"Dean?" Blaise cleared his throat as he walked up to him. It was just them in the halls.

Dean looked up from his book, brow raised,"Blaise?"

"I have a serious question." Blaise sighed.

"This question being?" Dean asked him.

"You're with Finnigan, right?" He raised a brow.

"U-uh, no? We aren't together." Dean chuckled.

"Please, I see a lot of things." Blaise nodded.

That was a good part of being in the background, you see things others don't.

"We're just best friends." Dean stated firmly.

"If you say so." Blaise crossed his arms, "How.. Would you feel if you did something with me? So.. Both of us could ask our best friends to the Yule Ball?"

"Wait, who's your best friend?" Dean asked him.

"Parker." Blaise admitted, nodding slowly, "Although, we're just best friends."

"I thought she was Erica's best friend, they have bracelets and everything." Dean nodded.

"She can have more than one best friend." Blaise quickly spoke.

"I mean, technically no." Dean shrugged.

"Yes, she can. Now, yes or no?" Blaise raised a brow.

Dean sighed,"Fine."

"Great. Meet me in the Great Hall after Potions?" Blaise suggested.

"After potions." Dean nodded.

"I'll see you then." Blaise nodded and walked off.

"Yeah, you too." Dean leaned against the wall.

**

After Potions, Blaise went to the Great Hall and sat down at a table. He was soon interrupted by a book being placed on his head. Blaise raised a brow and looked up.

"Surprise." Dean smiled.

"Suprised you actually came." Blaise nodded.

"It's not like me to make plans and just not appear." Dean shrugged.

"Well alright then. So I was thinking.. Maybe a poster?" Blaise suggested.

"Seems like a plan." Dean nodded.

"And this is.. Just for our friends." Blaise nodded.

"Just friends." Dean agreed.

"Right. I'll get the supplies." Blaise stood up.

"I'll... Wait here, I guess." Dean told him.

After a few minutes, Blaise came back with a bag.

"I'm almost scared to ask what's in that." Dean told him.

"It's arts and craft stuff." Blaise shrugged.

"It's not going to explode, is it?" Dean asked sceptically.

"No, why would it?" Blaise raised a brow.

"Trust me. When you've been around Seamus, anything can explode on you." Dean warned him.

"Well, this one won't." Blaise emptied the crafts on the table.

Dean looked it over and nodded,"I sense no danger in this."

"Because there is none." Blaise nodded.

"Right, how are we going to do this?" Dean asked him.

"In all honesty? I don't know." Blaise sighed.

"Good, because I was taking notes during potions." Dean told him, taking out a burgundy notebook.

"Oh? And what's in the notes?" Blaise questioned.

"A few sketches of ideas." Dean flipped through the pages.

"Let me see." Blaise moved next to him.

Dean passed the notebook to him,"One thing my sister taught me was to always be prepared."

"Right.. Posters, surprises.." Blaise read through them all.

"Red and green, gold and silver. Y'know, the house colours." Dean pointed out.

"Yeah, I like them." He nodded.

"I was thinking about what Seamus likes, I'm not sure if you thought about Parker but I think I have a plan." Dean told him.

"What's your plan?" Blaise asked.

"Fireworks." Dean turned to him.

"Fireworks?" Blaise blinked.

"Fireworks." Dean confirmed,"We can do it outside for safety purposes."

"Right. Fireworks seem good." He nodded.

"They'll love it. Hopefully." Dean sighed.

"Alright. Let's get started." Blaise stretched.

Dean nodded and skimmed through the supplies Blaise brought.

"..I don't recommend using too much glitter though." Blaise pointed.

"God no." Dean shook his head.

"I remember I used a bunch when I was younger, I made the biggest mess." Blaise chuckled.

"It gets everywhere and it never leaves." Dean nodded.

"Exactly. I swear I still have some in my hair sometimes." Blaise hummed.

"You'll still find it there years on." Dean shook his head.

