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“Scared?” Fleur murmured with a tilt of her head as she offered her arm to Hermione.
“A little bit.” Hermione admitted with a small smile. The dark-haired haired girl stretched her hand out to slip her arm around Fleur’s elbow before she reached up to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. “But, it’s a good scared?”
“Of course, ‘ermione,” Fleur chuckled as her cheeks flushed pink under Hermione’s lips, “are you ready?”
Hermione sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment before she nodded her head. “I’m ready.” She said. “Actually, I can’t wait to see Ron’s face… He didn’t believe me when I said I had a date already.”
“I find that hard to understand,” Fleur replied with a smile as she turned to head toward the entrance Hall, “you are beautiful Hermione Granger. I am surprise no one had asked you before I did.”
“Well,” Hermione followed Fleur toward the Great Hall, “Viktor did ask me but… He couldn’t even say my name, and I already had my eye on you.”
“I’ve had my eye on you from the first day.” Fleur admitted. “I saw you at the Gryffindor table, with the bouillabaisse, and… my heart leapt.”
“I didn’t know what to do when you came over to ask for it.” Hermione said with a soft laugh. “I was a bit of a bitch.”
“I remember.” Fleur said with a rueful smirk. “But, that just made me want to know why, and the rest is history.”
“And the rest is history,” Hermione agreed as she squeezed Fleur’s arm.
Fleur led Hermione toward the end of the Entrance Hall stairs before turning to head toward the side-room beside the Great Hall. “Madame Maxime said that the Champions were to meet here before the beginning of the Ball, but I do not know why.”
“I suspect we’re about to find out.” Hermione whispered out of the side of her mouth as she nodded her head toward Professor McGonagall. “I’ve never seen her quite so flustered before… Well, unless you count whenever she catches me, Harry, and Ron ‘up to something’.”
Professor McGonagall’s eyes flickered around the small room, counting the occupants, before she turned on her heel to grab someone as they walked passed the small doorway. “Mr Potter, this way if you please,” McGonagall said as she used her hand on Harry’s shoulder to direct the boy into the room. “Now, as some of you might already know, and some might not,” Professor McGonagall looked pointedly at Harry as she spoke, “—it is traditional for The Champions to lead the first dance of the night to open The Yule Ball. If you would all follow me then we can begin the night."
Fleur’s bright blue eyes flickered down to Hermione’s soft brown eyes as the French woman stepped back half a step to hold her hand out to Hermione. “May I have this dance?” She asked, a tender smile etched onto her lips, and waited for Hermione’s response.
A quiet giggle rose out of Hermione’s throat before she laid her hand in Fleur’s hand and replied, “you may.”
The pair led the way out into the Great hall, their hands clasped together, with their hearts beating in unison.