Shut Up and Dance

Disclaimer: I own nothing. No profit made.

An: Ok so the Yule ball is coming up, as it comes between the First Task and the Second, I wonder just how this will play out lol. Also the French is in bold and the only reason I'm not translating is because I want you guys to experience some of the confusion that Hermione is going through when she talks to Fleur, but please feel free to look up the translations. I used Google Translate. Also, super long chapter! Please review! It helps me write better!

Hermione laughed as Harry awkwardly tried to spin her around amongst the other stumbling Gryffindor students. He was terribly stiff and kept stepping on her feet, not that she was much better, and he'd scowl every time a giggle passed her lips. Ginny and Neville could be seen across the room, looking a lot more eloquent than most, which was a surprise for the shy boy.

Another stumbling uncoordinated twirl had Hermione laughing again, her head falling back and curls wild. "Don't laugh, Mione. This is embarrassing enough." Harry grumbled.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Harry…but you're so stuffy, honestly, if you'd just relax." She grinned at him, seeing as he tried to keep a stern face. "Besides, it is quite funny, I mean Neville is better than the two of us!" She whispered, nodding in the boy's direction, Harry followed her gaze.

"You're right." He finally cracked a grin as he looked back to her. "I don't even know why I have to go to this blasted thing. I can't dance and I don't have a date." He sighed.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the boy's obliviousness. "I thought the three of us decided to go as a group?" He twirled her again, and Hermione doesn't mention how he did it perfectly when distracted instead of overthinking about it. "What's changed?"

Harry shrugs as best he can while prancing around. "It's not that I mind going with you and Gin, but it's like going with my sisters…I just thought that with everything that's happened, this year would…I don't know, maybe it'd be the year I found something." He stammered, blushing red and Hermione grinned at him.

"Harry Potter, you romantic!" She teased quietly. "You want to fall in love, but Harry, we are only Fourth Years, we have time for all that nonsense. Now isn't the time to be worried about love, it the time to be figuring out what we want from our future, especially now that we don't have to worry about an impending war." She laughed lightly.

His sparkling green eyes shone at her with all the seriousness he had. "What if that's what I want for my future?" She almost flinches at the thought, but doesn't interrupt him. "I've known for a while now that I want to become an Auror and Dumbledore says I'm right on track to becoming one…but that's not all I want, Hermione. I've never had a family until Hogwarts, and I want that. I want a family of my own; you can understand that, can't you?" He asked her earnestly.

Hermione sighed and laid her chin upon his shoulder as she hugged him while dancing. "Yes Harry, I understand." As they parted she saw his mischievous grin and frowned. "What?"

"Are you sure you haven't a date for the Yule Ball?" He asked.

"Of course not; nobody has asked me. I told you that, Harry." Her eyes narrowed as his grin grew wider. "Harry? What are you saying?" She pressed him, even as he started twirling her around, unknowing that he was spinning them toward the exit.

"Oh nothing." He sniffed. "Just figured someone would have by now." He threw the statement away as if it meant nothing, but it clung to Hermione's lips and slithered down her throat, settling like an anvil in her stomach.

What could he mean? Who would have asked her? Her eyes narrowed into slits, Harry Potter knew something she didn't…and she wanted to know what.

There was seven days until the Ball, seven, and it seemed every person still within the castle walls was bound and determined to drive themselves crazy with incessant talk about dates or dresses or the Champions.

And if she was being honest, Hermione was fretting over the Ball as well; she just wasn't being as obvious about it. Just the other day, Neville had asked Ginny to be his date, so she wasn't going as a trio with Harry and Hermione. This wasn't so bad, she and Harry could go as each other's dates without it being weird, but Harry had found her in the library and told her how Luna Lovegood asked him to the Ball.

It was quite amusing to see him flustered and blushing as he told an amused Hermione how the strange Ravenclaw cornered him after class, and how he stuttered his reply. Hermione found it all very cute and endearing of her pseudo brother, and though it was quite entertaining it all left her with the same feeling of dread…she didn't have a date for the Yule Ball.

After having worked everything out with two dates, she'd been dumped…twice. She'd laugh at the irony of it all if it didn't stress her out so much. She could always not go, but then what was the point of staying at Hogwarts on Christmas break when she could have been with Sirius. Of course she knew Kreacher would come get her if she requested it, but she didn't want to be a trouble.

