The Yule Ball: The Way it Could Have Been

Chapter One: Out Shopping

'You can come with one of us!' said Ron.

'No, I can't,' snapped Hermione.

'It'll be fine. You can go with Harry - and I'll find someone,' said Ron hopefully.

'I'm already going with someone!'

'Oh,' said Ron. 'Well, he can't be better looking than us, can he?' Ron flashed a toothy grin.

'I can't.'

'Who're you going with?'

'Viktor,' Hermione said, embarrassed.

'Krum!' said Ron, baffled. 'He's too old for you.'

'Only four years,' laughed Harry.

'Well, I guess you've made your decision,' said Ron, as he walked out of the room, Harry at his tail.

'It's OK,' said Harry as he slipped out the door.

'Thanks,' Hermione muttered, though she knew Harry couldn't hear her.

She stared at the door. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe it was all pointless. Four years age difference. Krum lived so far away. Nothing could happen in that relationship.

Hermione stood up and ran out the door. Ron and Harry had been walking very slowly away from the door, obviously waiting for Hermione to burst out of the room and accept their offer.

'Harry! Ron!' she called.

'Have you come to accept our offer?'

'Yes,' she said smiling. 'I'll go with you, Harry.'

'Good show,' said Ron. 'Harry will pick you up at 11:30.'

'I think I can tell my own date when I'll pick her up,' joked Harry. 'Pick you up at 11:28 exactly. I always tend to be two minutes early.'

Hermione smiled and ran as fast as she could to the girls' dorm.

Lavender and Parvati were sitting on the bed, talking about the Yule Ball.

'Hermione!' called Lavender. 'When's Viktor picking you up? We can all go in a group if you like?'

'I'm not going with Viktor,' said Hermione. 'Not anymore.'

'Fight?' asked Parvati.

'It wouldn't last,' said Hermione. 'I couldn't stand falling for him, and then having him leave.' It wasn't a total lie.

'So, have you got a new date?' asked Lavender.

'Harry,' Hermione mumbled. She was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing.

'Who?' asked Parvati. 'I couldn't hear.'

'Harry,' she said, blushing a little.

'Harry Potter?' asked Parvati, eyes wide.

'Is there any other Harry?' asked Lavender, grinning.

Before Hermione could answer, the door flung open and Ginny ran in.

'Fashion crisis!' she screamed. 'Fashion crisis!'

Lavender took the pile of dress robes from her and put them on the bed. She laid them out on the bed.

'This one's nice,' said Hermione, pointing at an emerald green one. She couldn't help noticing how it matched Harry's eyes.

'That one's a hand-me down! It's two sizes too small!' cried Ginny.

'This one's pretty nice,' said Lavender, nodding towards a dark, sleeveless violet dress.

'Look at the back,' said Ginny.

Lavender flipped it over. It was ripped halfway down the back.

The four girls stared at the remaining robes. They were all either ugly, torn, worn or covered in something odd.

'What am I going to do?' Ginny wailed.

Parvati grinned and then cried out 'Shopping trip!'

'But how are we going to get into Hogsmeade?' asked Ginny. 'It's not a Hogsmeade weekend!'

'I have ways,' said Hermione.

*

Not ten minutes later, the four girls were tiptoeing through the halls to the legendary humpbacked witch.

'Harry used this to get in when he didn't have a form,' said Hermione. She muttered the password and tapped her wand on the hump.

To the other girls' amazement, a small passageway appeared. Hermione led the others down the tunnel. Just like always, they turned out in the Honeydukes cellar.

'Cool!' whispered Ginny.

The four roommates hurried into the street and over to an off-the-beaten-path boutique, Hidden Eden.

'I've never been here before!' said Lavender.

'Me neither,' said Ginny, Hermione and Parvati in unison.

'Let's go find you some dress robes!' said Parvati excitedly.

They entered the shop. Inside, the floor had obviously been enchanted to look and feel like grass. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky at twilight. The walls displayed a lush landscape.

'Wish I'd bough my robes here,' said Lavender, holding up a gorgeous lavender dress. (How ironic!)

'Me too,' said Hermione, holding up a set of beautiful periwinkle dress robes.

'I love these!' said Parvati, clutching a set of bright pink robes.

Ginny was busy trying on what seemed like thousands of sets off dress robes, tossing the rejects over the changing room door. The robes folded themselves and flew back to the shelves.

'Gin's busy,' said Hermione with a mischievous grin. 'Let's try these on.'

Hermione immediately fell in love with the dress robes as soon as she had them on.

'I'm getting these!' she called to the others.

They didn't reply. When she walked out of the changing rooms she saw why. Lavender and Parvati were already at the cash register, paying for their robes.

'Thought you'd be joining us,' grinned Lavender.

'Hey!' said Ginny as she raced toward the register. 'I finally picked.'

'Let's see,' said Hermione.

Ginny held up a pair of close-fitting, scarlet robes with green and black embroidery going up the side.

Parvati grinned. 'This is going to be a great night.'

'A night to remember!' Ginny chimed in.

Hermione just got lost in the beautiful blue of her robes. It would go well with Harry's eyes.

'Mione?' said Parvati.

'Yes?' Hermione came crashing back to reality.

'You kind of zoned out there for a second,' said Parvati. 'What were you thinking about?

'Nothing,' Hermione lied. 'Nothing at all.'