Ch. 23: Match Maker

      The days were ticking by faster than I'd thought they would. Soon, it would be Christmas time. I still couldn't believe that it would be the first Christmas that I'd spent without Trey and my adopted mom. It caused a tightness in my stomach, but I forced it to the back of my mind. Instead, the Yule Ball seemed to be what took up everyone else's thinking.

      Jenna's playful voice prodded me from my dismal thoughts. The average-sized blonde rubbed at her belly and groaned. "Elle come on, you don't need shoes. Let's just get some breakfast! I'm starving!" 

     The other girls, Lana included, in the room glared and pushed the covers over their ears at our conversation. I stuffed my feet into some lounge shoes and ignored her for a moment, tying my hair up and washing my face in the connecting bathroom.

      Once my face was dry, Jenna grabbed my hand, pulling me downstairs and out of the portrait hole faster than I could blink.

       I glared down at my white fuzzy shorts and sighed. "My legs are cold. You cannot expect me to walk around the school in the dead of winter, in my pj's, with no socks on at --" I grabbed her wrist and looked down at her watch, feeling my heart stop. "-- AT FIVE FORTY-SEVEN ON A SATURDAY MORNING?!" I quickly turned back around, clamouring for the portrait, but Jenna latched on to my arm. 

     "I'm going back to bed, Jenna!"

      Jenna lifted her grey gaze and pouted. "Noooo, please -- look, I'm sorry, okay? But, you have to come with me! I can't go down there alone, I don't know anyone. And, Lana to me to 'fuck off', so... " She whimpered and tugged me towards the stairs to the Great Hall. 

      "You're already up," Jenna added. "If you went back to bed now, you wouldn't be able to fall back asleep!" 

       Damn it, she was right. "I hate you."

     Once she had led me down the stairs, I was awake and craving my favourite drink in the whole world. I heaved the Great Hall doors open and looked around the candle-lit room in surprise. There were a lot more people in here than I'd thought there would be. 

     'There has to be six, hell, maybe even seven people in here!' I thought sarcastically to myself. They must be the crazy people in Hogwarts. I didn't say it out loud, because even I could tell how bitter it sounded. 

      "Liza! Hey, Ellie!" I cringed and stifled a yawn. I knew it, definitely the hour of the crazies. Blake rushed up to me and bounced happily, her curls flouncing with every hop. Blake was clad in her Slytherin flying gear, her mouth parted into a glimmering grin.

     "Woah," Blake said as she approached Jenna and me. "I didn't even know you were alive at this time of the morning."

      "I'm not," I growled, still wishing that I had gone back to bed. "Why are you here anyway, Blake?" I eyed her outfit. "I thought Quidditch was cancelled this year."

     She shrugged and walked to the Gryffindor table with us, grabbing some bench next to me as Jenna sat across from us. "I don't know, I could not really sleep I guess." Blake waved a hand down her torso as she piled fruits on her plate, a croissant and opted for a glass of water. So healthy. "So, I figured why not practice some drills?"

     I grabbed some cream of wheat, ignoring the grossed-out stares I received from Jenna and Blake. They had no right to judge my love for the cream of wheat. I also grabbed a goblet of my delicious drink, putting milk and sugar in it with a giddy smile.

      As we all ate, it was quiet. Nothing but munching and the scraping of cookware hitting plates. I'd never heard the Great Hall this quiet before; it was starting to get creepy... Blake seemed to sense this and turned to me, poking my arm over and over.

       "Hey Liza?" She repeated, causing me to chuckle lightly. "Hey, hey, hey."

       "Yeeeeaaaahhh? What is it?" I smiled, scooping up a bite of cream of wheat and eating it happily. At least I could have a good breakfast after being rudely awakened.

      "So, this is totally lame and all..." She blushed a little, hiding her face in her long black locks. "But, do you think George will ask me to the ball? Because...I really want him to."

     Before I could react, Blake cut herself off, word vomiting. "Do you think I should ask him?" She went on, her speech becoming faster and faster as she blathered. "I don't want him to end up going with a different girl -- I actually know a few who may ask him before me!"

