The library had always been something of a refuge for Hermione. Whenever she was confused or lost she could simply delve into its depths and become absorbed in its treasures. However, with the approach of Christmas, and subsequently the Yule Ball, even Hermione, tucked away in a far corner, could scarcely concentrate for the dull roar that seemed to fill the room.
Or more specifically, the flock of giggling girls that seemed to congregate whenever Viktor Krum deigned to grace these hallowed depths.
Two weeks until the Winter Break started, and the Professors weren't showing any sign of letting up the tremendous workload. If anything, many of them saw fit to increase it. And with the extra bodies now gracing the common room, Hermione could barely get any work done there, not surrounded by drooling boys.
It also meant that Gabrielle had to actually search for her.
Now, Hermione had nothing but the highest regard for the youngest Delacour, coupled with the fact that she was utterly adorable, but with the mountains of homework and last-minute tests being heaped on the fourth years, she really couldn't entertain her every minute of every day. She was already being escorted to most of her classes by Gabrielle, with the little charmer even sweet-talking her way into a few under the pretence of simply observing, but really to sit with Hermione.
Only Professor Flitwick allowed her to come back after the first lesson, totally enamoured with the enthusiastic pre-teen, others, particularly Snape and McGonagall, made it quite clear that her presence was not welcome, as it not only distracted Hermione but the rest of the class too. Though, just quietly, Gabrielle was quite pleased to never have to go to the Potions classroom again.
It would seem that Gabrielle had grown quite attached to Hermione, practically sitting on top of her at meals, having long since abandoned sitting at the Ravenclaw table in favour of eating with the Gryffindor's who welcomed the vibrant blonde into their masses. Even upon retiring to her dormitory, Gabrielle wouldn't be too far behind, even if she wasn't at all tired.
And it all came down to the fact that she was bored.
Being only nine years old, she couldn't really attend classes as a first year, and she couldn't very well sit in on the seventh-year classes that Fleur attended as the subject matter was not always appropriate for tender eyes and ears, particularly Defence against the Dark Arts with Professor Moody. What was she to do for the majority of the day? There was only so much that she could do to occupy herself with in the partially flooded Beauxbatons carriage, and the Hogwarts library only held so much appeal when Hermione wasn't there with her – there weren't that many books written in French, and while the young girl's English had improved it was nowhere near good enough to tackle the few novels available.
So, trailing after Hermione, or making a nuisance of herself, were really the only things she could do. She was starting to feel very neglected by her own sister, who was far too busy working on preparing for the Second Task or completing school work or refusing dates to the Yule Ball that was coming up. If she had known everything would be this boring she wouldn't have agreed to come to support her in the first place.
Hermione, who would never admit it, was actually hiding from the youngest Delacour. This meant that she would a), actually be able to complete some of the assignments that had been piling up (trying to write on her dorm bed with Gabrielle inconveniently perched on her lap was far too distracting to get anything of value done), and b), it gave the curious little blonde something to do – Hermione Hunting, as Harry so charmingly phrased it.
Hermione was actually very pleased with her current spot. She had been successfully hiding there for the past three hours, and much to her relief had managed to make a substantial dent in the number of essays due in the next few days. Throwing down her quill with a sigh, she began to work the cramp that had developed in her left hand after furiously writing seven three-and-a-half foot essays in three hours. With the weekend starting tomorrow she knew she wouldn't have a chance to escape Gabrielle from the time she woke up to the time she went to sleep.
And the only reason she had managed to today was because she had Potions that afternoon, and after her first terrifying encounter with the greasy-haired Potions Master Gabrielle had deigned to avoid walking Hermione to and from the dungeons, granting Hermione her chance to escape into the library.
Checking her watch, she found that there was still half an hour until dinner began, more than enough time to at least make a start on her Arithmancy homework. Pulling the textbook towards her, she was soon immersed in the complex magical equations.
A soft cough jerked her back into the present, making her jump so badly she ended up tearing a hole in her page. Looking up, expecting to see Gabrielle standing there looking very pleased with herself, she was surprised to find that it was actually Viktor Krum, the Durmstrang Champion, instead, looking rather awkward.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked sweetly, putting on what she hoped was a friendly smile.
To her ever-growing surprise the boy actually coloured lightly under her question, looking down at his shoes suddenly bashful, before clearing his throat loudly.
"I vas vondering if…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath, his cheeks darkening all the while, hands twisting nervously behind his back, "if you vould like to come to the Vall vith me?" He looked back up at Hermione then, blushing all the while, yet managed to hold her gaze.
Hermione sat there dumbstruck for a moment, before the reality of the moment caught up with her, her own cheeks flooding with heat to match Krum's.
She hadn't actually expected anyone to ask her to the Ball, thinking that maybe Harry would as a last resort, but that a world famous Quidditch player, not to mention school Champion two years her senior, would be interested in a bookish, bushy-haired, know-it-all, was surprising.
And very, very flattering.
Misinterpreting her silence, Krum suddenly dropped his gaze, his shoulder's drooping under the prospect of rejection. Hermione realised it must have taken him some time to gather up the nerve to approach her.
