The Yule Ball (America x Reader)

Pottertalia AU

.:Hogwarts Triwizard Tournament Champion!America x Reader:.

It was a few minutes before dinner when you found yourself walking through the halls with your friends. The four of you were chatting lightly about the upcoming events of the Triwizard Tournament, which was once again being held at Hogwarts, before you were interrupted.

"(Name)!" You heard a voice call out. You looked at your friends curiously before turning your head as you walked to see a blond boy running down the hallway after you.

It was Alfred, the Hogwarts champion of the year's competition and long-time friend of yours. Upon your notice your companions spotted him as well; Francis winked at you and began to coo, Matthew smiled gently between you and his brother, and Arthur rolled his eyes and muttered something about "that damned American".

"(Name)," Francis murmured as the three of you moved to the side of the hall as Alfred got closer. "He is probably on his way to ask you to the Yule Ball!"

You shoved him lightly. "I'm sure that's not it. He probably just needs to borrow some Charms homework, he had to leave early for some meeting about the Tournament."

"Hey guys!" The blond finally caught up to the group of you, and he screeched to a stop before casually shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe.

"Hey Alfie. What's up?" You questioned, and he turned his eyes to you. His beam made Francis gesture inappropriately at you, though you tried to ignore him.

"Not much. Uh...could I talk to you for a second? Maybe?" His bright blue eyes flickered between you and the other three blonds, and he bit his lip.

"Sure thing." You nodded. Arthur raised an eyebrow at the tall male beside you before bidding you goodbye. Francis did the same, and Matthew only took a moment longer to leave as well.

"Remember that tonight we've got to write to mom and dad. I'm sending the letters off with Komo." The violet-eyed boy stated to his brother.

"Isn't your owl's name Kuma?" The lighter blond questioned.

"Oh...right..." Matthew murmured, before shrugging and waving goodbye.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" You looked up at the Gryffindor.

He flushed lightly. "...C'mere." He grabbed the crook of your elbow and pulled you over to a windowed nook that was partially covered by a tapestry.

Snow was falling heavily outside, and you pressed a hand to the glass as you peered through it. "The season's really settling in, isn't it?"

Though it was more of a murmur to yourself than anything, Alfred affirmed your statement. "Sure is."

He then cleared his throat, and you turned back to him.

"So, (Name)..." He turned his eyes to the ground, lifting an arm to scratch at the back of his neck.

Outside you kept calm, but your head was spinning with the thought that Francis might have been right.

'Is he really going to ask me to the Yule Ball?!'

You kept your focus on his face, though he was not looking at you.

"Uh, I was wondering if maybe you'd...uh...w-want to go to the Ball with me?" His eyes peered back into yours over his glasses, and he looked as sheepish as you had ever seen him. Well, aside from that time he had accidentally set your potions assignment on fire.

You tried to contain your overwhelming excitement, and the warm feeling that had spread through your torso. "I'd love to."

Alfred let a bubbling laugh escape past his lips, which had broken into a wide grin. "Awesome! I mean...great. Yes, great."

You giggled at his attempt at composure, and he continued to smile down at you.

There were now many students rushing through the halls behind the tapestry, and you assumed that dinner was about to begin.

"We should get going." You prompted, tugging on his red and gold scarf.

He nodded. "Okay."

Pulling back the tapestry he let you go ahead of him, before falling into step beside you. A few of the students gave you odd looks after suddenly appearing into the hallway from such a questionable place, though they didn't seem to care much.

"Oh, (Name)?" Alfred began, just as the two of you reached the Great Hall.

"Here." You flipped through one of the books you had in your hands, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. "That's the Charms homework you missed, copy down the questions during dinner."

He casually nudged your shoulder before parting ways to get to his table. "You're the best."

...

"He probably just asked me as a friend! It's not that big of a deal!" You insisted, sitting on your bed as your roommates squealed about your date to the upcoming Ball.

"God, (Name), are you blind?! He's been head over heels for you since Fourth Year, this probably took all his courage to pull off. Even more than that first task with the Grindylows..." Elizabeta shuddered after remembering the Champions' task in murky waters, but was still insistent. She was floating above her mattress after attempting a Levicorpus  [1] spell on herself.

