Harry stopped outside the door to the library, hesitating for a
moment. Did he really want to go to the Ball with Ginny? Maybe not, but it
would be nice to go with a friend, he decided.
He took a deep breath, and slid the door open. Harry barely had to glance around at all until he saw Ginny's bright red hair barely visible over a pile of books. With a wave of relief, he saw that she was alone.
"Ginny!" he called as quietly as he could, looking over at Madame Pince who was sitting at her desk, leering unpleasantly at a couple that were sitting at a nearby. Ginny's head picked up slightly, and Harry watched as she pushed aside the top five books on the stack.
Her eyes grew wide as she saw who was calling her. She stood up quickly, nearly upsetting all of her work. Catching herself, she took a deep breath and walked over to the doors.
"Hi, Harry," she said somewhat breathlessly.
"Hi," he replied, still watching Madame Pince. She rose from her seat and approached the couple, who were now talking softly. Ginny saw where he was looking.
"Looks like trouble," she said softly.
"Maybe we should talk outside," Harry offered.
Ginny glanced back at her table, biting her lip. Harry was stunned at how reluctant she seemed.
"Alright," she sighed, "I can leave for a moment, I suppose."
Perhaps she caught the odd look Harry was giving her, because the moment they were outside in the corridor, she launched into an explanation.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "I've just been so busy with homework that I haven't had any time for anything else. Infact, I was just now doing my Arithmancy homework. Oh, it's awful. You wouldn't believe how many runes and translations there are!"
"Why don't you just drop it then?" Harry asked incredulously.
Ginny's eyes grew wide. "I couldn't do that! I mean," she looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet guiltily, "everyone thinks Ron has it bad, trying to live up to his brothers…but I have to live up to all of them. Plus, I'm the only girl in the family. If I don't do as well as the others, my mother will be very disappointed."
Harry was stunned. He hadn't thought about what Ginny had to live up to. Not many students were brave enough to take Arithmancy their fourth year. Come to think of it, Hermione was the only one he knew that had. Harry suddenly felt an agonized pang. Hermione…
They were silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Harry said finally, still not sure of what to say to her.
Ginny waved away his apology. "Don't be sorry for me," she sighed. "It's just something I have to do." They fell silent again.
"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly, putting her hand on her cheek. "I got so carried away with complaining that I forgot that you had to talk to me. What is it that you wanted, Harry?"
Harry stared at her. What did he want?
"I…er…"
Ginny glanced down at her watch.
"Oh no," she gasped, "I have to get back to work! I'm so far behind my schedule!" She looked back at Harry. "Well I don't know what you wanted with me, but as long as you're here, I might as well ask. Harry, do you want to go to the Spring Ball with me? That is, if you don't already have a date."
Harry was stunned. Not only was that what he had meant to ask her, but she had asked so calmly and professionally that he could barely believe that this was the same girl who had once put her elbow in the butter dish just from looking at him. This was certainly a different Ginny from the one he remembered.
"Sure," he managed to say.
"Great," Ginny smiled. "Mum already sent me a dress."
Harry nodded. "Yea, she sent me a dress too." He paused a moment as Ginny tried hard not to laugh. "Oh! I mean a suit! She sent me a suit," he corrected himself, going red.
Ginny grinned. "Sure, Harry. Well, either way, I'll meet you in the Common Room at eight o'clock Friday, ok?"
Harry nodded, still rather embarrassed.
With a final smile, Ginny turned and disappeared into the library.
Harry turned to walk back to the Common Room, shaking his head. He caught his reflection in a suit of armor and was surprised to see that he was smiling.
The days until the dance seemed to crawl by. Jessica had finally gathered the courage to tell Amanda who had asked her to the Ball. Amanda, though obviously shocked, thought it was great news, but she hadn't been to keen on telling Ron and Harry.
"Just wait till the night of the Ball," she shrugged, "Make it a surprise."
Jessica smiled. They had seen enough 'surprises' this year to last her a lifetime.
