Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear
Bonnie boy, ghile mear
You will be my gallant star
Oh heys to me mo ghile mear

So come my love to battle come
To this fair land so weary sung
Let harp and song the valleys hum
And sound the sound of freedom's drum

"You heard the fuss about the Yule Ball, eh?"

Seamus looked up from his Charms paper, scowling at Dean.

"Heard about it? Course I heard about it! The whole bloody school's talking about it," He muttered, scratching out a line he'd just written, before placing the quill in his mouth to scratch his head. He gagged at the acrid taste of the ink, licking his lips and wishing for some pumpkin juice.

"You have some ink on your fingers, mate," Dean said, setting his book bag down in the common room with an audible 'thud', catching Seamus' hands and holding it to the candlelight.

"Great," Seamus winced, digging to find a handkerchief or spare tie in his bag to wipe his fingers. When he came up short, he used the edge of his parchment, pressing his fingerprints to the weathered pages.

"What?" He asked when Dean raised an eyebrow, "The whole thing is rubbish anyway. Need to start over…" He muttered to himself, flipping a few pages in the textbook, "I can't remember; Orabell Nuttley…did she create the Mending Charm, or just perfect it?" He asked through the quill held in between his teeth, "I think I got it backward...bloody Gryffindor..." He swore, already exhausted at the thought of how late he'd need to stay up to have a Hippogriff's chance in hell on passing this paper.

"You seem very casual about this whole affair," Dean said, ignoring his query.

"I'm not. If I fail this-,"

"No, not the paper," Dean waved away his thought like it was a fly bothering him, "The dance, Seamus!" He pressed. Seamus blinked, having already jettisoned the idea of the ball from his mind, tugging it back up as he formulated an answer for his best friend.

"Yeah, well," Seamus leaned back, shrugging, taking the quill out and tucking it behind his ear, "The Yule Ball is a month away. This paper is due tomorrow."

"Sure, but what about dates?"

Seamus laughed, "What do you mean 'what about dates'?"

"Everyone is finding one," Dean said. Seamus turned, looking at him strangely.

"Sure. That's what one does," He said, "I'm not sure what you're getting at, Thomas."

"We need to ask birds," Dean said, waving a hand between the pair of them, leaning in like he was laying down a conspiratorial plot, "Or else we'll be without. I'm not going to show up to this dance unattached!"

Between them, Dean had always been the one more aware of social cues and more in tune with what gossip was flying. Seamus thought it was all rather dull, but Dean seemed to enjoy it. And, if Dean was telling him it was going to be social suicide to show up empty-handed, he'd believe him.

Good thing that wasn't his plan, to begin with.

"Oh, of course," Seamus stared at him like he'd gone mad, "But, well, it's nearly 8 p.m. Curfew is soon. Girls will still be there tomorrow."

Little known statistic; Hogwarts was 52% women, 47% men, and 1% non-conforming...which meant the scales were tipped in their favor. More girls needing dates than men wanting them. And, with the arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, Seamus knew they'd have three times the chance to get someone.

If Seamus needed to worry about that at all. Which, Dean seemed to be forgetting, Seamus Finnigan most certainly did not.

"You don't…" Dean sighed, frustrated, "Seamus, I know you've been writing this paper all day, but Merlin! Everyone is asking everyone. It's hardly twelve hours since the dance was announced and already people are taking claims. We need to ask because we'll be stuck alone…or with the bottom of the barrel."

Seamus chuckled, leaning over to pat Dean's shoulder.

"Easy, mate. I'll just ask Lav. Of course, she'll say yes." Seamus said, unconcerned, "We've been 'something' since we were practically five. I assume she's waiting for me to ask anyway." He said.

That's why he was giving zero worries about this right now. Ever since their first year, when they'd had puppy-dog crushes amounting to silly notes passed in Transfigiration or first closed-mouth kisses while holding sunflowers in second year, he and Lavender had been hurtling toward making it more real. He'd argue that it was real, considering he'd taken her out to Hogsmeade the first day they were allowed and bought her a hot coco and candy.

