"Don't be like that, Ron. At least it's a brand new set of dress robes."
Fred heard Ron's grumbling and tried to console him.
He said this naturally because the Weasley family's financial situation wasn't great, making it impossible to prepare brand new dress robes for every child. In previous years, Ron would definitely have ended up with a second-hand set of dress robes. This year, because of Percy's graduation, the Weasley family's burden had been greatly reduced.
Hearing Fred say this, Dean Thomas glanced at the twins and couldn't help but start grumbling like Ron. "I really can't figure out how you two managed to get the prettiest girls in our entire year."
The prettiest girls in their year naturally referred to the Patil twins.
A year ago, Dean had already brought this up more than once, and everyone had agreed. His good friend Seamus also came over, his tone tinged with envy. "Yeah, what's your secret?"
"Secret?"
George raised an eyebrow and cheerfully slung his arm around Fred's shoulder, saying to him, "You want to tell them?"
"Sure!"
Fred deliberately lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "It's because twin siblings are attracted to each other—they were drawn to our unique synchronicity!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around them couldn't help but laugh. Even Ron, who had been sulking, couldn't help but twitch his lips into a smile.
The atmosphere lightened with this small joke, and the common room was suddenly filled with cheerful air.
Before long, most of the young lions had met up with their dance partners in the common room.
When the prettiest girl of the year, Parvati Patil, appeared, everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to her. The eye-catching pink robes were completely overshadowed by her appearance. Her jet-black hair was braided with golden ribbons, and gold bracelets sparkled on her wrists.
After seeing her, both Harry and Ron couldn't help but steal a few extra glances. She was especially attractive today because she wasn't giggling foolishly like usual.
"You look beautiful," Fred, as her partner, said to her.
"Thank you," Parvati smiled slightly, then said to George, "Padma is waiting to meet you in the entrance hall."
"Alright!" George winked playfully at his twin brother and his partner.
Parvati turned to Sherlock. "Hermione asked me to tell you she needs a bit more time..."
"She's been getting ready for three hours and still isn't done?" Ron's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I already told you, girls are different from you boys!"
At this moment, Ginny also walked over and stood beside Neville.
Harry looked in surprise at this girl he'd always considered a little sister. He didn't know if it was his imagination or related to how she was dressed, but today Ginny seemed much more grown up.
"Um... Parvati, does your twin sister Padma in Ravenclaw wear the same outfit as you today?" Ron asked foolishly.
"Yes, why?" Parvati tilted her head.
"Nothing."
Though Ron said this, he quietly sidled up to Fred and George and asked in a lowered voice, "Your dress robes are identical, and their robes are identical too. What happens if you can't tell them apart at the ball?"
"Why would we need to tell them apart?"
Fred raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a mischievous smile, his questioning tone full of "you don't understand" implications.
"Huh?"
Ron's eyes widened like copper bells as he stared at his brothers in disbelief. What did they mean, why would they need to tell them apart? Wouldn't mixing up your dance partner be embarrassing?
"You still have a lot to learn, little Ronnie."
George patted Ron's shoulder.
"Don't call me that." Ron irritably swatted George's hand away.
George didn't take offense. He said to Harry, "It's about time. Should we go down to the Great Hall entrance to wait for our partners?"
Since Harry, Ron, and George's partners all happened to be from Ravenclaw, Harry glanced hesitantly at Sherlock when he heard this. He was a bit worried whether Sherlock would be bored waiting here alone.
"You all just go ahead."
Sherlock saw through his thoughts, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in a gentle smile. "I'll wait here for Hermione to come down."
Only then did Harry nod. The others already looked impatient. After all, this was the long-awaited Christmas Ball, and no one wanted to be late.
So as soon as George finished speaking, everyone crowded toward the exit. Before long, the originally lively Gryffindor common room had emptied out, leaving only the dancing flames in the fireplace casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Even though he was the only one left in the entire common room, Sherlock showed no signs of restlessness. He leaned back in an armchair by the window, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.
Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall again. Sherlock watched this scene, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. At this moment, he seemed to be quietly enjoying this brief moment of tranquility, though his brain was still operating at high speed.
This was perfectly normal, after all, letting his brain rest was simply torture for Sherlock Holmes.
After another five minutes passed, Sherlock, lost in his own thoughts, suddenly heard a familiar sound of footsteps with a distinctive rhythm coming from behind him. The footsteps were light but carried a unique rhythm. He instantly understood that his dance partner had finally arrived.
"I'm... I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long..."
The next moment, Hermione's apologetic voice came from behind him, her tone hiding a barely detectable nervousness, as if afraid he'd grown impatient waiting.
Sherlock slowly turned around.
Even though he wasn't particularly sensitive to female appearances, at this moment Sherlock noticed how different Hermione looked right now. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she seemed like a completely different person.
Her brown curly hair was no longer a messy tangle but had been carefully styled. Now it gleamed with a soft luster, looking neat and smooth, pulled back into an elegant chignon.
