"I have no idea what I'm doing! And if you don't stop smirking, I'm going to hex the smiles off your faces!"

Harry currently had his head in his hands, groaning loudly at the frustrating lack of progress he'd made in the date department. He was sitting in Lupin's office, a now familiar setting for him, though it was a fairly new experience to have Sirius there as well. His godfather had come in especially for this crisis meeting, not that he'd been much use up to this point. Neither had the professor, to be fair, adding to Harry's internal strife. He'd contemplated a few times banging his head against the desk as he perched on one of the comfy chairs in the room, but he knew he needed his wits about him to figure out some sort of solution to this problem.

Of course, only a few days had passed since McGonagall's unexpected announcement. Harry was starting to think that she'd done it especially just to mess with him. As much as she was his Head of House, there had definitely been some mirth in her voice when she'd explained the situation, which was rare for the old lion. It had been troubling him more than the tournament itself for some reason. He was fully prepared to go another round with the Hungarian Horntail if it meant he got to avoid this sideshow. He could battle Voldemort and outrun werewolves. But Harry Potter could not dance. And he could definitely not speak to girls in a cool and suave manner to get them interested in him.

"You know, I don't think you've ever sounded more like James," Sirius commented, a hint of sadness behind his bright eyes.

The remark was enough to break Harry out of his gloom momentarily, enough to make him lift his head up. He would always be willing to listen to any story about his dad. "Really?" If James Potter hadn't been good with the fairer sex and had still found his mum, then surely there was hope for him still.

"Oh, yes, certainly," Lupin confirmed, leaning against the desk. "He was brilliant at so many things but completely hopeless when it came to this. If only you could have seen him when he was trying to win over your mother's affections. It took him years to get her to take him seriously, and that was only because he finally matured enough for her."

"I'd always thought that…they loved each other from the start." He didn't particularly want his conceptions of his parents to be shattered.

"Lily wouldn't give him the time of day initially," Sirius said, a light laugh dancing from his lips as he thought back on some unspoken memory. "Probably because he was a rule breaker right from the start, not helped by our influence on him."

"Is there any helpful advice that's going to come out of this?"

"Did you come to us thinking we'd actually have some advice for you? You must have banged your head fighting that dragon."

Harry groaned and closed his eyes once more. "I need a date for the Yule Ball but I have no clue who I'm supposed to ask!"

Lupin was giving him a more sympathetic look. "I'm afraid to say that neither me nor Sirius are very well gifted in this arena, Harry. For starters, I've never allowed myself to grow close to many people thanks to my…condition. And Sirius…well…"

"I was definitely a lady killer back in my prime," Sirius continued, giving his godson a playful wink. "I was a lovable rogue! Girls found that sort of thing irresistible back then! But then Azkaban obviously happened and the women in there aren't the sort you'd like to date. And since I've got out, I've had other things to occupy my time. Like watching out for you, and sorting out the house for when you get to stay."

"When am I going to get to do that?" Harry asked eagerly, thankful for the diversion in topic. "I want to spend more time with you."

"I was hoping that it would be this Christmas but you have to be here for the ball now. The wait till summer will make it worth it, mark my words."

"Another thing that this blasted tournament has messed up," Harry grumbled. "Why is a dance a requirement? Surely the goblet won't punish me for not attending."

"We don't want to take the risk," Lupin informed him. "After it put you in a difficult position with the First Task, we think it's best to play safe. Not to mention that you'd upset the Ministry a great deal if you didn't show up to their showpiece event."

"Would that really be so bad? I'd look forward to the pictures of Fudge being red in the face."

"Like it or not, it's much better to have the Ministry on your side. They can be a powerful ally, if a frustrating one at that. But we shouldn't be talking about you missing this when it's something fun! I've even volunteered to chaperone for the evening."

"Because nothing says a party like you hanging around by the punch bowl," Sirius commented snarkily.

"I've been known to dance in my time."

"When? When has this ever happened? I'd probably be better on the dancefloor in my dog form than whatever you've got to offer."

"Guys…we're getting off topic again," Harry pointed out. "Can we fix my problem first and then you can get weirdly competitive about dancing."

Sirius clicked his fingers together. "What about Hermione? You're always with her."

