Chapter 11 – Slughorn's Christmas Party
Christmas was just around the corner and already Hogwarts had turned into a winter wonderland. The huge Christmas trees lined the Great Hall with twinkling starts and fluttering fairies. The suits of armour were covered in colourful tinsel and the students had taken to decorating their common rooms with twinkling fairy lights, tinsel and mistletoe.
Professor Slughorn had arranged a huge party for his Slug Club, a special club for a select number of students or famous students. In the past Harry's mother Lilly Evans had been a member of the Slug Club so it was no surprising that Harry Potter was also a member. Hermione and Ginny were both members; Hermione for being the brightest witch of her age and Ginny, because she was the only Weasley girl. Ron had missed out being a member and was not best pleased.
Each member was allowed to bring a date with them. Hermione originally wanted to bring Ron since he had missed out on being a member, as friends of course but he was too busy snogging the face off Lavender Brown. Harry had suggested Hermione ask Fred to go, after all Fred was her boyfriend.
"How can Fred come Harry? He can't apparate into the castle." Hermione said after Harry suggested it.
"How did he get in to visit you last week then?" Harry asked.
"He got in with Dumbledore's help. He apparated to Hogsmede then walked up to the castle where Professor McGonagall met him." Hermione explained.
"Then go and ask Dumbledore and McGonagall for their help. I'm sure they won't mind." Harry said.
Hermione wrote to Fred in her two-way book asking him if he'd like to come, he jumped at the chance.
"I'll be there Hermione, I'll write to Dumbledore again." Fred's reply was.
Fred cleared it all with Dumbledore again so he could go to the party. Harry had wanted to ask Ginny but she was going with Dean Thomas.
"Who am I going to ask Hermione? If you hadn't of been going with Fred, we could have gone together as friends of course." Harry said as he helped Hermione put her books back in the library.
Just as they turned a corner, they were met by a mop of long blonde hair, half of which was pinned back with a lilac bow.
"Luna." Harry and Hermione said together.
Hermione stood admiring her reflection in the mirror. It felt like the Yule Ball all over again. She was unsure about what she was wearing; a dark pink strappy dress which fell just below her knee and suited her figure perfectly. Ginny had tamed her bushy hair, fixing it into neat curls and applied minimal make up. Hermione tugged at the hem of her dress, causing her to reveal a bit more cleavage that she had planned to show, she quickly pulled it up again.
She moved away from the mirror and slipped on her silver heels then carefully made her way down to the busy common room. A brown haired 5th year student wolf whistled at her but she just rolled her eyes at him. Ginny was already there waiting on Dean, dressed in a beautiful black, knee length dress and black patient heels. She had pinned half of her ginger hair back with a silver bow clip. Hermione envied Ginny; she was beautiful and confident, two things Hermione felt that she wasn't.
"Has anyone seen Fred?" Hermione asked looking around at Ginny, Dean, Harry and Seamus.
"Nope he hasn't arrived yet." Ginny answered.
Fred was due to meet Hermione in the Gryffindor common room at 6:30pm, it was now 6:35pm and Hermione began to panic.
"Maybe he's running late." Harry spoke up.
"What if he hasn't got past all the security yet or hasn't been allowed into the castle?" Hermione shrieked rushing to the window.
It was no point as she couldn't see anything as it was pitch black outside.
"Look I'll go down and see if I can see him." Seamus offered since he wasn't attending the party.
Finally the portrait hole opened and Fred walked through dressed in a smart grey suit, white shirt and dark red tie which was covered in Christmas trees.
"There you are Fred. I thought something had happened to you." Hermione stated running into Fred's arms.
"I had a bit of bother getting past the aurors because McGonagall was late at coming down to meet me, they thought I was an imposter." Fred explained. "You look beautiful by the way Mione."
A small blush crept onto Hermione's face.
"You look very dashing Fred. Is that a new suit?" Hermione wondered.
"Yes it is indeed. I took a trip into muggle London with Mum to get it, I found the tie in a cool shop. It plays Jingle Bells." He replied pressing the bottom of it, causing Jingle Bells to play from it.
"Come on Fred we better get going or else we're going to be late." Hermione spoke.
Fred linked hands with Fred and they made their way down to Slughorn's office where the party was being held.
"I wonder if George and I would have been part of Slughorn's special gang if we'd been here this year?" Fred wondered.