She wore a light purple-blue robe, the fabric light and flowing. When she moved, it was like being wrapped in a faint halo, making her skin appear even more fair.
What was more remarkable was that her entire demeanor had become exceptionally gentle. Perhaps it was because she'd removed the bag containing over twenty thick books that she usually carried, shedding some of the awkwardness of her bookish air and gaining more of the grace and vivacity of a young woman.
Hermione felt a bit embarrassed under Sherlock's scrutinizing gaze. Her cheeks flushed slightly pink, her hands lightly clutching her skirt hem, her voice even softer than before but carrying a note of seriousness. "I wanted you to be the first person to see me like this."
When she spoke, those front teeth that had already been shrunk by Madam Pomfrey looked even smaller.
"This look suits you very well."
Sherlock withdrew his gaze and gave his assessment.
Hermione felt secretly delighted. Then she heard Sherlock continue, "Did you finally read that book 'Makeup for Absolute Beginners'?"
Hermione: (╬◣д◢)
When the young lions emerged from the portrait hole and arrived at the entrance hall, they found it packed with students as well. At this moment, they were all milling about, waiting for eight o'clock to arrive, because only then would the Great Hall doors open.
Some people needed to meet partners from other houses, so they squeezed sideways through the crowd, searching for them.
During this process, Parvati Patil found her twin sister Padma Patil and led her over to meet Fred and George.
"Hello," Padma said.
After careful grooming, she looked just as beautiful as her twin sister. Especially when the two sisters stood together, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone nearby.
Both were quite satisfied with the Weasley twins as their partners. Undoubtedly, the combination of twin brothers and twin sisters would certainly attract enough attention at tonight's Christmas Ball.
Ron looked left, right, up, and down, but still couldn't tell the two sisters apart.
"Harry, are you looking for Cho Chang?" At this moment, Padma noticed Harry looking around in the crowd and asked.
"Ah, yes!" Harry nodded and immediately asked, "Do you know where she is?"
"She's a year above me," Padma shook her head. "But I think she should be down by now. When we left, there was no one left in the common room."
Harry felt somewhat relieved hearing this.
Ron couldn't help but ask, "Do you know where Luna is? Luna Lovegood."
"She's a year below me," Padma looked at Ron with a strange expression. "You're her partner?"
Ron felt a bit embarrassed but still nodded.
"Harry, both of the people you're talking about have arrived."
Just then, Parvati patted Harry's shoulder and pointed in a direction.
Harry immediately looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw Cho Chang and Luna Lovegood walking toward them.
Dean had always said the Patil twins were the prettiest girls in their year, and he wasn't wrong at all. Today the two sisters had proven this with their own capabilities.
But when Cho Chang appeared, even with the twin sisters' combined presence, Harry felt they were overshadowed.
The crowd seemed to unconsciously part, creating a path for her.
At this moment, Cho Chang's radiance surpassed the brilliance of the lights in the entrance hall for him.
Her entire presence was both calm and captivating, as if a lady had stepped out of an ancient painting.
Around them rose a succession of gasps and exclamations. The boys were also stunned, and the girls' eyes were filled with amazement and a trace of envy.
Dean Thomas murmured, "Now I believe I was wrong... the prettiest girl is right here..."
"No, you weren't wrong. She's not in our year," Seamus said beside him.
Harry's heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out of his throat. He was so nervous his hands and feet felt stiff. The closer Cho Chang came, the more clearly he could see the embroidery on her magnificent gown and that heart-stirring gentle expression on her face.
For a moment, he couldn't believe he was lucky enough to have Cho Chang as his partner. He simply couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
It wasn't until Cho Chang, blushing, called out "Harry" that he snapped back to reality and said somewhat awkwardly, "You... uh... you look beautiful today."
Cho Chang blinked. "Does that mean I don't usually look beautiful?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" Harry quickly explained. "You've always been beautiful."
Cho Chang smiled with pressed lips, then stood in front of Harry without saying anything more. Just standing there, she attracted the gaze of everyone nearby.
Meanwhile, Ron finally managed to shift his gaze from Cho Chang to Luna Lovegood standing beside her. At first glance, he couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.
His tense shoulders immediately sagged somewhat, his expression changing from nervous apprehension to relieved ease. Harry noticed that his good friend was even smiling foolishly.
But he could understand Ron. Because today Luna wasn't wearing her radish earrings, Butterbeer cork necklace, or her Spectrespecs as usual. Her pale gold hair hung down smoothly, and her face wore that customary dreamy expression, as if listening to distant music that others couldn't hear.
Though she couldn't compare to Cho Chang and the Patil twins, she already looked much more refreshed and normal. This made Ron feel like the stone pressing on his chest had finally been lifted.
At least he didn't have to worry about bringing a partner covered in strange ornaments to the ball that the whole school was watching.
At this moment, a group of Slytherin students came up the steps from their underground common room. Leading them was Draco Malfoy, who today wore black velvet high-collared dress robes and looked somewhat more spirited than usual.
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