The Yule Ball
"Merry Christmas, Master."
Harry sat up in his bed upon hearing those words. To his shock, Gnarl stood at the foot of his bed, head bowed in reverence. To his relief, the curtains around his bed had been closed, blocking off the rest of the dorm from seeing him.
"Merry Christmas, Gnarl. I'm not unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here?"
"I came to inform you that your gloves and boots arrived last night, and the gifts you ordered have been delivered to their respective recipients. And..." Gnarl produced a package wrapped in parchment. "I thought I should deliver this to you directly. I've seen the rags you've been forced to make do with, and thought you might like this."
Taking it gingerly, Harry opened the package to reveal a set of well-tailored clothes, beginning with black pants and a matching black shirt. A gold pocket watch sat atop the clothes pile, but the most impressive was a red vest, with gold embroidery.
"This is... amazing."
"They belonged to your grandfather, and he was rather fond of them. I think he would have liked you to have them."
Surprising Gnarl, and himself, Harry wrapped the ancient elf in a hug, one that he was subconsciously charging with his magic. Hermione's hugs left him feeling warm and relaxed. This one would be a major boost to the old servant. Pulling back, Harry fought tears as he looked at Gnarl.
"Thank you, Gnarl."
Bowing his head in reverence, Gnarl replied, "It was a pleasure, Sire." With that, he popped away, leaving Harry holding his new clothes.
All but leaping out of bed, Harry rushed to shower before putting on the clothes Gnarl had delivered. As he slipped the clothes on, he realized they had an automatic resizing charm, allowing them to sit snug, yet comfortable, on him. The fact they fit him put them, leagues, ahead of the hand-me-downs he'd been saddled with his entire life, especially as his whale of a cousin outgrew his clothes every few months. That they belonged to his family gave them far greater value than could be measured.
His appearance in them was just a bonus in his eyes. For the first time in... forever, he felt pride in his appearance, not wanting to fade into the background.
"Blimey, Harry. Where'd you get those?"
Turning to the source of the voice, he found Ron in his annual jumper staring slackjawed at him. Beside him, the rest of the boys in the dorm wandered over, curious at the minor commotion.
"A friend sent them. He said they belonged to my grandfather."
"Bloody hell, the man had good taste." Dean voiced his surprise at the outfit, none of the boys had seen Harry wear anything remotely like this before.
"That he did. Well, let's save that for later. It's time to grab the presents!"
With Harry's words, the boys immediately went to grab their piles of presents. Looking briefly through his pile, Harry found not only the gifts sent by his friends and family but a pair of gloves and boots, made from the hide of the Hungarian Horntail. According to Andromeda, wearing something made from the hide of the Horntail would serve as a further reminder of his power and skill, another declaration to whoever was after him, that he wouldn't go down without a fight.
The order had been placed the day they had gotten their robes fitted, a truly torturous event, but one that Andy seemed to think would pay off greatly. Andre had plenty of fine gloves and footwear ready for him immediately, but Andy was firm in her stance. Nothing short of the absolute best would suffice for him. And frankly, thanks to the money from the Basilisk, it was easier to pay the difference and go along with it than to argue over something so trivial.
Opening the packages delivered to him, he checked to ensure they were indeed what he had ordered. Both gloves and boots came with charms for comfort, especially since he was supposed to dance in these bloody things. And he had to admit, it was cool to imagine him wearing literal dragon hide.
There was also an extra package, one that he would need to remember for the Ball, but that would come later. For now, he checked the rest of his gifts. First and foremost, a penknife from Sirius. The gift came with a note from his godfather, telling him it could be used to open locked doors, something that had come in handy during his years at Hogwarts, and something he would likely find use for. He also found the annual jumper from Molly, complete with a dragon on the front. Much as he was tempted to wear it, his grandfather's clothes took priority.
The jumper would be perfect for lounging in front of the fireplace.
There was also an assortment of gifts from his friends, but his personal favourite, one that had made him cry, was from Moony. His uncle had sent him a box, filled with old letters. Not just any letters, but ones his father had written during their Hogwarts years. The letters were either to his parents at school or his friends during the summer months, covering everything from his studies to prank ideas to his failed attempts at impressing Lily.