She shoulders her book bag and pulls her robe tighter around her as she leaves the library. She hadn't even talked to Fleur lately, after whatever happened in the third floor Prefect bathroom, Hermione had taken to put a bit of distance between them. Besides, she was sure the French witch was busy preparing for the Second Task and the Yule Ball; it was rumored that a Ravenclaw Seventh year would be taking her.

Roger Davies.

That had been the boy's name, Hermione knew he was quite accomplished with his studies, and Ginny had said he was dashing; Hermione wasn't as convinced.

"Hermione!" Her head whipped around to lock eyes on the source of the yell. The girl smiled as she stopped in front of the Gryffindor, a dainty hand reaching out and plucking the heavy book bag from slipping off Hermione's shoulders only to shoulder it herself. "I have not seen you since…I am afraid that I have offended you. If I have, it was not intended, Hermione." Fleur murmured lowly as she tilted her head down to try and reach Hermione's eyes.

Hermione sighed in defeat and looked up at the saddened witch. She had been a terrible friend. Now Fleur feels as if she's done something wrong and after they'd talk about what Hermione's opinion means to the French witch, Hermione could bloody well kick herself right now. "No, no Fleur, you did nothing wrong…I've been busy with all this nonsense of the Ball." Hermione laughed genuinely as she remembered her predicament and leaned against the stone wall, making herself comfortable, showing the French witch that she was not about to run off from her.

"What is wrong? Do you not have a date?" Fleur frowned, mimicking her position and relaxing against the wall as well.

Hermione shook her head, a small smile slipping through. "Well you see, I had two dates." Fleur's eyes widened, and then narrowed as Hermione continued. "Harry, Ginny and I all planned to go together as we didn't have dates, but then Neville asked Ginny, so she dumped Harry and me." Hermione laughed. "Then Luna Lovegood cornered Harry and the poor boy hadn't stood a chance." She giggled wildly, still quite amused at her friend's predicament. "So you see, I've been dumped twice in less than a week!"

Fleur joined in Hermione's laughter. Hermione watched the girl as she laughed, but as she realized what she was doing she cleared her throat and looked away, blushing. "That is quite the situation." Fleur commented.

"Yes it is, so I'm unsure as to what I'll be doing. I can always go to the Ball by myself, but I've also thought about sending word to my Uncle and having him send Kreacher to pick me up for the Holiday." She shrugged, still having not made up her mind. "But, I wouldn't want to leave Harry here alone either…it wouldn't be right." She frowned.

Fleur's brow creased as she looked at the girl, her fingers idly playing with the strap of Hermione's bag that she had accosted earlier. "Why would it not be right? Surely Harry would understand?"

Hermione's eyes grew pained as she looked into Fleur's curious stare. "Ah right, I don't think we've ever really talked about this before…" She realized that while she had talked with Fleur about everything that had happened while at Hogwarts, that the girl probably didn't understand or know just how strange and recent her status as a Black was. "You see, when I first came to Hogwarts it was as a Muggleborn…I was adopted. As you've probably read in the papers, my birth father was actually a Pureblood and my mother a Halfblood, for all intents and purposes I am a Pureblood witch or at least close to it. Thing is, my birth father was the younger brother to Harry's Godfather. So when everything came out, the friendship between Harry and me, well it only grew; especially after being disowner by my Muggle parents.

"To me, it would be odd to go home without Harry, because it wouldn't be home without Harry…it'd be like you going home for Christmas without Gabrielle." Hermione smiled knowingly as Fleur immediately shook her head in distaste.

"I understand…and I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you Hermione. I admit, I have read the stories about you in the paper, but the French papers hadn't been so thorough it seems. What your parents did, I can't imagine how someone could not love you…you are much too cute." She teased trying to lighten the dark mood that had settled around them, smiling as Hermione blushed hotly beneath her gaze.

"You are incorrigible." She rolled her eyes with a laugh. "So, I heard you're going to the Ball with Roger Davies…he's a nice boy." Hermione worked to help change the subject, only to regret her choice as her mood soured.

Fleur looked at her in confusion, crossing her arms about her chest. "Where have you heard this? Who told you such nonsense?" She demanded.

