown. "Lay it on us. We are both sorting through drama right now, anyway." Obliging, Lana threw herself into the spot next to us, face first with a groan. "Now, tell your doctors what the matter is," Jenna cooed.

"Lavander-fucking-Brown!" A muffled reply came from Lana's seemingly dead body. "She asked Seamus to the Yule Ball before I had the chance to -- not that I care too much, but it still pissed me off!" Lana growled and rolled onto her back so we could hear her better. "I mean, it's not like I have a thing for Seamus, but I like him--you know? He's funny and I would have actually enjoyed going with him!"

"Oh! Well-that's great news!" Jenna cheered and bounced up and down happily-but immediatly stopped as she realized that Lana and I where giving her annoyed glares. "I-I mean, that's so horrible-we should kill that bitch."

"Thank you!" Lana flung her arms out and glared up at the ceiling, the angry moment had passed. "Anyway, who am I going to ask now? There isn't anyone that I know who I'd even want to ask." I gave her a look over and tapped a finger to my chin.

"What about Harry or Ron?"

Lana chuckled and looked up at me. "Are you serious? I bet that Harry has girls begging to be his date. He is, like, the most popular kid I know. And then Ron?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get on the wrong side of Hermione, dude. She is deadly smart. Deadly smart -- if you catch my drift."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Hahaha. Oh please --Hermione wouldn't hurt a fly. I swear she is a pacifist or something." With that, I kicked both Jenna and Lana out of my bed, and they landed with an 'oomph' on the floor.

✧

"So," I awkwardly whispered to Cedric during the last few minutes of Potions class-their were still a few people struggling with the test. "Who are you thinking about taking to the Yule Ball?"

Cedric gave me a large smile and raised a brow toward me. "Are you trying to ask me to the dance?"

An embarrassed blush crept over my cheeks and I shook my head with a nervous laugh. "Ahah, no. Just nosey." I glanced towards Snape as he strolled silently through the classroom, eyeing students and making sure they were focused on their work in front of them. I wanted to be sure that Snape wasn't picking up on our conversation, he would punish us both for talking during the Exam.

"Oh, in that case." Cedric laughed softly and whispered his reply. "I have a special girl in mind, but I don't know if she will say yes."

"What's her name?" I replied lowly. Jenna was sending me a glare. I guess I was breaking her concentration.

"Cho Chang. She's a Ravenclaw." Cedric smirked a little and I smiled.

"You should definitly ask her!" I smiled. "Before someone else does. I have met her before-she is a nice girl."

Snape suddenly stood up from his chair and loudly demanded the class's attention. "Hand in your tests! Class is dismissed."

With that Cedric jumped out of his seat and made his way out of the dungeons, but not before calling out to me. "Thanks Elle! I'm going to ask her right now!" I giggled at him and rolled my eyes, collecting my things with a small smile on my lips.

"What did you do?" Jenna frowned and slung her bookbag over her shoulder. "Did you just tell Cedric to ask Cho to the dance?" Lana, Jenna and I all stepped out into the sunshine of the courtyard, basking in the vitamin D.

I smiled. "Yeah and he's gonna do it now, actually. She's a nice girl, I think they would be cut--"

"--The same Cho that Harry has a crush on?" Lana crossed her arms over her chest and sent me a baffled look. "That Cho?"

"Ohh...." I looked at my hands as we made our way out to fresh, winter air. "Well shit, you guys. You should've mentioned something before! It's too late now!" I turned and searched for the tall Hufflepuff in the sea of kids escaping from Snape's lair, but he was nowhere to be found.

"You're gonna have to break the news to Harry, Elle." Jenna sighed as we walked through the outside corridor.

"Why?" I whined and quickly made up an excuse. "Let's let Harry live blissfully unaware of what I've done. And, if he does find out about Cho going with Cedric, then my name cannot possibly be mentioned along with it, -- right?" They both gave me blank stares, not wanting to get involved.

