Harry squinted as warm summer sunlight filled his eyes. Wondering why the sun was so bright that early in the morning, he shut them and laid back onto his pillow,totally relaxed and enjoying the early quietness of the Weasley household. He was just about to fall into dreamfilled sleep again when he shot up like he was sitting on a spring.
"Ron we're late!"he yelled, throwing his long legs over the edge of the bed and running over to Rons. Brushing strands of jet black hair out of his eyes, he attempted to shake him awake. For a moment he thought the completely still Ron was dead, until he tried to punch Harry in the stomach, sleppily missing his target. His limp arm fell to the side of the bed.
"Go 'way." came Ron's muffled voice against the pillow.
" We're going to miss the train!" Harry said loudly, in order to wake Ron up.
" We're going to what?" a still half asleep Ron asked as he raised his head off the pillow, halfway opened his brown eyes, and looked at the clock. Harry let out an exasperated sigh.
" The alarm didn't go off. I think you're clock is dead." said Harry, cocking his head at the slupmping clock on Ron's bedside table.
" Hmm?" Ron poked the clock with one of his long, delicate fingers." Hey! Wake up!" The tiny alarm clock stood up straight , and with a look of confusion on his face, looked at the two boys.
" Didn't you see I was tryin' tah take a nap?" came the croaking voice of the little gold clock.
" Yeah, we saw that." said Ron, irritated." And aren't you the one who was supposed to wake us up at 7:30?"
" Yeah, so? Give a guy a break evrah now an' then. It's not like ya hada hot date or anathang. All of us clocks decided to sleep in taday. " Ron grabbed the now angry clock off his table, and stuffed it in one of his already cluttered drawers. He then climbed out of his own bed and, rubbing his eyes, stood up rather groggily.
" Wonder why Mum hasn't woken up yet. She usually wakes up automatically at 9:00" he stated.
" I haven't the slightest idea." said Harry. For a moment he pondered on why he couldn't catch up with Ron when it came to growing in height. Ron was at least two feet taller than he was.
Ron yawned. " I guess we'd better go and wake everyone up. I'll wake Mum up, and you can go wake Ginny-but I'd be careful with her. She likes to sleep in and she's liable to hurt you if you try to wake her up before she wants to." and Ron walked slowly out the door, looking as if he was trying to keep his balance. Harry followed after him, dimly aware he probably looked the same way.
As Ron turned into one room, Harry kept descending the stairs until he came to a room with a silver plaque that read Genevive Weasley. He knocked on the door, his senses begining to return to him, and his eyes finally begining to focus. He pulled his glasses out of his pocket, remembering to put them on. He knocked on the door.The he cautiously opened the heavy oak door after getting no response. He stuck his head in.
The scent of lavender tickled his nose. He opened the door wider, and took a look around. The walls were painted a light purple, and the furniture was white. Instead of being piled up with dirty clothes, the dresser was piled with makeup and perfume. The curtains and bed spread were white, and Ginny looked like she was floating amongst some soft, fluffy clouds. He was feeling more and more peaceful by the second. 'Must be the lavender' he thought. He pushed his curiostity aside for the moment, and went to wake Ginny up.
" Ginny?" he said softly, shaking her. His hands liked the way her silky light blue pajamas felt.
"Wha?" said a slumbering Ginny without opening her eyes. She rolled over once again, getting even more tangled up in her blankets. Harry rested his hands on the edge of the bed, and took a deep breath. He began to shake her a little bit harder until-
"OMPH!" and he fell to the ground clutching his you-know-what and curling up in pain.
Ginny had kicked him right in the groin.( or however you spell it)
" HARRY!" Ginny's red head snapped off her pillow, and she threw herself on the floor beside him.
"Are you okay?!" 'I cannot believe I did that!' she thought. Harry waved his hand as if to say 'Don't worry about it.'
"Don't-" but he stopped when he realised that his voice was higher pitched than usual.
" Oh, Harry, I didn't mean to-I didn't know it was you!" said Ginny, her hands flying up to her mouth. Harry rolled over onto his stomach and tried to stand up, occasionally grunting in pain when his feet slid out from under him. When he opened his eyes, he noticed they weren't focusing right.
