The castle was full of students again. Harry was happy the Yule ball was pushed back this year. He had just bought new dress robes this year and he also bought Ron new ones for Christmas. They were the same colors as his last year. He remembered how much Ron loved them. This year Harry's were bright red velvet. He thought that was a very odd coincidence seeing that turning into a phoenix was added to his list of abilities.
Ron had apologized earlier to Harry, but Harry accepted his apology before it was even said. Ron told him what had happened between him and Hermione Christmas Eve and Harry told him that he already knew. It was quite a ways after Christmas but it was better late than never.
Ron had finally come out of the bathroom completely dresses, hair greased, and ready for the ball. It was still the middle of the afternoon and nowhere near time but he was ready.
"Ron, do you even have a date?" Harry asked looking at him wondering why he was ready.
"Yes I do," Ron said looking in the mirror, "Lavender decided to give me another chance, "He turned to Harry, "She can't resist me!" He opened the door turned to Harry, took a deep breath, and walked out. Harry tried not to laugh. He suddenly came back. "By the way, thanks for the new robes, I wouldn't be able to survive another year in mine!"
"What are friends for? You didn't think that I could let you be put through that again, did you?" Ron started out the door again.
The sun slowly set as Harry stood, looking out the window. He had been having bad dreams lately about Cedric and Hermione. He was worried when he found out it was Lucius that night when they were practicing Quidditch and Hermione got hit. He sighed and looked toward the door. It was time to meet Hermione for the ball. As he walked from the window, his scar shocked him with pain and he turned to look out the window. Ron opened the door. "Your lady awaits," he said as Lavender giggled beside him. As the door shut, a dark figure looked into the room from the window.
Harry shook his head as the pain slowly wore off. He didn't tell anyone. He didn't want anyone to mess this night up. Hermione stood waiting at the fireplace and Lavender and Ron snuck out giggling and kissing the whole way. Harry stood and looked at her. He watched the fire dance in her eyes as she stared at the flames. She was also wearing red. Her hair was sleek and shiny, held up in a high ponytail with curls. She was wearing the earrings and the ring. She didn't notice he was there. She whispered his name and said something so quiet that Harry couldn't hear her. She turned and was startled to see him there.
"Oh, Harry. It...it's you. Shall we go?"
"Uh...yeah...Let's go." She grabbed his arm and set out through the portal hole.
The Yule ball was just like the one the year before. Harry still couldn't dance and Hermione instructed him. He eventually got the hang of it. They danced most of the night away, but Ron and Lavender left after only three. Harry and Hermione laughed to themselves. They knew exactly what was going on. Ginny and Hermione would give slap hands if they passed each other. Ginny surprisingly went with Neville again. She admitted she had a crush on him, but was still falling head over heels for Harry. Harry would wink at her every so often and she would turn red and smile back.
Hermione and Harry were dancing when Harry heard something in his head. Then a sharp pain followed. He shook it off and kept dancing. After that dance Hermione took him to the fountain where Hagrid and Madame Maxime had their talk the year before.
"Harry, you look ill. I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey. You look horrible," Hermione said looking straight in his eyes. She could tell he was in pain.
"No, I'm fine, see?" He smiled and was hit with another shot of pain. He grabbed his head and he heard the voice. He ignored it and looked back to Hermione, with a smile. His eyes were full of tears. Hermione saw this.
"Harry, come on. It's your scar. I know it," She looked around, "He's no where in sight." Harry grabbed his head again. The pain was unbearable. He stood up and forced himself to the dorms with Hermione at his side. She laid him down on his bed and ran a washcloth under cool water to put on his forehead on his forehead. Be fore she did she touched his forehead. She quickly pulled away and looked at her finger. A burn began to form and she nursed it. He was now grabbing the sheets and ripping them and yelling.
"Get out of my head!" he yelled and Hermione turned to the door. "Hermione get out of here!" She approached the door. Then he said quietly "No, stay here. I need you Hermione. Don't go..." he trailed off. It sounded like he was being forced to say it. She approached him and he yelled again, "GET OUT NOW!!!" Then followed a scream. A wave of power followed and Hermione screamed and braced herself. She was thrown against the wall. Then excruciating pain. That was all she remembered of that night. The sunlight danced in the room beckoning her eyes to open. She looked around to find herself in the hospital wing...and Harry in the bed next to her.