From across the snowy outside corridor, I watched as my twin approach us, her hand extended warmly as she came closer.

"Hermione Granger." I frowned as my twin walked up to me, slowly.

"Uhh...Elizabeth Granger?" She smiled awkwardly. "What's with the first and last name basis?" I shrugged and stalked over to the Great Hall for lunch, feeling crummy.

"I feel like a total... total..." I grasped the Great Hall doors and tried to think of the word. "Total Bitch!" I yelled at myself. Suddenly, all the chatter in the Great Hall stopped and everyone turned to look at me, even a few Slytherins were curious.

My spiteful tongue was always prone to getting me in trouble. I should probably learn to control it someday. The Heads of the Hogwarts Houses snapped to my foul word and each professor's lips pursed, ready to discipline.

However, it was the oldest in the room that spoke first, with his years-sought-wise voice, comfortable but stern. I approached as he beckoned me closer, standing in front of the teacher's table, I bowed my head.

"Miss Granger," Headmaster Dumbledore chastised. "I would ask you to not use that kind of language on school grounds -- especially loud enough for the whole school to hear." Dumbledore's voice carried from his seat at the front of the Hall, while McGonagall fumed beside him.

Blushing, I drew closer to the teacher's table and apologized. "I'm sorry, Headmaster. I lost control of my tongue."

Dumbledore chuckled, much to McGonagall's distaste, and waved my apology away. "It is no problem, my dear. I too have used a foul word on more than one occasion, however; it has a time and place to be used and the Great Hall is not one of them." He smiled at me and then also added. "I am sure whomever you were refering to deserved it?"

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I played with my hands and tried not to feel the watchful gazes of my friends as I remained by the Head Table. I'm sure they were eager to know what we were talking about. "Y-Yes, Professor. I was calling myself one." I just couldn't picture this aged old man calling someone a bitch. More than once...it was to big for me to wrap my mind around.

"Ahh." Dumbledore nodded and than his eyes looked over to the Gryffindor table, seeing something. "Well, I think I should let you return to your friends, they are all staring." With that, he let me go. Slowly, I made my way over to the Gryffindor table.

"Well, I think you have finally done it, Elle." Fred said as I sat down, grabbing a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Sending him a curious look, I took his bowl and grabbed a spoon, claiming it as my own.

"Oh? What is that?" I smiled and took a loud, obnoxious slup of the soup off of my spoon. "Mhhm really good soup-huh, Hermione?" She shook her head at me and turned back to her pea soup.

Hermione was more interested in the Daily Prophet in front of her upturned nose and frizzy mane than to pay attention to a pissing match between Fred and me.

Fred just shrugged me off and grabbed another bowl, replacing the one I'd stolen. "You have offically gotten away with the most things at Hogwarts, third from George and I of course, and the map makers." I just snorted in responce and munched on some more of my stolen soup. I didn't even know who he was referring to.

"I cannot believe this!" Hermione screamed, holding out the Daily Prophet in front of her face. "She's done it again!"

"Who's done what?" I asked, stirring the soup in front of me, but hardly paying attention. My stomach was still a little knot of regret. But, at the end of the day, I couldn't have changed the outcome of the whole Cedric and Cho thing.

Hermione's eyes flashed back and forth, scanning the page's contents with lightning-fast reading, finishing the column. Suddenly, she clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes grew wide. "HA! Oh wow."

"Yeah? And whud you espec?" I said, my mouth full of noodles. Fred rolled his eyes at me, Jenna scrunched up her nose, a little grossed out, and Lana just ignored it. I swallowed and waved my hand in the air, flippant. "Rita Skeeter is a liar and a fat mouth, who cares what she says?"

Hermione threw the paper at me trying to hid a smile and gave me an annoyed look. "I wouldn't be so optemistic if I were you-you are in it too." Sighing, I opened the paper to the third page and read Me, Myself, and I out loud so every one could hear:

❝
Hermione Granger, a plain-yet ambitious girl, seems to be having a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is non other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Victor Krum!
❞

I interupted my reading with a snigger "---Bulgarian bon-bon?! Ha ha ha." Lana snorted and motioned for me to keep reading.

