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"Pizza won't be here for thirty," Fred said, sitting cross-legged by his twin.

"But I'm hungry now!" Ron complained.

"You know where the kitchen is," Ginny replied, smirking.

"Children," Mrs. Weasley warned, and there was silence.

Hermione had her hands up, covering her face. Dear Lord. She couldn't believe they were watching this. This wasn't going to bode well for her at all.

"Relax," Percy said, folding his arms as he glanced at Hermione. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

"I wish," the bushy haired teen replied, shaking her head.

Despite the fact it was indeed Christmas break, none of the Professors had held back in giving assignments to be completed before school resumed. But, the students being how they were, the library was empty and everyone was busy partying in the Common Room. With The Yule Ball just around the corner, everyone fourth year and up had opted to stay at the castle, and so the Common Room was completely packed.

It was also incredibly noisy and lively, with no thanks to Fred and George. Their Canary Creams had been a huge hit, and everyone was bursting into feathers all over the place. Hermione cringed at all the extra work the House Elfs would have to do to clean it up, and was ready to jinx the next person to explode into the next world and back.

(Needless to say, all the Gryffindors all learned never to accept food from each other again.)

Hermione sat at a window, currently, staring out at the frost covered grounds below. The Beauxbaton's carriage looked nothing short of a giant replica of Cinderella's, made even more lovely compared to Hagrid's own home, which looked like a demented Gingerbread house. Only the Durmstrang ship looked foreboding in the ethereal surroundings, not including the Forbidden Forest.

"Hey, Hermione, Harry and I are going to get dinner," Ron said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Wanna come?"

"Okay," Hermione replied, standing up and smoothing out her skirt carefully.

The food was delicious. The House Elfs were busting their backs to make the best stews and savory puddings in the world. The three friends couldn't recall a time in which the food at Hogwarts had been any better. Of course, Fleur Delacour, being Fleur Delacour, had found a way to complain about it.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," She sulked grumpily, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she left the Great Hall, Harry, Hermione and Ron (who was cowering behind the other to as not to be seen by her) following. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

"Oooh, there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped, muttered darkly, "She thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

Harry nodded his head, but Ron completely ignored the statement. "Hermione, who are you going to the ball with?" He asked.

Hermione sighed heavily. Ron had kept up his pestering her about the topic for nearly a week. She could only assume he was attempting to startle it out of her when she was least expecting it, but so far she hadn't slipped. Key in, him asking repetitively.

"I'm not going to tell you," Hermione replied, "You'll just make fun of me."

Malfoy's shrill voice cut off any reply Ron would have made. "You're joking, Weasley. You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Both Harry and Ron whipped around, fists raised to pummel the haughty little Slytherin, but Hermione spoke loudly. "Hello, Professor Moody!"

Malfoy jumped away from the three of them, glancing around suspiciously. Hermione turned and smiled, her gaze resting on Professor Moody, who was still eating his stew at the staff table in the Great Hall. Malfoy hissed through his teeth, ticked.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione said seethingly.

With that, the trio headed up to the marble stairs, laughing loudly.

"Hermione," Ron said, glancing at her and frowning, "your teeth..."

"What about them?" Hermione asked, throwing him a quizzical look.

"Well, they're different..." Ron continued, his frown deepening, "I've just noticed..."

"Of course they are," Hermione smiled wryly. "Did you really expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head. "I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you. They're all... straight and – and normal sized."

Hermione smiled mischievously, and both boys were a little surprised to see that their friends smile wasn't her own. Her teeth weren't the same, exactly how Ron had said.

"Well, when I went up to Madam Pomfry to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," Hermione said, "And I just... let her carry on a bit." Her smiled widened cheerfully. "Mum and Dad won't be too please. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should – look! Pigwidgeon's back!"

The small owl had, in fact, returned. He was bouncing on an icicle covered banister, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg and throwing off his center of gravity. He wobbled dangerously, and people surrounding paused to point and laugh at him.

"He's so cute!" a third year said, and Ron turned a funny shade of pink.

He flew up the stairs and snatched Pidwidgeon in his hand, careful not to crush him to death. "Stupid little feathery git," Ron hissed as Harry and Hermione caught up. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!" Ron thrust the message into Harry's hand, before letting the owl go. "Here, take it," he muttered.

The three hurried into the Common Room to read the message, for once thankful for the noise. Everyone was so wrapped up in what they were doing themselves, they hadn't noticed the three new arrival's somewhat sneaky behavior.

"Dear Harry," Harry red aloud quietly, his, Hermione and Ron's heads all leaning close together, "Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in the goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are it's weakest point-"

"That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered.

"-but your way was better. I'm impressed," Harry continued. "Don't get complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep you eyes open – particularly when the person we discussed is around – and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble. Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual. Sirius.

"He sounds exactly like Moody," Harry said quietly, tucking the letter away again inside of his robes, "'Constant Vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls..."

"But he's right, Harry," Hermione said, shaking her head. "You have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means..."

"Hermione, he's got ages!" Ron snapped, defending his best mate. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"

"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed. He spotted the look on Hermione's face, and said. "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."

"Oh, I suppose not," Hermione agreed, sighing heavily.

I apologize sincerely, from the bottom of my black, dead and twisted heart, that this fic has gone so long without an update. There are no excuses. There have been two Summer Breaks since my last update. However, this Summer Break, I pledge to rewrite and continue (and hopefully finish) this fic before I go back to school in the fall.

If anyone has waited hopelessly for an update, speak up, and I shall give you all my first born child. You'll have to work out how you're sharing it amongst yourselves, but, I assure you, it's yours. I won't help pay child support though. I'm saving to go to Anime Iowa.

Voting for my Reign of Fire, The Weasley Boys, and The Labyrinth is still open, but I warn you, it might be some time before I actually sit down and write them. (In that same breath though, when I wrote Bossy Effeminate Teenage Boys, I spent about sixty hours on it, and got it done in five days.)

Feel free to vote, but I won't post the scores until next Chapter, by which I will have hopefully done a recount.

Thank you all, so very much for your patience.

Much love,

MGO