Chapter Five- The Yule Ball br br
The rest of the weeks slid by as the two couples became even closer. All four of them thought that fate had come up with the best possible combinations, and all traces of jealousy or dislike vanished as Hermione and Lily became best of friends. The two couples shared everything with each other and, while making sure to get plenty of alone time, spent much time together, even though the relationships were quite different. Ron and Hermione had the love/hate relationship that often ensues from a good friendship. Whenever they weren't play fighting they were real fighting, or making up from a fight. Harry and Lily however had a very meaningful bond that need not be spoken as it often happens when there's a smooth, fast translation between friend and crush and girlfriend/boyfriend. The boys stopped flocking to Lily and to Harry's surprise, some girls were giving Lily cold glares in the hallways, Paravati Patil among them. Lily never noticed just as long as Harry was with her. br
Both of them had picture perfect relationships of their own type, or at least they thought they did, but just a week before the holiday's began, something came up that neither pair expected. br
One day at the end of dinner, Harry, Lily, Ron and Hermione arrived in the common room to see a group of students huddled around the bulletin board. They pushed their way through to see a highly decorated poster up, announcing the date of the Yule Ball and what was expected. Reading quickly through, Harry saw that it was essentially the same as the year of the Triwizard tournament. Ginny was so excited her voice was at a fevered pitch, and before she reached a squeal Ron snapped at her to shut up. Ginny looked hurt and walked away, head down, only to be stopped and asked to the dance by Collin Creevey. Collin and Ginny had taken quite a liking to each other, both being members of Harry's unorganized fan club, and Ginny said yes before he'd even finished his sentence. Ron looked at Hermione, smiling and said with a sarcastically formal voice "Hermione Elizabeth Granger, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?" To Harry's surprise, Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat and opened her mouth, then shut it quickly. She seemed to be thinking of the best way to let him down. br
Just as Hermione managed to say "yes," Lily seized Harry's arm and dragged him out of the common room. Harry heard Hermione tack on a "but…" before she shut the portrait hole quickly and pulled Harry down the hallway. br
"What was that about," Harry said, as he heard raised voices through the wall.
Lily looked at Harry, panting slightly from the effort of pulling him, and said, "Hermione invited Krum." br
"WHAT??!!" Harry said. Hermione didn't seem the type of girl who would cheat on someone at all, and most of all, not that quickly. br
"Well you know how she and Krum were kind of together last year? Well she promised him that she'd invite him to stay over at her house on the holidays. That was of course before they broke up…" Hermione and Krum had broken up shortly before the start of the term. No one ever knew why, but they could gather that Hermione had broken up with Krum, "but she refused to break her promise to him. So she figured she could invite him to the Yule ball, and he could stay in Hogsmeade since it wouldn't be appropriate for a 19 year old to be staying at her house anyways. Of course, they'd had this all settled before she and Ron got together, and she can't go back on her word now, and I really hope he's not too mad. They aren't even going together, just as friends, and he'll be a 5th wheel. She'll still be actually going with Ron." br
Harry's head spun. How could Ron not be mad? It didn't matter if they were going as friends or as a couple, the very fact that Hermione's ex-boyfriend was going to be at the Yule Ball, with Hermione, and Ron, was just, just, ludicrous. "Well, we're at least going together right?" said Harry, trying to grasp for something sane. br
The second shock of the night came to him as Lily looked down, took a deep sigh and said, "I-I, um, I can't, Harry, I just can't." br
"WHAT?!" Harry said, his confusion bursting from his mouth as anger, "What do you mean you can't. Are you messing around too? What did you find another date? Am I not good enough for you anymore?" His voice rung through the hallway and several 5th year Slytherin girls paused, listening then continued on sniggering. "You think that just because you've got every guy in this school after you that you can just go with whoever you want??? DO YOU?!" br
Harry had completely lost control. He didn't stop until he looked at Lily. Her big blue eyes had an odd glint to them and large tears were rolling over her eyelashes and down her cheeks. Harry stopped dead. He'd never made anyone cry that he knew of, much less someone that he cared about that much. He felt absolutely like he swallowed a lead weight as he looked at Lily, looking like an angel standing there crying. He reached out to her, to try to say sorry, but she swept past him and into the common room, leaving Harry in the hallway. He sank down to the floor and put his head in his hands, wondering what he'd done. brbr
