A/N: I wish I could post this chapter with a lighter heart. My heart and prayers go out to those affected by the Orlando tragedy that occurred Saturday night/Sunday morning. Please know that you are not alone and I stand with you now and forever. And I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...

Chapter 10:

March 1999

"A gala?" Hermione asked skeptically.

Arthur shrugged. "Kingsley said it was a way to remember those we lost during the war while celebrating our side's win. Or something like that."

Everyone at the table looked to each other, skeptical. "Well, I think it's a grand idea," Percy said.

"Of course you do!" George exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "It's an opportunity for you to network!" Percy shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing causing his brother to laugh.

"Would Ginny be able to make it?" Hermione asked. "Or Neville or Luna for that matter?"

Arthur nodded. "Kingsley and McGonagall already discussed it; McGonagall's going to release the students that Thursday evening so they can return home and prepare for the gala and have them come back that Monday evening. She said it'd be a good last minute break for the students before exams."

Hermione and Harry glanced to one another but chose to keep their opinions to themselves for the rest of the dinner.

"A gala?!" Hermione exclaimed once they were safely behind the walls of Harry's flat. "Have they lost their minds? They might as well just say 'Sorry you lost your loved ones but we're going to party instead of paying them respect!'"

"I know," Harry agreed.

"This is just a political stunt by the Ministry!" she exclaimed, pacing. "They want to seem like they're not incompetent imbeciles now so they think that throwing this party is going to help appearances when, really, it just makes them look like a bunch of arseholes!"

"I agree."

"And you know they expect you, me, and Ron to go to this stupid thing! Because we're fucking war heros and whatever so we have to go and pretend that we support their bullshit and-"

"Hermione!" Harry said, grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop. "You're going to make a hole in my rug; the one that you bought, need I remind you."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, hugging him close. "I'm sorry, Harry. I just get so frustrated with the Ministry sometimes. It's bullshit like this that made me not want to work with them."

He nodded and sighed. "I know what you mean. It's incredibly frustrating and you want to pull your hair out. But we have to trust Kingsley on this; he wouldn't do anything that he didn't think through first."

She groaned. "I hate it when you're rational."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Well, one of us has to be, right?" She shook her head and pulled out of the hug to run her fingers through her hair. "Er, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Would- would you be my plus one to the gala?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, Harry; I'd love to suffer through the night with you."

He laughed at that and nodded in agreement.

The young woman was walking the halls of Hogwarts, lost in her thoughts, when she heard a noise. She stopped and waited a moment to see if she heard it again. Sure enough, she heard a whispering sound coming from behind her.

"Psst!" a voice said.

She turned to find her boyfriend hiding behind a tapestry, waving at her to come over to him. She checked the hallway, making sure no one else was in the area, before joining him behind the tapestry. "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," he smiled, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "And I was wondering if you've seen the most recent Daily Prophet."

"What? The article about the gala? Yeah, I've seen it," she replied.

He gave her a goofy grin and took both her hands in his. "Will you go with me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "To the gala? As a couple?"

His smile fell. "Too soon, you think?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think it's too soon. I just… I want to make sure you know what that would mean for us."

"It means I'd finally be able to show off my amazing girlfriend to the rest of the world."

She blushed at his praise. "Ron, you know what I'm talking about: are you ready for all the publicity that would come with? The speculation? My father?"

Recognition showed in his eyes as he realized what she was saying. "Oh, that."

"Yeah, that."

He sighed and removed his hands from hers to caress her face. "My parent's opinions don't matter in regards to this; if your dad has kittens, we'll work around it. I'm not letting you go so they'll just have to accept it. It might not be easy but we can handle it. As for the press, they're vultures and they'll do whatever they can to sour our relationship but I know how I feel about you and nothing the press will say will change that. Now, assuming you feel the same about me-"

"I do," she reassured him.

"-then I think it's high time you and I went public, don't you think? I'm tired of hiding out in my flat. I want to take you out to dinner and dancing and to Quidditch games-"

"I don't like Quidditch, though-"

"-I just want to be able to spend time with you outside of our secluded spaces. So, I ask you again: will you go to the gala with me?"

She smiled at him and reached on her tiptoes to match his height. "I would love to," she replied. Ron grinned and met her lips with his, closing the distance between them as they snogged behind a tapestry at Hogwarts.

Several floors up, Ginny was sitting in the Gryffindor common room reading a Quidditch magazine. Neville came and sat down next to her and waited for her to look at him. She did not.

"Watcha doin?" Neville asked.

"Reading," Ginny replied.

"Watcha reading about?" he asked.

"Quidditch," she replied again, still not looking at him.

"Anything interesting going on?" he said.

"Mm, not really," she said.

He huffed in frustration. "Ginny, I'm trying to talk to you here and you're not participating."

"Hmm," was all she said.

Knowing his girlfriend well enough to know she wouldn't take any bait he tried to throw her, he decided to just come right out with it. "Will you go to the gala with me?"

She put the magazine down and looked at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"The End of the War gala in May. Will you go with me?"

She studied him for a moment before a smile appeared on her lips. "Well it's about bloody time you asked, Longbottom!" she exclaimed before tackling him and peppering him with kisses.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. It means a lot.

Also, congratulations to Hamilton the musical for winning 11 of the 16 Tony awards it was nominated for. You all deserve it.

Ron's mystery girl will be revealed soon, I promise.

Please review!