My Fair Lady

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My Fair Lady- Hogwarts' Christmas Ball for Old Girls and Old Boys

Hermione sat sadly in Harry's house on Wimpole Street. She had been absolutely humiliated by herself; she had been the laughing stock of the day.

"Hermione, don't cry. Everything will be fine. Harry and I will help you, and you won't make a fool of yourself at the Christmas Ball," Draco tried to sooth Hermione.

"Here dear, have a drink," Lavender offered while holding out a glass of water to Hermione, who shook her head and sobbed. Suddenly, the front door was opened and walked in a very annoyed Harry Potter.

Harry wrinkled his nose and grunted, "Ginny Weasley; that annoying girl just won't leave me in peace." He grabbed the glass of water out of Lavender's hand and drank it in one gulp. "How thoughtful of you, Lavender." He sighed and sank into his favorite couch. "Stop crying, silly girl. Crying won't help you," he scolded Hermione.

Hermione stifled a sob, but tears kept streaming out of her large brown eyes. She looked so helpless and vulnerable as she sniffed.

"Shh..." Draco whispered, while patting Hermione on the back soothingly. He looked up and glared at the totally unconcerned Harry. "Honestly, Potter, don't you care at all? Look at the poor girl. She's frightened, scared and humiliated. I thought you had always been the perfect little gentleman. But here you are, sitting there as if you don't have a care ine world, while this girl is crying her eyes out. She's Muggle-born, and has never any wizarding education before. There are certain things you can only learn in Hogwarts. If you are...."

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Harry yelled. "You made the bet with me and asked me to turn her into a witch. I'm on the bet and am doing it. Don't you dare lecture me!"

Just then, Lavender walked in. "Harry? Ron is outside, and he said he'd like to speak with Hermione."

"Oh, to hell with Ron! Tell him to go home," Harry commanded loudly as he marched out of the lounge and to his room upstairs.

Lavender looked at Draco for help.

"Tell Weasley that Hermione is in no condition to talk right now and ask him to go home," Draco said absently as he patted Hermione on the back. Hermione suddenly lunged herself at Draco and began to cry loudly in his arms.

Lavender nodded and left. They could hear the door open and Lavender speak in the distance.

"Oh, I'll wait for her," said Ron stubbornly.

"That won't really help you. She's not well and isn't likely to get better until a lot later."

"Then give her these flowers. Tell her that she's bloody brilliant and is the cleverest witch I have ever met in my life."

The door shut again, and a moment later, Lavender walked in with a bunch of flowers.

"Cheer up, dear. Ron thought you were wonderful. He never suspected that you are not a witch."

Hermione cried even louder. Ron. What good would Ron's approval do her? She wanted Harry to compliment her. Why wouldn't Harry do what Ron had done? Why wouldn't Harry say a few kind words like Draco had? Why wouldn't Harry hold her and comfort her at her times of defeat? Why did she want Harry to do all that for her instead of Draco or Ron? Even Hermione, with her genius brain, couldn't figure out why Harry's approval was so important to her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Harry saw everything through his window. He had heard the conversation between Lavender and Ron. He saw Ron's lovesick face when he had looked up the house singing of his love for Hermione. For the first time, Harry looked down at his best friend with disgust. He really didn't like the way Ron was looking after Hermione.

Then came Hermione's loud cries, muffled only a second later. Harry suspected that she had been crying against Draco. He didn't like that thought either, for no reason. Harry screwed up his face and poured himself some wine.

Harry settled down on his chair and turned up his enchanted grammar phone. It had been a gift from Mr. Weasley. Harry could play any song he'd like to listen on the grammar phone jus by saying the song title out aloud. Harry said the name of the only song that crossed his mind.

"Reflection," said Harry as he closed his eyes.

"Who is that girl I see,
Staring straight back at me.
When will my reflection show,
Who I am inside?"

Harry was lost. A few months back, before he met Hermione Granger outside the theater, he was exactly sure of who he was and what he wanted. He knew that he was the bachelor hero who defeated Voldemort single-handedly. He knew that he was a man who would never marry. He knew he was the man who would break a million girls' hearts for who he was.

Now, he wasn't as sure. Harry had always had a weird feeling while he was near Hermione. He had had that feeling ever since he first met her outside. He had no idea where to put this weird feeling. Was he really falling in love with Hermione Granger, a common Muggle flower girl, who once had the most unpleasing accent ever? Were all his efforts of being mean to Hermione going to be wasted because he had fallen in love with her at the end anyway?

