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It wasn't.
It was from my mum. Sighing loudly, I flicked the letter open.
Dear Hermione,
It has come to my attention that there is to be a formal dance at your school at Christmas, isn't that wonderful?! We will HAVE to go shopping for dresses – maybe next week on your Hogsmeade trip? I'm assuming you already have a date but all this chitchat can wait until I see you!
Kisses,
Mother.
FLASHBACK
"Oh my darling, you are going to look precious!" Jasmina pulled tighter on Hermione's corset strings. Birthdays and parties were Jasmina's favourite time of the year. Blaise was all suite up for their tenth birthday party and Hermione was in her tight, tight dress. The party was a hit and everyone told Jasmina how gorgeous she was and how proud she should be. Jasmina loved it. She relished the attention. Hermione loved parties just as much because her mother loved her at these times. Tomorrow would go back to the same old, being at odds with each other.
PRESENT
I didn't get as excited over parties as much as I did when I was younger. Not since my 11th birthday when I spilled soda all over my new fancy dress and my mum locked me in my room the whole night. I didn't even get a piece of cake. That was when I realised that my mother was never nice. She was inbuilt to be horrible. It was in her nature. It was who she was. I'd entertain her though. If she wanted to help me pick a dress she could – especially since she wasn't allowed to come to the ball itself. How she knew about the ball anyway was anyone's guess. I woke up the next morning and the word on everyone's lips was the ball and who was going with who. Every now and then there would be a squeal of joy or a gaggle of girls. Dances seemed to turn girls into crazy creatures. Then the moment I was dreading. Everyone was sitting at their house tables at the end of the week, the day before the Hogsmeade trip. I was just in the middle of enjoying a particularly juicy sausage when Cho entered, she was quickly followed in by Cedric. Was he really going to do this in front of all these people? Was he going to embarrass me like this? The hall was silent.
"Cho." Cedric caught up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder to face him, like he had once done to me. Her face was a picture. "I just wanted to know if you would like to come to the ball with me." Cho squealed and threw herself into Cedric's arms, I dropped my sausage and Blaise muttered 'Dickory'. 'Dickory' didn't even as much as look at me. I didn't exist. And suddenly I didn't want to go to the ball anymore. I got up from the table and left the hall, wandering around the entrance hall looking for something to do. Then I saw Viktor and I thought I might as well ask him how the task was in person. I approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. His face was a picture and he looked nervous.
"Hey?" I said confused. He was twiddling his hands. This wasn't the confident Viktor I was used too.
"Hi Mione." He mumbled. "This isn't really a good time." And then he was off, chasing a girl up the stairs. Clearly it wasn't just the girls who were driven crazy by this dance. It was infecting everyone! I decided to go back to the commonroom to decide whether or not I was going to even go to this stupid ball. Blaise was there and so was Draco.
"Hey." I smiled, curling up in a chair.
"I heard about Dickory." Draco said.
"Hmm." It was all I could manage.
"He's such a dick." Blaise laughed, shaking his head.
"I don't mind that he asked her. It's just the way he did it. Just wish the earth could have sucked me up."
"Yeah that's rough, but would you have preferred if he just turned up with her at the dance and you didn't know?" Draco shrugged, flicking through a book.
"You're right." I sighed, putting my head in my hands.
"So have you been asked yet?" Blaise asked.
"No. Have you asked anyone?" I groaned.
"Not just yet." He smirked. "Draco has though." He added.
"Really?" I asked, lifting my head.
"Don't act so surprised, Herman." He laughed, closed his book and then headed off towards the dorms.
"Who?" I asked Blaise as the commonroom door swung open.