Chapter 12
A/N: Um, this is really embarrassing and I am very much ashamed of myself for not updating for over a year. I would like to apologize and say that I really am very sorry. I'm also sorry that this chapter isn't even good, although it's taken me such a long time to write it. Thank you very much to everyone who has given me feedback, on what's bad and what's good; it's really valuable to me.
I thought I'd explain a little about what's kept me from finishing this chapter till now. SO, when I got home from the USA there was so much else I had to do, and then school started with all its work (being in IB1 has been tough). Also, I know I promised to write during the fall break, but guess what happened? Of course, my computer chose to break just then. How convenient, huh? When we had fixed it, school started again, and along came schoolwork and mock exams. I'm really very sorry for making you wait for so long.
Oooh, and if anyone happens to care about my opinion about 'OotP'; I think it was a slight disappointment, because Harry was such an annoying brat who felt sorry for himself all the time.I still think 'PoA' is the best book and 'GoF' the second best. Cho had a dramatic personality transformation, and was annoying too, but I think Cedric's death took really hard on her and changed her, since she was totally okay in the previous books.
My reviewers:
Angelgirl11- Oh, I'm sure your grammar is much better than mine is. I read and reviewed your story. =0)
Kinipela12- Hi, Bonnie! waves back frenetically Thank you for giving me nice comments! =0) I absolutely LOVED it in the USA!!! So much that I want to move there (I've always wanted that, but now I'm even more convinced). I visited my two friends in Iowa and Virginia (we started out as e-mail pals) and met lots of awesome people. I definitely agree that there's loads of fun stuff to in the USA, so it feels boring to be back in Sweden, where there's nothing fun at all to do, except going online. I appreciate your patience.
Katina Wellson- I'm sorry, but what's a mediocre hobby writer to do, when wanting to keep her readers' interest? I'm also sorry for not updating until now, but so many things came up and prevented me from writing. Aw, thank you for not getting hung up on my grammatical errors.
MandyTheFreak- You'll see, you'll see! This will probably sound awful in English, so I'll play it safe instead; allt har sin tid. Pfft, who cares about Malfoy? (Except Ulrika who likes guys with backslick) Well, thank you!
LittleMissFairyStarLights- Thank you so much for saying that it's one of the best O/Hr you've read! LOL I understand that the end of the last chapter is confusing, if it would be the end of the whole story. I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear enough that it would be continued. Thank you also for reading my song fic.
J.L. McD- Oooh! I managed to surprise you! Go me! LOL Here's what you asked for.
lover411- Thank you for you comment, and sorry for being mean. makes sad puppy eyes Forgiven?
S.Moon- Thanks for thinking the plot is great. I'm sorry that the part where Hermione's Muggle friends come into the picture ruins it, but it's part of the story.
kura52- LOL You'll find out about it all in this chapter!
Jenna- I'm writing right now! I'm really sorry about not updating earlier (I AM aware of that's it been more than a year, and I really am ashamed of it), but I've been so busy. Please don't be mad at me, will you?
Baby Goo Goo 2- I'm right here! LOL Thanks, and I won't stop.
I hate Ginny- I'm truly sorry I haven't updated earlier, but I've been really busy with school. I AM going to finish this story, even though I haven't been able to do it during 2 and a half years. Thank you for being so patient.
CHO24/7- Thank you for all your nice comments! I honestly don't know if I'm going to make it a O/C fic or a O/Hr one. Yes, I'll try to update more often.
CleopatrA13- Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! =0)
Sam- I will! =0)
Elfie-chan- Thanks a bunch! I do my best.
grahamcrackers- Thanks a lot! He he... I am both mean AND confusing. You'll find out the answers to your questions in this chapter. Thank you, I'm glad that my grammar is good enough to understand. =0)
Hallie Walker- Thank you, I'm so flattered! I'll try to update a lot more often.
silver-dragon60- I'm going to, and thanks for enjoying reading this.
Goldfish r yummy- Thank you! I hope this is soon enough (even though it's not soon at all...). Thanks also for signing my guestbook. =0)
KIKI- Thanks!
Pandora Kattalikis- Aw, thank you! I was afraid people would think Hermione being good at Quidditch would be too out of character.
SenatorPadme- I will!
coco bean- I hope you'll like this!
poppincorn- Oooh! I'm so glad that I've succeeded with making a likeable cliffhanger! =0)
Anime Goddess15- Thank you! I feel so honored that you like it. Wow, you have a very live imagination! =0) You should totally write this story instead! I bet it would be loads better than, since ideas seem to pop up in your head just out of the blue. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen to me.
goldenwolf73- Yes! I managed to be unpredictable! =0) I'm glad you like it.
funkyfaerie87- Thank you, it really means a lot to me that you're enjoying reading my story. Don't worry about not reviewing before. Believe me, I know very well how it is when you read something good and can't stop reading until you've read the whole thing. When I put Cho into my story, 'OotP hadn't been released yet, and I based her personality on what we had seen of her in 'PoA' and 'GoF'. From her appearances in 'PoA' and 'GoF' I drew the conclusion that she seemed to be a nice person, which developed further. You're on to something with your predictions, and that's all that I'm going to say for now... =0)
angel13- Thanks, and I will.
