Author: Lucinda

Rated safe for anyone reading the early Harry Potter books.

Main character: Harry Potter

Mentions of his date with Parvati, no serious pairings at this time.

Set before the Yule Ball in Harry's 4th year.

Anything recognizable from the world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

..YB..HP..PP..YB..HP..PP..YB..HP..PP..

Harry Potter had nearly driven himself into fits worrying about the Yule Ball. He had managed the dragon, but what did he know about dancing, or asking girls on dates, or wearing fancy clothing? It did explain the fancy robes Mrs. Weasley had picked up for him, but… asking girls out, dancing, romance? He had no idea. Thank goodness Professor McGonagall was holding dance lessons, even if they were embarrassing.

He was still a bit fuzzy on how he'd wound up with Parvati agreeing to be his date to the ball as he made his way to lunch. Then something clicked into place in his head. He had no idea how to do a date, especially not something big and fancy like a ball. Which meant he'd be a terrible date. So Parvati would be angry at him, and want to make him as miserable as she'd been at the ball-he'd-ruin. Which would be awful.

That would never do.

After lunch, he spent some time trying to track down Parvati. He found her sitting with her sister Padma and her friend Lavender Brown. The Patil sisters were, as they frequently did, dressed in matching saris. Knowing that Parvati wore her braid draped to the left while Padma draped hers behind her, he looked at his date-to-be and stammered, "Parvati? There's… about the Ball. We… we need to talk."

"Here to tell her you've found someone better? Planning to ruin her day already? I told her she shouldn't have agreed to go with a cheat like you in the first place," Lavender hissed.

"I…" Harry blinked, startled by the accusations.

"Because it was bad enough you cheated your way into the tournament in the first place," Lavender was now glaring at him.

"I never wanted to be in it at all!" Harry glared back. "And I wanted to talk to Parvati, not you. Let her talk."

Parvati and Padma glanced at each other and smiled. "What is it, Harry?"

"About the Ball…" Harry ran his hand though his hair, pushing the irritation at Lavender back to focus on his problem. "I don't know…"

"She can do so much better than the Boy-Who-Cheated!" Lavender glared at him

"I've never been on a date and have no idea what to do," Harry blurted.

All three girls blinked at him in silence.

"I know Balls are supposed to be fancy, and I don't want to ruin it for you, but… but I don't even know what's expected," Harry admitted.

"But you grew up in a magical castle taught ancient lore by the finest tutors in between great adventures and playing with your bonded unicorn!" Lavender insisted.

"I grew up in a muggle neighborhood not knowing about magic at all, and Hogwarts is the first castle I ever remember seeing in person. I'd never seen a real unicorn before, and the closest to a bonded anything I've ever had is Hedwig. She's amazing and fabulous, but certainly not a unicorn!" Harry glared at Lavender. "I don't know where you heard any of that rubbish, but it isn't true."

"What do you want, Harry?" Padma asked in a low voice.

"Parvati's been nice, even if we haven't been that close. I want her to enjoy the Yule Ball, and not regret that she agreed to be my date. I want the chance to figure out if I'd like to ask her to be my girlfriend, because right now I don't really know her well enough to have more than she's pretty and likes Divination. And you are pretty, but that isn't all someone should look for." Harry sank onto a chair before muttering, "I'm saying this all wrong."

"What do you mean then?" Parvati asked.

"Tell me what I need to know, please. What should a good date do? What do I expect other than fancy clothing and dancing? You know people, have a better idea how to be social and what's good and bad on occasions. Nobody's taught me anything, but I don't want to ruin your evening. So… help me not make your night awful," Harry wondered if it sounded like he was begging to the girls.

"What did whoever raised you tell you about dating?" Padma asked, her eyes glancing to Parvati.

"They said – 'Boy, just… no. Not you, not ever. The world doesn't need any more freaks.' But I know they hate me, so that doesn't help me any. Should there be flowers? Probably compliments, and not stepping on your toes when we dance, but… Are there special date etiquette rules? Something about chairs? I just don't know. There's so much I don't know," Harry sighed while rubbing at his forehead.

"You're right, that was unhelpful," Padma agreed. "Offering your date a corsage is nice, and beneficial for something as formal as a Ball, but not needed for something more casual, like a Hogsmeade weekend."

"Compliments are always good… no bonded unicorn? No growing up in a castle?" Lavender murmured, eyes wide and not at all focused on Harry.

"No castles, no unicorns, no special tutors," Harry frowned. "I'm lucky I managed to learn basic reading and maths when I lived there, and I certainly wouldn't take bets on knowing any sort of proper behavior, magical or muggle."

