Chapter 10 Dinner for two for six

With hundred of things he wanted to do, Harry raced into his dress clothes and forced himself to focus on dinner. He was late, of course, and his only choice to get to Ginny almost on time was the dreaded suffocation of apparition.

With a crack followed by his normal gasp for air, Harry arrived in front of the borrow to see Ron looking stylish in a new outfit and sitting on the front steps. "Am I the only one who shows up on time?" Ron asked patting a step for Harry to sit on. "Get comfy, we could be a while."

Harry sat next to his friend and took the offered bag of popcorn Ron had pulled from behind his back. He had not realized how hungry he was until he smelled the cinnamon sugar aroma. "Good idea." Harry told him taking a handful. "We won't get dinner until after we go dancing."

Harry tossed the popcorn into his mouth as Ron ripped the bag from Harry's hand. Ron had read the same chapter on a perfect date in twelve ways to charm witches so he could not complain, but clearly his appetite was as active as always.

The bag empty and the bottom scraped clean, Harry and Ron were picking kernels out of their teeth when the thirty five minute late girls stepped out the front door.

Both Girls came out at the same time, yet Harry had eyes for Ginny alone. Her hair was so done up that he could not tell if it was up or down. It seemed to be a bit of both. Her dress looked like a vintage gown possibly from the muggle twenties. It was long and black, with short sleeves and a low V neck. What appeared at first glance to be sequins was in fact thousands of tiny glass beads, taking turns sparkling as she moved. Rising above her waste on her right side was an elegant stork like bird in shallow water that sparkled like it was reflecting a setting sun. The hem ended just above her ankles and was continued with many dangling strings of beads tickling her matching medium shoes.

He though he saw it all in just a moment until he looked up and saw that Ron was holding Hermione's arms out so he could look at her dress with a pleased look on his face. Ginny had her head to the side and smiled at him sideways. "Was it worth the delay?"

Harry took a moment to come up with a good reply by gesturing to her shoes and hand bag with an approving nod. He took her hand in both of his. "You are always worth the wait."

The moment was only ruined slightly by her pointing out that he had something in his teeth.

As predicted there was a lot of dancing and drinks before dinner which Ginny had made plans for. At their first stop she disappeared into the ladies to come out seconds later in a much shorter black dress with matching shoes and bag. She leaned in and took Harrys ear lobe into her mouth with a quick kiss. "This much leg would have been too much for mum."

His head was swimming, heart pounding with the brazen kiss and the seductive dress so that her every touch was intoxicating. Her perfume was light and strong at the same time so that he very much wanted to be in the alley behind this club versus this crowded room of people.

He had too splash cold water on his face many times before they left for the restaurant.

The entrance to the restaurant was in an ally to keep muggles from noticing too many people going to this seemingly blank spot in the wall. Before he could open the stained glass door that appeared when they approached, Ginny Grabbed Harry's dress coat and draped it over the front of her shoulders. She gave a wink as Harry looked a question at her and then had his eyes grow large as the bottom of her dress slipped up her legs and disappeared behind his coat.

Harry threw a glance over his shoulder at Ron who was engaged in a kiss and oblivious to what his sister was doing so Harry whipped his head back. It was over a month to his birthday, but he was not about to pass on an early present, even if her timing was terrible.

Ginny wiggled a finger over his coat and suddenly the gown she had on earlier flowed down to her ankles. Harry tried and failed to keep the disappointed look off his face. She gave him a pouty look, knowing why he looked as he did. She pulled him close and took his ear lobe into her mouth again and then whispered with hot breath in his ear. "The night isn't over yet."

Ron's hand on his shoulder made Harry jump. For a moment he and Ginny were the only people in the world. "Neville and Luna just showed up." Ron had almost as much lipstick on as Hermione.

Harry gave the woman behind the counter his reservation card and they were escorted threw more oak doors with a stained glass mosaic to a room of breath taking beauty and very tall pillars of carved stone. The walls were stone with grand Muriel of angels and men and women and all sorts of trees and buildings.

Luna was the only one of them that didn't stop to gawk at the marvels around them. "My parents took me here shortly before my mother died." She smiled at Neville and squeezed the arm that held hers. "I still have the swan."

