AN: Many people commented on how poorly written the last chapter was. I'll jump aboard as well and admit that it definitely wasn't one of my better chapters. I probably could have spent a little more time developing it and I'll admit my fault and keep everything I've learned in mind for my future writings. I hope this one sort of makes up for it, even though it's short. Welcome to the concluding chapter of A Fantastic Year it's been a really great ride and I'd like to thank all of my reviewers right now! As of now, I have 8095 hits and 61 reviews! About 0.08% of my readers reviewed. Although that may not seem like much, I appreciate every bit of it!
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Spoiler Alert: This can't be necessary… I mean honestly, guys…
Disclaimer: This is necessary though. The Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K. Rowling and she deserves all of the credit. I'd like to take this time to thank her for allowing me to alter the fates of her characters! Thanks!
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The days leading up to the big ball became numbered as the week passed. The fast approaching Saturday would mark the night of the ball (as well as the last day before Christmas Break!) and Hogwarts was a fluster of busy activity. Professors were busy preparing their own additions to add to the festivities as well as trying to contain the excited student body. The female population amassed and traded news and gossip amongst themselves while the guys anxiously awaited the daunting fates that were dealt to them by giggling girls. Dates were arranged and hopes were fleetingly shattered.
Finally, the day had come. Classes were concluded at 5:02 to allow ample time to prepare for the big event. The teachers had since given up on attempting to teach anyways. Hermione and Ginny headed up to the Gryffindor Tower together from Transfiguration to start preparing for the ball. Through the window, one could see a flurry of light snow drifting lazily down to the ground in a pristine blanket. The two passed a window and Hermione look outside wistfully. The random motion of the snow reminded her of how frantic and surprising her own life had been. Hopefully the outcome would prove to be a gentle one. Hermione sighed, "Ginny… I don't think I want to go to the ball…"
Ginny gasped from beside her, "But Hermione!" she whined, "You have to! Why not?"
"I just don't really see a point in it now."
Ginny groaned, "Hermione, you might not be going with Harry, but there is still time for things to change. You really should come! Who knows… I mean, Harry might dump Vanessa to be with you tonight! At least go for the social aspect of it!" Ginny begged, "Just go and have a good time, it'll be fun."
"I don't know." Hermione said skeptically.
"Hermione," Ginny said seriously, "We did not buy those beautiful dresses before school started just for the sake of spending money." Hermione still looked unsure and Ginny grumbled as the two entered the Gryffindor Tower and made their way up to the girl's dormitory.
"-They'll probably break up very soon." Hermione and Ginny heard the latter half of Lavender and Parvati's conversation. Hearing the phrase gave Hermione a sense of déjà vu. It was now apparent that anyone Harry went out with would always and forever be subject to harsh scrutiny and Hermione truly regretted letting the talk get to her.
"Hey, Ginny! Hermione!" Lavender and Parvati greeted excitedly, "Are you excited about the ball?"
"Definitely!" Ginny grinned.
"I'm not sure if I want to go." Hermione said slowly.
"Aw, why not, Hermione?" Lavender asked.
"Yeah. You must go-it wouldn't be the same without you."
Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Just a week ago, Lavender and Parvati were completely against her, but now, they were good friends just as they were before Harry came into Hermione's life. "I don't know… I'm just not interested." Hermione shrugged.
For the next two hours, three of the four girls prepared themselves for the ball while trying to convince Hermione to come at the same time. The attempt seemed to be fruitless. Finally, after much begging, and repeated assurances that Hermione did not want to go to the ball, they gave up and began to focus on themselves again.
"You and Neville make such a great couple!" Parvati squealed energetically.
Hermione stifled her laughter with a badly concealed snort. She wasn't laughing at the fact that Ginny was going to the ball with Neville. No, she was laughing at the absolute absurdity of the fact that Parvati (and Lavender) approved of who Ginny was going with when they seemed so against Hermione going out with Harry.
"You alright, Hermione?" Lavender asked.
"Sorry, something in my throat." Hermione covered quickly. Ginny rolled her eyes knowingly but smiled nonetheless. Hermione grinned back cheekily.
After much effort, the girls were finally ready. Their make-up was applied perfectly. Their hair was styled in just the right way. And their dresses were absolutely gorgeous. Ginny had an elegant green dress that fit her perfectly. It stretched down to just above her toes giving her the perfect dress for a night of dancing. The sparkling jade color complemented her hair very nicely. The same could be said about Lavender's flashy blue dress and Parvati's light cream colored outfit.
"You guys look great. Go knock 'em dead!" Hermione exclaimed happily.
"Hermione, are you sure you don't want to go?" Ginny asked again. "We can stay up here to fix you up if you need us to.
"I'll be fine, Gin." Hermione reassured her friend, "If I really do feel like coming down, I think I can handle getting ready."
"But won't you need help with your hair and-"
"Ginny. If I were to go down there, I wouldn't be trying to impress anyone anyways. Don't worry about me." Hermione said firmly, "You go down there and have a great night with Neville. Tell everyone I said 'hi', though."
