Chapter 3
Hermione stomped into the Common Room after another fruitless meeting with
Draco. They'd just ended up fighting again and gotten nowhere. He'd really
blown histop when Hermione had called him a 'slimy git'.
Hermione was still furious from when he'd first told her they'd have to
talk aboutwhat they were going to do in secret because he 'didn't want to be seen
talking to aMudblood'. She had angrily replied it was almost as bad to be seen talking
to a Slytherin,and the son of a Death Eater at that. He'd gotten so mad he'd pulled out his
wand andstarted jinxing everything in sight and Hermione had had to hide under a
table.
And that had only been their first meeting. They'd had five more since
then, andthey had all been disastrous. She and Malfoy just weren't compatible. It was
already themiddle of December and they hadn't done a thing.
Besides, their meetings hadn't stayed very secret. Usually everyone came
runningwhen they heard them screaming at each other, though no one yet knew why
they'dstarted talking in the first place.
Hermione pulled on her robes and brushed her teeth, then she combed her
hair. Atthe other side of the room Parvati and Lavender were using magic to put all
their hair inlittle braids and Hermione scowled. Her hair was so unmanageable.
She janked a comb through it once more before she descended the spiral
staircaseto the Common Room. Ron and Harry were down too, and they all went to
breakfasttogether.
"Excuse me," Dumbledore called out over the hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione
looked at each other. Dumbledore had never made an announcement at breakfast
before.
"I just wanted to let you know," he said, "Since it is almost Christmas
holidays,that there'll be a Christmas Ball again this year. Many students have been
begging me forone," here his eyes twinkled at a group of girls sitting at the Ravenclaw
table, "And I am pleased to say it can be done. Thank you." He sat down again.
Harry groaned. "But last year was horrible!"
"Maybe Pansy'll want to come," Ron said thoughtfully. Hermione felt like
groaning too.
Over the next few weeks many people signed up to stay at Hogwarts over the
holidays. Hermione entertained the thought of just going home, until her
mother sent anowl (Hermione had taught them how to use it) saying Great Aunt Agatha was
comingover for the holidays. Hermione decided she'd prefer to go to the Ball
rather than sittingat home listening to Aunt Agatha reminisce about her childhood days.
Hermione couldn't get to sleep at night because all the other girls were
giggling about the Ball. It seemed all the girls had someone they wanted to ask them
to go, andthey were always giggling about whether that person would or not. Hermione
clamped her pillow over her ears and inwardly begged Ron to ask her.
"Well, I'm going with Pansy," Ron said one evening as they were playing
Exploding Snap. Hermione froze but nobody noticed because the pack chose
thatmoment to blow up. Harry smiled.
"I asked Cho Chang this year," he said. "This time she said yes."
Hermione stood up, mumbled something about not wanting to play anymore,
thendashed out of the Common Room to find Draco. Harry stared after her but Ron
was toobusy trying to rub the scotch marks off the table to notice.
She met Draco rushing up the hall as she was running down it. Both of them
stopped, then Hermione burst out
"Did Pansy tell you?"
Draco nodded, and Hermione caught a flash of hurt in his eyes. For half a
momentshe felt empathetic, then remembered he deserved it.
"This is stupid, Granger," he snarled. "We're not doing anything."
"I know," Hermione sighed. "Got any ideas?"
"Half of one," Draco replied. "It's one way we can keep on eye on Pansy and
Ron anyway."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Double-date."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yes Neville?" Hermione said as he came up to her after Care of Magical
Creatures. He turned rather red and looked at his feet.
"Do you want to got to the Ball with me?" he asked. Hermione collected
herself and faced him.
"I'm sorry, but I'm already going with someone." She also looked at her
feet."Just like last year."
Neville's eyes widened. "Who?"
Hermione would have given anything to keep him from asking that question.
"Draco Malfoy."
"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked, coming up. Neville looked like he was
about to faint.
"She's – she's going to the Ball with him," Neville gasped. Harry stared.
"Excuse me?"
Hermione nodded shame-facedly.
"He, um, betted Terence Higgs he could transfigure a cat, but he couldn't,"
she
explained. "If he lost he'd have to go to the Ball with me. He lost, so
Terence tricked meinto saying I'll go with Malfoy."
She summoned up a glare. "I'm not telling you how he tricked me."
That was the story they had decided to tell their friends, though Draco's
versionwas slightly different so Terence couldn't say he'd never betted that. It
wasn't likely any of Hermione's friends would talk to Draco's friends.
"Poor you," Ron said, coming up. He grinned at Hermione.
"Yeah, I heard," he nodded toward Harry and Neville. "Perhaps you and Draco
will want to double-date with me and Pansy, since Malfoy's her friend."