Ron had apologized earlier to Harry, but Harry accepted his apology before it was even said. Ron told him what had happened between him and Hermione Christmas Eve and Harry told him that he already knew. It was quite a ways after Christmas but it was better late than never.
Ron had finally come out of the bathroom completely dresses, hair greased, and ready for the ball. It was still the middle of the afternoon and nowhere near time but he was ready.
"Ron, do you even have a date?" Harry asked looking at him wondering why he was ready.
"Yes I do," Ron said looking in the mirror, "Lavender decided to give me another chance, "He turned to Harry, "She can't resist me!" He opened the door turned to Harry, took a deep breath, and walked out. Harry tried not to laugh. He suddenly came back. "By the way, thanks for the new robes, I wouldn't be able to survive another year in mine!"
"What are friends for? You didn't think that I could let you be put through that again, did you?" Ron started out the door again.
The sun slowly set as Harry stood, looking out the window. He had been having bad dreams lately about Cedric and Hermione. He was worried when he found out it was Lucius that night when they were practicing Quidditch and Hermione got hit. He sighed and looked toward the door. It was time to meet Hermione for the ball. As he walked from the window, his scar shocked him with pain and he turned to look out the window. Ron opened the door. "Your lady awaits," he said as Lavender giggled beside him. As the door shut, a dark figure looked into the room from the window.
Harry shook his head as the pain slowly wore off. He didn't tell anyone. He didn't want anyone to mess this night up. Hermione stood waiting at the fireplace and Lavender and Ron snuck out giggling and kissing the whole way. Harry stood and looked at her. He watched the fire dance in her eyes as she stared at the flames. She was also wearing red. Her hair was sleek and shiny, held up in a high ponytail with curls. She was wearing the earrings and the ring. She didn't notice he was there. She whispered his name and said something so quiet that Harry couldn't hear her. She turned and was startled to see him there.
"Oh, Harry. It...it's you. Shall we go?"
"Uh...yeah...Let's go." She grabbed his arm and set out through the portal hole.
The Yule ball was just like the one the year before. Harry still couldn't dance and Hermione instructed him. He eventually got the hang of it. They danced most of the night away, but Ron and Lavender left after only three. Harry and Hermione laughed to themselves. They knew exactly what was going on. Ginny and Hermione would give slap hands if they passed each other. Ginny surprisingly went with Neville again. She admitted she had a crush on him, but was still falling head over heels for Harry. Harry would wink at her every so often and she would turn red and smile back.
Hermione and Harry were dancing when Harry heard something in his head. Then a sharp pain followed. He shook it off and kept dancing. After that dance Hermione took him to the fountain where Hagrid and Madame Maxime had their talk the year before.
"Harry, you look ill. I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey. You look horrible," Hermione said looking straight in his eyes. She could tell he was in pain.
"No, I'm fine, see?" He smiled and was hit with another shot of pain. He grabbed his head and he heard the voice. He ignored it and looked back to Hermione, with a smile. His eyes were full of tears. Hermione saw this.
"Harry, come on. It's your scar. I know it," She looked around, "He's no where in sight." Harry grabbed his head again. The pain was unbearable. He stood up and forced himself to the dorms with Hermione at his side. She laid him down on his bed and ran a washcloth under cool water to put on his forehead on his forehead. Be fore she did she touched his forehead. She quickly pulled away and looked at her finger. A burn began to form and she nursed it. He was now grabbing the sheets and ripping them and yelling.
"Get out of my head!" he yelled and Hermione turned to the door. "Hermione get out of here!" She approached the door. Then he said quietly "No, stay here. I need you Hermione. Don't go..." he trailed off. It sounded like he was being forced to say it. She approached him and he yelled again, "GET OUT NOW!!!" Then followed a scream. A wave of power followed and Hermione screamed and braced herself. She was thrown against the wall. Then excruciating pain. That was all she remembered of that night. The sunlight danced in the room beckoning her eyes to open. She looked around to find herself in the hospital wing...and Harry in the bed next to her.