In my life

Every word that he says is a dagger in me!

In my life

There's been no one like him anywhere

Anywhere, where he is...

If he asked... I'd be his

-Alain Boublil (Eponine)

"Ginny!"

She turned around to see Neville panting as he jogged to catch up with her.

"Hello, Neville. What is it?"

"I just … I, er, had a question for you."

Ginny frowned, confused. They didn't have any classes together, and she hardly thought she was the person to help him with fourth year homework.

"Yes?"

"I … well … d'you think you might … want to … erm…"

Realization dawned on her, just as he finally managed to get out, "Go to Yule Ball with me?"

Her heart sank. She'd dreamed that Harry would ask her. Then again, she never actually expected that he would. And Neville was a good sort – he would be a gentleman, and she hardly thought any other older boys would ask her.

"Sure, Neville. I'd love to."

Neville was already red but, as he let out the breath he was holding, he blushed even more. His grin lit up his eyes and she was glad she'd agreed to go.

"Oh – blimey, Ginny, that's great. I'll see you then, all right?"

She smiled and nodded, and he tripped away, still beaming.

Ginny laughed a little, and turned in the direction of the common room. She wanted to find Hermione and tell her the news – Hermione was hoping Ginny would have a date and could keep an eye on things with Krum and run intervention if things seemed awkward.

"Fairy lights," she told the fat lady, and the portrait swung open to let her through.

Hermione wasn't in the common room, but Ginny figured she was at dinner and would be up shortly. She walked over to the far chair and sat down to study. Just then, the portrait hole opened again, and Ron tripped inside, looking dazed and horrified.

"Ron!"

She jumped to her feet and rushed to his side. "What is it?"

He shook his head and stumbled to the sofa.

"Ron? What's happened?"

"I … how did … I just …"

"RON! Speak in full sentences!"

She used her "Molly" tone, and he seemed to come to his senses.

"I … I just asked –" he said someone unintelligible "– to the Yule Ball."

"Who?"

He shook his head and moaned, face buried in his arms. Ginny's heart raced – what if he had asked Hermione and Hermione – after all this time hoping he would – had to turn him down?

"Fleur."

Ginny frowned. "Fleur …?"

"Delacour!"

"From Beauxbatons? As in the Beauxbatons champion?"

Ron groaned in confirmation.

"Oh … Ron."

He buried his face in his hands, and, though her first instinct was to laugh and take the mick, she bit her tongue and took the seat next to him.

"I'm sure she's forgotten all about it by now," she said, and patted his arm. "She has loads of blokes after her, they'll have distracted her."

"Tons – they were everywhere! Just staring."

She cringed as she pictured it in her mind.

"It'll be all right."

She shot a fierce stare at Lavender and Parvati who were ogling him curiously from the corner (they both looked quickly away) and then turned her attention back to Ron. "Honestly, no one's going to care about any of this by tomorrow, you'll see."

The portrait hole swung open just then, and Ginny glanced up to see Harry come in. Like she did every time he was around now, Ginny replayed some advice Hermione had given her over the summer – "Try to relax around him. Give him a chance to get to know you."

With only minor difficulty, she forced herself to remain composed.

"What's up, Ron?"

"Why did I do it? I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?"

Ginny couldn't help but find Harry's worried expression on behalf of her brother endearing.

"He – er – just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him."

She fought back a laugh as Harry's jaw fell open.

"You what?"

"I don't know what made me do it! What was I playing at? There were people – all around – I've gone mad – everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall – she was standing there talking to Diggory – sort of came over me – and I asked her!"

His next words, said into his hands, were barely understandable.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then – I dunno – I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

"She's part veela – you were right. Her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it – but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."

Ron and Ginny looked up, Ginny with no small amount of trepidation. The snobby Ravenclaw seeker? Was he serious?

"I asked her to go with me just now. And she told me."

Ginny scowled.

"This is mad. We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone – well, except Neville. Hey – guess who he asked? Hermione!"

Of course – she wasn't even Neville's first choice. She didn't have the heart to correct them in thinking Neville was going alone.

"What?" Harry was clearly shocked.

"Yeah, I know! He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff – but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville … I mean, who would?"

Ginny felt her face flame with indignation and embarrassment. "Don't. Don't laugh."

She was dismayed to see that Harry chuckled as well.

Hermione entered, and Ginny was relieved.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?"

"Because – oh shut up laughing, you two – because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!"

The boys stopped laughing immediately, and she smirked.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny."

Ginny rolled her eyes and ignored Ron's jibe as Hermione made some scathing comment that cheered Ginny up considerably.

"Hermione, Neville's right – you are a girl."

Ginny felt like smacking her forehead. Ron was so daft.

"Oh, well spotted."

"Well – you can come with one of us!"