Between the clothes from Gnarl and the memories from Moony, this was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever. Granted, every Christmas he wasn't locked in that fucking cupboard was hardly a high standard. Still, he had to take his wins where he could get them.
As he finished up with his presents, he noticed his roommates seemed happy with their gifts too. Neville, ever the herbologist, had received a deluxe set of gardening tools, the kind professional herbologists use when dealing with a wide variety of plants. Dean, an aspiring artist, had received a set of paintbrushes, made with Abraxan horse hair, along with various colours for painting magical portraits. Seamus looked eager to try out the new game kit he had received, a travelling case that carried every game in the magical world, from gobstones to exploding snap, and even wizard's chess.
Of course, Ron was the most enthusiastic about his gift, a Nimbus 2003, the latest model from the makers of his first broom. All in all, the boys were happy this year, and it was a smiling group of students who made their way down to the common room, where Hermione was already waiting for them. Harry smiled seeing her, thankful for the deluxe broom-care kit she had gifted him this year. He only hoped she liked her gift as much as he liked his.
The necklace had been Gnarl's idea, given that, as he put it, 'ladies like pretty things' but this came with some additional enchantments. Aside from the standard charms for finding lost jewelry, the necklace could be charmed to act like a photo locket. The sapphire in the centre would act like a projector, creating an image of a photo Hermione could charm to be stored in the necklace, holding up to one hundred pictures.
Her patented Hermy-hug was all the proof he needed of her appreciation. Thus, a smiling group of students, led by a positively glowing with happiness Harry, made their way to the Great Hall. Despite being the Christmas Break, the Hall was filled with more students than in any prior year, hardly a surprise given the Yule Ball was to be held tonight. The fact the Hall seemed even louder than before was the only real surprise for the Trio, though mitigated by the fact that everybody seemed to be talking about the Ball. And despite the presence of butterflies in his stomach, while Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindor girls discussed the upcoming Ball, he felt unusually calm as he thought back on the prior week.
"And one, two, three, and one, two, three, and there you go and one, two, three."
The record player was belting out ballroom music as Andromeda watched Harry and Ron dance with Hermione and Lavender respectively. The good news was that Ron and Harry were no longer in danger of breaking Lavender or Hermione's toes. The bad news was that now they had become good enough the girls would be expecting multiple dances throughout the Ball.
How else to explain the giggles coming from the girls whenever the lessons ended?
As he prepared to join them in leaving the room set aside for them, he heard Andromeda call him back.
"Harry, would mind waiting for a minute?"
Seeing no reason not to, he had acquiesced, telling Ron and the girls he'd meet them in the common room.
"Is something wrong, Andy?"
"The Yule Ball is only a few days away. Do you have everything ready?"
"I've already sent off the Horntail hide for the boots and gloves."
"They're working on them?"
"Payment's already gone through. And they know we need them in time for the Ball."
"And the silversmiths?"
"The goblins are almost finished. They're just finalizing the enchantments, and then they'll be finished."
"Perfect. And how are you doing? Excited? Nervous?"
"I guess... both. I've never been to a Ball before. Aside from having to open the bloody thing, it sounds interesting."
"And having Hermione on your arm can't hurt, can it?"
"No it doesn't-" Harry started as he processed what had just been said. "I... I never said my date was..."
"Oh please, Harry. I knew you asked her the minute I saw her smiling in the Great Hall after the announcement. You asked her once the announcement was finished, didn't you?"
"You- you knew? That quickly?"
"I swear, you two are so oblivious it's almost adorable. It reminds me of James and Lily."
"Hermione and I aren't..."
"Harry, I graduated during your parents' second year. After that, one of Sirius' favourite things to do was send me vials containing the memory of your father's latest attempts to woo Lily. More often than not, it ended hilariously badly. During a Yule Ball, he asked her to dance, and spent the next twenty minutes with reindeer antlers, a glowing red nose, and a fluffy white tail."
