It had been three weeks into Harry's fifth year that Dumbledore had
announced that, due to the success of the Yule Ball last year, there was to
be a ball on Hallowe'en. As it was to be restricted to fourth years and
above, there would still be the usual feast so that the lower half of the
school wouldn't miss out.
The announcement had filled Harry and Ron with dread. Trying to ask girls to go to the ball with them was hard enough last year, and even then Harry had had the helping hand of being one of the Hogwarts champions. This time it was going to be humiliating. The two boys discussed the prospect as walked from breakfast in the Great Hall back to their Gryffindor common room to pick up their books for potions. 'What is Dumbledore trying to do to us?' Ron whined. Harry thought back to last year's fiasco with Ron and Hermione. 'Well, this time, why don't you just ask Hermione straight out? At least then you know you'll have a good time, and your date will want to talk to you!' He reasoned. Ron considered this. 'Alright, but it's still bloody scary.' Harry frowned. 'Well, once you've asked her, spare a thought for me... I made such a bad impression on Parvati last year, I doubt any girl will want to go with me this time!' They had reached the portrait hole now, and stepped through. Harry had left his books in the common room, and so waited while Ron went upstairs to fetch his. He stared up at the ceiling absent mindedly, when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. He turned round; it was Ginny.
'Hi Harry.' She seemed a little nervous. 'Good news about the ball, isn't it?' Harry considered this. Why was it that girls seemed to enjoy these things so much more than boys? He'd never understand. 'Erm, yeah, I guess so...' he answered. Ginny smiled nervously. 'Well,' she began, 'I can go this time myself, as I'm old enough...' her freckled cheeks were becoming decidedly flushed. 'And, well, I was wondering if, seeing as last year you said...' She was blushing furiously now, and fiddling with her robes '... erm, what I mean is...' Harry felt his own blush rising in his cheeks. Was it just him, or was the common room hotter than usual? '...Would you like to go to the ball with me?' Ginny finally got the question out, and seemed rather apprehensive of the answer. Harry stared at her for a moment. He *had* asked her last year, and Ron hadn't objected then... and she was pretty; her auburn hair shone lightly in the sun coming in through the windows, and her chocolate brown eyes gazed intently at him. 'Yes, Ginny,' he found himself saying, 'I'd love to go to the ball with you.'
Ginny looked shocked for a moment, then a broad grin covered her face. She beamed at him, not quite believing her luck. Then at the sound of Ron's rather large trainers coming down the stairs, she left, leaving Harry feeling very strange inside.
*******
That had been five weeks ago, and now the Hallowe'en Ball was upon them. The feast was slightly earlier than usual, so as to leave enough time for those going to the ball to get ready. Harry had sat with Ron and Hermione, who were chattering away as usual. Harry couldn't help but wonder if tonight would be the start of something for those two. Not that he was quite certain if he wanted to be the third wheel... now, if Ginny were to- Harry stopped himself. Ron had been fairly ok about him going to the Ball with Ginny, although he had been subject to a talk from Ron, Fred and George about the value they placed on their little sister, and, as much as they trusted him, they didn't want to see her hurt. Thoughts like the one that had almost entered his mind just then were certainly not going to earn him any brownie points with the Weasley boys.
Ginny, on the other hand, was certainly not battling with her emotions as she ate her meal. She was going to the Ball with the boy of her dreams, and not only that, she was certain there would be many young witches who would gladly give away their broomsticks in exchange for a date with Harry Potter! She spent most of the feast giggling with her friends, excitedly planning their hair and make up. Colin had promised to take a photo of her and Harry when they were ready; she couldn't wait. Ginny glanced towards Harry who was sitting a few places up from her, on the other side of the table. She was pleased to find that her eyes met his, and was even more so when, instead of looking away, he sent her a radiant smile, green eyes sparkling in the light given off from the floating jack o'lanterns. She felt her cheeks warm; tonight was going to be perfect.
