Neville twirled Hermione around the floor of the Gryffindor common room. They were practicing the waltz for the yule ball. Neville was quite the dancer, and Hermione was simply trying to avoid tripping over her own feet.
They managed to flub up each step, mostly due to Hermione's clumsiness. Laughter punctuated each flawed practice step. But they continued on.
Eventually they managed to make it through the entire dance, without too much trouble. Harry, sitting on the couch watching them, clapped as they bowed for dramatic effect. He still wasn't sure who she was going with, but he had his suspicions.
Ron, sitting next to Harry, sulked miserably. His attempt to ask Fleur Delacour to the ball had failed majorly when his nerves had gotten the best of him and he had started shouting. It turned out that even one eighth Veelas were terrifying when they were angry.
"Good job guys," Harry said. "You'll do great at the ball."
"Glad you're going together," Ron snapped.
Hermione and Neville looked at each other, and broke down laughing. It was so funny to them, that they almost collapsed onto the floor.
"You. Think," Hermione wheezed.
"We're going," Neville said.
"Together," they finished together.
They did collapse onto the ground. The idea that they would go together was so preposterous to them that they couldn't contain the hysteria.
"Neville's going with Padma Patil," Hermione said when she could breathe again.
"And who are you going with?" Ron asked.
"That's for me to know, and you to find out," she said.
She got up off the floor, and dusted herself off, before sitting down on one of the couches across the room. She ignored her red haired friend as best she could. He was one of her best friends, but he could make her so angry.
"Don't push it," she heard Harry tell Ron. "She's still mad at you for your comment yesterday."
Harry walked over to her, and sat down. "I think I know who you're going with," he said.
Hermione steeled her nerves. "What makes you think that?" she asked as calmly as she could.
"Just that I think that was the opening dance," he said. "McGonagall has had me practicing it since the ball was announced. Even if I haven't managed to ask Cho yet. Not that she would absolutely say yes."
"Come on," Hermine said.
She stood up and walked out of the tower and over to the Ravenclaw tower. She bumped into one of the younger students and asked if Padma was in the tower.
"I think so," the blonde girl said. "Do you want me to check?"
Hermione nodded and waited until the girl and Padma came out.
"Thanks Luna," Padma said. "Talk to me if your shoes go missing again."
Luna walked off, seemingly in a daze.
"Interesting girl," Hermione said.
Padma nodded. "She's very interesting. But you wouldn't expect anything less of a Lovegood. She's a rather sweet girl though."
Harry nodded.
"So we're actually here because of Harry," Hermione said. "He wants to talk to Cho Chang, but he hasn't gotten a chance to speak with her. Is there any way that he could get a meeting with her?"
"I'll see if I can find her. Do you want to come in?" She asked.
"Do I ever," Hermione said. "Lead the way."
She and Harry trailed after Padma. The Ravenclaw tower was light and airy. It was unusual for Hermione. She had expected more study, and focus, but there was laughter, art, and creativity. It was refreshing, in a way she hadn't expected.
"Hey Cho," Padma said. "You've got visitors."
Cho looked up from her conversation with a red haired girl that neither Harry nor Hermione knew. She looked at the two of them, obviously slightly confused.
"Just one visitor actually," Hermione said. "I'm here to see Padma."
She took Padma by the arm and pulled her away.
"Where are we going?" Padma whispered.
"Just somewhere where Harry won't see us. I still want to know what's going on, but he'll hate me if he sees me eavesdropping," Hermione whispered back.
They found a secluded window seat where they could still hear some stuff, but could still hear the conversation that Harry and Cho were having. It was obviously awkward and stiff. But she could hear the happiness in his voice when Cho accepted his invitation.
"I guess things are going well," she said when he came back grinning.
He gave her a look. "I know you could hear everything from here. And before you deny it, if it had been me, I would have done the same thing. So I can't be mad."
She smiled. Looking from one of her first friends, to the first female friend she had made in a while, she was incredibly happy. The year was turning out amazing for her.
"So when are you going to practice?" she teased Harry.
"This evening in one of the empty classrooms after dinner. I figure that since I'm horrible, it would be best to start now. That way we won't totally screw up the opening of the ball."
"Good idea," Padma said.
"And I have some work to do," Hermione said. "The ball isn't going to stop that. And it just adds on to my workload."
She had dance practice with Viktor in less than half an hour, and she hated being late. So she had to make some sort of excuse to go without too many people being suspicious.
"Alright," Padma said. "It was nice to see you. Even if Harry getting a date was the reason. And thanks again for setting me up with Neville. He's the most divine dancer."
"I'll be sure to let him know," Hermione said.
She and Harry walked off. Just before she was about to leave Harry to go back to their common room alone, he pulled her into an empty corridor.
"Hermione, you're going to the ball with a certain famous seeker."
She nodded. "I guess I can't really keep that from you anymore."
He grinned. "I'm not as dumb as I look. But just know that Ron's going to be mad. He thinks you're lying. And I get the feeling that he's actually been crushing on you. But he can't say that because you're his friend."
"Thanks Harry. I don't like him that way, so we would have had to cross that bridge eventually. But I am grateful that you told me." She gave him a quick hug, and then hurried off to meet Viktor.
She found him in the classroom they had agreed on, randomly flicking his wand and changing the music. He was having a hard time picking a song that was actually a waltz.
Hermione walked in. She cleared her throat loudly, so as not to startle him.
"How long haff you been there?" he asked.
"Thirty seconds," she answered. She flicked her wand and one of her favourite waltz songs came on. It was the one she and Neville had been dancing to up in the Gryffindor common room.
Viktor took her hand in his, and placed his other hand on her waist. She also took up the proper stance, and the waltz began.
Thanks to her practice with Neville, she was able to avoid making a complete fool of herself. She still stumbled on occasion, and seemed to have a hard time remembering the steps. But she didn't trip and fall, and she didn't cause Viktor to mess up. That was success in her book.
"You haff been practicing," Viktor appraised.
"With Neville Longbottom," she admitted. "He's the best dancer in my year, and he's going to the ball with Padma Patil, so there's no need to be jealous."
"I am not jealous," Viktor said. "I trust you vhen you say he is only friend."
Hermione knew that she would never accept a man who would doubt her when she said such a thing. And she was glad that Viktor would trust her, even though some of the boys she had known had gotten upset over much smaller things.
"Thank you," she whispered.
They went through the dance one more time, which went much more smoothly. But by the end, Hermione was leaning on Viktor, tired. She rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped both arms around her.
She wished they could stay like that forever.
"Vhat are you thinking?" Viktor asked.
"I was just wanting to stay here, with you, all the time," she said. She looked up at him and blushed. "It's nice."
"I also vish ve could, but I think friends haff different ideas," he said. "Also, dinner is soon."
As soon as he said it, Hermione realized that she was actually hungry. She nodded.
They left the classroom and headed down to dinner. Since they were sitting at different tables, no one really noticed that they came in together. No one, except for the people who already knew.