A/N: Sorry it has been so long; I've been very, very busy. I hope that you
all like this chapter, since you had to wait for it for so long.
Chapter 21
It was the night before the ball, and Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron by the fire, finishing up a homework assignment. Ron groaned.
"Do we really have to do homework on a Friday night?"
"You don't have to," Hermione replied, not taking her eyes from the book she was skimming through. "But I suggest it."
"Don't you always?" Ron grumbled. There was a sharp rap at the window in the Common Room. Her head spun around to find a familiar owl sitting on the window ledge. Draco's owl. She'd become accustomed to seeing the owl around the common room. The two of them decided to hold off on the midnight meetings, and stick with writing to one another, and that's what they had been doing the past couple days. With a grin slapped onto her face, she jumped up, and let the owl in. Hermione chuckled as she watched him fly in a circle around her head playfully, and land gently on her shoulder.
"Well hello Duke." She said. The affectionate owl nuzzled its feathery head against her ear. She walked back to her chair, gave Duke a few owl treats and then he lifted into the air again, hooted happily before flying from the room.
"Another letter from her boyfriend." Ron said to Harry.
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Said Harry sarcastically. Ron made a face at Harry. Eagerly, Hermione opened her letter, laughing at the boys as she did so.
Hermione
Hey! How's it going? I was just sitting' here, bored as ever, and thought I'd write you back. Sure you and I could meet after the ball, but I have a better idea . . .
She continued to read, frowned, and caught her bottom lip in her teeth. Folding the letter back up, she looked into the fire. It was an interesting idea, but she didn't know if she was ready yet.
"What is it 'Mionie?" Harry said. She snapped away from her thoughts. She wasn't going to tell them. No, it wasn't their concern.
"Huh? Oh nothing. Just thinking is all."
Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend, wondering what had made her look so scared. Scared wasn't the word, Harry decided. Nervous, tense, edgy? He pondered about it as he continued his work for Trewlawny.
Hermione packed up her things, deciding it was time for bed. She bade the boys' goodnight and lugged her schoolbooks upstairs.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione awoke early the next morning to an early snow outside. She grinned and sat up in bed, watching the snowflakes clustering on the window ledge, and drifting past. Stretching, she wandered to the window, and lifted it open. A cold breeze flew into the room, catching her hair, and making it flutter around her shoulders. The cold pricked at her cheeks. She sighed, and looked out at the frost covered grounds. Everything was untouched, one gigantic blanket of white snow. She picked up snow from the ledge, and let it melt away in her hands. Taking one last breath of fresh air, she shut the window.
As she was brushing out her hair in her mirror, there was a knock at her door. Curious, she opened the door only to get a face full of snow. Coughing and sputtering, she wiped away the cold from her eyes just fast enough to see a fiery redhead sprinting down the stairs, followed by none other than Harry, who was laughing his head off.
"You did NOT!" She yelled. Frantically grabbing her cloak, she raced after them. With her cloak billowing behind her she caught up them in the entrance hall, where she could hear hundreds of voiced floating in from the Great Hall. She caught sight of Ron and Harry rushing out the oak doors, and followed them, plotting revenge as she chased them. "You guys are so dead!" She hollered at them. Gathering snow in her hands she packed it together as Harry and Ron turned to face her.
"Morning Hermione!" Harry called, waving at her.
"Good morning to you too, you moron!" And she chucked the snowball as hard as she could is Harry's direction. It landed about a foot from his toes. They boys fell over laughing, their faces pink with cold. She took her chance, and quickly gathered snow in both hands, ignoring the painful sting of the icy snow. As they lay there laughing, she walked right up to them and dumped the snow right on their faces. They instantly stopped laughing, and started coughing. Now it was Hemione's turn to laugh. But then was caught off guard when she fell, face first into the snow.
"Ha!" cried Harry.
"Oh shut up." Said Hermione, rolling over. The three of them had a great snowball fight, and were joined by Ginny, Fred, and George early on.