Hermione blinked. "The whole school's talking about it…you mean you're not going with him?" She asked slowly, ignoring the fluttering within her belly.

Fleur shook her head. "Non." She scoffed. "He has asked me a dozen times and each time I tell him no." She sniffed proudly at the thought. "Now it would have the school believe I would lower myself to go with him, pathetic."

Hermione shook her head at the arrogance. "Lower? What's wrong with Roger Davies?" She pressed, irked at the attitude.

Fleur shrugged and waved it off. "Nothing is wrong with him. Il est absurde de croire que je voudrais sortir avec quelqu'un quand je ai déjà trouvé mon seul." She continued in French.

"Wait, what?" Hermione hadn't caught it all of what she said, but something about that last part sounded familiar…like the conversation she had with Marguerite all those months ago…what had the woman said? The Veela have other halves, soul mates? Is that why Fleur wouldn't go with Roger, because he wasn't her destined mate?

Fleur blushed. "Sorry. I cannot go with Monsieur Davies." She left it at that.

Hermione bit her lip. "Is it because he's not your…chosen?" She leaped, unsure if she was crossing some line that would get her, or Marguerite, in trouble.

Fleur's eyes bulged as she stared at Hermione in shock. "How do you know of such things?"

Hermione reached out and placed a hand on the panicking girl's arm and shrugged coyly as she tried to explain in a way that wouldn't seem as though she'd done research on Fleur's heritage. "Well…Veela information is quite rare, I'll admit, but I happened to have inherited an extensive and rare library recently." It wasn't wrong, she had discovered a passage or two about Veela's in the Black library of Grimmauld and it had mentioned chosen ones…once. She didn't really wish to lie to the girl either though.

"Why were you looking up Veela culture though…that is, odd?" Fleur questioned further as Hermione's eyes shifted.

"Well, it just so happens that I ran into a Veela during summer vacation, before everything happened. She was quite nice. I spent a few days with her in her tent at the market." Hermione shrugged, trying to sate Fleur's interest, only to see Fleur's narrowed eyes soften into more curiosity and knowing regard.

"Where did you run into this…Veela?" The French girl asked softly.

Hermione frowned, what did that have to do with anything? "St. Tropez…why?"

Fleur grinned in amusement and rolled her eyes as a small laughed forced its way from her lungs. "Did she go by the name Marguerite by any chance?"

Hermione gasped, "How did you know?" Fleur fell into pleas of laughter as she shook her head.

"That Veela…she is my Grand-mère, my Grandmother." She explained, quieting her laughter except for a few hiccups.

"No! You let the pixie into the house?" Hermione grinned in disbelief, remembering the story of mischievous granddaughters the Elder had told her about.

"Mon Dieu! She told you that horrid story! I am going to kill her when I see her next!" Fleur growled even as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "It was Gabby's idea in the first place." She tried to defend herself, as the Gryffindor laughed at her.

"Right." Hermione scoffed. "You are the oldest!" Her laughter tapered as she looked at Fleur, now seeing the undeniable resemblance to the Elder Veela that she had written off as merely Veela heritage. "You look so much like her…I don't know why I didn't see it before." She sighed, her eyes seeking out and memorizing Fleur's soft yet fierce features.

Fleur grinned bashfully under the girl's scrutiny, though Hermione could see her ego inflating at the compliment. " Merci. That is quite the compliment, ma cherie." She sighed, shaking her head at something. "So you know my Grand-mère…this is quite surprising." Her tone suggested otherwise, but Hermione didn't comment, only smiled. "What other tall tales has she told you about me?"

Hermione smirked. "That is between Marguerite and I." She teased and stole her bag back from the pouting Veela.

"Hermione!" Fleur called as she gave chased to the giggling Gryffindor, both girls ignorant to the jealous eyes following after them.

The Gryffindor common room was surprisingly quiet, Hermione had thought that with the end of classes there would be at least some sort of celebratory party of some sort, especially with the Twins still on the grounds, but the end of term had come in a quiet hush and sigh of relief that the students seemed to be imitating.