Impossible, Harry thought while he outwardly laughed.

But why would he feel so angry whenever another male admired Hermione?

Probably because I'm turning into a possessive big brother. I'll just have to work harder and be meaner to keep her away, Harry told himself as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Oh really? Ron doesn't get this possessive when Ginny is chasing after you. A very unpleasant voice whispered a last phrase into Harry's mind, but he blocked the thought out and fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Five very stressful weeks passed by. Hermione had been learning Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Defense Against Dark Arts, Astronomy, Arithmancy, History of Magic and other various subjects, nonstop. One thing that worth mentioning, however, was that Hermione did most of the studying on her own.

Harry and Draco taught Hermione Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against Dark Arts and Herbology. They were having troubles keeping up with the speed Hermione was learning. However, other subjects such as Arithmancy and the History of Magic, Harry and Draco didn't offer to teach Hermione for they were either bad at the subjects themselves, or they had never taken it. However, Hermione learned them anyway through her reading. She hardly ever left Harry's library.

There was only one aspect of the wizarding world Hermione refused to learn: flying. After seeing the first Quidditch game of her life, Hermione decided that flying was a dangerous occupation. She wouldn't step on a broomstick even if Harry, her teacher, was one of the best flyers in the century.

For Harry, those five months were the worst months of his life. He tried his best to be mean to Hermione and barked at her every chance he had. He tried to show people that he didn't care for Hermione at all. He had to endure Draco's snickers whenever he couldn't control himself, and gave out the slightest hint that he did care for Hermione.

However, worst of all for Harry were Ron's frequent visits. Harry couldn't recall the last time had Ron visited him since their Hogwarts days, and before Hermione moved in. Ron hardly ever came around, for he was too busy working in the Ministry of Magic. Also, Ron hated to go to Harry's house because Draco stayed with Harry, and they never got along. However, now Ron would Apparate outside Harry's house every second day and ask for Hermione. He had been there so often that Lavender asked Harry if the ward against people other than Harry to Apparate inside the house could be taken down for Ron.

Harry hated Ron coming around for Hermione. Luckily, Hermione was too studious to go out with Ron all the time. About ninety-nine percent of the times when Ron came and ask Hermione to go with him, Hermione would refuse without even looking up from her book to see who was there.

Harry also hated himself for not welcoming Ron. Every time Harry saw Ron leave his house alone without Hermione, Harry would chuckle evilly, and he really hated himself for doing that, but it was something that just couldn't be helped.

Finally, Christmas arrived. Hermione finished the last chapter in all her textbooks the night before it snowed. With her knowledge of the wizarding world, she was ready to be tested.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On the 24th of December, Hermione went out all day with Lavender to Diagon Alley for shopping. Harry and Draco occupied themselves with some activities at home.

Around four in the afternoon, Harry and Draco, in their separate rooms, began to pace. Though neither would admit it, they were both extremely nervous. Hermione would be back soon, and then they would Apparate to Hogsmeade together.

Just then, Draco's door smashed open, and he stormed into Harry's room, looking flushed. "My room is so hot, Potter. Do you want a drink?"

Harry stopped pacing immediately. Although he was also shaking inside, Harry maintained his outward calmness. He pretended to get a book off the shelf and began to read.

"No, Malfoy. Why don't you sit down and calm down for a while. Nothing is going to happen."

Draco stared at him in disbelief. "How can you be so calm? Don't you care about anything? I'm getting some drinks. God knows I need it." With that said, Draco left for the kitchen.

As soon as his door was shut, Harry threw the book he had been holding away (Hogwarts: A History? How did it get there?). He then ducked under his desk and pulled out half a bottle of Firewhisky. He opened the lid and gulped down every single drop left of it.

Harry then heard the front door open. Hermione must be back! Harry took a deep breath and walked down the stairs.

What Harry saw in his lounge shocked him.

Hermione stood like a little princess from a fairytale in the middle of his lounge. She wore a sparkly pure white satin dress robe. Shiny white beads and sequences adorned her outfit. Pure white satin gloves clung to her hands as if they had grown on her. A stunning set of a diamond necklace and earrings decorated her bare neck and made her more beautiful than any witch Harry had ever seen. Her normally messy and bushy hair had somehow been pulled into a bun behind her head. Harry swore he had never seen another girl lovelier than the one standing in front of him.

"Hermione, you're...beautiful," Draco walked into the room nervously and complimented Hermione loudly. Harry quickly snapped out of his trance.

