The Yule Ball: The Way it Could Have Been

Chapter Two: Preparation

Hermione locked herself in her dorm's toilets and quickly changed into her dress robes. Tomorrow was Christmas. And with Christmas came the Yule Ball.

Hermione twirled around in her floaty robes. The robes were so light, almost like a Muggle dress. She pictured herself dancing at the ball. With Harry. But then she remembered something that brought her crashing down to land.

'Viktor!' she cried out loud. 'Shit!'

She ran out of the bathroom, her robes still on.

'Um, Mione?' said Ginny.

'I forgot to tell Viktor that I'm not going with him! Shit...' she cried.

'Mione!' Ginny yelled.

'Yes,' Hermione said, calming down.

'Before that, I'd suggest you take the robes off.'

'Oh, yeah, that.'

Hermione changed and ran as fast as she could to the Durmstrang ship. She climbed on board, and immediately saw Krum.

'Viktor!' she yelled, horrified. There she saw Krum, kissing Fleur Delacour.

'I'm sick of zis,' said Fleur, standing up. She had sen Hermione, and was quite shocked. 'If you vant a relationship, I vill not ve involved.'

Fleur walked off of the ship, angrier than Hermione had ever seen her. Hermione decided that the best thing to do would be to follow her.

'Hermy - own - ninny...' Viktor called. 'I'm sorry.... Come back...'

'It's Hermione!' she yelled as she ran to catch up with Fleur.

'I had no idea,' said Fleur. 'He did not tell me about zis, zis other girl!'

'I didn't know that he was seeing you,' said Hermione.

Fleur smiled and reached out a hand. 'I am Fleur.'

Hermione shook it. 'Hermione.'

Fleur looked Hermione in the eyes. 'We better get finding other dates,' she said.

'I don't think you'll have much trouble,' said Hermione. 'I know lots of people who like you.'

'Really,' said Fleur. 'I am asked by zis boy - zis Roger Davies... You know 'im?'

Hermione nodded.

'I am not sure. All zees men is backstabbing.'

'I know someone who likes you that isn't,' said Hermione. 'He's 14, though. In the same year as me.'

'Does 'ee 'ave the red hair?' she asked.

'Yes, that's him.'

'Vell, I guess,' said Fleur. 'If 'ee is the only good one...'

*

'Thank you,' said Ron. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

'No need to thank me,' said Hermione. 'I got a kick out of it.'

'I can't believe you're going with Fleur Delacour!' said Dean as he passed by. 'Some guys have all the luck...'

Harry grinned. 'I blame her Veela charm for this entirely.'

'And her stunning personality and good looks,' said Ron.

'She basically spat on you the first time you asked her to the ball,' said Harry.

'She didn't know better,' said Ron. 'The good ol' Weasley charm hadn't worked on her yet.'

Hermione burst with laughter. 'Weasley charm?'

'Fred and George got most of it,' said Ron, nodding at the table the twins were sitting at. They were sitting with their dates, who seemed to be hanging on to their every word.

All three friends laughed.

'So how did you get out of the Krum situation?' asked Harry.

'He got himself out,' said Hermione. 'I caught him snogging Fleur. This left both of us dateless. So you should really thank Krum.'

Hermione looked at the clock. It was one fifty. At two, her and her roommates were meeting to have a serious chat about the ball.

'I have to go get ready,' said Hermione, standing up and grabbing her bag, not realizing how ridiculous she sounded.

'Get ready for the ball?' exclaimed Ron. 'It's not two yet.'

'We're going to talk too.'

'We'll never understand the female gender,' said Harry dramatically. 'We just have to accept them.'

'Bye, guys!' said Hermione, and she kissed both of them on the cheek.

The boys watched her run off.

'What was that all about?' exclaimed Ron, pointing at the place where Hermione had kissed him.

'I don't know,' said Harry, as he took a sip of pumpkin juice.

Harry touched his cheek, and looked down the hallway. A smile came to his face.

'Very strange.'

*

Hermione, Lavender and Ginny sat beside Parvati's bed. All of their makeup and accessories had been dumped on it.

The girls turned to look at the door as Parvati rushed in.

'Sorry, guys,' she said. 'I had to stop to talk to Terry Boot.'

'Oh yeah, I heard he asked you!' said Ginny.

The girls sorted through the makeup and chose colours that complemented their dresses. Hermione chose a light blue eye shadow, rosy blush, black mascara and a pink gloss. Lavender looked at the clock.

'It's three!' she exclaimed.

'Only eight and a half more hours!' squealed Hermione.

*

At about nine, Harry and Ron entered the common-room. The room had no girls in it.

'Where are the girls?' Ron asked his brothers and Lee Jordan.

'Before a Ball, the girls tend to have a eight to ten hour preparation period,' said Fred.

'We are forbidden from entering the girls' area,' said Lee.

'So when're you guys going to get ready?'

'Ten thirty,' said Fred.

'Eleven,' said George.

'Eleven fifteen,' said Lee.

*

Ron and Harry snuck up to the girls' dorms. Harry listened through the keyhole to the dorm where Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and Ginny lived.

'No, no, no!' he heard Ginny say. 'Wear these gloves, Lav! They go better with your complexion.'

'Nothing interesting,' said Harry.

'None here, either,' said Ron, who'd been listening at the Year 6 girls' dorm. 'They keep talking about how good-looking my brothers are.'

'Weasley charm?'

'Weasley charm.'

They walked into the boys' dorm. Dean, Seamus and Neville were already in there.

'Harry, Ron!' said Seamus. 'It's nearly 9:30!'

'Two hours till we pick up the girls,' said Neville nervously. He was taking Ginny.

Dean was in the dorm's toilets, slicking his hair back with what seemed like a whole bottle of gel.

Dean and Seamus were talking about how good-looking their dates were.

'Lavender is much better looking than Sally-Anne Perks!' said Seamus.

'That may be so, but Lavender's hair is horrible compared to hers!'

'And her teeth too.'

'But Ron's got the best looking of all,' said Neville.

'Yeah,' said Seamus. 'She's gorgeous.'

'Hermione's not bad either,' said Dean. 'I admit she's better-looking then Sally-Anne.'

'She's got nice eyes. And a nice nose,' said Harry.

'Her cheekbones are nice too,' said Ron.

Harry imagined Hermione's face. She was quite pretty. He wondered how she'd look tonight.

He smiled. He had a feeling she'd look stunning.