I Want Him

Chapter 5

Year 4

1994

//Dress Robes, Dance Classes, Early Presents and Ball Invitations//

Robyn scoped a forkful of eggs into her mouth during one breakfast as she casually read the Daily Prophet over Hermione’s shoulder. Her eyebrow raised at a picture of Hermione and Harry hugging, but looking at the camera with wide eyes. “Look at this!” Hermione exclaimed furiously slamming the newspaper on the table laying it open for Harry to see, “I can’t believe it! She’s done it again. ‘Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian bonbon, Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter’s taking this latest emotional blow’.” Robyn rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her toast as a voice said,

“Parcel for you, Mr. Weasley.” Robyn glanced over Ron’s shoulder and saw a small blonde boy handing a large wrapped package to Ron, who took it gratefully,

“Thank you, Nigel.” Ron turned and looked down at the package, Robyn’s eyes flicked up to see Nigel staring between herself and Harry. Feeling very uncomfortable she shifted slightly and looked down unfortably. Hermione cleared her throat quietly and looked at Nigel, Ron turned to the small boy, “Not now, Nigel. Later.” He nudged the boy’s gaze away from Robyn, who shifted slightly, “Go on.” The three looked at Ron as Nigel left with expecting expressions, “I told him I’d get Harry and Robyn’s autograph.” Ron admitted as he untied the string of the present, Robyn rolled her eyes and took a sip of her juice, “Oh, look, Mum’s sent me something.” Robyn and Hermione looked as Ron pulled of the wrappings then helped him pull of the lid of a large box. They all watched as Ron pulled out, what looked like, a moldy old nightgown. Robyn giggled and hid her laugh by raising her cup to her lips, “Mum sent me a dress.” He held it up against himself as he stood behind his bench,

“Well, it does match your eyes.” Robyn commented and Ron rolled his eyes whilst Harry smirked as he asked,

“Is there a bonnet?” He then plucked a frilly bonnet from the box and placed it against Ron’s chest,

“Nose down, Harry.” Ron mouth twitched at the edges, he walked over a flew places to were Ginny was sat eating cereal, “Ginny, these must be for you.”

“I’m not wearing that, it’s ghastly.” Ginny commented and Hermione and Robyn laughed behind their hands, Ron turned to them,

“What are you two on about?” He narrowed his eyes and moved to stand before them,

“They’re not for Ginny.” Hermione laughed,

“There for you.” Robyn added and the Gryffindor table laughed loudly as she smiled widely, “Dress robes.”

“Dress robes? For what?”

***

“The Yule Ball...has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament…since its inception.” Professor McGonagall explained to the Gryffindor students the lesson later “On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall…for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost…a dance.” Robyn snapped her head to Hermione with her eyes wide

“What?” she asked incredulously and Hermione shrugged in response. Robyn could hear the groans in annoyance on the boy’s side of the room and she looked at them,

“Silence!” demanded their head of house and the students complied “The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons.” Robyn bit her lower lip to stop a laugh escaping her, “Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secrets swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr. Weasley, will you join me please?” The expression on Ron’s nearly made Robyn fall of her chair in hysterics, but she managed to keep a hand over her mouth to stop herself. She watched as her friend walked slowly forward to Professor McGonagall with a nervous glance, “No, place your right hand on my waist”

“Where?” gulped Ron,

“My waist” repeated Professor McGonagall, Ron did so but reluctantly, “Now bend your arm.” A wolf whistle came from the boy’s side and the Weasley twins laughed at their younger brother, “Mr. Filch, if you please.” Robyn watched as the caretaker place the needle on the record and music began to play, “One, two, three. One, two, three.” Ron and Professor McGonagall danced, with an expression of embarrassment and anger on Ron’s face, “One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Everybody come together.” Robyn gulped and watched girls around her stand whilst she stayed put, Hermione rolled her eyes,

“Robyn.” and Hermione pulled Robyn up, who stumbled forward slightly with a faint blush on her face. The girls moved forward whilst the boy’s looked around nervously in their seats,

“Boys, on your feet.” Professor McGonagall ordered and a low moan of reluctance ran in their midst. Then, Neville stood up with a brave expression and stepped toward the girls. She then saw a few other students stand and saw Seamus looking around nervously and Robyn locked eyes with him. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded before they walked over to eachother. She smiled breathlessly,

“I’m glad its someone I know.” She commented and he nodded in agreement then they looked over at Professor McGonagall as she clapped her hands,

“Dance!”

