Her boots left imprints on the path of snow as she walked towards the palace gates. It wasn't snowing, thankfully, but it was still chilly. The girls had helped Ivy pick out a good outfit. Ivy didn't want to dress too well to give him the wrong idea, nor did she want him to feel like she hadn't even tried. They had managed to find just the fitting grey shirt with trousers and a matching puffer jacket to complete the look.

Michael stood by the gates waiting for her as he blowed into his hands and rubbed them for warmth. He waved at her once he spotted her. Ivy gave him a small smile and pushed back the strands of her blonde hair that had escaped the hair clip pulling half her hair back.. God, she was really nervous at how this was going to turn out. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this at all. Saying yes to it also counted as leading on, right? Maybe I should just turn back now. Ivy was truly convinced she'd have to reject him at the end of the day, so she kept bothering with her inner thoughts. Yet again, giving him one chance wouldn't hurt.

The walk to the three broomsticks was mainly quiet, just some small talk that was followed by awkward silences. Tall glasses filled with butterbeer were placed in front of them. White froth brimming at the edges. A small smile made its way to her lips as Ivy remembered the last time she had had the warm drink. She hadn't been to Hogsmeade in a very long while now. Ivy wrapped her fingers around the glass, warmth from the drink seeping in through her skin. Little things like this made Winters appreciable.

"So.." Ivy started. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked him, not trying to waste any more time. She better just get over with this. Michael put down his glass, after quickly taking a big sip. He cleared his throat, as if preparing himself for what was to come next. Somehow, it just made Ivy even more anxious.

"First off, I want to thank you so much for agreeing to come." he gave her a grateful smile. "I have been meaning to talk to you about this for quite a while now. I'm thankful I'm finally getting a chance to and I really hope everything goes well."

Ivy felt a ting of guilt tug at her. ""You better be grateful I agreed to come. I usually prefer staying in during Winters. In fact, my friends were kind of mad at me that I refused to go to Hogsmeade with them." Ivy laughed nervously, trying to ease her own tension. Michael laughed too.

"Well, let's just come to the point now." he cleared his throat again. "I um.." he started. "There's this uh.." Michael rubbed his neck. "I don't know how to say it.." he chuckled nervously. "There's this girl.. I really like." Michael closed his eyes, as Ivy noticed his ears turning pink. She felt her stomach sink down a little with disappointment. Even till now, she had hoped he had wanted to talk about something else. Well, there's no going back now.

"I don't really know how it happened." Michael started. "I had known her from afar for a very long while, and she always intrigued me. But recently, I got a chance to get closer to her, and know her better... and well.." he left the sentence incomplete, his ears a brighter shade of red now.

"..that's great," Ivy said, trying to stay oblivious. "But.. why are you telling this to me?" she gripped her cup of Butterbeer again, taking a sip. She really didn't feel good about what was to come. "Because.. Because you know her." Michael said. "In fact, you probably know her the best." "I do?" Ivy asked him, already feeling bad about the rejection she'd have to give him in a matter of moments. Michael nodded.

"She's um.. a Ravenclaw too.'' There was really no doubts left anymore. "I'm pretty sure, you've already guessed who I'm talking about right now." Michael dipped his head low, a nervous, helpless smile gracing his lips.

The feeling of guilt inside was ready to gnaw at her. Ivy let out a breath, preparing herself to reject him. To break his heart, the voice inside her snarled. "I think I have." she answered in a small voice.

Michael looked up at her, another coy smile lining his lips. "But I don't know whether she'll like me back or not." he said, worry trickling in his eyes. Ivy looked down at her lap, not ready to face him as she braced herself to utter the next words. "Michael I–"

"But I swear I can really treat her well. I really do like her. Being in the same house, I noticed her quite often. She really shone out brighter than all the other girls. But I swear I was flipped the day I saw her playing so ferociously in that Quidditch match."

Wait, what?

Ivy snapped her head back up at him. "Quidditch?" Michael shrugged. "I guess I liked how ambitious she was." Ivy shook her head. "Wait, who are you talking about again?"

