Title: Hermione's Moment
Summary: Hermione has a date to the ball. Not that anyone knows.

Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to JKR.

It was hard, keeping it a secret from her friends. Hermione felt like twirling around and shouting it to the world. She had to keep fighting the grin that rose unconsciously to her face whenever anyone mentioned him (and Ron mentioned him a lot). But she knew that she had to. Nobody would believe her (And if they did she certainly didn't want his fans to go all manic on her).

Well, at least the boys wouldn't believe her (Ginny on the other hand had been terribly excited for her. She couldn't have hidden it from everyone or she was sure she would spontaneously combust). They hadn't even registered she was supposedly free for the ball. They were scrambling about like headless chickens, searching for someone to go to the ball with. They'd been through a list of all the girls at Hogwarts that they knew or had classes with, but not once did they consider asking her, their supposed best friend. In fact, they were so worried about their own dates, they never even bothered to ask her if there was anyone she was going with or wanted to go with. It made her a bit upset quite frankly.

They were her best friends. But sometimes, it seemed like they didn't consider her much. Even if they didn't think to ask her themselves, they still could have been worried about if she had a date as well (like they were currently doing for each other). However she didn't even cross their minds. It was quite pathetic to think about really. It was times like this that Hermione wondered if it would be better to try and branch out and make other friends as well, except, well, she was never very good at making friends in the first place.

Which is why it took her completely by surprise when Krum –no, Viktor, asked her of all people to the ball. She spent most of her time in the library doing work and research to help Harry, you know, one of said best friends who didn't have the time to think about her even though she stood by him the entire time as opposed to other said best friend, (no she wasn't bitter about being left out at all). She had no idea how Viktor had even seen her behind all the books she had stacked around her (and the hordes of giggling girls flocking around him). But seen her he had. As it turns out, most surprisingly at that, Viktor Krum was shy. He told her he had had to work up the courage to come talk to her. And there she was hating on him because his presence brought the annoying army of fans to the library where they proceeded to completely disrupt her concentration. It made her feel like a right jerk. But also completely fluttery inside.

She felt like something out of a muggle fairytale had just happened. Because though fangirl she was not, she was very aware of the fact that this was an international Quidditch star. Ron couldn't shut up about him after all, so she was certainly acquainted with his accomplishments. So an internationally famous Quidditch star asked her, Hermione Granger, to the Yule Ball. Which he was attending as a champion. In other words he asked the girl most people ignored to open the ball with him as his partner. Well, most people other than Cormac McLaggen who seemed to have been making his way over to her a few times, presumably to ask her to be his date. But she deftly avoided him...much as she might have wanted a date, she'd rather have none than have to spend the entire ball listening to him going on and on about himself. It didn't matter how handsome he was, he was so self-absorbed it was sickening. Viktor on the other hand had been nervous and shy, nothing like she would have expected him to be (Cormac probably used up the quota of arrogance.) It was difficult to say no to such a humble request. He had asked her quite nicely if she would do him the honour of accompanying him to the ball. Except he stuttered and fumbled with his English which she actually thought was quite adorable. (She spent the rest of the day with him in a secluded corner of the library trying to help him with his pronunciation at his red-faced request since he had been having trouble with her name.)

The Triwizard Tournament had suddenly meant more than just the dangerous competition that could get her best friend killed. (Which she hadn't forgotten about no matter what Ron would later suggest). She actually had something to look forward to. She had figured if nobody asked her she would ask Ginny to go with her as a friend since the girl wouldn't have been able to go otherwise. Ginny was buzzing with excitement for her and didn't mind that she couldn't go with Hermione because Neville, poor sweet Neville, had asked her to go with him after Hermione turned him down in potions. She had never considered that he might ask to be honest but she was glad that it worked out and that both Ginny and Neville got a date out of it.

She didn't mind keeping it a secret from most people since Ginny knew who she was going with so they could talk about it together, though she did have to stop herself from skipping through the halls or people would get suspicious. She was just so ecstatic! She'd been spending some more time with Viktor lately and he was so sweet it made her heart melt. She'd never imagined someone would take an interest in her, especially not someone like him. If her own friends couldn't even be bothered with her, why would anyone else? She was never so happy to be proven wrong. The only downside was that they would have to meet in secret because neither of them wanted to be interrupted by his fans. In fact, he told her that he loved Quidditch and was happy that the people liked him, but that he'd really appreciate some privacy in his life. He wasn't fond of fame, much like Harry in a way. He just wanted to do what he loved and make his country proud. And he liked to read! Certainly not as much as she did, but casual reading was better than no reading at all. He listened to her and paid attention to her interests. In turn, he knew he could trust her enough to talk to her about himself without it getting out to the press. He couldn't spend as much time with her as either of them liked though because like it or not there was a deadly tournament looming over the heads of the champions, previously affecting one person she cared about, and now it was two. She didn't help him since she was still loyal to Hogwarts and Harry. It was a competition after all. But then again they didn't talk much about the competition anyway.

For the first time in her life she could say she felt wholly like a girl. Viktor made her feel special and appreciated in a way nobody else in her life had. It made her giddy. She was looking forward to the ball, and despite the fact that they were from different countries, she was hoping to keep him in her life in some form or the other. She wasn't silly enough to think they would get married and have 10 kids and a white picket fence, but she did acknowledge that at this point she'd be open to a relationship with him. Even if that didn't work out, he'd be a valuable friend. He was already a better friend in some ways than her current male companions. She cared for them of course, and she knew they cared about her, but she definitely didn't feel it sometimes.

"Hermione.." someone snapped their fingers in front of her and she jumped.

"I've called your name 5 times already, but you were in lala land," Ginny said, laughing at her surprise.

"Oh sorry Gin, I was just thinking," she said.

"Yeah, I know you were," Ginny smirked, "I bet I know about what too."

"Oh hush," she blushed.

"Anyyyway, I came to tell you we're going dress shopping!" Ginny said excitedly.

"We are?"

"Yes! We'll just pop on over to Gladrags in Hogsmeade. Of course mine will probably be second-hand but no worries! It is going to be your night!" Ginny insisted.

And for once, she had to agree. It was going to be her night. Whether anyone else knew it yet or not.