" Are you sure you're allright?" said the blue and red blob in front of him. Harry put a hand on her shoulder to balance himself.
" I'll..... be...f-INE!" he tried to say as another sharp pain went through him. Ginny watched the tall, thin boy with bad bedhead stagger out of her bedroom. She stood there for a moment, vaugley aware of what just happened. She stretched and yawned-then her eyes fell on her slumping clock.
"WE'RE LATE!!"
~**¤**~
An hour later the Hogwarts Express was standing tall and proud in front of them.
" Now all fo you-stay out of trouble." Mrs.Weasley said to all of them-though she was pointing at Fred and George.
" Don't worry Mum. We'll be sure to send you pictures of people after they eat one of the candies we invented this summer." said George. Mrs.Weasley gave him a warning look that melted into a smile as she kissed them both.
" 'Bye Dad." the said as they gave him a quick hug, then ran up to a group of kids their own age.
" Now you both got your new dress robes?" Mrs.Weasley said to Ginny and Ron.
" Yes Mum." they both said. She gave them each a hug, followed by Mr.Weasley.
"Have a good time this year." Mrs.Weasley said to Hermione, and then gave her a hug also. Mr.Weasley said bye to her as she and Ginny loaded their things onto the train. Mrs.Weasley turned to Harry.
" Now, things are going to happen this year that we probably won't like, but remember we're here for you." said Mrs.Weasley before she gave Harry a hug.
" I'll remember."
" Good luck Harry." said Mr.Weasley. They said their final goodbyes as they boarded the train. Harry was begining to get the idea of what it felt like to leave a family you loved behind for a whole year. He didn't like leaving them behind, knowing he wouldn't be seeing them for a while, but he liked knowing that they would be there when he came back.
~**¤**~
Harry stared out the window. All he had seen for the last few hours had been trees, trees, and more trees. Green, green,green. He loved trees as much as the next person, but he also liked a change of scenery every now and then.
Crookshanks was lying at Hermiones feet, who had her head in Rons lap, her bushy brown hair going everywhere with Ron's arm resting on her waist. All three of them were asleep. You'd think they wouldn't be sleepy from sleeping in late that morning. Evidently not. Ginny was also asleep. She was lying in the floor near the door, her pale hands under her head and red hair covering her face. It was very peaceful in the compartment, Harry thought. He could hear the low murmur of the other students talking in their compartments.
A sad, but excited feeling washed over him as he began to think. He only had three years of school left. After that, where would they all end up? Would they all still be here? Would he still be here?
And what was he going to do if they never saw each other again? He couldn't imagine life withought his friends. He couldn't imagine life after Hogwarts. He felt a deep sadness at that moment, as he look around him at the sleeping people. How was he supposed to survive without them? Time seemed to stand still in that compartment. No one was saying anything, no one was moving. It was so peaceful. Harry didn't want that night to ever be over. He wished they could stay on that train forever........
Ginny raised her head as the train jolted, which snapped him back into reality.
" Mmm...."
" I'm glad someone's finally awake." Harry said in a hushed voice, grinning. She smiled back, as she stood up and sat next to Harry, rubbing her hands over her face.
" I'm almost awake."
" We're about there anyway." said Harry.
" How can you tell?" Ginny asked as she looked at the identical trees going past the window.
" See, we always pass this huge tree with a broken limb at the top that makes it a perfect angle at the tip. That means we're about thirty minutes away from Hogwarts. "
" I see."said Ginny, looking outside with interest.
The tree's began to clear as the neared Hogwarts. Ginny woke Hermione and Ron up, while Harry gathered all of their things that they had thrown about the compartment.
"We must've been asleep forever." said Ron, blinking hard.
" I have a horrible crick in my neck." Hermione moved her neck from side to side. Harry stood up just as the train jerked to a stop, making him fall back into his chair.
Nervous and excited as she always was when a new year started, Ginny said, "We're here."
