Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa GreyjoyStarkgirl1985. It was a joy writing this story and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to a careless second-year Ravenclaw, the fourth, fifth, and sixth-year Gryffindors were doing their potion class in the Great Hall. While the potion class was under prepared, Hermione still couldn't understand how a second-year was able to blow up an entire classroom while brewing a swelling solution. The rumor was that the second year managed to spill some of the potion onto the flames, causing it to swell in size, and it didn't help that the second year added three times the amount of pufferfish eyes, causing the potion to be unstable.
Whatever the reason, it gave Hermione time to work on her other classes. Since no one was able to brew their potions, Professor Snape ordered everyone to write an essay on the dangers of potion-making. Hermione quickly finished the foot-long essay, handing it into
Professor Snape before working on an essay that she needed to do for Transfiguration. She sat beside Ron and Harry as she always did, scutching up her noise every time she caught Ron leaning over to read over her parchment before quickly scribbling down her answers on his own.
Hermione tried not to pay attention to the mindless chatter about the Yule Ball that was coming up in the next few weeks. She was hoping Ron would ask her to go with him. For the past month she has been dropping hints about wanting to go. Saying how much she would love to go, how she was looking forward to wearing her dress, and how she was looking forward to seeing a magical dance. Either her hints have gone unnoticed or Ron wasn't interested in going with her, either way Hermione was done. She accepted her fate of staying in her dorms that night; she was going to be the girl without a date.
Hermione was currently going through her essay, checking her notes for the second time to make sure she had everything right and that she didn't miss anything, when she noticed a paper ball fly past her head, hitting Ron in the shoulder. She looked up from her notes for a second to notice it was Fred before going back to her notes, figuring it was some brotherly nonsense that she had no interest in.
Ron, who was struggling with his essay that Snape was making them write, was quickly pulled away from his blank piece of parchment when he was hit in the arm with a paper ball. He shot a glare at his brother as he picked up the ball and uncrinkled it, smoothing it out with his hands before lifting it up slightly. "Get a move on, or all the good ones will have gone," he read out loud, keeping his voice low to avoid the attention of Snape, who was making his way around the tables to see how everyone was doing or to make snide comments. Ron wasn't sure.
Ron read the note as if it were his death sentence. He knew that he was running out of time, but asking out a girl to the Yule Ball was much harder than he thought. He tried asking out Fleur Delacour, but he ended up screaming at her instead, with her running off with a scarred look on her face. He tried asking out some other girls, but all that came out was a gumble mess of words that left the girls looking confused before walking off.
He looked around the Great Hall until his eyes landed on Hermione, a slight smile appearing on his face. He knew that no one had asked her to the Yule Ball; she must be dying for someone to ask her. "Hermione, you're a girl?" Ron couldn't help but wince—not the best start.
Hermione's eyes darkened as she glared up at him. "Well spotted," she quipped.
"Well, would you?" Ron said as he began to lift his arms up in a dancing position, but Snape was soon behind them and quickly smacked his head back down to his paper. Ron waited until Snape walked off with a scoff as he looked for another student to torture before looking back up from his paper and at Hermione. "It's one thing for a guy to go alone, but for a girl, it's just sad," Ron stated.
Hermione pressed her lips together as she felt rage bubble up inside of her. This is how Ron was asking her to the Yule Ball? To tell her that it was sad that no one had asked her out yet? Hermione was about ready to whip out her wand and curse Ron into the next week or possibly the next month. She felt assaulted, and she wasn't about to give Ron the satisfaction of saying yes, but before she could utter a single word, another paper ball went flying by her head, hitting Ron once again.
Ron looked over at his brothers to see them laughing, giving them a confused look as to why he was being hit with a paper ball again. He was asking out a girl, just like they wanted; what else did they want him to do?
Fred rolled his eyes as he made a motion for his brother to open up the note as George lowered his head into his arms to keep himself from laughing out loud.
Ron returned the eye roll before he uncrinkled the note, flattening it out on the table once again before reading it.
Hermione couldn't help but smile as she leaned over to read what Fred had written: 'That's not how you do it, mate.' She sat back in her chair, unable to stop the blushing on her cheeks. She brought her hand up, pretending to move a strand of her hair behind her ear in hopes of hiding it.