        "Blake..." I sighed. Great, just when I thought I was going to have a drama-free hour, she pulls this shit. "Slooowww down. And... I'll talk to him, alright?" I smiled, reassuringly, turning back to a sausage on my plate that I had been saving for the last thing I was going to eat. I gave in and ate it first.

      Blake grinned, her sea-blue eyes sparkling, lighting up her face. "Awe! Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She jumped out of her seat and did a weird dance, causing me to chuckle at her weirdness. She was definitely a wild card. "I'm going to go look at a catalogue of dresses!" She cheered and then rushed off to who knows where...

     "I like her," Jenna said, setting her cup of orange juice down. "But I don't know why other Gryffindors give us a hard time for hanging with her...why do you think that is?"

      "You like everyone, Jenna," I retorted. I shrugged at her question, not really knowing the answer myself. "Because she's a Slytherin?"

      "I don't really know how this school runs... they fight over the pettiest things sometimes."

      Jenna grabbed another handful of berries and fruits while I stared up at the Great Hall ceiling. The sun was just rising, causing it to explode with pinks and orangy colours, very pretty. "Red and morning, sailors warning," I said, quoting what my brother used to say to me. 

     I had another deep pang of homesickness, how was Trey? I haven't talked to him since the wedding...

     I stood up from the table and shook off the feelings. "Hey, I'm going to head back to the Common Room. I have things to attend to."

     "If that's harassing George," Jenna chuckled, her blonde curls falling over her eyes as she stretched her arms over her head and let out a satisfied groan. "Count me out. I think I'll take a walk around the Lake while the sun rises, see you later." She nodded at me and I shrugged, walking to the Common Room.

✧

I quickly climbed the boy's dormintary stairs and barged through the sixth year dorm, as if it was a completly normal thing for me to do. Scanning the room, I spotted two heads of firey red hair-however, both of their faces were covered, so I couldn't tell who was who. So I did what any other logical person would do in this kind of situation. I played eni-mini-miney-moe. When the tune had finished playing in my head, my finger had landed on the one towards the right.

     Shrugging, I sat down on this one's bed and flung the cover off of his face. "Hey! I was right!" I cheered as George groaned and rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up. "Good morning, sunshine! The earth says heeeeellllloooo!" I chirped.

      George offered me a confused, but slightly amused smirk.

      "Well, the moon says it's not your turn," George's twin groaned and flopped around on his mattress. I looked past my shoulder to see Fred rolling over and pulling a pillow over his head grumpily. 

     Lee and their other roommate were already gone, which meant I hadn't bothered anyone else this time.

     I rolled my eyes at Fred and looked at George, expectantly, while he stiffled a yawn.

     "Isn't it your 'God-Forsaken' time period, why are you up?" 

      I tapped a finger to my chin, trying to figure out the most sneakily way to ask him if he liked Blake and if he had a date to Yule Ball yet. "Do you like a certain crazy person?"

     George rose a brow and grinned. "Which one?"

      "She will remain anonymus for right now." I quirked back quickly and changed the subject. "Do you have a date to the Yule Ball?"

      George glanced at the bed beside him, which held a now wide awake Fred who was blatantly listening in univited. They both were watching me, with guarded expressions, not sure where I was quite going with this. "Uhh...not yet..? Why do you ask."

     "Okay, so." I decided to press the issue as closely as I could, mumbling and avoiding George's eyes. I was worried my stare would somehow give it away that Blake was the one who had a crush. "I know this girl that likes you, but if you don't feel the same, she would be, like, really embarrassed if I told you she did," I said, knowing that those words didn't sound like English as they left my mouth.

"Me?! --"

"Him?!" Fred and George both jolted up quickly.

       "Well, yeah," I frowned, not getting why they were throwing a big fit. "You aren't exactly ugly... Why would you be confused?" 

     George smirked a little, but he still looked perplexed. "But you talk to Fred a lot more..."

     Fred and George both crossed their arms over their chests, staring at each other in unspoken solidarity. I could tell by their glances and silent, unwavering eyes, that they were having an unsaid conversation.

      They had me lost now. I looked p at them both, still seated on the side of George's bed. I cut into their Twin-telepathic conversation with a query. "What does that have to do with anything? Just cause I talk to some one doesn't mean anything..." I frowned.

Fred tapped a finger to his chin. "Huh, well played George..."