Harry snorted with laughter at the mental image. "Really?"
"Absolutely. Your mother did not like him until their last year and never missed a chance to remind everyone. But by then, he had changed completely. He went from an arrogant prankster to a kind and humble, if somewhat smarmy, young man. Kind of like you."
Andy smiled as she said this, and Harry fought hard not to blush. He'd always been told of his physical similarities to his father, while the greasy dungeon bat never failed to remind him whenever he wished to degrade him. Now, he felt a measure of pride by that comparison, and in the future, would try not to smirk at Snivellous next time he utters the phrase 'You're just like your father.'
"But... Hermione and I aren't..."
"Harry, I have a grown daughter, and I remember being her age. That girl loves you, even if she won't fully admit it, and she worries you don't feel the same way. The best advice I or anyone else can give you regarding your personal life is this: don't be afraid of what might happen."
His reminiscing was interrupted as the day continued. Breakfast ended, and the day was spent relaxing, most students enjoying their haul for the season. Said relaxation gave way to lunch, and eventually an early dinner for the younger years still present, while the older students went to their dorms. It was time to get ready for the Yule Ball.
"So Dean, who'd you ask to the Ball?" Harry called out while putting his robes on.
"I asked Padma, and Seamus is going with Parvati. What about you Neville?"
"I- I'm going with Ginny."
"Is that so?" Ron asked, with an unusually serious tone to his voice.
"Ron, it's Neville. I'm sure Ginny's virtue is safe from him." The boys chuckled at Harry's comment, while Neville blushed.
"Oh I know, it's his virtue I'm worried about. That girl is about as subtle as a bludger. We might need to save him at some point." The chuckling gave way to laughter, as Neville continued blushing.
"Harry, do you know who the other Champions are going with?" Seamus stopped laughing enough to ask a question he'd been wondering about.
"Not sure. Cedric is dating Cho, so they're a given. Krum asked a girl from Durmstrang, and half the boys in the school asked Fleur. Some of them were even single when they did."
"Bloody hell, I almost asked her." Ron had finished with his cloak and had sat on the bed to tie his shoes. "We were on our way to one of our practice sessions, and we passed her in the Great Hall. If you didn't grab me, I probably would have tried asking her. Thanks for that mate."
"What are friends for but saving us from embarrassing situations?"
A knock at the door interrupted any further discussion, as in poked the head of Fred. Or was it George?
"You boys ready yet?" At the chorus of confirmations, he continued. "Good. Let's head to the common room before the girls wise up, and find better-looking dates."
With George, or maybe Fred, leading the way, the fourth-year boys found the common room packed. Most of the upper-year students were present, a handful having left for the holidays due to situations requiring them at home. Most of the students were waiting with their dates, the handful that didn't were either still waiting on them, or their dates were from other Houses.
In one corner, Colin Creevey had set himself up as a photographer, offering to take magical, and non-magical, pictures to be sent home. He even had a pouch set up to collect money, priced at one sickle per picture. And given the number of people waiting in line, he was making a tidy profit. But Harry didn't see Hermione anywhere. Holding one final gift for her in hand, he was worried that she might have changed her mind. That is until the twins turned him towards the girls' stairs, and he saw her.
Alicia and Angelina were first, two of the Flying Foxes going on dates with Fred and George, or George and Fred, while Katie was going with Lee Jordan. But behind them came Lavender, and Hermione. Lavender, in a silver dress that seemed to shimmer in the light, looked beautiful, her long blonde hair held in a silver hair net. But she had nothing on Hermione. In her periwinkle blue dress, which seemed to float with every step she took, her usually bushy hair was now sleek and shiny, tied up in an elegant knot behind her head. All of this was tied together with just the perfect amount of make-up, enhancing her beauty. She looked... she looked... gorgeous.
With his final gift in hand, he watched her descend the stairs to meet him.
"Hi, Harry." She smiled at him.
"H-Hermione, you..."
"I know, it's a bit much. I asked Andromeda for some..."
"No, you look... you look gorgeous."