After the feast, the students returned to their respective common rooms and dormitories, chattering excitedly as the Ball loomed ever closer. Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory, Ron rolling his eyes at Parvati and Lavender's high pitched squealing that could be heard from the fifth year girls' room. 'Honestly, women!' he laughed. Harry and Ron's dormitory looked like a bomb had hit it. Neville had succeeded in losing his dress robes, and by the time he had found those, Trevor had wandered off somewhere. His half of the room was covered in various books, parchments and clothing that had been flung from their drawers during the search. Seamus and Dean were larking about, talking about their dates (Lavender and Parvati respectively) and Seamus was teasing Dean about his choice of aftershave; 'But it's Jean-Paul Gaultier!' he had protested. 'Jean-Paul who?!' had been the response from Ron. Harry laughed. He and Ron were now sorting out their dress robes. Ron had some new ones this year, and was quite pleased that he didn't have to wear the frilly maroon ones this time. 'Fred and George bought me them, I don't know how, no, make that *why*, they'd spend money on me!' Harry grinned inwardly; he had given the twins his prize money from the Triwizard tournament the previous year, and supposed that was the reason for their newfound generosity. He had to admit, Ron did look good in his new robes, they were black velvet with a navy trim which made him appear even taller, not that he needed it. Harry hadn't done much growing since last year, so his bottle green robes still fitted him. He looked at Ron, who was fiddling with the fastenings on his robes. 'I'm useless at dancing, you know' he said to Harry. 'What if I stand on her feet?' Harry smirked at the mental image he had conjured. 'Don't worry, you'll be fine.' He tried to sound sincere, but it was quite difficult to keep a straight face when Dean and Seamus were making kissing faces in the general direction of Ron.
*******
The girls' dormitories, however, were awash with excited chatter. Hermione, Parvati and Lavender had changed into their gowns; Lavender was wearing a pale purple dress that complimented her blonde hair and Parvati was wearing a ruby-red sari that was accompanied by her gold bangles. Hermione had received a new set of robes for her birthday that year, and so was wearing a light pink dress. The skirt and sleeves were made of floaty fabric, which waved in the breeze as she walked. The bodice was made of a smooth satin, and she wore a silver necklace with a heart pendant. Lavender was busy weaving gold ribbons into Parvati's braid, when Ginny came into the room. 'Ginny, you look amazing!' She gushed. It was true; she was wearing a green velvet dress, which was edged in gold lace. The long sleeves tapered to a point at her hands, and the emerald green not only enhanced her fiery hair, but was also certain to match with Harry's own robes. 'Thanks, Hermione, you look wonderful too! I was wondering if you could help me with my hair?'
By the time the girls had finished, they looked like princesses, or so Ginny thought. Hermione had plaited the top half of Ginny's hair, securing it with an emerald and gold Celtic clip. She had charmed her own hair to sparkle, and had managed to get it to fall into ringlets rather than its usual frizz. Ron was in for a shock. Suddenly, Parvati announced that it was time to go, and the four Gryffindors made their descent down the spiral staircase towards their awaiting dates.
*******
Ron's jaw dropped as Hermione entered the common room; she was breath taking. She smiled sweetly as he extended his arm to escort her to the Great Hall. 'Hermione, you look... amazing!' She giggled, and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Ron's cheek. Harry smiled as his friend turned a shade of red so vivid it almost rivalled his hair. A movement behind him caused Harry to turn back to the stairs, and the sight that met his eyes caused his heart to jump into his throat, and his stomach to flip over, which was quite a feeling to experience. She was beautiful. There was no other word for her. Ginny broke into a smile as she watched Harry staring at her. 'Ginny, you look, you... wow.' Harry struggled to get the words out. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to go crazy. 'Thank you' she replied 'the same goes for you!' He was looking more handsome than ever, if it were possible. Her mother had been right; his robes really did bring out his eyes. She reached the bottom of the stairs, and Harry walked towards her. There was a moment's silence, as each regarded the other. Then Harry took her hand and kissed it. She blushed, and raised herself slightly to kiss his cheek. Although a year younger than Harry, she was only about an inch shorter- she was a Weasley, after all.
Harry had never felt prouder than he did as he walked to the Great Hall; not even winning the Quidditch cup had come close. He didn't need the admiring stares Ginny received from other students to confirm it; he was going to the ball with the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts.
The night was perfect, all the students were in high spirits, even the Slytherins had no cause to spoil the evening. Harry and Ginny sat a the side of the dance floor, sipping their drinks, laughing occasionally at the Fred and George's manic dancing with Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. Ron and Hermione were dancing, too. Ron seemed to have gotten over his fear of standing on Hermione's feet, and was now staring down at her in adoration. Harry smiled to himself, thinking that he had probably worn a similar expression when Ginny had entered the common room. He turned his head to find Ginny watching him. 'What are you smiling about?' She asked. Harry nodded his head in the direction of his two best friends. 'It's about time!' she smiled. 'What do you mean?' Harry enquired. 'Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious? Ron never shuts up about Hermione at home, but whenever one of us asks him anything about her he blushed bright red and gets angry and defensive. And if the looks I've seen Hermione give him while supposedly doing her homework are anything to go by, I'd say we'll have a brand new couple upon us soon.' Harry smiled, it was true; his friends had been slowly falling for each other over the past few years. The chances of them finally admitting their true feelings was distinctly possible tonight. 'Unless,' he added, 'Ron manages to mess things up again!' They both laughed. Ron wasn't exactly the expert on anything concerning himself and Hermione.