Emma Knight- Thanks! =0)
The second Hermione opened her eyes, she wished she hadn't. She wished she had stayed in the far away world of dreams (even though she hadn't slept well, at all). She also wished the events of last night had been a dream. She wished a lot of things, but they seldom or never came true.
Without being fully rested, she pulled her bed curtains aside and rolled over to her alarm clock, to see if breakfast had started being served; it hadn't. She could hear the others snort lightly. Almost unaware, her fingers flew to the place on her cheek where HE had kissed her. She had to slap herself on her right hand to stop touching it. Oh great, she thought, now I'm starting to resemble a mental person too. She sat up, pulled her hand through her hair and then frustratingly sank back down again. She was ashamed of how all this made her react, and felt like she just wanted to disappear somewhere and erase this from her memory at the same time. It didn't make sense; that kiss meant nothing, so why was she here, wasting so much energy on thinking of such a non-important thing?
"Uhhhhh," she groaned.
She didn't know why she kept thinking about it; it didn't really mean anything particular. At all. She herself had kissed Harry on the cheek, at Kings Cross Station at the beginning of the summer, and she could bet Harry wasn't stuck on that event. She felt really stupid, because she was sure that Oliver had probably already forgotten about it all, while she didn't seem to be able to get it out of her head. Her thoughts kept running around and around in her head, and they were all incoherent. It was so frustrating not to be able to think clearly! Why, oh why, did she have to go on like this?
Okay, she thought, I have to get my thoughts sorted out, so I can focus on everything I have to do today. I have to study for the-very-likely-to-come Potions pop quiz, do some Arithmancy, write an essay on how a digital camera works and help Cho fit the dress. That'd be about all, she thought. Why do I have to feel like this? she started asking herself again. I never asked for any of it! No, I've wasted enough time and energy on this stuff now, and it's more than about time I pull myself together and concentrate on important things. I simply cannot go on like this! I have made a plan for the day and now all I have to do is stick to it. Hermione got out of bed to get ready for breakfast, and when she was done Lavender and Parvati were awake.
"Good morning," she said. "Um, I have a lot to do today, and I was wondering if you could please take my friends to Hogsmeade, without me? I would really appreciate it."
"Sure," Lavender said, yawning.
"Great, thanks," Hermione said. "I'll notify them then."
"Don't mention it," Lavender replied.
Hermione went down to the guest dorm, and when she was just about to knock, she covered her mouth with her hand in horror, as she remembered what she'd been supposed to do last night. She was very disappointed in herself, since she'd been so overwhelmed with she-didn't- know-what last night, that she had just waded through the common room without caring about the mess. Now the poor house elves had had to clean it all up. The image in her head, of the house elves cleaning all night long, made her mood sink even more.
She pulled her wand out and decided that she needed a dose of a Cheering Charm, in order to keep the appearances up today. After performing it, she had a broad smile on her face, and felt ready to meet her Muggle friends. She told them about today's plans, and they were fine with them, so it didn't take long until she was able to go down to the Great Hall, still all smiles. It was quite empty, and Hermione assumed people were sleeping in, as they usually did on a Saturday. She spotted Cho sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table, and started towards it, since there was plenty of room at it.
"Hi, feeling better today?" Hermione asked.
"A lot," Cho replied. "It really helps, you know, to talk to someone and not just keep it inside of oneself."
"By the way," she added, after taking another look at Hermione, "how come you look so happy today?"
"What? Aren't I always happy? And why wouldn't I be? The sun is shining and..." Hermione made a gesture up at the ceiling, and quickly looked down again when it was clearly showing that it was all cloudy outside.
"Anyhow,"she said and quickly switched topics of conversation, "let's do it in your dorm, since I will have to bring the gown there anyway." "I'll cover my ears when you say the password."
"I'm fine with that," Cho said. "I'll wait for you here at the entrance."
The two girls finished the rest of their breakfast in silence, and when they were heading out of the Great Hall, the rest of the student body came flocking. Hermione hurried back to her dormitory, and when she was on her way back, she felt the Cheering Charm diminish and gave herself the second dose of the day. She promised herself that it was the last one, though.
Cho was waiting for her and quickly led her to the Ravenclaw wing. They didn't have a portrait as an entrance, but a bookshelf. Just like Anne Frank's hiding place, Hermione thought. A portrait was next to the bookshelf, and after Cho said the password, the bookshelf swung open. Hermione was amazed and speechless by what she saw in Ravenclaw's common room. There were books everywhere; bookshelves filled with books and heaps on the tables.
"Wow," she managed.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" Cho smiled.
"To put it mildly," Hermione agreed. "I would be able to put up with living here."
