Unofficial Portkey Archive

"Hermione wake up." Luna shouted, pulling the covers off Hermione.

"Mmmm….Luna, what are you doing here, this early?" Hermione asked sleepily, as she sat up and checked the time on her alarm clock on the bedside table, which showed 7:05 A.M.

"What do you think, I am doing? Trying to wake you up, of course." Luna said, as though if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Hermione roll her eyes.

"Why did you left early, last evening?" Luna asked Hermione, looking at her closely.

Hermione looked at Luna, rubbing away the sleep from her eyes. "You noticed? I thought, you had already forgotten about me, the moment you stepped on the dance floor, with that redhead." Hermione said, with a smirk on her face.

Luna blushed furiously, hitting Hermione on her arm, good-naturedly.

"Don't try to change the subject, Hermione. And look, who's talking, the girl who was in the arms of second hottest guy in the city." Luna said mischievously.

Hermione felt confused at this.

`Second hottest? I think he's the hottest……wait…… why am I thinking like this, about him? It's Romilda's job, after all she was the one, fawning all over him, last evening.' Hermione thought dryly.

Hermione pulled herself out of her musings, with great difficulty.

"Second hottest?" She said, looking at Luna, with a quizzical look on her face.

"Yes, Ron is the first on the list." Luna replied, with a lazy smile on her face and a faraway look in her eyes. Then she again looked at her best friend.

"So why did you left?" Luna asked again.

"Err...Well I was not feeling well." Hermione said, faltering a bit.

"Really?" Luna asked, with the raised eyebrows, as she sat on the bed, in front of Hermione.

"Yeah" Hermione mumbled, trying to avoid Luna's eyes.

"Hmm...Because if I remember, you were dancing with Harry Potter, and next I saw, you were not there. Did something happen between you two?" Luna asked teasingly, with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Of course not. You are insane to think, that something happened." Hermione said crossly.

"Relax Hermione. I was just joking. Now seriously, what happened?" Luna asked, looking serious.

"Nothing happened between us. It's just that, all those feelings of being close to a boy, for the first time, were just so new and unfamiliar for me. I mean, I have never been in the close proximity of the opposite sex before, who's not a family. It was just a bit odd, I suppose. That's it." Hermione said, trying to sound sincere. Luna nodded with understanding.

"Anyways, since my so called best friend left me to be with someone else. Care to tell me about our dear, Mr. Ronald Weasley?" Hermione said, trying to change the subject, which Luna didn't seem to notice, as she lost herself in the thoughts about the boy she had met last evening.

Luna smiled brightly. She lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling dreamily.

"It was amazing. He was so sweet and considerate. He listened to me, I mean really listened to me. He didn't make fun of me, like some others did with me in the past. And also he has very beautiful blue eyes. He asked me about our school. He even ignored my unskilled dancing, though it was him who stepped on my toes most of the time. And he loves food and doesn't hesitate to show it. And..." Luna looked at Hermione "I have never felt anything like this ever before for anyone." Luna finished in her trademark dreamy voice.

"Wow Luna. That sounds really deep." Hermione said with wonder in her voice.

Hermione had always known that her best friend was capable of loving someone with deep passion and full commitment, even at the mere age of 16. Nevertheless, to see Luna feel so deeply, in reality, right in front of her eyes, scared her a bit. She didn't want her best friend, to invest herself deeply in a relationship, at such an initial stage, where the chances of getting hurt were very high.

"Just be careful." Hermione said cautiously.

Luna propped herself up, on her elbow and looked at Hermione curiously. "What you mean?" She asked, looking anxious.

"I mean that…Look, don't take me wrong, but we don't know anything about Ron. He seems like a decent guy, but still be careful about your feelings. I don't want you to get hurt." Hermione said earnestly.

Luna squeezed her hand. "Don't worry Hermione. I understand that you are worried about me and I'll be careful but I don't think he would hurt me. He's really a very nice guy." Luna said, with a sincere smile on her face.

"I hope you're right." Hermione said.

"So, are you two dating?" Hermione asked Luna.

"No, but he asked me to be his date, for the New Year Ball at the Potters." Luna said cheerfully.

"Ugh..." Hermione grumbled, remembering the conversation with her parents last night.

"What is it?" Luna asked, looking hurt by Hermione's response.

Hermione looked at her, seeing the hurt expression on her face, she quickly corrected her mistake.

"Luna, it's got nothing to do with you and Ron, trust me." Hermione explained.

"Oh! Well then it's okay." Luna said, her eyes clear of any feelings of hurt.

"But you won't believe, what's happening. Mum, Dad, Romilda and I, we are invited to the Potter Manor for the New Year Ball." Hermione groused.

"That's great Hermione. We can go there together. It would be so much fun. You can dance with Harry Potter and I would dance with my Ronald. It would be just so romantic." Luna said abstractedly, having a faraway look in her eyes and therefore, completely missed the shocked expression on Hermione's face.

Hermione groaned and got up from her bed, to get ready for the day and to try to stop herself about a certain green-eyed monster.

`Exactly, that's what he is, Harry Potter… a green-eyed monster.' She thought, making her way to the bathroom.

