Hermione's POV

It all started one morning, a few weeks before the end of term. I had just sat down to get in some serious studying, when Pavarti and Lavender stood looking over my shoulder.

"Hey, Hermione, do you want to play Truth or Dare?" asked Lavender

"It's a cool muggle game Lee taught us," added Pavarti, and they both promptly burst into a fit of giggles.

I didn't want to seem rude, but I really had to finish my assignment.

"um, thanks, but no thanks."

"But we can't really play it properly with just the two of us. It wouldn't be as much fun!"

"I really can't…"

"Oh, come on Herm, all you ever do is study!"

"I do not! I can have fun too sometimes." I insisted, although I could feel myself turning crimson.

"Yeah, well when was the last time you let your hair down?" Asked Lavender impatiently.

I knew they had a point. I didn't really want to put off my assignment though. I glanced feverently at my watch.

"Well, I suppose…as long as it's a quick game…"

"Great, come with us!" Pavarti said gleefully, grabbing my arm. Ron gave me a strange look as I was hauled off to the girls' common room. * Probably because I'm parting with my books for once * I thought glumly.

"Ok, we'll begin with…"

Pavarti glanced at me,

"Lavender!"

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Truth!"

"Ok, who do you have a crush on the most?" She asked hurriedly, even though the answer was obvious,

"Ron Weasley!" Lavender murmured dreamily,

I sneaked a quick look at my watch,

"Right, Hermione!"

"Sorry?"

"It's your go!" Lavender added impatiently.

"um, ok, Dare!"

They both giggled. I shifted uneasily – they obviously had something planned.

"Ok, since you are trying to prove that you can have fun besides studying…" Pavarti began

"…You have to take a guy to the Yule Ball next week!" Pavarti finished.

Ok, that's not so bad I told myself. I wasn't going to go this year, but I could go anyway.

"Wait – Not just any guy…" Added Lavender

Oh no, here we go I thought, and braced myself.

"George Weasley!"

* * *

Harry and Ron had to practically drag me to breakfast the next morning. I was really not looking forward to asking George. I mean George Weasley! I knew he was Ron's brother, but he was the kind of guy who spent all his lunchtimes in detention.

I sat down at the Griffindor table trying desperately to avoid catching anyone's eye, and I thought I might have got away with it all, until Lavender kicked me under the table and glared at me.

"Oww…um, I mean, er…George…" He looked up from his breakfast, "er…Do you…" I looked down, embarrassed.

"Do I what?" He prompted,

"er, do you want…me to pass you the ketchup?" I spluttered.

"To put on my cornflakes?" He looked at me puzzled, before Pavarti and Lavender burst out laughing next to me. I suddenly realised my mistake. Horrified, I muttered my excuses and left the table quickly.

George's POV

Monday Morning! I sighed, whacked my alarm clock and fell back asleep – at least I tried to until Fred lit a flaming cracker under my bed.

"Oh, Fred, I was trying not to get up – it's Monday!" I groaned, but he'd already run off.

I glanced at my clock – ten to eight – and rolled over. Ten to eight!!!

Oh great, I got up abruptly, forced a comb through my hair, changed and went downstairs for breakfast.

"At last! What were you doing?" Lee chuckled.

"Trying to sleep!" I muttered.

At Least I wasn't the last one down to breakfast. Harry, Ron and Hermione came rushing in, when I was half way through my cereal.

I wasn't really concentrating though until I suddenly heard my name mentioned and looked up.

I was even more surprised to find that it was Hermione

"er…Do you…" She paused and looked away.

"Do I what?" I asked, interested,

"er, do you want…me to pass you the ketchup?" she blurted out.

"To put on my cornflakes?" I stared at her hard as she grabbed her tray and left, amongst giggles from Pavarti and her friend Lavender. What on earth was it about Monday mornings that made people act so weird?

"Is she ok?" I asked Ron.

"er…I dunno. Maybe she's ill, she didn't even want to come and eat earlier!"

I shrugged and poured myself another bowl of cereal.

Hemione's POV

Oh, great! I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been. I had just completely humiliated myself in front of everyone. When I reached the Griffindor common room, I automatically reached for my books. As I sat up ready to work on my History of Magic assignment though, Lavender and Pavarti came barging through the portrait hole.

"You didn't ask him!" Lavender exclaimed,

"No, but I managed to make myself look really stupid instead," I groaned,

"Look, you have to ask him soon – before someone else does!"

"Not much danger of that!" I muttered.

I started packing my books carefully.

"I'm not sure if I can do this!" I said warily

"course you can, you said you would."

"Anyway – a dare's a dare," Lavender added

"What if he doesn't want to go with me?" I asked worried.

"Well now's your chance to find out – he's already here!" Pavarti said nodding towards the door, where Fred, George and Lee were deep in conversation.

I looked down nervously. I was starting to regret ever getting myself involved in this. I mean - I didn't even like George. Well…at least not in that way. I steadied myself, walked over to him, and sat down on the next sofa with a magazine.