She blushed at him. "Thank you. You look... very handsome."
Snapping himself out of his stupor, he held up the corsage he'd had made for tonight. Like the necklace, the corsage was made of silver, but the enchantments made it feel as soft as plant tissue, and just as light.
"I- this made- you for" Stumbling over his words, he went bright red in the face, until she took his hand, and placed the corsage on her wrist.
"It's gorgeous, Harry. Thank you."
Smiling dumbly, he regained some sense as he was led over to Colin to get their pictures taken. The energetic third-year was thrilled to be able to take his and Hermione's pictures, promising to send them off to Hermione's parents, and Andromeda, at the first opportunity.
With the pictures taken care of, the Gryffindor students began making their way to the Entrance Hall, where the other students were beginning to congregate. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. All the schools, and all the Houses, were represented in the mass of students below. It was quite a sight to see. Ravenclaws paired with Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs with Beauxbatons, Durmstrang with Slytherin, and almost any other combination one could think of, were to be found among the students milling about, waiting for the doors to the Great Hall to open.
It was into this mass of students, strode Professor McGonagall, in dress robes of red tartan.
“Attention students! Everyone who isn’t a Champion, or their date, will now go into the Great Hall! The Champions must be introduced before the Yule Ball can begin!”
With that, the rest of the students filed into the Great Hall. Soon, only the Champions and their dates were left. Cedric Diggory was standing next to Cho Chang. Viktor Krum was with a student Harry didn't recognize and Fleur Delacour, no doubt to the shock of many, was with Roger Davies, who was staring at her, slightly glassy-eyed, with drool already forming in his mouth.
"Champions, line up with your dates! Miss Delacour, you shall go first, then Mister Krum. Mister Diggory, you will go third, and Mister Potter, you shall be last. Any questions?" With nobody giving a response, she nodded her head as she stood by the doors to the Great Hall. With a wave of her wand, the doors opened. Instrumental music began in the room, and McGonagall motioned to Fleur and Roger. The pair walked into the Great Hall as Dumbledore announced them. A minute later, Krum and his date walked in. Finally, McGonagall smiled as she motioned for her two favourite Lions to enter.
“Hogwarts Champion, Harry James Potter, and his date, Hermione Jean Granger!" Dumbledore's voice carried to the end of the Hall as they entered. Applause erupted around the Great Hall, along with murmurs and whispers, but frankly, Harry didn't care, choosing instead to ignore them, and take in the sights of the decorated Hall.
The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished, replaced by a hundred smaller, lantern-lit tables, each seating about a dozen people. Ron and Lavender had snagged seats with Ginny, Neville, the twins and their dates, while the other fourth-years were seated close by.
Harry and Hermione made their way toward the end of the Hall, where a large table was seated, along with the judges and other Champions and their dates. Professor McGonagall, who must have gone around the audience, was standing near three vacant chairs, where Harry and Hermione were supposed to be seated, with Professor McGonagall on one side, and Andromeda Tonks on the others, seated with a wizard Harry had never met before, but could only assume to be her husband, Edward Tonks.
Madame Maxime, in a flowing gown of lavender silk, greeted them politely, before turning to speak to Hagrid, seated on Madame Maxime's left side, dressed in fine dress robes, his beard and hair looking nice and trimmed. Fleur was seated next to Maxime, while Krum was similarly seated next to Karkaroff, the poor bugger, and Cedric next to Dumbledore. Though one person he didn't expect to see, Percy, was seated next to Edward, locked in deep discussion over legal matters.
Taking their seats, Harry noticed the table had silver plates, but no food yet. Instead, the plates had small menus. As Harry and Hermione looked through them, Edward explained the mechanics: all they had to do, was ask for what they wanted. With that in mind, Harry ordered roast goose and butterbeer, while Hermione ordered Boeuf Bourguignon and butterbeer.
From there, dinner proceeded pleasantly. Edward, or Ted as he went by, was properly introduced to Harry. As a law wizard, Ted had experience primarily in defending witches and wizards dragged before the Wizengamot. Magical society was small enough that it was possible to specialize in more than one field, but legal defence was his primary avenue. This was coupled with a discussion with Percy, in which he revealed that Barty Crouch was currently at home, taking time off due to health reasons.
