Harry spent the rest of the day in a state of semi-euphoria. He'd spoken with Cho, and she had made him promise to talk to her later. Maybe he'd actually take dance lessons, after all. The day sped by, and it was finally time for Harry to go to the old potions classroom. One of the last things the Weasley twins had done before graduating last year was to accidentally blow up the potions lab. They'd moved all of Professor Snape's classes to a different room on one of the upper levels until the repairs were completed, but Professor Snape seemed to like being in a classroom that actually had windows. The move back to the old classroom was postponed until next school year.

Harry hurried down to the dungeons. He used to hate having to go into the dungeons, and even now didn't like to encounter any of the seventh year Slytherins, but since Ginny and Draco had begun to date, it was much less unpleasant to be down here. As he entered the old potions classroom, Harry looked around, surprised. Part of the renovation and repair job seemed to have included installing false windows that would give off a magical glow that simulated sunlight. There were no desks or chairs yet, so the entire floor was open. Harry looked around, taking in the smell of fresh paint on the walls and fresh wood for the chalkboard and teaching platform. The floor was still stone, but the stones had been scrubbed smooth so they shone. Harry just hoped he didn't slip and fall on his arse!

He was only there for a few minutes when Ginny hurried in. Dropping her book bag, Ginny hurried over and gave Harry a quick hug.

"Sorry I'm late," she said quickly. "Let's get started!"

Ginny took out her wand and waved it. Music floated through the air. Harry raised his eyebrows and gave Ginny a surprised look.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she said with a smile. "Draco set it up."

"Wow, not bad," Harry agreed. He couldn't see where the music was coming from. If he were in a Muggle school, he'd assume there was a stereo with speakers set up in the room. But since most Muggle technology didn't work in Hogwarts, he knew it was magic. He just never suspected Draco Malfoy had such creativity in him.

"So, what now?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Well, Draco was supposed to be here, but he might be a bit late. He said he was going to try to get some practice in."

"In a snowstorm?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"Well, he said he was determined to beat us, so he's getting in whatever practice he can."

Harry wanted to ask more, but Ginny shook her head. Quidditch was the one thing she and Draco didn't discuss, and she wouldn't talk about his practices with her team, either.

"Let's get started, all right?"

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand, led him to the center of the floor and placed one hand on his shoulder. She held out her other hand to him, but Harry looked blankly at her. Clicking her tongue, she gave Harry a shake of her head and took one hand, placing it on her hip, then the other in her outstretched hand.

"All right, Harry, listen to the music. Count time in your head like one- two-three-FOUR, five-six-seven-EIGHT. On the up beat, one or five, you'll step forward with your right foot and I'll step back with my left. Then follow with your left, then two quick rights. Okay?"

Harry nodded vaguely, not understanding a thing she was saying. He listened to the music and nodded in time, but he kept missing the beat. Finally, Ginny said she'd give him the cue.

"On ONE, right?" she asked.

"Right," he agreed.

"Right then, five-six-seven-eight, now, ONE!"

Harry stepped forward, with his left foot, right on Ginny's! She squealed and yanked away, hopping on one foot while trying to massage the other. Harry tried to apologize, but she waved him away.

"That's all right," she said with a laugh. "I did the same thing to Draco the first time he tried to teach me. Now let's try again."

After several missed starts, Harry was finally able to shuffle through a horrid approximation of a waltz, but Ginny called for a break, joking that she might need to find iron slippers.

After a few minutes, they tried again, but this time, although Harry did fairly well for a minute or so, he stepped wrong and nearly tripped them both. As Ginny recovered her balance, they heard a slow clap from the doorway.

Malfoy was leaning against the door, his face flushed with cold and a sprinkling of snow still stuck in his hair. He had a slight smirk on his face as he looked at Harry.

"Bravo, Potter, keep it up and Gryffindor's best player will be crippled for our match."

He stopped clapping and pushed away from the door. "Oh," he added with a drawl, "and you might be hurt, too."

Harry gave Malfoy a halfhearted glare, knowing the git was only stating the truth. Malfoy moved toward them, fixing his cold gray eyes on Ginny. Harry saw that the Slytherin's expression immediately softened. Malfoy took Ginny's hands and pulled her toward him.

"All right, love?" he asked. "No permanent damage?"

Ginny smiled and shook her head. She leaned into his taller body and Harry felt an urge to look away. In a way, they were worse than Ron and Hermione, but when Ginny and Malfoy did it, they looked very natural together.

"Just a bit sore, and that will go away, right?" Ginny teased, referring to the many times she'd stepped on Malfoy's feet.

As Harry watched, embarrassed, Malfoy took one of Ginny's hands and turned it over, palm up. He carried it to his lips, as though to kiss it, but stopped abruptly. He slanted a glance at Harry, and let her hand drop.

Harry knew exactly what Malfoy had been going to do. He wasn't going to kiss Ginny's palm. He was going to LICK it! He knew because he'd seen Malfoy do it before. And Ginny seemed to LIKE it! Her eyes would close and she'd seem to get breathless.

Brrrrrrr, Harry thought with a mental shudder. Why would anyone want to lick someone's palm? What if Ginny had been working in fertilizer in the Herbology lab? Or what if she'd just been to the loo and hadn't washed her hands? Malfoy was one strange fellow.

