Hello! My name is Dolores (like Umbridge ughh!) and this is my first Harry & Hermione story, and the first Harry Potter fanfic that I upload here, so I hope you'll like it. Please forgive any English mistake, I'm Argentinean.

Feel free to leave me your opinion!

Thank you for reading.

I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good.

Christmas was coming. And with it, the traditional ball of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry really didn't want to attend, but he was one of the champions, so McGonagall had left him no other choice.

Damned ball. Harry had always hated balls. He never liked dancing. The boy was a terrible dancer. He had no grace or elegance, or coordination. He could fly on a broomstick, catch a snitch, run from Dudley, but could not dance.

But what stressed him the most was that he had to bring a date. Especially after the fiasco that was the invitation to Cho. Cedric Diggory beat him. Wasn't Harry the Gryffindor? Why then the Hufflepuff student had the bravery to invite Cho at first, while Harry spent days gathering courage? He didn't know. He just knew that if he didn't hurry, he would end up going to the ball with Moaning Myrtle.

Ron was more or less in the same boat. Blinded by the veela charms of Fleur Delacour, he invited her in a crazy impulse. She didn't answer, and he ran off.

The two boys were in the bedroom, lying on their beds, thinking of a solution.

- You know, Harry ... Fred and George are right - Harry watched him run a hand through his tousled ginger hair - If we don't hurry up, all the good girls will be gone. And I do not know about you, but I have no interest in being the laughingstock of Hogwarts.

- Tell me about it... I'll have to open the ball, Ron, everyone will see who I'm with. I have no chance of going unnoticed.

Ron thought about it for a few seconds and smiled.

- Right. But anyway I have to find a decent date... I know! How about Parvati and Lavender?

Harry looked unconvinced. There weren't ugly girls, but they had that giggle that freaked him out.

- I do not know, Ron... I don't like them that much.

Ron rolled his eyes

- Harry, do not be so exquisite, I know they aren't Fleur and Cho, but they're fine. We must accept the reality, it's them, or the house elves from the kitchen ... - He stood up as Harry chuckled - I'm going to ask them, and if they're both available I'll let you know.

- Okay, but do not confirm anything.

Ron left, leaving Harry alone. The brunette laughed again at the house elves comment. If Hermione had heard...

Hermione! Why he didn't think of her before? He could ask her to go together to the ball! It would be easy, she would accept, there would be no problem. Besides, the only one he was interested to go with was Cho, no other girl. But Hermione was his best friend, it was different, he would feel more comfortable and they would have a good time.

Harry smiled and got up from the bed. Passing through the common room he saw Ron talking to Parvati and Lavender. Fortunately, they had not seen him. He rushed to the library, where Hermione had been studying. Once inside, he walked to a far corner, which was Hermione's favorite place. Harry found her there, sitting in a chair next to a table, totally absorbed in a History of Magic book, her matted chestnut hair covering her face. He sat down in front of her, still going unnoticed.

- Hermione – he called.

She jumped in surprised, but when she saw her friend's face she relaxed.

- Harry, what happens?

I'm reading, why do you interrupt me?

- I wanted to ask you something ... - Hermione stared at him, questioning, with the book still open in her hands. Harry decided not to waste her time - Would you like to go with me to the Yule Ball?

Her friend looked puzzled for a few seconds, put a bookmark on page 1570 and closed the book.

- You want me to go to the Yule ball with you?

What kind of question was that? If he didn't want to, he wouldn't have asked. But Hermione was no stupid, so logically that questioning what really meant was why do you want me to go to the Yule ball with you?

- Yeah... – replied Harry - Look, the truth is that I asked Cho, but she had already accepted the invitation from Cedric. And well, as there is no one more...

- I see... So you choose me as a last resort?

- No no, I didn't mean that. I mean I'm not interested in going with another girl than Cho, but you're my friend, so I ask you because I know that if we we go together, I'll feel much more comfortable than with girls like Parvati or Lavender...

Hermione smirked and grabbed the book. Harry looked at her waiting for an answer. She returned to page 1570, so the boy sighed and stood up, ready to go and conform himself with Parvati Patil or Lavender Brown.

- Alright – Hermione then answered, her eyes still on the yellow pages. - I'll go with you to the Yule Ball.

Harry smiled.

- Thank you, Hermione.

And left the library in order to let her study.