It wasn't explicitly stated, but that's what Seamus liked about it. It was familiar and comforting. He knew he could count on Lav for this, thus his lack of worry. She was probably up with Parvati, already picking out her dress colors, equally as relieved that they could just skip this whole panic and go together. Perhaps they'd make it more official this year, though Seamus didn't think it needed labels or more solid promises.

"What about me?" Dean asked, his voice pitching, "I don't want to third wheel."

"You won't, surely," Seamus said, reaching for a new sheet of parchment, "Don't have a panic attack on me, please. Look, we'll figure this all out tomorrow, okay?" He patted Dean's shoulder, "Asking a full day later is hardly 'late'. I'm sure we'll still have quite the pool to choose from, hmm?" He said, "Now, really, Flitwick is gunna fail me if I don't get this halfway decent. Either help me or go sleep off that worry." Seamus smoothed out his parchment. He looked up to see Dean lingering, fingers picking at the strings on his book bag.

"Promise we'll figure it out tomorrow?"

"Yeah, 'course," Seamus said, already back in his paper, not at all worried about whether or not Lavender would say yes, "Lav will hook you up with someone. She's scarily good at match-making, you know." Lavender would never let his best mate show up a loser to the dance, that much Seamus was sure about. Ever since she'd started taking Divination seriously, she'd been predicting future couples left and right.

Sometimes, he wondered what she saw when she looked at them in the future, but the 'future' was something that set him on edge to think about. He was sure if there were any storms ahead, Lavender would warn him...right?

He shook away his momentary lapse of worry.

To him, it was a no-brainer. And, there were far bigger things to fret about. Really, Seamus couldn't take another bad paper grade…

Dean got up, pursing his lips, before sighing. Seamus almost thought he was going to say something else, but in the end, he let his friend be.

XXX

The next morning, Seamus hoped to catch Lavender in the Common Room, but Angelina informed him she'd already gone down to breakfast.

Then, by the time he arrived at breakfast, Lee said that Seamus had just missed her.

"Bollocks," Seamus muttered, sliding into his chair. He wouldn't see her until free period right before lunch now, since their electives were stacked in the mornings today.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked.

"What's got your face in a frown?" George added.

"Oh, it's not…" Seamus waved a hand, "It's fine. I just wanted to ask Lav something. I'll do it later," He said, grabbing a piece of toast and jam.

Fred and George snickered.

"This wouldn't be dance-natured, would it?" George asked.

"None of your business," Seamus replied, face turning red.

"Oh, Georgey, what else could it be? It's all anyone's talking about. I've seen six proposals within the last half-hour, you know!" Fred said, then frowned, as though cycling through those proposals, wincing deeply, "Bad luck, mate."

Seamus looked up, knife in hand, "What's that mean?"

Fred and George looked at each other, speaking silently between each other. Seamus hated it when they did that.

"Guys!" He groaned, "If something involves me, you'd better spill!"

"Not you, per sey..." George began, waving his flat palm, the bloody bugger.

"But it could. It means that if this question is indeed related to the Yule Ball and is in fact posing the offer of going hand in hand with the lovely Ms. Brown…you're just a smidge too late," Fred said, using his fingers to indicate a small, barely perceptible space between his digits.

"What does that mean?" Seamus repeated, eyes wild and worried.

Surely, Fred and George must be mistaken. There were plenty of girls that looked like Lav, with rows of plaited black curly hair and smooth skin, so Seamus hoped desperately that it was a case of mistaken identity, but something in their gaze sunk his hopes right down to the bottom of his stomach like a ship taking on water fast.

"It means that some Beauxbatons dodger came up and asked her at the start of breakfast." Lee said, putting Seamus out of his misery, "Tough break, Finnegan."

Dean hit Seamus a tad bit harder than merely friendly, annoyance burning on the edges of his eyes, "Seamus!" He muttered, a sore fucking loser.

It wasn't an 'I-Told-You-So'...no, it seemed he was gearing up for that.

Wait...wait! Why was Dean acting like a prick? This was Seamus' date that had been lost, right? His tragedy! His entire plan was gone, like someone wiping a hand over dust, leaving no traces.