~**¤**~
Huge rays of early November sunlight shone out of the huge dormitory windows and fell on Harry as he dragged himself out of bed and over to his dresser, pulling out his robes. He brushed his teeth, and combed his hair-adding gel to make it look tamed. He threw on his robes and went to the common room where he found Ron and Hermione waiting on him.
School had been going as it always had, except that they had all quickly found out that Dumbledore had agreed with parents to possition Dragons at the very ends of the Hogwarts grounds. So, as you can tell, they had seen much of Charlie these past few weeks.
Harry was worried about Sirius also. He hadn't heard a word from him all year, although Harry had written him many times.
" What has been up with Malfoy this year?" Ron asked when they seated themselves in the Great Hall.
" What do you mean?" asked Hermione.
" Well, look at how he's been acting. Sure, he still says the same rude stuff, but he's more quiet than he's ever been." he said, dropping his voice and leaning foward." I bet it's all the stuff him and his death eater dad have been doing." Just then Malfoy walked into the hall looked very much exhausted.
" Now Ron, I know he's evil, but we can be sure that he himself is a death eater." Hermione said, watching the tired boy fall into his chair. He straigtened himslef up, and looked around, though he seemed to be putting much effort into acting like he wasn't worn out.
" Hermione! Have you gone bonkers?!?Of course he's a death eater! They probably had a meeting last night, and somehow Malfoy got to it, and that's why he's so exhausted!" said Ron, his red hair coming out of place. Resting his elbow on the table, Harry propped his head up on his hand, trying to drown out his friends bickering. Ron continually saying Malfoy was a death eater and Hermione insisting that he was 'innocent until proven guilty' went on for a few minutes until Ron threw his hands up.
" Fine! Just wait and you'll see Hermione. We'll all see when a big group of those nutters come barging into the school thinking they can take over." said Ron. Harry raised up, glad the argument was over-but then again, an argument between Ron and Hermione was never over, he thought as they glared at each other from across the table.
~**¤**~
Ron's head began to fall backwards as his eyes closed and his mouth opened, and for the up-teenth time Harry had to smack him up-side the head. Ron's eyes opened, and he slumped foward onto his folded arms. A very faint snoring sound was coming from him now. Harry looked at Hermione, who was on Ron's other side, and she shrugged, obviously giving up on trying to keep Ron awake. It wasn't like Professor Binns was going to see him anyway. They were in the back of the class and in front of Ron sat a seven foot tall fifth year, with weight to spare, from Ravenclaw.
" And so the South African trolls conquered the gnome kingdom of Weferage. Now turn to page 476 and you will see........" The Professor went on and on about how Weferage looked after it was conquered. Before leaving their conquered kingdom the trolls forced the gnomes to drink potions which made them the size they are today. It was hard to imagine one of the gnomes Harry had thrown over a fence being nine feet tall. Evidently, after their kingdom was taken over, the gnomes spread around the world to live in witches and wizards backyards. When Binns looked like he himself was going to fall asleep he finally shut his book.
" Class dissmissed." It took Hermione and Harry both to wake Ron up. When they finally did, he rubbed his eyes, grabbed his bag and books and followed them out of the classroom to their next class, Potions.
" I don't see how we could end up with the Slytherins every year!"said Ron.
" Don't ask me how they make our schedules up, I couldn't tell you." said Harry. " I'm like you though, I would much rather have Potions with the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs." said Harry. They took seats near the back as they had in Binns' class. Ron looked like he was settling in for a long winters nap, and Hermione scolded him for thinking of sleeping in Potions class.
" Do you remeber that he takes points away from us for breathing? He'll go wild when he finds you sleeping. Stay awake!" she said. Ron glared at her, but raised his head up and pretended to listen anyway.
Snape walked around the room with his hands behind his back as he spoke, glaring at almost every student. He was explaining to them the importance of measuring their ingredients perfectly after Neville had put too much dragons tongue in his potion and it had exploded all over his hands and scolded them horribly. Snape took his time cleaning up the mess before finally letting him go to the hospital wing. Neville hadn't returned yet.
