The Yule ball
(Not edited)
[the screen opens back up to show Primrose, who has a few bruises and an arm in a splint, walking fastly down the corridor. She bumps into someone.]
James's breathing becomes heavy, "That fucking shit did this to my daughter!"
"James James! Everything will be okay—"
"No, it won't! My daughter is getting abused by some fuck!" James croaks, eyes watering,
It felt like he was he was finding out that Sirius was getting abused and not being able to do anything all over again.
He felt helpless. His own daughter. His sweet little Bambi.
"Ah, shit I'm sorry I wasn't paying atten—"
"It's okay. No need to apologize." Said a soft dreamy voice making Primrose look up.
In front of her was a girl with waist-length, dirty blonde hair and the bluest eyes Primrose had ever seen. She also had a necklace made out of butterbeer corks around her neck.
The girl gave Primrose a smile that was as dreamy as her voice, "I'm Luna Lovegood and you are Primrose Potter."
Primrose brows raised, "Yes I am. Nice to meet you, Luna."
Luna looked over Primrose eyes lingering on the brushes on her face, she reached into her pocket and pulled something out, and put it in Primrose hand.
"Here it keeps away the wrack-spurts and the nargles."
Primrose looked down, confused, to find a butter-beer cork bracelet in her hand.
Primrose shallowed harshly, eyes becoming blurry, "Thank you, Luna."
Luna nods before skipping away.
Regulus smiles, the Luna girl reminds him of a very dear friend of his.
[Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The house elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.]
"It is too 'heavy, all zis 'Hogwarts food," The golden trio heard her saying grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening (Ron skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur).
Molly scrunches her nose in distaste.
"I will not fit into my dress robes!"
"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"
"Why is she hating? Whatever did she do to her?"
"Hermione — who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron. He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it.
"Oh give up kid, it's just pathetic," Dorcas muttered.
However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."
"You're joking, Weasley!" said Malfoy, behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball?"
Harry and Ron both whipped around, but Someone had said loudly, over Malfoy's shoulder, "Hello, Professor Moody!"
It was primrose.
"PRIMROSE!" Evan exclaims, earning weird looks.
Draco went wide-eyed and pale, he jumped backward, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.
Primrose smirked and Draco whipped back towards her.
He, Hermione, Ron, and Harry all just stare at her, it had been weeks since she was last seen.
"Where have you been!"
"What happened."
"Are you okay?"
"You look like shit."
Primrose rolled her eyes at Ron and waved them off, "I'm fine I just got into a fight with someone."
Harry nodded, that does sound like Primrose. Except before no one has ever bruised her up, she would never let them.
"No, you bloody idiot!" Remus shouts.
"Use your brain for once kid!"
Hermione frowned, "You should see madam prompfy, Primrose."
"I've already seen her," Primrose said sharply and walked away.
Draco ran after her, "Wait Rose!"
Harry stares after his twin, a weird feeling settling in his stomach.
"Listen to it please!" Andromeda groaned.
Hermione too stares after her, "Something isn't right with her. She seems different."
Ron scoffed, "Who bloody cares."
"Oh you'll care when I shove my fist up your—"
Peter swiftly put his hand over James' mouth, shaking his head. His eyes pointed towards the glare that he was receiving from Arthur and Molly.
[In the boy's dormitory Ron stands grimly before a mirror in his lace dress robes.]
He shakes his head, Mutters in disbelief, "Bloody hell."
"Oh... we'll those are something..." Sirius grimaced
Harry steps out then. His robes, in contrast to Ron's, are simple, black, and completely unadorned.
"What're those?"
"My dress robes."
"Well. those are all right! No lace!
No dodgy little collar!"
"I expect yours are more... traditional."
"That's one way to put it." Barty snickers
"Traditional! They're ancient! I
look like my Great Aunt Tessie!" Ron sniffs his robes, "Smell like my Great Aunt Tessie. Murder me, Harry."
Harry smirks, "I'm sure Primrose would be up for that."
[The Camera Drops With the Snowflakes falling from the ceiling, over the smartly-dressed students filing into
the Great Hall, To the sweeping staircase, where Harry and Ron descend.]
Ron scans the crowd.
"Poor kid. Bet she's alone in her room, crying her eyes out."
"Who?" Asked Harry
"Hermione, of course. C'mon,
Harry, why do you think she wouldn't tell us who she's coming with?"
"Because it's none of your business, ginger head," Primrose said as she approached the two.
She was in a simple black dress with lace sleeves.
"She looks lovely." Lily gushes
Harry frowns, "Where'd you get that dress from?"
"Draco's mother." Primrose smilies, admiring her dress.
Narcissa hums, a small smile playing on her lips.
"And who's your date?"
Primrose goes to answer when suddenly an arm drapes over her shoulder making her tense up.
"I am." It was Primrose boyfriend, Ivan Volkov. He smiles at Harry, "I don't think we had the pleasure to meet yet, I'm Ivan Volkov, Primrose's Boyfriend."
"Fuck off!" Regulus yells out
James nods his head, "Yeah fuck off. We don't like you."
"Leave!" Sirius cries out
Ron's eyes light up, "Volkov? As In quidditch player Aleksei Volkov."
Ivan smiles, righting his grip on Primrose shoulder, "Yes Aleksei is my brother. Primrose and I should probably go head into the great hall, enjoy your night lads."
As the two walk away Ron stares after him like he's hung the stares in the sky,
"How did Primrose get a lad like that!"
"Hey watch it!" Harry scowled.
Ron shakes his head, "Anyways back to Hermione, No one asked her. Would've taken her myself if she wasn't so bloody proud."
Harry raises an eyebrow appraisingly, when,
"Hello, boys."
Parvati and Padma, doubly delightful in shocking Pink bright Turquoise come up to the two.
