Previously; Harry Potter, out of bed after hours (as per norm) met Alana Winter while trying to work out his egg.
Transfiguration had never held less appeal – catching up with Ron seemed far more important. Harry now found he kept an eye out for Alana in every class – like Hermione, she was always there sharp and had her books out, but unlike Hermione spent most of her time staring out the nearest window with a far away expression in her eyes and dreamy smile on her face. Not that he'd been consciously looking for her. But when he had happened to notice, he had realised her eyes were dark blue, and her hair was actually a medium blonde.
He really had missed being friends with Ron – who else would talk to him during McGonagall's class. Especially when she was staring at him with a death stare; Harry shut up. Fast.
"Now that Mr. Potter has seen fit to listen," she glared at him until his ears turned pink, "I have an announcement-"
"This is horrific," Ron moaned and Harry was highly inclined to agree. The prospect of asking a girl to dance was more terrifying than facing the horntail. They were weaving through the throngs of students in the corridor. "I mean, you fight dragons. If you can't get a date, who can?" Harry shrugged and ducked his head as a group of girls swarmed – really, there was no other word – together, bowed their head like a football team talking tactics and giggled as soon as he glanced at them. Harry knew he was blushing and increased his pace, keeping his head down.
That was probably why he was already barrelling into someone before he saw them – the girl's blonde braid swung as she spun and whacked him in the face. "Watch where you walk, idiot!"
Harry began to apologise even as he turned to look at her – it probably wasn't the best way to start up another conversation with Alana, who looked a little taken a back, but also irritated. Her cheeks were flushed as she stared at him, letting him trip over his own tongue to apologise while Ron looked on, confused. "I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going and-"
Alana shook her head but smiled. "It's fine, I'll live."
A hand stole around her shoulder, and she glanced over her shoulder to smile at another guy – Cedric Diggory. "Oh, hey Harry," Cedric smiled at him confidently. "You okay, you look a little weird..."
"Yeah, I'm fine – I'll see you around," he muttered quickly and turned before anyone else could say anything. Ron gave him a peculiar look as they wove their way back to the Gryffindor corridor.
"Who's she?"
"Oh, her name's Alana... we talked in the common room a while back." Ron shrugged, apparently satisfied. "Now, who are you planning to take to the ball?"
Harry needed to get a move on, but every girl he tried to talk to blushed, giggled and stared at him as if he were an alien who landed on earth and asked for souvenirs. He was hiding in the library, pretending to read a book on the history of magic. Soon all the good ones would be gone as Fred and George said. Okay – this was it, he was going to do it. He closed the book with a slam then – gesturing apologetically to everyone in sight – stuck it back on the shelf haphazardly. Beating a retreat towards the common room he saw Cho Chang coming towards him, smiling brightly with her inky hair bouncing in an enthusiastic rhythm as she walked. She winked at him as she passed, and impulsively Harry spun on his heel and caught her arm, blurting out before she could say a word, "Chowouldyouliketogototheballwithme?"
Her eyebrows retreated into her fringe. "Sorry – I didn't catch that..."
Harry took a steadying breath and clenched his fists. "Would you like to go to the ball with me?"
Cho broke out in a wide grin, and nodded eagerly. "Sure, I'd love to!"
Harry was so relieved when he walked through the portrait hole, it took him a second to realise Ron had a look not unlike that of a petrified person and was being comforted – comforted? – by Ginny and Hermione. "It's alright Ron, just forget it," the latter repeated over and over, patting his shoulder and smiling encouragingly. "Maybe she didn't notice," Ginny suggested, but Ron just glared at her.
"Mate, what happened to you?" Harry asked, sinking into a chair opposite Ron. He spotted Alana sitting in her window seat, watching the unfolding scene with interest out of the corner of her eye while pretending to read the book that lay open on her lap. He shot her a look and she smiled conspiratorially back.
Ron looked at him. "I'm never speaking to a girl again Harry – I'm just not cut out for this..." he trailed off. "Hey, Hermione..." Ron looked at Hermione as though he'd come out of a cave into the sun. "You're a girl!"
Hermione looked hurt. "Oh, well noticed..."
"Well, you and I could go together and Harry-"
Harry shook his head. "Got a date."
"Who?" Ron snapped, then seemed to change his mind. "Never mind, yeah, Hermione you can go with me and-"
"No," Hermione interrupted, "I can't. Someone else asked me, so you'll have to find another girl Ron."
Ron looked shocked, glancing at Harry as if to say, 'she's joking right?' Hermione 'ughed' and walked away. Alana watched Hermione hurry up the turret stairs; she met Harry's eyes and dipped her chin in a barely perceivable nod, laid aside her book and followed Hermione as unobtrusively as a shadow through the forest.
"Girls," Ron grumbled, rolling his eyes, "So, who'd you ask?"