My first fic! The middle of GOF from Hermione's Point of View. I own nothing- Harry Potter is all JKR's brilliance. Enjoy!
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Chapter One: News and Nerves
As soon as Hermione heard it, she thought she had misunderstood. But there was no mistaking the meaning of the happy giggles from Parvati and Lavender or the revolted looks on Ron and Harry's faces. There was going to be a school ball, a Yule Ball, over the Christmas holidays. Hermione had never been to a ball before, but she thought it sounded like good fun. The only problem was... who would she go with? Deep down, Hermione knew who she wanted to ask her, but admitting it to herself, let alone admitting it to Ron, would be too difficult. At least for now.
After Professor McGonagall finished telling them about the event, the bell rang. "Potter- a word, if you please." McGonagall called at the trio's retreating backs. Harry made a face at Ron and shuffled up to the Professor's desk. Ron and Hermione waited in the hallway for him.
Ron, despite his less than enthusiastic response to the announcement, seemed to be thinking along the lines of Hermione. "Great. Now I've gotta go and find a girl and ask her to the ball just so we can 'socialize with out foreign guests.' Can't wait!" he said sarcastically.
"Ron!" Hermione said irritably. "Don't be rude."
"I'm not!" Ron protested. "It's just that I bet every girl in this damn school would love to go with someone like prettyboy Cedric Diggory-"
"Ron!" Hermione said again.
"-or even Harry, but I'm sure going to have a time getting a date for the ball..." Then Ron's ears turned pink, as though he felt he'd said too much.
You have no idea, Ron, Hermione thought. No idea...
But suddenly Harry came out of the classroom looking very glum indeeed, so she didn't have a chance to reply. Hermione began to wonder if the whole ball was going to be more trouble than it was worth.
***
All week, Hermione watched Ron and Harry become more and more nervous. She privately felt it was hilarious watching the two of them squirm, but she tried to be supportive and helpful. However, her nerves were tested in the common room one day after Fred had demonstrated to Ron and Harry how to ask a girl to the ball.
"Fred's right," said Ron, after the twins left to go send an owl. "We should get a move on, you know... ask someone." Hermione, behind a book in the armchair across from Ron, felt her heart start beating faster in hope. Ron continued, "We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."
Hermione's heart slowed back down again, and then she realized exactly what Ron had just said. "A pair of... what, excuse me?"
Ron didn't seem to notice Hermione's reaction to his words. He shrugged. "Well- you know. I'd rather go alone than with- with Eloise Midgen, say." Hermione felt her blood boiling.
"He acne's loads better lately- and she's really nice!"
"Her nose is off- center," Ron replied, barely looking up. Hermione couldn't believe her ears.
"Oh, I see," she snapped. "So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?" She stared at Ron, as if daring him to answer.
"Er- yeah, that sounds a bit right," he replied. Ron's shallow attitude towards the whole thing disgusted Hermione horribly, but deep down inside her, she felt her heart sinking. If this was ture, what Ron was saying, she'd never have a chance with him. Sure, Hermione wasn't bad-looking, but she had never considered herself pretty.
"I'm going to bed," Hermione said angrily, and stomped off to the dormatories. He hasn't even noticed my new teeth yet, Hermione thought sadly. How would he ever think I'm beautiful?