After what seemed like hours he stood up on wobbly legs and made his way back into to common room. Neither Ron nor Hermione nor Lily were in there, although a lot of the house was, the girls talking excitedly and the guys avoiding all contact with them. A hush ensued as Harry entered, but he heard a buzz start up again as he climbed the stairs to his dormitory. It was empty all except for Ron who was lying face down on the bed. Harry flung himself on his bed and laid there for a minute, then turned over and asked Ron, "So what happened?" br
Ron looked up with a look of pure misery on his face saying, "She's invited Krum. I can't believe it, she's invited Krum." br
"I know that, but what did you do?" br
"What do you think I did? I yelled, the only reaction I could think of. She yelled back, then she ran up to the common room. Harry, what am I going to do? I really like Hermione, I might even love her, but KRUM??!! The last thing I need is another guy threatening me." He looked over at Harry miserably, then, as if just noticing Harry's identical look asked, "What's up with you?" br
"Lily's not going to the Yule Ball with me and before I even let her explain, I made a total prat of myself and started yelling at her. I made her cry, Ron," Harry said, moaning and throwing himself back on the bed. br
"I almost wish Hermione had cried, she just yelled and hurled insults back at me. Do you think it could turn out okay if Krum came?" Ron asked, as if searching for a compromise. br
"Do you have a choice?" Harry asked, finally resigning himself to the fact that he didn't have much of a choice either. br
"I guess not. Do you think we should go make up with the girls?" br
"I guess so. I mean, Hermione's always talking about how we have to talk things out every time we fight, I suppose it works the same way with the girls." br
They stood up and tramped their way up and downstairs through the common room then up a flight and down another flight of stairs, their feet weighed down as if on the way to their execution. When they finally reached the dormitory they knocked lightly and Ginny stuck her head and flaming red hair out. Her eyes narrowed at Ron and Harry and she spat, br
"They don't want to talk to you right now," and started to shut the door, but Lily's high voice, weighed down with tears, said, "Wait." br
Her perfect hands, one of the things Harry liked most about her curved around the door, pulling it out of Ginny's grasp. She said kindly to her, "You can go back to your dormitory now, thanks." She'd done a bad job of cleaning herself up hurriedly and her black mascara was still running in black streaks down her face. br
She did her best to wipe it away as she looked at Harry and said, "Do you want to go for a walk?" Harry nodded and she said to Ron, "Hold on a second, I'll get Hermione." She shut the door and there were some sharp voices but when she opened the door again, she emerged, mascara wiped away but eyes still very red and puffy and Hermione followed her out, face livid but showing signs of having been crying too. They walked silently back through the common room and out the portrait hole, all eyes on them but not bothering to look. With a teary glance exchanged between the girls and a doomsday glance between the guys they headed off in opposite directions. Harry followed Lily all the way down to the Charms corridor and into what looked like an empty classroom. There were desks piled up on the sides of the room. For a fleeting instant Harry thought Lily was going to curse him as she pulled out her wand, but she called two of the desks over. They sat down facing each other in complete silence for a moment then both started at once. br
"I'm sorry, I never should've overreacted like that…"Harry said. br
"I owe you an explanation, I shouldn't have just sprung it on you…" Lily said. Both stopped dead and Lily gave a nervous, choked up kind of laugh, then took a deep breath and said, "Okay, you know I believe whole heartedly in Divination right?" br
Harry nodded. br
"Well last night I was crystal gazing, now don't look at me like that, you've seen me go into a trance before," she said as Harry gave her a skeptical look, "and I saw that something's going to happen at the Yule Ball if I go with you. It wasn't clear exactly what but I saw two people fighting, four people running into a labyrinth, a trap waiting for them." She sighed and continued, "I saw a person being carried out limp, and Harry, I saw death." Her words had so much more weight then Professor Trelawney's but the similarity between the way they said it struck Harry as odd. He wanted to say more than anything everything what Hermione would've said in that situation. Harry was so frustrated. Lily was willing to miss her Yule Ball, to make Harry miss it, because he obviously wasn't going to go if not with her, just because of a prediction she's made on a orb. br
Harry shut his eyes and sighed, massaging his temples and finally said, "Lily, isn't the whole point of seeing the future then having the ability to change it?" br
"Sort of, you aren't going to be able to change things that are supposed to happen, but yes, that's why most of it's done." br
