"Instead of complaining about how difficult it is, you two should hurry up and invite the girls you want to invite. Otherwise, by the time you decide to act, all the good girls will have been taken."
Hermione said to Harry and Ron opposite her, without even looking up from the magazine where she was looking for a dress she liked.
"That's easy for you to say," Ron said, his face bitter and a clear blush on his cheeks. "Who can we two invite?"
He really wanted to invite Fleur from Beauxbatons, but he knew just by thinking about it that she wouldn't accept his invitation.
Amanda shifted her gaze from the rather eerie and frightening book in front of her to the two boys opposite.
"According to my analysis and observation, there are quite a few girls whose gazes often linger on you two; you just haven't paid special attention."
"And I agree with Hermione. If you two continue to be so timid, you won't find dance partners even on the day of the Christmas Ball."
After speaking, Amanda lowered her head again to look at the Dark Arts book in front of her. To her, the various spells in the book were not too difficult.
However, considering the side effects of these spells, Amanda believed they were not cost-effective. She could achieve the same effects with ordinary magic, without any burden or consequences for herself.
"Amanda, are these dresses really affordable with my pocket money?"
Hermione looked at the dresses in the magazine, then turned to Amanda beside her, a little unsure.
"Of course, they are."
Amanda nodded without hesitation, after all, the manufacturer behind these dresses was herself.
Initially, she offered to buy Hermione a dress, but Hermione earnestly refused.
Hermione firmly believed that she should buy her own dress and not rely on Amanda for everything.
After Hermione spent two full days flipping through related magazines and shopping posters, Amanda couldn't help but twitch her lips.
Nothing else, the dresses Hermione was looking at were indeed within her purchasing power, but... they really weren't pretty.
And even just looking at the pictures of those dresses, Amanda could clearly see.
Those dresses had obvious flaws in the stitching, and some of the designs were not very reasonable, which might affect the wearer's movement.
Hermione was going to wear it to dance, and Amanda's brain subconsciously thought that the dress must be beautiful enough, the stitching must be perfect enough, and the condition must allow Hermione to dance comfortably.
Therefore, she decided to take matters into her own hands. After conceptualizing about thirty dress designs in her mind, she secretly drew these dress blueprints during the night while Hermione was asleep, and then gave them to an Owl to send to Senior Karina.
She asked her to print these dress blueprints into a magazine and send them back, which is how Hermione now held the dress magazine in her hands.
"These clothes really suit my aesthetic sense," Hermione said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the magazine in her hand.
Hearing her words, Amanda felt a rare pang of guilt, lowering her head to "seriously" look at the book in front of her.
Of course, they suited Hermione's aesthetic; she designed them specifically for Hermione.
Naturally, corresponding to the dresses she designed for Hermione, there were also dresses she designed for herself.
Each of those thirty dresses had another one to match, just waiting for Hermione to choose which set she liked, and Amanda could then make both corresponding dresses.
"This one, I quite like this one."
Without much hesitation, Hermione pointed directly at the dress on page ten.
It was a dress with a starry sky and a golden lion. The upper part of the dress was a gradient of deep starry sky, while the skirt's hem featured a fierce golden lion.
It looked elegant and noble yet domineering. When Amanda designed the dresses, she felt this set best suited Hermione's temperament.
Now, hearing Hermione choose this dress, she couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, then I'll write a reply to Senior Karina and ask her to help order this dress."
"Hmm, but you have to tell me the price beforehand."
Hermione nodded, reaching out to gently pinch Amanda's cheek.
"It's really not expensive," Amanda said, maintaining perfect clarity of speech despite having her cheek pinched. "Only five Galleons."
"Five Galleons?!"
Hermione hadn't said anything yet, but Ron opposite her exclaimed first.
He looked at the magazine in Hermione's hand and was about to exclaim that it was impossible; to make an identical dress at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, it would definitely cost no less than fifty Galleons.
And Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was already the most affordable clothing store in the Wizarding World.
However, before his remaining exclamations could escape his lips, Amanda suddenly looked up and shot him a glare.
Receiving Amanda's glare, Ron shivered violently and silently closed his mouth.
Immersed in the joy of having chosen a dress, Hermione hadn't heard what he said just now. Only after closing the magazine did she look up at him.
"Ron, what did you just say?"
"Uh, no, nothing. I said, Hermione, your taste is really good, that dress is very beautiful."
Ron chuckled awkwardly, praising Hermione. Amanda withdrew her gaze with satisfaction and lowered her head to continue reading her book.
Harry, sitting next to Ron, remained silent, feeling sorry for his friend while also feeling a touch of schadenfreude.
Once Hermione had decided on a dress, Amanda immediately began to "work"; nighttime hours were always very useful.
Pulling the bed curtains closed and casting Lumos, the Hogwarts-specific magical bed curtains would ensure no light escaped.
Stitching the basic framework of the dress stitch by stitch, Amanda's hands moved swiftly.
She had discovered earlier, when knitting gloves for Hermione, that while household magic could be used for knitting, it couldn't handle slightly more complex stitches.
Therefore, whether knitting gloves for Hermione before or making a dress for Hermione now, Amanda insisted on making them herself, stitch by stitch.
Hermione deserved the best, Amanda was absolutely certain of this thought in her mind.
Knitting the dress until three in the morning, Amanda finally put down her needle and thread, stood up from the bed, and held up the dress to examine it.
The dress slowly draped down, the starry sky of the upper part already formed, glowing continuously like a real starry sky, infused with magic.
With her powerful concentration and thinking ability, Amanda had not hesitated at all with her stitches all night, completing half of it in just three hours.
"Four days," Amanda whispered softly. At this rate, it would take her a total of four days, including today, to finish knitting both Hermione's and her own dresses.