Harry's face fell. "I can't. She's a champion. Champions can't date other champions, according to McGonagall. And, even if that wasn't a rule, she'll end up going with Matthew if he gets his act together."

Sirius peered curiously at him. "You don't sound too happy about that."

"Mainly because they've got that option. It's the perfect situation. Even if they didn't like each other that way, they'd still be able to spend the evening with a friend."

"Well, there you go," Lupin exclaimed. "You just need to focus on going with someone who you can have a nice time with, like a friend."

"That's the thing. Besides those two, I don't really have that. The only real other option would be Ginny Weasley, but it's not as if I've spoken to her loads."

"Now could be your chance to rectify that."

"You're making it sound a lot easier than it actually is."

Sirius had his hand resting on his chin. "Have you thought about Matthew?"

"I just told you that he'll go with Hermione. And I don't think I'm his type even if that wasn't the case."

"As much as I think you'd make a good match, I was more thinking along the lines of asking if he has any advice for you. Since he's more your age than us two old goats."

"Speak for yourself," Lupin grumbled. "I'm young at heart."

"Matthew's as clueless as me when it comes to this stuff," Harry assured them. "His advice would be to just go for it, damn the consequences. But then he's never been entirely sane, that boy."

"It sounds like good advice to me," Sirius said, mulling it over. "Come on, you just have to make it easier for yourself. If you were to close your eyes right now and imagine yourself at this ball, who do you see yourself with?"

Harry didn't really want to play along but he knew that he would just keep getting pestered if he didn't do as he was told. And closing his eyes made it more comfortable to actually talk about what he was thinking, because he could then kid himself into thinking that the two men weren't actually there.

"Well," he murmured slowly. He was unable to see them both leaning in in anticipation. "There is this one girl."

"I've got goosebumps. I've actually got goosebumps."

"But she's from Beauxbatons! And I've never spoken to her before. I don't even know her name!"

"Who knew that you were such a player, Harry. It seems you did manage to inherit some stuff from me after all."

"All I know is that I've seen her in the library a few times and Matthew seems to think that she likes me. She did look at me once…so maybe he's onto something." Harry winced, wanting to roll up into a ball and forget this conversation had ever existed. "Ugh. I sound so pathetic!"

"You sound like every other teenage boy," Lupin reassured him. "Imagine what everyone else in the school must be thinking. If Harry Potter is struggling, then what chance do they have, hmm?"

"You know, you're just putting more pressure on me with that."

"I thought I'd actually come up with something useful to say!" Lupin folded his arms. "Well, at least we know that your boggart would look a bit different right now."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Could we do that? I mean, could you find a boggart again for me to use? Then, this time, I could practise what I'd say on it and if things go wrong, I'd just riddikulus it back into the box."

Sirius snorted. "Sadly, I don't think it works like that. Mainly because girls can be much more terrifying than boggarts. Trust me. I've seen it in action."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Is there any particular reason why you've brought me in here? You're acting more mysterious than usual and that's never a good sign. If something's going to jump out at me at any moment, I'd advise you to warn me now and I might punish you less severely."

Hermione was perplexed by Matthew's behaviour, not that there was much change there, as she followed him into the Tardis. They'd walked right past the console, which had already got her interest piqued. He wasn't saying much, a tell tale sign that something was going on. He usually loved to talk about anything and everything. And she loved to hear him natter away eagerly about every topic under the sun. For now, however, his lips seemed clamped tightly shut as he led her deeper into the ship, winding through corridors that she'd never been down before. At least, she felt like she hadn't visited this part of the ship in the past. It was a maze at the best of times and most of it looked remarkably similar to every other hallway impossibly packed inside the Tardis.

"Do you think I'd be foolish enough to prank you?" Matthew retorted, sounding more carefree than she'd been expecting. Then why was he acting so suspicious?

"You're currently being foolish enough to not tell me what's going on and you know how much I hate that."

"I understand that you always want the answers but I can't really describe it without letting you see it first. And, I have to admit, it's rather fun to witness the way your eyebrows come together in frustration as you try to figure it out." He turned his neck, looking straight at her as they walked, and gestured to her face. "Just like that."

It only served to make her frown even more. "At least I know that you're not taking me anywhere because the Tardis isn't moving."

"Are you sure about that? Maybe I put her on quiet mode."

