Look at Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 1)

16 - The Preparation

Ellie awoke bright and early that Christmas morning, practically skipping towards the painting guarding the Gryffindor tower.

She awaited for Hermione's arrival, making casual conversation with the Fat Lady. The painting suddenly swung open, and Hermione and her friends stepped outside.

"Happy Christmas!" Ron waved cheerfully at Ellie, wearing an itchy looking sweater with his initial knitted on the front.

"You too, Ron," Ellie smiled kindly before turning to Harry, who wore a similar sweater as Ron. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

Harry kept his straight face as he gave a subtle nod to the Hufflepuff, taking Ron with him as he descended the moving staircases.

"Bad mood, is he?" Ellie questioned, referring to Harry's reaction.

"He was fine earlier. He just hasn't trusted you yet," Hermione sighed knowingly.

"It's fine," Ellie shrugged. "But while we're still close to your dorm, would you mind showing me what you're going to wear tonight?"

"Nope, you'll have to wait like everyone else," Hermione teased. "And what about yours? May I see it?"

"After not showing me yours? No way," Ellie scoffed. "Just like you said, you'll have to wait like everyone else."

"Pretty please?" Hermione pouted her lip with a pleading expression.

"Puppy eyes don't work on me," Ellie smirked as she shook her head. "And your present will be later."

"What?" Hermione shrieked. "That's so not fair, Ellie! I gave yours already."

Ellie simply smirked as she took Hermione's arm, leading them to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Let's go eat breakfast, and we can hang out the whole day today. How does that sound?" Ellie offered as they neared the hall.

"Actually... I'm not free today," Hermione trailed. "They're having a breakfast for the champions and their dates today. And Viktor is going to pick me up at the Great Hall pretty soon. And afterwards, we're going to practice our waltz, and we'll only have enough time to get ready. I'm sorry, I should've told you this sooner."

"It's alright. I get it," Ellie dismissed, though she seemed more disappointed than content.

They had approached the entrance of the Great Hall, but was soon blocked by Viktor's towering figure. He didn't say a word, but he looked to Hermione expectantly as he held out his arm.

"I have to go now. I'll see you later, okay?" Hermione confirmed.

Ellie nodded as she plastered a small smile, watching as Viktor whisked Hermione away effortlessly.

—

Since breakfast, Ellie spent the remainder of the day alone. She considered hanging out with Fred and George, but they were nowhere to be found, so Ellie assumed they were up to another one of their pranks.

Soon, it was already 7:00 p.m., and the Hufflepuff common room was bustling with students preparing for the ball. Ellie was the last of her roommates to get dressed, hoping that they would leave the room already. To her dismay, they murmured amongst themselves as they glared at her gown, sending not-so-subtle expressions of disgust. Ellie simply turned away as she attempted to zip up her own gown, hearing their snickers as they watched her struggle.

There was a knock on the door, and Ellie approached it cautiously. She opened it slightly, just enough for her to peek outside. It was Cedric, already donning his dress robes, his untied bow tie hung around his neck.

"Hey, Ellie. Hope I'm not intruding," Cedric greeted.

"It's okay, you're not intruding," Ellie smiled as she opened the door for him. "Come on in, you've got perfect timing."

Cedric stepped inside, not even batting an eye at Ellie's roommates. Their hushed gossip became even louder, making their conversation even more clear.

Ellie moved her hair in front of her as she turned away from Cedric, showcasing her back. He noticed the gesture and proceeded to zip her up, being respectful to not stare at her.

The whispers of her roommates amplified as if they weren't even trying to conceal their conversation.

"Yeah, heard she's shagging Cedric... disrespectful to Cho... probably shagged him last night... must've been why she went to bed so late... maybe she's going to shag him after the ball... she bought that expensive gown all for nothing..."

Having heard their whispers, Cedric turned to the roommates angrily, frowning at their cruelty.

"Excuse me, but I'm not appreciating how you're talking about my friend," Cedric defended as he stepped in front of Ellie.

"Friend?" one of them scoffed as she folded her arms over her chest. "Last time I checked, friends don't treat each other like that. We hear her sneaking out to your dorm every other night. Isn't that right?"

"Admit it, Cedric," another roommate added. "She's terrible in bed, right? She's just using you for sex."

Cedric ignored them as he turned to Ellie with a softer look.

"Come on, Ellie. They're not worth your time," Cedric urged. "You can go get ready in my dorm."

Her roommates whooped teasingly as they watched Cedric escort Ellie out of her dorm, grabbing her makeup bag before he stepped out. They made their way to Cedric's empty dorm, the boy explaining that his roommates were already with their dates. Ellie plopped down onto his bed as she rummaged through her makeup bag.

"Thank you... for what you did back there," Ellie looked up.

"I couldn't let them talk to you like that," Cedric shrugged as he attempted to fix his hair in the mirror. "I don't know how you put with them."

"I don't. That's why I only return to my dorm when they're sleeping," Ellie explained as she moved next to him to apply her mascara. "I would, without a doubt, hex them into the next century."

Cedric laughed heartily as he set down his comb defeatedly. Noticing his ruffled hair, Ellie put down her tube of mascara and picked up his comb. She lifted her hands to her hair and began to comb through it gently, styling it to near perfection.

Cedric smiled down at Ellie before turning to the mirror to examine himself.

"How do I look?" Cedric beamed as he posed for Ellie, wearing the tux with confidence.

"Dashing," Ellie complimented with a smile as she returned to her makeup bag, withdrawing her bottled contraption of hair-strengthening oils. She squirted the liquid onto her hands and began to run her fingers through her own waves, sleeking it down with her palms.

In the meantime, Cedric tied his bow tie, looking at his appearance one last time in the mirror.

"Well, I've got to get there a little early and pick up Cho at the Ravenclaw tower," Cedric announced. "You can stay here if you'd like until the ball starts. I don't want you returning to your roommates."

"Thank you, Cedric," Ellie smiled. "Have fun. I'll see you there."

Cedric gave one last beam before he slipped out of his dorm, leaving Ellie sitting alone on his bed. She turned to look at the small, bulging item under his blanket and carefully lifted it up. Sitting underneath the sheets was a stuffed badger with Cedric's initials embroidered on its foot.

Ellie let out a snicker as she pulled the blankets back over the animal, standing up reluctantly to gather her belongings. She returned to her dorm to drop off her stuff, finding that her roommates had already left. Looking at herself one more time in the mirror, Ellie lifted up the bottom of her gown slightly as she strutted out of the basement, ignoring the gawking stares that followed her.