Ginny sighed, "If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to come down and drag me out of there." Ginny said seriously.
"Thanks, Ginny. You're a really good friend."
"I do what I can." Ginny said. With that she left the room to follow Lavender and Parvati down to the Great Hall where the ball would be commencing in mere moments! Hermione walked to her bed-by-the-window and sat down heavily. She released a great sigh before reclining back to watch flakes of snow float past.
~<>~
Harry stood anxiously at the doors of the Great Hall waiting for Vanessa. He was garbed neatly in a coal black tuxedo with a light mint green dress shirt that brought his piercing green eyes out even more. A shiny black shoe tapped the floor in apprehension. However, Harry Potter was not nervous about seeing Vanessa. It was rather the fact that he was going to the ball with Vanessa. For some indefinable reason, Harry felt as if he shouldn't be going to the ball with her. It just didn't "feel" right.
Finally, the girl he was waiting for appeared at the end of the hallway. Harry noticed that Vanessa did indeed look very pretty. The gorgeous brunette had her hair down where it cascaded to her back in silky tresses. Her dress clung to her in the right places and was a sparkling, fiery color that complimented her glowing skin. Her make-up was just right and her feet were encased in shiny fire engine red heels. Harry smiled gently at her and offered his hand to her as she approached. Vanessa took the proffered hand and smiled winningly at Harry.
"You look great." Harry said simply.
Vanessa flashed him a shining smile, "Thank you! You have no idea how long it took me to get everything just right. Since I'm coming with you, I figured that I had to look perfect!"
Harry frowned before he quickly ignored her final comment. He led her into the Great Hall where the ball had already begun. As the couple entered, there were several gasps from the girls and appreciative whistles from many of the guys. Vanessa truly looked stunning and a majority of the student body gaped openly at Harry's date. Oddly enough, Harry didn't feel even the least bit jealous of the attention that his date was receiving.
The next song started and Harry released a sigh of relief as the attention was returned back to the dance. He was soon dragged onto the dance floor by his date. "I love this song! Let's dance, Harry." Harry struggled to keep up with the energetic girl as he joined the ranks of happy dancing couples… well, at least the "dancing couples" part…
~<>~
Several dances later, Harry was given a break. Vanessa was thirsty and he immediately offered to get her a drink in order to gain his own respite. He wandered slowly over to the drink table while he slowly caught his breathe again. When he arrived at the table, he happened upon Ginny.
"How's your evening going, Harry?" she asked conversationally.
"It's fine." Harry answered evenly. Ginny raised an eyebrow and clearly indicated to Harry that she didn't believe a word he said. "Okay, okay. It's just not as good as I imagined it in my head, alright?"
Ginny smirked triumphantly. She took another sip of her punch before speaking again, "Hermione's up in her room." Ginny said simply before walking away to join Neville again on the dance floor.
Harry shook his head slowly but couldn't help but think about the girl that had destroyed his heart. What would be happening if Hermione was here with Harry tonight? Perhaps Harry would be feeling more fulfilled and complete if he was here with her. The void in Harry's heart ached painfully, but Harry, having honed the skill for years, immediately pushed the questioning thoughts aside. Harry shook his head again and immediately drained the cup of Butterbeer that he poured for himself. He refilled the glass and filled another cup for his date before he slowly returned to where he left the waiting girl.
Vanessa smiled gratefully at Harry when he returned and handed her a drink. Harry returned the smile and sat down next to her to watch his peers dancing the night away. Vanessa sighed contentedly and leaned on Harry's arm possessively as she glared at the other girls that were eyeing Harry hungrily. "Are you having a good night, Harry?" she asked innocently.
"Yeah, a great night." Harry lied quickly.
"That's good to hear. I'm having a fantastic night with you too." Harry chose not to respond. Something inside of him just wouldn't let him. Instead, Harry opted to just nod. It was then that a slow song began. Vanessa was glowing as she shot Harry a dazzling smile. "Come on, Harry! Let's dance!" she exclaimed excitedly. Harry could only follow the excited girl onto the crowded dance floor. The couple began to sway the music and Harry was perfectly content to place his hands on either side of Vanessa's waist. The girl in turn wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him close. Harry swayed stiffly to the beat and seemed to look anywhere but at the girl in his arms. "Tonight has been perfect hasn't it?" she asked quietly.
"Sure." Harry said, but in his mind, he knew that the night was far from perfect. The only thing that could make Harry's night perfect would be a certain girl at his side.
"Aren't you glad that you're here with me instead of Granger?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked sharply, his senses cleared completely by just the sound of Hermione's surname.
"Well, you said that you've been having a great night with me… and honestly, I really don't think that Granger has any idea of how to really please a man of your caliber."
Harry's anger flared at the judgmental comments and he retorted quickly, "Hermione," he started emphasizing her first name, "is a wonderful girl and is the only person I've ever met in my entire life that truly treats me like I want to be treated."
"Why do you defend her?" Vanessa shot back, "She's the one that dumped you!"
Harry paused for a moment before taking a deep breath, "Because I still love her." He said boldly. Vanessa gasped and the two separated from their dancing position.
