A/N: I confess I love this ship. Dean's line about Parvati and Padma being the best looking girls in the year always intrigued me. I'm not real sure how "in character" they sound. We don't really know much about these characters. Not enough for me to get a feel for them at least. I tried though.

I wrote this on another site in about… 2008 under the name "Looking for a Yule Ball Date". It has 3 parts. It also has a sequel, which I will post later.

Paired Up:

"Just ask someone, mate." Seamus exasperated voice could barely be heard over the racket going on in the common room. Everyone was buzzing that Ron Weasley asked Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball, and she hadn't even bothered to answer him.

Dean shrugged, feeling positive that it was a hopeless cause. "I dunno. Who could I ask? Every girl I know is paired up. Susan's going with Anthony Goldstein. Hannah's going with Ernie. Sally-Anne's going with Michael Corner. Daphne's with Blaise Zabini, you're with Laven— "

"All right, all right. Shuddup. Lots of girls are taken, I get it. How about a younger girl? Anyone in third year would love to go. You could ask any one of them. That's what Neville did."

Dean grimaced at the very idea. "I don't know anyone in third year. I can't just ask someone I've never even spoken to."

"Sure you can, look at Harry." Seamus smirked. "Remember when that third-year girl asked him? He didn't even know her name."

"And that's why he turned her down."

"That didn't stop you from making fun of him for it."

"Well, you started it."

Seamus laughed and then turned away from Dean to survey the common room. He scanned the various faces until his gaze finally settled on Parvati Patil. "Call me crazy, but I think you should go with Parvati! No one's asked her yet- they're too scared she'll turn them down."

"Gee, all the more reason to humiliate myself," retorted Dean, sarcastically.

Seamus waved Dean's words aside. "But don't you see? Now it's too late, and she'll say yes to anyone. It's prefect. She's Lavender's best friend. We can double."

Dean smiled, realizing that Seamus had a point. It was very last minute and Parvati was sure to say yes, just as friends. It would be more fun if all four of them went together. Feeling his spirits rise, Dean started to get to his feet. He hadn't even taken a single step when Harry Potter walked up to Parvati. Dean paused and sure enough, he was asking Parvati would go with him to the ball. Dean didn't have to eavesdrop to know that Parvati accepted Harry's invitation. Not only was he famous, but he was a Triwizard Champion. In addition to saving the Wizarding world, he now fought dragons to boot.

Fantastic.

Dean was about to sit right back down when— "Wait!" shouted Seamus, leaping to his feet as well. "Padma! You can ask Padma. I'm sure one's asked her, either. She used to help you with your Transfiguration homework, didn't she? I bet she'd go with you."

Dean felt his stomach drop. Padma was exactly who he wanted to go the Yule Ball with and was exactly the reason he had put off asking anyone else for song long. He bit his lip and was about to try to make up an excuse when they heard Harry ask Parvati if anyone would go with Ron. And Parvati replied with, "Well.. I suppose my sister might. . . Padma, you know ...in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like."

"Now she has a date," said Dean, about twenty-five percent relieved and seventy-five percent disappointed. "She's going with Ron."

Seamus smiled an evil smile. "But she can't go with Ron if she's already got someone, eh? We'll get to Padma and you'll ask her before Parvati can. "

Dean looked down at the floor, noticing the unpleasant color of the carpet for the first time. "I can't just steal Ron's date."

"She's not his date. Not yet. And if we act fast, she never will be."

"Do you really think it's worth all this trouble?"

"Are you kidding?" yelped Seamus. "Look at Parvati." Dean's eyes darted in her direction. She was chatting excitedly with Lavender, beaming, obviously thrilled to finally have a date to the ball. She was beautiful. In his opinion, she was one of the two most beautiful girls in fourth-year. Seamus ploughed on with his pep-talk. "Padma looks just like that. But she's... smarter? She's in Ravenclaw, so she must be. It doesn't matter. She doesn't have a date yet. You know her name. You've talked to her. She fits all your criteria and then some. Be ready to ask her in the morning on the way to breakfast!"

Knowing it was pointless to argue with Seamus once he made up his mind, Dean sat back down and sighed. Maybe, just maybe it would work out and he could spend Christmas with Padma Patil. And if things went well…