A/N:

This story is a part of HMS Harmony Secret Santa exchange for NicoleHeart25, the prompt is "Ms. Trelawney predicts that Harry will have an unsuspected date for the Yule Ball this year". Thanks for sparing me from a fate worse than death by giving this simple but fun prompt!

Many thanks to my wonderful betas, ciago and InterpretiveMarble27, who make this story far more readable!


1994.9.3

Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a sigh of relief.

No, he did not snort, or laugh, or speak, he only sighed!

Bloody hell. He thought she would leave him alone this year. Perhaps it's not too late to follow Hermione's advice and switch to Ancient Runes or Arithmancy…

"Let me see that, my dear…" she said while sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. The classroom went silent in a second, everyone seemed to remember the similar occurrence one year earlier.

"What have you seen from your cup, my dear? I'd love to see how far you've progressed since last year." She asked while turning the cup in her hands slowly, her eyes never leaving the leaves in the cup.

"I saw a... a cup." Harry answered sheepishly, he hadn't been really paying attention, "a cup of reward and bloodiness."

Technically that's true, he thought. Hermione had done some research on that triwizard cup, it did have a bloody history.

"Ah, what a waste of talent and time, though I've foreseen this future ever since you stepped into my classroom, I shouldn't be too surprised." Trelawney shook her head disappointedly, "It is a bell! A glowing bell of harmony and unexpected news! And snow… how curious. My dear, be aware of the night thrice after the winter solstice, you'll have an unsuspected date! Though for good or for bad...I shall not say."

"It's not that bad, is it?" Ron spoke as Trelawney went to other students, "At least she doesn't see a death omen or something."


1994.12.10

Harry almost hoped that it was a death omen, almost.

Considering he was forced into a life-threatening tournament, he still appreciated not getting a grim or a raven, but that did not mean an unsuspected date is any better! Especially with that stupid Yule ball and what Professor Mcgonagall had told him several days ago.

Opening a ball! He doesn't even know how to dance properly.

"Don't worry too much." Hermione nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "The second task is still two months away, we'll figure it out."

They were in the middle of a History of Magic class. Binns was repeating his Goblin Rebellions, Hermione was taking notes, and everyone else was sleeping.

"It's not about the tournament." he admitted, a little guilty about the fact that Hermione was evidently thinking about the second task, while he himself was so focused on the ball and effectively forgot about the task.

After she finished several lines of notes, Hermione seemed to decide that his problem was more important than listening to Binns and moved closer, "What is it then?"

"It's about my date to the Yule Ball." he said, and he swore that he could hear Hermione's eye roll.

"Honestly! You boys are so stupid about this whole thing." she exclaimed, a little too heatedly for the topic, "It's just a date. How bad can it be? Just ask Cho Chang."

"How do you know I want to ask Cho?" Harry's eyes snapped to hers, a bit embarrassed that his secret crush was not as secret as he'd like.

"You mean, beside the fact that you've just admitted it to me?" Hermione snorted, "You've only been staring at Chang for like three months. So, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Harry felt that his face couldn't turn any redder. It's just Hermione, he reminded himself. She won't laugh at you. You'll be fine.

"But there is a prophecy…" he said, stopping when he heard another eye rolling, "I'm serious, Hermione! It may as well be a life or death situation."

"You know what I think of divination, Harry." she signed, "but fine! Tell me about this prophecy, and how it's related to a life or death situation."

So Harry told her everything. He told her about the divination class, he told her about the supposed unsuspected date, and how that would probably ruin his opening dance in the yule ball.

"That's…" Hermione suddenly went quiet and thoughtful, Harry had an odd feeling that she felt very sad.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, very concerned about his friend.

"Oh!" she squeaked and squared her shoulders, "No. Why should there be?"

"You just look sad." Harry shrugged, not sure if it's a good idea to push it.

"No, I'm not!" Hermione answered defensively, "Why should I be? Anyway, this unsuspected date thing might be good news for you."

"Why? What if it's…Snape?" Harry resisted the urge to point out her not-so-subtle way of changing the topic - now it was about his problem after all.