~*~*~*~
That evening, she was getting ready for the ball. She placed a hand on her stomach, where thousands of butterflies were fluttering, and making it difficult for her to concentrate. She slipped her silk dress robes over her head, studying herself in the full-length mirror. The fabric was elegant and smooth, and deep dark shade of blue. Hermione was to put her hair up in a graceful, stylish knot, like she did at the Yule Ball. It seemed to work for her, and kept her hair off her neck as she danced, so she opted for the same style. When she was almost ready to go, she opened her truck and pulled out a small box. She had been saving this for the Ball, and was anxious to use it. She applied a small amount of make up, and smiled at herself in the mirror. Content with her reflection, she headed off down stairs, where she was to meet Ron and Harry. Harry was of course going with Ginny. She saw Ron, Harry and Ginny standing by the portrait. Hermione grinned at the look Ron was throwing Harry. He had his arm around Ginny, who looked pleased. Ginny was wearing light flowing robes of pink, her hair was down, and was curled around her shoulders. Ron saw Hermione, and he froze. She was gorgeous, and she seemed to glide toward him, rather than walk.
"Hi." She said, smiling at the lost look on his face. After a few moments of no reply, she waved a hand in front of his face. "Ron?" she chuckled, "Hello? Are the lights on upstairs?" Ron jumped slightly, and chuckled himself.
"Oh sorry Hermione. You're just so," he paused, "Exquisite."
"Wow Ron, I'm so proud of you! That was such a big word! It had more that two syllables!" she said sarcastically.
"Oh shut up, I'm serious." He smiled.
"I know you are, and Thank You." She looked over at Harry and Ginny. "So are you two love birds, ready to go?"
"Oh speak for yourself Hermione." Ginny said. Hermione just stuck out her tongue at her, and laughed.
"Yeah, lets go." Harry said. "C'mon."
A/N::: I know its short, but I have other crap that I need to get done, and I thought this was an interesting place to leave a chapter. Please review.
Ps::: any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them. Email them to me AT MicheeKat@cox.net Please label the subject, "Suggestions" or something similar. Thanks all!!!
CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON! IT'S MAGIC! Well, not really, but you can review if ya click it. That would make me happy, and could possibly make the next chapter come faster . . . HINT, HINT, NUDGE, NUDGE
Chapter 21
It was the night before the ball, and Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron by the fire, finishing up a homework assignment. Ron groaned.
"Do we really have to do homework on a Friday night?"
"You don't have to," Hermione replied, not taking her eyes from the book she was skimming through. "But I suggest it."
"Don't you always?" Ron grumbled. There was a sharp rap at the window in the Common Room. Her head spun around to find a familiar owl sitting on the window ledge. Draco's owl. She'd become accustomed to seeing the owl around the common room. The two of them decided to hold off on the midnight meetings, and stick with writing to one another, and that's what they had been doing the past couple days. With a grin slapped onto her face, she jumped up, and let the owl in. Hermione chuckled as she watched him fly in a circle around her head playfully, and land gently on her shoulder.
"Well hello Duke." She said. The affectionate owl nuzzled its feathery head against her ear. She walked back to her chair, gave Duke a few owl treats and then he lifted into the air again, hooted happily before flying from the room.
"Another letter from her boyfriend." Ron said to Harry.
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Said Harry sarcastically. Ron made a face at Harry. Eagerly, Hermione opened her letter, laughing at the boys as she did so.
Hermione
Hey! How's it going? I was just sitting' here, bored as ever, and thought I'd write you back. Sure you and I could meet after the ball, but I have a better idea . . .
She continued to read, frowned, and caught her bottom lip in her teeth. Folding the letter back up, she looked into the fire. It was an interesting idea, but she didn't know if she was ready yet.
"What is it 'Mionie?" Harry said. She snapped away from her thoughts. She wasn't going to tell them. No, it wasn't their concern.
"Huh? Oh nothing. Just thinking is all."
Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend, wondering what had made her look so scared. Scared wasn't the word, Harry decided. Nervous, tense, edgy? He pondered about it as he continued his work for Trewlawny.
