Offers

By

Teen-Typist

Disclaimer: Just borrowing J.K. Rowling's characters and castle for a moment.

Author's Note: Part II is finished. It'll be posted later tonight. I just thought it was a little long to post it all as one chapter.

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if maybe there was something wrong with her. It was almost Christmas and she didn't have a date yet. It wasn't really that big of a deal. It was just a silly school dance. It didn't matter.

But…

It was stupid, and it really didn't matter. What hurt was that her best friends, rather, her only friends, were boys and they didn't even think of asking her. As far as she knew they were both still dateless and they hadn't even considered asking her to go with them.

She studied her reflection, trying to think logically. She knew she wasn't pretty; Ron and Harry weren't friends with her for her looks. They hadn't even noticed when her teeth finally shrunk to a decent size. Her hair was mouse brown and frizzy. She didn't have stunning eyes; they were just simple brown eyes. She wasn't beautiful, and she didn't really want to be. But that had never stopped Harry and Ron from thinking of her as friends. The three of them were good friends and she was fine with that. She didn't really want to be anything more with them.

But why didn't anyone else think of her differently? Why was still just Hermione Granger, best friend to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, and one-of-the-guys to the other 900 people at Hogwarts?

She never did really seek out the friendship of the other girls in her year. That Divination class last year had only further widened the gap between her and her dorm-mates.

But why should that stop other boys from thinking of her as a girl?

Gathering up her books for the day and sending a scathing glance at her still sleeping roommates, she left the dormitory. She liked to start her day fresh and early before the glitter queens got up and hogged the bathroom.

As she came into the common room, it was still deserted except for a couple of students who had had to get up early to finish their homework from the night before. She felt like shaking her head; procrastinators would never learn. She was sure Ron and Harry would ask for help on their potions essay as soon as they got their lazy bums out of their dormitory and into the great hall for breakfast. That's what she was to them, their safety net. She told them when their rule breaking was out of line (whether they listened or not), helped with homework (whether they deserved it or not), and saved their necks when she could. That's what she was. Hermione Granger: the dependable one.

She was walking down the hall, nearly at the great hall when an arm reached out from behind a statue and grabbed her. She almost screamed, but a finger came over her lips and a voice said, "Sssh! Shut it, Granger, I'm not going to kill you."

Hermione struggled to get free and managed to get the boy's hand off her face. She kicked him in the shin and he let go of her arm before she could aim her kick any higher. "What do you want? Come into the light so I can see who you are."

He stuck out his hand for her to shake as he stepped forward. She didn't touch it. "Theodore Nott, Slytherin. I know who you are so let's just cut to the chase. I'm sure you don't have a date for the Yule Ball, do you?"

Hermione thought it was a little presumptuous of him to assume that she wouldn't have a date. But, it did sound as though he was asking her, if not entirely civilly. Maybe she'd say yes. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin paired up at a dance could help promote inter-house unity after all. "As it happens, I don't have a date."

"I'll tell you what. It just so happens that I'm free. I'll make you a deal. If anybody makes fun of us you can say you're helping Dumbledore with school togetherness and I'll say he gave me the choice between going with you and detention. Believable enough; I'll make up the rest of the alibi later. What do you say? If I take you to the ball, then you let me copy all of your Transfiguration homework next month." Nott looked pretty pleased with himself, standing with his arms crossed and an almost smile on his face.

Hermione glared at him and didn't know what to say. He was bribing her. He'd take her to the dance if she did all his homework! That was ridiculous. And he wanted to make it look like it was all Dumbledore's idea. The nerve! "I can get my own date, thank you," she said icily.

"Let me know if you change your mind. I won't be available for long. Sally was eying me up in the common room last night."

She was about to turn to go, but instead kneed him in the groin.

She walked away as he doubled up in pain, lying on the cold stone floor.

