A/N: I know I like disappeared off the face of the earth, but I'm back now! Finally updated! Sorry for the wait!

From snatches grabbed of whispered conversations, there was only one topic on every mind. The Yule Ball. Who was going with who, who was wearing what, what was going to be there...if all the rumours were true, then the famous boyband 'Wand Direction' were going to be performing in the Great Hall-turned-palace complete with swimming pool and a Hogwarts-sized bar of all-you-can-drink Firewhisky. As nice as this sounded, it was about as likely as Professor Kopf being able to keep his hat on for more than 5 minutes.

Scorpius strutted about the castle, barely able to go an hour without someone asking him to be their date to the Ball. Several girls begged him to accompany them, only to have their actual partner clear their throat angrily and them to turn red and claim they were only joking. From a gaggle of First Years who couldn't escape the plague of pubescent acne to a horde of Seventh Years, most of whom couldn't tell the difference between a Summoning and a Banishing Charm, almost the entire female population of Hogwarts had dreamt of being Scorpius Malfoy's 'beautiful' date.

Rhea, who he had reluctantly asked, simpered and smirked, never missing an opportunity to clutch at Malfoy's arm and show off her 'prize'. Scorpius often only managed an uncomfortable smile at these moments, looking around sharply to see if Rose was watching. Even when she was, she was too busy having a silent laughing fit at his expression to show any signs of jealousy.

Certainly, Scorpius relished in the envy of every other male, as Rhea was extremely beautiful, but he had only eyes for Rose. Why would he want a girl who was as thick as a broom handle? He wasn't interested in listening to her infected voice that constantly wittered in his ear. The Ball couldn't be over soon enough for him. However, he was the only one who thought so.

Well, the only one apart from Rose. She considered such things awful and merely a way of the popular girls to show off just how popular they were. Madame Maxime harassed her constantly. In her words, Rose had to look 'beauteeful.' If she had it her way, she would have gone in jeans and a jumper. What she was going to wear remained a mystery. Every girl thought bitterly of how stunning Rose was sure to look. With the family she had, there was no doubt that she'd have the nicest, most expensive dress. This, is fact, was entirely false. They weren't the only ones wondering what she was going to wear. Rose herself had no idea.

She didn't own any dresses, and she wasn't going to write to her parents to ask for one. She hadn't responded to any of their letters. They were stuffed beneath her bed, and there were a lot of them. She didn't want to wear a dress, full stop. It was a stupid Ball that she didn't want to go to. If she was to be forced, she would be damned if they told her what to wear!

Hugo ambushed her the day before the start of the Christmas holidays.

"Rose! Oi, Rose!"

She stopped and turned, causing somewhat of a disturbance as the person behind her crashed into her at her sudden halt. Hastily stepping aside lest a domino effect occurred in the Entrance Hall, she hurried over to her brother. "What?"

"Remembered about me now, have you?"

"What do you mean?" Rose snapped, raising her eyebrows at him.

"It's been ages since we talked."

"That's not true. We talked the other day."

"You asked me where the toilet was..."

Rose shrugged. "What more do you want?"

"Look, Mum wants to know why you won't answer her letters." Hugo's eyes widened imploringly.

The elder Weasley shuffled her feet awkwardly. "I've been busy."

"Don't you know how selfish you're being?!" Rose recoiled as if he'd slapped her. Hugo's eyes flashed. "They're worried about you! You could get killed in this Tournament! Don't you know that they feel so bad about being horrible to you over the summer?"

"Oh, please. They still think I'm a monster." Rose's bottom lip trembled as the one person who had always been there for her was now looking at her as if she were the spawn of a Flobberworm and a Manticore.

"Rose, not even I understand what happened last term, but we don't hate you. They wanted to know if you were coming home for Christmas."

"Of course I'm not! I have to attend this bloody Ball, don't I? And I wouldn't want to go 'home', anyway."

"It's not just Mum and Dad who want to see you again, Rose!" Hugo straightened himself to his full height, which was still slightly smaller than his sister. "Uncle Harry has been writing constantly to try and get you to answer his letters."

Rose couldn't stop a look of surprise crossing her face. She had thought he, of all her family, would have wanted to eradicate any and all contact. What it would do to his name if they found out that his niece had...well.

Hugo smiled slightly. "Please, Rose. If you tell them what you told me, they'll understand."

"No, they won't. They still think I did it."

"But you're their daughter. They'll believe you."

She rolled her eyes. "You mean: they'll pretend that they do in order to get on my good side, then bitch about me behind my back."

"Stop, Rose. You don't know that."

"Rose!"

Jacque sidled up to her, tapping his foot expectantly. Rose stopped herself from telling him to stop following her like a lost puppy. "Hugo, I have to go."

"I guess I'll see you at the Ball." He eyed Jacque with something like dislike. The Beauxbatons turned his nose up slightly, his icy blue eyes glinting.

"I guess you will."

The eve of the Ball bore down on Hogwarts much faster than Rose had hoped. As she sat pulling at the threads on her blanket, a thought meandered across her mind. She had nothing to wear tomorrow.

Suddenly, she leapt up. It hadn't really hit her until then. Holy crap, what was she going to wear? As much as she wished to go in jeans, she knew she couldn't. Everyone would be looking at her...

Burying her face in her hands, she thought hard. She could ask one of the other girls...but they likely wouldn't have anything. Most of them were so skinny the clothes that they had would only fit a twig. What could she do? She couldn't just not turn up! While any old person could get away with it, she was one of the champions! And poor Jacque...she'd only half-heartedly agreed to go with him, but she did like him and it would be horribly embarrassing for him if she bailed on him!

There was nothing for it. She would have to write to her parents and hope her mother had something that she could send in time.

As she stood preoccupied, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Lowering her hands, she saw a Beauxbatons girl with infuriatingly white teeth smiling at her. She wordlessly handed Rose a parcel and then retreated. All the rest of the pupils were up in the Great Hall, finishing off dinner. But Rose hadn't felt like eating. She hadn't for a long time.

Pulse speeding slightly, she set the package down on her bed. Hesitantly, she lifted off the lid and her jaw nearly hit the floor. However, that would be rather peculiar, as it would have to fall off for that to happen, which it didn't. Inside...was a dress.

And it wasn't just any dress. As she lifted it out and let it fall, she saw it was pale silver and, well, beautiful.

No happiness washed over her. Instead, a spark of fear shot through her body. Who had sent her a dress? There was a note attached to the parcel that she hadn't seen at first.

Pulling it off, she felt her lungs constrict as she saw the familiar black hand writing.

Kiss kiss, Miss Weasley. Can't have a Ball without a Belle.
I'll see you there.

-Anon