Parvati's eyes rake over Ron's robes as she takes Harry's arm.
"Don't you look... dashing."
"Don't lie." Rodolphus snorts
Padma stares in open horror. Just then,
McGonagall appears, looking a bit flustered.
"There you are, Potter. You and
Miss Patil will wait here and enter with the other champions. Weasley..."
She falters, goggling at Ron's robes, then collects herself.
"...you and Miss Patil may proceed inside, to the Great Hall."
As Ron drags Padma off she looks back
desperately to her sister. Parvati just shakes her head.
"We have a cousin who dresses like that."
[The doors to the great hall open up, and the students stand in two lines waiting for the champions to enter.]
The students applaud as the four champions walk in with their dates.
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; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.
Harry scans the room for Ron
and finds him, staring open-mouthed at Hermione as passes with Krum.
"Her date is him!"
"She is one lucky girl." Marlene sighs.
"Is that Hermione Granger? With Viktor Krum?" Padma asks
Ron shakes his head, "No. Absolutely not."
"Denial Denial."
Hermione had looked unrecognizable. Her bushy hair was sleek and shiny and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow — or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling — rather nervously,
As the Champions reach the dance floor. Flitwicks baton freezes in mid-air
bringing the Hall to a halt.
Euphemia wines, "Well since he's James' kid he most definitely can't dance."
James looks at his mother, offended, "I can dance!"
She shakes her head, "No hun, you can't."
"Take my waist" Parvati whispers to Harry.
"Huh? Oh... right."
Harry puts his hand on Parvati's waist and takes her hand when Filtwick's baton drops and a waltz begins.
"Go. Now!"
More out of fear than anything else, Harry takes a step then another.
The Music Swells. Fleur sweeps past,
Next is Cho, dark eyes glimmering as
they briefly meet Harry's own.
Finally, Hermione adrift in Krum's strong arms shoots Harry a goofy excited grin.
Dumbledore leads McGonagall from the Tall Table and with a short bow, sweeps her onto the floor, where they dance formally, and beautifully. Quickly, the remainder staff pair off and join them.
Even Madame Maxine yields
to Hagrid, though she casts her eyes askance while in his arms. Only Moody remains on the sidelines, eye whirling madly in time to the waltz.
Finally, the students converge, led by Neville, glides, much to the astonishment of his date— Ginny Weasley. Lost in the crush, Harry feels less self-conscious about his own clumsy feet and actually manages to smile.
[Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly]
"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly.
"Herm-own-ninny."
"Close enough," she said, catching Harry's eye and grins.
Harry and Ron sit watching grimly from the sidelines, while Padma and Parvati sit on opposite sides of them, arms crossed in aggravation. Ron eyes Krum lethally.
"Ruddy pumpkinhead, isn't he?"
Harry's eyes shift from Cho and Cedric to Krum.
"Well, I don't think it was the books that had him going to the library."
A handsome Durmstrang boy approaches Parvati, who looks like she rather be anywhere else.
"May I have your arm?"
"Arm. Leg. I'm yours."
"Oh, I'm totally stealing that."
As Parvati exits, Hermione drops into
Parvati's empty chair. Her face was flushed from dancing.
"Hi," said Harry. Ron didn't say anything.
"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."
Ron gave her a withering look. "Viktor?" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's got your wand in a knot?"
"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You — you're —" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"
Hermione's mouth fell open.
"The enemy? Who was it wanting his autograph? Besides, the whole point of the Tournament is international magical cooperation. To make friends."
"I think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind."
"What are you suggesting?"
Ron scoffed, "It's obvious, isn't it? It's Harry he's truly interested in."
"Excuse me?"
Ron ignored Harry, "He's using you.
To get inside information. Maybe even jinx Harry."
Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her. When she spoke, her voice quivered. "For your information, he hasn't asked me one single thing about Harry, not one —"
Ron changed tack at the speed of light."Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means! I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions —"
"I'd never help him work out that egg!" said Hermione, looking outraged. "I want Harry to win!"
People were starting to stare at them.
Primrose who was clearly drunk, stares at them wondering what the hell they are arguing about this time.
"Ron," said Harry quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum —"
But Ron ignored Harry too.
"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," said Ron.
"Don't call him Vicky!" Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face.
"Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked him.
"No," said Ron, still glaring after Hermione.
"Fine," snapped Padma, and she got up and went to join Parvati and the dungstrang boy,
[The screen switches to show Primrose in the corner of the hall with her boyfriend]
"Ivan why can't I go with my friends just once."
He scoffs, "So you can go whore it up with them."
James's body vibrates with anger.
Primrose frowns, "For the millionth time they are just my friends."
She takes a sip of her drink and goes to walk away when suddenly she feels dizzy. The room begins to spin.
Ivan grips her arm and begins to lead her out of the great hall, "Come on now let's go."
"But I don't want to go. The night has just begun."
[The screen fades out to show Ron and Hermione standing just inside the empty hall faces flushed in anger.]
"Oh boy."
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.
"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"
"Yes tell him Hermione!" people cheer her on.
Ron starts to reply, stops dead in his tracks, then sputters:
"Well. that's...I mean...that's
completely off the point..."
Hermione turns then and sees Harry.
"Where have you been?"
Harry doesn't say anything he just stares. Hermione with her hair out of her bun, has made her look a bit mad..
"Never mind. Off to bed, both of you."
"They get scary as they get older," Ron mumbles to Harry as they walk away.
"I heard that!" Hermione shouts
As Harry and Ron increase their pace, Hermione kicks off her heels, hitches up her wrinkled dress, and hobbles off, leaving the Hall to Ginny, Neville, Hagrid, and Madam Maxime, who dance on and on as the clock strikes midnight.