"I'd say you probably would have been." Hermione answered.
"Of course we would have been. He would have loved us." Fred grinned. "How come Ron didn't make the cut?"
"He was never even considered. Slughorn never remembers his name. He doesn't like the fact that me, Harry and Ginny are all in it and he's not." Hermione answered.
"He's always been a jealous git, I wouldn't worry about him." Fred said.
They soon approached the appropriate corridor and already they could hear the sound of music and the laughter of students. Hermione led the way inside, holding Fred's hand tightly. The room was brightly decorated with white fairy lights and orange and red lamps hanging from the ceiling.
"Lets go and find Harry." Hermione spoke, dragging Fred through the crowd.
Harry was standing in a corner sipping on a glass of butterbeer while Luna stared dreamily into space, apparently looking for something.
"Hello Harry." Hermione announced, nearly making Harry spit out his drink.
"Oh hello there Hermione and Fred. Good to see you again Fred." Harry grinned at his two friends.
"You two mate. Has your date ran off?" Fred wondered.
"Oh no Luna is my date." Harry answered smiling.
"Luna is your date you say? Is there anything going on there?" Fred wondered wigging his eyebrows.
"They are just friends Fred." Hermione answered.
"Yes Luna is a very good friend of mine." Harry added.
"That's a very nice thing to say Harry. I've never been classed as someone's friend before, well until I joined Dumbledore's Army last year, that is." Luna spoke in a happy tone.
"I'll go and get us some drinks." Fred stated, dragging off to the table to get drinks.
"She's honestly not that bad Fred. I've actually grown to like Luna, she's been a great friend to Harry this past year, probably more so than me and Ron. She just seems to get Harry." Hermione spoke looking over in Harry and Luna's direction, surprised to see them deep in conversation.
"I'm not saying I don't like her, she's just a little crackers that's all. Though I have to admit she was pretty good at the meetings last year." Fred answered.
A tall blonde haired boy approached the table and Hermione shuddered.
"Let's get back to Harry." Hermione shrieked, pulling Fred away before Cormac could get near her.
"What was that for?" Fred wondered rubbing his arm.
"Oh it's Cormac McLaggen, he's been driving me insane recently. He actually asked me to the party but obviously I told him I was going with you and didn't believe me because apparently I wouldn't be allowed to bring you since you're not at school anymore." Hermione ranted off.
"Miss Granger it's so good to see you." Professor Slughorn gushed appearing beside the couple.
"It's a pleasure Professor." Hermione answered, calming herself down.
"And this must be a Weasley boy, yes it's the red hair, a complete give away." Slughorn spoke shaking Fred's hand.
"Yes Professor this is Fred Weasley, one of Ginny's older, twin brothers." Hermione explained.
"Hello Mr Weasley it is a pleasure to meet you." Slughorn chirped.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too Sir." Fred spoke in a polite tone.
"Fred owns Weasleys Wizard Wheezes with his twin George." Hermione said and Slughorn's eyes lit up.
"Merlin's beard! You do not! That is utterly amazing. The shop is brilliant." Slughorn replied. "And where is your twin brother at tonight? He should have came along."
"Oh he's visiting Mum for the evening." Fred answered.
"Oh yes I remember your Mother Molly and of course your Father Arthur." Slughorn gushed.
He then disappeared to talk to some other guests.
"He seems like a lovely man. I wouldn't have minded him teaching me." Fred stated sitting down at an empty table.
"Yes he is a lovely man, a very good teacher. He's definitely not as harsh as Snape." Hermione answered.
Just then there was a bit of a commotion and Filch appeared holding Draco by the neck of his shirt.
"Sir I found this student trying to gate crash the party, he says he was invited." Filch stated.
"Let go of me you filthy squib!" Draco snapped, trying to wriggle free.
"It's ok Slughorn, I will deal with Draco!" A cold voice spoke as Snape entered the room.
He grabbed Draco's arm and dragged him from the party as on lookers watched in shock.
"Ok everyone there's nothing to see, get back to enjoying yourself." Slughorn stated loudly.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Fred wondered.
Fred and Hermione were joined at their table by Harry and Luna. Hermione was glad to see Harry enjoying himself for a chance. That was until he spotted Ginny and Dean kissing. It didn't seem to bother Fred for some reason whereas Ron was ready to hex Dean.
