The Unexpected Task Part 2
The Hogwarts staff ... whenever anyone passed them.
"I wish the decorations were like that every year," Astoria said with a small sigh.
"It used to be," Severus said. "When I was in school it was."
"What changed?" Harry asked.
"The number of staff," Minerva said with a sigh.
It was quite something ... all of which were very rude.
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look at that. They'd taught him to do that.
And still. Harry hadn't asked Cho to the ball.
The girls all giggled again. But Minerva arched her eyebrow at them and they quickly fell silent.
He and Ron were getting very nervous ... girls' toilets on the second floor.
Sirius had to bite the back of his hand to stop himself from laughing at that. Harry was hilarious. That would have been an epic prank.
"Harry - we've just got to grit our teeth ... we'll both have partners - agreed?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. She remembered how badly this went.
"Er...okay," ... Didn't she ever go anywhere alone?
"No," the Ravenclaws all said together.
Could he perhaps ambush her ... asked by somebody else.
Severus rolled his eyes. Harry was putting too much pressure on himself. Then again, he'd been exactly the same as a teen.
He found it hard to concentrate ... hurried to the dungeon door.
Severus frowned at that. The one thing that he really needed to remember!
"I'll meet you at dinner," ... missed a step going downstairs.
The girls looked like they were going to start giggling again but Minerva was staring at them, daring them to do it.
"Er," ... "Wangoballwime?"
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh.
"What? It was embarrassing," Harry said with a shrug.
"Not to mention, you now get the embarrassment of all of us hearing about it," Remus said softly.
Sirius was on the verge of teasing his son but he tried his hardest to hold it in. He could tell Harry wasn't comfortable with this.
"Sorry?" ... "I've already said I'll go with someone else."
Several girls smiled almost maliciously, taking Harry by surprise.
"We don't like Chang," Daphne explained.
"Why?"
"Her and her friends are kind of mean," Astoria answered.
"To the younger years especially," Daphne added, patting her sister on the shoulder.
That surprised Harry. He'd never heard anything like that before. Filius looked equally displeased. He would have to keep an eye on those girls.
"Oh," ... "Well -"
"I hate this sort of thing," Cedric said. "It's always so awkward."
Most of the boys were nodding in agreement.
"Yeah," ... "Cedric Diggory."
Cedric blinked. He tried to remember if he'd ever spoken to Cho Chang. He couldn't say that he had. If he was right, she was the year below him.
"Oh right," ... nearly everyone's favorite champion.
Cedric grimaced.
Now he suddenly ... fill an eggcup.
Cedric laughed brightly at that. He didn't really like what Harry had thought about him. But he understood and it was quite funny.
Harry, for his part, was just grateful that the book hadn't told them all why he was so upset. It was bad enough having one of his crushes outed. He didn't need them all to know that he'd also been attracted to Cedric.
"Fairy lights," ... swung forward to admit him.
"Is she drunk?" Amos asked.
"Most likely," Minerva said with a slight huff. She was constantly having to have words with the Fat Lady about her conduct. When she wasn't disappearing off on one of her late night strolls, she was drinking and gossiping with her friend Violet.
Amos frowned. That wasn't a very good example to be setting the children.
Entering the common room, ... soothing voice.
George struggled to keep a straight face.
"What's up, Ron?" ... "I don't know what made me do it!"
Everyone was staring at the book in confusion. Well, except the lions.
"What?" ... "You what?' said Harry.
Fleur grimaced. She couldn't even remember that happening.
"I don't know what made me do it!" ... I was a sea slug or something.
Isabeau glared at her granddaughter. That was unkind. And Bill was looking a little shocked. He knew his brother had a crush on her, but he hadn't realised that he'd actually asked her to the ball.
Didn't even answer ... ran for it."
Bill gave his wife a disappointed look.
Isabeau, Fleur's grandmother, said, "Fleur, Je t'ai appris mieux que ça."
"I am sorry, Ronald," Fleur said softly.
