The Halls of Hogwarts

By: Shallan

A/N: I'm really sorry this took so long to get posted, but my computer died and I had to wait for the new one to arrive. Just so you know, Ginny is in 4th year and Harry, Hermione, and Ron are in 5th year. Ishy, Jess, MarsMoonStar, lily girl, Kiwi, Kate, griff gal, and amaia riddle, thank you so much for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Chapter Two: The News and Dress Robes

Ginny was perched on her bed, practicing Transfiguration when, for the first time, she thought of Ron and his possible reactions to her going to the dance with Harry. He could throw a fit, or think Harry was just being nice to me, her warm brown eyes took on a speculative glint. Or even be happy for me. She snorted.

There was a knock on the door and Hermione entered.

Ginny smiled in greeting and set her Transfiguration book aside.

"Are you busy?" Hermione asked.

"No, not at all." She deliberately ignored the book lying on her bed.

Hermione glanced at it, but didn't comment. "Ron asked Harry if he ad a date for the dance yet," Ginny watched her, carefully keeping her face blank. "He eventually managed to weedle out that you had asked him. Gave Ron a bit of a surprise, that did. I think it's still sinking in."

"He doesn't seem mad?"

"No… at first he thought it was a joke."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "So he thought I wouldn't ask Harry to go with me?"

Hermione sat beside her on the bed. "Well, for the past couple of years, you have been blushing and stammering whenever he was around. I want to hear your side of it. What made you walk up to Harry and ask him to go to the dance with you?"

She smiled. "I was walking back to Gryffindor Tower after talking with you, when I noticed Harry in front of me. I had been thinking about the dance and I decided to ask him."

Hermione leaned forward slightly. "You didn't even think he might say no?"

Ginny blinked. "I never even thought of that," she said slowly.

She regarded Ginny with amusement. "I may take a page out of your book."

Her eyes gleamed with interest. "Who?" she asked, though she had a pretty good idea.

"You'll just have to wait and find out."

~

Hermione was right about Ron. He often frowned at her, but appeared to be thinking the matter thoroughly through, for once. It also seemed that no one but Hermione, Ron, Harry and herself were the only ones who knew. She hadn't even told Gwen. At least, no one else had commented.

When Ginny entered the common room, she saw that it was empty, except for Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be having an argument - Surprise, surprise, Ginny thought - and hadn't noticed her come in.

As she settled into an overstuffed armchair she couldn't help but over hear them.

"So you think I'm overreacting?"

"Yes!"

"Ginny is my little sister, I don't want her getting hurt!" She frowned. Now I can't take care of myself?

"Ron, do you honestly think Harry is going to hurt her?" Hermione didn't seem angry with him, but rather exasperated. Which is understandable.

"Well, no, I guess not…" Ron said reluctantly.

"Exactly! You have nothing to worry about, and should be happy for them."

A group of chattering Gryffindors came through the portrait hole and drowned out Ron's reply.

~

Later that evening she saw Ron talking with Harry. Usually, this would have seemed normal, but after overhearing that conversation, she watched them cautiously. She was aware that occasionally one of them cast her a surreptious look. All the while, Ron's ears were pink.

Gwen plopped in a chair across from Ginny, hooking light blonde hair behind her ears. "Do you have a date for the dance, yet?"

"Yes."

Gwen's lavender-blue eyes sparkled. "Who?"

She grinned. "You'll have to wait until the dance."

The other girl's eyes widened. "He's not a Slytherin, is he?"

"Of course not."

Gwen blew out a relieved breath. "Okay, then. Do you have dress robes yet?"

Ginny paused. She'd completely forgotten about dress robes! "No."

"We'll have to do something about that. Next Hogsmeade weekend we should get our dress robes."

~

Gwen had Ginny try on so many robes she couldn't keep track of them all. Gwen had almost immediately found purple dress robes for herself that made her eyes even more lavender than usual.

Gwen studied Ginny for several long moments, then turned back to the rack.

"At least we know no yellows, pinks or reds…" She trailed off as she pulled several robes in varying shades of blue and green off the rack. "Do you know what color he's wearing?"

Another thing she hadn't thought of. "No."

"Let's just hope he doesn't wear red."

"He might just wear his robes from last year."

"True… what color were they?"

"Green."

Gwen looked at the robes she had in her hands. "No green, then. You want contrast…" She picked a couple of white robes.

"White? Won't that just make me look even paler?"

"Not necessarily."

She put on a white robe. You can't even tell where the robe begins, she thought.

"Guess not," Gwen said. Then her eyes lit up. "Gold!" She rushed off. She came back with a gold robe.

Ginny eyed it dubiously but she put it on anyway. She stepped up to the mirror and studied her reflection. The robe was made of a floaty material and clung to her curves.

Gwen beamed. "That's the one!"