"I take it by the look on Potter's face that he has a thing for my sister?" Fred wondered as Harry walked off to chat with Neville who was serving drinks.
"Yes I think he's liked her for a while. I think he knows she's out of bounds because she's Ron's sister. Ron reacted quite bad when he found out that she was seeing Dean, goodness knows what would happen if he found out Harry fancied her." Hermione said quietly.
"I'd prefer her to date Harry than Dean." Fred said.
"Dean is actually really nice although the two of them have been arguing quite a lot lately." Hermione spoke.
"What over? I hope he's not messing her about!" Fred snapped.
"No he hasn't been messing her around or cheated on her. I don't know what they've been arguing about and I don't like to ask." Hermione answered feeling guilty that she hadn't been there for Ginny.
"I suppose Ginny can handle Dean herself. I will hold up my hands and admit to being pretty scared of her myself." Fred admitted which made Hermione laugh.
"I might have to go and have a chat to Ginny before I head back."
"If only you could stay tonight Fred. Actually I'd love you to stay with me." Hermione signed resting her head on Fred's chest.
"I'd love to be able to do that Mione, honestly I would but I'm working tomorrow and Dumbledore or McGonagall wouldn't allow it." Fred replied sadly.
Fred was thankful for the provisions Dumbledore and McGonagall had made for him so he could come and visit Hermione as well as attend the party with her.
"How about we go back to the common room and I'll stay with you until you fall asleep." Fred suggested.
"You won't be able to come up to my dorm though, boys aren't allowed. The steps turn into a slide, surely you should know that by now." Hermione stated.
"Hermione you are speaking to thee Fred Weasley, rule breaker extraordinaire. How do you think Angelina and Alicia woke up one morning with green hair? Yep that was me and George." Fred grinned proudly.
"How?" Hermione wondered her eyes wide.
"Well if you come with me I'll show you." Fred answered standing up and holding out his hand.
The two of them left the party and walked back up to the Gryffindor common room which was still buzzing with students who hadn't been invited to the party. Ron was sat with Lavender perched on his knee while she giggled over something in Witch Weekly.
"He seems happy." Fred commented looking over at his younger brother.
"Yes he does seem quite happy with Lavender, she can be a bit full on though especially with the giggling." Hermione replied.
When they arrived at the bottom of the stone steps which led to Hermione's dormitory, Fred took out his wand and muttered a spell under a breath while tapping the bottom step while Hermione watched in shock.
"How on earth did you figure that out?" she asked.
"I told you, I'm a genius." Fred grinned with a wink.
He clearly wasn't going to spill his secret.
"Don't worry only George and I know the secret, we came across it by accident actually." Hermione stepped carefully onto the first step with Fred following her, hoping the steps wouldn't change into a stone slide and they'd fall but they didn't.
"Fred you are brilliant." Hermione gushed pushing open the door to her dorm.
The other girls were down in the common room, meaning Hermione and Fred could be alone. Fred couldn't help but smile at the photo sitting on Hermione's bedside table; it was of the two of them at the Yule Ball smiling and waving at the camera.
"I love that photo of the two of us. That was the night we got together." Fred said happily.
"Yes it's one of my favourites too. I do have another that I took on my muggle camera of us at Grimmauld Place which I really like." Hermione answered.
"Merlin's beard, we've been together nearly two years!" Fred gasped, just realising.
"Wow has it been two years already?" Hermione shrieked.
"Yes, two years already. Wow time does fly in when you're having fun." Fred said.
Hermione pulled her trunk out from under her bed and pulled out a red leather bound photo album that her parents had given her then handed it to Fred.
"Here have a look. There are quite a few photos of us in there actually." Hermione spoke.
Fred flicked through the photos while Hermione got herself ready for bed. Fred grinned widely as he looked through the photos, some of which were moving and some which were taken on a muggle camera which didn't move. Fred's personal favourite was of the two of them at Grimmauld Place last Christmas where Fred was kissing Hermione's cheek and she was blushing.
Once Hermione returned she got into bed, pulling the deep red covers up over her shoulders. Fred kicked off his shoes and slipped in beside her.
"This is nice." She commented, snuggling into Fred.
This was the first night the couple had spent together in the same bed.
"I love you Hermione." Fred said before kissing her on the lips.
"I love you too Fred." She answered.