"What if we work our hardest that night. No matter how mad we get at each other, we won't fight. We'll avoid anything that's like a labyrinth at all costs… would that work out?" br
Lily looked skeptical but also like she wanted to go. After a long pause in which Harry could pretty much see her mind working, she nodded shortly and closed her eyes as if hoping that she wasn't making the wrong decision. br
"Good then! That's settled," said Harry cheerfully, fully sure that nothing was going to happen. They stood up and walked slowly back to the common room, Lily still with a look of dread that nothing Harry did could wipe off. Finally in exasperation, he pushed her up against a wall and kissed her fiercely. There was no love in the kiss; he just poured all his frustration into it. When he pulled away she looked at him surprised but smiled for the first time since their fight. She pulled him back towards her and they kissed passionately for a while, Harry never wanting it to end, but they had to stop when Peeves came zooming down the hall and screeched, "OOOH! P.D.A. in the hallway." They took off for the common room, Peeves screaming after them "Cannonbergh and Potter, right in front of me, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" br
Once they collapsed into chairs before the fire, laughing, they didn't have to wait very long for Ron and Hermione. They arrived shortly, Hermione smiling contentedly but Ron still looking slightly upset. After the girls went to bed, both smiling smugly, their laughter echoing down the stairwell, Ron turned to Harry and said, "Krum's coming, but he's going home right after the dance. Good thing because if he makes a move on Hermione…" Ron made a threatening gesture midair, as if he could beat the burly, round shouldered, duck footed, seeker. br
The next to weeks went insanely fast, first with studies and then patiently working through the tons of work they were given over holidays. Before Harry paused to take a breath he was being woken up by Ron's excited whispers and pokes, "Harry! Get up! It's Christmas!" br
Harry opened his eyes blearily and looked at the small mountain of presents at the foot of his bed, with a large eared, long nosed, tennis ball eyed creature sitting on top of it. br
"DOBBY!" Harry said delightedly, "How are you doing??" br
"Oh fine Harry Potter, sir. Dobby just wanted to give Harry Potter his present before he goes to the kitchens to start work on the feast." Harry expected his usual gift from Dobby, a pair of revolting, unmatched socks, but instead he grabbed a nicely wrapped box and shoved it into Harry's hands, watching, his eyes watery as Harry ripped open the wrapping paper to reveal, br
"WOW DOBBY! A set of solid gold gobstones!!" Harry couldn't believe his eyes. He'd wanted these since his 3rd year when he'd seen them in Diagon Alley. br
"Dobby saved up all his wages from the past years, and got help from Snuffles. Does Harry Potter like the gift?" br
"DO I?!!" It took all the will power Harry had not to pull Dobby into a hug. Ron was looking enviously at the gobstones. "and you say this was from Si--- from snuffles too?" Harry said. Snuffles was their code name for his godfather, Sirius Black. br
"Yes sir, Harry Potter, sir, but now Dobby must go, he has to get to the kitchens." br
"But don't you want your present, Dobby?" Harry asked, smiling as he pulled out a small wrapped package. For once he had remembered to get Dobby something for Christmas. br
Dobby's eyes watered as he ripped open the package to reveal a pair of smart black pants with a buttoned blue shirt, a black tie and a black hat with holes for his ears. Hermione, Lily, Ron and Harry had each chipped in, getting him an article of clothing. Since Dobby had been freed he'd been wearing clothes that were extremely odd and mismatched such as a tea cozy for a hat. Dobby didn't seem to know what to say, but he jumped back on the bed and squeezed Harry so hard he thought a rib was going to crack. When Harry regained his breath he managed to wheeze, with a mischievous glance at Ron, "You know, Ron, Lily and Hermione chipped in too!" Dobby leaped on Ron, squeezing him just as tightly and telling Harry to be sure to thank Lily and Hermione before scampering off to the kitchens. br
Ron glared jokingly at Harry before ripping into his next present, revealing a squashy sweater that for once, wasn't maroon. It was a nicely crocheted black sweater a small orange speeding cannonball on it and the letters CC for Ron's favorite quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. Ron stared at it for a moment, as if surprised that his mom got his tastes dead on, then pulled the sweater on. It looked quite good on him. Harry got a plain green sweater that was also done very nicely. It looked a lot like something Harry would've bought himself at a store. Mrs. Weasley also included a huge pan of home made fudge and some assorted meat pies. From Ron, Harry got a bulging bag full of trick sweets and Harry had gotten him a violently orange scarf that looked nice with his cloak also with a cannonball and CC embroidered on it, although in black. From Hermione Harry got a large pile of chocolate frogs (Harry was now collecting the cards.) br
