Chapter four
Crystal didn't wake up until late the next day. When she realized she only had ten minutes to dress, eat, and get to her first class she rolled out of bed on to the cold, stone floor and rushed into her day. She quickly pulled on a green and white mini skirt and a rather tight white sweater. She pulled her robes over her shivering shoulders, grabbed her bag, and ran down through the common room and into the Great Hall.
When she entered the Great Hall most people had already finished their breakfasts and were heading to their first classes of the day. She ran over to the Griffindor table, grabbed a peach and a peice of wheat toast, and started down the hall slowly. She was finished with her toast and halfway through her peach when she realized she didn't know where she was going. She dropped her half finished fruit in a nearby bin and turned back towards the Great Hall. As she rounded a corner she bumped into someone.
"Harry!" she said startled, "Sorry! I didn't see you there. I was just going back to the great Hall to-"
"Get this?" He finished for her, holding up a slip of paper. Her schedule.
"Thanks." she smiled at him while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She took the paper from him and turned to leave.
Don't look back, she told herself, never show weakness. She heard a crash from behind her. She turned around then and saw Harry helping Neville Longbottom pick up his dropped books. He glanced at her and smiled, a slight twinge in his cheeks. Nice, Crys. real nice.
She read her schedule and saw she had Defense Against the Dark Arts next. She ran to her next class, almost forgetting about a certain trick step and only realized it seconds before she stepped in it when Lavender shouted from behind her. She turned around and thanked her with a wave then continued to run. She almost made it too.
"Late, Miss..." the New teacher said.
"Noramison, Crystal Noramison. Sorry Ma'am."
"Professor Neslon. Miss Normanison has brought up a good point here class and she has taught you your first lesson of the year." Professor Neslon said as Crystal slipped into an empty table at the edge of the room.
Ron beckoned at Crystal from across the room to come sit with him, Harry and Hermione. She subtley shook her head.
"If you are late you shall receive a detention." Professor Neslon said to Crys, who turned her head towards her professor immediately flashing her a fake smile, "Crystal your detention will be held tomorrow. I shall tell you when I find a suitable punishment. Now for the real lesson..."
They all practiced various hexes for the rest of the class so Professor Neslon could see how far they were in their studies. When the end of class came she called Crystal to the front of the room.
"I think I have found a suitable punishment for you Miss Noramison," she started.
"That fast?"
Her teacher smiled, "Yes that fast, I noticed..."
Crystal eyed Harry over Professor Neslon's soulder as she filed through the papers on her desk. He eyed her back. She gave him a quick wink then turned her attention back to her teacher.
"...I beleive you two are in the same house, correct?" she finished.
"Pardon?" Crystal asked more politely than usual.
"I was asking if yourself and Mr. Weasley are in the same house, Griffindor?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Then your punishment for being late shall be to help him catch up on his hexing. I'm afriad the boy was very far off in his aim and pronounciation."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"So Mr.Weasley shall know every hex you do by Monday?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"You are dismissed, Miss Nomarison."
Crys gave her a small false smile and turned on her heel to leave the classroom and head for herbology.
"A ball?"
"No way!"
"There hasn't been one since..."
Harry and Ron walked into the common room the next day to see chaos over a new poster that had appeared on the Griffindor posting board overnight.
"A ball?" Harry said.
"Another?" Ron responded sounding annoyed, "The Yule ball was awful, didn't any of these people learn their lesson?" he eyed all of the excited lower classmen angrily.
"It's only one night." Harry said, a hint of exitement in his voice.
Ron missed it. "This is a whole new mess. What if we just don't go?"
"And miss out on a good time?" Hermione's voice asked from behind them, "Look on the bright side, Ron, at least you have good dress robes this time."
"Doesn't matter." Harry said after reading the flyer through, "it's not a dress robe-y thing?"
"What?" Hermione asked pushing by him to read the flyer.