"There isn't a quiet mode. Right? No. No, there can't be. Because then why else would you keep letting it make that racket?"

"I happen to like that racket! It's…reassuring and…bombastic. That's the word. Bombastic. I don't get to use that word nearly as much as I'd like." He was shaking his head. "I can't believe you called it a racket! I'm seriously debating whether to turn you around and forget about all this after that comment."

"See, I don't know whether that's a good thing because I don't know what's going on! Is this a part of my training? You'd tell me if it was, right? I'm not failing, am I?"

Matthew casually leaned against a door and pushed it open, revealing the chamber beyond. Hermione stepped through, not knowing what to make of her friend's smirk as she walked past him. She found herself in an absurd wardrobe, much bigger than anyone really needed a wardrobe to be. Different sections seemed to light up whenever she got close to them. She idly touched some of the clothes nearest to her, admiring the abundant variety. Why would one person need so many outfits? Especially when said person pretty much only wore the same outfit everyday.

"Whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn't this." What had she been expecting? Ever since McGonagall had made it clear that she needed a date for the ball, she had half been waiting for Matthew to make that leap for her. Why hadn't he said anything about it? Days had come and gone without any sign of him wanting to ask her. Every time they found themselves alone, she would tell herself that it was finally going to happen. But…nothing. So, when he had asked her to come with him to the room where she knew the Tardis was hiding, she'd been sure that now was the moment. Then again, why did she have to wait for him to act? The one thing she loved doing more than anything was taking him by surprise whenever she could.

Whilst she'd been looking around, Matthew had wandered up the staircase, his footsteps ringing out against the metal rungs. Hermione could see him walking above her, marvelling at the infrastructure that had been created just for one room in the ship. It made her wonder what else was lying within the Tardis, what other secrets it had to show. She quickly followed his path, clinging onto the railing having not expected it to actually be this high.

Matthew had stopped, surprisingly, away from any of the hangers, instead looking at a table. When she came up beside him, she took in what he was admiring. It was a dress. Again, she didn't really know what she'd been anticipating but it certainly had been such a fine creation. It was a light purple though not quite lilac. The material was wavy and thin, delicately sewn together with a silver thread. It just left her with even more questions than before. Why on Earth would Matthew, of all people, own a piece of clothing like this?

"What do you think?" he asked after a few moments, giving her time to fully appreciate it.

"It's gorgeous," she whispered. "But…why do you have it?"

"What? Do you not think I'd suit it?" Matthew huffed playfully. "I reckon I could pull it off."

Hermione laughed lightly. "While I don't doubt that…I'm just as confused as to why you have so many clothes in here when…it's just been you here."

"Relics from a long time ago that I didn't feel like getting rid of. And why should I when I have this much storage space?" His smile was sad as he stroked the short sleeves of the dress. "All relics, all memories of different trips, all with so much potential that was never realised. Including this. It was actually meant to be for my mum, this. Back then, it wasn't a time for such luxury, even with magic. But she always said she would visit somewhere where she'd be able to wear this. We never got round to doing it in the end."

"I bet she would have looked gorgeous in it," Hermione said sadly, appreciating the dress even more. It didn't matter that she'd never seen what his mum had looked like.

"And I'm sure you will too."

She was too focused on the gown and the slight information he had provided her about his upbringing that it took her a couple of seconds to properly realise what he was saying. She took a step back, her eyes wide as she scanned his face. He was looking at her earnestly, making it evident that there wasn't any joke here.

"What?" she blurted out, suddenly sputtering. "I…can't take this. It's too nice! No, I don't deserve this."

"I want you to have it. Who else am I going to give it to and it doesn't deserve to be left in here forever. I know that you'll already have picked out a dress for the ball if you got a letter similar to me and Harry before school started. I just think a Champion deserves the best dress. Everyone will get to see you the way I do." He watched nervously as her mouth opened and closed slowly several times. "Unless you really don't want it! Maybe this was too much after all. I knew it was a risk."

"Would you go to the ball with me?"

Matthew froze. "Pardon?"

"The Yule Ball. Would you…be my date?" Was her chest heaving as much as it felt it was?

"Hermione! I was just about to ask you! I had this whole thing planned out! I was going to give you the dress and then ask if you'd want to wear it as my date !"