"Um...yeah...very...pretty," Harry muttered softly before he regained his composure. "Anyway, better get going if we don't want to be late. Where's Lavender?"

"Here," Lavender walked in just then. She was also dressed nicely. She held out a deep scarlet over robe to Hermione. "Better put this on top, dear. We don't want to get your robe dirty."

Hermione put it on obediently before they all Apparated to Hogsmeade.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Once they landed in Hogsmade, the group went into a carriage and headed for the castle.

No one spoke on the way over to Hogwarts Castle. Each person was buried in his or her own thoughts and worries.

Hermione was nervous. She tried her best to remember all the spells she had learned to pass the time. She had read all about the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s from Hogwarts: A History. She supposed that this ball would be like her N.E.W.T. exam.

Lavender was worried. She had heard about Hermione's behavior in the Quidditch Pitch from her friend, Parvati. Although she had seen how hard Hermione had worked over the past months, she couldn't help worrying if the same thing would happen again.

Draco was also deep in thoughts. Unlike Lavender, he had absolute faith in Hermione. However, he was worried that Hermione wouldn't pass under Dumbledore's observant eyes. After all, it was known worldwide that Dumbledore never had missed anything that went on in his castle while he had been there.

Harry's mind, however, wasn't on the same subjects as Lavender and Draco's minds were. His thoughts were mostly on Hermione; about how pretty she was; how clever she had been. He was, once again, forcing ideas into his own head that he cared for Hermione nothing more than a teacher or a brother.

Finally, they arrived in front of Hogwarts. Gracefully, the four walked into the castle.

"...Mr. Ronald Weasley...Miss Virginia Weasley...Mr. Frederick Weasley...Mr. George Weasley...Mr. Bill Weasley...Mr. Charles Weasley...." Filch was running out of breath calling out all the Weasley's names as they entered.

"Miss Lavender Brown," Filch announced as Lavender walked in.

"Lavender!" Parvati, Harry's sister, ran towards Lavender and hugged her. The two walked away and disappeared in the crowd.

"Sir Draco Malfoy."

Draco walked into the castle in a military way. Gasps and squeals of girls could be heard from all over the castle. Many even ran up to give Draco a hug or a kiss.

Harry chuckled, "That's Malfoy, always the ladies' man."

Hermione gulped loudly beside Harry as he pushed her towards the entrance. "Go on," Harry said.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked towards Filch, who glared at her and asked for her name rudely.

"Hermione Granger," Hermione said nervously as she began to take off her red over robe.

Filch began to announce, "Miss...." He never finished, because at that instant, Hermione took off her over robe and a dazzling white light blinded everyone in the castle from the entrance.

Men and women surrounded Hermione and pulled her in. Everyone asked for her name. Somehow, no one seemed to be able to recall a girl named Hermione Granger in his or her year.

In the meantime, Harry slipped in. He saw Draco by the Butterbeer table and walked over to him. "Malfoy, how is she doing?"

Draco gave Harry a glass of Butterbeer and grinned. "She's a total knockout. Look!"

True enough, everyone in the castle was trying to get closer to the charming Miss Granger. However, Harry wasn't too pleased when his best friend Ron pushed through the crowd and pulled Hermione along with him.

The music started and people began to dance. Draco watched the dancing with amusement while Harry's eyes continued to follow Ron and Hermione on the dance floor.

If only I was the one dancing with Hermione, I would... Harry began to daydream. His eyes never left Hermione for a second.

"Potter, the Weasley girl is coming your way," Draco's whisper brought Harry back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, see you later," Harry mumbled and quickly ran to the other side of the hall.

Behind him, he heard Ginny talking to Malfoy. "Where's Harry? I saw him with you a second ago."

"Potter's gone to the bathroom. Would you like me to keep you company while you wait for Potter?"

Harry couldn't help but look behind him. He saw Malfoy and Ginny dancing together. He never thought he'd see the day when a Malfoy and a Weasley would dance with each other.

As Harry swam through the crowd, trying to keep an eye on Hermione and avoid bumping into people at the same time, he bumped into the last person he'd like to see at the moment.

"Ah, Mr. Potter! What a pleasure to see you dancing. I see that you have a very dashing girl accompany you today, who is currently dancing with Mr. Weasley. May I have the please to know her as well?" an old voice rang in Harry's ears.

Harry looked up and gulped. Professor Albus Dumbledore stood before him with a twinkle in his eyes. The second Harry saw Dumbledore, he knew that Dumbledore knew what was happening.

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