Was Dean tetchy because his chance of getting a good match was dashed too now? Or was he spiraling, truly believing that if Seamus had gone with him to find a date late last night, it would have been better and Lavender being unavailable was a sign of their choices remaining?

The feeling in the bottom of his stomach was like ice now.

If he'd just gone to the girl's stairwell last night and asked someone to bring Lav down, maybe...

Oh, great Godric. Seamus felt almost ill.

"Well, she said no, right?" Seamus laughed, choking over his toast, one last desperate attempt for someone to tell him it was some grand joke, "Right?"

Why would she say yes? They were sort of kind of something, and that meant that she was probably waiting for him to ask, so why would she accept something else? Wasn't it the respectful thing to do was hold the place of your almost-boyfriend? If the roles were reversed, Seamus would have turned anyone who asked him down! Indignation flared, but it was tempered with confusion.

Were they not something, and Seamus had been reading every interaction with Lavender wrong this entire time?

"Well…" George winced, "Yes. I mean, no. I mean-,"

"She accepted," Lee said apologetically, once again clearly putting Seamus' heart on the slicing block, "Once again, tough break."

Seamus got up abruptly, leaving his food on the table.

"You gunna eat this?" George called after him, waving his toast around. Seamus didn't answer. He ran to the Common Room, well, as much as he could, without worrying Filtch would give him detention.

"Lav come down yet?" He asked Hermione as she came down, arms full of books.

"No," Hermione said shortly, almost put off by being stopped, "And I won't go get her either."

"Wasn't asking you to," Seamus said, embarrassed, because that's what he'd been about to request of her, stepping back and letting her go, "Is it true?"

Hermione paused, knowing what he was asking without needing it spelled out, "I don't pay much attention to the gossip and such," She said carefully, "But Lavender has been squealing about someone since she came in an hour ago," She said, shrugging, "Thought you had asked her. I thought you were..." She almost smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes, "Well, never mind."

Seamus groaned, "Thanks, Hermione. See you in class."

Hermione gave a sharp nod, leaving Seamus to his wallowing.

He paced in front of the door until he heard the sound of Lavender's laughter, a tone that reminded him of bells, and he could smell her floral perfume wafting down the stairwell before he saw her.

He managed to grab Lavender right as she was exiting with Parvati. He grasped her elbow, muttering a quick 'morning' to Parvati, and dragged Lavender over to an alcove in the Common Room.

"Is it true you said yes to someone from Beauxbaxtons?" Seamus asked, but it came out so quickly that it sounded like one long singular word. Lavender blinked a couple of times at him, tugging on a strand of her curly hair, and biting her lip. She giggled impishly, the way she used to giggle around him, and he felt like throwing himself off the Gryffindor tower right then and there. Her cheeks were blushed deeply, and Seamus was suddenly very sorry he'd even asked.

"Well, yes, I did."

"Lav," Seamus groaned, "Why'd you do that?"

"Because he asked me!" Lavender huffed, crossing her arms, "We've been talking since school started."

Seamus frowned, confused, "You have?"

"Yes!" Lavender rolled her eyes, "If you weren't such a…frustrating boy, perhaps you'd have noticed! Someone took some attention to me, at least!" She said, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

"So what…" Seamus shook his head, crossing his arms over himself protectively, as though guarding his heart from what might be his first heartbreak, "This is just to make me jealous? I thought we were…I thought you and me were…" He motioned uselessly between them, but the air no longer felt stretched with tension, just dead.

His fingers dropped awkwardly.

"Oh, Seamus, get over yourself! If I wanted to make you jealous, why would I do it with a boy you didn't even notice I was getting close to? And so much for 'being something', we've never even talked about it!"

"I didn't think we needed to!" Seamus said, before noticing his argument was drawing attention. He lowered his voice, "We're just…Sea and Lav!"

Lavender gave him a sad smile, patting his cheeks, "Maybe I want more than just that."

"So we're…breaking up?" Seamus asked, confused. Lavender inhaled sharply, lip pulled tight.