"Come on, I'll show you to my dorm." Cho headed for the stairs to the right.
The dorm was like a miniature of the common room, with two bookshelves and books lying on every bedside table. Apart from that, the room looked just like her own dorm, except for the fact that all the curtains were blue. It was empty, since everyone had gone down for breakfast. Hermione felt relieved that Cho's roommates weren't there.
Cho pointed at the bed closest to the window.
"That's my bed."
Hermione nodded and then clasped her hands together.
"Well, let's get started, shall we?"
Hermione handed Cho the bag with the dress in, and went to sit on Cho's bed while waiting for her to change, in the bathroom. She looked out of the window and just sat staring out of it. The view was stunning and had a calming effect on her, which was exactly what she needed. The sound of someone entering the room startled her and she gasped.
"Just WHO are YOU?" a girl with red blonde, curly hair demanded to know.
Before Hermione even had time to open her mouth, the door to the bathroom was opened and Cho stepped out. She was clutching the skirt, so she wouldn't step on it.
"Oh, Marietta, you're back already." Cho smiled brightly at her.
"I am," the girl named Marietta said and returned the smile. "Amy and Sarah are coming; we met some seventh years Hufflepuffs on our way, who seemed like they really wanted to ask them to the ball. I can take a hint, so I knew when to leave." Then she stopped smiling, and pointed at Hermione. "Do you know who THAT is? And why are you dressed like that?"
Cho gave a laugh. "Don't worry, she's not an intruder. This is Hermione Granger, she's a fifth year Gryffindor and friends with Harry Potter."
Marietta gave Hermione a look and uninterestedly raised one eyebrow.
"Hermione, come here," Cho said. "I'd like you to meet my best friend, Marietta Edgecombe."
Hermione held her hand out and forced herself to smile slightly. "Hello, nice to meet you."
Marietta didn't take it, but turned to Cho instead. "You still haven't explained why you're wearing that... thing."
"Oh, that's right. Hermione has persuaded me into going to the ball, and since I won't be able to get a dress robe, in time, she's being so kind and lending me her dress." Cho explained.
"That's great that you're going, after all!" Marietta happily exclaimed. "We're going to have sooo much fun; even more fun than we had at the Yule ball!"
"I hope so." Cho looked down at her feet.
Hermione couldn't understand Marietta's tactlessness, but Marietta didn't seem to notice Cho's change of moods and kept on babbling.
"Guess who approached me today and asked if you had a date for the ball? Joe Henderson! Of course I told him you weren't going, and he seemed really disappointed, but now you can go with him. Michael Corner also asked about you the other day, but if I were you I would choose Joe Henderson."
Joe Henderson was a cute seventh year Ravenclaw who had transferred to Hogwarts in April last year, but he was already one of the most popular kids.
"I... I can't go with any of them," Cho said quietly. "I'm already going with someone else."
"Really?!" Marietta was surprised. "Who is it then?
"Oliver Wood."
Marietta's eyes popped up wide. "You're kidding me...!"
"No, he's just going to keep me company as a teacher, so it's really not a big deal..."
"Not a big deal? Open your eyes, Cho! Oliver Wood has been every girl's DREAM DATE, since the day he first set his foot here at Hogwarts. My, you certainly are one lucky girl!"
Marietta took a quick breath and collected herself.
"Okay, this requires careful planning, in order to make everything perfect. There's still time to go into Hogsmeade and get you a manicure and..."
My gosh! Is there no end to how this person can go on? Hermione thought. No, no, I'm not going to hang around here all day, so I'll just do what I came to do, now, and just hopefully not see this person for at least the rest of the day.
"Um, not to interrupt your interesting conversation or anything, but I have some things to do, so I was just wondering if I could just quickly shrink the gown now and then leave you to continue your conversation?" Hermione asked sweetly, with a plastered smile on her face. "I think we should shrink the gown about five centimeters (A/N: about 2 inches). What do you think about that, Cho?"
"I... I think that'll be fine."
"Let's get to work then," she said and then mumbled something under her breath.
The gown immediately shrunk five centimeters and now fitted Cho like a glove.
Hermione had a pleased expression on her face. "There, I thought it would look nice. Well, I guess I'll leave now. See you."
Cho opened her mouth as if to say something, but Hermione hurried out of the room before anyone had the time to speak; she felt awkward in Marrietta's company and just wanted leave as soon as possible. She once again found herself in Ravenclaw's magnificent common room that could more be described as a library. It was impossible for her to leave directly without having walked around and have a look at all the lovely books. There were all sort of books; books about Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Arithmancy, Quidditch and biographies of famous witches and wizards. There were even Muggle books. Hermione recognized some Muggle classics like 'Pride And Prejudice' and 'Little Women'. She hadn't dared to touch any of the books, but when she saw an old book about Arithmancy, she just couldn't resist the strong urge to take it down and have a look inside it. She browsed through the pages with fascination.
"Those books are ancient and exclusive first editions of Rowena Ravenclaw's favorite books, and it's strictly forbidden to touch them," a male voice, from behind her, said.