The music slowed down, signalling the end of that dance. Harry looked towards Ginny, who had been enraptured by the dancing since they had got there. Well, here goes nothing, he thought, taking a deep breath. 'Do you want to dance?' he asked. Ginny practically jumped out of her seat 'I'd love to, Harry!' she beamed. The two made their way on to the dance floor. 'Erm, I'm not very good at this, you know' Harry ventured, timidly. Ginny smiled as she remembered the Champions' dance at last year's ball. 'Don't worry,' she reassured him, 'you'll be fine.' As calm as she appeared on the surface, Ginny was nervous inside. She could feel shivers building up as Harry gently placed one of his hands on her waist. Harry flushed slightly as she gingerly brought her hand up to his shoulder, and the two intertwined the fingers of their other hands. The music swelled again, and it was all that Ginny could hear. As far as she was concerned, they could be the only two in the Hall right then; she could spend an eternity gazing into those deep green eyes. 'I meant it before, you know,' Ginny felt her heart leap as he began to speak, 'what I said in the common room. I just couldn't find the right words- you look beautiful, Ginny.' She was the happiest witch on the planet at that moment, she felt as though she might burst. 'Thank you' she whispered, unable to trust her voice with Harry so close. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Harry swallowed as he continued. 'But not just tonight, Ginny... always.' He could feel his knees trembling as he said it. But it was true; he didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. She really was beautiful. The music crescendoed as they slowly danced, their bodies as one. Their eyes met, and Harry felt as though something had clicked inside him. Ginny had felt it too, and took an uncertain breath. They leaned in towards each other, their joint emotions blocking out everyone else in the Hall. Softly, their lips met. Ginny could feel all her emotions rising together, so much so that it almost hurt. She could only feel him, smell him, taste him, sense him. There was nothing else, only Harry. And all that he knew was that she was his, and he was hers. It was the best feeling in the world, and he wanted to stay like this always.
The announcement had filled Harry and Ron with dread. Trying to ask girls to go to the ball with them was hard enough last year, and even then Harry had had the helping hand of being one of the Hogwarts champions. This time it was going to be humiliating. The two boys discussed the prospect as walked from breakfast in the Great Hall back to their Gryffindor common room to pick up their books for potions. 'What is Dumbledore trying to do to us?' Ron whined. Harry thought back to last year's fiasco with Ron and Hermione. 'Well, this time, why don't you just ask Hermione straight out? At least then you know you'll have a good time, and your date will want to talk to you!' He reasoned. Ron considered this. 'Alright, but it's still bloody scary.' Harry frowned. 'Well, once you've asked her, spare a thought for me... I made such a bad impression on Parvati last year, I doubt any girl will want to go with me this time!' They had reached the portrait hole now, and stepped through. Harry had left his books in the common room, and so waited while Ron went upstairs to fetch his. He stared up at the ceiling absent mindedly, when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. He turned round; it was Ginny.
'Hi Harry.' She seemed a little nervous. 'Good news about the ball, isn't it?' Harry considered this. Why was it that girls seemed to enjoy these things so much more than boys? He'd never understand. 'Erm, yeah, I guess so...' he answered. Ginny smiled nervously. 'Well,' she began, 'I can go this time myself, as I'm old enough...' her freckled cheeks were becoming decidedly flushed. 'And, well, I was wondering if, seeing as last year you said...' She was blushing furiously now, and fiddling with her robes '... erm, what I mean is...' Harry felt his own blush rising in his cheeks. Was it just him, or was the common room hotter than usual? '...Would you like to go to the ball with me?' Ginny finally got the question out, and seemed rather apprehensive of the answer. Harry stared at her for a moment. He *had* asked her last year, and Ron hadn't objected then... and she was pretty; her auburn hair shone lightly in the sun coming in through the windows, and her chocolate brown eyes gazed intently at him. 'Yes, Ginny,' he found himself saying, 'I'd love to go to the ball with you.'