***

“Are you serious?” Robyn gasped as they headed to their dormitory staircase two days later, “As in the actual – “ Hermione nodded with a blush on her cheeks and Robyn squealed and clapped in enjoyment,

“Shh.” Hermione said quickly, a blush rising, “I wasn’t expecting it either.” Hermione added and Robyn’s jaw dropped in shock,

“Are you joking?” Robyn exhaled shocked, “Krum’s been showing off to you ever since he got here, Hermione.”

“When?” Hermione questioned confused and Robyn rolled her eyes as they walked up the steps,

“Gosh, Hermione, so being smart you are very blind” Robyn commented “Remember when you, Harry, Ron and I were at the Black lake a few weeks ago? He walked past us and winked at you as he flexed his muscles. Also, when we’re in the library a few days before that he kept staring at you between the bookshelves. And – “ Hermione placed a hand over her friends mouth,

“I get it!” Hermione laughed and Robyn moved Hermione’s hand. They reached the landing and walked down it and Robyn noticed Hermione’s smile failed as she said, “What do you think Harry and Ron will think of me and him?”

Robyn bit her lower lip, “I don’t know.” She replied honestly, “But Ron’s his biggest fan, I’m pretty sure he’ll be over joyed. Or jealous, that he asked you out before Ron could ask him out.” Hermione gasped and punched her friends shoulder lightly, shrieking Robyn’s name loudly.

Robyn shrugged innocently as she opened the door to their room. The pair entered but stopped a few feet in at the sight on the object on Robyn’s bed. In the centre of the quiltcover was a large black box with a string of red ribbon planted on the top. Robyn and Hermione shared a looked of confusion before walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed. Robyn looked at the box inquisitively as she analysed it,

“What do you suppose it is?” Robyn asked quietly, their other dorm mates – Lavender Brown, Parvati Patel and Ella Elbert – were in their other classes as Robyn and Hermione had a free period,

“I don’t know.” Hermione answered staring at the box before looking up at Robyn, “Come on, open it.” Robyn carefully pulled off the lid of the box and placed it beside her. Inside was a large thin paper that covered something beneath it and on top of it was a small envelope with the name ‘Robyn Potter’ written in curly handwriting. Robyn picked the small letter and unfolded it to read:

An early Christmas gift

~ C.M

Robyn looked up at her friend who furrowed her eyebrows and Hermione said, “What does it say?”

“’An early Christmas gift’, that’s it.” Robyn answered turning over the paper, “and the initials ‘C.M’/” Hermione raised an eyebrow and took the paper from Robyn and scan over it herself before shrugging. She then looked at Robyn then motioned to the box, “Open it.”

Robyn breathed slowly and pulled open the concealing paper, she gasped. Inside was a torso of a lavender gown that was to the floor. It looked beautiful but simple. Robyn stood and carefully held the tops of the dress with the tip of her fingers and pulled it up, so that the dress was in full length view. A perfect shape of purple with a figure hugging torso before flowing gently past her waist and seemed to just brush the bottom on the floor. Robyn gazed at the dress in awe and turned it to hold it against her body as he looked in the mirror, it was a perfect fit. She glanced up at Hermione who was sharing at her in shock,

“Robyn…it looks stunning.” Hermione muttered still in astonishment, the Potter girl nodded slowly her mouth open slightly. Robyn looked down at it with furrowed eyebrows,

“It looks expensive.” She commented feeling the soft and light material, “Who would go all this way for me?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Robyn, you deserve it.” Hermione stated picking up the “C.M. I can’t think of anyone with those initals.” Robyn bit her lips and nodded slowly,

“I feel awful.” Robyn muttered sadly, “I mean, this person’s gone all this way to buy me a dress and I can’t even tell who it is from their initials.” Hermione stood before Robyn and smiled at her as she said,

“Well, whoever sent it to you must really like you.”

***

The following morning, Robyn sat alone on a bench that over looked the Black Lake sat under a large willow tree. She tried to focus on her History of Magic homework, that was open on her lap. She sighed and looked down at her fingers, she still couldn’t get the dress off her mind.

Who had sent it?

Who would spent that much money on her?