"Vut that is only if you vould vant to…" He looked about ready to leave as Hermione continued to stare at him in shock, and it wasn't until he actually took a step back that Hermione snapped out of her stupor.
"Umm…" She trailed off, looking down at her ruined homework, gently fingering the edge of her page, totally out of her depth.
As she spoke Krum perked up, his eyes following hers, noticing the rip in the page that his arrival had caused. He reached for his wand in order to repair the damage, but felt that if he fixed it now he would be practically bribing her to go with him. Instead, he waited with baited breath as Hermione struggled to form a response.
Taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts, Hermione tried to consider the proposal logically. Krum, Viktor, she mentally corrected herself, seemed like a rather sweet boy, and it was obvious that even with his substantial fame it had taken him a lot of courage to ask her to go with him. He wasn't all that bad looking either and he looked so hopeful, she felt it would be cruel to refuse simply because she didn't want the attention she was bound to garner by accepting, and it wasn't like anyone else was going to ask her anyway.
"Yeah, okay, I'd like that."
Krum released a breath he didn't realise he had been holding, a boyish grin making him look much younger than his seventeen years stealing over his face. "Good," he said simply, continuing to smile, taking her hand in his, and ignoring the ink-stains on her fingers, pressing a chaste kiss to the back.
Seemingly at a loss for words, he nodded at her as he released her hand, before backing out of the little enclosure, unwilling to take his eyes off of her, that same smile distorting his normally sullen expression. He flushed deep red when he backed into one of the bookshelves hiding Hermione's little nook from the rest of the world. Scrambling to pick up the books he had knocked over, still red and smiling as he finally disappeared from view.
Hermione laughed softly to herself as she packed up her things. He really was very sweet.
Just as she was about to exit her little hidey-hole, exceptionally pleased that Gabrielle hadn't managed to find her, meaning she should be able to use this spot again in the future, a small bundle of blonde and blue walked right into her.
"'Ermione!" It took everything in her not to sigh in disappointment that her latest spot had been found. Clearly, she had spoken too soon. She supposed it wasn't so bad, and she couldn't really fault the young girl for suffering from neglect from her sister.
"Having a rough day, are we? It only took you," turning to her watch, intent on drawing the little game out, she missed the serious expression on the younger girl's face, "nearly four hours to find me, one would think you were running out of places to look." She smiled cheekily at Gabrielle, only for her smile to falter as she saw the determined expression on Gabrielle's face.
"'Ermione," she began, taking her hand in her own, coincidentally the same one that Viktor had kissed, "would you like to go to ze Ball weez moi?" She looked so serious that Hermione couldn't help the strangled laugh that escaped her.
Gabrielle turned red much like Krum had earlier, but she continued to stare fiercely up at the older girl, holding her hand in both of her much smaller ones. Hermione felt bad for laughing, but really, this girl was too much some times.
"Eet eez not funny, I am being serious 'ere." She huffed, clearly put out by Hermione's amused reaction.
Taking a few moments to calm herself Hermione pulled her into a hug, "I know, and I wasn't laughing at you, I've just never seen you so, well, serious before," Gabrielle grumbled unintelligibly against Hermione's midriff, face still flushed. "Know that it is with the greatest regret that I must refuse."
Pulling the girl back to look at her properly, Hermione still had a trace of her earlier smile on her face. "If you had asked not even ten minutes earlier, I probably would have said yes, but as it stands, someone already asked me."
Gabrielle looked totally crestfallen, shoulders slumping, and head bowed as a large sigh escaped her. Hermione pulled her in for another hug as she looked on the verge of tears, "Now I won't be able to go." She mumbled, clearly distressed that her one night of fun had been stolen from her.
"Why don't you ask one of the other fourth years, then? I'm sure they'll be ecstatic to be taking such a beautiful girl to the ball." Gabrielle shot her a disbelieving look, well aware that no boy, or girl, would want to be seen as so desperate that they would take a nine-year-old to the Ball with them, regardless of how beautiful she was.
Hermione winced at her own tactlessness, floundering around for another idea, "What about your sister's friends? Surely one of them would be willing to take you?"
Gabrielle went rather still at that, unable to look Hermione in the eye, "Ze o'zer Beauxbatons students already 'ave dates for ze most part…"
Hermione wasn't the brightest witch of her age for no reason. The unspoken message that Fleur didn't really have friends at her own school came as something of a surprise to Hermione. She had thought that the Blonde Bombshell fit the criteria perfectly for being a member of the 'popular crowd'.
"Well then, what about Fleur?" Hermione was grasping at straws, and as far as she knew Fleur hadn't agreed to go with any of the boys who swamped her at every opportunity.
Gabrielle looked absolutely horrified at the suggestion.
"Ma sœur? You want moi to go to a Ball weez ma sœur? C'est impossible!" Gabrielle actually took a step away from Hermione, all the while looking rather nauseated by the thought of being caught dead attending a social event being escorted by her sister.
"Right. Of course," Hermione sighed, grabbing the younger girl's hand before pulling her swiftly towards the entrance, making sure to take several unnecessary turns in the hopes that in a few days' time Gabrielle would have forgotten how to find the little study nook.
