"You think Dumbledore will appreciate the fact that you're not showing up at the ball?" Hermione asked as she tried out several different styles on her hair. "When he spoke to us earlier he seemed really excited for you to go."
"He probably is," I said helping Emily tie the back of her gown.
"Why would you disappoint him like that? The man is practically your father," Parvati said.
"Practically, but he isn't," I said.
"He might as well be," Emily said.
"He's a father 'figure'. Not the real thing," I said. "Now can we please drop this? It's a mildly sensitive subject."
"Sorry," they all said.
"So who you going to the dance with?" Emily asked.
"Ben and Jerry," I replied.
"You're seriously not going?" Parvati asked. I shook my head.
"Come on. We could find you a nice Bulgarian boy with a nice Bulgarian body and a nice Bulgarian ass," Padma said.
"The only thing that Bulgarians are missing are their brains," Hermione said.
"Really? I thought they were smart. That Viktor Krum is always in the library," Emily said.
"Oh, please. Viktor is as dumb as a rock," Hermione giggling.
"Really? How would you know?" Padma asked.
"Uh. . . I live in the library. Of course I've talked to him," Hermione said.
"Well I talk to him a lot too and he seems very intellectual," Parvati said.
"Well what were you talking about?" Hermione asked.
"Quidditch," Parvati replied.
"See. He lives for Quidditch, just like Harry and Ron therefore it is the only thing they can carry a conversation on with," Hermione pointed out. They rolled their eyes and smirked.
"What are you smirking about?" Emily asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "You and your brother are never at a loss for words."
There was a knock on our door.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"I'm hear to pick up the most lovely 4th in Hogwarts and escort her to the dance."
Emily quickly ran over to the door and opened it. Fred stood on the other side.
"Well look at you Emily. . . You're a vision of loveliness. . . And you'll look even better in comparison with me on your arm," he said handing her a red rose that matched her dress. "Hannah, I see you haven't got your dress on. Why not?"
"I'm not going," I said timidly. He gasped.
"Not going? You realize I have to send my mother pictures of this event? What shall I tell her when she sees you're not in any of them?" he asked.
"Because she's bitter," Hermione said.
"I am not," I replied. "I just didn't want to go."
"Well that's your choice. I'll hug all the members of the Weird Sisters for you," Emily said.
"And Parvati, Harry is waiting in the main hall way for you," Fred said. "You're really not going to go Hannah?"
"Nope," I said.
"You'll break my mum's heart, not seeing you in a dess," Fred said.
"She'll get over it," I said. Parvati walked over to the door and left with Fred and Emily.
It was just Hermione and me now.
"So when you gonna tell me?" Hermione asked.
"Tell you what?" I asked.
"The real reason why you're not going and why you've been so quiet, or am I already right and you're just being stubborn?" Hermione asked.
". . . Because I'm bitter," I said.
"What about?" she asked.
". . . A boy," I said.
"Not Seamus?" Hermione asked.
"Absolutely not," I said. "Just a boy. It doesn't matter." Hermione put a charm on her hair that made is stream down from a bun in a bunch of curls. She stood up and modeled herself in front of the mirror. She looked as pretty as ever.
"Well you'd better get going. Viktor will want to see how beautiful you are," I said. Hermione blushed.
"Please. Don't make me be the only intelligent person in our group to make an appearance. Besides, you'll look even better than me," Hermione pleaded. I smiled.
"You know what. . . I think I'd rather just stay in here and go to sleep. I have problems sleeping till Christmas anyway," I said. Hermione sighed.
"Guess there's no way I can convince you. . . Have fun. You don't have Ginny. She went with Neville but you do have Collin Creevey," Hermione said. She walked out the dorm. I laid down on my bed and started to read a book.
About thirty minutes later there was knock on my door.
"Come in," I said. The door opened and in walked Dumbledore.
"Hello Professor," I said putting the book down. "Surprised to see you here. Why aren't you at the ball?"
"I came here to ask you the same question," he said. "You should be down there watching your brother dance. It's rather funny. In fact your brother is so terrible Minerva had to pull me to the dance floor before any further embarrassment was brought to Gryffindor," Dumbledore said. I chuckled.
