Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter… I, Psionic Knight, would be much much MUCH more famous. … /cries/

Authors Note: Well, just one thing to note this time: I will now provide you the same ol' At A Glance, but now with more Fleur! Oh, and fluff, can't forget the fluff lol. And as a note: I am not typing out Viktor's accent either for the same reason I'm not doing Fleur's. Let us begin.

Authors Note 2.0: In response to one reviewer, my chapters have been less than 4000 words because it shortens the time between reading/posting sessions, and I personally loathe having to wait a long time for an update on a story. That, and if I run into a problem either on my end or your end (as in you point out a fatal flaw with my plotline or etc), then I can change it without having to drastically alter an extensive existing piece of work too badly. That's why my chapters are comparably short .

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Speaking entirely in French"

Narrative

At A Glance

Chapter 5: Dates at a glance

Hermione realized just how slow time can move when you want to get something done. She had been staring at the clock all day, waiting for lunch to arrive so she could go and spend time alone with Fleur. Well, Viktor and his annoying followers would be there, but she normally sat in a secluded area anyway. When she was finally released, it was all she could do to not run through the halls. She left a confused Ron and a smirking Harry as she headed to the library, leaving the two to head to the dining hall on their own.

Upon entering, the first thing she saw was the gaggle of loud female students that were always hounding Krum for his attention. Next she saw the guys who saw him as an idol; the one's who worshipped him as the greatest quidditch player to ever grace the planet. Finally, she saw the cause of the crowded library himself, Viktor Krum, located near to where Hermione normally sat. Hermione sighed when she didn't see Fleur, but a small glimpse of platinum from the other side of the bookcase alerted Hermione to the older girl's presence.

Smiling, Hermione made her way through the crowd of ditsy and obsessive girls, some of which she noted were decently attractive, to the end of the bookshelf that was hiding Fleur. It's location would serve as a visual barrier between herself and Krum, whom Hermione had noted as having a rather displeased expression as she rounded the corner of the bookcase to head to Fleur. That was pushed out of her mind by the visage of beauty before her, which brought a mixture of nerves and joy to the muggle-born witch. Fleur, likewise, was smiling back at her as she approached, looking up from a book whose title was indiscernible to the English-speaking Hermione.

"You are earlier than I would have thought, mon amie." Fleur said with a smirk "Did you run here?"

"…what do you consider running?" Hermione asked with a short laugh.

"I take that as a yes."

After getting situated across from Fleur, as she figured sitting right next to her would look a bit suspicious since she wouldn't be studying today, Hermione attempted to discern the title of the book Fleur was reading.

"It says, in English, 'Spells, Enchantments, and Incantations for Dueling in the Watery Depths'." Fleur responded to Hermione's unasked question.

"A spellbook for underwater dueling?" Hermione stated with a brow furrowed in thought "Why would you be reading up on that? Wait, does it have to do with the second task?"

"That is a possibility. But alas, I cannot say." Fleur said with a wink as she shut the book and set it aside "There is an English copy in the bookshelf behind you, and I think a certain boy you know will find page 54 rather interesting."

Hermione immediately grabbed the book and flipped to the page, and she didn't have to read any further than the top page before a bright smile crossed her features.

"Charms for Mermish Communication." Hermione read aloud "I'm guessing it has some rather loud effects outside of the water?"

"For a few, oui, but I don't see how that would be helpful." Fleur said in a falsely dismissive tone.

"Thanks Fleur, and I don't wish to be rude, but why would you want to help?" Hermione asked softly, as the library did have a tendency to carry even normal conversations over long distances "Isn't he your competition?"

"Oui, he is. However, he did me a favor, and I am simply repaying it." Fleur explained "At the time, I wasn't able to ask the 'greatest witch in all of Hogwarts' about herself, so I went with the next best thing."

"Really now, there are better witches than me here." Hermione replied, blushing wildly out of embarrassment as she shut the book she held.

"More experienced, oui, but skill is not determined by experience alone." Fleur stated "You are muggle born, but you have the best grades out of your entire year. That, and you can actually apply the spells you learn."

"Well, I guess you have something there." Hermione admitted , still blushing and embarrassed "But I still don't think I'm the best."

