Hey everyone, I've been looking for some fics where Harry skips the Yule Ball, and since I couldn't find any I decided to write one (let me know if there actually is one in which he skips it). My title is pretty lame too, but it should suffice. This is my first story, so I'd really appreciate reviews so I can improve. On to reading then.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, all its characters and locations are property of JK Rowling. No profit is being made from this fanfic. It's merely for entertaining purposes.

Chapter One

'That's it, I'm skipping the Yule Ball' said Harry, taking off his school robes.

Harry and Ron were alone at the boy's dormitory, getting ready to go to bed. The ball was in one week and neither had a date yet. Ron had asked Fleur to go with him. He came back looking as if the Chudley Cannons had been relegated to the second division. Harry had asked Cho and she turned him down, saying she was going with Cedric Diggory.

'You're barking.' said Ron.

'I can't get a date, it's pointless. Cho's going with Diggory,' Harry said this with clear bitterness, 'and I asked Parvati at the library before dinner. She said she would have loved to go with me, after she stopped giggling like a ten-year old, but Dean had already asked her.'

'But you heard McGonagall, you have to go because you're the Hogwarts champion.' said Ron.

'No, Diggory is the Hogwarts champion. He's the one who put his name in the goblet of fire. I don't even want to participate in this bloody tournament, so I shouldn't have to deal with this rubbish.' complained Harry.

'So you're really going to skip?' asked Ron, gawking at Harry. He was surprised with the determination of his voice.

'Yes, and you're welcome to join. I'd really appreciate the company.'

Harry was determined to skip the ball because he felt quite resentful towards the Hogwarts staff for allowing him to be forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. And now he was supposed to open the dance? He couldn't even dance. He had told McGonagall this and she merely brushed him off as if he had brought this on himself. He could fight a dragon, but he was still a teenage boy and the prospect of asking a girl to a date was more intimidating than facing a Hungarian Horntail. And he had asked two girls already, receiving two negative answers. He felt that not attending the Yule Ball was a good way to protest having to participate in the tournament, as well as not having to keep asking girls to go with him, only to be rejected again.

'Wish I could, but my mum would murder me. She got me those ghastly dress robes just for the ball so she'd probably send me a howler as soon as she found out'

'Come on Ron, your mum will understand. Going to the ball wearing that would be humiliating, plus if we both skip she'll be angry with both of us. At least neither would suffer alone' said Harry.

'I dunno, you don't know how she can get. She'd go berserk.' said Ron, shuddering. He seemed to be remembering something horrible.

'Well think about it.'

'Where would we hide anyway? You know McGonagall would hunt you down as soon as she noticed that you're not there. She made it clear that any Gryffindor who embarrasses the school will pay for it.' said Ron. Harry hadn't thought about that. He planned to simply stay in the dormitory and do whatever. Sleep, try to figure out the golden egg, perhaps even try to catch up on his homework.

'I dunno, I planned to stay here, but now that you mention it, I do need somewhere to hide. Maybe the kitchens. I'd really fancy a peaceful dinner.'

Ron looked tempted with going to the kitchens. The last time they were there the house elves were eager to feed them.

'Maybe.' he said longingly

'Come on Ron. We have no one to go with. We could spend our time doing something better. Maybe playing some wizard's chess.' Harry thought that a nice match of chess was better than listening to that blasted egg's screeching.

'Yeah, that does sound good. You know what? I'll do it. I won't see my mum until summer. She'll get over it by then. If she sends me a howler I'll run out of the Great Hall.'

'Thanks a lot, mate' said Harry, relieved.

Ron felt great hearing Harry say that. He really regretted not believing Harry when he told him he hadn't put his name in the goblet, so hearing him call him 'mate' like nothing had happened between them was extremely relieving.

'What about Hermione? She'll go mad if we tell her we're not going.' said Ron.

'Yeah, I thought about that too. We should keep this between us. She won't tell us who she's going with, so I reckon she shouldn't get angry if we don't tell her we're not going.' said Harry. He honestly felt guilty for keeping this from Hermione. After all, she was the one who stuck with him when no one else did and she helped him survive the first task, but he knew that if he confided this to her she would probably run off to McGonagall and tell her of his intentions.

'Yeah, you're right, she'd have no right to ask us to tell her' said Ron coolly. He had been pretty cold with Hermione ever since she didn't want to tell them who she was going with. And the feeling was mutual. Hermione had been quite hostile to him since he said he preferred good looks to a good personality. Ron still didn't believe Hermione really had a date.

'Well that's settled then,' said Harry 'we'll go to the kitchens and maybe then we can head off somewhere else. We could go to Hagrid's. I wonder if he's going'

'He's probably going with Madame Maxime' said Ron, smirking.

'You think?' said Harry. They had both found Hagrid's interest in Madame Maxime pretty bizarre, even more so that she seemed to reciprocate. Just as he said this Dean and Seamus walked in the dormitory, talking enthusiastically.

'Yeah I asked her today and she said yes.' was saying Dean. 'Hey Ron, Harry' said he said, lively. Seamus also greeted them. He had warmed up to Harry after the first task, like Ron.

'Hey, alright?' asked Harry

'Fantastic.' said a chuffed Seamus, "I'm taking Lavender to the ball.' Ron sat up.

'What? Lucky.' said Ron, with a hint of resentment in his voice.

'I know right? She's got a really nice pair of baps.' said Seamus. He was easily the most vulgar of them all.

'What about you Dean?' asked Harry, although he already knew the answer. 'Who're you taking?'

'Parvati' said the West Ham fan with a smile. 'I was just telling Seamus that I asked her today at breakfast.'

'You two know how to dance?' asked Ron.

'Well, I'm not that bad. Me mam tried to teach me a few years ago when me uncle Connor married. I'm not an expert, but I know enough to get by. Besides, it's not the dancing I'm interested in.' said Seamus with a mischievous grin.

'I can't dance,' said Dean bluntly, 'but Parvati said that doesn't matter. She said we can practise a bit before.' he finished, shrugging.

'What about you Harry?' asked Seamus, 'I hear every girl in our year wants you to take them' he said with a smirk and a look of admiration.

'Sure they do' said Harry sarcastically.

'Who're you taking?' asked Dean.

'Can't say. She doesn't want anyone to know.' answered Harry, perfectly simulating an unconcerned tone.

'Strange, most girls would love to show off that they're taking the master of horntails.' said Seamus.

'Is that what people are calling me now?' asked Harry. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused.

'Among girls, I heard' smirked Dean.

Ron hadn't said a word in five minutes.

'What about you Ron? Who're you taking?' asked Seamus. Ron's ears went red.

'Same as Harry,' he said quietly, 'she doesn't want me to say.'

'You're not taking Millicent Bulstrode, are you?' asked Dean in a teasing tone.

'Course not!' shouted Ron. His whole face was crimson red now.

'Oi, if you're taking her you might as well wear girl robes.' said Seamus laughing.

'Sod off.' said Ron, clearly not amused. The other three boys laughed at him.

'Anyway, whoever you're taking, I hope you have a good time' said Dean.

'Oh, believe me,' said Harry, looking at Ron, 'I'm really looking forward to it.'

Ron smiled.

'Yeah, this ought to be fun.' he said with a big grin on his face.