"Right. Let's get started." Blaise nodded.

"Got it." Dean agreed, picking up a sheet of paper.

**

After a while, they still hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Let me try it." Blaise held his hand out for the lighter.

"If you say so." Dean sighed and handed it to him.

Blaise nodded as a thank you before he lit the fireworks. Dean stepped back and used his hand to block the stray sparks from his eyes. It was quiet for a few seconds until.. BOOM!

"Oh crap." Blaise muttered.

"I knew it!" Dean looked at their destroyed project.

"What do we do now?" Blaise sighed.

"We've only got one choice Blaise." Dean told him.

"What? Start over?" Blaise raised a brow.

"No, we have to ask them ourselves." Dean sighed.

"I.. Y'know what? Fine." He nodded.

"Good luck." Dean told him as he headed to Gryffindor common room.

"You too!" Blaise waved.

Dean headed all the way up the stairs and through the portrait into Gryffindor common room. That's when he saw Seamus sat by the fireplace.

"Dean! Where have you been?" Seamus looked over to him.

"Uh, with Blaise?" He answered honestly.

"Blaise?" Seamus raised a brow, that was a peculiar pair.

"We were trying to do something for you and Parker but it, uh, exploded." Dean admitted, fidgeting with his fingers.

"That makes a change from me for once." Seamus joked.

"So, I do have a question for you." Dean told him.

"Yes?" Seamus asked.

"Will you come to the Yule Ball... With me?" Dean questioned him.

"With you?" Seamus smiled.

"Yeah as, y'know, friends? Since we're best friends?" Dean nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. As friends." Seamus nodded, "I'll come with you."

"Yes!" Dean cheered,"I wonder how Baluae is doing with Parker.."

**

When Blaise finally got to the dungeons, he walked into the common room and saw Parker with Draco.

"Why would you even think about trying to sneak Weasley in here?" Draco questioned her.

"Because we wanted a sleepover." Parker pointed.

"Snape would kill us if he found out she was here." Draco crossed his arms.

"Snape loves me, we're fine." Erica told him.

"Yeah, so back off." Parker hummed and put her arm on Erica's shoulder, leaning onto her.

Blaise then cleared his throat.

"Parker, look! It's your boyfriend." Erica pointed at Blaise.

Parker slapped her arm, "Not my boyfriend." Parker slapped her arm before she looked over at him, "Hi Blaise."

"Is so." Erica muttered.

"Parker, hi, uh... I need to ask you something." Blaise informed her.

"Right." Parker nodded, "Is it a private question?"

"Well, I want to know if you'd like to go to the Yule Ball with me." Blaise told her.

"The Yule Ball?" Parker raised a brow.

"Yes." Blaise nodded before adding,"As friends."

"..Right. Then yes, I'd like to go with you, as friends." Parker nodded.

Blaine smiled before Erica approached,"Blaise, can we talk?"

"Um.. Yes?" Blaise nodded slowly.

"Right, outside." Erica practically dragged him out of the common room.

"Wh- Erica." Blaise looked at her in confusion.

Once outside, Erica turned to face him,"What are you doing?"

"Asking.. Parker out to the Yule Ball?" Blaise asked.

"No, no, no. Asking her out is fine. The part I'm concerned about, you foolish child, is 'as friends'." Erica crossed her arms.

"That's what we are?" Blaise questioned.

"You both clearly like each other. I'm not stupid Blaise, even Draco thinks so." Erica told him.

"Just.. Out of curiosity, does she.. like me?" Blaise wondered.

Erica paused and sighed,"Obviously! That's why I'm telling you this."

"Wait really?" Blaise smiled.

"You and Parker are oblivious morons." Erica shook her head,"Have you not noticed?"

"No." Blaise shook his head.

"Well, my job here is done." Erica turned to walk off.

"Wait. How are you even in the common room?" Blaise asked.

"I have my ways, I know the passageways like the back of my hand." Erica answered as she walked away.