"I don't know if we can end something we never talked about starting," She said honestly, "Sorry, Seamus. I really am. I thought you…knew. I guess…" She dug her foot into the carpeted floor, "Sorry." She said again. To her credit, she seemed genuinely apologetic. He knew some people saw her as snappish and shallow, but he'd always seen her as so much more.

Apparently, he hadn't been the only one.

Seamus tried to think of something else to say, but Lavender picked up her book bags and left, leaving Seamus feeling like an absolute fool, made only worse by Neville walking by, whistling.

"Tough break," Neville said, which was like being pitied by a geriatric alpaca.

"Move along," He muttered to a few curious eyes, feeling warmth hit his cheeks as the embarrassment of the situation fell on his shoulders.

By the time he got to his first elective, Arithmancy, it seemed the news had spread quickly. Those damn portraits were all gossip hounds, Seamus thought angrily. He knew this because Dean was sitting at their table, and winced when Seamus approached.

"I-,"

"The rumors are true. If you say anything along the lines of 'I told you so' and that we should have asked last night…" Seamus put his head on the table, covering his face with his arms, "I will set you on fire."

"Apologies, mate," Dean course-corrected, though he could tell that Dean was itching to blurt it out, reminding Seamus that he was so much smarter, apparently, "The issues still stands, more than ever. We need dates."

Seamus peeked at Dean from the side of his arm, "Really?"

"Can't let that get you down," Dean tried to say cheerily, "And, the best way to show Lavender you don't care is by finding someone…ASAP."

"I just…" Seamus tried to think of a good argument, wanting to be far away from this blasted Yule Ball if he had his way, but failed, "Fine."

Dean had a fair point. If he hid in the Gryffindor Tower, tail tucked, that would be like admitting defeat, right? He had to go to this stupid dance now, and he absolutely had to have a date.

"Mint!" Dean said, relaxing his shoulders and pulling out an old parchment assignment, flipping it over, "Erm…okay…who can we ask?" He said, scratching his chin, "The Patel twins?"

"That's a no-go," Seamus said with a wince through his teeth, "I accidentally set Padma's sari on fire a year ago. I don't think either of them has forgiven me."

"Right," Dean struck their names off the list, "Erm…Fae?"

"No…Fae is going with…oh, what's his name?" Seamus snapped his fingers, "The bloke with the funny ears…Ravenclaw."

"Ah, yes, him. Adam…not sure if that's his last name or first." Dean drew a line through Fae.

"Morag?" Seamus offered. Dean shuddered.

"She scares the shit out of me, and not in a sexy way." He shook his head firmly, "Demelza?"

"Oh, she's going with Jack Sloper, for sure," Seamus scoffed, "They're basically attached at the hip. Ginny?"

"She is pretty," Dean admitted, eyes becoming a bit hazy. Seamus knew that Dean fancied her a little, "But I'm worried Ron will come and smother me in my sleep if I ask her," Dean said quickly.

"Really? You think Ron would care, I mean, you're a stand-up guy," Seamus patted his back, "I wouldn't be so sure."

"I'd just rather not…" Dean drew out Ginny's name, rolling the quill in his fingers, "Risk it. What would you do if Ron asked Finn?" He said, referring to Seamus' one and only older sister, "Theoretically."

"That would be really weird, considering she's already graduated," Seamus said, "So I think we'd have a lot of issues right there, for starters!"

"You're protective. So is Ron, even if he hides it. No to Ginny."

"Okay. That seems like a perfectly good choice, but whatever."

Dean glared, "Then you ask her!" He slid the parchment toward Seamus. Seamus almost did, just to prove a point, but the idea of Ron standing over his bed in the middle of the night, lightning flashing on his face, as he stared down at Seamus with murderous intent and a rusty kitchen knife suddenly leaped into his mind.

Seamus shuddered at the idea of how Ron could make the pain really linger if he wanted to.

"What? No way!" Seamus held up his hands, "You put that idea in my mind. I don't want Ron's wrath either."

"Okay, okay...Seamus, we gotta figure this out!" Dean seemed ready to tear out his hair.

"Fine! Okay, c'mon, there are two times more girls here this year than normal. We have to be able to find a date!" Seamus patted Dean's shoulder in an effort to console him.