" If I ever catch any of you cutting and of the ingredients wrong again, I'll take fifty points away from Gryffindor! Understood?" apparently he thought that it would be snowing in Hell before Slytherin cut any of their ingredients wrong.
Harry couldn't be happier when the class was finally over. Ron and Hermione looked the same way too.
" I wonder how Neville's doing." Hermione said.
" I dunno, but he may be in there for a few days. The burns probably made him sick to his stomach." said Ron.
"I have quidditch practice in thirty minutes." said Harry, looking at his watch. Harry was team captain, and Christian VonNaland was their new keeper. Harry had insisted Ron try out, but he refused because he didn't have the proper broom to play quidditch on.
" Well, eat some dinner first and then go." said Hermione. Harry didn't eat much. He was afraid he would get sleepy like he always did after he ate.( is it just me or am I always writing about people sleeping or being sleepy?......)
~**¤**~
Harry walked slowly up to the common room, dragging his broom behind him. Quidditch practice had lasted forever. Harry had let everyone else go back to the common room an hour ago, and he was left with cleaning up the field. It took him half an hour to do that and another half an hour to get back up to the castle from the field. It was very late, and Harry couldn't wait to slip into his bed and relax against the soft, warm covers and cushy matress. ( there I go again, talkin about sleepin.......) When he entered the common room he wasn't surprised to see that no one else was there. He had almost reached the stairs to his dormitory when he heard a voice.
" Harry? Harry come here!" he recongnized the whispering voice immediately.
" Sirius?!" he asked, flopping in front of the fireplace.
" Yes." said his godfather, smiling.
" What-how are you?" Harry asked." And why haven't you written me?"
"I'm sorry about that, I'm afraid I have been quite busy. When I got home this evening I found all of your letters waiting on the kitchen table for me." said Sirius, still grinning.
" You said you went home. Are you still staying with Professor Lupin?" asked Harry, sitting cross legged on the floor.
" Yes, we didn't want everyone to know that he was 'my master' but since it was in the Daily Prophet Remus decided that I should stay with him. I'm better off there anyway. I don't have to hunt for food any longer." Sirius said, a twinkle in his eyes. Harry had to admit he looked better than he had in a long time. He was clean, his hair was cut, and his face was shaven. Then again, Harry thought, the last time he had talked to him by fireplace he had looked well taken care of too, but when he actually saw him in person he looked awful.
" Why have you been so busy?" Harry asked.
" Well, I've been spying on some of the Death Eater meetings." his face grew serious." They haven't been pretty."
" What's happened?" Harry asked.
" I've only seen a few. There was one last night and they took one of their own and did some kind of curse on them- one I had never heard of. Dark magic of course."
" What did they do to them though? What happened?" Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he was very interested
"Well, I'm not sure. I think that Voldemort needed some strength, so he took some from one of his followers."
" Who was it?"
" I coul't hear what they were saying, I was too far away, but whoever it was, they were young."
" Hmm......"
" I need to be going now. You look exhausted, what have you been doing? I was surprised to have found you this late, and just now walking into the common room."
" Oh, I had quidditch practice."
" Oh yes, and you are the capatain now!! That's my boy!" said Sirius, smiling. " Well, I need to go now. See you."
" Bye."
"Go to sleep, and take a bath for goodness sake, you even SMELL like you've been playing quidditch." said Sirius as he faded away. Harry smiled and laughed lightly. When Sirius was completely gone, and all was quiet again, Harry picked up his broom, went to his dormitory and climbed into bed. He'd take a shower in the morning.
~**¤**~
The hooded figures circled around the Dark Lord. There were many of them now. Much more than there was the night Voldemort had come back. They were in an old Spanish mission. It was basically ruins and none of them really knew exactly where they were. Voldemort, who looked just as awful as he had in the cemetary, was standing in the middle of a huge circle of death eaters, young and old. You couldn't see any of their faces, and none of them were talking.