"Well, I guess the 'brightest witch in Hogwarts' will have to do." Fleur retorted before switching to French "And I won't take no for an answer."

"What was that last part? I don't speak French you know."

"Nothing important for the moment." Fleur stated as she propped her head up on the table, staring into Hermione's eyes with a gaze that made the younger girl feel like she was about to melt from the warmth in her body "Now, shall we get down to business? We came here to get to know each other, non?"

"Y-yes, we did." Hermione squeaked out as she gripped her seat with her hands in an attempt to keep herself from moving under Fleur's gaze "Um, well, you mentioned you had a sister?"

"Oui, her name is Gabrielle. She hasn't started school yet though; she's only huit."

"Um…"

"Eight, mon amie. Huit is French for 'eight'." Fleur said with a chuckle "Looks like I should probably teach you a bit of French too."

Later…

"Is that so? It looks like I underestimated the Boy-Who-Lived." Fleur said thoughtfully "I should probably consider a memory charm so you can't help him…"

"And risk ruining my 'beautiful mind'?" Hermione teased lightly, having become comfortable talking to Fleur over the course of the hour and a half they had been there talking "I don't think you're that good at memory charms to take that risk."

"Unfortunately no." Fleur said with a smirk as she glanced up at the clock "Well, that went by too quickly for my tastes."

"What?" Hermione said out of confusion before glancing over her shoulder at a clock "Bloody hell! My Potions class is in ten minutes!"

"Oh, desole, I should have kept a better eye on the clock!" Fleur said with a honestly apologetic expression "Same time tomorrow, oui? And at the carriage after classes?"

"Yes, of course!" Hermione said hurriedly as she was putting the water dueling book in her bag.

"Alright, and before you go…" Fleur said as she leaned across the table, quickly kissing Hermione's cheek "Adieu, mon amie."

"See you later Fleur." Hermione said with a joyful smile as she headed out, nearly knocking into Krum on the way.

"Hermy-own-ninny." Krum said as she stepped back quickly "I was wanting to ask you-"

"I'm sorry Krum." Hermione said quickly, yet sincerely all the same "But I can't talk right now; I'm going to be late for class."

"Oh… my apologies." Krum said as he stepped out of the way "It wasn't that important anyway."

"Thank you." Hermione replied as she headed on past the tall, dark quidditch player "We can talk later."

Krum only nodded, though it was unseen by Hermione as she headed from the library. Hermione let out a sigh as she heard the door shut behind her after she entered the hallway.

'I highly doubt that Krum would talk to me if it wasn't important…' Hermione reasoned as she traversed the halls of Hogwarts castle '…and he likes me… I hope he wasn't going to ask me to the ball… I don't want to hurt him… he seems lonely as it is…'

Two Weeks Later…

Hermione and Fleur spent time together consistently over the next two weeks, spending the lunches in the library, and spending the afternoons and evenings wandering the castle and grounds, or in the library if Hermione had a bit of homework to work on. They discussed and partook of many things, varying from their days and lives, to various magical subjects and homework for either of the girls. Despite being the Beauxbatons champion and spending the year at Hogwarts for the most part, Fleur still had her final classes to take care of, though she had taken care of her N.E.W.T.S. before they left. She didn't have to, but she had arranged for special permission and had passed with flying colors.

Hermione was impressed with how amazing Fleur was. She was beautiful, which no being of any gender or persuasion would be able to deny, intelligent, talented, confident, insightful, and a skilled tactician. Sure, she was a bit blunt, arrogant, and rude at times, but hey, nobody's perfect. Besides, Hermione wasn't going to complain; Fleur's faults made her an interesting character.

Fleur, likewise, was finding Hermione more interesting than she had been expecting. She had originally found the younger girl simply attractive and 'cute', but there was much more to the girl that she found endearing. Hermione was utterly brilliant, and was not exactly shy or low in self-esteem either. She was witty and talented as well, though Fleur found her to be a bit naïve and inexperienced as well. Still, they made her rather cute, and more attractive than Fleur had been expecting. Hell, Fleur had actually found herself irritated when Hermione told her that Krum had asked her to the ball. Luckily, Hermione had said she had told him she had already been asked, which was a good sign for Fleur and her own shot of having Hermione as her date.