Until class started, they continued to throw out names. Corner and Justin, sitting near them, also joined in, having other knowledge of who had asked who in the last few hours, helping them cross out choices.

"This is impossible!" Justin said, panicked, "I mean, all the good choices are gone, already!"

"Good choices?" Lisa Turpin spun in her chair, "If you want any chance at all with any girl, you'll recant that!"

"I mean," Justin gulped, "I didn't mean it like that…" He winced, "Hey, Lisa, you free for the Yule Ball?"

"Go eat a flobberworm," Lisa spat, "And besides, Anthony's already asked me." She added with a wicked grin.

All four boys groaned, "You see? Impossible!" Corner threw out his arms, "All that will be left will be Millie or-,"

"Actually, Millie was asked already," Tracy spoke up, rolling her eyes, "So, you're all really behind, you know."

"Hey…Tracy-," Corner began.

Tracy snorted, "Absolutely not, Michael."

"What's the male equivalent of spinsters? Because that's who we are right now. And that's who we'll become," Seamus declared dramatically, balling up the list and shoving in Dean's knapsack.

By the time class started, there were some tentative choices lined up for the boys, though, not by much.

Corner recalled a pretty Durmstrang girl that he'd been partnered with once or twice, and thought he'd try his luck there.

"She scares the shit out of me, but maybe that's okay," He said, not sounding very confident at all.

Justin was hoping that Ernie hadn't gotten around to asking Hannah and would try to catch her alone before their next class.

And even Dean had finally settled on trying Eloise Midgen.

" She's really nice," Dean had said, trying to muster enthusiasm, "And funny."

Meaning, of course, if he ignored her acne.

But still no one for Seamus.

They were halfway through class when Dean poked his side.

"Hermione?"

"Hermione, what?" Seamus whispered back, trying not to get a disapproving glare from their professor.

"Hermione…as a date."

Seamus looked up to see Hermione sitting alone in the front of the room, furious scribbling her notes, attention rapt and focused on the lesson on the board.

He leaned back, trying to imagine it.

She was prettier than Eloise, at least.

They didn't really talk much, despite being in the same year in the same house. Their conversation at the stairs today had been the longest with her that Seamus could recall. And not for any specific reason, she just seemed always pulled into the antics of Ron and Harry.

On that point...

"Don't you think Ron or Harry will ask her? Have they?" Seamus asked.

"Harry? Oh, Merlin, no." Dean snorted, trying to hide his laughter, "He's had love eyes for Cho all semester. And besides, even if he didn't, he's so worried about the Tournament and oblivious to everything else that I doubt he's even had a second thought about the ball yet," He said.

"What about Ron?"

Dean gave Seamus a look, "What about Ron? I doubt he's even noticed she's not just a talking encyclopedia. Plus, I heard him boasting that he's gunna ask Fleur last night while you were doing your paper."

"Oh, that'll go well," Seamus snorted. He wanted front-row tickets to see that!

"So…?" Dean prompted.

Seamus almost said no. In a distant world, if he had, things would have gone so very differently. But, at this moment, he tilted his head.

Hermione, though a bit annoying, was far from the worst choice today. In fact, she was a rightly good one. And he even didn't think she was all that annoying if he was being honest. That identifier was more what others said about her, but as he mulled it over, he found that he didn't like that comment and found it categorically untrue.

He knew why many boys may find her a bit much; she had opinions, she was whip-smart, and she ran headfirst into danger.

All things Seamus could live with.

"I think…I think I will…" He said to Dean. Dean looked relieved.

"Good, now we won't be alone," He said, leaning back in his chair.

Seamus ripped a piece of parchment.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, leaning forward quickly.

"Not missing my chance again," Seamus said, pushing him away as he crafted his message. He knew he wasn't the smartest one in the class, but he was earnest and funny (so he liked to think). He was also raised by a mother who wouldn't take any badmouthing of girls and always made him promise to respect whatever lady he dated. He wouldn't be a creep during the dance and would bring her a corsage and sit with her all night. He'd be a good date.

He attempted to write this without sounding like a sap or a weirdo, before carefully folding it.