" I assume everyone is here. We haven't got much to do tonight. First of all I want to thank this brave young man for what he did for me last night. " One of the cloaked figures bowed his head as Voldemort pointed a long, white finger at him." But I am afraid there is something else I need you to do for me." The firgure raised his head." Somewhere in the Hogwarts castle Albus Dumbledore has a pensieve. Now, with that Pensieve, I could find out his strengths and weaknesses. I could find unimaginable information on him. I need you to get me that Pensieve. Do this task for me. The reward will be great." said the Dark Lord.
" Yes master. It would be an honor."
" Very well then. You may leave now. I see no reason for you to stay." The figure bowed his head again, and left the circle quietly. Voldemort turned to another figure.
" Watch him. Make sure he does what he is told. You may also leave now." The figured bowed, and left just as quietly as the other.
~**¤**~ ( yeah suuuurrrrreee, like you don't know who the first 'hooded figure' was...)
"YES YOU NEW LITTLE FIRST YEARS! THATS HARRY POTTER!!!"
Harry rolled his eyes. Lee Jordan kept talking about the quidditch past of all the players. For the first quidditch game of the season it was very boring. Nothing had happened, and nobody had made any points yet. Harry even saw two of the Hufflepuff players floating in the air having a nice little chat while the rest of them raced around the field hoping to somehow score a few points. Then Harry was relieved when Angelina finally got hold of the quaffle and gained them points. After that, it was pretty much boring. Someone would get the quaffle, and someone else would block their shot. Harry hadn't seen any sign of the snitch, and the Hufflepuff seeker looked like he was about to fall off his broom from boredom. The only really exciting thing that happened was when one of the Hufflepuff players was knocked off their broom by a bludger and Fred Weasley flew underneath her and caught her. Then Harry saw it. Right beside on of the Hufflepuff chaser's ears. Harry went for it. When the chaser noticed him flying at him at what seemed to a hundered miles an hour his face looked terrified, but Harry grabbed the snitch just barely missing the chaser. The game was over. Gryffindor had won.
~**¤**~
Malfoy's PoV:
Draco Malfoy walked silently along the corridor. He was following Potter and his pathetic little group of friends as they went to their common room after the feast in the Great Hall. He knew he had to be silent as he walked, and he knew he had to figure out the password to their common room so he could get his cloak. Prowling around after Potter wasn't exactly one of his favorite after-hours activities, but he knew that, under the circumstances, he had to do it. He threw himself behind a suit of armor when that ignorant female Weasley girl turned around.
" Do any of you get the feeling that we are being followed?" she asked the others.
" Ginny, I don't think that anyone would be following us, and besides-where would they hide? If they were close enough for you to hear them they would have to find somewhere to hide near us."said Ron. He opened his arms wide. "There isn't anywhere." he then put his arm around his sister and continued along with the rest. Draco rolled his eyes. Idiots. He was just about to come out from behind the suit of armor when he saw a shadow move across the corridor from behind him. He slowly climbed out from behind the armor and began walking. He turned around suddenly just in time to see a lock of dark red, curly hair fly behind some armor. He went as quickly as he could over to the spot. Cold, hazel eyes looked back at him, brows narrowed. He garbbed ahold of the fifteen year old girls wrist and wrenched her out from behind the armor. She made no attemp to free herself.
" Why are you following me Wooten?" Draco hissed.
" I was sent to follow you. To make sure you finished your task. If you don't mind, I would like to have my arm back now." said the girl. Draco din't release his grip.
" Who sent you?"
" You know who sent me. HE sent me." she said, raising her chin. Draco released her, but continued glaring.
" Well, I have to get an invisibility cloak from Potter and he and his dim-witted crew are way ahead of me. I really must be going."
" Lead the way."
" Go back to the comoon room!"
" I was given an order! I don't intend to back down from it!" she hissed back, raising her face to his and looking determined.
" Very well then. Just stay as far behind me as possible." And Draco led the way wondering why everyone couldn't just leave him be.
When they had finally caught up with Potter and the rest, they were turning a corner into a corridor that dead-ended. Draco stood flat against the wall and waited. Granger said 'Babble grabble' to the portrait on the wall, and with a bow of her head, the fat lady swung open revealing a huge hole which they climbed into.
