~CHAPTER 03~



Harry tried to concentrate on 'Quidditch Through The Ages', but failed. His thoughts kept wandering to the Valentine's Day Ball. What on earth had possessed him to ask Ginny, of all people to the ball?

The fact that Cho was going with Draco.

He hadn't believed it when Colin had told him the news, anxiously waiting for his reaction. But he had to accept it, when he saw with his own eyes, Draco escorting Cho to the Ravenclaw table, during dinner.

What did Draco have that he didn't? At least Cho going out with Cedric, he could understand. He belonged to the same year, was the captain of the Quidditch team, and was, Harry thought grudgingly, reasonably good-looking. Even if Cho had refused him saying that she didn't want to go to balls so soon after Cedric's death, he wouldn't have minded. Instead, she had told him that she was going out with someone else, and had conveniently forgotten to mention who that 'someone' was. And Harry was too broken-hearted to ask. But when he came to know that it was Draco...!

His fists clenched involuntarily. "Damn that snobbish Slytherin git!" muttered. He paced furiously around the Common Room. "Damn that-"

"Harry! What are you doing?"

It was Ginny.

~*~*~*~*~

Ginny had been unable to sleep. She had tossed around the bed, fighting with her bed-sheet and punching her pillow, thinking it to be Draco. She had been haunted by weird dreams all featuring Draco. At last she could lie down no longer and so she decided to read a book to take her mind off the Ball and off Draco. So as to not wake her dorm-mates, she had grabbed a book and tiptoed out to the common room, where the sight of Harry pacing about and grumbling something met her.

Harry looked up. His eyes were dark and looked more black than green. Ginny shivered slightly at the look in his eyes. She sure hoped that the anger in his eyes was not directed upon her.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"It's not that early," said Ginny looking at her watch. "It's 6 'o' clock." She looked at his careworn face. She figured that he too had not gotten much sleep. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since 5 'o' clock. I couldn't sleep." He walked towards the window.

Ginny didn't know what to say. She knew that something was bothering Harry, but didn't know how to comfort him. It was not that she wasn't used to comforting people. Even though she was the youngest in her family, she was the one to cheer up her brothers when they were down.

'You would make a great mother, Gin." They used to say laughingly. She always used to listen to their troubles and console them. But the person who was in trouble now was not any of her brothers. It was Harry. She remembered Ron saying that Harry didn't like people making a fuss over him when he was in distress.

She hesitated, watching him. He was standing, facing with the window, with his back towards her. She noticed that though he was standing straight, his shoulders sagged.

"Harry." She said softly.

He didn't turn around. Perhaps he hadn't heard her. She walked towards him slowly until she was standing next to him, their shoulders touching.

"Harry, whatever it is that's bothering you, please tell me."

This time, he turned towards her. She saw now that his eyes weren't black. They were a lovely shade of olive green, untouched by any other colour. She couldn't look away from those eyes. She saw herself reflected in them, scared, eager, expectant. He leaned forward and kissed her.

At that moment Ginny knew. She hadn't gotten over Harry and she never would. He drew back. "Ginny, I-"

"Shh." She said, drawing him close and kissing him again. She didn't care that students would be waking up shortly and would see them. She didn't care that her hair was disheveled. She didn't even think about what the consequences would be if Ron caught her like this. Somehow, nothing mattered except that Harry loved her, not Cho and she loved him, not Draco.

Above, the students smiled indulgently and went back into their dormitories quietly so as to not disturb the passionate couple.

Ron, to Hermione's surprise smiled mischievously and said, "Shall we follow their example?" Hermione laughed and followed him.

~*~*~*~*~

EPILOGUE-

 Draco hurried out of the Slytherin common room. If he didn't see Pnasy before-

"Oh, hi Cho! What brings you here so early? Couldn't stay away from me, eh?" He smirked.

Cho gave him a disdainful look. "I've come to tell you that I won't be coming to the Ball with you, you ferret faced two-timer!

"Huh?" Draco was startled. "What happened?"

"You want to know what happened? Only that I learned just now from Pansy that you were dating both of us, you..you Casanova!" Cho spat, glaring at him.

"But I wasn't dating Pansy! I used to date her, yes, but when I asked you out, I wanted to break up with her- " He could have spared his breath. Cho had already walked away, and he was left, standing amongst a crowd of interested 1st years.

"Hey, Malfoy's been ditched!' yelled somebody. There were shouts of laughter, as students began screaming 'Malfoy's been left in the lurch!' 'Malfoy's been ditched!'

"OH, SHUT UP!" Yelled Draco and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Ginny looked up at Harry and smiled. He looked magnificent in emerald green dress robes that brought out the green in his eyes. "You look dazzling!" she whispered.

"And you look gorgeous, my adorable kitten."

"UGH! Just one day, and they've already kept pet-names for each other!" groaned Ron, overhearing their conversation. "Adorable kitten, indeed!"

Hermione smiled roguishly. "Don't tease them. Now, how about we do some dancing, my spider-man?"

Harry and Ginny stared at each other in shock. "Spider-man?"

All four of them burst into giggles.

The rest of the evening was spent in laughter, teasing, dancing and of course...you-know-what.

THE END

A/N- *grins sheepishly* I know I said that this was going to be D/G, but...I just couldn't help it. That scene between Harry and Ginny just wrote itself. I honestly didn't want it to end that way, but it was not my fault if my brain refused to co-operate!! But I think my other story 'Ventriloquist Draco' is going to be D/G, so stay around.
Once again, I apologise for the misleading summary. ;-)