DISCLAIMER(I remembered!)I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.

Ginny POV

The Yule ball. A once in a lifetime opportunity and I, Ginny Weasley, don't have a date.

I can't go to the Yule ball unless someone in fourth year or higher asks me. Ron, my ever annoying and fairly stupid brother, seems to think I can't. Thus, I am on a small mission to prove him wrong.

Naturally, the boy I want to go with, a.k.a. Harry Freaking Potter, likes another girl. That always seems to happen, and not just to me. Hermione is going with Viktor Krum! I can't wait to see the look on Ron's face when he sees the two of them at the ball together.

The big question was, who would want to take me to the ball? That question has been nagging at me for the past few days. I had made a list of people I was willing to go with:

1) Harry Potter (Not going to happen)

2) Neville Longbottom (Possible?)

3) Dean Thomas (?)

4) Michael Corner (Unlikely)

5)?

I wish I had a fifth option, but I couldn't think of any other boys. Well, any boys who might go with me, that is. Seamus Finnegan? No. I just couldn't. None of the Durmstrang boys would go with me.

Harry doesn't have a date, yet, as far as I know. Maybe he could be an option. He likes Cho Chang, but I know she is going with Cedric Diggory. Apparently, Harry doesn't know that yet. I don't plan on telling him either. I don't want him to associate bad news with me. The Chamber of Secrets didn't help that.

After sitting and wallowing over that for about 30 minutes, I decided to head down to the common room. Maybe Hermione could help.

When I got down there, Hermione, Harry and Ron were sitting by the fire talking. I stayed behind the wall, out of sight, to eavesdrop, like I knew I shouldn't.

"Cho is going with someone. I tried to ask her in the owlery today and she said someone already asked her. And she'd rather go with him", came Harry's voice, sounding rather put out. Well, at least he knows and that's off my shoulders!

"Harry, I'm sorry. She will either come to her senses, or you will have to find another date. I suggest the latter" Thank you Hermione!

"Who is he going to ask? All the good ones are already taken. All that's left is Hermione, the Patil's and the third and younger years!", Ron's voice rang out. I could throttle him. For one, he just insulted Hermione, to her face, and said that the third and younger years were no good for dates. I'll have to borrow some of Fred and George's pranks…

"Thanks Ronald, but I already have a date. But that's okay; I'm still not a good one." Hermione was venomously sarcastic. I heard her footsteps come toward me. I cast a quick disillusionment charm and held very still. She walked right up to me. Suddenly, she paused right in front of me. I thought I was caught. I held my breath, then she just shook her head and continued to storm upstairs.

"That was swift", Harry chided. There was silence for a moment so I assumed Ron shrugged or something. Why was Ron so thick all the time? Harry continued to talk, "I think Hermione is right. I should find another date. I can't go alone. I'm one of the champions. I don't want to go alone, either."

"Well, who are you going to ask? We could go with the Patil twins?" Ron suggested. I swear I will throttle him.

"Do you want to go with the Patil twins? Anyway, I heard a couple of Durmstrangs asked them at lunch today. Who in third year could I go with? All fourth years and up are taken." Harry said. YES! He is looking in third year. A lot of third year girls have been asked by Durmstrangs.

"There must be some girl that isn't younger that we can take. They can't all be taken." Ron is dead to me. I wonder how many pranks I could get from Fred and George…

"What's wrong with someone only a year younger? It's only one year. No Slytherins, though." Harry said. I really hope he will consider me. I will be very put out if he doesn't.

"Of course bloody not! They are evil. What about that Ravenclaw girl…Looney…err… Luna Lovegood?" If Ron asks Luna then she would probably mention me! Unless Harry doesn't go with him or Harry asks her. Then I am screwed.

"Yeah, she would be good for you. Ask her tomorrow. Who should I ask, though? Ron, I need someone, too. What third year?" Are they both really that thick? Hello! I am a third year, in your house!

"What do you want in your date?" Ron asked.

"Nice, pretty, smart, not totally normal, different." I am not even going to comment.

"Who do we know who fits that?" Still not commenting.

"Nobody." Ouch. I am done with this. Besides, it's an hour past curfew.

HARRY POV

"Nobody". A moment after I said that, I heard a shuffling near the stairs. Odd. Probably a mouse or something.

"Come on, mate. There has to be some third year who fits that description." Ron said. If I told him who fit that, he would kill me right then and there. I like being alive too much to do that.

"There isn't one girl who I could go with that fits that." Ron's head perked up. What did I say?

"So who is the girl that fits that that you can't go with?" Brilliant. I didn't think he would catch that.

"I can't say. It would never happen anyway. I am still too hung up on Cho. How could she turn me down?" That seemed to redirect his attention. Temporarily.

"Because Cedric Diggory asked her. That's how. Who is the third year? You can trust me, mate."

"You'll get mad". This is one of those many times I really wished Hermione were here. She is always good at understanding when conversations with Ron need to take a different turn.

"Just tell me. There is no one I could get really mad about". I have a feeling he is wrong, but here goes nothing. Or everything.

"Ginny".

That's the end of the first chapter. I hope you liked it! I have been getting a lot of constructive criticism lately, so I have tried to work their suggestions into this. Thanks for reading!

-Sarahj