"You shouldn't have taken so long!" she responded with a smile.

"It's only been a few days!"

"You should have asked me straight away really. I'm trying not to be insulted."

"Surely you didn't think I'd want to take anyone else."

"Well, the longer you take in saying yes right now, the more I start to doubt that."

Matthew held her hands. "We're going to show everyone up on that dance floor."

xxxxxxxxxx

"She's back!"

Hermione said it in a sort of sing-song voice, playing along in the sort of demeanour that was usually reserved for Matthew. Harry was finding that they were becoming dangerously alike and then they'd be too powerful a force. He wouldn't stand a chance. Both of them on their own were pretty formidable forces for their own differing (and surprisingly similar) ways. Put them together and they would be unstoppable. He was just glad that he was on their good side.

For now though, he couldn't concentrate on that troubling prospect because he had another one to face right in front of him. They were in the library, although they weren't interested in reading this time. Under normal circumstances, that would have been considered sacrilege in Hermione's view, but she was willing to let it slide this one time. They had more important matters to attend to and, if something was more vital than continuing her education, then it really must have been big.

"That is the reason why we've been hanging out here," Harry commented, quickly glancing back at his friend. He wanted to keep his attention on the Beauxbatons girl, observing her from a distance. Was this really the right way to go about things? He felt like he was watching her like someone would do an animal on safari.

Matthew elbowed him gently in the back. "Go on then. What are you waiting for?"

"I can't just go up to her!" Harry's eyes went wide just at the thought.

"Why not? The worst she can do is say no."

Hermione hit him with a book. "Please don't listen to him."

"What? I'm right! If she says no, he'll find someone else. But, if he stays here, she'll eventually turn around, spot him staring, and he'll be branded as a creep in no time. That isn't something that a man can come back from."

"How did you do it?" Harry asked Matthew, looking at him pleadingly. "How did you ask Hermione to the ball? Did you give her flowers? Or chocolates? Should I be going in with a gift of some kind?" He was sweating. Maybe he could give her one of the books surrounding him, since she seemed so interested in that. Then again, he didn't strictly own any of these books so couldn't really give them as a gift, unless he wanted to suffer the wrath of Madam Pince.

"Well, because I'm a devout feminist, I allowed Hermione to ask me to go as her date."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Again, don't listen to a word that comes out of his mouth. I beat him to it. And, in the end, all it took was me blurting the question out, rather ineloquently. People create these impossible standards when, in reality, the main thing is that you actually ask someone you like."

"I don't know whether I like her though," Harry pointed out.

"There's only one way to find out and that's by talking to her . Boys. You always make things far too complicated."

"What if she already has a date?"

"Only one way to find out."

"What if she doesn't even know who I am?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Is that going to be your answer for everything I ask?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Do I really need to say it?"

"Okay. Okay." Harry was nodding his head, trying to psyche himself up. "I'm going to do this."

"That'a boy, Harry!" Matthew said, giving him a thumbs up. "And, remember, if things don't go according to plan, you can always live in the Tardis. The eternal embarrassment that you might be subjected to won't be able to reach you in there."

Harry let out a small whimper, whilst Hermione groaned. "I'm going to take this one away so that he can avoid coming up with any more pep talks," she remarked, almost going as far as grabbing him by the ear to drag him out of the library. "Good luck, Harry. Not that you need it. But don't forget there's plenty more fish in the sea! That's a cliche I've always wanted to use."

"Who's giving him the bad advice now?"

"One more word out of you and I might consider going to the ball with Neville." She pointed a dangerous finger at him.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I've heard he's quite a dancer. Do you think you could match his moves?"

Harry listened to their playful bickering as they walked away, leaving him on his own. It was strangely reassuring to hear, tethering him to reality, keeping him sane. Making this moment seem perfectly natural instead of the most daunting thing he'd faced in his young life. The only issue was that the sound of their voices, as loud as they seemed in the silence of the library, caused the girl to look in their direction, which invariably meant her eyes fell onto him.

She smiled.

Harry smiled back, which he felt was the expected thing to do. He was worried that he was somehow doing it wrong. Had he been smiling for too long now? Was he showing too much teeth? She wasn't running away at least. He was constantly imagining Matthew or Hermione running back in to force him to speak to her, prompting him to move his feet before that eventuality happened.

