Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to J.K. Rowling but with a few that I have created as well. The plot is one of my original ideas since this has sorta happened to me, not the entire story but most of it.

Author's Note: Hermione is 17 in the story and Harry is 19. Also it is very AU.

And this is why:

Hermione has two siblings- Jackson (22) that is married to Meredith Malfoy (18) and Anne (20) who is married to Luke Carthier (20). And although she was born in England she lives in France and goes to Beauxbatons Academy

Harry's parents are alive. And Harry has an older brother Andrew (21) but Voldemort still came after Harry due to the prophecy.

Draco Malfoy and his family are on the Light side and Draco is married to Ginny Weasley (19). He also has a younger sister Meredith (18) who is married to Jackson Granger.

The entire Weasley family is pretty much the same. Except for the fact that Ronald is engaged to Luna Lovegood (18) and Ginny is married to Draco Malfoy.

The Delacour family is also mentioned. And their names are: Jean-Paul and Maugerite Delacour (parents). Fleur and Bill Weasley are married and Fleur's little sister Gabrielle (17) is best friends with Hermione.

My own characters:

Hermione's best friend, Molly Cline (17) and her parents, Marcus and Patricia Cline.

Hermione's other best friend, Danielle Carthier (17) and her brother Luke Carthier (20) who is married to Anne Granger.

The Holiday Ball

By bloomingfelton

Chapter One: Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

Christmas was one of those holidays where all I wanted to do was sit on the couch eat the house-elves famous Christmas cookies, and watch muggle Christmas movies all Christmas Eve day. Then when evening would finally come around, I would change into my comfiest night gown and lay under the multi-colored blinking lighted Christmas tree in the second floor study until it would be time to fall asleep. However, that was never the case. Every year since I could remember, Mum and Dad would get my brother, sister, and me all dressed up for Christmas mass then we would go straight to the Malfoy's manor for their infamous Holiday Ball. And every year I detested it.

When I was very small, I remember being dropped off in the play room at the Malfoy manor so that Mum and Dad could go to the party without the interference of us kids. I remember always playing around with Gabrielle Delacour. We ended up going to Beaxbatons together and becoming best friends with Danielle Carthier and Molly Cline. Every Christmas Eve, Gabrielle and I would play around and eventually fall asleep a long time before the party ended. When Gabrielle did not come to the party some years I would normally tag along with my older brother, Jackson, or my sister, Anne. We used to stick together until they became too old to hang out with the "babies" and were allowed into another room at the Malfoy manor for older children. At eleven, my parents dropped me off in the room for older children in the Malfoy manor. And finally at sixteen, I was allowed to actually join the party with a fancy dress.

But I had detested it, every year until last year. Last year was the year that my twenty year old sister Anne Granger became engaged and married to my best friend's (Danielle Carthier) older brother, Luke. That was also right before last year's Holoday Ball meaning Luke and Luke's family – but I was mainly excited about my best mate Danielle – would be invited to the ball. Therefore meaning I would have someone to talk to because Gabrielle was never there because five years ago, the Delacour family went to Germany for Christmas.

From then on, my luck progressed. This year I was allowed to invite a friend and her family with me. So naturally, I chose my other best friend Molly Cline. And to make matters even better, Gabby and her family were not going to Germany for Chirstmas, meaning that she too would be coming to the holiday ball.

That Christmas break before the ball, the four of us made a pact that each of us would start some sort of relationship, other than friendship, with a boy because none of us had many relationships. This Christmas was going to be wonderful. It had started snowing very early, midexams at Beauxbatons were amazingly easy, and I had convinced my parents to get a Christmas tree for the study near my room – the muggle way. It was going to be a fantastic Christmas break.

Always with love,

Hermione Jane Granger