The Goblet Of Fire - Hermione Granger x OC

Preparations

"You were the absolute best, hands down, no competition!" Ron exclaimed excitedly to Oliver in the great hall.

"Thanks, Ron," Oliver replied with a smile as he took a sip from his soup.

"Krum would probably be the second-best, I'd say. The way he faced that dragon head-on was bloody brilliant!" Ron continued, enthusiasm evident in his voice.

Oliver rolled his eyes."He's not that impressive."

Isabella suddenly slapped Oliver's shoulder, her expression fierce. "You need to shut your mouth! I will not tolerate any Victor Krum slander!" she exclaimed, defending her crush.

"Careful of the arm, you love-struck lunatic!" Oliver said, holding his arm that was in a sling.

Hermione couldn't help but giggle at Oliver.

Isabella looked puzzled. "Did you even see what he did?"

"No, I was in the tent, too busy freaking out about fighting a damn dragon," Oliver replied, his tone snarky and tinged with frustration.

"How did Henry do, though?" Oliver inquired with curiosity.

"He did well, I suppose," Ron replied. "He turned this rock into a bird and tried distracting the dragon. Unfortunately, he ended up getting burnt pretty badly."

"Well, at least we have matching burn marks," Oliver remarked casually, taking another sip from his soup.

Suddenly, a small blonde kid walked over and placed a package on the table in front of Oliver. "Parcel for you, Mr. Montclair," he announced.

"Oh, uh, thank you," Oliver responded, slightly caught off guard.

The kid stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, smiling at Oliver.

Oliver turned towards him, puzzled, and stared for a moment before asking, "Uh, is there anything else?"

The kid's smile grew wider, and he hesitantly asked, "Can I get your autograph, Mr. Montclair?"

Oliver chuckled, "Maybe later, kid. My writing hand is kind of in bad shape right now," he said, pointing to his sling.

The kid walked away with a disappointed look on his face.

"You've got to keep your fans happy, Oliver," Harry playfully remarked.

"I thought the whole school hated me just two days ago," Oliver laughed, while opening up the package.

"Oh no, it's from my mom," Oliver exclaimed as he opened it up.

With curiosity, Oliver pulled out a black dress robe from the package.

Henry walked over to Oliver, holding a similar robe. "Ah, so you got one too, huh?"

Confused, Oliver inquired, "What are these for?"

Smirking, Henry replied, "The Yule Ball."

"The what?!"

                     ***

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition for the Triwizard Tournament since its inception," Professor McGonagall addressed the Gryffindor students. "On Christmas night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity."

Harry and Ron couldn't help but chuckle under their breaths, exchanging mischievous looks.

"Now, the Yule Ball will be open to fourth years and above, but you are welcome to invite a younger student if you so desire."

Isabella immediately looked at Oliver, silently mouthing the word "please" from across the room and making a pleading gesture with her hands.

Oliver simply rolled his eyes, feigning indifference.