The voice had startled Hermione so much that she almost dropped the book.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know," she gave as an excuse and quickly put the book back where it belonged. "I'm not in Ravenclaw, but I was just visiting a friend, and when I was on my back and saw this great book about the fascinating subject Arithmancy, I just couldn't resist having a look inside it."
"I can see why," the voice said, "I've had a hard time myself, with resisting the urge to touch and read any of those books."
Hermione turned around to see who the voice belonged to, but she didn't recognize the guy. He was tall and had brown hair and clear blue eyes.
The guy held his hand out. "Joe Henderson."
"Oh, you're the one who..." she was on her way to say "wants to take Cho to the ball", but managed to stop herself in the last minute.
"Who what?" he asked curiously and amusedly.
"Who..." she frenetically searched in her memory.
"Who is the Ravenclaw prefect who made the suggestion that all the new prefects have to be sixth year students, because that's how it was at your last school, and it all worked tremendously there, and got your suggestion sustained." She said all that very quickly and triumphantly, relieved that she had been able to think of something to say to fix the consequences of when she had let her tongue slip earlier (there was also some bitterness in her tone, because she had been hoping like mad to be chosen to be a Gryffindor prefect, now that she was finally a fifth year student).
"That's right," he said and laughed warmly. "So, now that we've cleared things about who I am, who are you then?"
"Hermione Granger," she said and shook his hand that was still held out towards her.
"Oh, you're the one who..." he started, but then hesitated and stopped. "...no..."
"Who what?" she urged him on, not being able to hold back a smile, even though his tone worried her. "What have you heard?"
After all, what could it be? That her middle name was 'Brainy'? Or 'Insufferable-know-it-all'?
"Who has an unhealthy obsession with Draco Malfoy and therefore likes to stalk him," he quickly turned his head away after saying it.
"WHAT?!" Hermione felt like someone had smacked her in her face.
Suddenly he turned his head back to face her and cracked up big time.
"I'm just messing with you!" he said between his laughs. "Ha ha! You should've seen your face!"
He patted her arm.
"I'm sorry if I got you upset, really."
She took a few deep breaths.
"I'm fine," she finally managed. "You really got me, there. It's just that it was so absurd that I wasn't able to imagine that someone would be able to make something like that up. Anyway, what HAVE you heard about me?"
"Oh, just the usual, I guess," he answered, "you're the smartest person in your year, even though you're Muggle-born, it's a mystery why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, and you're good friends with Harry Potter and that redhead what's-his-name, plus you used to date Viktor Krum."
"Ron Weasley," she told him. "And no, I didn't date Viktor Krum; I just went to the Yule ball with him. Yes, I guess that pretty much sums me up. It's quite amazing; you've been here for a few months, never spoken to me before now, and you already know the story of life."
He laughed friendlily.
"You're funny," he said. "Are you funny at balls too? Or only when someone catches you with touching Ravenclaw's ancient books? I'd like to find that out."
"What do you mean?" she said confusedly.
"Hermione "Malfoy Stalker and Harry Potter's best friend" Granger, in Gryffindor, would you like to go to the ball with me?" he asked while facing her with a steady look.
"I... I... I'm not sure," she finally managed.
My gosh! she thought. What am I saying? 'I'm not sure'???!!! No! I can't go with him, I just can't. There were so many reasons for that, no dress, no time...
"All you have to be sure of is to say yes, because I would really like to find out if you're always like this funny," he said.
"I mean, no; I can't," she said.
"Please," he said, "I know I'm no Viktor Krum, but I would really to go with you."
"Can I think about it?" she asked. "You kind of surprised me here."
"By all means, but please let me know by dinner tonight, will you?" he said.
"I will," she said and nodded.
As soon as Hermione got out of the Ravenclaw common room, she stopped and leaned back to a wall. A part of her wanted to accept Joe's invitation to the ball, but another part of her didn't. She liked balls and had been looking forward to going to this one, but when she had been planning on going, she had also just planned on going with Harry, Ron, Neville or someone else whom she'd just go with as friends.
With Joe it was different, since they had just met and she didn't know him enough to know his intentions. She was afraid to maybe encourage something by accepting his invitation, but at the same time she didn't want to hurt him by declining, because he seemed really nice and she wanted to get to know him better. She assumed that they shared the common interest of books, so there probably wouldn't be an awkward silence between them most of the time. Suddenly she remembered that she was probably a secondhand choice or something, after all, since he'd initially wanted to go with Cho. Then she might get a new friend out of going, but there was still the schoolwork issue...
All right, she thought, I'm tired of never knowing what to decide on, so this time I'll let a coin do it for me. She hauled up a coin from her jeans pocket and charmed it to say 'YES', with glowing red letters, on one side and 'NO', with glowing blue letters, on the other. Then she tossed it up. The glowing red letters were unmistakable. Well, she thought, I guess I'll have to look for a dress robe then.