"Hi," he mumbled once he reached the bookcase she was standing by.

"Hello," she replied. There was a delightful lilt to her accent. French. Of course. He shouldn't have been surprised by that.

"I'm…um…Harry."

She grinned again. "I know, Harry Potter. Everyone knows you."

"Right." Up close, he was able to notice the light freckles that dotted her cheeks and around the edges of her nose. Was he staring? Was he remembering to blink? Was he now blinking too much?

"I'm Margot."

"Yes! I was going to ask that! I just…forgot."

"I wasn't expecting Harry Potter to be this nervous."

"I'm pretty much the opposite of what they say in the papers."

"I've seen. You are much more studious than they give you credit for. And shy. Only now, after weeks of seeing one another, do you come up and say hello."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "You've noticed that, have you?"

"It's been quite entertaining, I have to admit. I was beginning to lose hope that you would introduce yourself."

"Did you…want me to?"

"I wouldn't have waited around for so long if not."

"Is there a reason why you wanted me to?" He definitely needed things spelling out when it came to this. She was speaking perfectly normally and yet it sounded like cryptic messages to his ears, a puzzle that he had to solve to cross the bridge. What bridge? He was getting lost in his own metaphors.

"Well…I can't say that I know many people in this school…and with the dance coming up…I was afraid that I would have to go alone. My sister kept telling me that there were plenty of boys who would be willing to ask me. And yet I kept waiting for the one I wanted."

"And that's…me?"

"Oh, Harry. I think we're going to have a lot of fun together."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Christmas was supposed to be a joyous time. It was meant to be about spending time with your friends and getting to watch their reactions as they opened the presents you'd got them. There was barely any time for that this year. Instead of blissful merriment, the air was filled with chaotic panic. Girls were starting to get ready for the evening dance in the early hours of the morning. And there were still a few people running around the school, still trying to find someone who would go with them. Ron Weasley was one such culprit. And, as much as Harry was able to sit back and watch that unfold without going through the same teenage torment, he couldn't help but sweat.

He glided through the day on autopilot, just going through task to small task to keep his mind preoccupied. If he started to think about what he was going to experience later, he would completely shut down. Matthew was doing his best to keep him entertained but the lack of Hermione's presence whilst she readied herself cast a lingering shadow over their time together, a constant reminder of what was to come. It was supposed to be fun, Lupin had told him. He wasn't feeling very excited.

"What am I supposed to even say to her?" he hissed as he put his dress robes on. Harry was incredibly envious that Matthew was wearing an actual suit instead of robes. It looked a lot more stylish. "I've got to spend an entire evening with her. That requires more than the usual small talk."

Matthew was currently weighing up the choice of wearing the corresponding tophat or not. He left it on his bedside table. "To be honest, it's a miracle that you've made it this far. You'll just…find something to talk about. It'll come naturally in the end. You're just making it seem worse in your head."

"And if you're wrong?" He was getting frustrated with his tie, only for Matthew to click his fingers in irritation and it sorted itself out automatically. Why didn't they get taught that spell in class? Maybe it came in the later years.

"You won't be alone. Me and Hermione will be there, ready to come to your rescue. And, remember…plenty of people go on first dates with people they've never met before. You're at least slightly ahead in that regard."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?"

"I don't know. Magic, I can handle anything about that. Romance…well, you really need someone else for that." He clicked his fingers again, though there was no tie-rectifying this time. "That's it. Think about it like magic. How do you learn a spell?"

"By…reading it in a book?"

"By repeating it, over and over again. You practise constantly. Talking to a girl is just like that. You'll probably say the wrong thing at the start but, over time, you'll get the hang of it. It'll become more comfortable. I think. Like I said, this isn't my forte."

Harry wouldn't have been able to guess that when he greeted Hermione in the common room, saying exactly the right things. Matthew would later tell him that, over the past three nights, he had been bingeing any romcom he could get his hands on within the Tardis library so that he had a better understanding of the obligations required of a date. Harry was just annoyed that he hadn't been invited for the movie marathon. It would have helped a great deal.