For a moment Harry thought she was referring to the swans that were moving around the floor as if it was a mill pond, all of which were as big as the Weasely's old car; their necks bowed down as if drinking from the dark, polished stone floor.

The man bringing them to where ever the hell he was taking them was waiting patiently by one of the swans, a knowing smile on his face. "It is a lot to take in." He had a slight French accent and a gracious manner that made Ron squint unhappily until he spied his ring.

Luna stepped towards the flock and held her miniature swan out in the palm of her hand. She looked disappointed when none of them moved. The waiter waved his wand towards Luna's hand while she had her back turned causing the feathers to rustle and a panel to open in the wall. A swan emerged with feathers yellowed with age and moved to Luna's side to nuzzle its head into her other hand. The yellow feathers gave the swan a wizened look instead of what Harry originally thought of as tattered.

When they sat on the back of the swan Harry saw Neville put an awkward arm around Luna as a tear ran down her cheek. He felt a sympathetic twinge of pain, knowing how it was to miss a parent, but he was too wrapped up in the evening with Ginny to be brought down.

The tables were all atop the columns with a shoulder high wall surrounding them to give a bit of privacy. The swan gave a bow to Luna and as the swan left six miniature copies appeared next to each person's settings. "To call her back to leave or go to the restroom." Luna explained. She was smiling again and back to her old self.

It was then that they realized that there had been a band playing. The other dinners clapped quietly but with true appreciation. The waiter supplied them with a program card to show the acts playing thru the night along with their menus. "Now playing the squirrel nut zippers." Ron told them with a sarcastic arch to his eyebrow. Harry checked to see if it was true after laughing and saw that it was. As the band changed places with each other, a female singer stepped forward and sang a sad saucy song that the card labeled blue angel.

Tired as they were from dancing, Luna pulled Neville up after summoning the swan and they joined the other people slow dancing to the song before the hourderves were brought to them.

The food and mood set by the music made for a truly wonderful evening dinner. They danced and ate and danced again, even when a gravel tongued older man the card named as Tom Waits (another Tom) launched into a song about Alice with a bluesy sad beat that was hard to even slow dance to.

Tipsy from the drinks, Luna led the girls away on a swooping ride to the ladies that had Ginny laughing and Hermione clinging to her side of the seat.

They returned just in time for Tom to finish his set and toss his hat to a witch in a flowing colorful set of Robes and was standing on a balcony made of swans taking flight. She caught the hat and tilted it onto her head over one eye as she raised her wand causing the lights to lower. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is eleven o clock." The witch made a sweeping motion that took in the whole hall and then blew slowly onto her wands tip making it glow like an ember from a fire.

Luna leaned towards her drink causing her face to be lit by a glow appeared on the rim of every glass on the table. As the light spun about the glasses a sound began. It was low at first and grew, giving the impression that there were indeed swans making a long call of their song.

Soon the room was full of the sound and a light began to form on the far wall. "It's like the sun setting over a lake." Neville had to turn in his seat to see. Luna touched a rune hidden amongst the décor of the table causing the Whole top of the pillar to swivel so they all had a clear view to the far wall which now had changed to look like a forest on the edge of a lake or pond at dusk.

Luna was the first in the hall to leave her seat, Neville hot on her heels. The others stared after them for a while, it had been a long night of dancing and they were not in a hurry to leave their seats.

Hermione was too distracted by the runes to see the others go. She smiled up at the remaining friends and pushed another rune. She slid a sickle over to Harry as a paper dirigible rose from the side of the pillar. Hermione drew her wand and tapped the basket causing a small flame to form there and she gave it a gentle push. The dirigible was lit by the flame and was swaying to the music as it moved amongst the other columns.

"Wow that's pretty." Ginny said close to his ear. "Let's sneak off while the others watch it."

Harry sat up fast and slowed getting up so as not to draw attention to them. "I'll get the check." He murmured to her and nearly smashed the swan on the table in his hurry to leave.

They slipped out without issue and paid at the hostess stand to avoid questions. Harry couldn't tell which of them was in more of a hurry.