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

17 - The Yule Ball

Ellie arrived at the scene just ten minutes before the commencement, weaving her way through the crowd of students gathered by the Great Hall's entrance. Her eyes searched for a particular Gryffindor, but she turned up unsuccessful. As Ellie drew closer to the massive doors, it seemed as if the horde of people parted for her entry, gawking at her appearance.

Her vision was suddenly shielded by the tall figures of dapper-looking twins. They wore formal dress robes with brown vests, their usual messy hair sleeked downwards.

"Ellie! Didn't know you were coming," the two greeted in unison.

"I didn't think you two were coming either," Ellie countered. "You guys don't strike me as dancers."

"Figured we'd only experience this once," Fred shrugged. "We'd be fools if we didn't get the chance to see our brother make a fool of himself on the dance floor."

"By the way, you clean up well. Trying to impress your girl, eh?" George teased lowly.

"Just trying to look presentable, that's all," Ellie remarked as she scanned the room for Hermione over the twins' towering shoulders.

Ellie's eyes suddenly caught Hermione's figure, and her jaw dropped open at the sight. Descending from the stairs was Hermione, dressed elegantly enough to turn everyone's heads in her direction. She wore a pink, satin dress that was decorated with a number of ribbons and ombre ruffles. Sheer cap sleeves sat at her shoulders, showcasing her soft angles and gentle smile. Her usual mess of curls was sleeked and twisted into an elegant knot at the back of her head, a few curls framing her face perfectly.

"Don't go drooling now," Fred nudged Ellie, but the Hufflepuff was too fixated on Hermione.

"Freddie's right. You wouldn't want bugs in your mouth," George added.

Just as Ellie was about to step forward to approach Hermione, she saw a red-coated arm held out for the Gryffindor. Hermione didn't notice Ellie's stare from behind the twins, yet the Hufflepuff saw everything. Ellie smiled slightly as she watched Hermione portray her signature smirk, eventually taking Viktor's arm.

"Come on, students! Get yourselves inside!" a frantic McGonagall urged as she physically pushed a few students into the massive doors.

Fred and George took Ellie's hand as they pulled her along with them, assembling to form a walkway for the champions to enter.

"Hey! I can't see over your heads!" Ellie protested as she tried to peek over the twins' figures.

Fred chuckled as he pulled Ellie next to him, giving her a front row view of the approaching champions. The students clapped for them as the champions and their dates entered the winter-themed Great Hall, all of them smiling widely. Fleur and her date was the first to enter, followed by Hermione and Viktor.

Ellie awaited for Hermione to notice her, but the Gryffindor seemed too overwhelmed to focus on her surroundings. She watched as Hermione walked right past her, slightly pained by her oblivion. Cedric immediately noticed Ellie and smiled at her, boosting the Hufflepuff's happiness slightly. Harry and another student that Ellie recognized to be a Patil twin entered last, though the boy seemed uneasy.

After the four assembled on the dance floor, the students and professors gathered around them as Professor Flitwick directed the band. The champions started to waltz synchronously, but Ellie only kept her eyes on Hermione. She watched as the Gryffindor danced with Viktor, giggling as he lifted her up in the air.

Ellie patiently waited for Viktor and Hermione to leave each other, but the two seemed to stick on each other like glue. After the waltz, another band came onto the stage, blasting music loudly. Soon, the entire dance floor was filled with students, and Ellie lost track of Hermione. An hour passed without notice, and the next hour passed just as quickly. The band had exited the stage, exhausted from their performance. A majority of the students dispersed, leaving Ellie with the twins alongside a few other couples. A slow waltz began to play, and Fred took the opportunity to escape with his date Angelina.

"Oh come on, you've been sulking the entire night," George complained to Ellie. "Clearly, Viktor isn't going to let go of her."

"I'm still waiting," Ellie answered flatly as she crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at the Durmstrang student.

"In the meantime, you can dance with me. We look like fools just standing here on the dance floor."

George held out his hand and bowed slightly, making Ellie giggle. The Hufflepuff awkwardly placed her hand on the boy's shoulder as he rested his palm on her waist. Though Ellie simply stood in front of him, George seemed confident in his actions as he took Ellie's other hand.

"Oh, Merlin," George groaned. "Didn't Sprout teach you how to dance?"

"Well clearly, I don't know," Ellie countered sarcastically.

"It's a shame, really. Hermione obviously knows how to dance," George shrugged, enticing Ellie to plead for practice.

"If you're so confident, why don't you teach me?" Ellie snapped.

George grinned as stepped forward, nearly making Ellie fall backwards. He began to step in slow motions, allowing for Ellie to catch on. They increased the pace of their dance to match the other students as Ellie eventually mastered it.

"May we switch?" a husky voice came from beside them, Ellie instantly recognizing it to be her friend.

Cedric stood with with Cho, their smiles genuine and warm. George nodded as he took Cho from Cedric, and the Hufflepuffs were reunited. They began to waltz seamlessly, neither of the two making a mistake.

"I see you've improved," Cedric chuckled as he led the dance. "It appears you're a natural."

"Yeah, apparently it's not that hard," Ellie admitted as she looked up him.

Cedric gave a kind smile as he spun Ellie around gracefully, lifting her up every so often. The two soon stole the spotlight, and their movements flowed perfectly together. With every turn, she saw more people assemble around them, cheering them on supportively. Ellie ignored them as she focused on elegantly portraying herself in Cedric's arms.

During one of her turns, Ellie caught a glimpse of Hermione's gaze. Her eyes were filled with envy as she turned on her heel, Ron and Harry following closely behind her. Ellie attempted to pull away, but Cedric held her in place, continuing their waltz.

"Just finish the song. It's almost over," Cedric encouraged.

Ellie finished the song reluctantly, though she rushed most of her moves. She seamlessly directed Cedric to Cho, giving a kind smile to the Ravenclaw as she let the two of them dance once more.

Hearing Hermione's raised and shaky voice, Ellie quickly rushed to the commotion. Harry and Ron's backs just turned the corner of the staircase, hiding them from sight. Seated on the stairs was a distraught Hermione, her hair now disheveled into a mess of curls. Her heels sat beside her as the Gryffindor buried her face in her palms. She shook with a heaving cry, not even noticing Ellie's cautious presence.

"Hermione..." Ellie called out gently as she crouched in front of her.

Hermione didn't answer as she continued to cry, her tears staining her cheeks.

"It's me, Ellie," Ellie whispered as she placed a comforting hand on the Gryffindor's knee.

Hermione looked up momentarily, her eyes red and puffy from her sob.

"We can talk, Hermione. Let's go somewhere private," Ellie offered as she held out her hand.

Hermione reluctantly took Ellie's hand as the Hufflepuff helped pull her up, putting on her heels once more. With a gentle nod, Ellie lead Hermione out of the Great Hall and into the evening breeze.