Rosabella's Point Of View:
"What do you need to tell us?" Hermione said, when entered the common room and sat in some arm chairs.
I got the books out my bag and flipped to the pages I needed.
"Read this chapter." I said, as I pushed the book towards them.
"Merpeople?" Harry said, confused.
Ron looked at me blankly. Hermione gave me an uneasy look. I think she had an idea of where this was going.
"Listen. When you opened that egg I heard something other then just the awful screeching noises. There was a rhythm. I spent ages in the music room trying to replicate the rhythm. It's definitely a song. I then started to think who would sing like that. What human could sound like that? That's when I realised it couldn't be human. I went through book after book on creatures. Scanning for creatures known to sing. You'd be surprised on how few of them do. I only just discovered Merpeople today. They can't be understood on land, so they can't sing on land. Therefore, they sound like that god awful noise. Music is a big part of their culture. In every myth about Merpeople they always sing and music is always a key part of their culture. Here read this next." I said urgently, and pushed Hogwarts a History towards them with the book open to the necessary chapter.
"There's Merpeople in the Black Lake?" Ron exclaimed.
"Shush! Do you want to tell the whole school?" Hermione hissed at him.
"I don't know what the next task is I just know that Merpeople and water are involved. Harry, I think you need to open the egg underwater to be able to decipher the clue." I said.
Harry had an uneasy expression as he processed this new information.
"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" Professor McGonagall said in an irritated voice.
Harry and Ron jumped and looked up at her. It was the end of the lesson and Harry and Ron had been sword fighting with some of Fred and George's fake wands.
"Now Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age, I have something to say to you all." McGonagall said with an angry look towards Ron and Harry.
"The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above. You may invite a younger student if you wish." McGonagall said.
I looked at Hermione grinning.
A ball? An actual ball?
I was nearly jumping up and down in excitement. Hermione was also struggling to contain her excitement. Lots of the girls in the class had let out giggles. McGonagall ignored it and carried on.
"Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then, the Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to – er – let our hair down." McGonagall said, disapprovingly.
I couldn't imagine McGonagall with her hair not in her usual tight bun. The girls in the class giggled harder then ever.
"But that does NOT mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." McGonagall said.
The bell then went and we all gathered our things.
"Potter! A word if you please." McGonagall called over the noise.
Odd.
If she was angry about the sword fighting it would be both Harry and Ron getting scolded.
I told Ron and Hermione to go save Harry and I seats in the Great Hall, while I wait for Harry. They nodded. Harry was out in a few minutes looking like he's just been told someone's died.
"Harry! What is it?" I asked anxiously.
"Ro, please tell me you know how to dance?" Harry asked urgently.
I was taken aback by the question.
"Er, yeah I do. My aunt Andromeda and her husband taught me. Why?" I replied, perplexed.
"Champions have to dance. We open the ball." Harry said, gloomily.
I laughed at Harry miserable expression.
"I'll start teaching you today after dinner. We can use the music room, it's practically always empty." I assured Harry.
"Ro, what would I do without you?" Harry said gratefully.
"Trip over your own feet in front of all of Hogwarts." I said, sweetly.
Harry just rolled his eyes and laughed as we entered the Great Hall.
I led Harry to the music room after dinner with Winter following us. Harry looked around the music room in awe.
"Why do people not come in here?" Harry asked.
"You have to have permission from Flitwhick. He wants this place to be for potential musicians not a hangout place for students." I explained.
I went towards a music box so it would start playing.
"Okay, I'm going to teach you a waltz that is always played at Wizard Balls." I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the centre of the room.
Harry looked nervous. I smiled kindly.
"Hey, it's just you and me. I was awful while I was learning. I kept stepping on my Uncle Ted's toes." I said laughing.
Harry smiled a little.
I stepped closer to Harry and put my left hand on his shoulder and placed my right hand in his. I guided Harry's left hand to my waist.
"Right, the boy usually leads but since you don't know steps I'll lead and when you know them you lead." I said.
Harry nodded nervously and I showed him the waltz.
It wasn't complicated and was quite simple. Harry stepped on my toes a few times but he wasn't bad.
"You're doing great." I said encouragingly, as we did a successful spin.
"Oh yeah?" Harry said, not as nervous as before.
"Definitely. I kept tripping over when I was learning." I said.
"Well that makes me feel better." Harry said, smiling.
"I was six years old at the time but still." I said, grinning.
Harry rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Okay, well you know steps now so now you start leading. Just do the same thing but know you're guiding me instead of me guiding you." I said.
Harry gulped and nodded.
