Love at First Sight (Harry Potter)

The Yule Ball pt.1

|ALEXANDRIA WEASLEY'S P.O.V.|

A brief silence followed Lavender's revelation. She still stood there, in the centre of our dormitory, smiling broadly with her hands on her hips as she looked between Hermione and I expectantly. Parvati had stopped sifting through her trunk now, instead taking to stepping into the pair of comfy trousers that she had found. A blush was still spread across her cheeks.

As I forced my jaw closed, my eyes flickered quickly to Hermione beside me. She too was staring, open-mouthed, at Lavender.

"R-Ron and Parvati?" she repeated, to which Lavender nodded wildly.

"I know, I know," said Lavender with a slight shrug. She was positively beaming with excitement. "I had never expected it myself — Ron .  .  . Not the most handsome of his brothers but —" she giggled slightly at the blank look I sent her. "— but, honestly, now it's got me thinking .  .  . he is quite fit."

I nearly gagged, my lips downturning with disgust.

"And he must have taken a liking to our Parvati for Harry to suggest it!" continued Lavender in a bubbly tone, seemingly ignorant to the increasing rage that was building within Hermione's expression. "Perhaps he was just too shy to ask himself.  .  .  . That's so sweet! Oh, Parvati, isn't that sweet?"

Parvati blushed even deeper, swiping her hair out of her eyes as we all looked towards her. She nodded feverishly.

"She had thought Harry was going to ask her," said Lavender in a low tone, turning back to Hermione and I — not as though Parvati wouldn't be able to hear her. "She had been hoping he would. Wonder who he's going with."

Instinctively, I cast a quick glance over at where my bag had been dumped on my trunk at the end of my bed. There, peeking out from beneath the bag's strap, was the petite lily that Harry had given me. The knowledge of it made my cheeks flush pink.

"I told her to begin with that she was wasting her breath," said Lavender with a roll of her eyes. "Harry's only ever had himself set on Alex, I said, but she knows you have never had eyes for him so I suppose she hoped he would've given it up by now." She scratched at her cheek with her fingernails, thoughtfully, before her attention settled fully on me. "Has he?"

As my mouth opened slightly, my brain racking for a response, Hermione spoke up.

"Ron doesn't fancy Parvati," she said firmly, in a matter-of-fact tone. Her arms were crossed over her chest. "He's been complaining of not having a date like everyone else."

The blush drained from Parvati's face across the room. She blinked quickly as she said, quite bothered, "Are you saying Harry only thought to ask me because there was no one else?"

"Well," said Hermione, her lips pursing. My eyes widened. I reached out, placing a hand on her arm gently. She didn't even look at me, "I wouldn't say that's unlikely."

Parvati and Lavender each let out surprised, offended gasps. Hermione lurched off her bed and started off towards the lavatory, ignoring our stares on her back. I followed after her quickly, just managing to slip between the door and its frame as she closed it behind her.

"First, he insults me," said Hermione quietly, just for the two of us to hear in the safety of the empty loo. She turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, the anger still ever-present on her features. "Then, he sets a date with my dorm-mate."