"She's part veela," ... He's going with Cho Chang."
Fleur blushed. That was exactly what she was doing. And the look on her grandmother's face said that she was not pleased.
Ron looked up ... suddenly stopped smiling.
Ginny blushed. It really sucked that her crush on Harry had made it into these books. It was so embarrasing.
"This is mad," ... guess who he asked? Hermione!"
Hermione huffed but didn't say anything.
"Don't be unkind Ronald," Mrs Weasley said. "Really, how is your behaviour any different to Fleur's? She looked at you like you were a slug. Well, you call girls trolls and apparently find the idea of boys asking your female friend out funny. You're certainly behaving like a slug."
The girls in the chamber were all nodding their head in agreement. And for once, no one complained that Mrs Weasley had raised her voice. Mostly because she had managed to keep her temper under control but also because quite frankly, they all agreed with her.
"What?" ... I mean, who would?"
"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley did screech now.
"Sorry," Ron said. "I didn't mean that. Not really."
No one looked particularly convinced.
"Don't!" ... oh shut up laughing, you two -
Sirius gave Harry a disappointed look. One that Harry thought he really did deserve.
because they've both just been turned down ... "Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.
"You deserved it," Ginny said, sticking out her tongue.
"All the good-looking ones taken, ... someone somewhere who'll have you."
The girls all laughed at that. If balls became a regular thing again, Ron would definitely be struggling to get a date from any of the girls in the chamber.
But Ron was staring at Hermione ... you are a girl... "
The girls abruptly stopped laughing to glare at the boy in question. Mrs Weasley was shaking her head in despair.
"Oh well spotted," ... "No, I can't," snapped Hermione.
"Love how you just presume she doesn't already have a date," Daphne said crossly.
"Oh come on," ... "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"
Everyone was glaring at Ron now. He looked particularly terrified of the look on Madam Longbottom's face.
"Oh did I?" ... spotted I'm a girl!"
"EXACTLY!" said all the girls together.
Harry had a bad feeling about this. The girls looked ready to declare war and he was pretty sure he'd get lumped in with Ron by default.
Ron stared at her ... the girls' dormitories again.
Mr Weasley made a mental note to arrange another family meeting.
"She's lying," ... it's her business," said Ginny.
"Why would you think I was lying?" Hermione asked, clearly looking upset.
Ron didn't really have an answer for that. At least not one that wouldn't get him in more trouble.
"Right," ... Ron goggled at Harry.
Neville frowned. Was she embarrassed to be going with him? Or was it just because she missed out on going with Harry. He knew she'd always had a crush on him. Maybe that was it.
"What's got into them?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Mrs Weasley said. "You're the one behaving poorly."
But Harry had just seen Parvati ... drastic action.
"Drastic action?" Daphne whispered. "How is asking the prettiest Gryffindor in our year considered drastic action?"
"Wait here," ... Will you go to the ball with me?"
"See, that wasn't so difficult," Sirius said.
Parvati went into a fit of giggles ... pocket of his robes.
The girls all smiled at how cute Harry could be. Even if they weren't happy that he'd laughed at Neville's expense.
"Yes, all right then," ... will you go with Ron?"
The girls scoffed. Why was Harry trying to help him?
"She's going with Seamus," ... Ron wouldn't hear.
Ron's ears went pink.
"What about Hermione Granger?" ... Parvati looked astonished.
The girls all rolled their eyes. Parvati might be pretty but she was also a terrible gossip and not always very kind.
"Ooooh - who?" ... in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like."
"Padma had a terrible time as your date," Luna said to Ron.
"I know," he said with a harsh sigh.
"Yeah, that would be great," ... Padma Patil's nose was dead center.
Ron frowned. Was he really that bad? Maybe he was a bit insensitive sometimes... He really should do something about that.
With the book finished, Arthur stood up. "I know we were supposed to be having lessons now," he said, "but I think I might need to have a meeting with my family."
Ron groaned. This did not bode well for him.