Never Is Our Always

Ball Dance Practice 4

(Minnie pov)

"Look at this!" Hermione says angrily as she held the newspaper up, hands clenching the paper as it crumbled from her grip.

"I can't believe it she's done it again. Miss Granger a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow."

I snorted out my pumpkin juice and started laughing hysterically.

"Oh no!" I said sarcastically, "Harry," he rose an eyebrow at me in amusement, "however do you feel that Hermione was spotted with Viktor?" I pout playfully at him as he shoves my face away while we all laugh.

"Shut up, Jordan," he grins.

"Rita Skeeter is a drag, don't even worry about it, 'Mione, she said I missed my dad after he got the kiss, when I said I didn't miss him." I roll my eyes, "she's a looney who needs taste for her paper."

As we finished laughing, Nigel, a first year Gryffindor walks up holding a large package. I smile at Nigel and he returned the gesture.

"Parcel for you Mr Weasley." Nigel said, I rose an eyebrow at it.

"Thank you Nigel." Ron takes it with a smile. Nigel remained standing as he was gazing at Harry. Hermione clears her throat and Ron turns to him.

"Not now Nigel. Later. Go on," Nigel sighs and then he leaves.

"I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph." Ron shrugs, opening the parcel. "Oh look! Mum's sent me something." He takes it out and held it to his chest. "Mum sent me a dress?" A few people laugh.

"Well it does match your eyes. Is there
a bonnet?" Harry looks inside the parcel before holding it up to the dress robes. "Aha!"

"Nose down, Harry," Ron grins, then walked over to Ginny. "Ginny these must be for you."

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly." Ginny answers. Hermione laughs at Ron and then he turned around as I joined.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked.

"They're not for Ginny, they're for you!" We all laughed at Ron.

"Dress robes." We told him as he stares in confusion.

"Dress robes? for what?"

—

"The yule ball has been a tradition of the tri-wizard... tournament since its inception. On Christmas Day night, we and our guests gather in the great hall for well mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the yule ball is first and foremost... a dance."

Groans emerge from the boys who are listening on. The girls seem a lot more excited, but I wanted to just die; I hated dancing more than I hated the eye contact Fred and I just made.

"Silence." She said sternly. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons." My eyes lit up.

"Try saying that five times faster." I muttered to myself. Then I glanced at the twins muttering to each other.

I used to read lips and sure enough... they were saying "babbling bumbling band of baboons."

"Now to dance is to let the body breathe, inside every girl a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight."

"Something's about to burst out of Hilary but I don't think it's a swan." A few murmured laughs came from the boys side.