Small wiggle.

"...But I shouldn't tempt fate," she says, sighing and taking out her wand to check the time. It's fortunately still before curfew - but close enough she can't really afford to tarry much longer.

She sighs. "Well, thanks for the conversation. It's been - a lot of fun."

"Indeed. Feel free to seek me out again."

"I probably will - I'll be bringing by Mandy in the next few days, too."

Elodie nods. "Good night, cherie."

She does not know French but that tone sounds like something to blush vividly about and duck her head. (And note to later find a dictionary.)

"Good night, Elodie."

And - off to bed, slipping into the dorm just before curfew.

"You're out late," Ellie observes as they get ready for bed.

And still grinning broadly! The red on her cheeks has faded by the time she gets to their room, but it flares up a bit again.

"Yeah. I got caught up with learning music theory..."

- She wants to make Ellie jealous so should mention Elodie maybe, but -

That'd require her saying something and maybe talking about it and - not tonight.

"Sounds like a fun time?"

"Yeah! I had some cool ideas I could use your help testing, actually, for doing variants on the usual stuff."

"Sure. Let me know."

"This weekend'd be good - we can go out to our cottage for a bit before Quidditch practice."

"All right."

Yawn.

"Night, Ellie."

"G'night."

And snuggle into bed.

(The next morning she gets hold of a French to English dictionary and spends a solid five minutes beet red, but at least she doesn't do that in front of anyone...)

She gets Mandy introduced to Elodie in the next few days - spends more time forgetting what time it is talking to Elodie, though she again remembers in time to get back before curfew -

Saturday morning she serenades Ellie and their snakes with increasingly silly songs - just getting a feel for singing in Parseltongue - and Sunday evening she sings to Ellie and Fay then starts testing some of the very basic musical charms she knows under Fay's supervision. (It is different - more charged, maybe, she thinks, slippery and harder to control, like there's something deep welling up. It's exhilarating - it takes her a few days to get free time again, because she's still attached to Ellie's hip and she's still busy with studies - but then she sings to Elodie again, too, practicing charms to weave light around her, and starting on a charm that's supposed to illustrate scenes sung about - Parseltongue handles proper nouns weirdly, it turns out, so she mangles that partway in, but the fizzle is gentle so it just leaves her laughing - )

(Anathema has Fay take her in for a quick trip to London, too - gets her ears pierced, and on Fay's suggestion she buys hypoallergenic muggle earrings that match her outfit, studs with flowers made of blue gems, since the older antique earrings probably aren't ideal for new piercings.)

Winter break approaches at break neck speed - two weeks of hanging out with Ellie and Fay, Grim and Scarlet, movies and video games and Yule presents and playing in the snow and running around as Animagi -

They come back early on Saturday the Twenty-Fourth - they have until eight for the ball's start, of course, but the Champions need to be there a bit early. Anathema had gathered together her ball things before they got back, so she just wishes Ellie luck, picks up the bit of luggage that contains them after getting settled in their room, and starts heading out to find Elodie.

"Not changed your mind yet then? Good."

"I'd have let you know way sooner if I did." Grin. "I'm looking forward to this, though."

"As am I. Come, let us get your face and hair in order."

"Make me pretty enough to stand next to you."

She goes along cheerfully.

And in time enough to make it to the ball, they succeed.

Elodie herself is radiant, of course, and Anathema fits easily at her side, their outfits a perfect complement.

Anathema's glowing, practically, her grin so wide it hurts -

Two of the Champions escorting each other messed up the original plans for who enters when, and the organizers seemed charmed at the idea of introducing the Champions and their dates as they enter an already crowded ballroom with no small amount of pomp. The order for each couple ends up drawn randomly - Ellie Potter and Victor Krum, Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang...

Elodie Delacour and Anathema Canta.

Anathema's grinning at Elodie as they enter, hand on Elodie's arm - but she does glance around before walking down the stairs, turning her beaming smile on the crowd. 

Wow.

The Champions are called to take their place to start the first dance - Anathema sends Ellie a bright smile before turning back to Elodie - and the first strings of music are played.

(Anathema's been practicing dancing rather intensely, though she'd had a solid grounding in ballroom dance as a child to start with - it really shows.)

Elodie's grace is without flaw, naturally.

Ellie and Krum more or less get by, though not as easily.