"Son of a Norwegian Ridgeback!" Ron had just failed for the fifth time to cast the spell that would douse the floating ball of fire that Hermione had created. Aside from being frustrated at his inability to perform the spell, he was also highly embarrassed that his ineptitude was on full display for Hermione to see. She's going to think I'm a bloody idiot.

"Ron, it's okay," Hermione said calmly.

"No, it's not! How I even got into Hogwarts is beyond me, I can't even cast this stupid spell! My own little sister can do bloody wordless magic, and I can't extinguish a flame!" Ron was pacing back and forth, waving his arms as he talked. He narrowly missed poking Hermione in the eye with his wand as he passed by her again.

"Ron, stop. Ron!" Hermione finally succeeded in grabbing Ron's arms, forcing him to stop pacing as she turned him to face her.

"What?" Ron asked with an annoyed tone.

"Ron, it's okay to struggle with mastering a spell. It happens to everyone, that's why we're at Hogwarts, to learn."

Ron sighed heavily and looked at the floor, "It just seems to come so easy to you and Harry and Ginny. Maybe Harry's a fully 'capable wizard' like you said earlier, but I don't think I am." Ron had never felt so defeated before. His heart jumped slightly when he felt two small warm hands grab either side of his face.

Hermione lifted his head until his eyes were level with hers. "Ron, you are one of the best wizards I know. Things don't come easy for any of us. I spent hours helping Harry master the summoning charm before he fought that dragon during the Triwizard Tournament, but he didn't give up. Ginny discovered she could do wordless magic by accident while fighting Death Eaters, but that doesn't make it any less amazing. I study and practice my magic, because I like it...and because I'm too stubborn to let a spell get the best of me. And just because it takes you more than one try to master a spell, or a charm, or a hex doesn't mean you're any less of a wizard.

Ron was having trouble breathing. Hermione still held his face in her hands and he couldn't stop watching her. The top of her head didn't even come to his shoulder, forcing her to look up at him as she talked, the light in the empty classroom they'd gone to casting flickering shadows over her face. Hermione's words had made him forget the feelings of not being good enough, feelings that he didn't have when he was with her. He felt his eyes well up, making him duck his head so that Hermione wouldn't see. Quickly dashing a hand across his eyes, he cleared his throat, "Thanks, 'Mione."

Smiling, she nodded her head, "Just remember that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. One of my weaknesses, as you'll remember, is playing quidditch. I'm rather terrible." She giggled, making his heart skip a beat.

"Are you ready to try again?"

"I s'pose."

"First, I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breathe. Now, pick a memory that makes you happy. It could be anything, the first time you rode a broom or when you got the position of Keeper on the quidditch team."

Ron smiled, thinking back to the day at the Burrow when he'd spent the afternoon teaching Hermione how to fly. He nodded, signaling that he'd chosen a memory.

"Ready? Go ahead." Hermione stepped back to give him room to work.

Straightening his stance, Ron waved his wand, "Aguamenti!" The room became dimmer as a stream of water came from Ron's wand, extinguishing the hovering ball of blue fire.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Oi, Seamus!? If you do that again, I'll take that beater's bat and shove it up your—"

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled at him from where she sat in the stands watching the Gryffindor's quidditch practice.

Harry sighed, this had been a rather rough practice for the team. Katie, Fay, and Ginny had gotten every throw past Ron, putting him in a foul mood. It didn't help matters that Seamus seemed to have lost complete control over his bat, sending a bludger hurtling towards Ron three times, two of which came a hair's breadth away from landing Ron in the infirmary. Ron had turned all of his annoyance on Ginny, who retaliated by casting the Bat-Bogey Hex on him. Hermione had wisely suggested that Harry confiscate the team's wands until practice was over.

"Alright, everyone, let's take a break." Harry motioned for the team to land and they all took seats around Hermione once their feet touched the ground. As the captain of the team, it was Harry's job to figure out where they were all going wrong.

"Seamus, I think you need to try holding the bat differently. Ron, try not to—"

"Oh, come off it, Harry. I know you're the captain of the team, but you can be honest. We're big kids, we can handle the criticism." Ginny smirked at Harry as his lips twitched, trying to keep himself from snorting with laughter.