As we danced it felt like electricity was passing between us. At first we both just looked at different sides of the room while we danced but as we danced more and more we kept looking into each others eyes. It went from quick glances to long lingering stares. As we stared into each others eyes we moved closer and closer to each other intill there was no space between us. Harry and I started to lean in towards each other at the same time. Our foreheads touched. Our lips inches from each other. The music then stopped, and we were snapped out off our trance. We both were blushing a crimson red and stared awkwardly around the room.
"It's nearly curfew. We should go back to the common room." Harry said, breaking the silence as he looked at his watch.
I nodded and grabbed my bag and handed Harry his. Harry opened the door to the music room and let me go first. We walked back to the common room in an awkward silence as Winter bounded along beside me, oblivious to the tense atmosphere. Neither me or Harry spoke till we reached the portrait hole.
"Well you got the hang of it pretty quick. You'll be fine, there's nothing else you need to know unless you want to be a professional dancer." I said, trying to break this tension between us.
Harry laughed uneasily.
"Thanks, Ro. Not just for the dance lesson. For all the help with the first task and figuring out how to understand the egg. I just need to find somewhere private where I can listen to it. But thank you. You've always been there." Harry said, sincerely, with a look he's never given me before.
I don't even know how to describe it.
"I always will be." I said, matching his tone.
Harry leaned in again, our foreheads touching again. He leaned in further and our lips were about to touch when the Fat Lady's portrait swung open suddenly. Harry and I jumped away from each other.
"There you two are. How'd you do Harry?" Ron asked, oblivious to what he had just interrupted.
Without looking at each other, Harry and I followed Ron into the common room. I went to sit by Hermione who was doing the Arithmancy homework. Hermione gave me a curious look when she took in my tense mood.
"Later." I quickly whispered as I took my Arithmancy stuff out and worked through it quickly.
When I finished the homework Hermione and I said goodnight to the boys and we went to the dormitory. The others were asleep. I told Hermione what happened, not leaving out a single detail.
Over the next week, it seemed impossible to go anywhere without hearing a bunch of girls giggling in practically every corridor. Harry and I had barely looked at each other or spoken. It was so awkward. I wanted to know if Harry was as affected as I was. If he liked me that way too? If he wanted to date or forget it happened? Friendship was better then nothing.
"Ro, guess what?" Hermione whispered to me excitedly in Arithmancy.
I studied her for a second.
"You got asked to the ball?" I said, eagerly.
She nodded frantically.
"Who asked you?" I said, beaming at her.
"Before, I tell you, you need to swear not to tell anyone. I only want you and Ginny to know." Hermione said, seriously.
"I swear." I said sincerely.
"Viktor Krum." Hermione whispered.
My mouth dropped.
"Krum?" I asked.
Hermione nodded eagerly. She told me everything that happened in extreme detail. It took so much self control to not squeal and jump up and down.
"I'm so happy for you. He seems so mature. Guess that's because he's older." I said, enthusiastically.
"Anyone asked you yet?" Hermione asked.
"Some people have but most of them I've never even said a word to." I told Hermione.
"I overheard Seamus encouraging Dean to go for it and ask you." Hermione said.
"Oh, really?" I asked, pretending to be interested but failing.
"Doesn't sound like you're practically happy about it." Hermione said, softly.
"I like Dean, I do. He's funny, nice and good looking but . . ." I said.
"But he's not Harry." Hermione finished for me.
I just nodded my head solemnly. Hermione grabbed my hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.
"Maybe he'll ask." Hermione said hopefully.
"We both know who he wants to go with. Cho Chang." I said bitterly.
"I used to think that but I think his feelings have changed." Hermione said with a knowing smile.
"Do you know something I don't Hermione?" I asked, suspiciously.
"I didn't want to say anything at first because I didn't want to get your hopes up intill I was sure. Lately, Harry's been looking at you differently. I've caught him looking at you when he thinks no one is looking. Ro, I think he likes you back. I think he really likes you. I just think he doesn't know what to say. He's probably worried you don't like him back." Hermione said, smiling excitedly.
"I hope you're right. I really hope you're right." I said.
"I am most of the time." Hermione said.
I rolled my eyes and just chuckled softly.
I started acting like I usually would around Harry but I wasn't hiding the fact that I liked him. I was trying to make it as obvious as possible without flat out saying it. Harry was having a much better time at Hogwarts now that most people had stopped tormenting him. Rita Skeeter hadn't published an article on Hagrid or the Skrewts or Harry. We asked him about this in one of his lessons.
"She didn't seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth. She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry. I told her we'd been friends since I went to fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. 'Never played up in lessons, has he?' I told her no,and she didn't seem happy at all. You'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry." Hagrid said.
