Silent Music

Silent Music

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: No no No No no no!! These characters are not mine!

"Harry! Have you got a date yet? You do realize the Halloween Ball is the day after TOMORROW!" Hermione shrieked. Harry just groaned. This didn't even feel like De JA vu. For the past week, Hermione had been hounding him to get a date. Honestly though, Harry really didn't even feel like going to the dance. He had seen his mystery girl a lot in the past few days. And every time she had been on Malfoy's arm. Well if she liked guys like Malfoy, he thought contemptuously, he, Harry was much better off without her.

There were signs all over the school about the Ball. Even the soccer tryouts were postponed till after the ball. Apparently the Headmaster decided that all the students should participate in decorating the Hall. They had all spent an exhausting morning decorating the Great Hall. Even the teachers were ordered to participate and supervise the students. Now they had all gathered there for lunch and rest but Hermione wasn't even letting Harry do that now!

"Hermione lay off! It's not such a big deal!" Ron interceded, earning a grateful glance from Harry. "I don't know what you're so fussed up about anyway!"

"Hmm. I suppose you already have a date for the dance?" Hermione inquired, her eye brow rising. When Ron didn't answer and became slightly red in the face, she leaned back with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Ron looked at her hotly before mumbling, "Yes"

"Yes what?" Hermione probed.

"Yes I have a date for the dance!" Hermione looked slightly disappointed. But then her eyes lit up with curiosity and she bent forward, "So, who is it?"

"Luna" He mumbled again.

Harry and Hermione just stared at Ron with twin looks of astonishment. "Luna Lovegood!" Hermione whispered furiously.

"Isn't she the one who is slightly wacko?" she asked, not really intending to be mean. Luna Lovegood was very pretty with long curling blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes but she was a little kooky. In the sense, that she always appeared to be dreamily staring into space or reading out outrageous tidbits from her father's weekly newspaper.

Ron was at once defensive, "She's not wacko!" when Harry and Hermione gave him the you-got–to- be-kidding me look, he amended his previous statement "Ok so she's a little wacko but at least 'I' have a date for the dance which is more than I can say about both of you."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but then she sat back when she realized she had nothing to say.

She slid Harry a hopeful glance, from the corner of her eye.

"Aww, look at that! Nowody wants to twake the poor little Gwanger to the Ball!" Malfoy drawled strutting up beside their table.

He then leaned down till his nose was almost touched hers and whispered, "You could always come with me. We Malfoys always believe in doing our bit for charity. Although! You will have to wear something better than those rags!

So what do you say?" he smirked, absolutely certain that no girl could refuse HIM, Draco Malfoy for any dance. Especially, when one was as desperate as Hermione.

She gently extended her hand and smiled at him very sweetly. "You know Malfoy, a special offer like that should be acknowledged in an equally special way" Draco just smirked arrogantly, sure she was about to accept his offer.

Which! Is exactly why he wasn't prepared for what Hermione did next.

She gracefully picked up her frothy milkshake and poured it over Draco's head. "Here is what I have to say. Take your disgusting offer and stuff it down your bloody throat. Maybe you'll choke on it and relieve us of your God forsaken annoying presence!" she then calmly picked up her bag and walked off.

As always, Draco was left there frozen by bewildered fury. One day, he vowed, he would get his hands on her and then she would pay big time for ever messing with a Malfoy.

He sneered down at Harry, "Potter you better keep that girlfriend of yours on a short leash. One of these days, she'll mess up real bad."

Harry just looked at him, tongue-in-cheek, "Oh! I don't know! I think she's messed you up just fine" and then ignored Malfoy to talk to Ron. Malfoy just glared at all of them before stalking off again for another trip to the boy's toilet.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Ron snickered.

Harry looked slightly worried though, "I think Hermione should be a little careful of him. He's not going to take being humiliated very easily."

"Chill Harry! Hermione can handle herself. Say, why don't you take her to the dance?" Ron asked, looking very pleased with himself.

Harry just nodded. He liked Hermione, but in a strictly platonic sense. His heart had started thudding when Malfoy had asked Hermione to go the ball with him. Maybe his dancing girl wasn't his girlfriend after all! Harry thought hopefully. There was little chance that she still might be free to go to the ball with him. Harry felt dismayed then perked up when he realized that there was still a day left to ask her. If she refused then he could always ask Hermione.

Happy that that was settled, Harry stood up to leave for his class. Ron was already waiting for him impatiently. Just as they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry saw his mystery girl. Ron left to check out the notice board. She was standing alone. Harry realized that this was his chance. He walked up to her, nervously shifting from one foot to another.

She sent him a politely inquiring look.

"Hi" Harry began shyly, "I hope you didn't get too badly hurt the other day" he said, mentally kicking himself for coming up with something so lame!

Luckily, she didn't realize that. In what Harry was sure would be a lovely voice, she said "Hey! No I didn't but thanks for catching me."

Harry just stood there staring at her, snapping himself out of it when he realized what he was doing. He gathered all his courage and asked, "Willyougototheballwithme?"

She just looked at him blankly. Harry realized that he must have said it very fast. He didn't realize because he couldn't judge by hearing. He then tried again, breathing in slowly and asked with each word carefully spaced, "Will-you-go-to-the-ball-with-me?"

He waited with bated breath and hope flashed through him when she smiled in understanding. Then a look of genuine regret filled her lovely green eyes and Harry felt his heart sink. "I'm sorry I can't. I'm already going with someone else."

"That's right Potter!" Malfoy's gloating face came in front of Harry's eyes. "She's going with me"

--Author's note :Ouch! thats fate Harry my boy! Will Harry get together with Ginny? Of course he will! But review to find out how!