More than once, Jessica had caught Seamus looking at her. Amanda said that she should take it as a compliment, but the truth was, it made her uncomfortable. There was something wrong about the way he stared. It was actually more of a glare.
Two days before the dance, while Jessica and Amanda were working at the same table in Potions, Amanda accidentally knocked Jessica's container of newt eyes over. Both of them jumped back as it fell to the floor, sending eyes flying in all directions.
"I am so sorry!" Amanda cried, bending down to scoop some up.
"Don't worry about it," Jessica said, picking up her wand. She waved it at the mess, and instantly, all the eyes flew back into the bottle. She was replacing the cork when Seamus passed by.
"Nice one," he sneered at Amanda.
Amanda looked hurt. "It was just an accident."
He looked over at Dean who grinned back. Jessica didn't trust the way he was grinning. It was almost malicious. She didn't take her eyes off either of them until they reached their cabinets on the other side of the room.
Amanda had seen her. "What's up?" she asked, now shoveling her own items into her supply bag.
"Did they seem strange to you?" Jessica said, dropping her voice to a whisper.
Amanda glanced over her shoulder at them. She shrugged. "They never liked me much, I don't think. It doesn't really surprise me."
Jessica shook her head, still staring after them.
"But why would they like me then?" she wondered aloud.
"Jess!" Amanda scolded, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You're reading too much into this! They're boys! It's their job to be jerks! You just have a bad case of the pre-Ball jitters."
"I guess," Jessica said, her eyes narrowing as Seamus turned around and smiled that odd smile at her.
The bell rang to signal the end of class. Amanda snapped her fingers under Jessica's nose.
"Hello?" she said loudly, "Are we going to lunch today or not?"
Jessica sighed and nodded, pushing her potions ingredients back into her black satchel.
(A/N) Ya, I had nothing to do and I have possibly the WORST headache of my young life, so I decided to write this. Fun, hmm? Well, here it is. You know the drill. Review me and I'll love you!!!!! Flame me and I'll see you in Hell!!! :]
He took a deep breath, and slid the door open. Harry barely had to glance around at all until he saw Ginny's bright red hair barely visible over a pile of books. With a wave of relief, he saw that she was alone.
"Ginny!" he called as quietly as he could, looking over at Madame Pince who was sitting at her desk, leering unpleasantly at a couple that were sitting at a nearby. Ginny's head picked up slightly, and Harry watched as she pushed aside the top five books on the stack.
Her eyes grew wide as she saw who was calling her. She stood up quickly, nearly upsetting all of her work. Catching herself, she took a deep breath and walked over to the doors.
"Hi, Harry," she said somewhat breathlessly.
"Hi," he replied, still watching Madame Pince. She rose from her seat and approached the couple, who were now talking softly. Ginny saw where he was looking.
"Looks like trouble," she said softly.
"Maybe we should talk outside," Harry offered.
Ginny glanced back at her table, biting her lip. Harry was stunned at how reluctant she seemed.
"Alright," she sighed, "I can leave for a moment, I suppose."
Perhaps she caught the odd look Harry was giving her, because the moment they were outside in the corridor, she launched into an explanation.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "I've just been so busy with homework that I haven't had any time for anything else. Infact, I was just now doing my Arithmancy homework. Oh, it's awful. You wouldn't believe how many runes and translations there are!"
"Why don't you just drop it then?" Harry asked incredulously.
Ginny's eyes grew wide. "I couldn't do that! I mean," she looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet guiltily, "everyone thinks Ron has it bad, trying to live up to his brothers…but I have to live up to all of them. Plus, I'm the only girl in the family. If I don't do as well as the others, my mother will be very disappointed."
Harry was stunned. He hadn't thought about what Ginny had to live up to. Not many students were brave enough to take Arithmancy their fourth year. Come to think of it, Hermione was the only one he knew that had. Harry suddenly felt an agonized pang. Hermione…
They were silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Harry said finally, still not sure of what to say to her.
