A/N: Not much to say except keep reading and reviewing.
Chapter 3: The ball
She now began to not even sleep in the evening, but go straight to the tower. The two continued to talk but neither ever mentioned the dark lord Voldemort again. This eased her dreams but people still began to notice the dark circles appearing under her eyes.
She looked forward to sneaking up there to see Quinn each night. He was unlike any other guy she had ever met before. He was shy at first but now... now they were truly friends. Or were they? She couldn't tell what she felt about him. She could talk to him unlike anyone else. It was just easy. He, even though a couple of years older then she was, seemed to feel the same way. She decided to give it some time but promised herself: //It won't be anything more. It can't be anything more. He's dead! I love Harry.//
***
"Herm do I look alright?"
"Yes, for the zillionth time."
"Sorry." She eyed herself closely in the mirror. She wore a light blue, sparkly dress that skimmed the ground and was quite low cut around the neck. She had borrowed it from Hermione, and was quite sure that her mother would NOT approve of it, but she preferred it greatly over her own old green dress that hung to her knees. She only hoped that Percy wouldn't tell her mum. Fred, George and Ron could care less.
"Come on. I have to go meet Shamus."
The two walked down to the common room, Ginny tripping over her heels and the hem of her dress.
"Hey, Gin. Er-nice dress."
"Thanks." She could only hope he didn't notice it was the same dress that Hermione wore to a formal a couple of years ago. He didn't; even though he was Harry, he was still a guy, all of which didn't remember these kind of things.
The two walked arm in arm to the great hall. Shamus and Hermione followed each walking a foot apart from the other. The tables in the hall had been pushed against the walls and had been replaced by a number of smaller circle ones. Ron and Lavender occupied one of them, both looking quite bored and unhappy.
"Hey guys." The four pulled up chairs to join Ron and Lavender. Hermione sat down between Shamus and Ron. The all talked and filled up on the small chocolates in the center of the table, taking only a few breaks to dance, due to the fact that the chocolate dish kept refilling itself and the band was clearly an armature one.
They were still at the table talking and joking when it had grown quite late and many of the younger students had already left.
"Mione don't you look-good." An unpleasantly familiar face had appeared behind them.
"Don't call me that Draco."
"How about a dance."
"No thanks, I'm here with Shamus." Draco stared and his fists clenched at his side as Shamus sunk lower into his chair.
"Come on." He grabbed at her arm.
"No really. I don't want to." He grabbed at her arm again and this time yanked her from her chair completely and pulled her close to him. Too close. She tried pull away but he wouldn't let her. Ron jumped from his chair.
"You heard her! She said she didn't want to dance!"
"Oh but I do." An evil grin spread across his face. She tried once again to pull away but failed.
"Let go of her now."
"But I think she wants to dance." He ran his finger down the back of her dress. Ron lunged at him at that moment, and hit him full force in the face. Draco staggered back wards and let go of Hermione. The two pushed and punched at each other until Ron gave one last blow at Draco's head and backed off. He stood just catching his breath while he watched Draco slowly rise.
"You didn't have to do that Ron!" Hermione yelled.
"Yes I did."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Ron-" She was cut off by Professor MacGonagall.
"Boys!" She signaled for Draco and Ron to follow her.
Hermione watched them go and smoothed her hair. "I'm going to bed now." She announced, and walked briskly from the room, Shamus calling after her to wait up.
Harry and Ginny suddenly found themselves alone at the table and Ginny was suddenly feeling thankful for her brother and especially for Harry and that he was at her side. "Lets go." He said and lead her from the hall.
Chapter 3: The ball
She now began to not even sleep in the evening, but go straight to the tower. The two continued to talk but neither ever mentioned the dark lord Voldemort again. This eased her dreams but people still began to notice the dark circles appearing under her eyes.
She looked forward to sneaking up there to see Quinn each night. He was unlike any other guy she had ever met before. He was shy at first but now... now they were truly friends. Or were they? She couldn't tell what she felt about him. She could talk to him unlike anyone else. It was just easy. He, even though a couple of years older then she was, seemed to feel the same way. She decided to give it some time but promised herself: //It won't be anything more. It can't be anything more. He's dead! I love Harry.//
***
"Herm do I look alright?"
"Yes, for the zillionth time."
"Sorry." She eyed herself closely in the mirror. She wore a light blue, sparkly dress that skimmed the ground and was quite low cut around the neck. She had borrowed it from Hermione, and was quite sure that her mother would NOT approve of it, but she preferred it greatly over her own old green dress that hung to her knees. She only hoped that Percy wouldn't tell her mum. Fred, George and Ron could care less.
"Come on. I have to go meet Shamus."
The two walked down to the common room, Ginny tripping over her heels and the hem of her dress.
"Hey, Gin. Er-nice dress."
"Thanks." She could only hope he didn't notice it was the same dress that Hermione wore to a formal a couple of years ago. He didn't; even though he was Harry, he was still a guy, all of which didn't remember these kind of things.
The two walked arm in arm to the great hall. Shamus and Hermione followed each walking a foot apart from the other. The tables in the hall had been pushed against the walls and had been replaced by a number of smaller circle ones. Ron and Lavender occupied one of them, both looking quite bored and unhappy.
"Hey guys." The four pulled up chairs to join Ron and Lavender. Hermione sat down between Shamus and Ron. The all talked and filled up on the small chocolates in the center of the table, taking only a few breaks to dance, due to the fact that the chocolate dish kept refilling itself and the band was clearly an armature one.
They were still at the table talking and joking when it had grown quite late and many of the younger students had already left.
"Mione don't you look-good." An unpleasantly familiar face had appeared behind them.
"Don't call me that Draco."
"How about a dance."
"No thanks, I'm here with Shamus." Draco stared and his fists clenched at his side as Shamus sunk lower into his chair.
"Come on." He grabbed at her arm.
"No really. I don't want to." He grabbed at her arm again and this time yanked her from her chair completely and pulled her close to him. Too close. She tried pull away but he wouldn't let her. Ron jumped from his chair.
"You heard her! She said she didn't want to dance!"
"Oh but I do." An evil grin spread across his face. She tried once again to pull away but failed.
"Let go of her now."
"But I think she wants to dance." He ran his finger down the back of her dress. Ron lunged at him at that moment, and hit him full force in the face. Draco staggered back wards and let go of Hermione. The two pushed and punched at each other until Ron gave one last blow at Draco's head and backed off. He stood just catching his breath while he watched Draco slowly rise.
"You didn't have to do that Ron!" Hermione yelled.
"Yes I did."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Ron-" She was cut off by Professor MacGonagall.
"Boys!" She signaled for Draco and Ron to follow her.
Hermione watched them go and smoothed her hair. "I'm going to bed now." She announced, and walked briskly from the room, Shamus calling after her to wait up.
Harry and Ginny suddenly found themselves alone at the table and Ginny was suddenly feeling thankful for her brother and especially for Harry and that he was at her side. "Lets go." He said and lead her from the hall.