"It says 'For an added bit of excitement Professor Dumbledore has decided we all wear muggle dress clothes as a Halloween treat.' Real excitement there."
Crystal pushed through the crowd to read the notice. Her eyebrows raised with content and she turned to Hermione.
"This'll be interesting." she said.
"Why?" Hermione asked her, "Muggle clothes? Is this a joke?"
"Well," Crystal mouth twisted into an excited grin, "Half the students in this school are born into wizarding families. They will have no idea how to dress for this thing."
Hermione smiled, "For once in my life I have an advantage over the rest of the school."
"What do you mean 'for once in your life'? Your the top of our class! You always have an advantage over everyone else."
Hermione's cheeks held a tint of pink.
Crystal started to turn and leave, "Bye, Hermione." she said.
She gave Harry a quick once over and then left to go to the Great Hall.
"Wow," Hermione said to Harry, "She really has got a thing for you."
Ron's ears went red and he glared at Harry for a second before Hermione saw him and he stopped.
"This whole ball thing'll be fun." Rom mumbled as they headed out the door for breakfast.
"Hey, Ron! RON!" Crys yelled as she ran down the hallway towards him, Harry, and Hermione after they left Charms, "I need to talk to you."
"Yeah," Ron said, not quite sure what was about to come.
"I'm supposed to tutor you in your hexes." she said as Ron nodded towards his friends to tell them he'd join them in a minute.
"What?"
"It's my punsihment for being late," she added with a scowl. Upon seeing his face she quick;y added, "Not that being with you is a punishment."
"Wait," he said, thining the situation over, "You have to tutor me in hexes? Why?"
"Because Professor Neslon said your bad at them."
"How would she know?"
"She was watching us all class."
"She must not have been watching very closely."
"She was."
"How close?"
"Close enough to know you need help."
"I don't."
"You do."
"How would you know?"
"Because Professor Neslon told me so!"
"How would she know!"
"She was watching us in class!"
Their voices rose to a level where passing students started to stare at them.
"Look," Crys said quietly, "All she said was you have to be brushed up on your hexing by next Monday. That's all I know."
"So she chose you to help me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I was late. We've been through this already."
"By monday?"
"Yes!"
"So when are you going to teach me?"
"I don't know. How's Saturday?"
"Can't. Hogsmeade."
"Hogsmeade? This early in the year. Why?'
"The ball in two weeks. This week and next are Hogsmeade weekends so students can get stuff for the ball, I guess."
"In Hogsmeade? Aren't we supposed to wear muggle stuff?"
"Hey, I didn't set the dates okay. How did you not see that? It was on the flyer this morning."
"I didn't see it."
"It was at the bottom in small print."
"So how would I have seen it?"
"I did."
"That's you."
"So you're not going to Hogsmeade?"
"Well, I guess not."
"Do you want to come with us?"
"Us?"
"Harry, Hermone and me. We're going together on Saturday."
"Not really..."
"You're missing out on life."
"No I'm not."
"You are."
"Am not."
"Are to."
"Fine I'll go."
"Good. Meet us in the entrance Hall on Saturday morning."
"What time?"
"Ten."
"Ten! Are you mad!"
"I don't think so, why?"
"Do you all always get up that early?"
"It's not that early."
"Yes it is."
"Okay it is. Are you coming or not."
"Yes."
"Even though we're getting up so early?"
"Yes."
"Sure?"
"You took so long to get me to go. Do you want me to change my mind?"
"No."
"Then it's ten on Saturday."
"So when do you tutor me?"
"On Sunday."
"Good idea."
"What can I say? I'm brilliant."
"Pretty damn close."
"Nah. I'm brilliant."
"Okay."
"See you on saturday."
"Bye."
A/N:I know the muggle clothing thing isn't realistic in any way but I really can't picture a ball with everyone just wearing colored robes, that's boring to me. oh well, this is called fan fiction for a reason. R&R!
