A/N: This chapter took so damn long, but it's finally done now. I really, really wanted it finished either Tuesday or yesterday, but my Harry Potter Facebook page got hacked, so everything was put on hold for the day while we sorted it out. Anyway, here we have some Christmas shopping and favourite ship of mine :D Enjoy, and thanks to the reviewer who actually threatened me finish this fic
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JJ was slightly surprised when she saw that Severus was still there the next morning. It hadn't occurred to her before, but Severus spending the night in her room was a lot more dangerous than the other way round. JJ had no roommates to explain her absence to, but the Head of Slytherin missing from his chambers in the middle of the night would be difficult for him to talk his way out of trouble.

Rolling over, she poked Severus in the ribs to wake him, and turned her attention to the noise that had woken her in the first place: an impatient tapping against the window. Looking over, she sighed, recognising the handsome, long-eared owl on the sil.
"What the hell, Baltimore?" she muttered, dragging herself out of bed to open the window. Behind her, she heard Severus groan and roll over onto his back. She untied the piece of parchment attached to the owl's leg and sat back down on bed to read it.
J
Thought you'd probably need reminding that we're going to Hogsmeade today. Meet me in the Entrance Hall at 9, like we said. If you're late, I will hex you.
Katie.

JJ cast a Tempus charm, and saw that it was already twenty to nine. Cursing, she started to get dressed hastily, and promptly collided with the side of the bed and tumbled to the floor. The resounding crash was probably what caused a previously still-half-asleep Severus to leap out of bed with his wand drawn.

"It's okay, don't go all ninja," she joked from the floor, struggling to sit up.

"How did you get down there?" JJ could hear the suppressed laughter in his voice.

"I attacked the floor."

"Backwards?"

"Yep, I'm special like that."

"How someone as clumsy as you has such a talent for Potions I will never know," Severus muttered, helping her up. "Why are you rushing around anyway?"

"I'm supposed to be going to Hogsmeade with Katie at nine, and it's already nearly quarter to. She's dragging me shopping, can you believe it? I hate shopping."

"And why is she making you shop?" Severus asked in an amused tone, reaching out to stop her falling again as she overbalanced trying to find her socks.
"For this bloody Yule Ball. Which apparently, being Head Girl, I'm supposed to go to. And I don't want to."

"I had thought the Yule Ball was the highlight of every student's year," Severus commented.

Finally winning her fight with the sock, JJ turned to face him. "Severus, you know how clumsy I am, can you imagine me even trying to dance?"

He chuckled. "That is a fair point."

"Exactly. Now, I'm late and Katie was serious about that threat, so I'd better be off," she told him, pulling on boots and a warm jacket. "Try not to kill any students while I'm gone."
"I'll do my best."

An hour later saw a very cold and thoroughly bored JJ trudging through Hogsmeade as the first snow of the year chose to make its appearance. "Wonderful," she muttered.

"It'll be warm in the shops, don't worry," said Katie cheerfully.

JJ glared at her. "I hate you."

"I love you too. Now come on."

The Hogsmeade branch of Madam Malkins was packed with students. All students in fifth year and above were permitted to attend the ball, and fourth years could go if they were invited by an older student. The sheer number of people in the small space meant that it was very noisy, and, as Katie had predicted, warm.

"Are you going for dress robes or just a dress?" Katie asked.
"What? Oh, I don't know yet. I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I've worn a dress that I can remember," JJ answered. "Katie, why are we even bothering? Your boyfriend's on the other side of the world, and mine's a professor. What's the point?" Suddenly, something occured to her. "Katie, you're not going all Yule Ball-crazy to impress Adam, are you?"

Katie blushed and JJ groaned. "You are. You like him don't you?"

"I do not!" Katie insisted, entirely unconvincingly.

"Do too."

"We're not having this conversation."

"Yes we are."
"Go away."

"No."
"Fine," Katie sighed, ducking behind a railing of clothes. "Maybe I do, a little. But, it's just because... Well, Evan's in America, but Adam's here, y'know?"

"Mmm."

"But it's not like I'm going to do anything."
"Like I did, you mean?" JJ asked somewhat bitterly.

"That was different," Katie replied instantly.

"Was it?" JJ sighed, rubbing her eyes absently. "Lets not talk about this now anyway, we've stuff to do."
"Right, yeah," Katie said, seeming happy at the change of subject. "What do you think of this dress?"

A while later they were walking through the door of the Three Broomsticks, shaking snow off their jackets and carrying a couple of shopping bags each. JJ had eventually given in and actually started acting seriously about getting a dress for the Ball. In the end, she had found one that was pretty much perfect, and they were discussing their purchases as they went up to the counter to order their drinks.
As they sat down at a table in the corner of the noisy pub with their Butterbeers, Charlie slid into the seat across from JJ. "Hey J," he said smiling.

"What's the craic Charlie?" she asked. Charlie, well used to her Irish sayings by now, smiled at her, a little sheepishly.
"You know the Yule Ball at the end of the month?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied questioningly.
"Do you want to go with me? I mean, as friends of course. Not an actual date or anything. I just thought, you know after you and Owen -"
"No," JJ interrupted.
"No? Why?" He asked, his surprised expression making Katie smile beside her.
"See over there?" JJ asked, pointing to a table at the far wall where a group of Seventh Year Huffepuffs were talking and laughing.
"Yeah," Charlie said slowly, clearly not understanding what he was supposed to be looking at.
"That's where you're going to go now, and you're going to sit down, and you're going to ask Tonks to go to the Yule Ball with you. Understand? Good."
Charlie gaped at her. "Uh... What?"
"You like her, don't you?"
He flushed. "Um... Yeah."

"Well go ask her then," JJ instructed, smiling as she watched her red-headed friend do as he was told. A minute later her smile widened as she heard Tonks squeal excitedly and throw her arms around Charlie's neck. "About bloody time," she muttered to Katie.
"Yeah," her friend agreed. "Except now, you haven't got a date for the Ball."

JJ grinned, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Nope. But really now, how d'you think Severus would take it if I did?"

"Good point."

"Yep. Now come on, I want to get some chocolate for Remus before we end up snowed out of it."