Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the wonderful world of Harry Potter. I just own this fanfic. No copyright intended!
Author's note: This is a brief one-shot on what might've happened if Harry managed to ask a girl to be his Yule Ball date ahead of time. Pairings include Harry/Katie, Neville/Hermione & Ron/Fay. Heavy Ginny bashing. Normally, I don't pair Harry with girls older than himself, but this one is an exception, since this idea just wouldn't go away! After all, exceptions can always be made, if the right idea pops up! This is my first Harry Potter one-shot (but my second one-shot overall).
A Different Yule Ball
Harry was one, happy wizard. He and his other fellow Gryffindors finished practicing the dance for the Yule Ball. Professor McGonagall had told Harry that, as a champion, he was required to attend, despite Harry's protests that he didn't dance, but the stern transfiguration teacher explained that they were going to practice. Professor McGonagall also instructed everybody to get up and find a practice partner. Harry almost immediately picked Katie Bell, a fifth year Gryffindor, who was also one of the chasers on the Quidditch team. Katie was ecstatic that Harry picked her, as it turned out, she's had a secret crush on Harry for the last three years (a crush on Harry as a person rather than Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived). As Harry and Katie were starting to practice dancing, they didn't notice that a certain red-haired girl was glaring in their direction. This girl was Ginny Weasley, a third year, and like Katie, Ginny had a crush on Harry, but unlike Katie, Ginny only wanted Harry for his fame, rather than Harry as a person.
'Katie is so dead,' thought Ginny bitterly. 'I'm gonna confront her for taking my Harry!'
Ginny was forced to practice dancing with Colin Creevey, who was also a third year, and she was dreading it, every second of the practice.
(Later that evening)
Harry and Katie were heading back to Gryffindor Tower after dinner. Harry decided to sit next to her, along with the other Gryffindor chasers, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson. Fred Weasley asked Angelina to be his date, while George asked Alicia to be his. The Weasley twins best friend, Lee Jordan had asked Katie's best friend, Leanne, to go to the ball with him. Then, Harry asked Katie to be his date, and she happily accepted, much to Ginny's fury. The jealous red-haired female pretended to be fine with it, but inwardly, she was blood boiling.
When Harry and Katie made it back to the Gryffindor common room, they spotted Neville Longbottom sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, and he was nervous.
"Neville, you okay?" asked Harry.
"Yeah," said Neville. "I was thinking of a-asking H-Hermione to the b-ball, but I'm not sure h-how to ask her!"
"Just give it a try, Neville," Harry encouraged. "I'm sure she'd be happy to go with you!"
"The least she can do is say no," said Katie. "You won't know for sure if you don't ask!"
"Th-thank y-you," said Neville. "I'll go ahead and ask..."
Some commotion was heard from the common room entrance. Ginny came stomping in and over to Katie, glaring at her and making it as threatening as possible.
"What in the hell do you think you were doing, dancing with my Harry, you stupid bint?!" Ginny demanded.
"He just picked me," said Katie in a voice that implied that she wasn't pleased with being called a bint. "You have no business asking me why I was dancing with him!"
"Harry belongs to me, you bitch," said Ginny angrily. "Now, you'd better get your ass outta here, so I can wait for Harry to ask me to the ball!"
Katie glared at Ginny, outraged that she had called her a bitch. Ginny was acting overconfident, assuming that Katie wouldn't do anything. Little did she know that she was just about to realize that she had just underestimated Katie, big time. At just that moment, Katie raised her hand and smacked Ginny across the face, with everything she had, making Ginny spin around as she fell to the ground.
"HOW DARE YOU!" screamed Ginny, more enraged than ever, once she recovered and faced Katie. "YOU SMACKED ME! NOBODY HAD EVER SMACKED ME BEFORE, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE FACE! I DEMAND AN APOLOGY, RIGHT NOW!"
"No," said Katie defiantly. "You have no right trying to dissuade Harry from calling off taking me to the ball! And you certainly have no right telling a fifth year to leave the common room, so you'd better watch what you say!"
"Surely I must be dreaming," said Ginny, closing her eyes. "As soon I wake up, it'll be the start of dance practice, and Harry will pick me as a practice partner, and he'll ask me to be his date!"
"You know, maybe it is," said Alicia slyly, as she and Angelina entered the common room and looked down at Ginny. "If this is a dream, would you feel this?"
Alicia grabbed one of Ginny's ears and yanked it, forcing the jealous girl into opening her eyes as she winced from the pain caused by her ear being yanked.
"Now wake up, Ginevra," said Angelina, pointing a finger at Ginny. "You know Harry would never date you! That only exists in your stupid head!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT WRETCHED NAME!" Ginny yelled in Angelina's face.
"Then treat others the way you wanna be treated!" said Angelina.
"It ain't hard," said Alicia. "Now, leave Harry and Katie alone!"
Ginny refused to take the hint, and instead, she lunged toward Katie, intending to fight for Harry. This only resulted in Katie punching Ginny in the nose, causing the angry red head to grab her nose as she saw stars dancing in her vision, followed by tears streaming down her face.
"Thirtht, you thlapped me, ad now you pudched me in my node," cried Ginny as she pinched her nose to stop the bleeding, making it somewhat harder to talk properly because of it. "Are you thupid or thomething, or are you pwventig me fwom attainig happineth?"
"Get lost, Ginevra!" Katie snarled.
"I've never had any interest in you," said Harry, who pointed a finger in Ginny's face. "And I never will! So stop following me everywhere I go! I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it either! I hate my fame as the Boy-Who-Lived! I'm warning you once, and only once, stay away from me, or I'll make sure your worst nightmare comes true, and make it as revolting as possible. Do you understand?!"
Ginny reluctantly nodded her head, with more tears flowing down her face, then she got up and stomped up to the girls dormitory. Angelina and Alicia patted Katie on her shoulders, then Harry gave Katie a great, big hug, to show her he appreciated her telling Ginny off. Katie also hugged Harry back. A minute or so later, Hermione walked into the common room. Harry, Katie, Angelina and Alicia gave Neville and encouraging nod, so Neville summoned up his Gryffindor courage and approached Hermione.
"Uh, H-Hermione," said Neville, trying to keep his nervousness in check, as Hermione faced him. "Would... would you... wouldyouliketogototheballwithme!"
Neville said the last part of it too fast.
"I'm sorry, Neville, I didn't get what you said, it was too fast." said Hermione.
"S-Sorry," said Neville. "W-Would you l-like to go to the ball w-wth me?"
"Yes, I would love to, Neville!" said Hermione ecstatically.
She gave Neville a hug, to show him that she appreciated him asking her. Neville also hugged Hermione back. Not long after, Ron Weasley walked in with Fay Dunbar. The cheerful expressions on their faces implied that Ron had asked her to the ball and that she accepted.
(The night of the Yule Ball)
It was 5:00 PM of Christmas Day. Harry and Katie started walking toward the Great Hall, arm in arm. Harry was happy that Katie helped him practice the dance for the opening waltz that the champions were required to do. Fred, George, Lee and Neville (with their respective dates) followed behind Harry and Katie, also arm in arm. Harry and Katie had to wait in an unused classroom with the other champions and their respective dates. Cedric's date was Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw, who was also their seeker. Fleur's date was Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, and one of the chasers. Viktor's date, it turned out, was Daphne Greengrass, the Ice Queen of Slytherin. She didn't have the ice queen glare on her face, which surprised Harry. All too soon, the champions and their dates started making their way to the Great Hall, so they could start the opening dance. Harry and Katie grinned happily at each other as they began dancing.
The End