A/N: Um, this is really embarrassing and I am very much ashamed of myself for not updating for over a year. I would like to apologize and say that I really am very sorry. I'm also sorry that this chapter isn't even good, although it's taken me such a long time to write it. Thank you very much to everyone who has given me feedback, on what's bad and what's good; it's really valuable to me.
I thought I'd explain a little about what's kept me from finishing this chapter till now. SO, when I got home from the USA there was so much else I had to do, and then school started with all its work (being in IB1 has been tough). Also, I know I promised to write during the fall break, but guess what happened? Of course, my computer chose to break just then. How convenient, huh? When we had fixed it, school started again, and along came schoolwork and mock exams. I'm really very sorry for making you wait for so long.
Oooh, and if anyone happens to care about my opinion about 'OotP'; I think it was a slight disappointment, because Harry was such an annoying brat who felt sorry for himself all the time.I still think 'PoA' is the best book and 'GoF' the second best. Cho had a dramatic personality transformation, and was annoying too, but I think Cedric's death took really hard on her and changed her, since she was totally okay in the previous books.
My reviewers:
Angelgirl11- Oh, I'm sure your grammar is much better than mine is. I read and reviewed your story. =0)
Kinipela12- Hi, Bonnie! waves back frenetically Thank you for giving me nice comments! =0) I absolutely LOVED it in the USA!!! So much that I want to move there (I've always wanted that, but now I'm even more convinced). I visited my two friends in Iowa and Virginia (we started out as e-mail pals) and met lots of awesome people. I definitely agree that there's loads of fun stuff to in the USA, so it feels boring to be back in Sweden, where there's nothing fun at all to do, except going online. I appreciate your patience.
Katina Wellson- I'm sorry, but what's a mediocre hobby writer to do, when wanting to keep her readers' interest? I'm also sorry for not updating until now, but so many things came up and prevented me from writing. Aw, thank you for not getting hung up on my grammatical errors.
MandyTheFreak- You'll see, you'll see! This will probably sound awful in English, so I'll play it safe instead; allt har sin tid. Pfft, who cares about Malfoy? (Except Ulrika who likes guys with backslick) Well, thank you!
LittleMissFairyStarLights- Thank you so much for saying that it's one of the best O/Hr you've read! LOL I understand that the end of the last chapter is confusing, if it would be the end of the whole story. I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear enough that it would be continued. Thank you also for reading my song fic.
J.L. McD- Oooh! I managed to surprise you! Go me! LOL Here's what you asked for.
lover411- Thank you for you comment, and sorry for being mean. makes sad puppy eyes Forgiven?
S.Moon- Thanks for thinking the plot is great. I'm sorry that the part where Hermione's Muggle friends come into the picture ruins it, but it's part of the story.
kura52- LOL You'll find out about it all in this chapter!
Jenna- I'm writing right now! I'm really sorry about not updating earlier (I AM aware of that's it been more than a year, and I really am ashamed of it), but I've been so busy. Please don't be mad at me, will you?
Baby Goo Goo 2- I'm right here! LOL Thanks, and I won't stop.
I hate Ginny- I'm truly sorry I haven't updated earlier, but I've been really busy with school. I AM going to finish this story, even though I haven't been able to do it during 2 and a half years. Thank you for being so patient.
CHO24/7- Thank you for all your nice comments! I honestly don't know if I'm going to make it a O/C fic or a O/Hr one. Yes, I'll try to update more often.
CleopatrA13- Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! =0)
Sam- I will! =0)
Elfie-chan- Thanks a bunch! I do my best.
grahamcrackers- Thanks a lot! He he... I am both mean AND confusing. You'll find out the answers to your questions in this chapter. Thank you, I'm glad that my grammar is good enough to understand. =0)
Hallie Walker- Thank you, I'm so flattered! I'll try to update a lot more often.
silver-dragon60- I'm going to, and thanks for enjoying reading this.
Goldfish r yummy- Thank you! I hope this is soon enough (even though it's not soon at all...). Thanks also for signing my guestbook. =0)
KIKI- Thanks!
Pandora Kattalikis- Aw, thank you! I was afraid people would think Hermione being good at Quidditch would be too out of character.
SenatorPadme- I will!
coco bean- I hope you'll like this!
poppincorn- Oooh! I'm so glad that I've succeeded with making a likeable cliffhanger! =0)
Anime Goddess15- Thank you! I feel so honored that you like it. Wow, you have a very live imagination! =0) You should totally write this story instead! I bet it would be loads better than, since ideas seem to pop up in your head just out of the blue. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen to me.
goldenwolf73- Yes! I managed to be unpredictable! =0) I'm glad you like it.
funkyfaerie87- Thank you, it really means a lot to me that you're enjoying reading my story. Don't worry about not reviewing before. Believe me, I know very well how it is when you read something good and can't stop reading until you've read the whole thing. When I put Cho into my story, 'OotP hadn't been released yet, and I based her personality on what we had seen of her in 'PoA' and 'GoF'. From her appearances in 'PoA' and 'GoF' I drew the conclusion that she seemed to be a nice person, which developed further. You're on to something with your predictions, and that's all that I'm going to say for now... =0)
angel13- Thanks, and I will.
