Contract Era

Chapter 4: Ruin

A/N: This chapter has one tiny sexual assault scene.

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"Champions! Over here, Champions!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

Hermione grinned as she found Krum in the crowd and hurried down the steps to his side. All the other students were streaming past into the Great Hall that had been converted into a ballroom for the festivities. The dress her mother sent was a glorious, crimson ball gown, dotted with silk roses. The sleeves fell elegantly off her shoulders, and the neckline was daringly low. It was quite probably too old for Hermione, but she felt beautiful in it.

"Hello, Lady Hermione," Krum said smiling broadly at her, his eyes flickered to her bosom. "You look lovely."

Hermione felt her face flush at the compliment. She bobbed her head, "Thank you."

"Champions and escorts!" Professor McGonagall clapped her hands gathering everyone's attention.

"You must all dance the first and the last dance together. Then you may have two additional dances with your escorts, but no more! It wouldn't be proper! This is an opportunity to mingle with those of other schools, so please take that opportunity!"

Professor McGonagall clapped her hands once more, and the doors to the Great Hall opened wide. Professor Dumbledore stood near the band and announced the champions and their escorts as they walked through the doors. Hermione and Krum were after Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion, and before Cedric Diggory, the Hogwarts champion.

She smiled as they entered the Great Hall and was almost taken aback at the beautiful decorations that littered the room. Snow fell softly from the enchanted ceiling, and the winter wonderland theme came across very well.

Krum swept them toward the dance floor, where the Champions immediately set to dance the cotillion to open the ball. Hermione breezed through the steps and felt grateful once more that wizarding dancing wasn't so dissimilar to Muggle dancing.

The cotillion was quite a bouncy dance, and by the time they had finished, Hermione was laughing and out of breath. Krum offered to gather them drinks, and Hermione happily took him up on the offer. Before Krum could return, however, Harry swept her out for a country dance and then Ron took her for a turn for a Scotch reel. By the time she found Krum again, he was looking less than pleased and still clutched her glass of punch.

Hermione did her best to soothe Krum's feathers and then asked if he would dance once more with her. After that, the night went much more smoothly.

The ball ended, and Hermione felt light with happiness. Krum's disposition had improved, and by the end, he was laughing along with her.

"Shall I escort you to your common room, Lady Hermione? Or would you like to take a walk?"

Hermione grinned at him; she wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet, "Let's walk."

Krum held out his arm for her and Hermione settled her hand in the crook of his elbow as he led them from the Great Hall and into the corridors beyond. It was much too cold to venture outside—so they wandered along the halls of Hogwarts, all the sconces and candles lit in honor of the party.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Mr Krum," Hermione said to him as they turned the corner to a darker corridor.

"I as well, Lady Hermione."

Krum kept walking, and the corridors got darker and darker.

"Mr Krum, I think we ought to turn back," Hermione said, stopping and pulling her hand from his arm.