Ron let out a huff of air as he crinkled the piece of paper back up into a ball and stuffed it into his bag. "What is it gonna be? You gonna go or spend the night in the dorms with your nose stuffed in your books?" Ron asked, "You don't want to be known as the girl who couldn't get a date." Ron explained.
Hermione opened her mouth, about to tear a piece off of Ron, until Professor Snape's voice traveled through the Great Hall, gathering everyone's attention. "Mr. Weasley!" Ron, along with Fred and George, looked up, but the glare Snape was sending Ron told them who he wanted to speak with. Ron took a large gulp before slowly standing up and making his way to the front of the Great Hall, where Snape stood. He ducked his head in an effort to make himself invisible from the stares he was getting from the other students.
Hermione shook her before flipping her book close and stuffing it into her bag. She had finished her potion assignment; there was no reason for her to sit here and take this from Ron. She drew the stings on her bag, tightening the top before flipping the flap down when she was hit with a paper ball. Hermione looked over at Fred to see him smiling before looking behind to see if he meant to throw it to someone else. Seeing no one, she looked back at Fred, confused.
"It's for you; open it," Fred mouthed as he made the motion for her to open the ball.
Hermione only looked more confused. She looked around, making sure Snape was still in the middle of yelling at Ron, before carefully unballing the paper and flattening it out. "Would you like to go to the ball with me- Fred?" Hermione read, her cheeks turning a bright red. Hermione slowly looked up from the paper "Me?" Hermione mouthed as she pointed at herself. Not in a thousand years would she think Fred would ask her out.
Fred couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at Hermione's question: "Yes, you. Would you do me the honor of going to the Yule Ball with me, Mrs. Ganger?" Fred mouthed, allowing a little bit of sound to come out so Hermione would be able to hear him ask her to the Yule Ball.
Hermione's cheeks turned even redder if that was even possible. She took out her quill and quickly scribbled a small message on the paper he had thrown at her. She looked up, making sure Snape was still busy with Ron, before lightly tossing the paper back.
Fed pulled the paper open, and a smile illuminated his face when he read Hermione's response.
Two weeks passed, and Hermione found herself standing at the top of the stairs that lead down to the Great Hall. She needed to take a moment to breathe as she tried to steady her nerves. Hermione paced back and forth. Her heels gave a light click every time they made contact with the stone floor, keeping in tone with the clock tower, which only reminded her that the ball was starting soon.
Hermione looked down at herself. She wore a beautiful periwinkle dress with curled hair that was half up, giving her more volume with her hair for the night. The unmanageable curly hair she once had was now a soft, curly wave with no frizz, and Madam Pomfury did her the favor of straightening out her teeth. She felt more confident than she ever had, and yet she was scared to walk down those steps. "Come on, Hermione. You helped get the Philosopher Stone; you have been petrified; you traveled back in time; you can do a dance," Hermione berated herself.
Hermione mustered up her Gryffindor courage as she poked her head out from behind the stone wall. She saw Harry along with Ron, who ended up going with Padma. She also saw Neville with his date, Ginny, who was silently encouraging her to come down. Giving Ginny a curt nod, she moved away from the wall and began to descend the set of stairs. Hermione began to frantically look for her date. She saw George with Angelina and Draco with Pansy.
Hermione couldn't help but fold in on herself as everyone turned to look at her, their whispers filling her ears. When Hermione reached the bottom step, her eyes caught Ron, her heart beating rapidly within her chest when she saw the look he was giving her. He was staring her up and down, his mouth hing open in shock, leaving Hermione with a small surge of pride.
"You look beautiful."
Hermione quickly turned her head to the right to see Fred standing right next to her. How he made his way up without her earring, she would never know. She felt her cheeks flush at the compliment. "You clean up rather nicely yourself," Hermione said softly.
"It's all part of the Weasley charm," Fred teased before he held out his arm to Hermione. "Shall we?" He asked.
Hermione's cheeks flushed once again as she took Fred's arm, and together they entered the Great Hall for a magical night.