"Hey, we'd better get our stuff ready," Fred said,

"um, yeah, I think I must have left my pen here somewhere last night," George mumbled sleepily and got down on his hands and knees to look for it.

"Ok, well we'll see you in a minute," said Lee walking off towards the boys dorm.

* Oh great * I thought, * I'm going to have to do it now *

"Um, George…?"

"Huh, what?…Oh, it's you Hermoine. Thanks for the ketchup by the way!" He said grinning.

I turned bright red and stared at my shoes.

"I was just wondering…if you, like, wanted to go, to…you know, the Yule Ball with me and that!" I mumbled hastily.

He looked up and stared at me.

"Sorry?"

"Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?" I repeated.

"Are you joking?" He asked surprised

"um, no…no of course not!" I said, feeling my face flush red,

"Er…No offence Mione, but why do you want to ask me? I mean, you should ask Harry. I'm sure he'd go with you. Anyway…Wouldn't you rather study or something instead?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter, maybe I won't go after all!" I muttered and ran off.

George's POV

Things today just seem to have got even stranger. I'd just been having an in depth discussion about the Chudley Cannons with Fred and Lee, when Fred decided to get his stuff ready for next lesson (he obviously hadn't packed his new extra strong stink bombs). I was still not quite awake and I couldn't remember where I'd left my pen last night, so I'd got down to look under the chair, when I realised that Hermione was trying to talk to me.

"Huh, what?…Oh, it's you Hermoine. Thanks for the ketchup by the way!" I said smiling.

She looked really embarrassed at that, and I wished I hadn't mentioned it.

"I was just wondering…if you, like, wanted to go, to…you know, the Yule Ball with me and that!"

I sat up and stared at her for the second time that morning. Now I was convinced that something was wrong here.

"Sorry?"

"Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

I had to double check that I was actually awake. Why on Earth was Hermione – who never got in trouble and always handed in her work in on time, want to ask someone like me to take her to the Yule Ball?

"Are you joking?"

"um, no…no of course not!" She muttered

"Er…No offence Mione, but why do you want to ask me? I mean, you should ask Harry. I'm sure he'd go with you. Anyway…Wouldn't you rather study or something instead?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter, maybe I won't go after all!" She replied and ran off somewhere. I was seriously confused now.

I went to catch up with Fred,

"There you are – got your pen?"

"What? Oh, no, not yet," I replied,

"Oh well, you don't have any spare tongue toffees do you? I used all mine on Neville."

"Oh sure…I just spoke to Hermione again…"

"Did she offer you some HP sauce too?" Asked Lee grinning,

"No…but she asked me to go to the Yule Ball with her – why would she do that?"

"She was probably taking the mick! Girls do that you know," said Lee

"Not Hermione. She doesn't even tease Ron - and everyone teases Ron…I bet she fancies you!" Fred laughed, slapping me on the back.

I seriously doubted that, but it certainly gave me something to think about.

Hermione's POV

I sat at the back of the classroom, trying to look as if I was actually listening, while really I was contemplating what George had said to me that morning. Maybe all I ever did was study. I tried to inconspicuously wipe my eyes on the sleeve of my robe. * Hang on a minute * I thought * Since when did you care if George thought you were a swot – it never bothered you before * maybe I didn't care - * but why, then, are you so upset about it * The more reasonable side of me thought.

Suddenly Ron elbowed me really hard in my side.

" Oww, what…" I looked up to see Professor Binns looking at me over the top of his glasses,

I gave Ron a puzzled glance.

"Sorry, Professor?"

"I said, would you mind bringing your assignment to the front desk, please Miss Granger. I'm sure Ill enjoy reading it as much as I did your last."

A few people smirked. I looked around blankly.

"You assignment on 'The History of the modern day Ogre'" He prompted, expectantly.

Horror and dread began to fill me slowly. I had completely forgotten.

"I…I..uh…I didn't finish it sir…" I stuttered

"Were you ill over the weekend? I could give you an extension…" He added

"I…forgot," I muttered.

"Forgot what?"

"To do the assignment."

The Professor sighed loudly.

"Well, Miss Granger, could you please stay behind to see me after the lesson."

He continued to finish collecting the essays as I sunk lower into my chair and tried not to die of embarrassment.

As the bell went, I left slowly, trying to avoid the strange looks everyone was giving me. I stopped abruptly at the front desk.

"I do feel I have to point out how disappointed I am in you Hermione."

"Sorry Professor, it wont happen again."

"I admit, I was rather looking forward to reading your essay. You do tend to write a fair amount more than most people.

"Sir."

"Which is why I don't seem to understand how you managed to forget." He sighed, "I'm afraid I'll be forced to ask you to attend a detention session this lunchtime to catch up though. Now do hurry along or you'll be late for your next lesson."

Oh no! I thought. This could damage my record forever. I panicked. What if I was rejected for a top job because of this. * Come on * I told myself * this is the perfect opportunity to prove yourself, and it's not as if you've never had detention before *