The End Of The Beginning

CHAPTER-9

This is mainly filler, but alas filler is necessary. Hope everyone has had a great CHRISTMAS ! Cheers!

~

Hermione was studying in the library when a little memo, much like the ones from the Ministry of Magic, flew to her and unceremoniously landed in her ear.

Well, there goes my concentration, as well as hearing in my left ear.

The memo bore the Hogwarts crest instead of the Ministry seal and directed her to the Headmistress office.

Packing up her things, she made her way purposely to the stone gargoyle that guarded the passage to McGonagall's office, only stopping to help a first year escape the vanishing step in the staircase. Her duties as Head Girl always made her feel good about herself, helping her to feel like she was making the school a better place. Besides, lately she found herself in need of a distraction.

It had been a couple of days since she went to Godric's Hollow with Harry. While she had gone because she knew Harry wanted her there, she had had her reservations. She earnestly felt like he should have taken Ginny. That it wasn't her place anymore to share those intimate moments with him. Yet, she had found it impossible to tell him no when he had asked.

Truthfully, she was doing her best to move on from her feelings for Harry. He was in a committed relationship and Hermione had no desire to pine after what she couldn't have. Schoolwork and Head Girl duties could always push it to the further reaches of her mind, but it always came back.

She needed some other way to move on.

"You needed to see me Headmistress?"

"Please, take a seat. Potter should be along...ah there we are."

Harry took a seat next to her, his hair more disheveled than usual. The sight made her sick.

"I presume you posted the notices for the first Hogsmeade weekend?" McGonagall looked from Harry to Hermione.

"Yes Professor." Harry replied. "I mean, Headmistress."

"Not to worry dear. Well, I have something else I would like to share with you. After much deliberation, I wish to resurrect the tradition of the Winter Ball."

"'There hasn't been a Winter Ball here in a hundred years." Hermione exclaimed.

"It fell out of practice, but it has been the most commonly cited improvement listed in our exit interviews for the past few years. Particularly after the Yule Ball."

"What do you need us to do?" Harry asked. Leave it to Harry to make a dance seem like a duty.

"I need you to post the notices and coordinate with the Prefects and Professor McClellan to ensure that only fourth year students and above are allowed into the Great Hall. I'll also need you to help decorate when the time arises."

"Sounds simple enough." Harry said.

"Of course Headmistress." Hermione replied.

"There is one other small matter." McGonagall looked warily between them, "It was a Winter Ball tradition for the Head Boy and Girl to begin the dancing. I suggest you inform Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter; and whoever escorts you Miss Granger."

Hermione didn't look at Harry, but could feel his eyes on her. "Alright Headmistress. Anything else?"

"That's all for now. Thank you dears."

Hermione bolted from the room before Harry could speak a word. Any conversation about the Ball with Harry would tread on territory she didn't particularly want to cover at the moment. It made her feel slightly hysterical to simply run, but then again her heart was slowly turning her into a nutter anyways....