Emma Knight- Thanks! =0)
The second Hermione opened her eyes, she wished she hadn't. She wished she had stayed in the far away world of dreams (even though she hadn't slept well, at all). She also wished the events of last night had been a dream. She wished a lot of things, but they seldom or never came true.
Without being fully rested, she pulled her bed curtains aside and rolled over to her alarm clock, to see if breakfast had started being served; it hadn't. She could hear the others snort lightly. Almost unaware, her fingers flew to the place on her cheek where HE had kissed her. She had to slap herself on her right hand to stop touching it. Oh great, she thought, now I'm starting to resemble a mental person too. She sat up, pulled her hand through her hair and then frustratingly sank back down again. She was ashamed of how all this made her react, and felt like she just wanted to disappear somewhere and erase this from her memory at the same time. It didn't make sense; that kiss meant nothing, so why was she here, wasting so much energy on thinking of such a non-important thing?
"Uhhhhh," she groaned.
She didn't know why she kept thinking about it; it didn't really mean anything particular. At all. She herself had kissed Harry on the cheek, at Kings Cross Station at the beginning of the summer, and she could bet Harry wasn't stuck on that event. She felt really stupid, because she was sure that Oliver had probably already forgotten about it all, while she didn't seem to be able to get it out of her head. Her thoughts kept running around and around in her head, and they were all incoherent. It was so frustrating not to be able to think clearly! Why, oh why, did she have to go on like this?
Okay, she thought, I have to get my thoughts sorted out, so I can focus on everything I have to do today. I have to study for the-very-likely-to-come Potions pop quiz, do some Arithmancy, write an essay on how a digital camera works and help Cho fit the dress. That'd be about all, she thought. Why do I have to feel like this? she started asking herself again. I never asked for any of it! No, I've wasted enough time and energy on this stuff now, and it's more than about time I pull myself together and concentrate on important things. I simply cannot go on like this! I have made a plan for the day and now all I have to do is stick to it. Hermione got out of bed to get ready for breakfast, and when she was done Lavender and Parvati were awake.
"Good morning," she said. "Um, I have a lot to do today, and I was wondering if you could please take my friends to Hogsmeade, without me? I would really appreciate it."
"Sure," Lavender said, yawning.
"Great, thanks," Hermione said. "I'll notify them then."
"Don't mention it," Lavender replied.
Hermione went down to the guest dorm, and when she was just about to knock, she covered her mouth with her hand in horror, as she remembered what she'd been supposed to do last night. She was very disappointed in herself, since she'd been so overwhelmed with she-didn't- know-what last night, that she had just waded through the common room without caring about the mess. Now the poor house elves had had to clean it all up. The image in her head, of the house elves cleaning all night long, made her mood sink even more.
She pulled her wand out and decided that she needed a dose of a Cheering Charm, in order to keep the appearances up today. After performing it, she had a broad smile on her face, and felt ready to meet her Muggle friends. She told them about today's plans, and they were fine with them, so it didn't take long until she was able to go down to the Great Hall, still all smiles. It was quite empty, and Hermione assumed people were sleeping in, as they usually did on a Saturday. She spotted Cho sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table, and started towards it, since there was plenty of room at it.
"Hi, feeling better today?" Hermione asked.
"A lot," Cho replied. "It really helps, you know, to talk to someone and not just keep it inside of oneself."
"By the way," she added, after taking another look at Hermione, "how come you look so happy today?"
"What? Aren't I always happy? And why wouldn't I be? The sun is shining and..." Hermione made a gesture up at the ceiling, and quickly looked down again when it was clearly showing that it was all cloudy outside.
"Anyhow,"she said and quickly switched topics of conversation, "let's do it in your dorm, since I will have to bring the gown there anyway." "I'll cover my ears when you say the password."
"I'm fine with that," Cho said. "I'll wait for you here at the entrance."
The two girls finished the rest of their breakfast in silence, and when they were heading out of the Great Hall, the rest of the student body came flocking. Hermione hurried back to her dormitory, and when she was on her way back, she felt the Cheering Charm diminish and gave herself the second dose of the day. She promised herself that it was the last one, though.
Cho was waiting for her and quickly led her to the Ravenclaw wing. They didn't have a portrait as an entrance, but a bookshelf. Just like Anne Frank's hiding place, Hermione thought. A portrait was next to the bookshelf, and after Cho said the password, the bookshelf swung open. Hermione was amazed and speechless by what she saw in Ravenclaw's common room. There were books everywhere; bookshelves filled with books and heaps on the tables.
"Wow," she managed.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" Cho smiled.
"To put it mildly," Hermione agreed. "I would be able to put up with living here."
