DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything Harry Potter affiliated. If I did, I would be sending this off to a publisher—not posting it online.

Chapter Two

Harry and Ron waited patiently in the common room. Well, Harry waited patiently. Ron waited quietly for a few minutes before growing board and then taking to pacing, casting various charms, and then starting all over again. The ball started in five minutes and their dates were still upstairs, even though it seemed that every other member of the Gryffindor house was already downstairs. The term ended the day before and the foursome had spent the day wandering the grounds and visiting Hagrid, while those not staying for the term packed their trucks (so that they didn't have to get up early the next morning before the train departed).

Finally, just as Ron's head drooped forward, falling asleep again, Harry heard footsteps and nudged his friend awake before they came into sight.

Luckily, before going to get ready herself, Hermione had popped up to their dorms and dug through everyone's trunks to find last years' Weasley Christmas sweaters. With a couple of swishes of her wand, she transfigured the sweaters. Each were made lighter, softer and for a special festive touch, she animated the stitching so that the large letter on their chests would change into different holiday greetings, like a flashing muggle lawn display.

Originally, the boys looked concerned at her fashion choice, but knew better than to disobey a direct order. Now her choices made complete sense. Harry watched as the two girls came into view. Each were wearing their own Weasley sweaters, but theirs were more fitted and longer, falling just above their knees. They were casual, but at the same time made both of the girls look elegant.

"Wow," Harry breathed—not unnoticed by Ron. "You two look great! Never seen a Weasley sweater look better! Nice work Hermione."

Ginny and Hermione both thanked him, but as much as Hermione wanted to smile at his comment, she couldn't help but notice that Ron wasn't even paying any attention to her. Instead his focus was split between Harry and Ginny. Avoiding rolling her eyes, Hermione forced a smile and continued down the last few steps. "We better be going," she said. "Wouldn't want all of the tables to be full and for one of us to have to sit with the Slytherins!"

At the thought, Ron snapped out of his glower and ran to catch up with Hermione before she made it to the portrait hole. Harry held out his arm to Ginny and she giggled.

"Care to make a new wager Mr. Potter?" Ginny asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What did you have in mind?"

"I bet you those two don't make it through dinner before my brother puts his foot in his mouth."

Harry laughed, causing Ron to catch his eye as he made his way out of the common room behind Hermione. "No bet," he whispered to her.

Walking into the Great Hall, the room was nothing like the four were expecting. The four house tables were removed, and replaced with round tables scattered around the outside of the room. The staff table was replaced with a stage, and the area in front left open for a dance floor. But the rest of the room held tons of games and activities. While there were traditional wizard games, Harry and Hermione also recognized a number of muggle games—but upon closer inspection they were altered with magic to be more interactive.

The evening started off with a fantastic feast, and after everyone had had their fill, the leftovers were removed and desserts and party snacks took their place, along with buckets filled with butter beer and punch bowls.

As soon as Harry was done eating, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him over to one of the muggle games, insisting that he teach her how to play it.

"I've kept my mouth shut since yesterday," Ron grumbled to Hermione, "but I'm about to give him a piece of my mind."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh relax, Ron!" she said. "They're friends! You didn't have any problem with them studying together in the library all year. What's wrong with this?"

"That was studying, Hermione. This is a date," he said. "There's nothing romantic about being holed up in the library with books for hours."

Hermione stiffened, annoyed at his disregard for two of her favorite things. "Ron," she said. "I told you yesterday, he asked her as a favor to me."

"Yeah, yeah—I know," he said. "That doesn't mean he needs to make it look so real."

Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed four butterbeers from the center of the table. "Let's go join them. You can keep a closer eye on them, and I can wipe the floor with you!"

The night was winding down. Many party-goers had already headed to bed, especially those who had to depart early in the morning on the train home for the holidays. As the girls continued to play the games, Harry and Ron went to grab refreshments. So far the four had eaten, played games with their classmates, and even danced a few numbers when the right song played. But, when Hermione showed off her double dutch skills with the enchanted jump ropes, Ginny was instantly captivated and immediately tried to best her.

"I don't know how I never noticed before, but she's quite competitive, your sister," Harry commented on their way back to the girls, seeing the advantage Ginny's seeker reflexes were helping her out.

Ron stopped abruptly and turned Harry around. "Look,' he said. "I know with everything that happened last year, hell mate! With everything that's happened every year, you deserve to be happy. But does it have to be with my sister?"

Harry gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Ron took a deep breath and sighed. "I'd have to be a mountain troll to not notice the amount of time you two have been spending together—you're always walking off together from meals, and going to the library together!"

"Ron," Harry tried to interrupt him, but Ron put his hands up.

"I'm not the only one to have noticed it," Ron continued, "and I don't like the idea of you with my sister."

"Ron, don't you think you're overreacting?" Harry asked, trying to laugh it off. On the one hand, Harry could just tell Ron that he and Ginny were just friends, but the more time Harry spent with Ginny—the more they joked and teased and even studied together—he knew that wasn't entirely true. Ginny wasn't just a friend anymore, and Ron was his best mate. He couldn't outright lie to him.