Hermione let out her breath. This part, at least, was going exactly as
planned.
"Sure," she said, and she smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days and weeks before the dreaded Ball rushed by, and Hermione
discoveredto her horror that her floaty periwinkle blue dress robes didn't fit
anymore. She had grown taller. So she owled her parents for money and went to Gladrags
Wizardwear inHogsmeade to buy new ones.
Ginny Weasley was going with Dean Thomas this year, and Fred and George
were going with Angelina and Alicia. Everyone seemed to be excited except
Hermione.How could she spend an entire evening with Draco? Hopefully she could get
Ron to slipoff somewhere with her. Draco certainly wouldn't mind.
Hermione was sitting in a corner of the Common Room trying to study but
Parvatiand Lavender (who were going with Seamus and a Ravenclaw named David) were
shrieking too loudly. She sighed and flipped through her library book,
looking at the pictures. Around her everyone seemed to be swirling, having fun, enjoying
themselves.Hermione sighed and looked at Ron.
"So, you're going with Malfoy?" Fred was asking, sitting down beside her.
George sat down too.
"Yes," Hermione sighed. She put her head in her arms.
"Bad choice," George remarked. Hermione groaned.
"I was tricked into it!"
"Well…" Fred grinned.
BANG! Hermione jumped and sparks shot around her. Fred had set off a Dr
Filibuster's No-Heat Wet-Start Firework off beneath her. She shrieked,
picked up herbooks and marched away.
"Touchy," George teased. Hermione glared and stopped up the spiral
staircase.
Ginny was sitting on her bed when Hermione stormed in.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Some thing wrong? Everything's wrong!" Hermione exploded. "I have to go to
the Ball with Malfoy, the Common Room is too noisy, and your stupid brothers
just set off a firework beneath me!"
"Don't mind Fred and George," Ginny said. "They always do things like
that."
"I know," Hermione muttered, throwing herself on her bed.
"Hey," if it makes you feel any better, I'll do your hair for you on the
night of the Ball," Ginny offered. Hermione stared at her in amazement. Ginny had
considerable skill with hair-styles, and all the other girls had been begging her to do their
hair for the Ball.
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Can you do anything to mine though?"
"You have nice curls actually," Ginny said. "They're just super-frizzy."
"Well, if you think you can do it…"
Ginny grinned. "Of course."
Well, there's the third chapter. Hope you like it.
Hermione stomped into the Common Room after another fruitless meeting with
Draco. They'd just ended up fighting again and gotten nowhere. He'd really
blown histop when Hermione had called him a 'slimy git'.
Hermione was still furious from when he'd first told her they'd have to
talk aboutwhat they were going to do in secret because he 'didn't want to be seen
talking to aMudblood'. She had angrily replied it was almost as bad to be seen talking
to a Slytherin,and the son of a Death Eater at that. He'd gotten so mad he'd pulled out his
wand andstarted jinxing everything in sight and Hermione had had to hide under a
table.
And that had only been their first meeting. They'd had five more since
then, andthey had all been disastrous. She and Malfoy just weren't compatible. It was
already themiddle of December and they hadn't done a thing.
Besides, their meetings hadn't stayed very secret. Usually everyone came
runningwhen they heard them screaming at each other, though no one yet knew why
they'dstarted talking in the first place.
Hermione pulled on her robes and brushed her teeth, then she combed her
hair. Atthe other side of the room Parvati and Lavender were using magic to put all
their hair inlittle braids and Hermione scowled. Her hair was so unmanageable.
She janked a comb through it once more before she descended the spiral
staircaseto the Common Room. Ron and Harry were down too, and they all went to
breakfasttogether.
"Excuse me," Dumbledore called out over the hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione
looked at each other. Dumbledore had never made an announcement at breakfast
before.
"I just wanted to let you know," he said, "Since it is almost Christmas
holidays,that there'll be a Christmas Ball again this year. Many students have been
begging me forone," here his eyes twinkled at a group of girls sitting at the Ravenclaw
table, "And I am pleased to say it can be done. Thank you." He sat down again.
Harry groaned. "But last year was horrible!"
"Maybe Pansy'll want to come," Ron said thoughtfully. Hermione felt like
groaning too.
Over the next few weeks many people signed up to stay at Hogwarts over the
holidays. Hermione entertained the thought of just going home, until her
mother sent anowl (Hermione had taught them how to use it) saying Great Aunt Agatha was
comingover for the holidays. Hermione decided she'd prefer to go to the Ball
rather than sittingat home listening to Aunt Agatha reminisce about her childhood days.
Hermione couldn't get to sleep at night because all the other girls were
giggling about the Ball. It seemed all the girls had someone they wanted to ask them
to go, andthey were always giggling about whether that person would or not. Hermione
clamped her pillow over her ears and inwardly begged Ron to ask her.