"Alright, then. Seamus, you're gripping the bat too tight when you swing. If you don't want Ron to follow through on his promise about the beater's bat, I suggest you go over there with Carl and let him help you a bit. Ron, don't take your frustration out on Ginny, especially since she has a temper that could rival your mum's. Ginny, don't hex Ron when he makes you mad...or at least save it until practice is over." Looking around at the team to see how they had taken his words, Harry saw that each of his team members, including Hermione, were shaking with laughter.

"Way to go, Harry!" Seamus clapped him on the back, turning to walk a few yards away with Carl to practice with the bludgers.

Ron sent an apologetic smile to Ginny, who said she was sorry, as well, for the Bat-Bogey Hex. Ron motioned for her, Katie, and Fay to follow him as he swung a leg over his broom and kicked off the ground, flying back to the goalposts to practice again.

"Thanks, Gin." Ginny beamed at Harry's nickname for her and sent him a quick wink before going to join the others. Harry watched her fly away, a fanciful expression on his face.

"Ahem." The sound of a throat clearing brought Harry's head around to see a grinning Hermione. Feeling his face flame red, Harry mounted his broom to start the team's practice again. "Uh, right, then," and he raced away as fast as he could, trying to drown out Hermione's snickers.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"What are you looking at, Ginny?" Ron, Harry, and Hermione had just gotten back from Herbology, each of them covered in a fine layer of dirt. Hermione's hair was tangled with several leaves scattered throughout, while Ron and Harry had small pinpoint puncture marks on their hands.

"Woah, what happened to you guys?" They wrinkled their noses as they recounted their meeting with a rather testy plant called a Bercilac, which apparently had several rows of sharp teeth along with a handful of branches that it liked to bring down like large clubs on the heads of the students.

Ron was still in shock that anyone would want to go near a plant of that kind, "That woman's a right nutter, I'm telling you. 'Don't worry about the teeth, they just feel like a little bee sting'. If those bites felt like bee stings, then I'm Hagrid's mother."

"There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, if that makes you happy." Ginny pointed over her shoulder to the announcement she'd been reading on the bulletin board.

"That'll be fun, we haven't gone for ages!" Hermione pulled a final twig from her hair and headed up the dormitory stairs to clean up before dinner, Ron and Harry going to their room to do the same.

"Did you notice that the teachers seemed to be in especially good moods today?" Hermione asked as they sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Ron scoffed, "The only thing I noticed was that Professor Trelawney seems to be more mad than ever. She stopped me in the hallway on my way to the loo to tell me that I was going to be beheaded soon. Unless Peeves drops a meat cleaver while I'm standing under him, I think I'm going to be just fine." Ginny choked on her water as she snorted at Ron, making the rest of them roar with laughter.

"You're attention, please!" Dumbledore's deep voice rolled over the Great Hall as he stood from the teacher's table at the front of the room.

"I am very pleased to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting another Yule Ball for it's students." Excited whispers swept throughout the tables as Dumbledore finished talking.

"The staff and I have decided that the ball will take place two days after you arrive back from your winter holiday. That way, you will have something to look forward to upon your return. Now, please enjoy your dinner." Dumbledore smiled happily, going back to his seat amongst the other professors and beginning a conversation with McGonagall.

"The ball should be fun, don't you think?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded, but Ron and Harry had each broken out into a cold sweat, afraid that someone would ask Hermione and Ginny to the ball before they got the courage to.

"Harry, I think Cho is staring at you." Hermione said quietly so just the four of them could hear.

Turning his head slightly, Harry saw that Cho was indeed looking at him. She smiled and waved, making Harry jerk his head back around, pretending that he didn't see her. "What's she want with me?"

"Probably wants you to ask her to the ball," Ron shrugged as he took a large bite out of a chicken wing.

"But I don't want to go with her!" He said a little too loudly, making several students turn their heads in his direction.

"You don't?" Ginny asked with a fair amount of surprise.

"I thought you fancied her?" Ron asked.

Harry felt his heart speed up a little. He had to make sure he made it very clear that he wasn't interested in Cho so that he could still have a chance with Ginny. "No, she's not very fun to be with and she cries too much."

What Harry said was true, he hadn't had even the slightest bit of fun during the couple times he'd hung around with Cho. And she was quite emotional. If he thought about it, Harry wasn't sure why he'd fancied her in the first place. She had seemed nice and he supposed she was sort of pretty, but everything about her was drowned out when you compared her to Ginny.

Ginny was kind and compassionate, with a quick temper and a sharp wit. She was intelligent, extremely funny, exceptionally brave, and exceedingly loyal. Not to mention she was the most breathtakingly beautiful girl that Harry had ever seen.

