Meant to Be (Harry Potter X Hermione Granger)

December 10th

School work was winding down and the castle was abuzz with talk of the impending Yule Ball. Harry and Hermione were walking the grounds headed towards Hagrid's in a comfortable silence. "Hermione?" Harry sounded uneasy and she offered a simple "hmm?" To his calling of her name. "I heard a rumour about you...from Lavendar." Hermione's grew worried and Harry stopped walking, "it's nothing bad! Not really about you I suppose."

"Be out with it, Harry." He shifted on his feet and was 'out with it'. "Well, I heard that, um, Viktor Krum is well, interested in you?" Her eyes rolled. "He asked you to the Ball."

"It's true, he did ask me to the ball and one could say he was mildly interested in me." From her tone, Harry guessed the feeling wasn't mutual. "What was it Professor Moody said to you?" She put on a poor imitation of the ex-auror to which Harry could only laugh, "that boys head may be filled with sawdust!" She smiled back at him. "It was after you so courteously asked me and I'd rather go with my best friend than some Bulgarian I have met once."

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry smiled warmly at her, glad she was still going with him. They reached Hagrid's quaint  hut and chapped his large wooden door. It soon swung open to reveal the friendly giant, "'Arry, Hermione!" He beamed at the fourth years and bid them inside. They sat down at his large table, after Fang had clambered onto Harry nearly knocking him to the floor. Hermione snickered at him and he jokingly told her to shut it.

"Tea? Rock cakes?" He shakes the plate he was holding towards them, to which they obliged. "You seem in an awfully good mood, Hagrid?" Hermione inquired. "S'matter 'o fact I am! I have a date to this christmas ball!"

"Really, Hagrid? That's great!" Harry congratulated him as he wiped slevers off his robes. "Who is the lucky woman?"

"Madame Maxine, Headmistress of Bea - uh, Beab -".

"Beauxbatons Academy." Hermione added with a smile. "The very one! She's wonderful, taller than me! What about you two, eh? Especially you 'Arry? You're opening the ruddy thing." He frowned somewhat, "wouldn't want that for meself, oh no."

Harry looked to Hermione, "Well, uh, actually, Hermione and I are going to go together. As friends!"

"As friends?" His eyes studied them. "Well that's jus' brilliant! You'll be the bell 'o the ball. Especially you, 'ermione, prettiest and brightest witch at the dance." She blushed furiously at this.

"You're too kind, Hagrid." Continuing to blush. "He's right though. You'll make me look a right sight better too opening the ball!" Jus' friends they say. Hagrid scoffed inwardly.

"Well a hope you two can dance to open the ball!" Hagrid laughed. "I know how to a little." Hermione offered.

"You do?" Harry turned to her stunned. "Of course you do, what don't you know?" She blushed a little more. "My mother was always a fan of ballroom dancing and bid me to learn some of it. "Well that works out well." Harry sighed in relief. They talked with Hagrid some more and bid him farewell as they left for the Castle for the night. They are dinner in the great hall and Harry laughed at her for wanting to study despite no one else in the castle even thinking about it. He, however, elected to join her in the library to study. If anything, spending most of his time with Hermione appeared to be helping his grades.

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Bit of a shorter chapter this time, sorry about that, just filling time till the ball. I should have another chapter up soon!