He nudged Lisa, "Give this to Hermione?" He asked. Lisa looked at him like he was crazy but leaned forward to tap Hermione's shoulder. She turned her head slightly, angry to be interrupted during class. Seamus watched Lisa whisper something.

Hermione turned, just for a second, meeting Seamus' gaze. He watched her palm the paper and turn around.

He wasn't sure if she even read it, or what she thought of it, because she didn't turn around again.

"Good try, at least," Dean said, patting his back, "One more asked than I have yet."

XXX

Hermione got up quickly after class and didn't even look his way.

"Think that means…?" Seamus asked.

"It means that's a 'no'," Lisa confirmed.

Seamus sulked the rest of the day, acutely aware of the way it seemed nearly all of Hogwarts were falling over each other to ask someone. It was like he couldn't go five steps without a couple bursting out of the woodwork, asking one another to be their dates.

"Tough luck with Granger," Corner said, sighing, "But perhaps we should have suspected it. I mean…likely she'll hole up in the library instead."

"There's still plenty of options," Dean said, a bit more optimistic, "And who knows who will break up with whom before the ball comes around?"

"That's comforting," Seamus rolled his eyes, "Consolation prizes, us lot."

Still, he had two asks on his friends, even if both were rejects and even if one (Lav) had been an unasked implied ask. At least he was bloody trying, as opposed to Dean, who mustered the courage to ask Eloise but stuttered out an excuse about Herbology before scurrying away at the last minute.

"Oi, it's not that scary!" Seamus said, shaking his head as Dean passed by him quickly, throwing up in a potted plant near the archway.

"Girls should be classified as a whole other species, mate," Dean said, groaning into his hands, looking up at Seamus with ashen skin, "I don't think I'm cut out for this."

Seamus offered him a handkerchief, patting his head, reminding him they were a very public space and people were starting to notice.

Out of the four boys from class, only Justin ended up with a date…and not even the one he originally was going for.

By the time he asked Hannah at lunch, Seamus could see her face fall. From the way she was motioning to Ernie, Justin was already too late. Just as Justin was muttering a quick getaway, jerking his fingers to Seamus as though he'd forgotten a joint project, Hannah stopped him.

"What was that?" Seamus asked as Justin came back, a stupid grin on his face.

"Hannah was already taken…but Susan Bones didn't have a date. Apparently, she's fancied me for a while, so Hannah said if I ask, she'll definitely say yes."

"Good for you!" Dean said, "At least one of us ends up on top of this, eh?"

Across the hall, Seamus saw Lavender giggling with a Beauxbatons boy, and his stomach lurched.

"I'm suddenly not very hungry anymore. I'm going to go and grab my class books for the afternoon," He muttered, getting up quickly from the table.

He was so in his own little world of self-woe that he didn't even notice Hermione walking towards him with a forceful jog until she was right in front of him.

"Hermione-," Seamus started, frowning.

She shoved him back, and as she did, she pushed the torn note into his chest. Now that he was up close, he saw her cheeks colored berry red and an ire in her eyes.

"Your joke wasn't funny, Finnegan," Hermione said, rage shaking at her frame, "You're lucky I'm not hexing you into next week."

She turned to leave, and Seamus blubbered in confusion.

"Joke?" He echoed. Perhaps it was the utmost whiplash in his tone that caused Hermione to pause, looking back at him.

"Asking me." She said, her tone dry and even, "I don't know how many galleons Dean goaded you with to ask me to the Yule, but it's really quite rude."

"None…he…he didn't…none…" Seamus said, shaking his head, trying to catch up. Underneath her anger, he caught a look of embarrassment and self-consciousness, but she covered it back up quickly.

"Hermione," He said quietly, his voice not quivering in the least, "It wasn't a joke. I was serious when I asked."

Hermione seemed unprepared for that answer and blinked at him.

In her silence, he continued, "Wait…why would you think it was a joke?"

"Because," Hermione said shortly, curling her arms around her body, "You wouldn't be the first."

The admission hung between them and Seamus felt taken aback.

"Bloody hell, someone did that?" He asked, horrified, "Merlin, Hermione, who?" He demanded.