Hermione packed up her things, deciding it was time for bed. She bade the boys' goodnight and lugged her schoolbooks upstairs.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione awoke early the next morning to an early snow outside. She grinned and sat up in bed, watching the snowflakes clustering on the window ledge, and drifting past. Stretching, she wandered to the window, and lifted it open. A cold breeze flew into the room, catching her hair, and making it flutter around her shoulders. The cold pricked at her cheeks. She sighed, and looked out at the frost covered grounds. Everything was untouched, one gigantic blanket of white snow. She picked up snow from the ledge, and let it melt away in her hands. Taking one last breath of fresh air, she shut the window.
As she was brushing out her hair in her mirror, there was a knock at her door. Curious, she opened the door only to get a face full of snow. Coughing and sputtering, she wiped away the cold from her eyes just fast enough to see a fiery redhead sprinting down the stairs, followed by none other than Harry, who was laughing his head off.
"You did NOT!" She yelled. Frantically grabbing her cloak, she raced after them. With her cloak billowing behind her she caught up them in the entrance hall, where she could hear hundreds of voiced floating in from the Great Hall. She caught sight of Ron and Harry rushing out the oak doors, and followed them, plotting revenge as she chased them. "You guys are so dead!" She hollered at them. Gathering snow in her hands she packed it together as Harry and Ron turned to face her.
"Morning Hermione!" Harry called, waving at her.
"Good morning to you too, you moron!" And she chucked the snowball as hard as she could is Harry's direction. It landed about a foot from his toes. They boys fell over laughing, their faces pink with cold. She took her chance, and quickly gathered snow in both hands, ignoring the painful sting of the icy snow. As they lay there laughing, she walked right up to them and dumped the snow right on their faces. They instantly stopped laughing, and started coughing. Now it was Hemione's turn to laugh. But then was caught off guard when she fell, face first into the snow.
"Ha!" cried Harry.
"Oh shut up." Said Hermione, rolling over. The three of them had a great snowball fight, and were joined by Ginny, Fred, and George early on.
~*~*~*~
That evening, she was getting ready for the ball. She placed a hand on her stomach, where thousands of butterflies were fluttering, and making it difficult for her to concentrate. She slipped her silk dress robes over her head, studying herself in the full-length mirror. The fabric was elegant and smooth, and deep dark shade of blue. Hermione was to put her hair up in a graceful, stylish knot, like she did at the Yule Ball. It seemed to work for her, and kept her hair off her neck as she danced, so she opted for the same style. When she was almost ready to go, she opened her truck and pulled out a small box. She had been saving this for the Ball, and was anxious to use it. She applied a small amount of make up, and smiled at herself in the mirror. Content with her reflection, she headed off down stairs, where she was to meet Ron and Harry. Harry was of course going with Ginny. She saw Ron, Harry and Ginny standing by the portrait. Hermione grinned at the look Ron was throwing Harry. He had his arm around Ginny, who looked pleased. Ginny was wearing light flowing robes of pink, her hair was down, and was curled around her shoulders. Ron saw Hermione, and he froze. She was gorgeous, and she seemed to glide toward him, rather than walk.
"Hi." She said, smiling at the lost look on his face. After a few moments of no reply, she waved a hand in front of his face. "Ron?" she chuckled, "Hello? Are the lights on upstairs?" Ron jumped slightly, and chuckled himself.
"Oh sorry Hermione. You're just so," he paused, "Exquisite."
"Wow Ron, I'm so proud of you! That was such a big word! It had more that two syllables!" she said sarcastically.
"Oh shut up, I'm serious." He smiled.
"I know you are, and Thank You." She looked over at Harry and Ginny. "So are you two love birds, ready to go?"
"Oh speak for yourself Hermione." Ginny said. Hermione just stuck out her tongue at her, and laughed.
"Yeah, lets go." Harry said. "C'mon."
A/N::: I know its short, but I have other crap that I need to get done, and I thought this was an interesting place to leave a chapter. Please review.
Ps::: any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them. Email them to me AT MicheeKat@cox.net Please label the subject, "Suggestions" or something similar. Thanks all!!!
CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON! IT'S MAGIC! Well, not really, but you can review if ya click it. That would make me happy, and could possibly make the next chapter come faster . . . HINT, HINT, NUDGE, NUDGE