Another HP/Yasmine flashfic
Mar. 24th, 2007 10:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jessara40k_ljSome more of my time travel fic. I borrowed a lot from the book in this piece and the previous one, but if I had been doing a full rewrite with this version of Harry there’d probably be a lot more variation. It’s just I’ve already got a couple of epic length fics on my plate, so I’m taking short cuts here.
“This is mad,” Ron sounded frustrated, not that Harry could blame him after the way he said Fleur had rejected him, “we’re the only ones left who haven’t got anyone - well, except Neville. Hey - guess who he asked? Hermione!”
“Neville asked her?” Harry would have expected Hermione to have arranged her own date - she was independent enough for that - or to be going with an older student, or a Ravenclaw, not Neville.
“Yeah, I know!” Some of the colour came back into Ron’s face as he laughed. “He told me after Potions! Said she’s always been really nice to him, helping him with work and stuff - but she told him she was already going out with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn’t want to go with Neville...I mean who would?”
“Don’t!” Ginny’s annoyance had an almost personal flavour, but Harry couldn’t be bothered to work out why. “Don’t laugh-”
“I’d have invited her if I’d brought a different pet with me, if I’d listened to the people who advised me to bring a brainless concubine instead of my brilliant Yasmine.” Harry was annoyed at Ron’s ignorance, and at the way Ron was still laughing as Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole - and he knew his friend tended not to listen to Ginny.
“Why weren’t you two at dinner?” She frowned at Harry as she walked over to join them. “And what were you saying about a concubine?”
“I was given some stupid advice before I came here by a Secondary a few years older than me, it isn’t important. And I wasn’t happy about the way I let myself get distracted in Potions, especially when the subjects so important.”
“But Ron doesn’t care that much about lessons.” Hermione sounded really puzzled, especially since Ron hadn’t managed to stop laughing.
“He’s just been turned down by the girl he asked to the ball.”
“Thanks a bunch Ginny.”
“All the good-looking ones taken Ron?” Hermione definitely had a partner from the unconcerned tone in her voice; she hadn’t been lying to make Neville feel better - not that she would over something so trivial. “Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now is she? Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone somewhere who’ll have you.”
Ron wasn’t paying attention to Hermione’s words, staring at her as if he was seeing her in a whole new light. “Hermione, Neville and Harry are right - you are a girl.”
“Oh, well spotted.” Harry had to admire the acid she put into her voice, something Ron was still missing.
“Well - you can come with me.”
“No, I can’t.” It was time to say something, and stop Ron embarrassing himself any more.
“Ron, Hermione really does have a date; it wasn’t just a ‘kind’ way to refuse Neville while she was waiting for you to realise she’s a girl.” Which was what his attitude implied. “But Hermione, you really should tell me who, so I can threaten him properly.”
“What do you mean threaten him properly?”
“You’re a friend, I care about what happens to you. Of course I’m going to threaten anyone who has the chance to hurt you. I’d expect you to do the same if I was going to the ball with anyone but Yasmine.” Harry wasn’t sure why his earlier words had upset Hermione, but now she was calming down after hearing him explain a bit more. He wouldn’t explain anything more about the threats he’d use unless she asked.
“And would you let me or Ron threaten this consort you’re supposed to be bringing next year?”
“As long as it was an appropriate threat, of course. Not that there’s many ways a consort could hurt me; only if she was stupid enough to cheat on me really.” Harry shrugged again. “And not even that if she’s properly discreet and chooses from the appropriate members of my household.” He smiled at Hermione and tilted his head to one side in enquiry. “So, are you going to tell me who I need to threaten?”
“What? No! You’re impossible.” She stormed off towards the girls’ dormitories at that and Harry considered the possibility of questioning Ginny about Hermione’s date, before dismissing it on the grounds that the younger girl would probably keep Hermione’s secret.
“Great going Harry, I’m going to look really stupid without a partner when everyone else has one.”
“If I’m suggesting something inappropriate tell me, but in my time it would be considered admirable if you gave your sister an opportunity to attend an even she would otherwise be forbidden.”
“I can’t take Ginny!”
“I...I’m going with Neville.” Ginny was blushing as she spoke, even if Harry wasn’t sure just why. “He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought...well...I’m not going to be able to go otherwise. I’m not in fourth year.” She looked oddly smug, and Harry wasn’t sure what there was to be smug about in doing the sensible thing. “I think I’ll go and have dinner.” Harry watched as she walked over to the portrait hole, and saw Parvati and Lavender coming in shortly after. He needed to talk to them on Yasmine’s behalf anyway, he might as well take care of Ron’s problem as well.