Hermione met Ginny's eyes, both of them distraught with understanding. Why Hermione had wanted Ron to ask her so badly was a mystery to Ginny, but it was still awful to see how trapped her friend looked now that she had already agreed to go with someone else.

"No, I can't."

"Oh come on. We need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"

"I can't come with you because I'm already going with someone."

Though Ron clearly couldn't see it, Ginny knew how much the words pained Hermione to say – even if she was going with an international Quidditch star.

"No, you're not! You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

Anger replaced the disappointment in Hermione's eyes. "Oh did I? Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Ginny's mouth fell open – Hermione was being more obvious than Ginny had ever seen her.

"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl. That do? Will you come now?"

Ginny shook her head. He was so dense.

"I've already told you! I'm going with someone else!"

She whirled on her heel and stormed off. Ginny was about to get up and follow her, when Ron said, "She's lying."

"She's not," she told him firmly.

"Who is it then?" Ron's words were sharp with something – jealousy?

Still, Ginny was too disgusted with her brother at present to do him any favors. "I'm not telling you, it's her business."

"Right … this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just –"

He said the words she'd feared from the beginning – the ones saying that she could have gone with Harry after all. And she'd blown it.

"I can't!" she said, before she could lose her resolve. "I'm going with … with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought … well … I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year."

Harry actually had the gumption to look disappointed that she couldn't go with him. She felt the crushing defeat of impossible dreams that came way too close to being possible after all.

"I think I'll go and have dinner."

Even as she walked away, she found herself wishing desperately that Harry might call after her, beg to turn Neville down, insist that he wanted to go with her and only her.

Then, as she reached the hall, she shook her head in deep self disgust.

"When did I become one of those girls?" she muttered to herself, and set off towards the great hall. She ignored her thoughts as they answered her question – the minute Harry Potter walked into her life.

Say Something

Say something, I'm giving up on you

I'll be the one, if you want me to

Anywhere I would've followed you

Say something, I'm giving up on you

-A great big world

"There – you're a knock out, if I do say so myself."

Hermione eyed her reflection in the mirror. "I – Merlin, Ginny … thank you."

The younger girl grinned. "Not a problem. It's not every day you go to a ball with an eighteen year old international Quidditch sensation."

Hermione sighed, and it came out all fluttery. "I'm so nervous. I don't want to do this."

"Of course you do. Besides … just wait until Ron sees you."

Hermione looked noticeably cheered by this thought. "Oh, honestly … I don't care about that."

Ginny snorted. "No, of course not. Well, you better get down there to meet him. Neville's not meeting me for a few minutes so I'm going to stay and touch up a bit more."

"Not too much – you look beautiful as you are."

Ginny shot her a smile but didn't admit that she hoped Hermione was right – and she hoped that Harry might notice.

She and Neville made their way to the hall and took seats next to Ron and Padma.

"See, as I said – Hermione's not here."

Ginny rolled her eyes – first at Ron's blatant lack of tact for his date, and second for the fact that Hermione was about to walk in the front doors on the arm of his greatest Quidditch hero, looking incredible. She couldn't wait.

The doors opened – Roger and Fleur (Ron looked slightly ill), Cho and Cedric, Harry and Parvati (Ginny was pleased to see Harry with the same pained expression Ron wore) and then, knowing who was next, she shifted her gaze to Ron as Hermione and Krum walked in.

"Who's that with …. Is that …"

His reaction was more than she could have hoped for – so much more in fact, that she actually felt a fair bit guilty. Ron looked as though someone had stuck him with the sword of Gryffindor. She'd never seen him deflate like he did now as he took in Hermione – her newly sleeked hair and form fitting robes – escorted by his favorite celebrity in the world.

"No…" he whispered. "Who does he … why?"

Padma shot him a look that was a cross between pity and annoyance.

Neville was distracted with Hermione's transformation as well, so Ginny didn't feel neglectful when she leaned forward. "Ron?"

His face didn't even seem to register that she'd spoken. "You knew."

She nodded and bit her lip. "Yes – I mean, it was her busin –"

He stood rapidly and strode away. Padma, after a confused look, followed at a slight distance. Ginny cringed to see that, as he passed the champions, he blatantly avoided looking at any of them. Hermione was clearly hurt.

"Is Ron all right?"

Ginny glanced at Neville who now looked worried. She sighed. "He'll be fine."

It was lucky that Harry and Parvati were clearly not enjoying themselves, because it made it easier to spare her attention for Ron and Padma and Hermione and Krum. She couldn't tell which emotion she was feeling the most – excitement for Hermione, who seemed to be having a wonderful time, pity for Ron, who hadn't stopped glaring at Hermione for even a moment, pity for Padma, who had to sit and watch him stare at another girl, or hope for Ron and Hermione – surely now they'd realize how mad for each other they were.

Neville turned out to be quite a pleasant partner – despite his inability to dance on the dance floor instead of her feet. He'd gaped when she'd first met him in the common room and stammered out that she looked beautiful. He was not too intense and not too dull – he occasionally made her laugh, she did the same, and the evening, for her, could even be called enjoyable.

Even her hand-me-down dress robes weren't half bad. She'd written home to tell her mum that she needed some – as a third year they hadn't been on her supplies list at the start of term – and her mum sent her back some slightly dated robes in sparkly, midnight blue with a note that said, "Worth every last cent – you'll look beautiful. Take lots of pictures."

Romilda, in a rare moment of helpfulness, offered to transfigure the waist and neck line a little to make them more contemporary and flattering. Now, against her red hair, she was quite pleased with the effect. She curled it and pinned up most of it but let some of the curls hung down her neck.

"I'm parched," she told Neville a bit later that night. "I think I'll go get some pumpkin juice."

"No – I'll get it!" he jumped up. She shrugged – not about to protest considering the current pain in her feet – and thanked him.

"Hello, mind if I sit down?"

Ginny glanced up, surprised. A handsome boy with a dimple in his chin stood awkwardly next to her.

"Erm – this seat is taken, but the one on my other side's free."

He nodded and smiled. It was rather pleasant, she decided. "Hi. My name's Michael."

"Ginny."

"Yeah – I knew – Ginny Weasley."

She raised her eyebrows.

"No – not to be creepy, you know, you're just … well …"

"A red headed Gryffindor?"

He smiled. "Exactly. You look a lot like Fred and George."

She frowned.

"I mean – except you look like a girl!"

"How dare you!"

He looked afraid, but she laughed. "I'm teasing. It's nice to meet you Michael …?"

"Corner!"

She nodded. "Nice to meet you, Michael Corner from…?"

"Erm … London?"

"I meant your house."

"Oh! Of course – Ravenclaw."

She smiled, but could see Neville coming back through the crowd. "There's my date now," she told him, and he nodded and left.

She didn't think about him again for a long time. Not until early February one Hogsmeade weekend. Ginny, Fred and George walked along the cobbled streets on the way to Zonko's. They had planned a brilliant prank for Lee's birthday and needed supplies. Ginny glanced over her shoulder in time to see Harry gazing off into the distance with a moony look on his face. She followed his stare and then scowled to see that he watched Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory.

"I think I'll nip into the three Broomsticks and meet you two after," she said, wanting to be alone for the moment. The twins shrugged and left her. She sighed and made her way to the pub by herself. She sat at an empty table near the back and waited for Rosmerta to take her order. Just then, Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in behind a vaguely familiar boy. She sat up straight, sure that the three of them would come to sit by her. However, they didn't see her and took a table recently vacated three booths away. Ginny sighed.

"Excuse me, is this table taken?"

The familiar boy stood next to her, smiling a pleasant smile she could finally place.

"Michael – Corner, right?"

He smiled. "You remembered."

"Of course – you're welcome to sit here."

She was genuinely glad for it, but she couldn't help but shoot Harry an occasional side long glance. She wanted him to look up and notice her with Michael – she wanted to see a hint of jealousy in his eyes. She wished he would feel something – anything for her.

"You know, I've been hoping to run into you since the Yule Ball."

Ginny was surprised – was she daft enough to have missed an undertone of some sort of romantic perusal?

"Oh you – er – you have?"

"Yeah … I mean, I'm not trying to be sappy, but you were the most beautiful girl there by a landslide."

It was sappy, but she found she didn't mind. She flushed a deep red – she was not used to boys complimenting her. Or noticing her at all, for that matter. She still managed to reply cheekily.

"Well, as long as you noticed my looks, what else matters?"

"Nothing," he said seriously, and then they both laughed. Ginny was pleasantly surprised – he, at least, had a sense of humor.

She spared one more glance in Harry's direction. He caught her eye and nodded, but it was without real emotion. He didn't even seem to notice that she sat with a boy.

Hurt, Ginny turned firmly away from him.

"Well, you're not too bad yourself."

Michael grinned, and she decided she could get used to it.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she liked how Michael had been the one to approach her, how he looked at her like she was Ginny the beautiful girl at the ball – not Ginny the pesky kid sister. She liked that he occasionally glanced at her lips and she most of all liked how easy it was to form coherent thoughts around him.

She had no future with Harry – he'd made that clear. So why shouldn't she enjoy the attention and company of a nice, handsome gentleman who actually wanted her? Why shouldn't she move on from a boy who never showed the slightest romantic inclination towards her?

They spent the rest of the day together, laughing and talking. It was nice, pleasant and perfectly fine. And when he grabbed her hand on the way back to the castle, she caught one more sight of an unruly head of black hair in front of her, and determinedly laced her fingers through Michael's.

Goodbye, Harry.