The Ravenclaw common room was crowded, as ever, and full of noise as people sat about doing their homework, book flying on and off the bookcases that surrounded the walls of the room.

Terry Boot sat with the other 4th years, head bent over his work while watching the 7th years joking about Davies asking Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball.

He had been surprised when Davies had turned up in the corridor two days ago. He'd always heard Davies complain that the girl was too bright for her age and gave the Ravenclaws a bad name, as she wasn't one of them. Davies was just an ass. He had nothing against the 7th year personally, but there was just something about the guy's personality that Terry didn't really like.

"Can you believe he asked her to the Yule Ball? I heard she hexed him."

"No, that was Longbottom."

Terry put his head closer to his work, trying to block out the murmurs around him. He knew that tomorrow it would be him they were whispering about, how he had asked Hermione Granger to the ball and how she had shot him down with a simple stare. He didn't really have much of a reputation, but he didn't like being in the spot light.

He gave up trying to work, just going up to the dorm room to sit and think about how badly she'd kill him tomorrow.

As ever, Hermione was the first to Charms, taking her normal seat in the middle of the class, pulling out her books and lying her homework on Professor Flitwick's desk ready for him when he came in.

"Hey Hermione." She looked around to see him stood there. She knew Terry by sight; they were okay friends, said hi to each other in the corridor or when they saw each other in the library, occasionally helping each other with homework. He was sort of her friend outside of the gang of Gryffindors she hung out with.

"Hey Terry." He nodded to her, still standing there, as though rooted to the spot while she went back to sorting out her books.

"I heard about Davies." She didn't looked around at him, just smiled slightly.

"Yes, I think every one has heard about that." She sounded amused as she finally turned to him, her smile becoming a grin. "I didn't hex him or anything like, I just firmly told him that I wasn't interested." He grinned back, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Well, it's become a legend in the eyrie." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You call your common room an eyrie?" He nodded.

"Yeah, it's been called that for as long as I can remember. An eyrie is," She cut across him, smiling just as brightly.

"An eagle's nest. We call your common room the common room. I don't think lions live in turrets to be honest."

Terry couldn't help but smile. Why was he so nervous about asking her? She was a nice person, a really nice person.

"Um, I know we don't really know each other very well, but I was wondering if you would like to go to the ball with me? Only if you feel like it, I'll understand if you don't want to go." He watched her as she shook her head, looking down at her books, her smile falling from her lips.

"I'm sorry Terry, but I'm not interested in going at all, not really." He shrugged.

"Hey, that's alright. You don't have to be sorry, but, if you do go, could I at least have a dance?" She nodded, smiling at him as the bell rang for the start of class. He nodded, grinning as he went over to his seat. His hat might have been knocked out of the ring, but at least he had the promise of one dance. Take that, Davies! He thought as the class started and all thoughts of the Yule Ball were put from his head.

Harry crossed the next name of his list. 13 more people to go, and only 4 days. Who the hell would ask her next?