Ron shook his head. "I know you only asked her as a favor to Hermione, but—"

"What?" came from behind the two. The voice was quiet, but to Harry it seemed to echo through the entire hall. "Is that all I am? A favor?" Ginny asked as Harry and Ron turned around to find both Ginny and Hermione standing behind them.

"Ginny," Harry started, reaching out to touch her arm, but she jerked away from him and turned on Hermione.

"What did you do Hermione?" Ginny asked, but before she could answer, Ginny just shook her head and pushed her friend away as she left the Great Hall, the trio following close behind her.

"Ginny, stop!" Ron yelled as the doors to the party closed behind them and they were left in the quiet of the entrance hall.

Ginny steeled herself, straightening at the sudden volume of her brother's voice, echoing in the hall.

"Ginny," Hermione said, "I'm so sorry, but it's not what you think!"

Ginny shook her head. "Did you or did you not ask Harry to ask me tonight? Did you ask him to do you a favor?"

Hermione's face fell as she realized that was exactly what she had asked Harry to do the night before. All she wanted was her friends to be happy, for them to skip past the figurative dancing they'd been doing all term and do some literal dancing, and hopefully just figure out that they should be together. She never realized how Ginny might take her interference. "Ginny, I didn't mean it like that though."

"Hermione never meant to hurt you," Ron said

"Hermione didn't hurt me Ron," Ginny spat back at him. "No matter how misguided, at least I know she just wanted to make sure that Harry and I had a good time. But you?"

"What about me?"

"My own brother," she said, disgusted. Ginny couldn't put her finger on it, she wasn't normally the one in the family to let her temper completely overtake her, but she was just so angry! "How could you?"

Harry took a step forward. "Ginny, Ron didn't have any part—"

Ginny turned back to Harry. "Ron had just as much a part of this as the rest of you. He knew but rather than tell me just went along with it."

Ron's ears started to turn red as his anger grew. "Hey, I was trying to protect you!"

"Oh please Ron! You act like you're out to protect me, but you're just jealous because you're too scared to do anything other than insult Hermione to get her to pay attention to you."

Ron and Hermione moved back, shrinking away from her fury, but Harry stood rooted and reached for her again. "Gin-"

"All year, I've been hoping you'd finally notice me Harry," Ginny said. She was trying not to cry, but she couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes. "I was willing to wait, to just spend time and study and joke, knowing that you were starting to see me for me and not as your best mate's little sister, but this—" she stopped short as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Before he could stop himself, Harry closed the little distance there was between them and wiped her tear away with his thumb, letting his hand linger on her cheek.

"What is it you want Harry?" Ginny asked, closing her eyes and breathing his scent in, basking in his proximity for as long as she could.

"I…" he started. "I don't know, Gin."

Ginny took one more deep breath. "I trusted you Harry," she said. Her eyes snapped open, flashing with anger "I trusted all of you." Harry finally took a step back, the force of her ire seeming to physically push him and the others farther away.

Harry shivered. There was an evil, a malice that was chilling to hear from a person he had come to respect for her humor and kindness. All three of them were left stunned and frozen in shock as she turned to walk out the front door, summoning it open wandlessly.

"Ginny, wait!" Harry yelled after her, moving towards the closing door.

Ron grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Someone has to go after her," Harry said, pulling his arm free. "We can't just let her roam the grounds alone at night!"

"Harry," Hermione said as she stepped towards him and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we should give her a bit to cool down."

"Yeah,"Ron said making his way up the stairs. "If I know my sister she'll be back in an hour tops."

Harry stood looking at the door, willing it back open with Ginny on the other side. He stood there for a couple of minutes before Hermione took his hand and pulled him towards the stairs, with others leaving the ending party. When they got to the common room, Ron had already gone up to the dorm. Hermione sat with Harry for a bit in the common room, but eventually went upstairs to her room as well, leaving him to wait up alone next to the fire.

"Awe," a familiar voice cooed.

Harry squinted, sunlight filtering in through the windows of the common room, where he'd fallen asleep.

"Look," another voice said. "Ikle Harrykins fell asleep waiting up for us!"

"Fred?" Harry asked hazily. "George? What time is it?"

George laughed. "Nearly elevenses!"

"What?!" Harry yelled, turning towards the portrait hole as Ron and Hermione came through holding extra sandwiches.

"Harry! You're awake," Ron said. "We tried waking you to come down to eat mate, but you were out cold! We brought you a couple of bacon buttys, though. How long did you stay up?"

"Was Ginny at breakfast?" Harry asked, panic filling his voice.

Hermione looked back and forth between Ron and Harry, "No, but—"

"What!?"

"What's going on here mate?" Fred asked, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder before the boy who lived shot through the ceiling.

"I was up all night waiting for Ginny to return," Harry said to Fred. "She stormed out last night."

Hermione rounded on Ron. "You said she was sleeping in," she said, smacking the half eaten sandwich out of his hand.

"Likely," Ron stammered. "I said she was likely sleeping in."

"Ugh!" Hermione shouted, exasperated as she ran up the stairs towards the fifth year girls' dorm.

George grabbed the other sandwich out of Ron's hand before he could take a bite out of it and handed it to Harry. "You eat," he said, "while you explain what's going on little brother."

Before he could get a single word out, Hermione came rushing back down the stairs into the common room. "She's not there," Hermione panted. "No one has seen her all night. She never came back!"