Hermione also had to admit that the longer she spent with Fleur, the more she considered going with her to the Yule ball as a date. That's why she told Krum, and later Neville when he asked, that she had already been asked by someone previously. By the end of the second week, not only had she and Fleur become friends, but Hermione had finally decided to go to the Yule ball with Fleur as her date, or as Fleur's date… she hadn't quite figured out which it would be yet. She had a week and three days to take care of a dress and the like, but she had to finally answer Fleur's question first.

Luckily, Hermione was leaving with Ginny from their dorm room, with Ginny going to talk to Neville about the dress she'd need to wear, and with Hermione heading to visit Fleur at the Beauxbatons carriage. However, before she could make it into the commons, she was called upon by a certain redhead of her same age.

"Wait, Hermione!" Ron said from his place on the couch next to Harry, who was shaking his head in disapproval "You want to go with one of us as a date?"

"Excuse me?!" Hermione asked, mostly shocked until she saw Harry mouth the words 'I'm sorry'.

"Well, neither one of us has a date, and neither do you, so do you want to-" Ron continued with a smile… until Hermione cut him off rather violently.

"What in the bloody hell are you playing at?!" Hermione shouted, loud enough to break the rest of the students from their various games and homework "You want me to go with you or Harry out of convenience?! You've gone out of your bloody mind you twit!"

"Oh come off it Hermione!" Ron was shouting back, standing up from his spot on the couch in the process "Do you know how bloody hard it'll be to find a date-"

"I already have one!" Hermione shouted, her face burning red, mostly out of embarrassment rather than anger "Now bugger off Ron, and it's your own damn fault you waited so long to ask someone to the dance!"

Hermione didn't stick around to hear Ron's response, instead leaving through the portrait hole in a fuming hurry. Harry sighed and leaned his head against the back of the couch, glad that a full blown war hadn't erupted between the two… yet. Ginny on the other hand was almost as angry as Hermione was, glaring at Ron until she passed by him on her way over to Neville. Ron was, of course, still irritated for three reasons now: his plan for a date failing, he just got yelled at by one of his best mates, and he was going to look like a moron in front of the school now that he had nobody else to ask for a date.

"Great… just bloody great…" Ron muttered as he too leaned back on the couch, praying that things would work out for the better… somehow.

Not Too Much Later…

"That stupid git… who the hell does he think I am?" Hermione fumed aloud as she made her way through the various corridors of the school "Puts me on the same platform as that harlot Pansy, does he? Merlin, if he weren't my friend I'd-"

"Oi, Mudblood!"

'Oh, great… when it rains it pours…' Hermione thought as she turned around to glare at Slytherin's greatest prick.

"Malfoy, now is not the time for your bollocks." Hermione hissed, her hand clenching tightly around the wand in her pocket.

"It's not, is it? And here I was wondering how well those rabbit teeth of yours had grown back in, Granger." Draco replied snidely, his face twisted into his normal smirk.

"Piss off, Malfoy."

"Or what? You'll sick your beloved Champion on me?"

"Well, that wouldn't be too bad an option." a harshly melodic French voice said from behind Draco and his two lackeys.

"What the-" was all Draco got out before he was sent flying into a wall, his wand going the other direction. Crabbe and Goyle were sent in opposite directions as well, their wands flying upwards and imbedding themselves in the ceiling rather deeply. It happened so fast that Hermione was somewhat stunned as Malfoy's wand flew past her face. Admittedly that feeling didn't last long when she noticed her soon-to-be date for the ball standing with her wand out in her general direction, smirking proudly at her excellent work.

"A disgruntled ex-boyfriend?" Fleur teased as she tucked her wand back in her robes.

The look of sheer terror on Hermione's face almost frightened Fleur.

"…don't even joke about that! I'd rather have dated a blast-ended skrewt!" Hermione was almost yelling.

"Desole, desole, that was in rather poor taste." Fleur responded, motioning for Hermione to calm down "Shall we head to the carriage now? These… scumbags will wake up eventually."

"Yes, that's a wonderful idea." Hermione stated with a glance down at Malfoy, noticing that, not only had he been disarmed, but he had also been stupefied as well "That was a good job, by the way."

