Seamus summoned all of his nerve and determination. Hermione walked towards him with a huge smile on her face and, for once, she was alone. No girls, no Potter, no Weasley… just her.
"I'm gonna ask her, I'm gonna ask her," he chanted like a mantra as he rehearsed his invitation.
Her smile made her angelic. "Hi Seamus!"
"Hey, Hermione..." he started but she continued talking, seemingly too excited to stop.
"Viktor Krum just asked me to the Yule Ball… and I said yes!" Her face was filled with a happiness that lifted her beyond normal beauty. "I'm not completely sure why I said yes… but the Tri-Wizard Tournament is about unity so, logically, it should set a good example, don't you think. Besides, no-one else has asked me yet, so I thought, 'Why not?'"
"Yeah, why not!" Seamus said, with a cheerfulness that he didn't feel. A forced smile graced his face as his heart gave up and sank to his feet. "So, yeah… Krum… that's… uh… great."
She didn't seem to notice the pain in his eyes, perhaps she was already thinking about her hair, or dress. Girls did that sort of thing… so he had heard. He mimed zipping his mouth closed when she asked him to keep it secret for now, watching her almost skip down the corridor.
Leaning his head against the cold stone of the corridor, he felt the bitter sting of frustration, burning his skin. "That's great," he muttered, under his breath.