The Secret

Chapter 1- Christmas Morning

Hermione

The sun shone dimly through the partly opened curtains; reluctantly Hermione rolled over and sat up. It's Saturday she reminded herself, she could sleep in. Gratefully Hermione sunk back down into the pillow. In the distance, she heard Parvati and Lavender squealing,

What are those girls on about now, Hermione wondered.

Suddenly she sat bolt upright in her bed Hermione had completely forgotten it was Saturday the 25, Christmas and also the day of the Yule Ball. Just thinking of when she would enter the overly decorated hall arm in arm in Viktor Krum gave her butterflies in her stomach, she beamed, today was going to be magical. Excitedly she gazed at the floor of her bed where several presents were stacked, she smiled, jumped down from her bed at began opening them.

Harry

'D'you- d'you want to go to the ball with me?'

'Oh!''Oh, Harry, I'm really sorry,' 'I've already said I'll go with someone else.'

'Oh,' 'Oh okay, no problem.'

'I'm really sorry.'

'That's okay.'

'Well-'

'Yeah.'

'Well bye.'

'Who're you going with?'

'Oh- Cedric, Cedric Diggory.'

Harry clenched his teeth at the memories, his stomach churned.

It was bad enough being rejected by Cho but even worse having to see her tonight with Cedric,

Harry felt like gagging at the thought.

Cho's voice lingered in his ears, Cedric, Cedric Diggory.

Of course, he had beaten me to asking Cho out just like he had beaten me at quidditch, pretty boy Diggory…

Beside him, he heard rustling.

Ron must be awake.

Harry sat up and gazed over at Ron, who was staring nervously out the window.

Harry drove all angry thoughts of Cho and Cedric out of his mind and forced a weak smile.

'You alright?' Harry asked, growing more nervous every second as Ron's skin turned paler.

'Yeah,' mumbled Ron.

'Good, well- Merry Christmas.' Harry said awkwardly, hoping to change the subject to a lighter topic.

'Yeah,' Ron repeated.

'Well why don't we open our presents now,' suggested Harry, gesturing to the pile of presents at the foot of Ron's bed.

'Okay-Yeah,' Ron agreed brightening up a bit.

Draco

ugh, Tonight's the Yule Ball.

Draco rolled his eyes as he paced around the Slytherin common was dawn, no one else was awake yet, Draco slumped into an armchair.

Squealing girls, anxious boys, and sickly romance thick through the air. I can already taste it.

Every girl and every boy thinks some fairy tale magic is going to happen tonight, not the kind of magic that Mcgonagall loads us with for homework. No, I mean the kind where you find your soul mate and fall madly in love. There all kidding themselves all this Yule Ball is, is some music, sparkly lights and hundreds of teenagers who's hopes are going to be crushed. Some call it love I call it masochistic.

Abruptly Draco stood up and stalked back off to his common room shaking his head in disgust.

Hermione

After a hasty meal in the great hall, Hermione, Ron and Harry walked through the grounds towards the lake.

The trio simultaneously gazed in awe at how beautiful the scene looked: Snow was falling lightly from the cobalt blue sky, covering everything in a thin layer of white. The air smelled crisp and fresh like a pine tree. Faintly you could her birds chirping and squawking at one another. The snow capped mountains in the distance looked like something out of a portrait. The gentle breeze played across their faces.

Hermione looked at each of her best friends faces and smiled.

Ron

Even with the fact of being humiliated at the Yule Ball that night, Ron couldn't help but enjoy himself as he stared out at the vast lake, the Durmstrang ship loomed in the distance the flag blowing back and forth in the wind.

WHAM something, wet and cold collided with the hem of his cloak. He whipped around to find Fred doubled over in silent laughter; he turned his head just in time to see George wallop another snowball at the back of Harry's head. Harry turned around in surprise wiping the snow out of his jet-black hair, when he saw who threw the snowball however his surprised expression turned into a mischievous grin. In one fluid movement, Harry had reached down into the snow and shaped a ball. With all his might, Harry flung the snow at George.

Soon a few harmless snowballs became a full-fledged snowball war, Hermione retreated to the sidelines and watched the boys with an amused smirk on her face.

Drenched the boys took a break and sat down beside Hermione, but at that moment she stood up.

'Well I better start getting ready for the Ball,' Hermione announced. They all let out a groin of disbelief.

'But the ball is hours away,' Harry sighed. Hermione just smiled.

Poor girl, Ron thought. Making up excuses just because she doesn't have a date to the dance.

'Who are you going with?" Ron asked for about the millionth time.

Again, Hermione just smiled and ran back up to the castle.

Ron and Harry exchanged exasperated looks.