“Wait here.” He stood and walked over to the two girls quickly. “Hey, can I ask a favour from you two?” He didn’t get why Parvati and Lavender went into a fit of giggles at that, but he waited until they finished patiently.
“What do you want?”
“Can you help Yasmine get dressed for the Yule Ball? Part of her outfit...she can’t get it exactly right by herself, and she doesn’t really like asking me to help her. She said it’s inappropriate, especially before an important event like this.” They giggled again at that, not that he blamed them this time; Harry was more nervous about the idea of asking one of them out on behalf of Ron than anything else, but they couldn’t know that and what he was asking was clearly something they’d enjoy.
“Yes, we can do that.”
“Thank you Lavender, Parvati. So, might I ask who your partners are and the colours you intend to wear, that I might provide appropriate gifts for them to give you before the ball?” Now they seemed a bit dumbfounded, not that Harry could understand why.
“I’m going with Seamus, and I’m wearing green. What do you mean, appropriate gift?” An emerald on a gold or possibly silver chain for her then.
“Well, in my time, it is tradition to give the lady you are escorting some gift to wear with her outfit, especially if she isn’t of your household.” Harry ignored their whispers of how romantic that was to explain in a bit more detail, so they wouldn’t be too surprised by what they received before the ball. “And it’s also acceptable to provide a gift to be given to a lady if it is to repay a debt. I’m being a bit overgenerous with the gift I’ll be giving Yasmine by those measures; jewellery is for a lady from another clan,” no need to discuss the exact ramifications of the type of jewellery, “flowers or a scarf is what you give one of your household, but I can get way with it because she was my first. Parvati, you haven’t answered my question.”
“I’m wearing hot pink, but...I don’t have a date yet.”
“Ah, then would you consider going to the ball with Ron?” Parvati didn’t look happy about it, but eventually she agreed and he grinned and thanked her before walking back to Ron.
“There, you’ve got a partner, and I’ll give you a ruby pendant to give to her just before you take her to the ball.”
“Harry, I don’t need charity.” Ron protested quietly, and Harry gritted his teeth in frustration at his lack of gratitude.
“It’s not charity. I’m using Seamus to give Lavender an emerald pendant. It’s a nice discreet way to pay them for taking care of Yasmine, okay?”
“Yeah, okay then.”
“This is mad,” Ron sounded frustrated, not that Harry could blame him after the way he said Fleur had rejected him, “we’re the only ones left who haven’t got anyone - well, except Neville. Hey - guess who he asked? Hermione!”
“Neville asked her?” Harry would have expected Hermione to have arranged her own date - she was independent enough for that - or to be going with an older student, or a Ravenclaw, not Neville.
“Yeah, I know!” Some of the colour came back into Ron’s face as he laughed. “He told me after Potions! Said she’s always been really nice to him, helping him with work and stuff - but she told him she was already going out with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn’t want to go with Neville...I mean who would?”
“Don’t!” Ginny’s annoyance had an almost personal flavour, but Harry couldn’t be bothered to work out why. “Don’t laugh-”
“I’d have invited her if I’d brought a different pet with me, if I’d listened to the people who advised me to bring a brainless concubine instead of my brilliant Yasmine.” Harry was annoyed at Ron’s ignorance, and at the way Ron was still laughing as Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole - and he knew his friend tended not to listen to Ginny.
“Why weren’t you two at dinner?” She frowned at Harry as she walked over to join them. “And what were you saying about a concubine?”
“I was given some stupid advice before I came here by a Secondary a few years older than me, it isn’t important. And I wasn’t happy about the way I let myself get distracted in Potions, especially when the subjects so important.”
“But Ron doesn’t care that much about lessons.” Hermione sounded really puzzled, especially since Ron hadn’t managed to stop laughing.
“He’s just been turned down by the girl he asked to the ball.”
“Thanks a bunch Ginny.”
“All the good-looking ones taken Ron?” Hermione definitely had a partner from the unconcerned tone in her voice; she hadn’t been lying to make Neville feel better - not that she would over something so trivial. “Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now is she? Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone somewhere who’ll have you.”
Ron wasn’t paying attention to Hermione’s words, staring at her as if he was seeing her in a whole new light. “Hermione, Neville and Harry are right - you are a girl.”
“Oh, well spotted.” Harry had to admire the acid she put into her voice, something Ron was still missing.
