Ron let out a sigh, his hands covering his face in frustration. His words, though still audible, were nearly drowned by his despair.
"She gazed at me as if I were a billywig, not bothering to respond. Then, out of nowhere, I just fled."
Harry consoled him, "Ron, it's not your fault. We all know Fleur has some Veela ancestry in her. It's in her blood; she must have cast that charm on Diggory at the time, and you happened to be in the crossfire."
Ginny chimed in, "Yes, exactly. It must have been her enchantments."
Though they all realized how far-fetched this sounded, they held their tongues to ease Ron's troubled mind.
Evan was relieved he hadn't invited Gabrielle here, not knowing how to end the awkwardness.
"Moving on," Harry continued, "Diggory's planning to go with Autumn Chang."
Evan, Ron, and Ginny turned toward Harry, stunned by his revelation.
"I just asked her to accompany me!" Harry added dryly, "And she accepted."
Ginny's laughter abruptly ceased as she stared at Harry, puzzled.
"This is unbelievable!" Ron exclaimed, looking up. "Evan, did you secure a dance partner?"
Evan shook his head. He hadn't crossed paths with Hermione yet.
"We're the only ones without dance partners left!" Ron declared. "And Neville, guess who he asked? Hermione!"
"What?"
"Yeah, I know!" Ron chuckled, some color returning to his face. "He mentioned how she's been helping him with homework and stuff, but Hermione turned him down, claiming she'd already promised someone else. Ha! As if it's true; she simply didn't want to go with Neville. I mean, who else but Evan would have asked her?"
Evan couldn't believe his ears. Hermione had agreed to go with someone else! Could it be Krum?
His thoughts were in disarray, and he failed to register Ron's next words.
"Cut it out, Ron, no more laughter!" Ginny snapped irritably. "Enough!"
Just then, Hermione entered the auditorium, carrying a stack of books.
"Why is everyone pointing at you guys?" She joined them, sensing the uneasy atmosphere.
"Halt the laughter, Ron!" Ginny scolded. "Both of them invited girls to the ball, and they were turned down!"
Instantly, Harry and Ron fell silent.
"Thanks a lot, Ginny," Ron muttered grimly.
"Aren't all the pretty girls taken, Ron?" Hermione remarked condescendingly. "Even Eloise Midgen is starting to look appealing to you, isn't she? It's alright; I'm sure you'll find someone to accompany you."
"Hermione, did Neville just say you agreed to someone else?" Evan asked directly, his heart pounding. He locked eyes with Hermione, her brown gaze gleaming.
Hermione hesitated briefly, avoiding Evan's gaze, struggling to formulate her response.
"Yes, that's correct," Hermione finally admitted.
"No way, you can't have!" Ron retorted. "You only said that to let Neville down gently!"
"Oh, really?" Hermione retorted, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Why can't I accept another invitation? Just because one of you never asked me – probably due to his terrible timing – doesn't mean I haven't caught someone else's attention."
"Come on, Hermione, we know you're a good person, but nobody would have invited you!" Ron argued. "Just go with Evan. We need a dance partner, and it'll look bad if everyone else has one except us!"
Ron's remarks were far from helpful, and Hermione's anger flared.
"Is that what you think?" Hermione snapped, her voice rising. "Finding a dance partner is about pride?"
"Clearly!" Ron nodded.
"I didn't!" Evan interjected. "Hermione, I don't want you as my date for appearances."
"Then why, Evan?" Hermione questioned. "All you boys want is a pretty girl."
"I like you, Hermione, which is why I want you as my date," Evan confessed.
It was a long-overdue statement. For the past two years, whenever Evan had been on the verge of saying this to Hermione, she had skillfully evaded the topic.
A hush fell over the group as Hermione bit her lip, studying Evan in disbelief. Her eyes sparkled with emotion, and the blush on her face deepened.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny exchanged astonished glances, unsure of what to say.
"I can't accompany you, Evan; I promised someone else!" Hermione declared stubbornly, taking a deep breath. She rose abruptly, preparing to leave the auditorium.
"Hermione, I'm inviting you to be my dance partner right now!" Evan exclaimed, grasping her hand.
"I..."
"You can only attend the ball with me, no one else, whoever it may be!" Evan declared authoritatively.
It wasn't like him, but Evan couldn't let Hermione slip away. He didn't care about her prior commitment; all he knew was that he couldn't back down now.
One thought consumed Evan's mind: regardless of Hermione's prior promise, he would win her over.
Their voices carried throughout the auditorium, capturing everyone's attention.
The crowd's gazes focused on Evan and Hermione, and some even let out surprised exclamations.
Perhaps it was the scrutiny of the crowd or Evan's unwavering gaze, but Hermione's face flushed.
She started to say something, but words failed her, leaving her staring at Evan in a daze.
They were so close, they could feel each other's breath.
Evan's heart raced. As he gazed into Hermione's eyes, he acted on instinct and kissed her without hesitation.
The auditorium erupted in cheers, and the entire school looked on in disbelief.
Evan's impulsive move had taken Hermione by surprise, rendering her momentarily speechless. She raised a hand as if to stop Evan, but her body felt weak, lacking the strength to resist.
After the initial shock, a sweet sensation enveloped her. As their tongues intertwined, Hermione's mind went blank, and she closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She forgot to think and had no desire to do so, simply wanting to hold Evan even closer.
Evan sensed Hermione trembling within his embrace, her long lashes fluttering like delicate wings. Her lips, still tinged with the cold and sweetness of their kiss, exuded a unique feminine fragrance.
Initially, shock had led Hermione to instinctively resist, but soon she reciprocated, taking the initiative.
Amidst the countless onlookers, Evan and Hermione appeared oblivious to the world around them.