You flushed. "I-I'm sure he doesn't."

Mei piped up from her bed a few feet away. "He totally does. Even my brothers have noticed it. Yong Soo asked me if there was anything going on between the two of you the other day. Think about it. Yong Soo."

You laughed, and Bell chimed in a moment later. "(Name), even if he doesn't like you, which he does, you're going to the Yule Ball as the date of the Hogwarts Champion! This is huge!"

The blonde grinned, probably more excited than you were.

"We're going to get you all dolled up, don't worry!" The green-eyed girl proclaimed, sticking one finger up into the air. Elizabeta aimed a crumpled up piece of paper at her and it hit its mark.

"Ouch..." She rubbed her forehead, though continued. "Anyways, don't worry about it. I've got it all planned out. We'll go dress shopping on the next Hogsmeade weekend, or I could just order something for you."

The three girls smiled at you, waiting. They didn't really need an affirmative though; you knew they would force you to go along with their plan anyways.

"...Fine."

...

On the next Hogsmeade trip you had been dragged into Gladrags [2] by your roommates. Though it was a consignment store they tended to have some pretty nice dresses, and the three girls ended up finding one in particular which they all liked and forced you to try on.

The dress was quite nice, made of a shimmering navy blue fabric that pulled in at the waist into an a-line skirt that ended just at the floor. It was flattering and suited the occasion, so you agreed on it.

A week after buying the garment it was the night of the Ball, and your friends were somehow more excited for you than you were. You had charmed your hair into some loose waves and Mei had lent you a sparkling barrette to pin some of it back.

Elizabeta was almost in tears, dressed in a deep plum gown that complemented her figure. Bell was dressed in red and Mei in a light pink. "(Name), you look so pretty!"

She pulled you into a tight hug, cooing, and you awkwardly patted her back. "Thanks Eliza. Mind letting me go?"

She did as you asked, and you laughed at her lightly as your other two friends came to sit on your bed.

The four of you soon went down to the Common Room to sit with the other members of your house for a while. There was a large Christmas tree that had been put up in the space, and a large amount of gifts laid untouched beneath it. You stroked the tinsel that intertwined with its ornaments lightly.

Elizabeta checked her watch before gasping and running to the exit. "The Ball starts in twenty minutes! We've got to go!"

You and the others murmured amongst yourselves as you stood, shuffling to the door.

"I said," The brunette glared at all of you. "We've got to go!"

The lot of you paled, and jogged lightly past where she stood, and began to hurry down the stairs.

...

There was a gathering of students outside the doors of the Great Hall when you arrived, despite the fact that Elizabeta's rushing the entire house downstairs had resulted in there still being ten minutes until the actual start of the festivities.

Seeing no sign of Alfred being around, you felt a pull in your chest. You were getting nervous, though the blond had assured you that you wouldn't have to do anything too fancy, the Champions and their dates traditionally began the dancing at the Ball. He had demonstrated jokingly what you had to do on the way to Defense Against the Dark Arts one day and though he tried to play it off as nothing special, you still worried that you would mess up the dance.

Just as you calmed yourself down and regrouped with your fellow housemembers, you felt a tug pull you backwards someone who appeared to be sobbing.

"Oh, (Name)! You're exquisite!" It was Francis, you recognized, and you pushed him away with a disbelieving smile.

"Calm down! First Elizabeta then you, what's with all the fussing?!" You flicked him in the shoulder.

Arthur, who stood next to him, elbowed his friend in the gut. The two of them were clad in dress robes, looking sharp. They seemed to be of basically the same style, though Francis' was a crisper black.

"Stop bothering her, she's already got to deal with one idiot for the night." The Brit flickered his green eyes towards you.

"Oh, Artie." You reached up to adjust his crooked bowtie. "When will you learn to play nice?"

He scoffed, swatting you away, though a smile graced his thin lips. After a moment, his brows furrowed. "Speak of the devil..."

Alfred appeared in the group within a few seconds, spooking you with his abrupt stop beside you.