“Well - you can come with me.”
“No, I can’t.” It was time to say something, and stop Ron embarrassing himself any more.
“Ron, Hermione really does have a date; it wasn’t just a ‘kind’ way to refuse Neville while she was waiting for you to realise she’s a girl.” Which was what his attitude implied. “But Hermione, you really should tell me who, so I can threaten him properly.”
“What do you mean threaten him properly?”
“You’re a friend, I care about what happens to you. Of course I’m going to threaten anyone who has the chance to hurt you. I’d expect you to do the same if I was going to the ball with anyone but Yasmine.” Harry wasn’t sure why his earlier words had upset Hermione, but now she was calming down after hearing him explain a bit more. He wouldn’t explain anything more about the threats he’d use unless she asked.
“And would you let me or Ron threaten this consort you’re supposed to be bringing next year?”
“As long as it was an appropriate threat, of course. Not that there’s many ways a consort could hurt me; only if she was stupid enough to cheat on me really.” Harry shrugged again. “And not even that if she’s properly discreet and chooses from the appropriate members of my household.” He smiled at Hermione and tilted his head to one side in enquiry. “So, are you going to tell me who I need to threaten?”
“What? No! You’re impossible.” She stormed off towards the girls’ dormitories at that and Harry considered the possibility of questioning Ginny about Hermione’s date, before dismissing it on the grounds that the younger girl would probably keep Hermione’s secret.
“Great going Harry, I’m going to look really stupid without a partner when everyone else has one.”
“If I’m suggesting something inappropriate tell me, but in my time it would be considered admirable if you gave your sister an opportunity to attend an even she would otherwise be forbidden.”
“I can’t take Ginny!”
“I...I’m going with Neville.” Ginny was blushing as she spoke, even if Harry wasn’t sure just why. “He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought...well...I’m not going to be able to go otherwise. I’m not in fourth year.” She looked oddly smug, and Harry wasn’t sure what there was to be smug about in doing the sensible thing. “I think I’ll go and have dinner.” Harry watched as she walked over to the portrait hole, and saw Parvati and Lavender coming in shortly after. He needed to talk to them on Yasmine’s behalf anyway, he might as well take care of Ron’s problem as well.
“Wait here.” He stood and walked over to the two girls quickly. “Hey, can I ask a favour from you two?” He didn’t get why Parvati and Lavender went into a fit of giggles at that, but he waited until they finished patiently.
“What do you want?”
“Can you help Yasmine get dressed for the Yule Ball? Part of her outfit...she can’t get it exactly right by herself, and she doesn’t really like asking me to help her. She said it’s inappropriate, especially before an important event like this.” They giggled again at that, not that he blamed them this time; Harry was more nervous about the idea of asking one of them out on behalf of Ron than anything else, but they couldn’t know that and what he was asking was clearly something they’d enjoy.
“Yes, we can do that.”
“Thank you Lavender, Parvati. So, might I ask who your partners are and the colours you intend to wear, that I might provide appropriate gifts for them to give you before the ball?” Now they seemed a bit dumbfounded, not that Harry could understand why.
“I’m going with Seamus, and I’m wearing green. What do you mean, appropriate gift?” An emerald on a gold or possibly silver chain for her then.
“Well, in my time, it is tradition to give the lady you are escorting some gift to wear with her outfit, especially if she isn’t of your household.” Harry ignored their whispers of how romantic that was to explain in a bit more detail, so they wouldn’t be too surprised by what they received before the ball. “And it’s also acceptable to provide a gift to be given to a lady if it is to repay a debt. I’m being a bit overgenerous with the gift I’ll be giving Yasmine by those measures; jewellery is for a lady from another clan,” no need to discuss the exact ramifications of the type of jewellery, “flowers or a scarf is what you give one of your household, but I can get way with it because she was my first. Parvati, you haven’t answered my question.”
“I’m wearing hot pink, but...I don’t have a date yet.”
“Ah, then would you consider going to the ball with Ron?” Parvati didn’t look happy about it, but eventually she agreed and he grinned and thanked her before walking back to Ron.
“There, you’ve got a partner, and I’ll give you a ruby pendant to give to her just before you take her to the ball.”
“Harry, I don’t need charity.” Ron protested quietly, and Harry gritted his teeth in frustration at his lack of gratitude.
“It’s not charity. I’m using Seamus to give Lavender an emerald pendant. It’s a nice discreet way to pay them for taking care of Yasmine, okay?”
“Yeah, okay then.”