She felt like crying as she entered the hall. She couldn't find words to describe the way she was feeling. It was just too horrible. It was quite some time before Nott entered the hall, with a fairly noticeable limp. She felt a little satisfaction at knowing that she had caused him that pain; he deserved it. On the other hand, she almost wished she'd accepted his offer. He wasn't particularly attractive, but he was no "troll" either. At least it would have shown everyone that she could get a date…unless he really did leak out that story about Dumbledore making him go with her, or if anyone found out about her doing his homework. No, she would not stoop that low! She could get her own date. After all, would it be so horrible if she asked a boy out? She was a little old fashioned though; she wanted a boy to ask her. But maybe she could ask someone.

She looked around the hall, filling with students. She saw Justin Finch-Fetchly…holding hands with Hannah Abbot. She saw Terry Boot…entering the hall with Mandy Brocklehurst. There was Anthony Goldstein getting up and leaving the table; he was reasonably good looking…but of course that would explain why he had Lisa Turpin on his arm. Just about everyone was already paired up like animals on the ark.

Harry and Ron came into the hall and sat by her at that moment and started talking. She saw Harry looking distractedly at the Ravenclaw table. Muttering, she excused herself.

In the Library

Hermione was in the library later on, trying to find another book for her charms essay and ignore the crowd of fan-girls surrounding Viktor Krum a few aisles down. She shot a glance at him. He wasn't particularly pleasant looking; his overall body language suggested a surliness that screamed, "Just go away already!" She was about ready to scream at him to go away. This was the third time he and his little fan club had been in here this week at the same time as her. The distraction was almost as bad as Ron tapping her on her shoulder asking for the answers to their Transfiguration homework the night before. Though at least Ron didn't have such an unpleasant scowl on his face all the time. He usually smiled and made cheerful jokes. Even his complaints about class seemed to have humor and fun behind them.

She finally spotted the book she wanted and was reaching up on her toes to get it when another hand grabbed it. She spun around angrily. "Just what do you think you're…" She stared at the student who had taken the book she'd been looking for.

It was Viktor Krum.

"I need that," she said simply, trying not to be too rude. "I've been looking for it for half an hour almost."

"I know," he said simply, holding the book out of reach.

"What happened to your fan club?" she asked, glaring at him and seeing that he was alone and the library was quiet again.

He shrugged putting the book up one shelf higher, completely out of her reach. "Vell, I told them I needed a cloak from my room in the ship."

"They believed that?"

Krum nodded, shrugging again. "I vanted to talk to you in private."

"I'm listening." It wasn't as if she had a choice. He was holding the book she needed as a hostage.

"You've heard about the ball?"

"Yes. I have. Girls like the ones who followed you in here are talking about nothing but it," she said irately.

"You're not like them."

"No, I'm not."

"You're smart. You're different." He paused, looking at her.

She waited, not sure how he would continue. To her surprise, he looked around almost nervously.

"I vas vondering…"

"Yes?"

"Vould you go vith me? You're smart. And very nice. I've seen you vith your friends; the red haired boy and the other champion, Harry. Vill you go vith me to the ball? I don't vant to spend the dance vith one of those shallow girls, Her-mee-in-oh-en-ee. I keep trying to get avay from them to talk to you here but they keep following me."

Hermione considered. This was certainly a good offer. He thought she was smart and nice and he wasn't sitting around four years, waiting to realize she was a girl. Maybe this could be beneficial. He seemed nice enough and looked almost pleasant when he wasn't scowling like he was in his posters.

He stood there, waiting for her reply, glancing over his shoulder as he heard footsteps.

"Yes, I'll go with you." She smiled. "My name is Her-my-oh-nee."

"You have a nice smile, Herm-oh-nee."

The mob of fan girls was coming closer.

"I must go before they find me…again." He sped off down the aisle.

"But what about my book?" she called.

The librarian shot her a warning glare. "No raised voices inside the library. This is not a playground."

"Sorry," whispered Hermione. When they librarian was busy with something else, Hermione dragged a chair over to stand on so she could get her book. If Ron were there, he probably could have reached it. The boy was getting taller by the week. She wasn't.

She got another warning from the librarian, but managed to get her book down and put the chair back, leaving immediately afterward. She smiled to herself in the hallway. She had a date for the ball!

TBC