"Come on, I'll show you to my dorm." Cho headed for the stairs to the right.
The dorm was like a miniature of the common room, with two bookshelves and books lying on every bedside table. Apart from that, the room looked just like her own dorm, except for the fact that all the curtains were blue. It was empty, since everyone had gone down for breakfast. Hermione felt relieved that Cho's roommates weren't there.
Cho pointed at the bed closest to the window.
"That's my bed."
Hermione nodded and then clasped her hands together.
"Well, let's get started, shall we?"
Hermione handed Cho the bag with the dress in, and went to sit on Cho's bed while waiting for her to change, in the bathroom. She looked out of the window and just sat staring out of it. The view was stunning and had a calming effect on her, which was exactly what she needed. The sound of someone entering the room startled her and she gasped.
"Just WHO are YOU?" a girl with red blonde, curly hair demanded to know.
Before Hermione even had time to open her mouth, the door to the bathroom was opened and Cho stepped out. She was clutching the skirt, so she wouldn't step on it.
"Oh, Marietta, you're back already." Cho smiled brightly at her.
"I am," the girl named Marietta said and returned the smile. "Amy and Sarah are coming; we met some seventh years Hufflepuffs on our way, who seemed like they really wanted to ask them to the ball. I can take a hint, so I knew when to leave." Then she stopped smiling, and pointed at Hermione. "Do you know who THAT is? And why are you dressed like that?"
Cho gave a laugh. "Don't worry, she's not an intruder. This is Hermione Granger, she's a fifth year Gryffindor and friends with Harry Potter."
Marietta gave Hermione a look and uninterestedly raised one eyebrow.
"Hermione, come here," Cho said. "I'd like you to meet my best friend, Marietta Edgecombe."
Hermione held her hand out and forced herself to smile slightly. "Hello, nice to meet you."
Marietta didn't take it, but turned to Cho instead. "You still haven't explained why you're wearing that... thing."
"Oh, that's right. Hermione has persuaded me into going to the ball, and since I won't be able to get a dress robe, in time, she's being so kind and lending me her dress." Cho explained.
"That's great that you're going, after all!" Marietta happily exclaimed. "We're going to have sooo much fun; even more fun than we had at the Yule ball!"
"I hope so." Cho looked down at her feet.
Hermione couldn't understand Marietta's tactlessness, but Marietta didn't seem to notice Cho's change of moods and kept on babbling.
"Guess who approached me today and asked if you had a date for the ball? Joe Henderson! Of course I told him you weren't going, and he seemed really disappointed, but now you can go with him. Michael Corner also asked about you the other day, but if I were you I would choose Joe Henderson."
Joe Henderson was a cute seventh year Ravenclaw who had transferred to Hogwarts in April last year, but he was already one of the most popular kids.
"I... I can't go with any of them," Cho said quietly. "I'm already going with someone else."
"Really?!" Marietta was surprised. "Who is it then?
"Oliver Wood."
Marietta's eyes popped up wide. "You're kidding me...!"
"No, he's just going to keep me company as a teacher, so it's really not a big deal..."
"Not a big deal? Open your eyes, Cho! Oliver Wood has been every girl's DREAM DATE, since the day he first set his foot here at Hogwarts. My, you certainly are one lucky girl!"
Marietta took a quick breath and collected herself.
"Okay, this requires careful planning, in order to make everything perfect. There's still time to go into Hogsmeade and get you a manicure and..."
My gosh! Is there no end to how this person can go on? Hermione thought. No, no, I'm not going to hang around here all day, so I'll just do what I came to do, now, and just hopefully not see this person for at least the rest of the day.
"Um, not to interrupt your interesting conversation or anything, but I have some things to do, so I was just wondering if I could just quickly shrink the gown now and then leave you to continue your conversation?" Hermione asked sweetly, with a plastered smile on her face. "I think we should shrink the gown about five centimeters (A/N: about 2 inches). What do you think about that, Cho?"
"I... I think that'll be fine."
"Let's get to work then," she said and then mumbled something under her breath.
The gown immediately shrunk five centimeters and now fitted Cho like a glove.
Hermione had a pleased expression on her face. "There, I thought it would look nice. Well, I guess I'll leave now. See you."
Cho opened her mouth as if to say something, but Hermione hurried out of the room before anyone had the time to speak; she felt awkward in Marrietta's company and just wanted leave as soon as possible. She once again found herself in Ravenclaw's magnificent common room that could more be described as a library. It was impossible for her to leave directly without having walked around and have a look at all the lovely books. There were all sort of books; books about Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Arithmancy, Quidditch and biographies of famous witches and wizards. There were even Muggle books. Hermione recognized some Muggle classics like 'Pride And Prejudice' and 'Little Women'. She hadn't dared to touch any of the books, but when she saw an old book about Arithmancy, she just couldn't resist the strong urge to take it down and have a look inside it. She browsed through the pages with fascination.
"Those books are ancient and exclusive first editions of Rowena Ravenclaw's favorite books, and it's strictly forbidden to touch them," a male voice, from behind her, said.