Lavender scurried off about the time the talk transitioned from proper greetings and corsages – and the news that Parvati intended to wear an Indian-style gown in two shades of pink. Harry was trying to sort out what kind of flowers would be a good choice, since he was apparently expected to offer Parvati flowers. Maybe it would be good to ask Neville's advice on that – something with a polite and nice meaning without offering more than he was ready for now.

Both twins seemed more amused than anything else to know that Harry didn't want to rush regarding relationships. He didn't want to ruin things, but he didn't know how long or how much there would be. After all, wasn't that what going on a date was supposed to help you figure out?

Eventually, Harry left the twins, clutching a page of notes he'd wound up taking regarding dates and Balls and how to act like a gentleman. Lavender would probably be spreading the idea that he had no more idea about dating than a dragon had about ballet across the castle, but he would survive. At least this time it would be a truth and not just a shocking rumor.

And since he did want to eventually get married and have a family, knowing how to not ruin a date would be a good thing.

End part 1.

He'd been right about the rumors spreading. Between speculation on how his name had popped out of the Goblet of Fire – and Harry had been delighted to hear some people wondering how someone could make somebody else's name emerge – complaints about the cancellation of Quidditch, talk of formal wear, dances, and feasting, Harry had heard whispers of the Harry Potter novels being lies. Being no more truthful than Lockhart's tomes of travel, fashion and daring, impossible deeds. He'd assured a Hufflepuff that he'd never even seen a manticore, and suggested not mentioning one near Hagrid lest that change. He'd had to insist to seven different Ravenclaws that he'd never even left the British Isles, let alone spent seasons training in the secretly-not-destroyed Library of Alexandria, though he did agree that it should have fascinating books. He'd never been to the Kremlin, Berlin, or Durmstrang, and he'd heard twelve different ideas about where that particular school might be found. He hadn't grown up in a castle before starting Hogwarts.

He'd fought back tears when he'd admitted that he'd never been to his parents' graves, and didn't know where they were. Had never been to see what was left of their home. Hadn't even known their names until Hagrid had brought him his letter for Hogwarts.

Somehow, Rita Skeeter wrote up an article about that, despite the fact that Harry didn't remember seeing her lurking about. It was rather creepy.

The letters from strangers changed from rants about cheating his way into the tournament and stealing Cedric's glory to outpourings of sympathy for the tragically orphaned boy, denied any connection to his parents. There were little stories about his parents when they were young – about his Dad playing Quidditch, his Mum being part of Charms and Potions Clubs, and spending three years in the choir despite not being terribly good at singing. Stories about a bold, confident boy who thought he was smarter and more talented that he was getting into trouble with a misbehaving broom, getting tangled in one of the carriages, getting trapped in the sliding stairs leading to the girls' dorms. Stories of his mother trying to introduce other students to muggle music like the Beatles and Queen and David Bowie, with amusing results ranging from students needing calming potions to a disco ball in the Badgers' Den and someone playing muggle rock at midnight in the Snake Pit.

Harry thought it was wonderful to learn more about his parents. To learn about their hobbies, to learn that they weren't perfect and made mistakes. The letters with their fragments about his parents made James and Lily real people, rather than just names and faces from some pictures, people who looked happy.

Lavender was still avoiding him, but she wasn't glaring as much. Harry considered that an improvement.

He found himself often sitting at a table in the library, working on his essays while Padma and Parvati talked about all sorts of things. Parvati talked about what people were up to, and Padma talked about magical theory and how the British views differed from the Indian while Parvati just shook her head and said they would only be tested on the British ones, so why worry so much? It made all of it seem more enjoyable, even writing about sliced shrivelfig and drops of armadillo bile and how they reacted to various potion bases.

Harry wasn't sure if Parvati would be the right sort of girl to date and maybe marry due to differing interests, but he thought they might end up friends after this. Maybe even friends with Padma. He rather liked the idea of making more friends, not that he didn't have some good ones. Neville was fantastic, and Ron… Ron had come around after the dragon. He tried to push back the whisper that Ron should have believed him without the dragon nearly roasting him. Hermione meant well, even if she was usually bossy and demanding and often acted like they needed a minder rather than a friend. Having more than three friends might be nice. Maybe, with the help at talking to people from Parvati, he could become friends with the rest of the Quidditch team as well. That would give him more friends than he could count on his fingers.

Harry hoped it would work out.

Maybe if he had more friends, had a better idea of how to talk to people without sounding like an arrogant prat or an ignorant fool, he'd have more allies. More people who would believe him when he said he didn't try to find these events, that things just happened to him. Maybe he'd even have people who'd try to help deal with the next problem. Because unless this Tournament killed him, Harry was certain there would be a Next Problem. He just didn't know what it would be, probably wouldn't until it tried to bite him.

End part 2.

End Preparing for the Yule Ball with Parvati.