Emma Potter

106: The Yule Ball

The above is Emma's look. The upper part of the dress is a little less revealing in the chapter but the image was as close to it I could find

Happy reading!

-Pocketful_of_Words

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Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourthyears had been given for the holidays, I was in nomood to work when term ended, so spent one whole 24 hours finishing everything and spent the week leading up toChristmas enjoying myself as fully as possible along with everyoneelse. 

Slytherin Common Room was hardly less crowded now than duringterm-time; it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitantswere being so much rowdier than usual. Furthermore, Fred and George had hada great success with their Canary Creams, and for the first coupleof days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all overthe place. Before long, however, all the students had learned totreat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in caseit had a Canary Cream concealed in the center, and George confided to me that he and Fred were now working on developingsomething else. I made a mental note never to accept so muchas a crisp from Fred and George in future. I still hadn't forgottenDudley and the Ton-Tongue Toffee. 

Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now.The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly,frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazedwith ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in thekitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warmingstews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to beable to find anything to complain about."It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," we heard her sayinggrumpily as we left the Great Hall behind her one evening  "I will notfit into my dress robes!" 

"Oooh there's a tragedy," I snapped as Fleur went outinto the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one,doesn't she?" 

"Hermione — who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron from behind me, Zoe and Hermione.  He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle herinto a response by asking it when she least expected it. However,Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'lljust make fun of me." 

"Hermione," said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning, "your teeth . . ." 

"What about them?" she said."Well, they're different . . . I've just noticed. . . ."

 "Of course they are — did you expect me to keep those fangsMalfoy gave me?"

 "No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he putthat hex on you. . . . They're all . . . straight and — and normalsized."

 Hermione suddenly smiled very mischievously, andI noticed it too: It was a very different smile from the one I remembered.

 "Well . . . when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get themshrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when theywere back to how they normally were," she said. "And I just . . . lether carry on a bit." She smiled even more widely. "Mum and Dadwon't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let meshrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with mybraces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth andmagic should — look! Pigwidgeon's back!" 

Ron's tiny owl was twittering madly on the top of the icicleladen banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg. People passinghim were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girlspaused and said, "Oh look at the weeny owl! Isn't he cute?" 

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, hurrying up the stairsand snatching up Pigwidgeon. "You bring letters to the addressee!You don't hang around showing off!"