"Well, I'm going with Pansy," Ron said one evening as they were playing
Exploding Snap. Hermione froze but nobody noticed because the pack chose
thatmoment to blow up. Harry smiled.
"I asked Cho Chang this year," he said. "This time she said yes."
Hermione stood up, mumbled something about not wanting to play anymore,
thendashed out of the Common Room to find Draco. Harry stared after her but Ron
was toobusy trying to rub the scotch marks off the table to notice.
She met Draco rushing up the hall as she was running down it. Both of them
stopped, then Hermione burst out
"Did Pansy tell you?"
Draco nodded, and Hermione caught a flash of hurt in his eyes. For half a
momentshe felt empathetic, then remembered he deserved it.
"This is stupid, Granger," he snarled. "We're not doing anything."
"I know," Hermione sighed. "Got any ideas?"
"Half of one," Draco replied. "It's one way we can keep on eye on Pansy and
Ron anyway."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Double-date."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yes Neville?" Hermione said as he came up to her after Care of Magical
Creatures. He turned rather red and looked at his feet.
"Do you want to got to the Ball with me?" he asked. Hermione collected
herself and faced him.
"I'm sorry, but I'm already going with someone." She also looked at her
feet."Just like last year."
Neville's eyes widened. "Who?"
Hermione would have given anything to keep him from asking that question.
"Draco Malfoy."
"What about Malfoy?" Harry asked, coming up. Neville looked like he was
about to faint.
"She's – she's going to the Ball with him," Neville gasped. Harry stared.
"Excuse me?"
Hermione nodded shame-facedly.
"He, um, betted Terence Higgs he could transfigure a cat, but he couldn't,"
she
explained. "If he lost he'd have to go to the Ball with me. He lost, so
Terence tricked meinto saying I'll go with Malfoy."
She summoned up a glare. "I'm not telling you how he tricked me."
That was the story they had decided to tell their friends, though Draco's
versionwas slightly different so Terence couldn't say he'd never betted that. It
wasn't likely any of Hermione's friends would talk to Draco's friends.
"Poor you," Ron said, coming up. He grinned at Hermione.
"Yeah, I heard," he nodded toward Harry and Neville. "Perhaps you and Draco
will want to double-date with me and Pansy, since Malfoy's her friend."
Hermione let out her breath. This part, at least, was going exactly as
planned.
"Sure," she said, and she smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days and weeks before the dreaded Ball rushed by, and Hermione
discoveredto her horror that her floaty periwinkle blue dress robes didn't fit
anymore. She had grown taller. So she owled her parents for money and went to Gladrags
Wizardwear inHogsmeade to buy new ones.
Ginny Weasley was going with Dean Thomas this year, and Fred and George
were going with Angelina and Alicia. Everyone seemed to be excited except
Hermione.How could she spend an entire evening with Draco? Hopefully she could get
Ron to slipoff somewhere with her. Draco certainly wouldn't mind.
Hermione was sitting in a corner of the Common Room trying to study but
Parvatiand Lavender (who were going with Seamus and a Ravenclaw named David) were
shrieking too loudly. She sighed and flipped through her library book,
looking at the pictures. Around her everyone seemed to be swirling, having fun, enjoying
themselves.Hermione sighed and looked at Ron.
"So, you're going with Malfoy?" Fred was asking, sitting down beside her.
George sat down too.
"Yes," Hermione sighed. She put her head in her arms.
"Bad choice," George remarked. Hermione groaned.
"I was tricked into it!"
"Well…" Fred grinned.
BANG! Hermione jumped and sparks shot around her. Fred had set off a Dr
Filibuster's No-Heat Wet-Start Firework off beneath her. She shrieked,
picked up herbooks and marched away.
"Touchy," George teased. Hermione glared and stopped up the spiral
staircase.
Ginny was sitting on her bed when Hermione stormed in.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Some thing wrong? Everything's wrong!" Hermione exploded. "I have to go to
the Ball with Malfoy, the Common Room is too noisy, and your stupid brothers
just set off a firework beneath me!"
"Don't mind Fred and George," Ginny said. "They always do things like
that."
"I know," Hermione muttered, throwing herself on her bed.
"Hey," if it makes you feel any better, I'll do your hair for you on the
night of the Ball," Ginny offered. Hermione stared at her in amazement. Ginny had
considerable skill with hair-styles, and all the other girls had been begging her to do their
hair for the Ball.
"Sure," Hermione replied. "Can you do anything to mine though?"
"You have nice curls actually," Ginny said. "They're just super-frizzy."
"Well, if you think you can do it…"
Ginny grinned. "Of course."
Well, there's the third chapter. Hope you like it.