He pulled the last package toward him, the Dursleys hadn't even sent a present this year, although they were never very good. It was huge, and obviously from Lily. As he opened it he was surprised to discover that it was a set of accessories for his Firebolt. Harry was almost more pleased with this than the set of gold gobstones, although he couldn't decide quite which. It included an extra set of stands so that two people could ride comfortably, Harry took the hint, a magical navigation device for longer trips, and a device that when attached and activated put a shield around the entire broomstick and the people riding. Ron also looked at that enviously but couldn't be too jealous because he didn't have a Firebolt. The school had upgraded all their brooms to Nimbus Two Thousands though, so they could no longer complain about the shabbiness of the school brooms. After all the presents were unwrapped, Ron and Harry ran down into the common room where Hermione and Lily were waiting. br
Before Harry could even say a word, Lily ran up and hugged him, breathing in his ear, "Oh Harry, it's beautiful!" When they pulled apart he saw that she was playing with the necklace, than as if on impulse just grabbed him and kissed him hard on the lips. A few people oooohed but she wasn't embarrassed at all. br
"Thank you so much for the accessories!" Harry said over their calls. br
"They were nothing compared to this…" she said, looking down into the universe, her eyes shining. They embraced again and she turned to Ron saying, "Happy Christmas, Ron. Thanks for the book! I love it!" br
"Oh, your welcome, and thanks so much for all the joke stuff," he said, an odd glint in his eye. br
After a while saying "Happy Christmas" and "Thank You" they headed downstairs for a breakfast that was a feast in itself. For once Lily took part, eating three whole pancakes before she was done. She smiled embarrassedly and then they headed outside to play a game of chicken on broomsticks barely a foot off the ground and then a spirited snowball fight. At five o'clock the Lily and Hermione went inside to get ready for the ball, but Harry and Ron put the broomsticks away then watched the people trying to ice skate on the lake. br
At 6:30 they headed upstairs and got ready, Harry taking extra time to make sure his hair lay perfectly flat and Ron admiring his new dress robes, so different from the maroon ones with ends jagged from where he tried to sever the moldy lace cuffs that had been attached. These ones, which his brothers had bought for him out of the money Harry had given them at the end of 4th year were deep blue with gold trim. They looked quite nice on Ron. Harry was wearing emerald green ones that really brought out his eyes, with an ornate silver pattern along the edges. br
After they had gotten ready then went out into the common room and waited several minutes for the girls. Not long after they'd been waiting they arrived. Lily's hair was in three loose French braid, sprinkled with what looked like mini twinkling stars and was twisted up, ending in a particularly large star, then flowing over it in an elegant shower of curls. She was wearing blue robes the exact shade of her eyes with silver stars and moons embroidered in at the hem. She was wearing the necklace that Harry had given her, although to Harry, the galaxy around her neck didn't even come close to comparing with her beauty. She looked stunning. Hermione too, looked very gorgeous, her hair left down but in smooth waves, clipped here and there with pearl beads. Her dress was a pale pink with pearl trims and her neck was accented with a thin strand of pure white pearls. br
They just stood for a minute, admiring each other, then finally put their arms in each others and walked out. As they exited the portrait hole, Krum stood, looking larger and more impressive than before, with his long, curved nose, but still duck footed and distinctly round shouldered. br
"Hermy-own-ninny, you look very beautiful." Ron glared at him and he looked away, his eyes catching on Lily. "and who haff ve here?" br
"This is Lily," Harry said defensively, "my girlfriend." br
"Oh, vell she is… vow." br
Lily giggled appreciatively but led them into the Great Hall. It was decorated as stunningly as always, with the 12 huge Christmas trees, decorated with everything from bewitched candles to shining stars to real fairies. The walls were shining with frost that was magicked so it wouldn't melt. Fleur Delacour was present, looking as beautiful as ever, but as he had suspected, as she came up to say hello, even she wasn't as gorgeous as Lily. br
"Zis is impossible! 'arry, you look so, so grown up!" br
"Yeah, well he is 16," Lily said, with a protective tone. br
"Oui, but last time I saw 'im, 'e was just a vairy little boy!" br
"Oh well, I hope you have fun tonight," Lily said abrasively trying to get Fleur to go away. She took the hint and with a flip of her white blonde hair, she was off. br