The voice had startled Hermione so much that she almost dropped the book.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know," she gave as an excuse and quickly put the book back where it belonged. "I'm not in Ravenclaw, but I was just visiting a friend, and when I was on my back and saw this great book about the fascinating subject Arithmancy, I just couldn't resist having a look inside it."
"I can see why," the voice said, "I've had a hard time myself, with resisting the urge to touch and read any of those books."
Hermione turned around to see who the voice belonged to, but she didn't recognize the guy. He was tall and had brown hair and clear blue eyes.
The guy held his hand out. "Joe Henderson."
"Oh, you're the one who..." she was on her way to say "wants to take Cho to the ball", but managed to stop herself in the last minute.
"Who what?" he asked curiously and amusedly.
"Who..." she frenetically searched in her memory.
"Who is the Ravenclaw prefect who made the suggestion that all the new prefects have to be sixth year students, because that's how it was at your last school, and it all worked tremendously there, and got your suggestion sustained." She said all that very quickly and triumphantly, relieved that she had been able to think of something to say to fix the consequences of when she had let her tongue slip earlier (there was also some bitterness in her tone, because she had been hoping like mad to be chosen to be a Gryffindor prefect, now that she was finally a fifth year student).
"That's right," he said and laughed warmly. "So, now that we've cleared things about who I am, who are you then?"
"Hermione Granger," she said and shook his hand that was still held out towards her.
"Oh, you're the one who..." he started, but then hesitated and stopped. "...no..."
"Who what?" she urged him on, not being able to hold back a smile, even though his tone worried her. "What have you heard?"
After all, what could it be? That her middle name was 'Brainy'? Or 'Insufferable-know-it-all'?
"Who has an unhealthy obsession with Draco Malfoy and therefore likes to stalk him," he quickly turned his head away after saying it.
"WHAT?!" Hermione felt like someone had smacked her in her face.
Suddenly he turned his head back to face her and cracked up big time.
"I'm just messing with you!" he said between his laughs. "Ha ha! You should've seen your face!"
He patted her arm.
"I'm sorry if I got you upset, really."
She took a few deep breaths.
"I'm fine," she finally managed. "You really got me, there. It's just that it was so absurd that I wasn't able to imagine that someone would be able to make something like that up. Anyway, what HAVE you heard about me?"
"Oh, just the usual, I guess," he answered, "you're the smartest person in your year, even though you're Muggle-born, it's a mystery why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, and you're good friends with Harry Potter and that redhead what's-his-name, plus you used to date Viktor Krum."
"Ron Weasley," she told him. "And no, I didn't date Viktor Krum; I just went to the Yule ball with him. Yes, I guess that pretty much sums me up. It's quite amazing; you've been here for a few months, never spoken to me before now, and you already know the story of life."
He laughed friendlily.
"You're funny," he said. "Are you funny at balls too? Or only when someone catches you with touching Ravenclaw's ancient books? I'd like to find that out."
"What do you mean?" she said confusedly.
"Hermione "Malfoy Stalker and Harry Potter's best friend" Granger, in Gryffindor, would you like to go to the ball with me?" he asked while facing her with a steady look.
"I... I... I'm not sure," she finally managed.
My gosh! she thought. What am I saying? 'I'm not sure'???!!! No! I can't go with him, I just can't. There were so many reasons for that, no dress, no time...
"All you have to be sure of is to say yes, because I would really like to find out if you're always like this funny," he said.
"I mean, no; I can't," she said.
"Please," he said, "I know I'm no Viktor Krum, but I would really to go with you."
"Can I think about it?" she asked. "You kind of surprised me here."
"By all means, but please let me know by dinner tonight, will you?" he said.
"I will," she said and nodded.
As soon as Hermione got out of the Ravenclaw common room, she stopped and leaned back to a wall. A part of her wanted to accept Joe's invitation to the ball, but another part of her didn't. She liked balls and had been looking forward to going to this one, but when she had been planning on going, she had also just planned on going with Harry, Ron, Neville or someone else whom she'd just go with as friends.
With Joe it was different, since they had just met and she didn't know him enough to know his intentions. She was afraid to maybe encourage something by accepting his invitation, but at the same time she didn't want to hurt him by declining, because he seemed really nice and she wanted to get to know him better. She assumed that they shared the common interest of books, so there probably wouldn't be an awkward silence between them most of the time. Suddenly she remembered that she was probably a secondhand choice or something, after all, since he'd initially wanted to go with Cho. Then she might get a new friend out of going, but there was still the schoolwork issue...
All right, she thought, I'm tired of never knowing what to decide on, so this time I'll let a coin do it for me. She hauled up a coin from her jeans pocket and charmed it to say 'YES', with glowing red letters, on one side and 'NO', with glowing blue letters, on the other. Then she tossed it up. The glowing red letters were unmistakable. Well, she thought, I guess I'll have to look for a dress robe then.