"Ewww! You're gross." Hermione exclaimed. "Is it the first thing that comes to your mind about 'unsuspected date'? Then I'd say you're pretty safe here. Can't do much worse than that."

"I guess. But it means I can't go with Cho either." Harry signed. He noticed Hermione's sad look came back, but didn't comment on it.

"Quite the opposite, Harry. Cho would certainly qualify as an 'unsuspected date' for you."

"How? I think about her all the time!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and said: "Oh, Harry, you really have no clue, do you? Everyone knows Cho and Cedric are an item."

"What?! Why have you never told me about it before?" Harry exclaimed. Apparently it was too loud this time, and even Binns stopped and looked in their direction.

"Shhh!" Hermione put a finger in front of her lips, "I didn't want you to be devastated, Merlin knows you're already depressed by this whole tournament nonsense."

Harry sighed. He didn't like it when people kept things from him, but he could definitely understand Hermione's reasoning. He just hoped her other reasonings were right as well.


1994.12.18

He shouldn't have hoped for anything, considering his Potter luck.

Cho had refused him, of course. She did it politely, but it still felt embarrassing as hell.

Even worse, that was not even his first concern right now. Rather than worrying about asking a girl out, he should be worrying about the second task. Instead of helping Hermione, he was constantly looking over his shoulder in anticipation of his horrible unsuspected date.

Lavender?

She'd probably giggle all the time and never stop talking about fashion and my scar!

Parvati?

I guess the Indian girl would be more or less similar to Lavender, considering that they're almost inseparable.

Ginny?

She's only 13! And she is Ron's sister, which means Ron would probably kill me. And Fred. And George. And Forge. And Gred. And…at least Percy is not in Hogwarts anymore. Scratch that thought, Percy actually was going to sit next to the Champions during the Yule Ball, or at least that was what Ron said.

Lily Moon?

I didn't really know this girl that much. Besides, Isn't it creepy to date a girl with your mum's name?

Susan Bones? Hannah Abbott?

I only knew them in Herbology. Plus they accused me as the heir of Slytherin in the second year, they might still blame me for stealing Cedric's thunder too.

Padma? Sue Li?

I didn't even know them! And they just looked too similar to Parvati and Cho.

Slytherin?

Harry shivered as he imagined himself going to the ball with Pansy Parkinson. That was a necessary evil.

According to one of Hermione's theories, as long as he had suspected that he'd go to the ball with someone, he would not go to the ball with her because that person would no longer be an unsuspected date. Harry had gone over Snape, Filch, Mrs. Noris, Mad Eye Moody, and even Trelawney herself, and he sincerely hoped that Hermione's theory would be proved right.

"Potter! Potter! How dare you ignore me like this!"

A familiar voice came from behind, and Harry's eyes widened in horror.

"No!" he said, unaware that he in fact shouted and everyone in the Great Hall was looking at him, "Please don't ask me to the ball, Malfoy! I'm sorry for whatever I've done, but DON'T ASK ME TO THE BALL!"

Harry stood up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall as fast as possible, not wanting to give Malfoy a chance to corner him.

Which, of course, meant that everyone in the Great Hall who just lost their number 1 target was now staring at Malfoy in shock.

"Is he really…"

"I guess so. Oh, imagine what Lord Malfoy would say about this!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Why not? He's been stalking Potter for years."

"Stalking? Malfoys would do no such thing!"

"Potter must be really afraid to run away like this. I wonder what Malfoy has done to him?"

"Oh, it's so sweet. Lover's spat!"

"No they're not! It's a one-sided thing!"

"What a great maneuver on Potter's side."

"He doesn't even play political games!"

The Slytherin boy stood in shock, watching his reputation shatter into pieces by the rumours spreading like wildfire in the Great Hall. He was about to say that "My father will hear about this" when he realized that his father better not hear about this.


1994.12.22

Harry was in trouble.

Of course he was, Hermione sighed, it wouldn't be Harry otherwise.

Luckily, as always Hermione had a plan to get him out of it, and she decided to charge in with it this time.