They ordered like they had at the Yule Ball before, looking down at their plates and saying what they wanted off the menu in front of them. The food was absolutely delicious and this time Harry was fully able to enjoy it because he was with a girl he actually liked, maybe loved. Before long the entertainment, provided by Celestina Warbeck started up as she struck a slow, vocally challenging tune. Lily squealed that it was one of her favorite songs and led Harry out on the dance floor, where she wrapped both her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. Not knowing what to do with his other hand his clasped it in his left, settling for resting them on the small of her back. After a while she leaned in and put her head on Harry's shoulder. He felt in heaven as they rotated slowly to Celestina's amazing voice. br
Too soon the song was over and she struck up a quick pop-like tune. Harry tried to guide Lily off the dance floor, stuttering in an embarrassed sort of way that he couldn't fast dance, but Lily wouldn't hear of it. With a few instructions Harry started moving back and forward to the beat, feeling dumb bobbing around, but soon he was feeling more comfortable, shifting his arms and his feet, until he eventually got into the groove of the music. After watching him for a while, Lily began to dance too, in a way Harry had never seen anyone dance before except American movies. Her eyes shut and running her fingers through her curls she bounced around, twirling her hips and rolling her shoulders, a look of intense happiness on her face. Pretty soon she started pulling out some bigger moves, twirling in a circle, leading with her hips, hands in spirit fingers on them, twisting down to the ground then rolling her body back up. It was almost too much for Harry to stand. She was dancing more exuberantly than anyone else, but she didn't seem foolish. Her motions were smooth, liquid, and several people around her were starting to try and copy her, doing a bad job of it. Pretty soon, though, after a few songs, even Lily got tired and walked over to Ron, who was sitting along at a table, panting slightly and wiping sweat off her forehead. br
"Where's Hermione?" Lily asked, looking around. br
"She was dancing with Krum and I lost track of them. I haven't seen them since." Ron was trying to sound nonchalant but his eyes darting this way and that through the dancers gave him away. br
Lily looked thoughtfully at him for a moment then stood up, offering him her hands and saying. "Let's go find her," br
Ron took her hand in a friendly manner and she pulled him up. He got up gratefully and they walked out into the hallway, listening for voices over the dull murmur in the Hall. There were two distinct voices coming from the left, one a rather harsh toned and thick girl's and one an obviously accented man's. They hurried off in that direction and the voices came into focus, barely above a whisper now. br
"Ever since I haff known you, Herm-own-ninny, I knew you had to be mine." br
"Viktor…" Hermione's voice broke off suddenly and as the three of them rounded the corner they stopped dead. Hermione was pressed up against a wall, Krum in front of her. Her hands were on his shoulders, and they were deep in a passionate, rather forced looking kiss. br
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!!!" Ron yelled. Hermione and Krum broke off suddenly and Ron tried to lunge himself at Krum. Thinking it wouldn't be a good idea for a 16 year old boy to take on the greatest seeker of all time, both Lily and Harry grabbed on to Ron's robes, holding him back. This however, didn't stop his mouth from going. "You…" he exclaimed, Lily snatching his wand out of his hand as tried to curse Krum. He brought it swishing down but then realized it was M.I.A. so he resorted to calling him very severe names, "What do you think you're doing kissing my girlfriend?" Krum glared at him, slouching once again, as if it was insulting just to say that Hermione was Ron's girlfriend. "And you!" Ron said, rounding to glare at Hermione. "THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO COME. You told me I could trust you and I find you two having a hot little necking session in the hallway? You just couldn't keep your hands off him, could you?" Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Ron cut her off. Harry would've given anything to stop him from saying what he said next. "MAYBE RITA SKEETER WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU! YOU'RE JUST A WHORE!" br
Hermione's face twisted from impatience, to anger and then broke faster than Harry had ever seen anyone's before. Before Ron realized what he had just said, before he'd gotten as far as "Her-Hermione.. I'm so…" she'd burst into silent tears and run down the hallway. br
"It's happening," Lily said in a scared tone, but nonetheless took after Hermione in an amazing pace. Harry's head spun. What had just happened? Where were they going? What did Lily mean, 'It's happening?' br
"Maybe you should leave," Harry said coldly before turning and walking at a dignified pace down the hallway. As soon as he rounded the nearest corner though, he broke into a run, desperate to catch up to Lily and Hermione. To Harry's surprise, Ron was right behind him, although not quite as fast. He followed the sound of Lily's heels clicking down the hallway and Hermione doing what sounded like choking on her sobs, until they were muffled by a door opening and shutting. br