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Chapter 1: "The 'Real' Yule Ball"

By: Steve Jester

Notes Disclaimers and bullshit: I don't own Harry Potter, I wish I did, but no. Be warned that I don't go with the normal couples so be afraid.

            For my own reason's I usually kept to my self. Christmas was always a hard time for me. My friends always are bright and cheerful during this time of holiday. Many people think I have a crush on the boy that lived. Truth is I did. My affections have turned to a different person. I'm not saying I hate Harry, I just don't find him attractive. I don't find many boys attractive; in fact I have yet to find any guy attractive. My affections have turned to a fourteen year old who probably will never share these affections. Her name is Hermione Granger.

            "Ginny!" said someone in the distance. I regained my focus, my daydream dissolving revealing a person in front of me. It was my brother, Ron. "You ok Ginny, you looked out of it?"

            I took off my glasses, "Fine, I'm fine." I put my glasses in my pocket; I only had them for studying.

            "You didn't look fine," Ron said, "Anyway it's time for dinner."

            "Coming," I said putting my book in my bag. I followed my brother down to the Great Hall. My mind wasn't on the ancient runes I had to study. My mind wasn't even on Harry's predicament with the Triwizard Tournament. It was on the brunette who at present was absent from Gryffindor Table. I ate in silence, my thought being my only company. I overheard Harry and Ron talking about finding dance partners for the Yule Ball. I wish Hermione would take me. Impossible I told myself. All of a sudden I felt someone tickle both my sides. "Ah!" I screamed as I turned to see who did it.

            "C'mon Ginny lighten up, it's Christmas," the attacker said sitting down. It was a certain brunette.

            "Hey Hermione," I said. I tried not to look directly at her because I didn't want her to see my blush.

            "Ginny, you look tense. Is something bothering you?" Hermione asked. I managed to nod my head slightly. Normally I would say what was on my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her, not her, not now. "Tell you what, we'll talk about it in the bath tonight, after everyone is asleep." Hermione got up, having finished her dinner, and left the hall, leaving me to my own thoughts once again. Should I tell her? What will she think? These thoughts kept swirling around my head as people left for their houses. I finally decided to get up and go back to Gryffindor Tower. Many people were in the common room even though it was close to the end of term many students were staying for the Yule Ball. I took out my Herbology book and my glasses and started to read the chapter we went over in class today. My mind however was on the encounter that would occur soon.

At last the common room started to clear, everybody was heading to their dormitories to go to sleep. I told my roommates that I would be taking a bath and not to wait for me. When everybody was upstairs I went over to a door by the girls staircase, the girls bath. I went into the room. In front of me was a very oversized tub, almost like a swimming pool. I slipped off my clothes and put them to the side I went in the bath, warm water covering my body. I took a few laps turning on the faucets as I passed them. Out of the faucets came bubbles. As I swam back towards the door I caught a glimpse of someone undressing. I pretended not to notice but my face was beet red. As I finished my final lap I heard "Hi Ginny," from right next to me.

"Hi Hermione," I said casually. I attempted to hide my blush out of embarrassment.

            Hermione swam up next to me, "Now something's bothering you. You want to tell me?" she asked in a caring voice.

            "Well," I said in a meek sounding voice, "I have a crush on this person, I just don't know if this person could ever have the feeling that I have."

            Hermione pondered, "Would this person be Harry?"

            I chuckled, "No, I mean I used to like him that way, but not anymore."

            Hermione's quizzical expression returned, "Everybody hate's Slytherin," she muttered crossing off the number of possibilities.

            "You'll never get it," I said.

            And that's when it hit her. Hermione paused for a minute, as if she was studying my face. As she looked into my eyes my blush intensified, "Ginny Weasley do you have a crush on a girl?" she asked with a sly look on her face. I looked at her shyly, not wanting to meet her gaze. I bent my head in a small nod. "You should know better than that Ginny, I'm not a homophobe," she said as she hugged me. "Now," she said looking into my eyes, "who's the lucky girl?" I held my silence; something inside me didn't want to tell her. "I see," Hermione said after a few minutes. She looked off into the distance, as if she was battling her own insecurities inside of her. "You know Ginny," she sighed.  "I just found out something."

            "What?" I asked meekly. Now I was the one that was confused.

            "I found out," Hermione said blushing, "that I'm not alone."

            My face fell, "Really? You're a lesbian too?" I said as my hopes rose.

            "Yes," she said, blush now reaching new heights.

            I hugged her tightly once more, "I'll tell you who I've got a crush on if you do."

            Hermione's blush intensified even more, if it was possible, "The girl I have a crush on is," She said as she took a deep breath, "you, Ginny."

            My joy reached its limits as I burst into tears. I kissed her on the lips and she returned it full of passion. It felt so good to finally let her know. As we released our lip lock on each other I looked upon Hermione not as my friend, but as my girlfriend. "Thanks Hermione, I feel much better."

            "No thank you," she said. For a while we sat in each other's company, until Hermione said, "What about the Yule Ball?"

            "I don't know," I said, "People might make fun of us."

            "So, how do we get in?" Hermione mused to herself, "Aha!"

            "I take it you have an idea."

