Hermione went down to the Great Hall, where the ball was being held. She'd normally have gone with Ginny, but Ginny hadn't been asked. So, she went with Harry, who was full of jokes about "escorting her down the aisle" - which she made to punch him for.

That was, until they walked into Severus Snape's pensive glare. "Your dance card, Miss Granger," he growled, his normally meliifluous voice sounding like a smoker's rasp. Hermione looked at it, and instantly understood why. Suitors had been arranged by age, so that the youngest could be escorted off to bed. She hadn't realized she'd be dancing with eleven year olds!

But, still, Hermione thought, at least they got to go to the party.

That seemed to be their reasoning, as well, as the entire first year had signed up to dance with her. As had the second, and most of the third year (they were allowed to come, so not every single girl signed up. Notably not Parkinson, anyway). After that, the numbers dwindled, and Hermione suspected that if her mysterious letterwriter was from one of the older grades, that he'd be trying particularly hard to blend in. Hermione had to wonder, how many of these Slytherins had decided to dance with her, just to Fuck the Parents. Angering your parents was an adolescent tradition, one that she doubted Purebloods were immune to simply because of their blood. With a blink, she thought, I might have to watch out for people kissing me! It wasn't something she'd thought of before, honestly.

"Thank you, sir," Hermione Granger said at last, trying not to feel like she was actually being passed around like a used hankie. It felt odd to have Severus Snape actively participating in this. Hermione, when she'd imagined it, had imagined it as something more freeflowing - and definitely less "Approved by People in Authority."

Still, Hermione thought with a smile, at least this way there'd be less fighting. "It's completely full," she said.

At last, Harry looked down at her card, letting out a low whistle. "Wow, you got every single firstie to dance with! Lucky you!"

Luckily, Harry'd realized at some point that speculating on who her letter-writer was, was a good way to find himself hexed. So no commentary about her mysterious letter-writer being a first year.

Studying the children as she entered, she had to admit she could see it. She'd wager (though she hadn't researched, not wanting to be a fount of Yet More Gossip) that lesbianism was quite frowned upon in Pureblood Circles, and there were the Carrow twins, in first year. And they'd always seemed suspiciously close.*

Her eyes drifted around the party - she'd arrived fashionably late with Harry, and so she saw Parvati and Padma, standing like twin statues in magenta and bright blue - their dark coloration made the colors really pop. Pansy was wearing something daringly dark - a black dress with shifting dark blues and greens. Hermione almost felt sad that she wouldn't be dancing with pugface - she'd really like a closer look at that dress! The dark streamers of color shifted as she looked. It was a marvelous piece of spellwork.

Ron was looking as goofy as ever, dressed in what were clearly hand-me-downs (at least they weren't burnt umber! Someone had found him some ash gray clothes - probably from Lost And Found, as his hem kept trailing on the ground, threatening to trip him.)

Her eyes finally found Blaise ... and Malfoy, more's the pity. They were both dressed simply, but in bespoke clothes of exquisite tailoring.

Nearby, Luna Lovegood was, somehow, wearing a dress made completely of duct tape, with a bandolier of butterbeer caps.

Hermione tugged Harry over to Luna, effusing, "You look like a beauty queen!"

Luna smiled her ever-light smile, as she said, "Thank you, Hermione. Not the look I was going for, but I suppose it'll do."

Good, Kind, Sweet Harry made the mistake of asking, "What were you going for?"

"Valkyrie." Luna said, pulling out her wand and expanding it into a ten foot spear. "See?"

Hermione stood there, frozen momentarily. Luna with her sun-blonde hair really did look like a Valkyrie.

Harry said lightly, "You're amazing, Luna Lovegood. I don't think I tell you that enough."

Luna smiled simply, and said, "Thank you, Harry Potter. Would you care to dance? I believe Hermione's first is drawing near."

Hermione and Harry turned, looking at the bashful first year, and Hermione gave him a genuine smile. This was actually better than getting an older boy first.

*Hermione's wrong about this. They've been about as close as Fred and George, just less boisterous about it.

[a/n: Reviews appreciated.

Hermione didn't see Blaise and Draco's reaction to Luna "conjuring" a spear in a High School Dance. Thoughts?]