Robyn looked at the black water with a small sigh before went back to writing about the troll wars in the fourteenth century. After a few minutes, there was the sound of crunching leaves and she looked up to see Chadek walking toward her dressed in a short sleeve shirt and trousers, in Bulgaria this would be like spring to them so the Durmstrang boys were often seen wearing nothing by a shirt and trousers – according to Hermione.

“Hello, Robyn.” He addressed her in his thick voice with a smile on his stumbled face,

“Hi.” Robyn replied quietly with a small smile, he took a seat beside her and glanced down at her work and chuckled,

“Doing homework again?” He asked and Robyn blushed with a nod,

“It seems you only catch me doing school related things.” Robyn commented,

He laughed softly, “My father, Ovan Makagonov, would have liked you. He liked to study also.” Robyn nodded then stopped as her eyebrows furrowed.

Chadek Makagonov

C. M.

Robyn’s eyes flashed wide and she looked at him, “Did you send me that dress?” she asked softly and a look of shock formed on his face and she smiled softly, “It was beautiful, thank you.” She blushed and Chadek smiled at her and touched her cheek softly,

“Yes, I ‘sort so too.” He agreed, “It brings out the colour in your eyes.” Robyn blushed and her eyes darted down before Chadek cupped her hands in his own large ones and her eyes locked with his dark brown eyes, “Robyn, I was wondering if you would do me the honour of letting me take you to the Yule Ball?” Robyn bit her lip and looked him with red tinted cheeks as she nodded. A wide grin formed on his face, “Really?”

“Anyone who buys me a dress like that deserves a chance.” Robyn replied, “Plus, I find you intriguing.”

“I do with you too, Robyn.”

***

“This is mad.” Ron muttered during one study time in the Great Hall the following week, “At this rate we’ll be the only ones in our year without dates.” Robyn dipped her quill in the ink pot beside her and wrote down on her parchment, she glanced up as Professor Snape forced Ron’s head down to look at the desk and continued down the table, allowing Ron to mumble, “Well, us and Neville.”

“But then again he can take himself.” Harry sniggered,

“It might interest you to know that Neville’s already got someone.” Hermione pointed out and Robyn nodded in agreement, the two boy’s stopped and Ron sighed disappointedly,

“Now I’m really depressed.” Ron grumbled, Robyn wrote down ignoring the note Fred passed to Ron. Robyn twitched as she felt a set of eyes on her back, she looked up and allowed her blue eyes to scan ahead of her before she turned behind her to see the Slytherin’s scribbling down their notes for the day. Robyn raised an eyebrow before returning to her gaze to her notes, ignoring the feeling of being watched,

“Robyn, Hermione,” Ron began, “You’re girls.” The two flicked their gazes up to the ginger boy

“Well spotted.” Hermione frowned,

“Very complementary.” Robyn huffed,

“Come and – “ Hermione, Robyn and Ron were slammed on the back of the head with a book by Snape, who then hit Harry for extra measure, “Come on. It’s one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl it’s just sad.” Robyn’s jaw dropped in shock,

“I wont be going alone because, believe it or not, somebody’s asked me.” Hermione snapped closing her book and swinging her legs from the bench and handing her book to Professor Snape then grabbing her quill and books and glaring at Ron as she hissed, “And I said yes.” She stormed off, highly offended.

“Bloody hell.” Ron muttered before he looked at Robyn, “Robyn? What about you? Wanna go the ball with me?”

“Sorry, Ron” She said quietly after sighing, “I’ve already agreed to go with someone.” she Stood and walked over to Professor Snape and handed her book to him before returning to her friends and brother, “Also, neither myself or Hermione would like to be considered a last resort.” She packed her stuff whilst Harry looked up at her confused,

“You’ve got a date?” Harry asked shocked, “I haven’t been told this.”

Robyn shrugged, “He only asked me yesterday.”

“Who is it?” Harry demanded, dropping his quill, “What house is he in? Does he even go to Hogwarts? Is he older than you? Do I know him? Oh my god it’s Neville, isn’t it.” Robyn giggled and shook her head,

“It’s not Neville.” She said as she began to walked away, “I’ll see you in the Common Room”

“Hay, Robyn!” Harry shouted, "Who are you going on a date with?!” She didn’t reply but continued to walk toward the exit, “Robyn!? Robyn?! Answer me! We are not done talking about this!”

The last thing Robyn heard was a loud ‘ouch’ from her brother. She guess that Snape had hit him with a book…again.