Chapter Seventeen: A New Dance.
As Haleni returned to close her door, she noticed a scrap of paper in the street outside. Ginny must have had that in her pocket, she thought. It was a crumpled note. On it, in a boy's handwriting, were many crossings out and clumsy lines of text. Haleni took the note inside to get a better look. "You have always been like the stars, shimmering behind everything, glowing intently - the winter's ball with me?" deciphered Haleni.
And then Haleni smiled.
Ginny lay in Harry's arms, staring through the window, she realised it was snowing outside. Slipping from Harry, she padded naked to the window. Outside the snow was settling, but something was bothering her about the way the snow was falling. Stepping outside, she was still quite warm and the snow was not wet or cold. She stooped and picked up a handful of the white stuff. It was shredded paper. Ginny stared at it, and noticed the occasional letter on the odd scrap of pulp.
Smiling, Haleni appeared next to Ginny. "They are unwritten letters to you."
"Somebody's writing to me?" smiled Ginny.
"Well, Ginny, haven't you written letters to Harry and never dared give him a single one?"
Ginny stared at the snowy scene. Slowly the city of darkness was being smothered and erased. Ginny laughed. "Oh no. Not Neville!"
And laughing, Ginny faded.
Ginny was swamped with kisses and cuddles and everyone told her how much they had missed her. Harry and Hermione eventually turned up with sore heads and Draco was even holding Penny's hand when they finally got to see Ginny. Ginny was secretly impressed, for Draco was being normal, even in front of Harry! "Perhaps there's hope for you yet?" smiled Ginny to herself.
A few days later, Ginny waited until Neville was alone and went up to him and kissed him. Neville almost fainted, and in his panic, knocked over a table with flowers on, smashing the vase and sending Neville crashing onto his backside.
Everyone laughed in the common room, but Ginny did not mind. "I think you need a few lessons in grace and decorum. Come on. I know somewhere we can go and practice for the Winter Ball."
And with that, Ginny and Neville spent the evening in Hogsmeade, dancing like muggles with Snape and Sybil's friend, an elderly muggle called Mr Toonly - who was more than happy to teach the pair.
Try as she might, Ginny still thought of Harry as they danced the night away. But Neville was kind, gracious and a wonderful dancer - once he got the better of his poor nerves. "Maybe he's not Harry," she thought, "but then Harry is not everything I'm after either." They clung together as they danced.
Haleni watched them through the crack in the curtain and smiled. Haleni looked around sadly. Where did a Snaggle go when she was lonely and afraid? Haleni shrugged. There would be others to talk to soon enough.
THE END
As Haleni returned to close her door, she noticed a scrap of paper in the street outside. Ginny must have had that in her pocket, she thought. It was a crumpled note. On it, in a boy's handwriting, were many crossings out and clumsy lines of text. Haleni took the note inside to get a better look. "You have always been like the stars, shimmering behind everything, glowing intently - the winter's ball with me?" deciphered Haleni.
And then Haleni smiled.
Ginny lay in Harry's arms, staring through the window, she realised it was snowing outside. Slipping from Harry, she padded naked to the window. Outside the snow was settling, but something was bothering her about the way the snow was falling. Stepping outside, she was still quite warm and the snow was not wet or cold. She stooped and picked up a handful of the white stuff. It was shredded paper. Ginny stared at it, and noticed the occasional letter on the odd scrap of pulp.
Smiling, Haleni appeared next to Ginny. "They are unwritten letters to you."
"Somebody's writing to me?" smiled Ginny.
"Well, Ginny, haven't you written letters to Harry and never dared give him a single one?"
Ginny stared at the snowy scene. Slowly the city of darkness was being smothered and erased. Ginny laughed. "Oh no. Not Neville!"
And laughing, Ginny faded.
Ginny was swamped with kisses and cuddles and everyone told her how much they had missed her. Harry and Hermione eventually turned up with sore heads and Draco was even holding Penny's hand when they finally got to see Ginny. Ginny was secretly impressed, for Draco was being normal, even in front of Harry! "Perhaps there's hope for you yet?" smiled Ginny to herself.
A few days later, Ginny waited until Neville was alone and went up to him and kissed him. Neville almost fainted, and in his panic, knocked over a table with flowers on, smashing the vase and sending Neville crashing onto his backside.
Everyone laughed in the common room, but Ginny did not mind. "I think you need a few lessons in grace and decorum. Come on. I know somewhere we can go and practice for the Winter Ball."
And with that, Ginny and Neville spent the evening in Hogsmeade, dancing like muggles with Snape and Sybil's friend, an elderly muggle called Mr Toonly - who was more than happy to teach the pair.
Try as she might, Ginny still thought of Harry as they danced the night away. But Neville was kind, gracious and a wonderful dancer - once he got the better of his poor nerves. "Maybe he's not Harry," she thought, "but then Harry is not everything I'm after either." They clung together as they danced.
Haleni watched them through the crack in the curtain and smiled. Haleni looked around sadly. Where did a Snaggle go when she was lonely and afraid? Haleni shrugged. There would be others to talk to soon enough.
THE END