He wasn't surprised by how gorgeous Hermione looked, a thought he probably shouldn't have been having about his friend. But this was a special circumstance, he supposed. Harry recognised the dress, finding it oddly satisfying that Matthew had been able to give it to her after all. There were other students, as they walked through the corridors to the Great Hall, that seemed to look at her in shock, as if they couldn't believe that Hermione Granger was looking like that. He thought they were all stupid for not seeing it sooner. He and Matthew were the lucky ones.

When they made it to the hall, they found it was beautifully decorated, the staff going even more out than they usually did for the festive season. Silk ribbons adorned the entrance. Perfectly sculpted icicles dangled from the ceiling, which Harry thought violated most health and safety guidelines. The numerous Christmas trees in the hallway alone were frosted white and were managing to twinkle without the need for actual lights.

His friends were a much needed comfort when Margot finally arrived, seemingly wanting to make Harry wait just long enough for his mind to become fried. She was wearing a deep blue gown that seemed to make her hair look even darker, which was twisted and curled so that it draped down on her neck and just past her shoulders. Just like with Hermione, plenty of people were trying to get a look at her. And they were probably just as surprised when she grabbed hold of his arm confidently. It was only then that Hermione whispered an instruction in his ear, reminding him to tell his date that she looked nice and all the other compliments he was expected to give. And he meant every word. He didn't yet know her but he found himself wanting to rectify that as quickly as possible.

The worst part of the evening was the start, as Harry had been expecting. As much as the Great Hall looked positively splendid with its decorations, ice sculptures of different creatures standing in every corner, he couldn't really focus on that. Not when McGonagall, wearing a more regal gown than her usual attire, was ordering the Champions to follow her in. They were expected to open the event, which invariably meant dancing. When strings began playing, his heart definitely stopped beating. Was he standing still? He could see Krum with a girl he vaguely knew was in Ravenclaw. Fleur was with a Hufflepuff, the head boy. Cedric was with Cho Chang, someone Harry had never gotten around to talking to. And there were obviously two friends, looking just as apprehensive as he was feeling.

Harry moved slowly, looking at the ground instead of his date so that he could track where his feet were going. The last thing he needed was to stand on her toes this early into the night. But then Margot was placing a hand under his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. It was a show of encouragement he hadn't been expecting, allowing him to get though the mercifully short dance without majorly embarrassing himself.

He was much happier after that, especially because the meal following the dance meant that he was avoiding moving for a short while. The Champions and their dates were placed at the head table, along with the professors (Lupin raised a glass to him), headmasters (Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling more than ever), and Ministry representatives (Crouch looked entirely out of place with his stuffy suit). It made it a rather long table as a result. Harry had Matthew on one side, Hermione chattering away with the Ravenclaw Krum had brought with him, whilst Margot sat next to him. That was the only issue. The fact that he now had to come up with conversation.

"So…" he began, quickly gulping the bit of lobster that was still in his throat. He wasn't going to speak with his mouth full on a first date. "You're from Beauxbatons." He felt like an idiot. Of course she was. "Did you come here to try to be a Champion?"

She shook her head. "Non. My sister…she is older than me. She was the one with such desires. I wasn't old enough to compete but…there was no one to look after me if she went away for so long and I didn't wish to stand in the way of her dreams. Which is why I'm here now. In the end, she was not picked. But I'm still happy with the way things worked out."

"You…don't have any family back home?"

Margot gave him a sad smile. "Not anymore."

Matthew was leaning into his ear. "Try to keep things light, for goodness sake."

Harry shooed him away. "I know how that feels. But this place…it's managed to become the home I never got to have. What do you think of it? Hogwarts?"

"It is gorgeous," she replied, looking around at the tall, stone walls and the charmed ceiling that was showing the snow falling outside. "It is so…full of history, no? I have always been mesmerised from afar by its existence. But it is a lot colder than I was expecting." She shivered for dramatic effect and Harry grinned at her, feeling himself relax.

"Is Beauxbatons similar?" Hermione was leaning across Matthew to ask the question, who was smirking at his date's behaviour. She'd lasted all of a few seconds before her curiosity had gotten the better of her. They had agreed beforehand to give Harry a bit of space when the time seemed right, but clearly she had forgotten about that in the pursuit of new knowledge.

"Yeah," Harry added. "I'm always wanting to know about how magical societies work in different cultures."