"Why do you care?" She asked, sniffling.

"Because it's a terrible thing and I just…who would do that?" He asked, still reeling, "I guess you don't have to tell me…" He trailed off. Why would she? They weren't friends, and it's not like he'd ever done anything to her or really gotten to know much about her life.

"Look, I'm just someone to talk to," Seamus offered quietly, "Not Ginny who might tear off their balls and make a scene, or Harry who is too worried about all of this going on to be bothered, or Ron who would probably talk over your feelings to gush about Fleur." He shrugged, "I'm just Seamus and I'm good at keeping secrets if you want."

An olive branch. Not because he needed her as a date, but because it seemed like the kind thing to do.

Everyone needed a friend sometimes.

Hermione pressed her lips, and he could tell she was trying not to cry. But she was stronger than that and swallowed back her upset feelings. Finally, she inhaled a long, deep breath.

"Zacharias Smith," She answered quietly and quickly, "He asked me this morning. I was…surprised," She chose her words carefully, wringing her hands, "We haven't talked much, but I was…" She shook her head, "I, erm, started to say yes, but he burst out laughing. Told me that I was mad to think he was actually asking. Told him that Wayne Hopkins promised him two galleons if he asked me, and a third if I said yes."

"Great Gryffindor, isn't he a Hufflepuff?" Seamus asked, eyes wide, "Aren't they supposed to be the nice ones?"

Hermione shrugged, shoulders slumped low, "It's fine," She said, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I hope you gave him genital warts or…or at least punched him!" Seamus said.

"I thought about it, but I'll have to be…more clever. I'd surely get in trouble if any harm came to him while I was around, you know? It would be pretty obvious who the culprit was." She said, "I just have to think harder about it." Her cheeks were patchy with dried tears, but she seemed slightly in better spirits, talking to Seamus. Less warble to her tone, more sureness.

"Okay, so Smith's a piece of shite, but why would you think I was doing the same?" A thought crossed Seamus' mind, "Do I…give off that feeling?" If he did, oh, his mother would be so angry. Somehow, she'd just know and send him a Howler that would ground him until he was fifty.

"No, no, I suppose not," Hermione said, looking a bit less bothered, more relaxed, "I guess I just assumed…since we barely talk…it was…" She looked rightly embarrassed now, "I apologize. I guess I was just thinking about this morning. I saw Dean trying to convince you of something, so I made an assumption. I'm sorry for doing that, that's not fair to you."

"I wasn't making a jape of it," Seamus assured emphatically, "I meant it when I asked you."

"Why?" Hermione asked, entirely serious, "I know Lavender rejected you this morning."

"You heard about that?"

Hermione almost laughed, "Everyone knows. I heard from Ginny after you cornered me. I guess it was that other boy she was all fluttering about," She examined him, "So I'm clearly your backup choice."

"I just don't want to go alone, and I doubt you do either," Seamus said, "But there's plenty of reasons to want to go with you!"

"Name one," Hermione said, fingers digging into her book bag strap.

"Well, you're bloody brilliant! The smartest person I know. And you're a saint for putting up with Harry and Ron…and keeping both alive. You have a wicked sense of humor that enjoy. Plus…setting Snape's robes on fire our first year?" Seamus grinned, "That's basically speaking my language."

Hermione was quiet for a few beats. Then, she ducked her head, and Seamus swore that she nearly smiled.

When she looked back up, there was a lightness on her face that wasn't there before.

"Can I think about it?"

Seamus nodded, "Course. Erm…" He flattened the request, still sweaty in his hands, offering it to her, "Do you…want this?"

Hermione took it from him, carefully smoothing it out before putting it in her book bag, between the pages of her current read. This motion, instead of slipping it in a compartment, seemed like a good sign to him. It almost felt intimate, like she was giving his request a place near her heart.

"You're…you're alright, Seamus," She said, right before she left.

Seamus felt like this might be a victory.

Because, hey, it wasn't a 'no'. If he were a betting man, he had a feeling it might even turn into a 'yes'.

He turned, giddy, somehow tickled pink at the idea of taking Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball.