An Unbreakable Vow ~ Harry Potter

xxvi - in which loony lovegood plays the cello

The Yule ball was still going strong and far into the night, with the lights glimmering brighter and brighter to light up the darkness. The icicles, which should be dripping by now, were magically enchanted to stay frozen forever. A group of fifth year boys without partners were going around pranking people with icicles in their noses.

Luna had climbed onto the stage and requested a go at the cello, which she was actually very good at, and even when she had started to sing, everyone was pleasantly surprised.

Well, except for Ron.

"She can't act decently, can she? I only brought her because she asked me right before," complained Ron, who was slumped in a chair at their table.

Valerie scoffed. "Can't act decently? She's more interesting than you could ever be."

Ron's chair came to a sudden screech on the floor, catching many couples' attention. Valerie could feel several eyes on their group, including Hermione's and Krum's. "Loony Lovegood? Are we talking about the same person? She's my date, by the way."

"And when did you ever seem to care about her? You're toying with her," Valerie argued back, her face turning into a scowl. She could feel her empathy for Luna and her anger at Ron bubbling up in her chest. She knew that if she didn't calm down, something would give.

"She doesn't care about me, Val," Ron said, annoyed, as if he was flicking away a fly.

"You just don't understand girls, Ronald!"

This was the thing with Ron: when he got it in his head that someone was insignificant and unimportant, it would take a lot to change his mind. When he had a bad opinion of someone, it stuck. Sometimes his first impressions were important, and right, but sometimes they were pointless and downright rude. In short, Ron judged people by their covers.

Valerie glimpsed Ron turning his head slightly towards Hermione and her date. Of course he would care about Hermione hearing this whole conversation.

When Valerie saw Hermione, Hermione looked pissed. Her fingers were curled in the folds of her dress. There was a scowl where there had earlier been a smile on her face. It was clear her friend was having none of this.

"You little cockroach, Ronald Weasley! How dare you?" she burst out.

Oh, no.

Hermione unhooked her arm from Krum's. She stormed over to their table. In all honesty, she looked even more mad than Valerie had ever seen her.

"Loony Lovegood? Have you no feeling? You complete imbecile!"

The playing had ceased. Though the conversation was about her, Luna was absently picking the leaves from her crown, seemingly tuning out the conversation. She had already set down the cello.

Before things could get worse, Dumbledore climbed up on the stage and hushed the crowd. "We will be serving the food now, so everything will be restored to an orderly fashion."

Hermione shot Ron one last dirty look before sitting with Krum and the other Durmstrangs at a table across the room.

For the rest of the night, Valerie sat unhappily next to Harry, who was very distant and even less talkative. He did not ask her to dance anymore, even when the musicians started another waltz. The entire time, Valerie was sitting at a chair, trying to find a way to make her butt less numb by getting up, and fiddling with the tablecloth so she was less bored. She barely touched her food.

When everyone filed out of the Great Hall, and there weren't many stragglers left, only Hermione, Ron, Krum, Luna, Harry, and Valerie were left at the door.

"Good night, Eer-my-nee," Krum smiled, kissing Hermione's hand before bowing and leaving to catch up to his group.

Luna was still fiddling with her leaf crown. Valerie could swear that her eyes were slightly red. "Bye, Ron," she addressed him in her absent, dreamy voice. Before she could turn to leave, Valerie shot her a smile, which she gratefully returned.

Ron was sulking dreadfully. "Why'd you have to go with 'dumb Krum'?" he burst.

Hermione's face turned to one of shock and disbelief. "Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" Yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now.

Hermione's face was screwed up in anger, with tears bubbling up in her eyes. Doesn't he ever think? Doesn't he know I wanted it to be him?

"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed in the direction of the dorms. Ron turned to look at Harry.

"Well," he sputtered, looking thunderstruck, "well — just that just proves--completely missed the point —"

Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now — but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.

When Ron sulked off to his room, there was only Harry and Valerie left. Of course Harry wasn't turning to look at her, still distant.

Valerie was near her breaking point, tired of being cast off to the side, being seen as a minor character to forget about as soon as drama happened between his two favourite friends. She was tired of being treated like she was someone to think about only when it was convenient. Harry had forgotten about her.

"I thought this night was supposed to be magical," Valerie remarked to Harry, not upset but disappointed. "I guess I'm not important."

Harry couldn't think of anything to say. He kept trying to talk, but no words came out of his mouth.

Valerie didn't expect him to say anything, anyway. It's not like he cared.

Had he really shown favouritism towards Hermione and Ron? Had he really made Valerie feel like he didn't care for her? He had wanted to make this night magical. He had really tried to show her how much he cared. He cared too much, actually.

And Harry could never tell her. He was sure she didn't love him back.

So Harry just watched as she walked away, slowly letting himself be enveloped by the darkness of the night.

(A/N): I'm sorry, I'm sorry! They'll get together soon, don't worry! I've got something big planned.