She sat, curled up in the corner of a couch as the fire worked to fight of the winter's chill from her bones. She was in a reflective sort of mood tonight, after the conversation she'd had with Fleur earlier, her mind had been able to think of little else. It really was quite the coincidence that the Veela she'd become fond of during the summer just so happened to be Fleur's Grandmother, or so it seemed. For all Hermione knew, Veela weren't as common…even with Wizarding families, there seemed to be a connection somewhere down the line between even the most distant bloodlines, so it wasn't a far reach.

They were such mysterious creatures, Fleur was such a mystery…try as she might to distant herself to try and figure things out, it never worked out. The French Veela had a way of finding Hermione out and she wasn't all that mad at it, but it did make things extraordinarily more complicated. Hermione sighed as she pulled her mess of curls up into an equally messy bun, but at least it was for the most part out of her face.

Fleur had a new habit of fiddling with the curls, running her fingers threw them as they studied, twirling them around her fingers as she listened to Hermione ramble on about…something; Hermione never really noticed until she'd finished up what had held her attention, so she figured that if it didn't distract her from her work, but kept Fleur entertained…what was the harm?

Another sigh that turned to a yawn and Hermione picked herself up from the couch and took herself to bed, oblivious to the fact that she had spent the last half hour twirling her hair and thinking of a girl instead of reading the book she'd borrowed from the library about advanced underwater charms.

"So you don't have a date, but you have to have one because you're a Champion?" Hermione frowned as the blonde shrugged as though she wasn't about to break one of the oldest rules of the Triwizard Tournament. "But you can't have a date because it would dishonor your chosen, because it is forbidden in Veela culture to have romantic interests outside of your chosen?" She question making sure she wasn't getting it wrong.

Fleur gave a curt nod, but smiled at Hermione. "Oui bien. You are understanding this all very quickly, Hermione! No doubt it is due to that brilliant mind of yours." She complimented and smiled as Hermione scowled through a blush.

Hermione grumbled wordlessly and shifted in her chair, purposely ignoring the quiet chuckle that fell from the blonde's lips as she did so. "So…" She sighed, continuing on. "Why are you able to talk to me about all this? I thought Veela culture was all secretive and such?"

Fleur's eyes darted from the parchment she'd been filling up with corrections and notes as she read through the essay for a classmate. Hermione found that the thought of Fleur's peers seeking out the girl's educational opinion and trusted Fleur to teach and further their understanding of subjects to be quite appealing. She felt intellectually equal next to Fleur, even if Fleur was ahead of her in years, and she couldn't fathom how anyone else could look at the girl next to her and just see a pretty face.

"Well, usually it would be forbidden to tell you such things…but, Grand-mère has already told you such things and I am merely elaborating on some of the details." Fleur hesitated and looked up from the parchment so that she could look Hermione in the eyes. "There are many things that I have not told you, many things that I direct you away from because I cannot tell you. Il est trop tôt pour de telles choses."

Hermione hadn't blinked at the onslaught of French, she'd learned that when Fleur slipped into the language it was often because she was having trouble finding the right words in English to express herself, and would then explain after what it was that she had meant, or it was something that she couldn't say to Hermione and so Hermione didn't press her to explain the French words.

She nodded to the blonde to relay her understanding, as partial as it was. "Couldn't you go with someone without it being romantic, like as I would have with Gin and Harry?" Hermione pressed, trying to help the girl find a solution.

Fleur rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she thought it over. "Oui, yes, I could I suppose…but I might have left it too late, my classmates have already found dates of their own and I do not trust that if I were to take someone else that has asked, that they would treat it as friends…they would see it as something else, something I cannot give and it would create a mess." She shook her head in despair.

Hermione frowned, opening her mouth to respond when a throat cleared in front of them. As the girls looked up they see a confident Viktor Krum standing before them…and a gaggle of giggling girls just behind him. Hermione frowned in distaste as Fleur scowled at the Quidditch star. "May I help you?" Hermione asked softly, but not entirely without annoyance at being interrupted with Fleur…again.

"Miss Black, I have come to assure our date for the ball. As my fiancé you should meet me at the stairs just before the Champions are made to enter. I trust you will not be late." He grinned what he must have thought was charmingly, but it only served to creep Hermione out.