Hermione wasn't going to tell Luna, but last night she had thought about, none other than Harry Potter and how pleasurable it was, to be in his arms. And how her thoughts and imagination had taken her to the world, where she wanted to kiss him and dance with him.

When she saw him for the first time at the flower shop, last evening, she was stunned to see him. She felt attracted towards him, just at the first sight. She could see why girls threw themselves at him, he was bloody gorgeous. But the best two parts of his overall personality were his messy black hair and his penetrating emerald-green eyes. She remembered staring into his eyes, the way he held her during their dancing and the way he had pulled her in his arms.

Hermione was having conflicting thoughts about him. At one side, she didn't know why she was so short with him last evening. He talked alright, didn't really make any hurtful remarks like she was expecting from him, but then he did mentioned Cho and whatever rumors she had spread. It was hard to understand his motive, from the last evening.

And now that she thought about it, why he came and sat on the table, she was already sitting on. Surely if he wanted to spend some time with Romilda, he would have taken her to some other table. He definitely couldn't be interested in a plain old Hermione Granger, when he already had a stunning girl like Romilda on his arm.

Hermione was feeling incredulous. She didn't want anything to do with Harry Potter, yet in some corner of her mind she knew that she would like to have another meeting with him.

And if she would have been honest with herself, she was looking forward to the New Year Ball, though she wasn't going to admit it. She was just in denial, refusing to believe that she wanted to see him again.

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After having a full house full on the Christmas Day, it was again filled with just 4 members; Hermione, Romilda, Jane and Robert. While Romilda spent most of her time, outside with her gang, Hermione spent her time with Luna, at her home. Another purpose of spending the time with Luna was, to give some quality time to her parents, to spend together.

It was already 30th December. Hermione was getting more and more agitated due to the upcoming New Year Ball. She hadn't told about her fears to anyone, not even Luna. She was anxious to see Harry Potter again. She didn't know how she was going to react in front of him. She still very clearly remembered the feelings she had, when she was in his arms. Her heart had beaten faster and she had felt so jumpy at that time.

One part of her was hoping to get a chance to dance with Harry Potter at the New Year Ball. But, another, the more rational part of her, was saying her to stay away from all this stuff. She knew that in the end, all these feelings would only cause her pain and nothing else. After all why Harry Potter would be fascinated with, her when he could have any girl he wanted.

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Harry Potter couldn't believe, what was happening with him. It was just a bloody dance and it had left him, completely out of sorts. He had danced with many girls, before he danced with that brunette. Then what was so different about dancing with her.

Hermione Granger. He had heard about her, from his former girlfriend, Cho. When they were together, he heard her lots of times, complaining about mousy, ugly, bookworm Hermione Granger, as Cho used to call her. According to her, Hermione Granger was a shrew, know-it-all and didn't deserve to exist in the world, where beauty pageant, Cho Chang, lived. But inwardly Harry appreciated the girl, who had the guts to stand against Cho Chang.

When he saw Hermione at the flower shop, first thought that came to his mind was that, so she's the girl, Cho hates so passionately.

She was looking beautiful, not like a supermodel or a glamorous female tennis player, whom you could see on the famous magazine covers. She looked natural. She wasn't thin, like most of the other girls of her age. The light blue dress that she wore showed her curvy body very nicely. He couldn't get the feelings out of his mind, which he felt while holding her soft and curved body in his arms.

Looking at her closely, he realized that her face was devoid of any kind of make-up, which was a very noticeable thing for him. All his previous girlfriends and other girls he had seen in his school, always wore heavy layers of make-ups on their faces. This Hermione Granger definitely didn't seem to care much about her looks and all, which her cousin definitely did. It was so obvious that Romilda was trying to impress him throughout the evening. She had actually asked him to dance with her, which continued for full three songs. Can someone be really that desperate?

And the way she shot out of the car, after they reached her home, it just made him laugh. Though why she acted like that, was beyond him. While dancing with Romilda, he noticed the brunette, sitting alone and looking at his best friend, Ron and the girl in his arms, at the dance floor. He didn't know, what possessed him to go and sit with her. It looked like she wasn't very attentive of her surroundings, as half of the time she looked lost in her thoughts.

What infuriated him the most was, her behavior towards him. She had been acting indifferent towards his closeness, but he could see that she was affected by him, which made him feel strangely better and in control. Teasing her was fun. She was witty, he could tell, because of her responses. After she ran away from him, he had hoped that she would come back, but she didn't.

And now he finds, through his parents, that he was going to see her again on the New Year Ball.

Harry was just so lost in his thoughts, that he almost didn't realize, his best friend yelling at him.

"Harry" Ron yelled, shaking him hard

Harry jerked out of his deep thoughts. "What?" he said, looking at Ron with an alarming look in his eyes.

"I have been trying to get your attention for last 15 minutes and you are, god knows, lost in which world."

"Sorry, what is it?" Harry asked, trying to pay more attention to Ron.

Ron and Harry were at Weasley's house, the Burrow. They were sitting out on the ground, under a tree. It was the noon of 31st December.

"I was asking, who your date for the evening is." Ron said annoyingly.