"I would say that my school is much more…brighter," Margot said. "The corridors are white and gold, compared to the grey stone you have here. In truth, it is a bit too gaudy for my tastes. My family came from much simpler means."

"What about the lessons?" Hermione pressed. "Do you learn different subjects compared to us?"

Matthew grabbed her hand. "Hermione, I think I can hear the music starting again. Whilst my legs are still operable, would you care to join me?"

"But…I was…" She picked up on his pointed look. "Oh, yes. Certainly."

Harry was sure that Matthew gave him a wink as he walked away, something he didn't do well at hiding from Margot. Harry risked a look at the girl beside them. "Sorry about them."

"They are entertaining," Margot assured him. "It is surprising. I've seen you so many times together, in private, in the library. But you are just the same in public as you are in those quiet moments."

"Those two wouldn't have it any other way." He wasn't about to tell her that Matthew was hiding a rather big secret from the rest of the world. That was at least a third date topic. "They're proud of who they are. They've made me proud of who I am."

"It's not normal to find someone so young who is so sure of themselves."

"I've been forced to grow up a lot more than I might have liked."

"Does that mean you are too mature for another dance?" She was leaning closer to him, her eyes dancing and sparkling in the light. Harry couldn't have said no even if he'd wanted to.

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After bigging it up in his head, Harry was surprised by how much he enjoyed the Yule Ball. It wasn't terrifying. It was mildly scary, if anything. He was surrounded by his friends, and a girl who appeared to be interested in knowing who he was, rather than the famous boy that everyone else desired. Margot didn't once look at his scar or ask about the events of his childhood, instead choosing to discuss safer topics that complimented the festive spirits of the moment. Harry was carefree for a few hours and that hadn't happened a lot in his life.

He seemed to be twirling between partners at an alarming rate throughout the night. Naturally, he spent most of his time with Margot, though a lot of that was actually done by the tables, where they were able to talk with a modicum of privacy. But he also danced with Hermione for a couple of songs, Matthew seemingly thankful to be able to have a breather, resting heavily on his cane. She was a surprisingly strong lead, not that it should have come as a shock. She was in charge of their little trio the majority of the time so why would things change now, leading him across the dance floor, giggling throughout the song.

Ginny asked for a dance at one point and he was pleasantly relieved to find that it felt perfectly natural and comfortable. There wasn't any awkwardness on her part, staring at him with wide eyes that she might have done in her first year. He just hoped that this was a sign that she'd moved on from her hero-complex. It was nice, being able to talk to her one and one and not feel like he was being studied minutely. Though he did eventually leave her after three songs so that he might spin McGonagall a few times, claiming that he owed the professor a dance.

His body wasn't really built for such continuous exertion and he lay slumped in his chair at one point, watching everyone else dancing away. Until Matthew wandered up to him and held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

Harry squirmed in his chair, looking around at the Hall. "Um…there aren't any…you know…boys dancing together."

It only seemed to make his friend's smile grow larger. "Then let's cause a scene, shall we?"

Harry wasn't so sure but he wasn't given much of a choice, being pulled from his seat whilst Hermione gave him a shove too. She wanted to watch this, smiling warmly as Matthew spun Harry around, even going as far as dipping him, much to the delight of the watching crowd. And, after a few moments, Harry was forgetting his burning cheeks and was getting into the swing of it, giving as good as he got.

By the time that the evening was drawing to a close, the music had slowed down a great deal and most of the guests had wandered to different parts of the castle, doing god knows what out of sight. Upon the dancefloor, only a few couples remained, including Matthew and Hermione. With their slight height difference, she was able to place her cheek against his chest as they tenderly swayed to the current mellow song. Matthew had his head resting on top of hers, both of them with their eyes closed, allowing themselves to enjoy the moment.

"Did you like the dress in the end?" he asked quietly.

She looked up, smiling. "Almost as much as the company."

"I reckon we should do this more often."

"Are you asking me out on another date?"

"I'll have to get you another dress."

Hermione laughed, returning her head to its previous position, listening to the beat of his heart just as much as the music. She was so at peace that she felt she could reach in and feel that burning source of magic within her. It was ignited, being drawn to Matthew's energy. She didn't care whether it worked like that or not. For once, she wasn't interested in the logic.

Take my hand

Take my whole life, too

For I can't help falling in love with you

For I can't help falling in love with you