      I tried to speak, "Wh--," but George cut me off:

      "I had no idea -- I thought she liked you," George said to Fred.

      I flushed scarlet, immediately shaking my head and opening my mouth to speak. "No, I--" I sighed, but Fred cut me off this time.

"I didn't know...I don't know, but it is a pretty interesting plot twist, ey?"

        I listened to the two of them, not understanding what they were going on about, but getting pissed that they kept talking over me. 

      "Shut the hell up! What are you two prattling on about? I was talking about a friend who likes Geo--" It suddenly dawned on me. The Twins watched me with bewildered stares.

     "Ahaha!" I laughed. It was a good, long, ab-crunching laugh. "You-You idiots think that-" I laughed some more. "You thought I was talking about me! Me?!" I wiped my eyes, exaggerating a little at their expense. I cleared my throat and shook my head, still forcing down small bubbles of laughter.

      "You weren't?" They both said, looking a little relieved and confused. They were mirror images of each other.

     'I wonder if Hermione and I do that...'

      "Than who?" George chuckled, sitting back down on his bed beside me. 

     I bit my bottom lip and frowned. I thought about the dynamic between George and Blake and hoped that giving her up wouldn't lead to anything bad. But, I had told her I would ask George for her... so, in the end, it's what she wanted.

     "Well... Blake. She likes you..." I felt bad for going all out and saying that. I don't like telling people about others' crushes.

      "Huh...interesting..." George smiled lightly, his eyes glazed over and I could tell he was thinking hard about something. "You're sure?"

       Fred snorted and rolled his eyes, throwing himself back into his bed, trying to block us out once more. "You have talked about that crazy Slytherin since we were in the fourth year." I glared at him and he chuckled. "No offence, Letter. You can't help that you're little."

     "Fuck off." I growled, not liking that he thought I was 'little' and stood up. "Well, I'm getting out of here before I feel insulted once more."

       "Good riddance, this is a boys' room anyway-L!" Fred called as I left.

✧

      I can honestly say that I spent the rest of the day doing nothing. Absolutely nothing and I loved it. I stayed in my PJs, took a nice long bath, and didn't have any embarrassing moments from Fred or any other Weasleys... (except for maybe Ginny when she walked in on me with only my underwear on, but I think she was more embarrassed than I was) and didn't leave my room until Lana demanded that I couldn't be a hermit and forced me to come downstairs for dinner.

      I wasn't even hungry, but I followed Lana through the Great Hall because she would hit me if I didn't. I threw myself into a seat next to Hermione and Ginny and across from Blake and Jenna. Lana went to talk to someone further down the table. My eyes met with Blake's and I sent her a flirty wink. 

      "Done," I said and she grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

       I picked up a dinner roll and chucked it at the side of George's head, causing him to jolt out from a lecture with Lee and Fred about circulatory funds in a company. He gave me a weary look and I nudged my head in Blake's direction, getting him to quickly take the hint. "Oh." He blushed a little and looked at Blake.

"Oi! Hall!" He shouted, causing her to look up from her stew with a smile playing around her lips.

     "Yeah?"

      "Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?" He asked politely, but I rolled my eyes. Way to be romantic, George -- good job. Note the sarcasm. Blake didn't seem to mind though, since her smile grew bigger and a small blush crept up onto her cheeks.

     "Of course!" She yelled back. "It's sooo romantic of you to ask like this by the way!" She came back with and I chuckled. I knew she would say something about that. Blake was Blake. At least she was joking... I hope.

"Hey, Elle!" Fred turned to me with a superflous look and smiled. "Will you-" Everyone stopped talking and looked at him as if he was about to sprout wings and fly away. My heart stopped a little, was he going to do what I think he was? What would I say...My mind started racing, trying to think of an appropriate reaction. "Will you pass the dinner rolls?" He grinned and suddenly burst out laughing at my face. I could only assume it was a mixture of outrage and curiousity with a twinge of nervousness.

     "Yeah, no problem!" I hissed angrily, but something inside me was a little happy he hadn't said what I had originally thought he would. I couldn't take that much pressure. I quickly grabbed a dinner roll and chucked it at him, smacking him directly on the forehead, butter first. "I hope you get pimples," I muttered and turned back to my dinner with a large smile.