Disclaimer: Do I really have to tell you that I don't own Harry Potter or
any of his friends? Well, I don't.
A/N: I hope you enjoy it. Have fun.
Chapter 1
The Yule Ball
It was that time of year again. Snow had started falling on the grounds, Christmas carols could be heard wherever you went, and everyone was blissfully happy.
That is, everyone except Harry Potter.
When one thinks of Christmas, one thinks of family and spending time with those you love. In every respect Harry could think of his friends at Hogwarts as family, but it wasn't the same. Mrs. Weasley was like the mother he never had, but there was still a void somewhere that had to be filled.
And there was one more issue that stood out in Harry's mind quite clearly.
The Yule Ball.
Most looked forward to the Ball all year. It was a fun social event and was a time to relax and forget about studies. Most importantly, everyone looked forward to the Ball so they could spend time with that special someone. Harry thought that maybe that was what he needed to fill that void in his life. A special someone.
Of course, Harry had a crush, but he couldn't just waltz up to her and ask her to be his date. He recalled a conversation he had had with Ron only last week.
"Ron, should I ask Cho to the Yule Ball?"
Ron shrugged. "Sure Harry. Why not?"
"Well, that whole thing with, well, you know."
"Cedric?"
Harry had nodded sadly. "I think it would be insensitive to ask her after, he, you know. Passed on. I think she really liked him." Nothing hurt Harry more than to say that. He sighed. "I don't think I'll ask her."
"Whatever you think is right."
So that was that. Harry thought he knew whom Ron wanted to ask to the ball, but decided not to bring it up. The last thing Harry wanted was to start an argument with Ron, who was extremely touchy about such things.
It was two weeks before the Yule Ball when Dumbledore made his announcement.
Everyone was eating and chatting noisily when he stood and cleared his throat. It took a few moments before he had every one's full attention.
"In two weeks, on Christmas Day, is the Yule Ball for those in the fourth year and above." Dunbledore paused, looked around for affirmation, and began again. "At this time, I would like to inform you all that students from the wizarding schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving and staying with us for two weeks. They will arrive the night before the Ball and, of course, be attending it. Although there will not be a Triwizard tournament this year, it is still important to keep our connections with foreign schools friendly. Make them feel welcome." Dumbledore beamed at everyone and assumed his seat at the head table.
Harry turned to Hermione and casually said, "So, Hermione, are you still seeing Viktor Krum?" Harry enjoyed the effect these words had on Ron, who was turning progressively purple.
"I thought that he was too old for me, so I told him we would be friends," she replied thoughtfully. "He is quite sweet, though."
Ron gasped. "So that's it? You're through?"
"Yep."
Ron tried not to look too pleased, but smiled throughout the rest of the meal.
When Harry returned to his dormitory that night, he collapsed on his bed and thought about things for a long time. It seemed as though everyone had someone except for him. Lavender had Seamus, and Percy had Penny, and it looked like Ron was finally going to get Hermione. What about Harry?
~*~
The time flew by, and soon it was five days to the ball. Harry was getting very worried; it had only just occurred to him that he really, really, really did not want to go alone to the ball. He measured his chances. He already had decided against asking Cho. There weren't any other girls that he really wanted to go with and had a chance with. For a while Harry considered asking Ginny, but really didn't think of her as any more than a good friend. He seriously doubted that Parvati would ever go with him as a date anywhere ever again. And, of course, he was not going to ask Hermione. Ron would take his head off for that.
However, Ron hadn't actually gotten to asking her yet. On the way to dinner on that night he pulled Harry over to a corner to "talk to him privately."
"Er, Harry, I have something to tell you," Ron said quietly.
"Oh really? What?"
Ron's eyes darted around to see if anyone was listening, and continued. "I.erm.I really like.Hermione."
"Really?" Harry said sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."
Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Oh, gee, I dunno," he said. "Maybe because you were so obvious."
"What do you mean?"
Harry sighed exasperatedly. "You seethed every time a boy came within a five-foot radius of Hermione. And when you saw her with Krum, you looked murderous."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway. I thought that I would.ask her to the ball."
"Oh. Okay."
"Yeah."
"Well."
"Let's get to dinner now, I'm ravenous."
Things were extremely tense between the three that night. Harry and Ron kept glancing at each other. Every time Hermione tried to spark a conversation it would die down immediately. Harry kept shooting Ron looks, which were saying, "Ask her now! It's the perfect time!" So, as a diversion, Ron stuffed his mouth with even more food than usual.
Hermione, looking very nervous, turned to Ron. "Ron?"
"Mmph?" Ron's mouth was full and he was going for more food.
"Ron, could you stop eating for a second?"
Ron crammed another piece of chicken in his mouth.
"Ron? This is kind of important."
He continued chewing.
"Geez Ron, I am trying to ask you to the ball, and-"
Ron started choking on his food. Harry patted him on the back. Ron swallowed down his food and, coughing, looked up at Hermione. "What *cough* did you say?"
Hermione looked down at her feet. "I said that I was trying to ask you to the ball and all you did was-"
"YES!" Ron interrupted. "I would love to!"
And they smiled at each other happily, pushed away their plates, and walked away, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.
So, they finally got together, he thought. This left him in worse spirits than before. While he was happy that they were together at last, whom did that leave him with? He got up and shuffled after them, feeling very sorry for himself indeed.
A/N: It's done. Woohoo! Well. review y'all. Unless you are an author, you have no idea how great it is to get reviews. I encourage flames, too. How will I know whether or not it is good unless I get some constructive criticism. Not too constructive, but. anyway. Hope you liked my first chapter of my first fic! On to chapter 2.