Draco waited for hours before the lady in the picture finally looked completely asleep. Then he went up to the portrait, his head down, and said 'Babble grabble'. The lady waved her hand aimlessly and the portrait swung open. He look cautiously around the common room, making sure no one was there, before he walked in. He walked quickly across the room to the first set of stairs he saw. He had no idea which flight of stairs led to the boys dormitories. He would just have to look inside one of the rooms and see. As he reached the top of the stairs he went to the first door he saw, and opened it.
Flowery scents hit him like a gust of wind. He stepped back quickly, wrinkling up his nose.
He then made his way to the other flight of stairs. After smelling flowers he figured that the other staircase led to the girls dormitories. When he got to the stop of the other staircase he went to the door across from him first. He immediately knew these were the boys dormitories. There were clothes and papers and books all over the place.
" Pigs." Draco mutter. He scanned the room for anything that belonged to Potter. Then he saw it. Propped up next to one of the beds was Potter's Firebolt. Draco walked over to the foot of the bed and opened the trunk. He loooked around, making sure nobody was awake, and then lifted up the lid. Rolling his eyes at the fact that someone would just leave a cloak like this on the very top of a pile of stuff in an unlocked trunk, he covered himself with it, and ran down the stairs and out of the common room.
~**¤**~
" The Yule Ball is next week!" said Ron, following Harry around the dormitory as the aggravated boy attempted to clean up the mess of clothes and books he had around his bed.
" I am aware of that, Ron."
" Well who are you planning on going with? I mean, you don't want to ask someone at the last minute like we did last year do you?"
" I plan on not going with anyone. It was too much trouble last year. By the way, why are you bugging me about this? I haven't heard anything about you having a date. " Harry said, eyebrows raised. Ron stuck his chest out.
" As a matter of fact, I do........She just doesn't know it yet." Ron said, trying to look proud. Harry looked blankly at him for a moment, then started laughing.
" How do you manage to have a date without that person knowing?"
" Well, I haven't asked her yet - but I know she'll go with me."
" Oh do you? And who may I ask is the girl?"
" Er.............."
" What was that? I didn't quite catch it." Ron said something that Harry couldn't hear.
" Speak up please." Ron said it a bit louder that time, but Harry still couldn't hear it.
" Come again?"
" Aw! Why should I tell you anyway! You'll find out soon enough!"
" I want to know now!" said a very amused Harry.
" Well you're not going to until the Ball!"
" Oh I think I will." said Harry, as Ron walked away. He ran and jumped on his back, making Ron fall to the floor. Harry pinned him down.
" Now tell me!"
" No!"
" Why not?"
" Because......oh I don't know!" Harry pressed his elbow into his spine.
"OOOOOWWW!!!!!"
"Well tell me then!"
" I spit at the question!" Then Harry knew who it was. He realized why Ron had been so reluctant to tell him.
" OH MY.............IT'S HERMIONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Harry said, wearing a huge, amused smile. Ron stopped fighting. Harry rolled onto his back laughing.
" So what if it is her!" he said, and when Harry kept laughing he punched him in the arm. Harry rubbed the spot, but continued laughing.
" SEE! THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL YOU! I KNEW YOU'D DO THIS!" Harry grabbed hold of Ron's ankle as he began to walk away.
" Wait-for-asec." said Harry, gasping for breath. He stood up. " Look, I'm not laughing at the fact that you're asking Hermione." Ron raised his eyebrows." Okay, maybe I am. But not because the idea of the two of you going together is funny, the fact that you haven't already asked her is what's funny. Come on, I know that you couldn't stand it when she went with Krum last year. You wanted to go with her. This year you DO need to ask her first, instead of a last resort." Ron looked up and grinned.
" I know."
" Don't worry about it. I'm sure she'll go with you...........or smack you, either one."
~**¤**~
" Where's my pink lip-gloss?!"
" Has anyone seen my hair brush?"
" How does my hair look?!"
" Frizz frizz! What is up with all the frizz?!"
" Hey Ron, do you have my hair gel?"
