A/N: Sorry it's been a while! Enjoy!
Harry managed to push aside his slight worries about the state of Ginny's crush for the rest of the dance. She made this easy by distracting him, asking how her brother's date was going. He recounted how Ron had acted when he first saw Hermione, and Ginny giggled. But she laughed out loud, a carefree, totally un-self-conscious laugh, when he told her how Fred and George had hounded the couple. Then, of course, they both had an abundance of Fred and George tales to trade, which took up the rest of the dance. Thankfully, she did not ask about Cho. Harry felt fine about what had happened there, but he found that he suddenly didn't want Ginny to know that he'd been ditched and rejected, no matter the reason.
Once, Harry thought he saw Ron and Hermione once through the crowd of couples, dancing surprisingly close. However, Ginny kept him so intent on their conversation that he realized he didn't really care to investigate further.
When the music ended, though, the spell seemed to break. Immediately Harry and Ginny stepped away from each other and dropped their hands, though they kept talking. It was then that they both found it very easy to pick Ron and Hermione out from the crowd: they were the last couple to realize that the dance was over. Sharing a private laugh at the pair, Harry and Ginny started to make their way toward them. On the way, Harry saw Cho waving at him. She pointed to some of her Ravenclaw girlfriends and he understood that she meant that he didn't need to walk her to the tower, she would go with
them. He nodded and smiled at her.
When Harry reached Ron and Hermione, he noticed but did not mention aloud the fact that their hands were still clasped from dancing. He did, however, exchange a knowing look with Ginny, who smiled irrepressibly. On the way up to the tower Ginny recounted for Ron and Hermione what had happened to Neville. Then the two of them started telling the names they had decided on for their "litter." Harry was thankful for this, as it put off questions about Cho.
These jokes continued when they reached the common room, and at the first lull in conversation long enough for someone to think of Cho, Harry quickly said goodnight, looking pointedly at Ginny to tell her to also leave and give the couple some private time. She did this, with a smile at Harry and an unexpected light touch on his arm. Going up the stairs, Harry rubbed this spot with his other hand, trying unsuccessfully to wipe away the feel of her touch.
Harry hadn't even reached the top of the steps when Ron came up after him. Harry simply raised his eyebrows at him, knowing his best friend would understand the unspoken question about what had happened just now with Hermione.
"Incredibly mean of you to leave us like that." Ron grumbled. "Unspeakably awkward, that was just now." But Harry was still waiting for details. Ron sighed and went on. "We just stood there, saying we had a good time...that's all we could say, really." He took a deep breath and shrugged. "And after awhile I just gave up on it and gave her a fast little hug goodnight. And then she went up to her dorms. Awkward." He concluded.
"Well then, I'm sorry. I was just trying to be helpful, you know. Seemed to me like you two'd gotten over that, holding hands and all." Harry apologized, a bit disappointed, but also amused.
"Well---it's different---alone like that---expecting...stuff..." Ron said stubbornly, averting his eyes and blushing furiously.
"All right," Harry agreed, putting up his hands in defeat. "But what about the rest of the night?" he pressed, a bit mischievously.
"What about it?"
"Well, I saw you dancing pretty close." Harry went on, trying to get a good look at Ron's face.
Harry had thought Ron was already about as red as he could get. He was wrong. He saw Ron's cheek absolutely blazing as he slowly, sheepishly answered. "Yeah.she kind of put her head on my shoulder...That was nice..." Harry noticed Ron's half smile, and knew for certain that he'd been right about his two best friends.
"Hey, what about you and Cho?" Ron suddenly remembered. He seemed glad to be able to change the subject.
Now Harry was the one embarrassed. "When I finally found her she told me she's not over Cedric."
"Ouch!" Ron exclaimed sympathetically.
"No, it's ok," Harry reassured him. "I don't like her anymore."
Now Ron was confused. "You? Don't like---Cho Chang?"
"No, I really don't." Harry laughed. "It surprised me too."
"Ok, then, if you say so," Ron said doubtfully.
By this time they were about ready to turn off the lights and get into bed. "Overall, though, a pretty good dance." Harry pronounced, thinking of Ginny's easy laugh and her dancing eyes.
"Yeah, guess so." Ron agreed, with a crooked smile Harry couldn't see but sensed.
"'Night, Ron."
"'Night."
And the two boys slept soundly, blissfully unaware (as boys generally are) that tonight their future had ceased to be an abstract thing far off in "Someday..."; it had suddenly become a thing that they would have to live, now, beginning less than an hour ago. Tonight, they had danced with destiny; they had twirled and spun and held the women they were meant to be with for the rest of their lives. If they had known that, they would probably have lain awake for hours, filled with doubt and worry and fear and hope and longing and a thousand other contradictory emotions. But they did not know, and so they slept. And that morning, and every morning for a long time, they woke with the fuzzy remembrance of a dream in which they did know, and were happy.
a/n: Please review!!