"You would pick her over me?"
Harry sighed, "Vanessa, you're obviously a really beautiful girl, but I don't think you understand me like Hermione did. Can you honestly say that you like me for who I am rather than the image that I don't even want?"
Vanessa bit her lip. Silence hung like static to the couple before Vanessa spoke again. "No…" she finally sighed in defeat.
Harry used a gentle hand raise her face to meet his own. "Thank you for being honest with me, Vanessa." He said quietly, "I'm sure you will make some bloke very happy some day, but I really don't think I'm that guy."
"I'm sorry for lying to you, Harry." She said and unshed tears sparkled in her eyes.
"That's all in the past. Let's focus on the present and the future now."
Vanessa wiped her eyes quickly, "That sounds lovely, Harry. In that case, you should go find Hermione and tell her how you really feel before it's too late. I haven't seen her around here though."
"I think I know where she is." Harry said. With a final hug and a nod, Harry departed rapidly.
~<>~
Even reading had become dull for Hermione-and that's when she knew that she had a problem. Tonight, the bookworm just could not seem to focus on anything. Words flew before her eyes, but her mind was having a rough time putting them together into coherent thoughts. Finally, Hermione threw the book down on her bed and grumbled angrily.
Snow was still peacefully drifting down to the ground, and from her high vantage point, Hermione could make out the figures of happy couples enjoying the beautiful snow and the chilly evening together. Her throat tightened as she thought of how she and Harry might've been another one of the couples out there at this very moment.
"Why did you have to be so stupid, Hermione?" she asked herself quietly.
Not expecting a reply, Hermione was especially startled when she received one. "You're not stupid, Hermione." A familiar voice said gently.
Hermione jumped up and pulled her wand out to find Harry standing there at the other end of the room. "Harry?" she asked breathlessly.
"Hey, Hermione." He answered softly after a short pause.
"What are you doing here? How did you get up the stairs? Where's Vanessa?"
Harry eyes twinkled and he smiled has Hermione fired off her questions in rapid succession. "I'm here to do something I should have done ages ago. I left Vanessa down at the Ball, and honestly, I have no idea how I got up the stairs."
"You left Vanessa?" Hermione asked.
"She and I are over." Harry said quietly. He looked down at his shiny black shoes and finally brought his gaze to Hermione's own eyes. "I made a terrible mistake, Hermione."
"Oh, Harry, you didn't make a mistake. It was me that made the terrible mistake."
Harry smirked slightly, "I guess we both botched things up didn't we." Hermione nodded, and Harry continued, "I hope it's not too late to fix everything…"
"It's never too late to try." Hermione whispered but Harry heard her clearly.
Harry took a step forward, "Hermione, I never should have agreed to go out with Vanessa. These past two weeks without you have been the very worst in my entire life. I honestly have no idea what I was doing. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me for giving up on you so easily?"
Hermione stood up from her bed and slowly approached the lone boy. "Harry, none of this was your fault. I completely broke your heart, and that was a stupid and naïve thing for me to do. In reality, I was just so worried about what everyone else thought about me, but now I know that those opinions aren't important." Hermione took a breath, "These past two weeks have been horrendous for me as well. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive a girl for being ignorant?"
Harry smiled. "I'll see what I can do for you, Mione." He opened his arms and Hermione leapt into his embrace readily. Harry truly relished the feeling of having her in his arms and Hermione enjoyed being so close to Harry again. They held each other tightly for several moments before Hermione pulled back.
"You look great in your tux, Harry."
"This thing? Nah, it pales in comparison to how beautiful you are."
"But I'm not even in my dress." Hermione protested.
"What's your point?" Harry replied simply. Hermione smiled happily and leaned into his embrace again. This time, it was Harry who pulled back. "There's one more thing that I need to let you know, Hermione." He said softly.
"What's that Harry?"
Harry looked meaningfully into her eyes and took a deep breath, "I-I love you."
Hermione's breath caught in her own throat and she looked up into Harry's shining eyes. Both people were silent before Hermione finally responded, "I love you too, Harry."
Harry smiled warmly. No words were needed as the couple already had an arcane understanding of each other. Harry slowly leaned in and Hermione tilted her head up ever so slightly. Finally, after what may have felt like millenniums, their lips met in a sweet kiss. Harry held Hermione tightly in his arms while Hermione clutched onto Harry as if she was under the impression that if she slackened her tight grip, he would suddenly disappear. Their lips remained locked together for several moments before the couple broke apart for air.
Again, no words were spoken as they were not necessary. Harry smiled lovingly down at Hermione and she returned the adoring gaze. The two made their way over to Hermione's bed where they sat comfortably in each other's company while gazing out the window at the insistent cascade of soft white snow. Yes, this was to be a fantastic year.
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AN2: Alright everyone! That's it! This ride has been an absolute blast and I hope to put something substantial out again very soon! Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers and readers for the constant stream of support. I write for you! That's it for this story, but hopefully, it's just the beginning for me here at Portkey! Cheers!