A/N: I hope you enjoy it. Have fun.
Chapter 1
The Yule Ball
It was that time of year again. Snow had started falling on the grounds, Christmas carols could be heard wherever you went, and everyone was blissfully happy.
That is, everyone except Harry Potter.
When one thinks of Christmas, one thinks of family and spending time with those you love. In every respect Harry could think of his friends at Hogwarts as family, but it wasn't the same. Mrs. Weasley was like the mother he never had, but there was still a void somewhere that had to be filled.
And there was one more issue that stood out in Harry's mind quite clearly.
The Yule Ball.
Most looked forward to the Ball all year. It was a fun social event and was a time to relax and forget about studies. Most importantly, everyone looked forward to the Ball so they could spend time with that special someone. Harry thought that maybe that was what he needed to fill that void in his life. A special someone.
Of course, Harry had a crush, but he couldn't just waltz up to her and ask her to be his date. He recalled a conversation he had had with Ron only last week.
"Ron, should I ask Cho to the Yule Ball?"
Ron shrugged. "Sure Harry. Why not?"
"Well, that whole thing with, well, you know."
"Cedric?"
Harry had nodded sadly. "I think it would be insensitive to ask her after, he, you know. Passed on. I think she really liked him." Nothing hurt Harry more than to say that. He sighed. "I don't think I'll ask her."
"Whatever you think is right."
So that was that. Harry thought he knew whom Ron wanted to ask to the ball, but decided not to bring it up. The last thing Harry wanted was to start an argument with Ron, who was extremely touchy about such things.
It was two weeks before the Yule Ball when Dumbledore made his announcement.
Everyone was eating and chatting noisily when he stood and cleared his throat. It took a few moments before he had every one's full attention.
"In two weeks, on Christmas Day, is the Yule Ball for those in the fourth year and above." Dunbledore paused, looked around for affirmation, and began again. "At this time, I would like to inform you all that students from the wizarding schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving and staying with us for two weeks. They will arrive the night before the Ball and, of course, be attending it. Although there will not be a Triwizard tournament this year, it is still important to keep our connections with foreign schools friendly. Make them feel welcome." Dumbledore beamed at everyone and assumed his seat at the head table.
Harry turned to Hermione and casually said, "So, Hermione, are you still seeing Viktor Krum?" Harry enjoyed the effect these words had on Ron, who was turning progressively purple.
"I thought that he was too old for me, so I told him we would be friends," she replied thoughtfully. "He is quite sweet, though."
Ron gasped. "So that's it? You're through?"
"Yep."
Ron tried not to look too pleased, but smiled throughout the rest of the meal.
When Harry returned to his dormitory that night, he collapsed on his bed and thought about things for a long time. It seemed as though everyone had someone except for him. Lavender had Seamus, and Percy had Penny, and it looked like Ron was finally going to get Hermione. What about Harry?
~*~
The time flew by, and soon it was five days to the ball. Harry was getting very worried; it had only just occurred to him that he really, really, really did not want to go alone to the ball. He measured his chances. He already had decided against asking Cho. There weren't any other girls that he really wanted to go with and had a chance with. For a while Harry considered asking Ginny, but really didn't think of her as any more than a good friend. He seriously doubted that Parvati would ever go with him as a date anywhere ever again. And, of course, he was not going to ask Hermione. Ron would take his head off for that.
However, Ron hadn't actually gotten to asking her yet. On the way to dinner on that night he pulled Harry over to a corner to "talk to him privately."
"Er, Harry, I have something to tell you," Ron said quietly.
"Oh really? What?"
Ron's eyes darted around to see if anyone was listening, and continued. "I.erm.I really like.Hermione."
"Really?" Harry said sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."
Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Oh, gee, I dunno," he said. "Maybe because you were so obvious."
"What do you mean?"
Harry sighed exasperatedly. "You seethed every time a boy came within a five-foot radius of Hermione. And when you saw her with Krum, you looked murderous."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway. I thought that I would.ask her to the ball."
"Oh. Okay."
"Yeah."
"Well."
"Let's get to dinner now, I'm ravenous."
Things were extremely tense between the three that night. Harry and Ron kept glancing at each other. Every time Hermione tried to spark a conversation it would die down immediately. Harry kept shooting Ron looks, which were saying, "Ask her now! It's the perfect time!" So, as a diversion, Ron stuffed his mouth with even more food than usual.
Hermione, looking very nervous, turned to Ron. "Ron?"
"Mmph?" Ron's mouth was full and he was going for more food.
"Ron, could you stop eating for a second?"
Ron crammed another piece of chicken in his mouth.
"Ron? This is kind of important."
He continued chewing.
"Geez Ron, I am trying to ask you to the ball, and-"
Ron started choking on his food. Harry patted him on the back. Ron swallowed down his food and, coughing, looked up at Hermione. "What *cough* did you say?"
Hermione looked down at her feet. "I said that I was trying to ask you to the ball and all you did was-"
"YES!" Ron interrupted. "I would love to!"
And they smiled at each other happily, pushed away their plates, and walked away, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.
So, they finally got together, he thought. This left him in worse spirits than before. While he was happy that they were together at last, whom did that leave him with? He got up and shuffled after them, feeling very sorry for himself indeed.
A/N: It's done. Woohoo! Well. review y'all. Unless you are an author, you have no idea how great it is to get reviews. I encourage flames, too. How will I know whether or not it is good unless I get some constructive criticism. Not too constructive, but. anyway. Hope you liked my first chapter of my first fic! On to chapter 2.