"Date?" Harry asked in confused manner, but then he remembered about New Year Ball and replied.

"No one yet. I am not sure if I want a date." Harry said moodily.

"Why? Aren't you taking Lisa Turpin with you? I thought you liked her." asked a bewildered Ron.

"She asked me, if I would take her as my date. Justin had already asked her and when I said no, she accepted his offer." Harry replied distractedly.

"Well, you better arrange a date for yourself. That should not be difficult for H-A-R-R-Y P-O-T-T-E-R." Ron said smugly. "Or you would have to dance with that Granger girl again." Ron said, laughing at his friend's stunned expression.

"I am not going to dance with her." Harry said indignantly.

"Why? Was she so bad?" Ron asked in an amused voice. He was surprised to see how Harry was reacting to that Granger girl. Usually, he was very smooth while handling the girls and rarely lost the control, on his behavior. He had never acted like this with any girl before.

"No" Harry almost shouted.

At Ron's raised eyebrows "She's just not my type." Harry said in a calmer tone.

"Yeah I can see that. She wasn't pretty and looked more like a bookworm. Didn't she?" Ron said, with a teasing look in his eyes, trying to provoke reaction from his best friend. Harry just ignored the double meaning of Ron's words.

"I think that cousin of Granger, what was her name? Yeah, I remember, Romilda Vane. She would just suit you fine. Blonde and beautiful are your type. Aren't they?" Ron asked in an amused voice.

"Look who's talking? If I am not wrong it was you who looked so enamored with that blonde, Luna Lovegood." Harry said, giving a questioning look to Ron.

Ron turned red. "Well she is really cute. She talks about strange things. But once you get past that, she is a very pleasant company. I mean…I haven't met anyone like her before. Firstly I thought that she was some crazy girl, but then she looked so sad, after talking to the Granger. So I asked her to dance with me. You should have seen her face. She had quickly brightened up, when I asked her. I asked her to be my date for the New Year Ball. And she didn't mind my eating habits." Ron finished with a smile.

Harry looked at Ron with astonishment. "That's cool Ron. You must really like her, to say something so meaningful, which is a very rare thing for you." Harry said with laughing voice.

"Just shut up Harry. And it was not just me; you also looked so charmed by that Romilda." Ron retorted back.

Harry glared at Ron but didn't say anything. Ron started laughing and patted Harry on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Harry; your secret is safe with me." He said with hilarity.

Harry frowned at Ron. "What's got into you today? I don't have a thing for that Granger, neither for her cousin. And she is pretty." Harry mumbled towards the end.

"What? Who's pretty? Romilda? Of course she is." Ron said, feigning ignorance. He knew very well, that Harry was not talking about Romilda but Hermione. Harry chose to ignore him and lay down on his back, looking at the sky.

Harry had been confused since the Christmas Day. Hermione Granger, she wasn't like other girls he had known in his life of 16 years. She was an odd girl. He didn't know how else to describe her. She didn't act like the way, other girls did around him. She made him feel something, he couldn't describe.

Was it attraction? But it couldn't be, sure he had noticed her natural beauty, but she wasn't his type of girl.

Despite every confusing thought in his mind, Harry knew that she was going to be there at New Year Ball. And a part of him was eager to see her again, this evening at the ball.

"Argh….What the hell is happening?" Harry muttered frustratingly and closed his eyes. He could hear Ron, laughing and saying that he was going inside. When Harry didn't reply, Ron got up and left, leaving Harry alone, lost in his own thoughts about Hermione.

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"Mom I look so awful in this dress. Why can't I wear my normal cloths?" Hermione said in an unhappy voice.

Hermione was getting ready for the ball, or more like Jane was making her dress up for the ball. Jane had brought a new dress for Hermione, to wear for the ball. It was an emerald green, knee-length, halter design V-neck dress, which hugged Hermione's body nicely, showing her curves.

"And why did you have to bring an emerald color dress?" Hermione asked irately.

"Dear, it looks good on you. Why, do you have some problem with emerald color?" Jane asked innocently and according to Hermione, too innocently.

"No I don't have any problem." Hermione mumbled, as Jane combed her hair. Her hairs were left open, falling down to her waist in soft curls.

"There now, you are ready for the ball. You look absolutely beautiful love." Jane said kissing Hermione on the forehead.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. 'Of course she will say this. She's my mom after all.' Hermione thought.

"Are you ready?" Robert asked, as he entered Hermione's room, where Jane and Hermione were.

"Yeah Robert. We are ready. Look at Hermione. Doesn't she look beautiful?" Jane asked, looking at her husband. Robert looked at Hermione and frowned a bit.

"Does she really have to wear that? I would be worried for the whole evening that boys would be hitting on her." Robert said.

Hermione burst out laughing at this. "Honestly dad, like that's ever going to happen." She said and left the room leaving her bewildered parents behind.

Jane smiled and said "We'll see."

"What?" Robert asked in perplexed manner.

"Nothing, now c'mon let's go or we would be late." Jane said as she left the room with Robert to go to the ball.

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Author's note:-Hope you like it. Read and Review. It's nice to know what you think.

Disclaimer: - I don't own any character from Harry Potter series.

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