Ginny looked shocked for a moment, then a broad grin covered her face. She beamed at him, not quite believing her luck. Then at the sound of Ron's rather large trainers coming down the stairs, she left, leaving Harry feeling very strange inside.
*******
That had been five weeks ago, and now the Hallowe'en Ball was upon them. The feast was slightly earlier than usual, so as to leave enough time for those going to the ball to get ready. Harry had sat with Ron and Hermione, who were chattering away as usual. Harry couldn't help but wonder if tonight would be the start of something for those two. Not that he was quite certain if he wanted to be the third wheel... now, if Ginny were to- Harry stopped himself. Ron had been fairly ok about him going to the Ball with Ginny, although he had been subject to a talk from Ron, Fred and George about the value they placed on their little sister, and, as much as they trusted him, they didn't want to see her hurt. Thoughts like the one that had almost entered his mind just then were certainly not going to earn him any brownie points with the Weasley boys.
Ginny, on the other hand, was certainly not battling with her emotions as she ate her meal. She was going to the Ball with the boy of her dreams, and not only that, she was certain there would be many young witches who would gladly give away their broomsticks in exchange for a date with Harry Potter! She spent most of the feast giggling with her friends, excitedly planning their hair and make up. Colin had promised to take a photo of her and Harry when they were ready; she couldn't wait. Ginny glanced towards Harry who was sitting a few places up from her, on the other side of the table. She was pleased to find that her eyes met his, and was even more so when, instead of looking away, he sent her a radiant smile, green eyes sparkling in the light given off from the floating jack o'lanterns. She felt her cheeks warm; tonight was going to be perfect.
After the feast, the students returned to their respective common rooms and dormitories, chattering excitedly as the Ball loomed ever closer. Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory, Ron rolling his eyes at Parvati and Lavender's high pitched squealing that could be heard from the fifth year girls' room. 'Honestly, women!' he laughed. Harry and Ron's dormitory looked like a bomb had hit it. Neville had succeeded in losing his dress robes, and by the time he had found those, Trevor had wandered off somewhere. His half of the room was covered in various books, parchments and clothing that had been flung from their drawers during the search. Seamus and Dean were larking about, talking about their dates (Lavender and Parvati respectively) and Seamus was teasing Dean about his choice of aftershave; 'But it's Jean-Paul Gaultier!' he had protested. 'Jean-Paul who?!' had been the response from Ron. Harry laughed. He and Ron were now sorting out their dress robes. Ron had some new ones this year, and was quite pleased that he didn't have to wear the frilly maroon ones this time. 'Fred and George bought me them, I don't know how, no, make that *why*, they'd spend money on me!' Harry grinned inwardly; he had given the twins his prize money from the Triwizard tournament the previous year, and supposed that was the reason for their newfound generosity. He had to admit, Ron did look good in his new robes, they were black velvet with a navy trim which made him appear even taller, not that he needed it. Harry hadn't done much growing since last year, so his bottle green robes still fitted him. He looked at Ron, who was fiddling with the fastenings on his robes. 'I'm useless at dancing, you know' he said to Harry. 'What if I stand on her feet?' Harry smirked at the mental image he had conjured. 'Don't worry, you'll be fine.' He tried to sound sincere, but it was quite difficult to keep a straight face when Dean and Seamus were making kissing faces in the general direction of Ron.
*******
The girls' dormitories, however, were awash with excited chatter. Hermione, Parvati and Lavender had changed into their gowns; Lavender was wearing a pale purple dress that complimented her blonde hair and Parvati was wearing a ruby-red sari that was accompanied by her gold bangles. Hermione had received a new set of robes for her birthday that year, and so was wearing a light pink dress. The skirt and sleeves were made of floaty fabric, which waved in the breeze as she walked. The bodice was made of a smooth satin, and she wore a silver necklace with a heart pendant. Lavender was busy weaving gold ribbons into Parvati's braid, when Ginny came into the room. 'Ginny, you look amazing!' She gushed. It was true; she was wearing a green velvet dress, which was edged in gold lace. The long sleeves tapered to a point at her hands, and the emerald green not only enhanced her fiery hair, but was also certain to match with Harry's own robes. 'Thanks, Hermione, you look wonderful too! I was wondering if you could help me with my hair?'
By the time the girls had finished, they looked like princesses, or so Ginny thought. Hermione had plaited the top half of Ginny's hair, securing it with an emerald and gold Celtic clip. She had charmed her own hair to sparkle, and had managed to get it to fall into ringlets rather than its usual frizz. Ron was in for a shock. Suddenly, Parvati announced that it was time to go, and the four Gryffindors made their descent down the spiral staircase towards their awaiting dates.