"Merci, mon amie. I try to impress." Fleur said proudly as she began to head in the direction of the carriage.

Luckily, the trip was fairly short, as well as fairly quiet. The air of the afternoon was much warmer than either of them had been expecting, and Fleur found it actually… tolerable, for once. The sun was nearing evening too, and Hermione had a somewhat secret desire to sit there and watch it as it set. More pressing matters had to come first though.

"How was the rest of your classes, mon amie?" Fleur asked casually as she took a seat on the top step of he Beauxbatons carriage "Better than that confrontation back there, I hope."

"Loads better." Hermione replied honestly "I swear, Malfoy can be such a little bastard…"

"Why do you let him call you such awful names?" Fleur asked firmly "You are more than capable of putting him in his place."

"Because I plan on being the better woman." Hermione announced, but then reconsidered what she said "Well, the better person, I guess."

"Hm… still, a good hex or two would teach him respect."

"Or provoke him more."

"So he's that type of guy, oui?" Fleur asked with a smirk "I think I know how to-"

"Don't worry about it, Fleur." Hermione interrupted, exaggeratedly rolling her eyes "He's no problem for me at all."

"If you say so, mon amie, but if you ever need help…" Fleur said with an almost wicked grin "…I would be more than happy to help."

"I'm sure you would." Hermione replied with a short chuckle, finally taking her seat next to Fleur, no longer feeling uncomfortable with how close the French girl liked to sit to her.

"Anyway, anything interesting happen today that you would care to share?" Fleur asked with interest.

Immediately a frown crossed Hermione's face as she let loose a groan.

"That is not a good sign." Fleur remarked as her smirk faded "That bad, oui?"

"Oui… Ron decided to ask me as his bloody last resort for a Yule ball date!" Hermione angrily exclaimed "That prat doesn't even notice I'm a girl most of the time, and when he does, he pulls bollocks like that! Hell, he even asked if I'd be willing to go with Harry!"

"Calm down, mon amie, it is not something to get that worked up over." Fleur said, placing a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder "I assume you said no to both of them?"

"Of course. I mean, if I had to go with Harry, it wouldn't be so bad… except for if that bloody Rita Skeeter got involved…" Hermione explained "I mean, it wouldn't be as if we'd be going as a couple after all."

"That is true; he is a good friend to you." Fleur said with a smile that disappeared a moment later "But then, who do you plan to go with?"

Hermione didn't say anything in response to that for a while, and it made Fleur a bit suspicious.

"To be honest Fleur, it really depends…" Hermione finally said, making sure to keep her face straight in the process.

"Depends on what, mon amie?"

"What's the color of your dress?"

Fleur was grinning wider than she had in quite some time as her heart went aflutter.

"It is a beautiful silver, my friend." Fleur said softly, moving herself to Hermione's ear, her breath tickling the younger girl and making her shiver slightly.

"That good. I have a blue dress that work good with that." Hermione tried to reply with the French that Fleur had been teaching her, however poor her attempt was.

"That was a good try, mon amie." Fleur said with a low, pleasant laugh "You need to work on tenses though."

"After we plan the date out, right?" Hermione queried, only noticing afterwards that she had called it a 'date', not a 'dance'.

"So it's a date now? Fair enough." Fleur said in a rather happy tone "Should I bring you flowers, or would something more unconventional be in store, mon amie?"

Hermione simply smiled in response, setting a hand atop Fleur's own that was still resting on her shoulder.

'This could work out better than I thought…'

Authors Note: Well, there ya be, my dearest readers. I can promise you all that the next chapter will be all about the Yule ball, Christmas day, and the various interactions, reactions, and whatnot surrounding it. I promise you that it WILL be up by tomorrow evening… based on EST anyway. Once more: reviews, criticisms, and recommendations are all appreciated, so long as they are posed pleasantly. Oh, and I really appreciate ALL the reviews

Oh, and if you wonder how Hermione could learn somewhat complex French in two weeks time, realize that they do have learning spells and potions, and that Hermione is very good at studying, learning, and subsequent application of many things. If that doesn't work for you, then it's my artistic license that allows me to bend the basic impediments to the rapid learning of a second language lol.