Harry gave another mental shudder, thinking that about the only normal thing about Malfoy was his feelings for Ginny. Malfoy placed an arm around Ginny's shoulders and looked at Harry.

"Well, Potter," he said with only a trace of a drawl, "let's see what you've accomplished."

Harry reached out and took Ginny's hand. When his other hand rested on her waist, though, Harry saw Malfoy's jaw tighten. Harry still didn't understand Malfoy's jealousy, when it was so obvious that Ginny was crazy about the git. But Malfoy was just as obviously devoted to her, otherwise he would never have agreed to help Harry when it meant that Harry would be holding Ginny close for dancing.

The music began and on the upbeat Harry stepped forward, with the wrong foot, right onto Ginny's! He jumped back immediately, but almost dragged Ginny on top of him in his haste. Luckily, Malfoy grabbed Ginny around the waist and pulled her back as Harry tripped and landed on his bottom.

"Good gods, Potter, she's not a sack of potatoes! Are you trying to kill her!?"

Despite his words, Malfoy reached down and offered Harry a hand up. Harry took it with a sheepish grin.

"Right," he said. "Sorry."

Ginny grinned at them, and Malfoy smiled. "Got two left feet when you're not on a broom, don't you?"

Harry was surprised at how mild his tone was. He didn't seem to be mocking, just joking around. Harry decided he'd been right in the Three Broomsticks. Ginny's influence on the git was obvious, and if Ron would drop hostilities, Malfoy probably would, too.

"Here, love," Ginny told Draco, taking his hand. "Let's show him."

Draco moved forward and took Ginny gracefully in his arms. The couple moved about the room as if they'd been dancing together for years.

That's how it should look, Harry thought ruefully. They looked like they were the only two people in the world. He was almost disgusted at the observation, but they DID look good together. He couldn't imagine himself moving that gracefully anywhere except in the air. As Malfoy had observed, he had two left feet if he wasn't on a broom. Harry continued to watch as the song came to an end. Malfoy gave Ginny a last spin and dipped her low. Then he pulled her up, into his arms.

Harry had to clear his throat to remind them that he was still here. Malfoy's eyes flashed for a moment, but then he relaxed.

"Sorry, Potter—Harry," Malfoy said with a small shrug. "Well, want to try again, now you've seen how it should go?"

Harry saw Malfoy tensing again and shook his head.

"Thanks anyway, Ginny, Mal—Draco, but I think I've learned enough for one day."

He smiled to take any sting out of his words, but Ginny looked worried.

"But Harry, you haven't learned anything, yet!"

Harry glanced up and caught Malfoy's eyes. He gave the Slytherin a grin and said, "I learned that I'll never look that good on a dance floor. Whoever I dance with will just have to be satisfied with shuffling around in a circle."

Ginny frowned, but Malfoy laughed out loud. Then he shook his head at Harry.

"I wouldn't say that, Pot—Harry," he said with no trace of his usual drawl. "I just think you'll do better with your own partner."

Harry was surprised again at how pleasant Malfoy could sound when he wasn't being an ass. But he was astounded by Malfoy's next admission.

"Tell you the truth, I was seeing red when you were holding Ginny like that. Wanted to throttle you."

Harry smiled at the Slytherin Seeker who was so similar to him in height and build. They were fairly well matched in every way, but Harry wouldn't want to meet him in a jealous rage.

"Probably much safer for all of us if I have my own partner, right?"

Malfoy looked surprised at Harry's response, but grinned back. "Right you are!"

Ginny looked from one to the other, still frowning and shaking her head. She decided not to comment on testosterone levels, though. Instead, she told Harry she would find him his dance partner. Harry agreed, mentally wondering who in the world she would find to be his guinea pig, especially as he'd almost maimed her already.

"Well, since that's settled, love," Malfoy said, taking Ginny into his arms. "Shall we dance?"

Music filled the room again as Malfoy motioned with his wand. As they moved into the dance, Harry felt definitely 'de trop'. He gathered his books and made a hasty exit.

Harry was hurrying back to Gryffindor Tower, taking a fairly empty spiraling stairway, and wondering if he might see Cho before supper. He hoped he would, before his nerve gave out. He also hoped, despite Ginny's promising to find him a dance partner, that she wouldn't mind just sitting out most of the dancing to talk to him. He was wondering what she would wear when he heard voices on the stairs ahead of him. Normally he would have just continued up, overtaking the speakers and passing them, but he heard a familiar name and came to an abrupt halt.

"—Cho's going to the dance with you? But I thought—,"

Ian's voice cut off the other speaker.

"We're spending the afternoon in the library, studying, then we're going to the dance."

The other voice lifted in an inquiry, but they had moved away, probably off of the stairway and down a corridor, so Harry couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. It didn't matter. He didn't want to hear any more. He stood, frozen and feeling as though he'd been punched in the gut. He'd waited too long again, and now Cho was going to the dance with Ian.

Harry found he no longer had an appetite. He trudged up to Gryffindor Tower, dragged himself up to his dorm and threw himself on his bed. He remained there the rest of the night.