Michael blinked his eyes. "..Paige.." he said nervously, the smile still intact.

"What–?!" Ivy said aloud, getting up from her seat in shock. She didn't know whether to be relieved or try to process the fact that this guy in front of her just confessed that he liked her sister; the last person everyone, including Paige, thought would get a partner.

The smile wiped away from Michael's face, worry taking its place upon seeing Ivy's outburst. "Is.. is something wrong?" he asked, voice laced with caution as if he had a feeling he's about to get hurt. Ivy sat back down noticing him. She could almost hear his heart beating too fast.

"No, No, Nothing's wrong!" she said immediately. The colour returned a little to the boy's face. "It's just that.." Ivy couldn't complete her sentence as a rush of laughter took over her. She broke into laughter, and kept laughing until her eyes watered. Maybe it was the whole overwhelmness of the situation, of how nervous she had been over nothing.

Michael was confused but kept waiting for Ivy to explain until she was done laughing. "I'm really lost right now." "Yes, Yes, I'm sorry." Ivy straightened back up again. "It's just that.." another chuckle escaped. "You really confused us Davies!" Ivy could see the question mark on his head.

"We all thought you called me here today to ask me out." Ivy told him.

"Oh my God!" Michael exclaimed. "I'm really, really sorry, Oh God, I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings!"

"No, no, no, no!" Ivy interrupted him. "No need to apologize, Davies. This is exactly why I'm laughing right now because I don't like you that way, and like, ever since you've asked me to come to Hogsmeade, I've just been so nervous and feeling bad about having to reject you!"

"What?" the shock on Michael's face was genuine. "I know right, you really confused us so much, and I was worrying that much over nothing. But honestly we all thought you actually fancied me.. Like you used to be wherever I was!" "Well.. You're almost always together with Paige." Michael answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fiar enough." Ivy said. "And...,and you were always just so nice to me asking me how I was and all, and taking care of me." "Well I figured if I like Paige, I should be really nice to her loved ones too." Michael shrugged. "And well.. I wanted you to root for me too."

"I do root for you!" Ivy told him. She really did. "But seriously though, Paige? Are you sure?" Ivy loved her sister, but it was a bit of a shocker trying to process someone would like her.

"Yes." Michael answered almost immediately. "One hundred percent."

"I mean.. I know she's my sister, but, like.. She's a bit.. you know.." Ivy pointed to her head, swirling her finger. "Yeah, yeah I do." Michael answered with a chuckle.

"And what about that one time you asked both of us to come to Hogsmeade? Sorry I bailed on you that time." Ivy asked him, finally turning her attention back to the forgotten Butterbeer.

"I actually wanted to show you that I can treat her well... and well I'm really sorry but it was actually...better that you didn't come." Michael answered. "I had a good time with her."

"She wanted to launch fireworks at the shrieking shack with you."

"..the shrieking shack was dangerous, so instead we buried fireworks under the snow and then lightened them up. It was fun. The blasts of snow." Michael explained. Ivy's mouth hung open in shock, eye brows rising. "My idea." Michael added sheepishly.

"Oh my God, I didn't know you had that side to you." Ivy laughed, amusement evident in her voice. "I didn't know that either. I think she just brings it out." Michael chuckled. "I've always been so uptight with the rules and all. It.. kind of feels good to do crazy things sometimes. Better yet to have a partner in all the craziness." he smiled.

"Wow." Ivy said. There was a long pause as they both sipped the last of their drinks, Ivy processing everything. She looked up again at the chestnut haired guy, just staring at him with admiration. "I'm just really happy that you of all people like her. You're a really great guy and I support you in this." Michael smiled back at her. "I'll take that as a compliment." he said. "I'm glad that you approve of me. I was just so nervous."

"You're truly one of the best guys I've ever met at Hogwarts. I know you'll treat her well." They both got up, Michael paying for the drinks. "And now you really have to help me out. I don't know if she likes me or not, so you have to play cupid for us!" He told her as they left The Three Broomsticks. The blonde laughed in response and they discussed the matter a little more, the day finally ending on a good note, not dreadful at all like Ivy had imagined.