"How's Parvati holding up?" I asked.
"She's been doing her best to keep him from making a complete fool of himself. But no more talk about Harry. Why are you in here alone instead down there with all your friends?"
I shrugged. "I'm just not feeling it sir."
"But even your third year friends are at the ball," Dumbledore said.
"I know but-."
"Hannah, I think it would be good for you if you went," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you've been disconnected from the school since the first task," he said. "It's not like you to not be part of the crowd."
"Well maybe I want to be a loner," I said.
"You and I both know that's not true," he said. "In fact I spoke to Miss Granger and she's quite worried about you."
"I guess so huh?" I asked. "I've been more talkative."
"Well start now," he said. "Why aren't you going to this dance really?"
"Are you going to leave me in peace if I do?" I asked.
"I promise, I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night," Dumbledore said.
"Alright. . . Well you see, there's this boy-."
"Oh, a boy. Hannah, sometimes I forget that you're not a baby anymore," he said. "But go on."
"Of course. . . Well you see, I like him and he used to like me but now he likes some other girl an even went with some other girl to the ball and I totally screwed up my chances, And besides that, no one, that's in this house anyway, likes him and so I wanted to ask him to the ball, I really wanted to but. . . I'm Hannah Potter so. . ."
"Image is everything," he said.
"Yes, I suppose. . . Well so I decided that I wasn't going to go to the ball unless he asked me, but I was parading around this 'I'm not going flag' and also I told him I didn't like and at the time I guess I did a little but. . . I'm ridiculous. . . So I suspect that's why he asked someone else," I said.
"What have you learned?" he asked.
"When opportunity knocks, answer the door," I said.
"Good, but now I wonder. . . Is that any reason to just sit in your room and read all evening while everyone else is downstairs enjoying themselves?" he asked. ". . . Well I guess I'd better get back downstairs. Lord only knows what's going on."
Dumbledore left my dorm and closed the door behind him. I picked up my book and opened it back to my page. I started to read but then I realized I needed to go. Aside from the fact that my friends were worried about me, Dumbledore made a good point. There wasn't any reason for me to sit in my room all night.
After I got my dress on and did my hair and etcetera I went downstairs.
The hallway was mostly empty except for twenty or so students who were dancing in the hallway. When I got down there they all turned and looked at me. Some stopped dancing and started whispering. I heard someone whistle. I blushed as I walked into the Great Hall.
Harry, Parvati, Padma and Ron were the first ones to see me. They got out their seats and ran over to me.
"Look at you," Parvati said.
"You and Hermione came and dominated," Padma said.
"We thought were hot," Padma said.
"Ron will you stop examining my sister," Harry said.
"I'm sorry but. . . There's just so much to. . ." Ron stopped talking when he saw that Harry was sending him a death glare. "Ignore to the fullest. And look at Hermione."
"She's here with Krum and he's crazy jealous," Padma said.
"I am not jealous," Ron said.
"Then why do you keep sending them death glares?" Padma asked.
"I am not sending them death glares," Ron protested again.
We all walked over to their table and sat down.
"Can you believe the Weird Sisters are here?" I asked
"We're getting up close to the stage so they can see us," Padma said. The three of us squealed excitedly.
I looked at the boys they were looking out at the floor. Harry was watching Cho dance with Cedric and Ron was sending Viktor and Hermione death glares.
"Well no use sitting here and being bored I'm gonna go dance," I said.
"With who?" Harry asked. I winked at him and got out my seat.
I ran over to Hermione and Viktor. When Hermione and Viktor saw me they both stopped.
"You came!" Hermione squealed.
"She did not believe you would come," Viktor said.
"He's been dancing here telling me that you'd come and he was right. It's like he psychic," Hermione said.
It was weird seeing Hermione excited over a boy.
"Well if he's really psychic then what am I about to ask?" I asked.
"You think I have an issue dancing with 2 girls?" Viktor asked.
"As long as you remember which one you're dating," Hermione said with a nudge.