"Why don't you go with Ginny, you'd have fun with her." Ron had no idea the effect these words would have on his sister and best friend. Ginny blushed and looked down at her plate, and Harry choked on a piece of bread he'd just bitten into, requiring Ron to forcefully slap him on the back several times. No one noticed Hermione's reaction, which was to look down to hide her smile and bite her lip to keep from laughing. However, seeing the distress on Harry and Ginny's faces, she took pity and changed the subject.

"You know, I was thinking that we should do a little Christmas shopping while we're in Hogsmeade this weekend. That way we won't have to worry about buying for everyone right before the holidays."

"That's a good idea! I've already got some thoughts on what we could do for Fred and George, but I want to wait until we go to Hogsmeade before I say anything, just in case it doesn't work out."

"Wooks fo' meh," Ron said around a mouthful of apple pie, making Harry and Ginny chuckle and Hermione roll her eyes.

"Boys," She muttered under her breath.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Ginny, what do you think I should wear to Hogsmeade?" Hermione was rummaging through her closet while Ginny sat on her bed.

"Well, it depends. What's the occasion?" Hermione blushed and bit her lip nervously.

"Ah, I see." Ginny crossed to Hermione's wardrobe, sifting through the clothes. "Here, wear this." Ginny selected a deep pink, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark colored jeans.

"Are you sure?" Hermione eyed the outfit critically.

"Yes, the pink will look wonderful with your hair color and Ron will love it!" Ginny knew she'd guessed correctly about Hermione's intentions when a wistful look came over her friend's face.

"Oh, Ginny, I just wish he'd see me as a girl. I mean, I know I'm not very pretty, but I'd hoped that he might like me a little."

Ginny looked at her friend in shock, "Hermione, you're beautiful! And besides that, you're the smartest witch at Hogwarts and the best friend anyone could have. Don't sell yourself so short. Now, put on this outfit and let me fix your hair. You'll have every boy in Hogsmeade asking you to the Yule Ball and if that doesn't get through my brother's thick head, then I don't know what will!"

Hermione laughed, "Thank you, Ginny. I just hope you're right.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"What takes girls so long anyway?" Harry laughed at Ron, whose mind was on the sweets he wanted to buy at Honeydukes.

"Oh, you know girls," Seamus joined in the conversation. "They've got to put that goop on their face and do stuff to their hair." All three boys shrugged their shoulders.

"You guys ready to go?" Ginny hopped down the last step of the dormitory staircase, Hermione following behind her.

"Yeah, we've been waiting for ages," Ron's words slowly faded away as he caught sight of Hermione. She was wearing the outfit Ginny had picked out and some of her hair had been pulled back, several strands coming loose to fall against her cheeks.

"We better hurry before Braxan's Bookshop runs out of the book I want!" Hermione headed for the portrait hole, dragging the others behind her.

"I take it you had something to do with this?" Harry smirked at Ginny as they followed behind the other two.

"Well, the gentle nudging didn't seem to be working, so I made the 'nudge' a 'push'."

The group made their way across the lawns and through the gates to the small village of Hogsmeade. Despite it being late November, the weather was unseasonably warm, which meant they didn't have to trudge through snow and slush. As they entered Hogsmeade, Hermione steered them towards the bookstore.

"Oh, thank goodness, they haven't run out of copies!" No one quite knew why the store would be out of the book, since Hermione seemed to be the only person at Hogwarts who would turn a Hogsmeade trip into a book-buying excursion. She grabbed a copy of the thick, leather-bound book titled A Beginner's Guide to Advanced Magic.

"What do you need tht for?" Ron asked. "You already know about every bloody spell there is!"

"Very funny. This is for spells and other things that we won't start learning until next year."

"You're the only person I know who willingly assigns themselves homework," Ron said shaking his head.

Hermione paid the shopkeeper and they made their way to Honeydukes. Hermione filled a small bag full of candy for herself and Harry did the same, although he took a few more chocolate frogs than he probably should have. Ron was currently filling his second bag and Ginny was looking at the hundreds of chocolates that lined the shelves. She settled on the caramel-filled ones, but they were too high for her to reach.

Harry was about to offer to get them for her when a voice spoke from behind them, "Hi, Ginny. Need some help?" Cormac McLaggen stood beside her, much too close for Harry's liking.