"Hey!" He greeted, panting lightly. "I thought I would be late, I accidentally let Mattie's owl get loose and we had to catch it. But I'm early!"

"Yeah, by about thirty seconds." You snorted, plucking a white feather off of his sleeve.

The boy laughed and began to speak, but upon locking eyes with you he froze. His blue eyes widened and he flustered.

"U-Um, ha, you look really...really nice, (Name)..." He was so anxious and earnest that it made butterflies churn in your stomach.

You beamed, and out of the corner of your eye you saw Arthur drag an eager Francis out away from the two of you. "You look really nice, too."

He gave you a lopsided grin that made you want to melt. Alfred was unbelievably sweet. It didn't hurt that he was one of the most attractive wizards in the school, either, especially when dressed in his seemingly brand-new, tailored dress robes.

"Oh, shoot," His glance broke from yours, looking at the doors. "We've got to be over there."

The doors to the Great Hall were closed, and the two other Champions stood with their dates in front of the doors. Alfred pulled you to them, placing your hand on the crook of his elbow, and a few moments later the doors opened.

The hall was decorated in all sorts of Christmas shades, decorations glittering and glinting on most surfaces. It was festive almost to the point of being tacky, but the inner castle walls and huge Christmas tree somehow detracted from the gaudiness of it all to make it quite appropriate for such an event.

Your date's presence next to you was reassuring, though you were still slightly embarrassed by the fact that all of the other ball-goers were lined up on either side of you, applauding as you walked in. The crowd opened up onto the dancefloor, and Alfred moved one hand to your waist as the room went silent.

"Follow my lead." He stooped down slightly to whisper as he grasped your hand.

The orchestra began to play a waltz, and off you went. It was a simple enough dance, especially with Alfred almost completely un-clumsily leading you. You only felt a bit awkward when he lifted and spun you, as part of the dance, when the other dance partners did the same.

When the music ended a cheer erupted throughout the room. A lighter song floated on the air as everyone made their way to the tables for the feast.

The two of you sat with a group of friends, joking with each other as a few of them teased you about the dance.

"Watch your hands next time, Alfred! A little low, weren't they?" Francis raised an eyebrow in mirth.

The American sputtered, and you elbowed the Frenchman who sat beside you. "I think you mean yourself! Don't think I didn't notice Elizabeta beating you up when you tried to touch her butt!"

The indigo-eyed boy laughed heartily, before becoming engaged in an argument with said Hungarian over the altercation.

The meal ended quickly, and your companions slowly trickled away from the table to go dance or speak to other people until it was only you and your date left. The blond had just about finished explaining how upset he was about the cancellation of the Quidditch season before realizing that the two of you were the only ones at the table.

"Everyone's gone? Let's go dance, then." He stood up and offered you his hand.

The band had changed from the previous orchestra to some sort of wizarding rock band. Couples and groups of friends danced together, seeming to enjoy the music. Alfred pulled you to the side of the floor and began swaying, leaning down to talk to speak into your ear about how he thought he had seen Francis manage to get Elizabeta to dance with him again.

"God bless his soul!" You joked, tilting your head up to him so that he could hear you more clearly over the song.

He threw his head back in a loud laugh before turning his face back to yours, still chuckling. "Just watch out for a green light, I guess."

...

You and the blond talked and danced for a few more songs before the room began to get a bit too warm.

You motioned for Alfred to bring his face down closer to yours.

"I'm going to go outside for a bit, it's too hot." You said into his ear.

"I'll come with you." He replied, taking your hand to pull you off of the dance floor. Despite the fact you two had been on the outskirts of said floor, more people had since gathered around you, so you had a bit of a crowd to push through.

He let go of your hand gently when you were almost at the door, as if he had just remembered that he was still holding it. He looked at you sheepishly before gesturing out the door. "After you."

Upon reaching the courtyard outside you fanned yourself. "Geez, it was boiling in there."

"Yeah, probably because the turnout was crazy this year. I'm pretty sure everyone from years four to seven showed up tonight." He leaned on a stone railing, looking out at the snow-covered space ahead.

