The Eye of the Storm

The last Single Pringle

The Christmas Party was only a week away. I sent a letter to Coulson, asking him to send me a dress from the remnants of the disguise closet at SHIELD. Our dorm room had run out of curtains, not that it mattered anyway. Lav and I were not on good enough terms to make a dress for me anyways.

The seven o'clock moonlight trickled in through our curtain-less windows while I was doing my homework. Hermione came in a dropped her books on her bed.

"Romilda Vane tried to give Harry a "sparkling water" and "chocolate frogs" on the way to the Gryffindor Tower," said Hermione as she grabbed some parchment and sat down at her desk.

"I hope you told Harry about the conversation were overheard that group of girls having in the bathroom. It would be a shame if he was slipped a love potion."

"Yes I warmed him in the library an hour ago." She was scribbling furiously on the parchment. "I told him to invite someone to the party as soon as possible. It would put an end to any hopes they have."

"I hope he invites Ginny," I said as I finished the last sentence of my potions essay.

"Perhaps," said Hermione. "But most of the girls are wondering who you will invite to the party."

"Me?"

"Yes," continued Hermione. "You aren't nearly as famous as Harry is, but everyone knows who you are. Since the last person you dated was Malfoy—and that was very surprising— everyone is wondering who you will date next."

So many thoughts were flying around in my brain, it took me a while to pull one out of the fray.

"What if I don't want to invite anyone?"

"Then I'm sure they will find something else to gossip about after the news that you did not chose a date becomes old," Hermione said. She never cared much for gossip, but heard about it from others and passed it on to me.

"However, I think you should invite someone. You haven't dated anyone since Malfoy, and by the way he looks at you, he seems to think he still has a chance."

"Well he doesn't," I said. That was the end of that.

The next morning I had a Transfiguration lesson with Ron, Hermione and Harry . We had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, we were supposed to be changing the color of their own eyebrows. I was putting as much effort as possible into this lesson. lessons like this were the reason I went to Hogwarts. Being able to magically change my appearnce would be so helpful on missions.

Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar mustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Grandmother asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She raced out of the classroom on the bell, leaving half her things behind. Harry grabbed her things, and followed her.

I was thankful Harry was going to take care of this one. There had been so much drama over the past few weeks I was emotionally exhausted. Also, I was running out of things to say, and sometimes just hugged Hermione while she cried.

I walked to Dinner with Cho, and we talked about the Christmas party.

"Are you going?" I asked.

"No," sighed Cho. "My boyfriend wasn't invited to the party. Who are you going with?"

I was getting a little sick of hearing that question.

"I'm not going with anyone."

"Why not?" gasped Cho. I was confused why everyone in Hogwarts seemed to be thinking that just because I was sixteen I had to be dating someone.

"Well, I'm not dating anyone, and almost all my friends were invited, or are dating someone who was invited."

"You can't go alone," said Cho seriously.

"It's really not a big deal," I said, turning a corner.

"If you go by yourself, you will be flirted with the whole evening," warned Cho.

"If everyone is going with a partner, I don't think I have much to worry about." I held the Great Hall door open for Cho.

"You'd be surprised."

We parted ways. She walked to the Ravenclaw table, and I walked to the Gryffindor table. I spotted Hermione sitting down at the Gryffindor table and joined her. Lavender and Ron were at it again, but Hermione seemed absorbed in her conversation with Parvati.

"Hey, Hermione," I said kindly.

"Hello, Kendra," she said with brightness that seemed deceiving. "Parvati! Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?"

"No invite," said Parvati gloomily. "I'd love to go, though, it sounds like it's going to be really good... You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're —"
There was a noise like a plunger being withdrawn from a blocked sink, and Ron surfaced. Hermione acted as though she had not seen or heard anything.

"— we're going up to the party together."

"Cormac?" said Parvati. "Cormac McLaggen, you mean?"

"That's right," said Hermione sweetly. "The one who almost" - she put a great deal of emphasis on the word — "became Gryffindor Keeper."

"When did this happen?" I asked, startled by the news.

"Oh, just recently," said Hermione, waving off the question

"Are you going out with him, then?" asked Parvati, wide-eyed.

"Oh - yes - didn't you know?" said Hermione, with a most un-Hermione-ish giggle.

"No!" said Parvati, looking positively agog at this piece of gossip. "Wow, you like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, then McLaggen."

I like really good Quidditch players," Hermione corrected her, still smiling. "Well, see you... Got to go and get ready for the party..."

She left. At once Lavender and Parvati put their heads together to discuss this new development,

I chased Hermione out of the Hall.

"What was that?" I asked Hermione once I caught up with her.

"What do you mean?" she said coyly.

"You know what I'm talking about."

She stopped walking and turned to me. "If Ron has no trouble moving on and seeing someone else, why should I?"

She turned quickly and walked away.

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Hey Everyone, so far the only people who have responded to the message I sent out today want the last two chapters until after End Game is released now instead of spread out, so that's what I will do.

Forever and Always,

Me.