A month passed without anyone really noticing it. It was February and the castle groups were covered in less snow and the Quidditch players were able to practice the game again. There was a strong scent in the air, the scent that is ever present in early spring. The snow had begun to melt. Soon flowers would be blooming, birds singing.

However, things hadn't become any easier for Snape or Hermione. The two still kept avoiding each other as much as possible and it took a hell lot of willpower for the both of them to stay in Potions class together. Hermione's friends were still left in the dark about the matter with Snape and that was the way she liked it.

One afternoon, on the tenth day of February, during Potions class, Colin Creevey came with a scroll in his hand. Snape looked at the boy like he was going to kill him.

"What's this?" he asked suspiciously. He did not like it when his classes were interrupted.

"A notice from the headmaster," came the reply, "all teachers are supposed to read it out loud."

Snape took the scroll, opened it and read it. And was promptly bewildered. He slowly got to his feet and read out the notice in a loud, clear voice: "The Valentine's Day Ball will be held on the 14th of February at seven o'clock in the evening and will last up till midnight."

All students were astonished. They had never had a Vanlentine's Day Ball. The whole classroom filled up with the students' murmurs and whispers. But everyone shut up when Snape yelled, "Silence!" Colin Creevey left the classroom and Snape looked at all of them with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Hermione held her breath, expecting him to make some sort of scathing remark. But he said nothing and went back to his desk.

"Carry on," he told them. "We don't have all day."

* * *

That evening, the Gryffindor common room was packed with students talking about the ball. Hermione sat quietly in the corner, doing her Arithmancy homework, feeling so alone in the crowded room. She was actually pretending to do her homework; how could anyone concentrate in all this noise?

"Hermione," Ginny's voice broke into her thoughts. She looked up to find the younger girl sitting on Harry's lap near the fire. There was a pang of pain in her heart, reminding her of Viktor.

Hermione smiled and tried to look interested. "Who are you going with?" It was the sort of question Parvati or Lavender was likely to ask.

"Nobody's asked me," she answered truthfully, "and even if they did, I don't think I would go."

"Maybe Ron will ask you," said Harry. He looked around. "Speaking of Ron, where is he?"

They all turned their heads to find Ron standing the window, flirting with Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbot, who seemed very impressed. It was hard to say if she was listening to Ron or busy looking at his face.

Harry looked very pessimistic after that. But Ginny was simply amused. "My brother has caught the eye of a damsel of the Badger," she remarked. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I don't think Hermione's going to get a date."

Hermione hadn't heard that and she couldn't care less about the ball. Besides, there was nobody she would have liked to go with. She didn't think that she could stand being in the Great Hall alone while other people enjoyed themselves with their admirers. And Snape would definitely be there, ruining everyone's evening by going to the garden to blast bushes with his wand. She shuddered with horror at the thought of Ron and Hannah in the bushes. Additionally, she didn't want to see his reaction if he saw her at the ball with someone else. It was not important, but she decided it was better for her not to attend the ball.

When Parvati and Lavender heard this later that evening, they were shocked.

"You must come with us!" Exclaimed Lavender. "We don't want you to be alone."

"Don't worry, we'll find a date for you," Parvati said.

"Oh, it's not about that," said Hermione, "it's just that...well, I'd rather be alone and I have work to do."

"No-one wants to be alone on Valentine's Day," Parvati folded her arms across her chest.

"Please."

"Please," said Lavender.

And Hermione just had to say yes.