"Course she did. She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am. It will get boring." Harry said.
"She wants a new handle, Hagrid." Hermione said, wisely.
"You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!" Ron said.
"But he's not!" Hagrid said shocked.
"She should've interviewed Snape. He'd give her the goods on me any day." Harry said grimly.
"Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school." I said in my best Snape impression earning laughs from the trio.
"Said that, did he? Well, yeh might've bent a few rules, Harry, but yeh're all righ' reall, aren' you?" Hagrid said.
"Cheers, Hagrid." Harry said, grinning.
"You coming to this ball thing on Christmas Day, Hagrid?" Ron asked.
"Though' I might look in on it, yeah. Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be opening the dancin', won't yeh, Harry? Who're you takin'?" Hagrid said.
I saw Harry glance at me from the corner of my eye. I tried as hard as I could to not blush or smile.
"No one, yet." Harry said.
Hagrid didn't push the subject.
Another week passed and Harry still hadn't asked. Dean Thomas had asked me and Justin Flinch-Flechly. Ernie Mitchell. Zachariah Smith. I didn't like him much. I had barely spoke to him but he was whiney and snobbish and just someone I couldn't stand. Much to my displeasure, Malfoy had asked me. Instead of saying no I just shot a bunch of hexs at him. I got some fifth, six and even seventh years asking me. I turned them down, hoping that Harry is just finding the courage to ask. I was debating on whether to just ask him myself.
One day, when I was on my way to the Great Hall for dinner I was dragged into an empty classroom. I whipped my wand out ready to attack at any moment.
"It's just me." Harry said.
I breathed a sigh of relief and pocketed my wand.
"Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Warn a girl next time." I said, chuckling.
"Sorry." Harry said, nervously.
"So why did you drag me in here? Is this about the egg?" I asked.
"Um . . . no. I—I—I just wanted to ask you something." Harry said, becoming tongue tied.
"What?" I said softly, smiling kindly at him.
"Ro, d-d-d wangoballwime?" Harry said, extremely quickly.
I had no clue what he said.
"Sorry?" I asked perplexed.
"D'you – d'you want to go to the ball with me?" Harry said, turning red.
I smiled widely. I stepped closer to Harry and reached up to place a kiss on his cheek.
"Yes." I whispered into his ear.
Harry looked as if a massive weight had been taken off of his shoulders.
Harry and I stood their smiling happily at each other. Harry wrapped his hand around mine and we walked towards the Great Hall holding hands.
Ron wasn't having as much luck. For some reason he had asked Fleur to the ball.
"You what?" Harry said to Ron, when we arrived back at the common room.
Hermione was beaming at our intertwined hands.
"I don't know what made me do it. What was I playing at? There were people all around. I've gone mad. It just slipped out. She looked at me like I was a slug. I came to my senses and then ran for it." Ron said.
Ron then looked up and saw Harry and I holding hands. He smiled genuinely.
"At least Ro said yes to you." Ron said.
Harry couldn't keep the smile of his face as he gripped my hand tighter.
"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron? Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you." Hermione said, loftily.
I looked at Ron, with sympathy.
"Hermione, you are a girl . . ." Ron said.
Sympathy gone. I know where this is going. I gave Harry an apprehensive look.
"Oh, well spotted." Hermione said acidly.
"Well – you can come with me." Ron said.
"No, I can't." Hermione snapped.
"Oh, come on. I need a partner. I'm going to look really stupid if I haven't got anyone. Everyone else has." Ron said, impatiently.
I was starting to get angry. Has Ron not noticed how beautiful Hermione is? Did he think she hadn't been asked by anyone but Neville?
"I can't come with you because I'm already going with someone." Hermione said, blushing.
"No, you're not! You just said that to get rid of Neville!" Ron said.
Ron's asking for a punch. I balled up my hand, that Harry wasn't holding, into a fist.
"Oh, did I? Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!" Hermione said, her eyes flashed dangerously.
Ginny and I caught each others eye. We smiled at Hermione putting Ron in his place.
Ron started at her and then he grinned.
"OK, OK, we know you're a girl. That do? Will you come now?" Ron said.
Oh come on?!?! Is he being serious?
"I've already told you! I'm going with someone else!" Hermione said, very angrily but I could also tell she was hurt and offended by Ron's disbelief at her being asked.
Hermione then stormed off towards the dormitory.
"She's lying." Ron said flatly.
"She's not." I said sharply, glaring at Ron.
"Who is it, then?" Ron asked, sharply.
"That's her business." Ginny said sternly at Ron, also glaring at him.
I kissed Harry on the cheek and Ginny and I followed Hermione up the stairs to the dormitory to check on Hermione.