Written In The Stars IV -[Harry Potter xF!Oc]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Calm before the Ball.

"Just picture it," She said one evening during dinner, "Mel Dumbledore: heartbreaker. The young witch attended the Yule ball with not only one, but two boys! Is she growing a whole empire of husbands?" The boys laughed, Hermione gave her a severe look.

"You shouldn't be taunting her, Mel."

"I'm joking," She grinned. "I'm sure she has better things to write than our love life."

"Don't be so sure," Hermione mumbled as they left the Great Hall.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," Ron tried to hide behind Harry and Mel, but they were too small to cover his large figure from Fleur. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione rolled her eyes. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

"Hermione — who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron abruptly.

"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? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Harry and Ron turned around ready to fight, but Hermione waved happily to someone they couldn't see.

"Hello, Professor Moody!" Malfoy looked around frantically, which made her laugh. "Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" They left him there, embarrassed and angry.

"Were you ever going to tell me that you accidentally let out in front of Harry that I was going to ask Joseph to the ball? Or were you just going to let me mess things up?" Mel asked in a whisper so only Hermione could hear. The girl blushed but kept her face neutral.

"Harry went mad when he found out!" Hermione argued. "He didn't tell me he wanted to ask you either! And it wasn't a lie, was it? To be fair is your own fault, just risk it and be honest!"

"No way, that'll only scare him..." Mel pouted. 

***

"Hermione, your teeth..." Ron said halfway up the staircase.

"What about them?"

"Well, they're different... I've just noticed..."

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

"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you... They're all... straight and — and normal-sized."

"Well..." Hermione grinned. "When I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were and I just... let her carry on a bit. Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should — look! Pigwidgeon's back!"

The tiny bird was flying at the top of the staircase, screeching loudly.

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron caught it midair. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!" He glared at a group of younger girls that were passing by, all looking curiously at him. "Clear off!" 

"I'm regretting my decision of taking him as my second date," She discretely told Harry, the boy chuckled.

"Here — take it," Ron gave him the letter and Harry put it away in his pocket. Once in the common room, Harry read out loud: