Draco was staring longingly at Gin during dinner as he picked at his food.
She was talking to a few friends. He wished there was a way to talk to
her. It was dinner. They could've snuck off, but he didn't really want to
at the moment.
"Ahem!" Dumbledore said, tapping his glass with a spoon. It caught everyone's attention. The students turned to the headmaster as he said cheerily, "I'm pleased to announce that this year we will be holding a Valentine's Ball on February the fourteenth, a Saturday. Third years and up only, please, and try to dress formally."
As soon as the headmaster stopped speaking, the school promptly broke into loud cheers, except for the first and second years, who were complaining about it. Draco suddenly felt his heart drop. A Valentine's Ball. Would he want to go? Would Gin expect him to go with her? A million thoughts ran through his mind as he stared blankly ahead thinking. He didn't notice her staring at him.
"What's wrong?" Erika asked Ginny, who suddenly seemed very distracted. She looked in the direction Ginny was staring. "Oh, I see. Are you worrying that he won't ask you?"
Ginny nodded reluctantly. "A little. But I'm more worried about him. I haven't spoken to him yet, you know."
"Don't worry about it. If he doesn't ask you, then he's an ass and you can find someone more worth your time. Let's worry about your hair. I think I have the perfect style!"
Ginny smiled weakly. She didn't want someone more worth her time. He was worth her time.
Harry was also having dilemmas concerning dates. Should he or should he not ask Hermione? He wanted to, that was for sure, but what if she rejected him? What if she hated him? What if they couldn't be friends? He realized he was getting too far ahead of himself. Hermione wouldn't do that. But he was still unsure if he could ask her. It would probably be awkward after that if she said no to him.
Percy was having the exact same problem. He wanted to ask Hermione to the ball, too, but she was a student and he was a teacher and that was against the rules. He had never been one to break rules. But he suddenly wanted to start now. 'But what if she says no?' a voice in his head whispered.
A ball. Of all the things Dumbledore could've done right now. As if Severus didn't have enough problems already. He didn't want to have to attend a ball.
Severus's steely gaze wandered to Minerva. She held an expressionless mask. It was impossible to know what she thought of the ball. Wait, why did he care? He scrutinized her for a moment. In a way, Minerva was attractive. Wait, attractive? Where did that come from? He suddenly began to wonder whether to ask her to the ball. 'What's wrong with you, Snape?!' his mind shrieked. 'You can't be thinking of a date right now!'
A strange look must've been on his face because Minerva turned and raised an eyebrow at him. Immediately, the Potions Master turned away.
Minerva wondered what was wrong with Severus. He seemed a bit jumpy when she looked at him. She shrugged the thought aside and a million other thoughts about him entered her mind, despite the barriers of distraction she put up. Questions such as 'Should I ask him to escort me?'; 'Can he dance?'; and more erupted in her mind.
Miriam scanned the Great Hall, pleased to see that most students were happy with the idea of a ball. It'd taken her quite a long time to convince Albus to hold one. She could tell he wanted to, but with the matter of Voldemort, things were a bit confusing.
Daniel Flitwick (1) turned to her and began to stutter uneasily. "W-wou- would you l-l-l-like t-to-"
"What?" Miriam asked promptly. "For goodness sake, Danny, speak up."
"Would you like to go with me to the ball?" he asked hastily.
That wasn't quite what Miriam had expected. Frankly, she'd been hoping he would ask, but she never expected him to. A grin began to shine across her face. "I'd be honored."
Draco stood up suddenly and as he passed the Gryffindor table (he deliberately took the long way), he threw a note onto Gin's lap.
Ginny read the note quickly and stood up. "Bathroom," she muttered before rushing out of the Great Hall. Draco was waiting for her. "What's wrong, Draco?" she blurted out. "You haven't talked to me for days!"
"Only one," he corrected with a hint of a smile. "Look, about the ball..."
Ginny was waiting for it. Was he about to say that they couldn't go together? She waited anxiously. "Yes?" she breathed when he didn't speak.
Draco took in a deep breath. "Will you go with me?"
Ginny stared at him, then blinked. "Of course I will, idiot!" she said. She smiled at the small smile he began to show. "Whatever made you think I wouldn't?"
"I thought you might be mad."
"I wasn't," Ginny reassured him, kissing him softly on the lips. "I'll talk to you later, all right? I'd better get back before people start wondering where I am." She headed in.
Terence caught the swift glance Gracie gave him. 'What's wrong with her lately?' he asked. She hadn't bugged him for almost a full day. Quite unusual when it came to Gracie.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked him. Stephanie was next to him and was gossiping with a few of her friends.
"He's thinking of Gracie," Stephanie said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Aren't you, Terence?"
Terence scowled at her. "I don't have to answer to you."
"See?!" she exclaimed proudly. "I knew it!"
Terence flushed a bit and abruptly excused himself, leaving the Great Hall while laughter and talk of the upcoming ball rang through the vast room's walls.
(1) Same as with all of the names of people.
"Ahem!" Dumbledore said, tapping his glass with a spoon. It caught everyone's attention. The students turned to the headmaster as he said cheerily, "I'm pleased to announce that this year we will be holding a Valentine's Ball on February the fourteenth, a Saturday. Third years and up only, please, and try to dress formally."
As soon as the headmaster stopped speaking, the school promptly broke into loud cheers, except for the first and second years, who were complaining about it. Draco suddenly felt his heart drop. A Valentine's Ball. Would he want to go? Would Gin expect him to go with her? A million thoughts ran through his mind as he stared blankly ahead thinking. He didn't notice her staring at him.
"What's wrong?" Erika asked Ginny, who suddenly seemed very distracted. She looked in the direction Ginny was staring. "Oh, I see. Are you worrying that he won't ask you?"
Ginny nodded reluctantly. "A little. But I'm more worried about him. I haven't spoken to him yet, you know."
"Don't worry about it. If he doesn't ask you, then he's an ass and you can find someone more worth your time. Let's worry about your hair. I think I have the perfect style!"
Ginny smiled weakly. She didn't want someone more worth her time. He was worth her time.
Harry was also having dilemmas concerning dates. Should he or should he not ask Hermione? He wanted to, that was for sure, but what if she rejected him? What if she hated him? What if they couldn't be friends? He realized he was getting too far ahead of himself. Hermione wouldn't do that. But he was still unsure if he could ask her. It would probably be awkward after that if she said no to him.
Percy was having the exact same problem. He wanted to ask Hermione to the ball, too, but she was a student and he was a teacher and that was against the rules. He had never been one to break rules. But he suddenly wanted to start now. 'But what if she says no?' a voice in his head whispered.
A ball. Of all the things Dumbledore could've done right now. As if Severus didn't have enough problems already. He didn't want to have to attend a ball.
Severus's steely gaze wandered to Minerva. She held an expressionless mask. It was impossible to know what she thought of the ball. Wait, why did he care? He scrutinized her for a moment. In a way, Minerva was attractive. Wait, attractive? Where did that come from? He suddenly began to wonder whether to ask her to the ball. 'What's wrong with you, Snape?!' his mind shrieked. 'You can't be thinking of a date right now!'
A strange look must've been on his face because Minerva turned and raised an eyebrow at him. Immediately, the Potions Master turned away.
Minerva wondered what was wrong with Severus. He seemed a bit jumpy when she looked at him. She shrugged the thought aside and a million other thoughts about him entered her mind, despite the barriers of distraction she put up. Questions such as 'Should I ask him to escort me?'; 'Can he dance?'; and more erupted in her mind.
Miriam scanned the Great Hall, pleased to see that most students were happy with the idea of a ball. It'd taken her quite a long time to convince Albus to hold one. She could tell he wanted to, but with the matter of Voldemort, things were a bit confusing.
Daniel Flitwick (1) turned to her and began to stutter uneasily. "W-wou- would you l-l-l-like t-to-"
"What?" Miriam asked promptly. "For goodness sake, Danny, speak up."
"Would you like to go with me to the ball?" he asked hastily.
That wasn't quite what Miriam had expected. Frankly, she'd been hoping he would ask, but she never expected him to. A grin began to shine across her face. "I'd be honored."
Draco stood up suddenly and as he passed the Gryffindor table (he deliberately took the long way), he threw a note onto Gin's lap.
Ginny read the note quickly and stood up. "Bathroom," she muttered before rushing out of the Great Hall. Draco was waiting for her. "What's wrong, Draco?" she blurted out. "You haven't talked to me for days!"
"Only one," he corrected with a hint of a smile. "Look, about the ball..."
Ginny was waiting for it. Was he about to say that they couldn't go together? She waited anxiously. "Yes?" she breathed when he didn't speak.
Draco took in a deep breath. "Will you go with me?"
Ginny stared at him, then blinked. "Of course I will, idiot!" she said. She smiled at the small smile he began to show. "Whatever made you think I wouldn't?"
"I thought you might be mad."
"I wasn't," Ginny reassured him, kissing him softly on the lips. "I'll talk to you later, all right? I'd better get back before people start wondering where I am." She headed in.
Terence caught the swift glance Gracie gave him. 'What's wrong with her lately?' he asked. She hadn't bugged him for almost a full day. Quite unusual when it came to Gracie.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked him. Stephanie was next to him and was gossiping with a few of her friends.
"He's thinking of Gracie," Stephanie said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Aren't you, Terence?"
Terence scowled at her. "I don't have to answer to you."
"See?!" she exclaimed proudly. "I knew it!"
Terence flushed a bit and abruptly excused himself, leaving the Great Hall while laughter and talk of the upcoming ball rang through the vast room's walls.
(1) Same as with all of the names of people.
