Sitting in the commons, Ginny Weasley was contemplating the fact that she was hopelessly stuck on the fact that the Yule Ball was days away. Days. That means Neville.

"Oh no." Ginny said, realizing that Neville walked in smiling.

"Hi Ginny." he grinned and sat next to her on the couch.

"Hey Neville." she grumbled in return. She did not like Neville, nor did she like his fragile eyes. She remembered the look in Neville's sad, fragile, worried eyes when she agreed to go to the Yule Ball. She didn't want to say no. She didn't want to hurt him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes." Ginny replied, then stood up and walked to the Quidditch pitch. It was quiet there most days when there was no preactice. Days like today. After all, Quidditch had been canceled until after the Yule Ball. Dumbledore didn't want anyone to get injured and have to miss out. Now Ginny was looking for new ways to get out of the Yule Ball. It wasn't that she didn't want to go, it was just that she didn't want to go with Neville, but most of all, she didn't want to tell Neville she had changed her mind.

"It's not fair!" Ginny shouted, standing in the middle of the pitch.

"Is something wrong?" a familiar voice asked. Harry?

"Huh?" she said, turning around.

"I was wondering what was wrong. You had shouted 'It's not fair'."

"Oh. I don't want to go to the ball with Neville, but I said yes in a moment of weakness and now I don't have the heart to tell him I don't want to go."

"Who do you want to go with?"

"I'd rather not say. It's embarrassing. Besides, there's nothing I could do now. He's already got a date."

"As long as it's not Malfoy I'll be fine. Just tell me. You know we're friends, I promise I won't say a thing."

"Are you sure? I mean it's a little personal."

"If you didn't want to—"

"It's you." Ginny said quickly, then clapped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry. Oh, this is so awkward."

"Did you want to go with me, then? I'll just tell Patel that—"

"Really?"

"Definitely, I'd rather go with a friend than someone I don't really know."

"A friend, yeah." she mumbled.

"But maybe the Yule Ball would be a nice starting point for something else."

"That would be good."

"Hey Ginny, I just wanted you to know that you're a really cool person and I'm glad to be going to the ball with you."

"Me too Harry." Ginny blushed.