Chapter 617 My Sole Choice

Needless to say, Hermione would not accept Krum's invitation.

At best, she only considered him as a friend and had no other thoughts about him.

But Fleur's request could not be ignored. Shortly after Krum invited Hermione, Fleur approached her, hoping she could arrange for Gabrielle to be paired with Evan. Beauxbatons students were also aware of the upcoming Christmas Ball.

They spoke at length at that moment, and Fleur's attitude was also very sincere, but Hermione didn't give her a clear answer. All she knew was that after talking to Fleur, her heart felt heavy.

Her feelings were very complex, her thoughts very chaotic. In a word, they made her hesitate and distress.

Apparently, she had no reason to decline Fleur's request. Her relationship with Evan had not been made public, and there had been no substantial progress.

Because Hermione had always feared rejection, there was always a thin veil between them.

Even though they were already very familiar, even though everyone around them thought they were lovers, Hermione always felt like something was missing.

Following this train of thought, she wasn't sure if she would be Evan's partner.

Hermione knew Evan very well. She knew that if she took the initiative to ask him, he would definitely agree. However, she wasn't sure if that was really what Evan wanted or just because she had asked.

However, if he didn't ask her first...

After avoiding Evan, entangled in solitude for a few days, Hermione understood!

It was Evan's prerogative to choose a partner, and no one else had the right to interfere. Whether his partner was her, Gabrielle, or any other girl, it was Evan's exclusive choice.

It was not something she and Fleur could decide. Even if she wanted to give way for Gabrielle, it was not her place.

Moreover, Hermione had no intention of letting go deep down in her heart, and she hadn't considered it at all from start to finish.

She couldn't even ask Evan directly, hoping he could decide for her.

After trying to understand all this, she encountered a new problem. Hermione hoped Evan would ask her, but she didn't know what to do after he actually did.

All kinds of previous fears, what Fleur had told her, what Evan really thought, and the relationship with Gabrielle; all sorts of factors added up, making Hermione doubt more and even feel afraid.

She didn't know what was going on in her mind, and her thoughts became so complicated because of the Christmas Ball.

Though she was the same as usual, showing no expression of alarm on her face, there was a turbulence in her heart that she couldn't calm.

She talked a lot with Ginny, and there was no progress. The situation they both faced was truly similar.

Ginny was also distressed about the ball. She hoped Harry would ask her, but that possibility would probably never exist. And she couldn't, like other girls, ask Harry to be her partner herself.

Even though it was known that Ginny had a secret crush on Harry, she didn't have the courage to express it.

Ginny had progressed enough now to be able to talk to Harry normally. What more could be asked of her?

From this perspective, Hermione felt that Ginny, like her, was a fool.

Boys like Evan, Harry, and Ron were also the same; all were fools who didn't understand anything emotionally.

These kinds of things were much more difficult and complicated than mastering a spell, and it was not a knowledge that could be learned from books.

Finally, Hermione decided to stay away from Evan and not attend the Christmas Ball. Perhaps this was the best outcome.

But even though she was determined, Hermione responded angrily to Ron's comments this evening. She voiced all her complaints. When she said she had accepted someone else's invitation, what Hermione truly wanted in her heart was for Evan to be more decisive.

If Evan had invited her to go with him earlier, then she wouldn't have been so entangled.

The outcome was unexpected. Hermione didn't think Evan would truly explode after hearing what she had said. It went beyond what she had imagined.

In fact, Evan asked her to accompany him at the dance in front of all the students and kissed her. He did not give her the chance to reject him.

With the sudden changes, Hermione lost the ability to reason and was immersed solely in the sweetness of the kiss.

After being taken by Evan and feeling the warmth of his palm, Hermione realized that her previous worries and entanglements were entirely superfluous and unnecessary. If she truly liked him, she needed to express it bravely.

Retreating did not align with her character, nor was it a solution to the problem.

They walked hand in hand in the castle. The noise in the Great Hall gradually faded, and the surroundings fell silent.

They stopped in a dimly lit corner of the staircase. The light from a torch flickered from afar, creating a sense of mystery and shadow.

Evan listened to Hermione's explanation. She spoke at length, sharing all her concerns and grievances.

In his view, Hermione was truly foolish for worrying about such things. He liked Hermione, and that had not changed from beginning to end.

Perhaps Hermione was not the most beautiful girl Evan had ever known, but he dared to say she was unequivocally the best.

Even in a sea of people, he could instantly distinguish her, holding in the depths of his heart the girl he could never forget. It was a unique sensation that only Hermione could evoke.

Through this, Evan learned something. He had to confront Hermione, not only take the initiative but also become more formidable and employ practical actions to dispel his internal doubts, tell her he cared about her, and demonstrate his love.

If he had given up tonight, he could have lost Hermione forever, and regret it eternally.

Hermione, who seemed extraordinarily fragile before him, was trembling slightly.

Evan strongly felt that the girl in front of him exuded a wonderful, soft, and indescribable tender aura, and his deep desire to protect her arose from the depths of his heart, along with other inexplicable thoughts.

"Stop talking, Hermione!" Evan said softly, gazing intently at Hermione. "All your concerns are unnecessary. I have chosen you as my partner and my only partner. I will not go to the Christmas Ball with any other girl but you. Remember, whatever happens, I will be by your side. This holds true for the next Christmas Ball and for all my life. You are my only choice forever. I hope you can choose me too!"

"Evan!" Hermione dried her red eyes and threw herself into Evan's arms.

She felt embarrassed, looking like this. It was obviously a good thing, but tears were flowing uncontrollably from her eyes.

Evan embraced Hermione in his arms, recalling the feeling of kissing her a moment ago. The distance between them was diminishing steadily.