Beyond that, there was little to demand Harry's attention. He and Ted got into a talk about Quidditch, the lawyer having been a Chaser during Hogwarts, while Andy and Hermoine talked about the skills required of a healer, and courses she would recommend Hermione take in the future. When dinner was finally finished, Dumbledore stood and asked the students to do the same. With a wave of his wand, all the tables moved back along the walls, leaving the floor clear.
Realizing what was happening, the Champions stepped out into the middle of the Hall. Hermione was smiling the whole time, excited not only to begin dancing but to show Andromeda they listened to her during practice. Andy chuckled as Harry and Hermione moved into their proper spots. Once they were ready, the Weird Sisters, who had taken positions on a raised platform while the Champions moved into position, started playing their own version of a traditional waltz. Harry took Hermione’s hands and they began to dance.
The lessons paid off. Cedric and Cho were performing well, moving with a practiced grace that only came from familiarity. Victor Krum and his date were performing quite well. They weren't as good as Cedric and Cho, but they clearly had experience dancing with each other. Roger was, quite frankly, embarrassing himself. It was obvious he was trying to impress Fleur, and was overperforming in the process. What's more, while he didn't step on her toes, he was staring at her neckline a little too much. But none of them held a candle to Harry and Hermione. Thanks to Andy's lessons, they were dancing like professionals. They kept to the right steps, and when Harry lifted Hermione, the crowd applauded them.
When the opening dance ended, the rest of the students joined them on the dance floor. This time, the music was slower, more for gentle swaying in circles. Hermione rested her head against his chest, while Harry noticed, near the entrance to the Hall, that Remus was watching him, a smile on his face that gave him the courage he would need going forward. Eventually, Harry and Hermione decided to take a quick break, when they noticed a gathering of their friends. Ron and Lavender were sitting with Seamus and Parvati, laughing and chatting away, and the group happily welcomed Harry and Hermione into the mix.
The hours went by, and soon Hermione decided she wanted to get some air, so Harry obliged, taking her out into the courtyard, while Lavender stuck around to get another dance in with Ron.
Stepping out of the Castle, Harry paused to take in the sight of the Entrance Courtyard. The cross-shaped stone paths were lined with Christmas trees, and sculptures of snow and ice. Sculptures of lions, snakes, badgers, and ravens were prominent, as were sculptures of dragons, eagles, and winged horses. Magical torches provided light and warmth, lending a fairytale feeling to this beautiful night.
Led by Hermione, he was pulled over to one of the benches set up for students, clearing the snow away with a wave of her wand. Taking a seat, she breathed in the cold night air, exhaling a cloud of frozen mist. Fresh snowflakes landed on her, melting as they made contact with her skin, but remaining solid as they nestled in her hair, like a net of diamonds. All the while, she never let go of his hand. Not even when she looked at him, cheeks blushing red.
"This has been... a wonderful night, Harry."
"Smiling softly, he replied, "Yeah, it really has been... magical."
Snickering, she looked at him with a smile, "Oh, it's been magical, has it?"
"Well, I think I understand what people are talking about when they say, 'the magic of Christmas.'"
"Yeah, I guess I do too."
Silence reigned briefly, as he slightly tightened his grip.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"I... I-uh..."
Hermione leaned in closer, her eyes shimmering in the night.
"I... I was..."
"Yes?"
He slowly leaned in closer, matching her speed, unaware he was even doing it.
"I..."
No further words materialized. How could they, as he had met Hermione, kissing her, gently, hesitantly, until all fear and doubts melted away? All that had been beaten into him over the years, that he was a freak who didn't deserve love, that a freak like him would always be alone, at long last, finally disappeared. The Dursleys could go hang themselves for all he cared. Now, he truly found happiness, in the arms of the bushy-haired girl who fixed his glasses.
And there, beneath the midwinter moon, love finally bloomed.