The grounds were serene, and you appreciated that. Only a few other people were in your sight, assumedly having the same idea as you, and you could communicate clearly without having to yell as you did inside.

A snowy breeze was circling the stone walkway you were on, and you shivered. Goosebumps arose on your skin, though you didn't pay it much mind as you admired the untrodden layers of white on the ground.

"Cold?" Alfred questioned.

You shook your head. "Not really. I'd take this over sweating to death in there."

He snorted, though gestured to his outer robe, which functioned as a sort of jacket. He had taken it off a while ago, and had carried it in his hand. "Want this?"

After a moment's contemplation, you nodded. "Sure."

He handed the black garment to you, and you pulled it around your shoulders without putting your arms through the sleeves. It still radiated a bit of head from his body, and you smiled up at him.

"Thanks."

He brushed it off with a nod, cheeks flushed from a mix of the cold and his cheesy offering as he shifted his gaze from you to the sliver of the moon that shone over the highlands. A sort of melancholy settled on the pair of you when the next words left his mouth.

"I've just realized, this is our last Christmas at Hogwarts, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." You furrowed your eyebrows at the thought. In years past you had tended to stay at the school for the holiday, and the notion that you wouldn't be doing the same in the coming year was sort of saddening. Alfred had stayed each year as well, so he and a few other friends had become an integral part of your holiday celebration.

He hummed. "That kind of sucks. I've gotten used to spending the holidays with you."

You elbowed him lightly. "Just because we won't be at Hogwarts next winter doesn't mean that we won't see each other. We can all get together for a party or something. We didn't learn to apparate for nothing."

Alfred grinned down at you. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?" You watched the cloud that his warm breath made in the frigid air as he laughed.

He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a haughty chuckle. "Well, what do we have here?"

You didn't have to turn your head to recognize the source of the voice, but you did anyways. "Hey Francis. You good?"

"Why of course, mon canard." The blond stood a few metres from you, hair tousled and a large red mark turning purple under his left eye.

"First of all, I am not your duck. And second, what did you do to get that bruise?" You leaned back on the railing with your elbows.

"Maybe I did nothing! Maybe I am innocent!" His accent grew stronger with his words, and you snorted at his half-joking insistence. When you raised an eyebrow at him, he sighed. "Okay...maybe I tried to pull Elizabeta under some mistletoe..."

You smacked your forehead, tutting. "Will you never learn?"

You turned to Alfred for some support, but he was looking around with a blush on his face, apparently having noticed something you hadn't.

"What is it?" You questioned, though before he could stutter anything out, Francis gave you your answer.

"Oh! Well, speaking of mistletoe...I will see the two of you inside." The boy winked, and with a flick of his dress robes he was back inside, muttering a healing charm with his wand pointed at his face.

"What?" You turned back to the male beside you, looking at his upturned eyes for a moment before it clicked. "...Oh."

Looking up, your stomach dropped. One of the pesky mistletoe bunches that had been charmed to grow around the castle for the holidays had appeared right over your heads.

"I- uh..." You sputtered.

"Do it! Kiss!" A voice hissed from just inside the still-open door, and the two of you turned to reply.

"Go away, Francis!"

"Fine, fine, I am going..." After a moment, the door shut fully, and you turned back to the blond.

"So...do you...?" You trailed off, though Alfred seemed to get the gist of what you were saying.

"Y-Yeah...do you?" He finally remade eye contact with you, blue irises peering past fogging spectacles.

"Yeah." He looked at you for a moment more before biting his lip and lifting his arms shakily and placing them on your shoulders, pulling you a bit closer to him before swooping down to connect his mouth with yours.

He was nervous, that much you could tell by the way his fingers twitched over the sleeves of your dress. You were almost perfectly matched in this fact and were sure he could tell from the way you bumped your nose against his when you tried to return the gesture. The kiss was sweet, though, and just what you would have expected from him.

When you pulled away the blond smiled widely, though he tried to hide his mouth behind his hand with a fake cough. You sent a lopsided grin right back at him.

“Uh…Merry Christmas?” He tried, making you laugh.

You grasped his arm and tugged him towards the doors that would lead you back inside.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Alfred.”