"What?!" The young Gryffindor seethed as she looked at the boy. "You…you were the one that sent me that letter! The gall! As if I would ever agree to an engagement to-to such a Neanderthal! Those awful things you said about Fleur!" She gasped, remembering the boy's words and scoffed in his direction. "Here me when I say this Viktor Krum so that there is no misunderstanding." She seethed even as her voice grew cold and altogether calm. "I am not your fiancé. I will never become your wife. If you think for one second that I would willingly chose your idiotic, backwards thinking, stuck up attitude over Fleur, who by the way is none of those things, in fact she's your complete opposite, she is wonderful and smart and talented and so completely amazing and a charming person, you've got another thing coming."

Her breath came in huffs as she leaned over the table so that she could encompass some of the boy's personal space as to make him understand just how little she cared for him. "I would be quicker to marry a mountain troll than I would you, as he would no doubt show more intelligence than you have. And even though marriage is the last thing on my mind right now, during my Fourth year, if you represent my choices of a life partner…I will gladly bond myself to Fleur this instant, if she'd have me."

Silence encompassed the library, until Madame Pince who had stormed over during the commotion looked struck and oddly smug as she grabbed Krum by the ear. "You are band from the library! Now all of you, out now!" She ordered to Krum's gaggle as she dragged the boy out by his ear, ignoring his pleas to release him.

Hermione collapsed back into her chair with an indignant huff. A soft hand on her arm pulled her attention back to the girl next to her. Fleur placed her hands onto Hermione's checks as she rubbed the heated and red flash, trying to soothe her friend. "Allow I am not complaining…you did not have to say such things for my benefit, Hermione." Though Fleur had been shocked by the turn of events, she was pleased that Hermione was so willing to speak up for her, even if she hadn't needed to.

Hermione scoffed slightly. "Well it's true." She licked her lips as Fleur looked at her earnestly. "I would choose you over the likes of him any day of the week. You are my friend, Fleur. I care about you and I will not let ignorant people say such hateful things about you or your heritage. I may have only met two Veela in my lifetime, and admittedly I still know very little about your culture, but I know enough about you as people to know how wonderful you are. They are idiots to think you any less than they are because of your blood…it is like them hating me for being Muggleborn, which they all did before my true heritage came to light, a fact they conveniently forget now." She sneered at the thought. "I won't tolerate them belittling someone I care about."

"Oh Hermione!" Fleur cried as she pulled the girl close and kissed her cheeks and hugged her close. "You wonderful, wonderful girl! How have I been so lucky to find you?! Mes aînés dernières doivent me aimer ainsi que vous avez choisi pour moi! Je suis si heureux , même si nous sommes juste rester amis . Je serais heureux avec cela." She babbled away excitedly, her hands waving about as she patted Hermione's hair and planted kisses upon her cheeks as she gushed.

Hermione giggled, "Thanks…I think."

The next day as Hermione was leaving the common room to head to breakfast, she was accosted by the Headmaster. "Ah! Miss Black, lucky to have gotten you before you've nipped down to the Great Hall!" Dumbledore cheered.

"Is there something you need, Headmaster?" Hermione smiled up at the old wizard.

Dumbledore gave a twinkling grin back. "Yes, young Miss Delacour came to my office yesterday before dinner and informed me of what happened with Mr. Krum. Ah please do not be upset with her, I do believe she was trying to look after you as you have done with her." He said as Hermione frowned. "Now, because we now know that Mr. Krum is one of those who have been sending the letters we can take measures to ensure that you are not to be bothered by anymore of his unwanted advances. I also had to make Professor McGonagall, and your Godfathers, aware of the matter. I took it upon myself to assure them of your safety, though I'm sure that such measures are useless when you have such a strong and adamant friend in Miss. Delacour." Dumbledore chuckled. "It is most unwise to cross or come between a Veela and the one they've taken interest in…even if it is innocent in nature."

Hermione gaped at the man, her mouth opening and closing as she looked more like a fish than a young lady. Finally she ducked her head in a blush. "We…care for one another Sir. She is my friend." She decided to say, hesitantly though as she looked back up at him as they reached the bottom of the staircase.

Dumbledore chuckled once more. "Ah yes, there's nothing more valuable than that of true friendship!" He bent his head down at her before stepping away. "Oh, one more thing, Hermione." She waited as he spread his arms a bit. "It would be such a shame to waste a beautiful dress for lack of a date, when you could put it to use to help a friend in need." He winked and left her standing there in shock.