A Princess in Pink

Nora Graham did not wear sparkles. Nora Graham did not wear lace. Nora Graham owned a total of two dresses, one of which she had worn as a bridesmaid in her cousin's wedding. But a sixteen year old girl, no matter how ungirly, did not skip the Hogwarts Yule Ball just because she did not have the wardrobe. Oh no, there would always be an overly helpful dormmate to loan you a dress that was not only sparkly.. not only lacy.. but also pink.

Standing in front of the mirror, Nora frowned. She could see Jenna practically bouncing with excitement over her shoulder as she craned to get a look at the final product of the makeover she had always dreamed of doing. It had been a painful process full of doting and primping but the end result was more horrific than anything Nora could have imagined. "I look like the sugar plum fairy." she stated matter-o-factly. Jenna's face fell slightly in the mirror (though Nora wasn't sure if it was out of sadness or confusion) then disappeared. Moments later she was back, this time standing in front of her dormmate and bearing the gift of glittering golden heels.

"No."

- - -

It looked as if the castle itself had been dolled up for the Ball. Glittering lights were wrapped and hanging for all manner of surfaces and gave the illusion of stars. Pairs of students strolled arm in arm towards the great hall, a river of tuxes and flowing dresses, everyone putting in their very best effort for the night of elegance and class. Nora moved down the grand staircase easily and passed several girls who were wobbling on heels that made her sneakers feel increasingly more comfortable.

In the entrance hall Nora spotted Rufus waiting lazily against a suit of armor with a couple of his mates. As she approached her date lifted himself up and bid the small crowd goodbye to meet her in the center of the room. He looked her up and down with that same controlled effortlessness that he tried so desperately to keep intact. "You look nice, Graham."

"Um"

The couple hooked their arms and made their way into the great hall to be immediately overwhelmed by the music and motion already in full swing within. It was as intoxicating as any party, maybe even more so because the ridiculous getups somehow made even the most ordinary students look unique.

The pair were dancing in no time and for the first time Nora really understood what people saw in Rufus that made him handsome. The louder the music got and the closer their bodies got the more his control began to waver, smirks dissolving into genuine smiles and laughter. At one point they were pulled apart as the crowd made space for the spinning duo of Finn and Ducky. Even when her partner being dragged along as dead weight Finn still managed to look more beautiful than Nora could remember seeing her.

Nora found Rufus by the punch table and they grabbed drinks and cakes as to go snacks for a walk around the room and courtyard. During this stroll she wrestled out of him that he was deeply in love with Felicity Adams and by the time they returned to the dance floor she had convinced him that "if there ever was a time to make a move it's tonight". So with the aid of a few shots young Rufus was off to pour out his heart and Nora was left without a date. Nora flopped down into a chair on the sides of the room. The night was still young and she needed to regain her strength.

Ducky had been bouncing from group to group as he was known to do. People were often surprised when they did not see him with his friends at social events. But the way he saw it, he spent most of his free time within their company anyway. So when these events thrust him into the thick of Hogwarts society, he spread the love. Of course, his eyes heavily followed his friends, ensuring all were okay, all were enjoying their time. And by the end of the night, he had no doubt that they would somehow all end up in the same place, drunk and happy, collapsed on each other like tired puppies.

It was the only way he would want it.

He had not seen Nora all night, and he was beginning to worry. Finn was surviving, but mostly because she had found a table that was hidden behind a crowded table, and being invisible was her best tactic, her safest bet. He wasn't sure if she had even enjoyed their initial dance, but she did not seem to be made miserable by it either. With Finn taken care of, his other friends attended to, and his rounds made, all Ducky wanted to do was track down his best friend and horrify her with an uncomfortably intimate dance.

Just about when he had given up and was heading towards the wallflower section of the room, he turned and his eyes fell on the most disastrous dress he had ever seen. And that didn't even top the hot mess inside it.

The crowd parted, their eyes met...

And Ducky screamed with laughter.