Magic? || Years 1-5

Christmas Morning: Year 4

Hermione was waiting at their usual seats at the Gryffindor table, Ron and Harry's left empty. She had the faintest dust of pink across her cheeks, and she was worrying at her lip.

"Where're they?" Amisty asked lightly, sliding into her seat and gesturing at the empty seats.

"No idea," Hermione replied, her voice lilting in an almost giddy way.

"What put you in such a good mood?" She grinned, pulling dishes toward her so he could start eating.

Hermione went very pink very suddenly and looked away, a sheepish smile on her face as she mumbled, "Viktor Krum just asked me to the Ball."

"What?!" Amisty gasped, nearly dropping her fork on her foot in her haste to face her. "What did you say?"

"Well, I couldn't say no, right?" Hermione replied, her smile slowly morphing into an embarrassed grin.

Amisty took a deep breath, about to scream hysterically when Hermione promptly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Let's not shout it to all of the Great Hall, shall we?" Hermione raised her eyebrows, laughing. "Now, why were you late?"

It was Amisty's turn to go pink.

Hermione interpreted the reaction correctly, as always, and dared a glance at the Slytherin table, where Draco was sitting with his friends.

"So I'm not the only one with a date to the Yule Ball?" She teased, the smile fading a bit at the expression on her friends face.

"I don't have a date, exactly..." Amisty shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner, "but Draco... he... he kissed me."

Hermione's eyes almost bugged out of her head, but she had more sense than Amisty to not go and scream.

"You're joking," She hissed, looking torn between hugging and pushing her off her chair.

And then it dawned on her.

"Oh not like that!" Amisty protested, hitting Hermione's shoulder. "It was on the forehead, Hermione, the forehead!"

Hermione burst into a fit of giggles, "You should've seen your face!"

"Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?" Amisty accused, glaring daggers at her the best she could.

It didn't help that she was smiling.

"As if!" Hermione laughed.

-=+=-

They climbed through the portrait hole, finding Harry and Ron laughing their heads off for some unknown reason, as well as a very annoyed Ginny.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Hermione asked, leading the way to where they were sitting.

"Because -- oh shut up laughing, you two -- " Ginny snapped, her gaze turning fiery, "because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!"

They both went silent.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," Ron muttered scathingly.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron? Eloise Midgen starting look quite pretty now, is she?" Hermione asked, sounding rather pleased with their misfortune.

Amisty couldn't help but side with her on that one.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."

"Hermione, Neville's right -- you are a girl..." Ron remarked slowly.

"Oh well spotted," Hermione retorted sarcastically.