            "I know there's a guy, other than Ron or Harry, who has their eye on me," Hermione said, "You defiantly need to find someone to get in with, you're in third year."

            "Who's the guy you're thinking will take you?"

            "Viktor Krum," she said smiling evilly.

            "That's mean," I said chuckling, "I like it!"

            "So, any ideas as to who you 'date' could be?"

            I thought long and hard, who could I trust? Then it hit me, "Neville," I said, "I can trust him."

            "You don't even need to tell him everything. Just enough so he understands."

            "All right," I said getting out of the bath and quickly wrapping a towel around myself. I kissed Hermione on the cheek, "Love you."

            "I do too," she said waving to me as I left. I went upstairs into my dormitory and into my bed, content in the fact that Hermione feels the same way as I do.

            I woke up at around 6:30. People already were filling the common room waiting for seven o'clock so they could go down for breakfast. Neville was sitting on one of the many armchairs near the fire. I walked over and bent down. "Meet me outside in a couple of minutes," I whispered into his ear. Neville surprisingly didn't ask a lot of questions and just nodded slightly. I went out of the common room through the portal door. After a couple of minutes Neville came out the door. We walked into an empty corridor, "Neville," I said, "There's something I've got to tell you…"

            "You and Hermione are in love, you want to go to the Yule Ball but don't want to make a scene so Hermione is asking Krum for help while you're asking me. I got this all from Hermione this morning," Neville said, not with the voice of the clumsy idiot that I heard about from my brother. He sounded like a real gentleman.

            I stood there with a baffled expression, "You don't have to…"

            "No, I want to," Neville said, "I owe a favor to Hermione anyway."

            "I just feel like I'm using you."

            "Never mind that, I feel that we can go as friends."

            I sighed, "Thanks." I went to breakfast content in the knowledge that Hermione's and my plan was working.

            That evening after all the classes were done I sat in the common room again. I listened to Harry and Ron's woes of girl troubles. Harry asked Cho from Ravenclaw and Ron asked Fleur Delacour, the champion from Beauxtons. During the exchange Hermione came in, winking at me so the other two didn't see. We set the plan into action. Ron and Hermione had an argument when Ron decided to try to ask her. After she 'stormed off' Ron decided to try and set up Harry and I, but I told them I was going with Neville and then ran off to the Great Hall. To my surprise, only one other person was still in the hall eating. Viktor Krum. I sat at Gryffindor Table but he walked from where he was sitting at the Slytherin Table over to where I sat. "Is this seat taken?" He asked sitting down. He looked off into the distance, a somber expression on his face. Then all of a sudden he asked, "You are Ginny Veasley?"

            I looked at him, "Yes?"

            "Hermy-own has told me about you. She said she vos in love vith you. She vants to be my partner as a distraction so she can be your dance partner."

            "I take it that you accepted this arrangement?" I asked.

            "Yes," he said, his thick Bulgarian accent getting the best of him again, "I vos vondering if I vould ever have a partner, and even though she doesn't care for me, I'll be fine."

            I nodded my head. Hopefully our plan will work, I thought. I went back to the common room and went to bed.

            The day finally came, Christmas, the day of the Yule Ball. Hermione pulled me aside that morning, "It's going to work."

            "I know," I said the anticipation apparent on my face.

Hermione gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, "Just remember to do what I told you," she said as she ran off.

            The day went by slowly. Hermione went with Ron and Harry outside for whatever reason while I sat in the common room. Hermione came in around four and went straight up to her dormitory. I went to my dormitory and put everything away. I decided to get ready so I put on my dress robes, which were a scarlet color. I added a little bit of makeup to my face, just enough to highlight my features. After a while everyone was meeting in the common room. I went down and picked up Neville. Hermione left for the Great Hall along with everyone else whose partner wasn't in Gryffindor. The rest of us followed shortly after them.

            We waited in the entranceway while the final preparations were made. Once the doors opened the champions and their partners were escorted to a small corridor while the rest of the students filled into the Great Hall. Neville and I took our seats close to the front. After a few minutes the champions themselves came in with their dance partners. Hermione looked nice in her blue dress robes. Dinner was short, although I whish I could have spent every second of it with Hermione. As soon as dinner was done it was time for the one dance with Neville. Apparently he never learned how to dance. My feet were sore from where he stepped on them. It was all accidental but it still hurt. Then the last part of the plan came into effect. After that song Hermione sat at the table where Ron and Harry were. She got into an argument with Ron. Then she ran outside. All the While I had an intelligent conversation with Neville. When Krum went and followed her we went too. The four of us met at a place in the rose garden. When I saw Hermione, I ran up and hugged her tightly, "Worked like a charm!" I said.

            "Hermione just smiled. She looked over at the two guys that 'accompanied' us, "I think we should thank them."

            "Let's," I walked over to Neville. I kissed him gently on the cheek. Hermione did the same with Krum. Both of the guys blushed slightly. "Well Hermione, shall we?"

            "Let's go. Thanks again!" she said to Krum and Neville as we continued down the path. At the end of the path was the lake. If anyone looked in our direction no one would notice that it was two girls being silhouetted against the black sky. Little did we know that something wasn't right with the pen or Rita Skeeter.

AN: That was a good write! How did you like it? Let me know!