YOUR POV

I laid sprawled out on my bed thinking. The bedspread and sheets were scrambled and wrinkled on the bed in an unorganized manner. Yesterday I had to drag a pair of certain twins back to the Gryffindor tower. They had immediately passed out on the floor, so I hauled them up to the boys dorm and told the guys to take care of them. Most of them gave me a concerned look, but accepted the drunk-looking twins. After that, I headed to my own dorm to fall asleep. Tomorrow was the dance....I wasn't sure if I was ready or not. I sighed and shoved my face into my pillow. AGH WHY DID LIFE HAVE TO BE THIS HARD?! I flopped over to the opposite side of the bed, the messed-around blankets making it slightly uncomfortable. I decided to get out of bed that moment. I sat up and my head spun. I hated when this happened. Fighting the oncoming nausea, I stood up and put my regular robes on and went down for breakfast. Walking through the large opening, I waved to my peers at the Gryffindor table. Sitting down across from Harry and Ron, I snagged (favorite breakfast food) and (other favorite breakfast food) and set them on my plate and ate it. I looked up to look at the ceiling and looked at the dark blue, magical sky that took its place in the rafters of the Great Hall. Some illusion-made snow was drifting it's way down and melted before it came within four feet of the tables. When I brought my vision down halfway, my eyes met with a pair of dark, raven orbs. Severus was looking at me, with slight concern as always, but neutral. I winked, smiling back and shifted my gaze to the The Daily Prophet being handled with all the students. I managed to take a glance at it and caught one title named "Rita Skeeter: Harry Potter - Fraud or Fame?". Oh no. Not this again. Rita has been going absolutely insane over Harry since the Triwizard Cup. If it drove me close to the brink, I could only imagine for Harry. I shifted my gaze to the lightning-scarred boy, but I was surprised he was staring at me first. I could feel a small, burning blush go on my cheeks. I thought of him as a friend, but usually when people stare at other people, they like them. I could see a like, pink blush on his face as well.

"Uh, Harry. You okay?" I asked.

"What? Y-yeah I'm fine." stuttered Harry.

Oh no. He definitely had something for me. This is getting out of hand. With me being with Severus, I was already taken. But nobody knew I was actually WITH him (except Holly of course, bless her Hufflepuff soul). Due to that, it left me vulnerable to flirt attacks and hit-ons. They weren't horrible, but they got really annoying sometimes.

"Are you sure? Rita Skeeter is starting to give you a really bad rep!" I said, pointing at the paragraph title.

"I know. I just....don't really care, you know? It's just one of those things that you can just ignore." Harry replied simply.

"Hm. That makes sense." I agreed. "Why were you looking at me earlier? Did I have something on my face?"

He looked a little stunned.

"S-sorry if that was too blunt. You don't have to answer." I said quickly.

He nodded and stayed silent, but an obvious blush was creeping up his face. He quickly bit into his eggs and started up a conversation with Ron. Finishing up my (favorite breakfast food), I left the Great Hall to prepare for my classes.

The rest of the day went by quite normally, to say the least. Professor Sprout was asking in Herbology what we were wearing. Most of the girls answered, describing what their dress and masked looked like. But I passed: it was a masquerade! You're not supposed to know whos who! McGonagall was much like Sprout. Asking what our attire was between spells. But all the male teachers didn't pester us with that stuff, which I was grateful for.

Finally, the moment came: Dean (THE OWL NOT THE SUPERNATURAL DUDE (who is admittedly adorable, and destiel shippers?)). Dean came in flapping quite hard, bringing in my dress, shoes, and mask.

"Thanks bud." I said, stroking his feathers.

He gave a sort of growl-purr like, yeah, you better.

I just laughed and keep petting his soft, toasted marshmallow brown-white feathers. Imagining what tomorrow would bring.

At the end of the day, I just ended face planting in my bed and immediately falling asleep. Tomorrow we had no classes in order to help prepare for the ball in the Great Hall, and to be ready.