" Yeah, here it is. Sorry, I tried to use it to stick a button back on one of my shirts......made kind of a mess.........."
" You used it to stick a button back on?"
" Well yeah, it looked as thick as glue. And the way the pieces of your hair stick together when you use it, I figured it worked like glue too."
" Good grief............"
Everyone was frantic the night of the Yule Ball. Harry had done what he'd said he'd do. He didn't have a date. Ron had done what he'd said he'd do also. Harry stilled grinned whenever he thought about what had happened when Ron asked her..........
Ron had walked up to her in the common room one day, making sure no one was watching except Harry.
" Oh, hi Ron." she'd said, looking over the edge of her book, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
" Uhh....hi." he said, his hands in his pockets. He'd smiled back. Harry had rubbed his eyes in exasperation as Ron just stood in front of her.
" Is there something you want to talk to me about or are you just going to stand there and watch me read?"
" Err......yeah......I......," Ron began to sweat. Then he had stood up straight and tried to look serious." I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to the Ball with me."
Hermione sat her book on her lap and stared, not looking amused.
" Ron, this is a really cruel joke." His eyes went wide and he took his hands out of his pockets.
" Joking? I'm not joking!" Hermione's expression changed from an angry one, to a grin.
" You're seriously asking me to the ball?"
" Well.........yeah." Hermione sat for a moment and then spoke.
" Okay."
" Really?!"
" Yes, I'll go." she said, pulling her feet back into her chair and begining to read her book again. She wasn't smiling, nor frowning.
" Well.......okay then." Ron had said, looking dazed. He had a confused look on his face as he walked back toward Harry, but behind him Harry saw Hermione looking at Ron over her book and she smiled and screeched to herself-obviously thrilled that Ron had asked her.
And so they were going to the Ball together. Harry had never seen Ron so nervous. He thought it was quite funny.
Ron paced back and forth in front of Harry as they waited for Hermione to come down to the common room.
" Calm down. This is Hermione we're talking about! You're around her everyday!"said Harry.
" I know. It's just different tonight though. I have to act a certain way."
" No you don't. Just act like you usually would."
" I'll try......."
" And look! You have brand new dress robes." Ron grinned.
" Yeah."
" Hey Ron! Here she comes!" Ron, Harry, and Fred turned around as George announced that Hermione was coming down the stairs with Ginny. Harry thought Ron was going to collapse. Hermione grinned at the sight of the group looking at her, and tried to act like she didn't notice.
" Whoa." said Ron as Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs. She was wearing robes that were a light purple-ish color this year. She had use the same stuff on her hair as she had last year, except she had curled it and put it on the top of the back of her head. Little silver fireflies held it up.
" Way to go Ron!" whispered Fred as he and George went to find they're dates. Ron was trying to fit a whole sentence together when Harry looked over at Ginny. She was wearing slivery-blue robes and had her hair down with little diamonds that made it shimmer with the light. She had two white jewels at the outer corner of each eye, which made her eyes sparkle even more when she smiled. Harry noticed, as he looked at her, that she smelled lovely too.
" What?" she asked. Harry didn't realize he'd been staring. Ginny had a look of slight confusion on her face.
" Is there something on my face? What's wrong?" she said, looking self consious.
" No...You look great." Harry said, trying not to blush. Ginny held her chin up slightly.
" Thanks."
" So, where's your date?" Harry asked, as he and Ginny began to follow Ron and Hermione out of the portrait hole.
" Oh, I don't have one." she said.
" What? Neville already taken?" he said, grinning. She grinned back.
" Actually he was. Another girl from my year asked him."
" Really?"
" Yeah, I didn't really want a date anyway. Too much trouble." she said, winking at him.
They went outside the castle and onto the dance floor. It looked much as it had last year, only there were no Triwizard Tournament champions.
Harry enjoyed watching Ron and Hermione together. They looked as though they were having a blast. Harry himself hadn't danced at all that night. He didn't want to though. He was a horrible dancer. Everytime he saw Ginny she was dancing with a different person. And everytime he noticed this, he felt what he thought was anger.