Ginny waved away his apology. "Don't be sorry for me," she sighed. "It's just something I have to do." They fell silent again.
"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly, putting her hand on her cheek. "I got so carried away with complaining that I forgot that you had to talk to me. What is it that you wanted, Harry?"
Harry stared at her. What did he want?
"I…er…"
Ginny glanced down at her watch.
"Oh no," she gasped, "I have to get back to work! I'm so far behind my schedule!" She looked back at Harry. "Well I don't know what you wanted with me, but as long as you're here, I might as well ask. Harry, do you want to go to the Spring Ball with me? That is, if you don't already have a date."
Harry was stunned. Not only was that what he had meant to ask her, but she had asked so calmly and professionally that he could barely believe that this was the same girl who had once put her elbow in the butter dish just from looking at him. This was certainly a different Ginny from the one he remembered.
"Sure," he managed to say.
"Great," Ginny smiled. "Mum already sent me a dress."
Harry nodded. "Yea, she sent me a dress too." He paused a moment as Ginny tried hard not to laugh. "Oh! I mean a suit! She sent me a suit," he corrected himself, going red.
Ginny grinned. "Sure, Harry. Well, either way, I'll meet you in the Common Room at eight o'clock Friday, ok?"
Harry nodded, still rather embarrassed.
With a final smile, Ginny turned and disappeared into the library.
Harry turned to walk back to the Common Room, shaking his head. He caught his reflection in a suit of armor and was surprised to see that he was smiling.
The days until the dance seemed to crawl by. Jessica had finally gathered the courage to tell Amanda who had asked her to the Ball. Amanda, though obviously shocked, thought it was great news, but she hadn't been to keen on telling Ron and Harry.
"Just wait till the night of the Ball," she shrugged, "Make it a surprise."
Jessica smiled. They had seen enough 'surprises' this year to last her a lifetime.
More than once, Jessica had caught Seamus looking at her. Amanda said that she should take it as a compliment, but the truth was, it made her uncomfortable. There was something wrong about the way he stared. It was actually more of a glare.
Two days before the dance, while Jessica and Amanda were working at the same table in Potions, Amanda accidentally knocked Jessica's container of newt eyes over. Both of them jumped back as it fell to the floor, sending eyes flying in all directions.
"I am so sorry!" Amanda cried, bending down to scoop some up.
"Don't worry about it," Jessica said, picking up her wand. She waved it at the mess, and instantly, all the eyes flew back into the bottle. She was replacing the cork when Seamus passed by.
"Nice one," he sneered at Amanda.
Amanda looked hurt. "It was just an accident."
He looked over at Dean who grinned back. Jessica didn't trust the way he was grinning. It was almost malicious. She didn't take her eyes off either of them until they reached their cabinets on the other side of the room.
Amanda had seen her. "What's up?" she asked, now shoveling her own items into her supply bag.
"Did they seem strange to you?" Jessica said, dropping her voice to a whisper.
Amanda glanced over her shoulder at them. She shrugged. "They never liked me much, I don't think. It doesn't really surprise me."
Jessica shook her head, still staring after them.
"But why would they like me then?" she wondered aloud.
"Jess!" Amanda scolded, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "You're reading too much into this! They're boys! It's their job to be jerks! You just have a bad case of the pre-Ball jitters."
"I guess," Jessica said, her eyes narrowing as Seamus turned around and smiled that odd smile at her.
The bell rang to signal the end of class. Amanda snapped her fingers under Jessica's nose.
"Hello?" she said loudly, "Are we going to lunch today or not?"
Jessica sighed and nodded, pushing her potions ingredients back into her black satchel.
(A/N) Ya, I had nothing to do and I have possibly the WORST headache of my young life, so I decided to write this. Fun, hmm? Well, here it is. You know the drill. Review me and I'll love you!!!!! Flame me and I'll see you in Hell!!! :]