Even Harry, Ron, and Ginny, who were closest, watched in astonishment.
Several dozen seconds later, as Evan left the auditorium, guiding the now-bashful Hermione, the air was filled with screams and whistles.
Excitement and chatter erupted all around, fueled by the sensational incident. Rumors about Evan and Hermione spread like wildfire through the castle.
"Evan kissed Hermione in front of everyone!" Harry exclaimed, as if the realization had just dawned on him.
"I just want to know who else Hermione said yes to besides Evan and Neville," Ron mused.
"She didn't say yes to anyone!" Ginny interjected. "She hadn't planned on attending the ball."
"What, but…"
"That's what anyone would say if they heard you spouting all that nonsense," Ginny said nonchalantly. "You're just judging a book by its cover, Ron, and, let's face it, you boys just want the prettiest girl for the dance. That's why Fleur turned you down."
"Wait, I told you nobody asked her, Hermione just said that to…"
"Hermione is much better than you think; she's a great girl. You boys never notice the girls around you, and you'll never realize it!" Ginny sighed in exasperation, casting a quick glance at Harry. "It's not as if nobody asked Hermione; even Krum extended an invitation. The Durmstrang crowd knew about it long before Professor McGonagall announced the Christmas Ball!"
"Oh my God, Krum?!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide. "That's absurd; Hermione never mentioned it."
"Why would she tell you!" Ginny replied indignantly.
"So, Hermione accepted Krum's invitation?"
"Whether Hermione accepted someone else's invitation or not is her private business; we're not in a position to discuss it!" Ginny continued. "But, as I mentioned earlier, she didn't actually accept anyone's invitation. Hermione wasn't planning to attend the Christmas Ball; she confided that in me."
"But why?" Ron asked, increasingly bewildered. He looked at Ginny with an incredulous expression. "Everyone's looking forward to the Christmas Ball, and Hermione actually decided not to go, even turning down Krum. What's wrong with her?!"
"Because of Evan!" Ginny said, her tone tinged with annoyance. "Fleur approached Hermione, hoping to secure Evan as her sister Gabrielle's date, even though they're not in fourth year yet. Fleur intends to plead with Mrs. Maxim to allow them to attend the ball."
"Fleur went to Hermione for this?!" Both Harry and Ron felt their heads spinning.
The unfolding situation was far more complex than they had initially thought when it came to inviting dates to the ball.
"That woman spoke to Hermione privately; who knows what they discussed." Ginny said, frustration evident. "In any case, Hermione had no intention of going to the ball after that conversation! She's been hesitating, avoiding Evan, unsure whether she should be with him or not. But after today, she should have made up her mind!"
The auditorium continued to buzz with chatter. Harry and Ron were still processing the shocking information provided by Ginny.
Despite everyone else's opinions, what was clear was that Evan and Hermione's kiss in the auditorium had become the second hottest topic in the castle, surpassed only by the Christmas Ball itself. The event would be discussed for a long time to come.
Exiting the auditorium, Evan led Hermione down an empty corridor, ready to engage in a lengthy conversation.
Hermione's recent behavior had been rather puzzling. Why had she been avoiding him and accepting other people's invitations? It was uncharacteristic of her.
Particularly troubling was the knowledge that she had accepted someone else's invitation, a fact that left Evan feeling betrayed and furious.
He would rather believe that Hermione had been subjected to an Imperius Curse, ingested a Love Potion, or had even been replaced by Polyjuice Potion than accept that she had agreed to go with someone else. It was simply inconceivable and shattered his world.
In the face of Evan's intensity, Hermione's current demeanor was markedly girlish, a stark departure from her usual self-assured nature. She cast shy glances at Evan and quickly averted her eyes.
Evan's recent actions, particularly the impromptu kiss in front of the entire student body, had left Hermione feeling as if she had done something wrong.
Recalling that Evan had just kissed her forcefully, Hermione couldn't help but blush uncontrollably.
Evan had been daring enough to kiss her, right in front of all the students!
Hermione vowed that the scene in the auditorium would be etched in her memory forever, an unforgettable moment.
Especially when she realized that, ultimately, she had initiated the response to Evan's kiss, her mind grew even more blank.
Hermione had never imagined that her relationship with Evan would reach this point. It had evolved significantly from the incident with the werewolf attack in Hogsmeade a year ago, culminating in their substantial progress at the previous Christmas.
Over the past year, there had been countless moments when she had considered distancing herself from this relationship. She had always found reasons to do so. The pace of their relationship had been too rapid, and she cherished their friendship too much to risk ruining it. Evan was a year younger and exceptionally talented in magic, making their disparities more noticeable. Evan's increasing fame had only exacerbated the gap between them.
Hermione had never let go of these concerns and had entertained thoughts of backing out numerous times along the way.
The more she cared about something, the more afraid she was of losing it. The Christmas Ball was a prime example. She had received Krum's invitation at the beginning of December, and it had taken her completely by surprise.
Hermione was taken aback, never expecting Krum to ask her. On a weekend evening, Krum had managed to shake off the girls pursuing him and had offered to sit next to her.
He confided that he had been visiting the library every day just to talk to her but hadn't mustered the courage.
Hermione had no intention of accepting Krum's invitation, nor did she have any plans to develop a romantic relationship with him. However, after spending time together a few times, she realized that Krum wasn't as bad as she had initially thought, and she considered the prospect of friendship.
Of course, Hermione had never entertained any romantic thoughts about Krum, let alone accepting his invitation.
Amidst her many worries, Hermione had been deeply concerned about how her actions would affect her relationship with Evan. The revelation that she had accepted someone else's invitation had left her feeling conflicted and anxious.
In her heart, she knew that if she were to attend the Christmas Ball, she would only go with Evan.