He was startled when she came to sit by him.
" Hey! Why haven't you been dancing?"
" I don't really like to dance." he said, fidgeting with his hands.
"Well, that's okay. I'll sit with you for a while. I need to take a break anyway." After a few moments of talking, Ron and Hermione joined them. They were both grinning from ear to ear.
" Hiya Harry. Why don't you dance with anyone?" askd Ron.
" I can't dance."
" Yes you can, you did last year."
" Yeah, I can slow dance, but I can't fast dance."
" Sure you can."
" Not." Harry said.Ron sighed.
" Well, okay, if you don't want....." but his voice faded as he looked at Hermione, who was grinning slightly at a boy sitting at the table next to them. The boy was grinning at her. Ron stared at her as she lookedwaay from the boy and toward everyone else. She was smiling until she noticed Harry and Ginny were looking at Ron, and then at her. She turned to Ron.
" What?"
" You smiled at him."
" I did not!" she said, laughing slightly.
" Yes you did, I just saw you!"
" Ron, calm down. It's no big deal."
" No big deal?! Are you serious?!"
" Ron, lets finish this in the common room." and Hermione got up and walked into the castle. Ron at her heels. Ginny and Harry looked at each other.
" I'm going to follow them." said Ginny.
" What?"
" I want to see what happens! Come on, lets go." Ginny grabbed hold of his hand and led him into the castle.
" Ginny, we shouldn't do this!" Harry said as they walked toward the common room.
" It'll be allright. They won't see us." said Ginny. She was about to turn a corner when Harry heard yelling. He grabbed the back of Ginny's robes to stop her. She was about to protest when she heard yelling too. They each looked around the edge of the wall to see Ron and Hermione, who had obviously decided to have their argument in the middle of the corridor, standing across the hall from each other, thirty feet away from Harry and Ginny.
" Ron! What is wrong with you?!?!?"
" What's wrong with me?!?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!?!You flirting with another guy is what's wrong with me!!"
" I WAS'NT FLIRTING!!!!"
"WERE SO!"
" WAS NOT!"
" YEAH YOU WERE! AND I DIDN'T LIKE IT ONE BIT!"
" WHO CARES?! WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ANYWAY? I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"
" I KNOW THAT!"
" THEN STOP ACTING LIKE I AM!"
" I CAN'T!"
" AND JUST WHY NOT?"
" BECAUSE EVERYTIME I SEE YOU TALKING TO ANOTHER GUY I WANT TO TAKE THAT GUY AND TWIST HIS NECK AROUND UNTIL HIS HEAD POPS OFF!"
" WHY?!? WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?"
" YOU KNOW WHY!"
" YES, I KNOW WHY! I JUST WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT SO I CAN BE SURE! TELL ME RON-TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT US!"
" YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU AND ME?" and Ron began to walk toward her." I'LL TELL YOU HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU AND ME!" and he leaned down and kissed her. Ginny gasped, and threw her hands up to her mouth. Harry's jaw dropped. Ginny then turned around to face Harry.
" Maybe we shouldn't watch." she said, grinning.
" Yeah. I know." they stood and looked at each other for a moment.
" I can't believe they finally got together!!!!" said Harry excitedly, breaking the silence.
" I know!! And Ron KISSED HER!"
" I know!!!"
They took one last peek at the two before they began to go back to the Ball. On their way down they saw other kids begining to come in the door.
" Oh it's over."
" Yeah, we missed it." said Harry.
" That's okay. I'm glad we got to see what we did." said Ginny. They walked together to the common room, talking about Ron and Hermione and wondering how they were going to act from now on. When they reached the common room, they saw that Ron and Hermione had already gone up to their rooms.
" Well! I wanted to talk to them!" sadi Ginny.
" I've got it. You talk to Hermione, I'll talk to Ron, and we'll fill each other in on the details tommorrow."
" Sounds like a plan." they said good night, and then raced to their common rooms.
A/N: Again, please excuse any misspellings. I like to type fast, and I'm not the best at spelling in the first place. BTW, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!