❝
No word yet on how Harry Potter is taking this latest emotional blow. This; however, is not the only story to be heard. Next on my list is Hermione Granger's newly found twin sister. It has only been a few months, sources say, that the two have known about each other and they have been inseprable since.

Elizabeth Granger, from my own personal expireance, is a firey young girl who likes to fight and cuss. Exact opposite from her twin, as a few students I interviewed have told me. I saw first hand how much this statement was true when I went to interview the Champions and she verbally and physically attacked me.

I was spared by her old love interest Cedric Diggory, a Tri-Wizard Champion. He took her into his arms, calming her fit, but as I made my way safely out of the tent she called me a 'Skank' and a slue of other demeaning names. It seems that Miss Granger has the same attitude towards boys that her twin sister Hermione does, though. A student informed us at Me, Myself, and I that Elizabeth has a new beu -- a young man by the name of --
❞

I stopped reading and glared down at the paper. "What?!" Silently, I read the section about me over again, trying to see if they were refering to something else, but I came up with nothing. "Who the hell..." I mumbled. Who would tell Rita Skeeter that me and him where...a thing?

"What is it?" Lana chuckled at my pale expression and Jenna tried to grab the newspaper from my hands. Quickly, I held it up in the air out of their reach and clambored out on my seat. I was about to crumple that paper up and toss it in my bag when it was snatched out of my hands from behind me by a Gryffindor girl in my year named Jay.

"No! Jay, I swear to Godric, if you read that--"

The girl brushed her curls out of her face and ran to the other side of the table, clutching the newspaper to her chest so I couldn't snatch it away from her. She quickly read down the page and grinned wickedly.

She cleared her throat, getting half of the Gryffindor table's attention, and read loudly: ❝A student informed us at Me, Myself, and I that Elizabeth has a new beu--a young man by the name of--Fred Weasley?!❞

I slammed my head against the wooden table as loud cheers and roars of laughter sounded from half of the Gryffindor table. Some 'family' they were. The other half who didn't hear the news stared at us curiously and asked around about what was up, making the article spread like wildfire; so did the bright red colour on my face.

"Ah, look honey! We're in the paper!" Fred snorted and slung an arm around my shoulder, playfully kissing my cheek. A snap and flash of a camera sounded from the opposite side of the table and I shoved Fred away from me, still embarassed. Glaring, I saw Blake holding the same camera that Harry had a few days ago.

She giggled and took the developing picture out of the camera and handed it to me. "Here you go! Awe look!" She pointed to the picture-it was a moving frame of Fred pecking my cheek, playfully and me looking like I was going to explode. "I have perfect timing! I came over as soon as I heard everyone laughing." She chuckled evily and snatched it out of my hands. "I'm just going to hold to this-I know you will probably toss it out if I let you have it!"

Blake was right. I would have. I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff and rolled my eyes. When will the new year be here?

I grumbled and pretended to search my pockets for a moment, while Blake watched in confusion. "I've actually got something for you, Blake," I said, sifting through them. I felt a glossy print of paper inside my cardigan slide out, onto the bench, but ignored it as I pulled out both fists -- with my middle fingers up, directed at the Slytherin.

"Brilliant," Lana said, respectfully. She tore at a dinner roll and nodded her head. "Brilliant."

I felt a hand reach down to pick up the thing that had fallen from my cardigan, and I smacked it away. "Back off!" I hissed at Fred, but it was too late. He had found it.

Curiously, he snatched the picture from the bench, against my protests, and flashed around the moving picture. "Oh, and what is this?" He grinned a hundred-watt smile, holding up the picture that Harry had taken when we were on the couch.

Defensively, I crossed my arms over my chest. Everyone was waiting for an answer. "Th-this is the sa-same cardigan I had on when you took that-that picture. See?" I pointed to me in the frame then to myself. "I just never took the picture out of my pocket."