Harry managed to push aside his slight worries about the state of Ginny's crush for the rest of the dance. She made this easy by distracting him, asking how her brother's date was going. He recounted how Ron had acted when he first saw Hermione, and Ginny giggled. But she laughed out loud, a carefree, totally un-self-conscious laugh, when he told her how Fred and George had hounded the couple. Then, of course, they both had an abundance of Fred and George tales to trade, which took up the rest of the dance. Thankfully, she did not ask about Cho. Harry felt fine about what had happened there, but he found that he suddenly didn't want Ginny to know that he'd been ditched and rejected, no matter the reason.
Once, Harry thought he saw Ron and Hermione once through the crowd of couples, dancing surprisingly close. However, Ginny kept him so intent on their conversation that he realized he didn't really care to investigate further.
When the music ended, though, the spell seemed to break. Immediately Harry and Ginny stepped away from each other and dropped their hands, though they kept talking. It was then that they both found it very easy to pick Ron and Hermione out from the crowd: they were the last couple to realize that the dance was over. Sharing a private laugh at the pair, Harry and Ginny started to make their way toward them. On the way, Harry saw Cho waving at him. She pointed to some of her Ravenclaw girlfriends and he understood that she meant that he didn't need to walk her to the tower, she would go with
them. He nodded and smiled at her.
When Harry reached Ron and Hermione, he noticed but did not mention aloud the fact that their hands were still clasped from dancing. He did, however, exchange a knowing look with Ginny, who smiled irrepressibly. On the way up to the tower Ginny recounted for Ron and Hermione what had happened to Neville. Then the two of them started telling the names they had decided on for their "litter." Harry was thankful for this, as it put off questions about Cho.
These jokes continued when they reached the common room, and at the first lull in conversation long enough for someone to think of Cho, Harry quickly said goodnight, looking pointedly at Ginny to tell her to also leave and give the couple some private time. She did this, with a smile at Harry and an unexpected light touch on his arm. Going up the stairs, Harry rubbed this spot with his other hand, trying unsuccessfully to wipe away the feel of her touch.
Harry hadn't even reached the top of the steps when Ron came up after him. Harry simply raised his eyebrows at him, knowing his best friend would understand the unspoken question about what had happened just now with Hermione.
"Incredibly mean of you to leave us like that." Ron grumbled. "Unspeakably awkward, that was just now." But Harry was still waiting for details. Ron sighed and went on. "We just stood there, saying we had a good time...that's all we could say, really." He took a deep breath and shrugged. "And after awhile I just gave up on it and gave her a fast little hug goodnight. And then she went up to her dorms. Awkward." He concluded.
"Well then, I'm sorry. I was just trying to be helpful, you know. Seemed to me like you two'd gotten over that, holding hands and all." Harry apologized, a bit disappointed, but also amused.
"Well---it's different---alone like that---expecting...stuff..." Ron said stubbornly, averting his eyes and blushing furiously.
"All right," Harry agreed, putting up his hands in defeat. "But what about the rest of the night?" he pressed, a bit mischievously.
"What about it?"
"Well, I saw you dancing pretty close." Harry went on, trying to get a good look at Ron's face.
Harry had thought Ron was already about as red as he could get. He was wrong. He saw Ron's cheek absolutely blazing as he slowly, sheepishly answered. "Yeah.she kind of put her head on my shoulder...That was nice..." Harry noticed Ron's half smile, and knew for certain that he'd been right about his two best friends.
"Hey, what about you and Cho?" Ron suddenly remembered. He seemed glad to be able to change the subject.
Now Harry was the one embarrassed. "When I finally found her she told me she's not over Cedric."
"Ouch!" Ron exclaimed sympathetically.
"No, it's ok," Harry reassured him. "I don't like her anymore."
Now Ron was confused. "You? Don't like---Cho Chang?"
"No, I really don't." Harry laughed. "It surprised me too."
"Ok, then, if you say so," Ron said doubtfully.
By this time they were about ready to turn off the lights and get into bed. "Overall, though, a pretty good dance." Harry pronounced, thinking of Ginny's easy laugh and her dancing eyes.
"Yeah, guess so." Ron agreed, with a crooked smile Harry couldn't see but sensed.
"'Night, Ron."
"'Night."
And the two boys slept soundly, blissfully unaware (as boys generally are) that tonight their future had ceased to be an abstract thing far off in "Someday..."; it had suddenly become a thing that they would have to live, now, beginning less than an hour ago. Tonight, they had danced with destiny; they had twirled and spun and held the women they were meant to be with for the rest of their lives. If they had known that, they would probably have lain awake for hours, filled with doubt and worry and fear and hope and longing and a thousand other contradictory emotions. But they did not know, and so they slept. And that morning, and every morning for a long time, they woke with the fuzzy remembrance of a dream in which they did know, and were happy.
a/n: Please review!!