After tidying the dress and hiding it under the bedsheet, Amanda lay down on the bed and closed her somewhat sore eyes.
For some reason, she subconsciously didn't want Hermione to know what she was doing.
Perhaps she hoped Hermione would discover later that she had made the dress herself, giving Hermione a surprise.
Perhaps she knew that if Hermione found out, she would stop her, unwilling to let her painstakingly sew such a complex dress by hand.
Anyway, for whatever reason, Hermione would ultimately not know the truth of this matter before the Christmas Ball.
Going to bed at three in the morning, and with the Christmas holiday meaning no classes, Amanda slept straight until nine the next morning to ensure six hours of sleep.
This surprised Hermione, Cho Chang, and Marietta Eckmore, yet also filled them with joy.
"Is Amanda alright?" Cho Chang asked in a low voice, only after Hermione had lowered Amanda's bed curtains and ensured her voice wouldn't reach Amanda's ears.
"She's fine," Hermione said, a doting smile playing on her lips as she thought of Amanda's sleeping face. "She's sleeping soundly."
"That's great, Amanda can sleep in now." Marietta Eckmore clenched her fist excitedly.
"Yes," Hermione nodded happily.
Then the three girls stopped talking, all sitting quietly on their beds.
At exactly nine o'clock, as soon as six hours passed, Amanda opened her eyes.
She sat up, tidied her nightgown, and then pulled open the bed curtains. "Hermione, Senior Cho Chang, Senior Marietta, good morning."
"Good morning!" x3
Hermione closed the book in her hand, got out of bed, walked over to Amanda, and picked up the comb from the bedside table to gently comb her hair.
"How does sleeping in feel?"
Amanda subconsciously wanted to say she hadn't slept in, but then suddenly realized what she was doing and immediately swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.
She uttered her first not-entirely-false lie in her life, "It feels good."
After all, she genuinely felt she had slept well, getting six hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep.
"From now on, on holidays, you should sleep in more."
Hermione said while tying Amanda's hair into a high ponytail, "Make up for all the sleep you missed before."
Listening to Hermione's words, Amanda genuinely smiled warmly, "Okay."
Watching the interaction between the two, Cho Chang felt a pang of annoyance but couldn't help but look at Marietta Eckmore. This girl... she was only giving her until the Christmas Ball. If this girl still didn't catch on by then...
Then she shouldn't blame her for making a move directly. She had waited long enough, and it was time to act.
As if sensing Cho Chang's gaze, Marietta Eckmore's normally fair neck subtly flushed pink.
Only when she felt Cho Chang's gaze disappear did she cautiously cast her eyes towards Cho Chang.
This wasn't her imagination, was it? Her best friend's gaze seemed a little different from before?
No, it seemed to have been different for a long time. When was it?
It seemed like... two years ago?
How to describe this gaze? She had only seen it on those few couples in Ravenclaw, but Cho Chang and she were best friends.
But, if it were Cho Chang, Marietta Eckmore silently imagined herself being pressed against a wall by Cho Chang, and then Cho Chang slowly leaning in... She suddenly took a deep breath, and the pink on Marietta Eckmore's neck instantly spread to her cheeks. She tightened her arms around her knees forcefully.
If it were Cho Chang, she thought, she'd be totally fine with it!
As Christmas drew closer, the Deans of the various houses began to fulfill their duties.
Professor McGonagall partnered with Ron without any reservations, diligently teaching the Little Lions of Gryffindor to dance step by step.
Professor Sprout, on the other hand, partnered with Cedric, her gentle and kind demeanor making the boy momentarily feel as if he were dancing with his mother.
The Little Badgers of Hufflepuff watched from the side, their smiles never leaving their faces. Of course, it wasn't mockery, just good-natured teasing, well, just that.
In contrast, the Little Snakes didn't need instruction. Born into Pure-blood families, ballroom dancing was a compulsory subject for them. Therefore, Professor Snape merely walked into the Slytherin common room and said in a drawn-out tone.
"I presume no one in Slytherin will require me to teach them to dance?"
The Little Snakes were silent.
"Of course, if anyone does require it, I don't mind you coming to my office. I will thoroughly, teach you."
After speaking, he turned and strode away, his black robes billowing behind him. Not a single Little Snake prepared to go to his office for guidance.
However, when it came to Ravenclaw, everything was different again.
Professor Flitwick stood before his students, feeling incredibly troubled.
He could teach Charms, dueling, or even how to live, but teaching dancing... even if he wanted to, his physical conditions wouldn't allow it.
After a few seconds of distress, he unhesitatingly looked at Ravenclaw's darling, Amanda, the universally acknowledged all-rounder of Ravenclaw, or rather, Hogwarts.
"Miss Amanda, do you know how to ballroom dance?"
Facing Professor Flitwick's question, Amanda was slightly stunned. Ballroom dancing?
Memories flooded back, and she suddenly recalled the ballroom dance books she had once read.
It was a unified regulation, requiring all students ranked first in their schools to read ballroom dance-related books and learn the correct way to dance.
This was to ensure that when they were received by the "elite class" after their final major examination, they could gracefully accept invitations and not appear flustered, which might displease the "elite class" individuals.
Of course, the school would only require them to read relevant books and teach themselves to dance; as for when and how to practice, that was none of the school's business.
Anyway, if your performance in ballroom dancing was not up to par when the school decided to test you, five points would be deducted from your end-of-term exam.
These five points were enough to be distressing for the top-ranked students in various schools, as there was a significant difference in the resources provided to the families of the first and second-ranked students.
Correspondingly, if these five points were deducted from Amanda, it would certainly be even more upsetting.
So, "I know how to ballroom dance, Professor Flitwick." Amanda nodded without hesitation.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.