*******
Ron's jaw dropped as Hermione entered the common room; she was breath taking. She smiled sweetly as he extended his arm to escort her to the Great Hall. 'Hermione, you look... amazing!' She giggled, and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Ron's cheek. Harry smiled as his friend turned a shade of red so vivid it almost rivalled his hair. A movement behind him caused Harry to turn back to the stairs, and the sight that met his eyes caused his heart to jump into his throat, and his stomach to flip over, which was quite a feeling to experience. She was beautiful. There was no other word for her. Ginny broke into a smile as she watched Harry staring at her. 'Ginny, you look, you... wow.' Harry struggled to get the words out. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to go crazy. 'Thank you' she replied 'the same goes for you!' He was looking more handsome than ever, if it were possible. Her mother had been right; his robes really did bring out his eyes. She reached the bottom of the stairs, and Harry walked towards her. There was a moment's silence, as each regarded the other. Then Harry took her hand and kissed it. She blushed, and raised herself slightly to kiss his cheek. Although a year younger than Harry, she was only about an inch shorter- she was a Weasley, after all.
Harry had never felt prouder than he did as he walked to the Great Hall; not even winning the Quidditch cup had come close. He didn't need the admiring stares Ginny received from other students to confirm it; he was going to the ball with the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts.
The night was perfect, all the students were in high spirits, even the Slytherins had no cause to spoil the evening. Harry and Ginny sat a the side of the dance floor, sipping their drinks, laughing occasionally at the Fred and George's manic dancing with Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. Ron and Hermione were dancing, too. Ron seemed to have gotten over his fear of standing on Hermione's feet, and was now staring down at her in adoration. Harry smiled to himself, thinking that he had probably worn a similar expression when Ginny had entered the common room. He turned his head to find Ginny watching him. 'What are you smiling about?' She asked. Harry nodded his head in the direction of his two best friends. 'It's about time!' she smiled. 'What do you mean?' Harry enquired. 'Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious? Ron never shuts up about Hermione at home, but whenever one of us asks him anything about her he blushed bright red and gets angry and defensive. And if the looks I've seen Hermione give him while supposedly doing her homework are anything to go by, I'd say we'll have a brand new couple upon us soon.' Harry smiled, it was true; his friends had been slowly falling for each other over the past few years. The chances of them finally admitting their true feelings was distinctly possible tonight. 'Unless,' he added, 'Ron manages to mess things up again!' They both laughed. Ron wasn't exactly the expert on anything concerning himself and Hermione.
The music slowed down, signalling the end of that dance. Harry looked towards Ginny, who had been enraptured by the dancing since they had got there. Well, here goes nothing, he thought, taking a deep breath. 'Do you want to dance?' he asked. Ginny practically jumped out of her seat 'I'd love to, Harry!' she beamed. The two made their way on to the dance floor. 'Erm, I'm not very good at this, you know' Harry ventured, timidly. Ginny smiled as she remembered the Champions' dance at last year's ball. 'Don't worry,' she reassured him, 'you'll be fine.' As calm as she appeared on the surface, Ginny was nervous inside. She could feel shivers building up as Harry gently placed one of his hands on her waist. Harry flushed slightly as she gingerly brought her hand up to his shoulder, and the two intertwined the fingers of their other hands. The music swelled again, and it was all that Ginny could hear. As far as she was concerned, they could be the only two in the Hall right then; she could spend an eternity gazing into those deep green eyes. 'I meant it before, you know,' Ginny felt her heart leap as he began to speak, 'what I said in the common room. I just couldn't find the right words- you look beautiful, Ginny.' She was the happiest witch on the planet at that moment, she felt as though she might burst. 'Thank you' she whispered, unable to trust her voice with Harry so close. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Harry swallowed as he continued. 'But not just tonight, Ginny... always.' He could feel his knees trembling as he said it. But it was true; he didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. She really was beautiful. The music crescendoed as they slowly danced, their bodies as one. Their eyes met, and Harry felt as though something had clicked inside him. Ginny had felt it too, and took an uncertain breath. They leaned in towards each other, their joint emotions blocking out everyone else in the Hall. Softly, their lips met. Ginny could feel all her emotions rising together, so much so that it almost hurt. She could only feel him, smell him, taste him, sense him. There was nothing else, only Harry. And all that he knew was that she was his, and he was hers. It was the best feeling in the world, and he wanted to stay like this always.