"Oh, sure." As Cormac reached for the candies, Ginny turned to shrug at the others. "Thanks," she gave him a quick smile as he handed the chocolates to her.

"No problem. See you around," Sending a wink to Ginny that made rage rush through Harry's body, Cormac turned and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Ron bit into a large chunk of fudge in his hand.

"I don't know, maybe he was trying to be nice?" Ginny seemed as baffled as the rest of them.

Hermione snorted, "Nice isn't an adjective I'd use to describe Cormac McLaggen."

"Let's just forget about it. Butterbeer, anyone?" Ginny lead them from the sweet shop to Madam Rosmerta's, which was in the process of being decorated for Christmas. The group found a table near one of the windows and sat down.

"I'll be right back," Ginny left to order four butterbeers and Harry watched as several boys' heads followed her progress to the bar, where she stood waiting for her order, completely unaware of the attention she was getting. As she returned to their table, the heads all swiveled to watch her again. Harry didn't know how much more he could take.

"Thanks, Ginny." Hermione and Ron took big gulps of their butterbeer, but Harry just stared gloomily at his. Ginny had seen his dark expression and started to ask him what was wrong, when a familiar voice spoke.

"Ginny, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Cormac strutted away, going outside and waiting for Ginny to follow him.

"Oh, sure. I'll just obey you and follow you around like a devoted servant." Ginny grumbled as she got up.

Hermione laughed, "That's not going to help him any."

"Help him with what?" Ron and Harry chorused together.

"Think about it. Dumbledore announced there was going to be a ball. Ginny doesn't have a date yet." Hermione spoke slowly, like they should have figured this out already.

Understanding dawned on Ron's face, "She can't go with him! He's a prat!"

"I think so too, but she can go with whoever she likes. Trust me, she's going to be getting plenty of other invitations, as well." Ron's face turned red with anger and Harry choked on his butterbeer. Any further questions from the two were forgotten when Ginny came back to the table, sat down, and took a sip of her drink.

"Well, what did he want?" Ron demanded.

"He told me that he'd pick me up at six on the day of the ball and that I should 'wear something pretty'." Ron's face became even redder, if that was possible, Hermione's mouth dropped open, and Harry gripped his mug so hard, he thought he heard it crack.

"That great prat! If you said yes to him, I'll have Fred and George lock you in their shop the day of the ball!"

"Of course I said no to him! He's a slimy git and a bit on the thick side, too! I told him if he talked to me like that again, I'd shove his wand so far up his nose, he'd have to sneeze to cast a spell."

Hermione and Ron were laughing so hard, they had tears coming out of their eyes. Harry, however, was just relieved that she'd said no. Then he thought about Hermione saying that Cormac wouldn't be the only one to ask Ginny to be their date, which made him want to hex every boy at Hogwarts. This was going to be very difficult.

After finishing their drinks, they went to a store around the corner, where Ginny explained her idea for the twins' Christmas gift. Thinking it was a brilliant gift, they agreed to come back for it another time. The Hogsmeade trip took another unexpected turn as the group was going back to Hogwarts. They had just entered the gates and were walking across the lawns when someone called Harry's name. Turning around, Harry saw that it was Cho and he bit back a groan.

"Go on, we'll wait for you," He could see how funny Hermione thought this was and he narrowed his eyes at her.

Cho broke off from her group of friends to meet Harry halfway, "Hi, Harry."

"Hi."

"Did you hear about the Yule Ball?"

"Yes," Harry couldn't quite understand why she would ask that. Dumbledore had made the announcement to the Great Hall during dinner, so of course he knew about the ball.

"Are you going?"

"Probably."

"Do you have a date yet?"

"No...It was nice talking to you, Cho, but my friends are waiting. See you around." Harry excused himself as fast as he could, but he still saw the look of annoyance flash across Cho's face at his words and the look of hatred that she shot towards his friends.

"What was that about?" Ron nodded towards Cho's group as the four of them walked to the castle.

"I think she wanted me to ask her to the ball, but I didn't." Harry looked straight ahead as he spoke, missing the look of relief that crossed Ginny's face.

"That explains the angry look she sent our way. I'm surprised none of us are petrified!" Ron said as they climbed the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

Harry was only somewhat relieved. He knew that Cho would try to talk to him again, and he would rather she just left him alone. As for Ginny, Harry thought being petrified would be much preferable than having to watch her be swarmed by boys looking for her to be their date to the ball.