Fred rose a brow and smiled my favorite smie, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "Really? Because the one in the picture is black-you are wearing a grey one.."

I reached up and yanked the picture out of his fist, crumpling it slightly. "It's the lighting, you prick."

"Seriously," Angelina Johnson scoffed, suddenly next to us amidst all the commotion. "Not everyone is obsessed with you, Weasley." She smirked at him and sent me a firm nod, supporting my claim. "Why would a Granger waste her time?"

Fred and George took offence to that and pulled their attention away from the matter at hand. Angie laughed loudly and shook her head. Katie and Alicia cheered on their friend with agreeable nods. And, I was happy to no longer have the focus of the conversation on me.

I let the Quidditch team continue to have their fun and turned my attention to my sister and her group of friends. However, I took a moment to look back down at the crumpled picture in my hand, smiling softly for a moment at a feeling I really didn't want to address.

I glanced towards Angelina as she placed her hand on Fred's shoulder, pushing him slightly with a charismatic retort.

I slid the picture back into my pocket. I wasn't sure why.

Some time passed while we all chattered amongst ourselves. A small, First Year came tottering up to our group, lugging a very large brown package and looking quite serious about it too.

"You have a package Mister Weasley." He walked up to Ron, putting the brown box on the table in front of him.

Ron took it with a small smile and thanked him. "Thank you, Nigel." I watched the little boy as he turned to watch Harry Potter with an expectant smile and didn't leave. Hermione gave Ron a pointed look at the boy and Ron suddenly realized that Nigel was still there.

"Not now. Later." He said, shooing the boy off. "Go on." The boy frowned sadly then slowly walked away.

I rose a brow, but decided to drop it. Hermione cleared her throat and leaned into Ron, a little annoyed and demanding an answer.

"I-I I told him I would get him Harry's autograph. Alright?" He sighed, seeming a little guilty under Hermione's demanding glare. He began to open the box and smiled. "Oh look! Mom sent me something!"

He lifted the lid and pulled out a very laced collared dress robe with puffy sleeves. It looked as if it was a relic. "Mum, ... Mum sent me a dress." He frowned, holding it up to his neck to compare the size of it. I could hear Fred sniggering beside me and George looked as if he was going to burst out laughing at any moment.

"Yikes..." I mumbled. It was hiddious.

Harry gave him a look over. "Well, it does match your eyes!" He reached into the box. "Is there a bonet? Ah, here it is!" He pulled out a frilly front.

Ron rolled his eyes and smiled. I tongued the inside of my cheek, grinning, and leant forward, resting my chin on my fist as we watched this situation unfold. "Put those down, Harry." Ron grabbed the clothing and walked towards the middle of the table, setting it in front of Ginny. "Ginny, these must be for you."

She was in the middle of taking a bite from her sandwhich and she frowned, but a slight smile was playing on her lips. "Well, I'm not wearing that! It's gastly."

Hermione nudged me, with a smiled and covered her mouth. She chuckled softly into the palms of her hands, causing me to chuckle as well.

"It's --It's not for Ginny!" I called to him, but I didn't have the heart to explain. Ron swivled around to us, like he was on an axis, frowning.

"What?"

Hermione couldn't control it any longer, she was laughing too hard. "They're not for Ginny! They're for you." She took in Ron's confused look with more chuckles. "Dress robes!"

Ron pulled them out to get a better look. "Awe, noo. These are horrid, she can't actually expect me to go in these?!" Fred whisted and I just slaped a hand over my mouth, not knowing what to say but knowing it was too funny not to laugh at.

Let the Drama begin.

✧

OH! I ALMOST FORGOT! Check out the video on the right side! It's called Carried Away and when I watched it-I was immediatly inspired! This is how I view Elle and Fred's relationship ;)

[ fun fact, i wrote this book when there wasn't an app for Wattpad ]