If she was being honest with herself, it was a quite selfish plan. But it would also save Harry from going to the Yule Ball with no dates, or worse, getting an unsuspected date from nowhere.

"Yule Beans." Hermione gave the password and the portrait door to the Gryffindor tower opened. She spotted the boy with messy black hair with ease at their usual spot, took a deep breath, and advanced.

"Hey, Hermione. How's your class?" He asked as she put her bag on the floor and sat down on the couch.

"Not bad. Actually, I have an offer for you." She said, nervously biting her lower lip.

"What is it?"

"I can set you up with a date to the Yule Ball, but you can only know her identity just before the ball begins." She managed not to stumble over her words. Good.

"You sure she'll be a nice date?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Yes, she'll be great." Hermione answered with more confidence than she felt. Well, she certainly hoped that she would be a great date for Harry.

"Okay, then. As long as you're sure. I guess that is truly an unsuspected date then." He said, relief washing over his face.

"That's it? You agree?" She was shocked that he gave in so easily, and more than a bit annoyed that the 12 arguments she'd been constructing carefully for hours would be useless.

"I trust you." He said with a huge grin, before adding "Honestly? I'm glad that you saved my ass again."

"Any time." She smiled despite her own nervousness.


1994.12.25

Harry looked around nervously, tapping his dress shoe on the marble floor of Hogwarts. The ball would start in five minutes, but his mysterious date hadn't shown herself yet.

What had happened to her?

His first thought was that Hermione had played a prank on him, but he pushed down that idea at once. No, Hermione didn't do pranks, especially not about important things like this.

In fact, she had told Harry she was not coming to the ball today. He felt bad she had clearly spent time setting him up with a date and almost asked her to the ball himself, before realizing that he couldn't as he was already taken by his mystery date.

It would be nice to have someone to talk to during the ball, just in case his date turned out to be too boring or too… Fleur. Harry had seen Fleur's date, the "lucky" Ravenclaw Head Boy, three minutes ago, and he dreaded becoming that sort of date who literally drooled. He was sure that would NOT be a pleasant experience for both his date and him. Not to mention embarrassing, humiliating, and…

"Harry?"

He felt a tap on his right shoulder and turned around to face…

A beautiful girl wearing floaty, periwinkle-blue dress robes.

Harry suddenly felt very hot, and he was sure that his face was burning a shade of red right now. He swallowed, trying NOT to stare at the gorgeous, yet somehow familiar girl, who appeared nearly as anxious as he was, and said: "I'm sorry, but I… I don't know your name. Miss…?"

His date seemed to think that his nervousness was funny, fun enough that she stopped biting her bottom lip. She gave him a shy smile and raised her eyebrow suggestively.

WAIT! Biting her bottom lip?! But…

"Call me Hermione please, Hermione Granger from House Gryffindor of Hogwarts. And you are?"

After watching her best friend shocked into a statue for seconds, Hermione couldn't hold it any more and bursted into laughter. Several seconds later, Harry recovered enough to close his mouth. He then found this scene so extremely amusing that he too joined the laugh.

"Oh, Harry, you should have seen your face back then!" Hermione said once her brain was functional again.

"Hey, it is not fair. You told me you won't come." Harry retorted, then he suddenly recalled that prophecy, "But how come you're my unsuspected date?"

"Well, you certainly didn't expect me. And for the record, I am attending the ball as Harry Potter's mysterious date instead of Hermione Granger. So no, Hermione won't come to the ball." She reasoned matter-of-factly and looked at him challengingly, dared him to argue against her logic, but the glints at the corner of her warm brown eyes betrayed her mirth.

"I guess you're right then, we should leave Miss Granger to her study then. Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Harry held out his hand. Instead of holding it, Hermione grabbed it and linked her arm with his.

A strong, comforting warmth filled his body and his heart, Harry felt better at once. He suddenly didn't care about the stupid tournament, didn't care about the stupid dreams, didn't care about the stupid prophecy Trelawney made.

For once, he was just a normal teenager, who was very lucky to have a wonderful night ahead of him and a gorgeous date on his arm.

Even better, he had Hermione.