Disclaimer: All Harry potter things belong to the lovely JKR...not me.

It had been just another day in Transfiguration. Both of my best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley , weren't paying any attention to what McGonagall was saying. They were having a swordfight with some of the fake wands that Fred and George had made. The fake wands were somewhat impressive - and that was just one of their many practical joke creations. They had such a talent with magic, but they never applied it unless it was at someone else's expense. After I had copied down the question for today's homework, I tried to elbow Ron to get him to pay attention. The only thing I succeeded at was to make his fake wand's beak fall off. McGonagall stood behind her desk and was glaring at the two of them with her arms crossed. She cleared her throat to get their attention, but it was to no avail. I jabbed Ron in the ribs and hissed, "Pay attention!"

Harry and Ron both glanced up to the front and saw that McGonagall had pursed her lips in disapproval. They let their fake wands drop to the floor and their faces were tinged pink with embarrassment. "Since Potter and Weasley have decided to pay attention thanks to Miss Granger, I have an announcement to make." She strode around to the front of her desk, facing the class. "There has been an age old tradition that has been of the Triwizard Tournament since the beginning. It will give you an opportunity to make new friends from our visiting schools and to be footloose and fancy free. Hogwarts will be hosting a Yule Ball!"

The classroom erupted into whispers until McGonagall raised her hand for silence. "There are two rules to this ball. Rule number one: No one under the fourth year is able to go to the ball unless they are asked by an older student. Rule number two: Dress robes must be worn for both boys and girls. The Yule Ball will take place on Christmas Day at 8 p.m. and go until midnight." The bell rang, cutting her off. "Potter! A word please."

Ron and Harry exchanged worried looks. I rolled my eyes and dragged Ron out the door. "He's going to get in trouble for having the fake wand fight with me!" he said, glancing back at the door.

"I'm sure it's got nothing to do with that."

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Haven't you ever read anything about this tournament?" I asked exasperatedly. He gave me a blank stare."Harry has to dance first with someone during the Yule Ball. That's the tradition when you're one of the champions."

Ron started to chortle and said, "Harry? Dance? With a girl?"

"Yes, Ronald, a girl." Harry bustled out the door looking rather annoyed. "You need a dance partner, don't you?" I asked Harry.

His pale face flushed. "I suppose. But I don't want to ask anyone, and I don't want to go!"

"You make it sound worse than going to the dentist!" Ron looked at me quizzically. "Never mind. Do you have anyone in mind to ask?" I asked nonchalantly. I knew Ginny would really want to go with H, but she would be too shy to ask him.

He shrugged and Ron said, "I have no idea who on earth I should ask either." My cheeks turned slightly pink. "Anyone in particular?" I asked.

"Nah." He thought for a moment. "Maybe someone from Beauxbatons. I just love the way they walk..." A dreamy expression came over Ron's face. I snorted. Of course that was his reason. No reason for him to see what was right in front of him! No...not at all. "What about you, Hermione?" Harry asked me.

Ron snorted. "Hermione? With a guy? No way."

"Yes, Ronald, with a guy," I snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, I am a girl."

"Obviously -" Ron started.

I heard Harry sigh, and I said, "I'm so sick of you!" and stormed off towards the Common Room.

I went up to the girl's dormitories and found Ginny sitting on her bed, flicking through the latest edition of Witch Weekly. "What's up?" she asked.

"Your brother is getting on my nerves."

She closed her magazine and frowned. "What has he done this time?"

"I don't know... We were talking about the Yule Ball and then he mentioned something about how the Beauxbatons girls walked and..."

"I see." Ginny smirked at me.

"Why are you smirking like that at me?"

"I think I know something that you have yet to realize."

I narrowed my brown eyes at her. "Which is...?

"You like my brother."

My jaw dropped. "What?! That's...that's..no! That's insane! It's a completely mad idea!"

"It's obvious to everyone but you and Ron. And possibly Harry. Plus, you're very defensive about it."

"Defensive? I am not - "

She sighed. "Face it, Hermione. It's not the worst thing in the world. You could like someone else...like Cedric Diggory or someone."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "He's a seventh year. There's a bit of an age difference."

"It's not like that's a big deal," Ginny said, her cheeks turning red.

"A year difference isn't that bad," I said, referring to the age difference between her and Harry. "Three years is a bit much."

She shrugged and sat up on her bed. "At least you can go to the dance even if you don't have a date. I can't go unless I get asked by someone older." She paused for a moment playing with her red hair. "Here's an idea! Why don't you ask Ron to the dance?"

I stared at her like she had a snitch zooming around her head. "There is NO way I am asking him! Besides, I don't even like him!" She raised her eyebrows at me skeptically. "Why don't you take your own advice and ask Harry to the Ball?"

"Because I know he doesn't like me like that!" she snapped, standing up a few inches away from my face. "He likes Cho Chang. To him I'm nothing more than his best friend's little sister he saved from the basilisk two years ago."

Right. Now I felt like an absolute moron. "Sorry Gin. I didn't mean..."

"Whatever." She turned to sit back on her bed and wrenched her bed curtains shut. I know I always accuse Ronald of being tactless, but sometimes I was just as bad as he was. I walked over to my bed and emptied out my book bag. I slung the empty bag over my shoulder and stalked out of the dormitory. I felt like such an idiot.