Chapter 6: Invitations

When Ginny found the heavy purplish silver envelope on her pillow, she was struck with two very different emotions. The first was surprise that it had appeared in the time that it took for her to take a shower. The second was a deep sense of foreboding that this was yet another sample from her brothers' joke shop and that opening it would send her into a crazed fit of some sort. As she had slept late yet again, there was no one else in the room to confirm or dispel her fears although she did notice a few other envelopes on other peoples' beds.

Examining the shiny surface, she finally decided that it was a bit too girly looking to be from the twins and mustered up her Gryffindor bravery to tear it open. Inside, there was a darker purple sheet of parchment with enchanted silver script that showed itself only a few words at a time. As soon as the next phrase was darkening into being, the ones before it were disappearing into nothingness. Ginny found the pattern so riveting that it took her several minutes to put together the actual message:

Dear Friend of the DA
You are Cordially Invited
To A Surprise Christmas Party
In Honour of Professor Remus Lupin
To be held on December 20th at 7pm in the DA room
Guests Welcome
RSVP to Host ~ Miss Nymphadora Tonks

Ginny gasped in pleasure. It had been three weeks since she'd seen Tonks and she had all but forgotten about the promised owl post from her friend. Christmas was still nearly two months away, but she had already been thinking of asking her mum to invite Professor Lupin to The Burrow for the holidays. As it turned out, great minds thought alike and Tonks was already two steps ahead. No wonder she was an Auror.

Ginny suddenly discerned a shadow through the purple parchment and flipped it over to find that someone had scrawled something in messy black handwriting on the back of the invitation.

Gin, I'm recruiting you and Hermione to help me get this thing together- otherwise I bloody well might explode. Owl me back and we'll come up with a time to meet. Tonks

She snorted softly at the message but couldn't help feeling a flush of warmth at having been chosen to help plan the festivities. Even if she couldn't be part of the DA, she was grateful to be included and to assist in any way she could.

By lunchtime that afternoon, Ginny was feeling an even greater sense of belonging coupled with an odd touch of humor over the situation. This was primarily because throughout the day she had been informed about the party by no less than twelve people-all of them wanting to invite her along as their guest. By the time Justin Finch-Fletchley was stopping her outside the loo to make sure she was aware of the event, she knew something strange was going on. It didn't take her long to reason it out.

After Harry neglected to send her an invitation to the DA, she had been upset with him, but in her anger, she had never bothered to contemplate how everyone else had reacted. In fact, the majority of her bitter feelings had faded since the day he'd apologized. If this ongoing display of camaraderie was any indication, her classmates weren't quite so forgiving.

The first person to stop her had been Neville, when he found her in the Common Room before she left for class. Then Luna had pulled her aside during Potions. Hermione and Ron had bumped into her in the hallway on her way to Muggle Studies and were about to invite her but by this time she'd caught on to the drill and quickly told them she'd received her own invitation already. She dispatched Dean Thomas's speech much the same way but failed to do so with Amir Khan and Chelsea Hammond as she mistakenly thought their initial approach had been Quidditch-related. Justin had caught her off guard as well (that and the fact that she really did have to go to the loo, so was only partially paying attention). Next had come Professor McGonagall after Transfiguration class and Katie Bell right outside the Transfiguration classroom. Just when she'd thought she was free and clear, Dennis and Colin Creevy had blocked her from entering the Great Hall and they looked so endearingly eager to invite her that she stood and listened to their descriptions of how wonderful it would be if she'd come before telling them that she already was.

She was partway to the Gryffindor table when Michael Corner stopped her.

"Hey Ginny, how're you?"

"Quite well, Michael." She already knew where this was going, but she hadn't spoken to him in a while, and rather enjoyed the experience.

As if reading her mind, he smiled at her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"I know, this year has just been utterly mad what with O.W.L.s. How are you doing?"

"I think I can safely say that I've done better work in my life."

She laughed. "Looking forward to the Quidditch match this Saturday?"

"Indeed I am." He paused. "But I can't be rooting for Gryffindor this time. I'm sure you understand, Gin."

She was struck suddenly by the memory of him cheering for her House during the Quidditch matches last year, first in support of Ron and then for both her and her brother. She reckoned it had taken quite a bit of bravery to sit in the red and gold stands, despite the jeers from his fellow Ravenclaws and she'd almost forgotten how much she admired him for it. Well, up until the point that he'd got sulky when she'd beaten Cho. Nevertheless, if she was perfectly honest with herself, there were instances even now when she missed him dearly.

"Well, I don't imagine Cho would be pleased to see you wearing Luna's Gryffindor Lion head again this year."

He chuckled, "No, I don't imagine she would. Listen, Ginny, I don't know if you've heard, but there's this thing…"

"She already received an invitation."

Startled, Ginny turned and saw Harry standing next to her. She had no idea where he'd come from, which was unusual as she had almost developed a sixth sense when it came to knowing where he was. With a flash of irritation, she reckoned he must have developed the same when it came to the name 'Cho'.

"Oh. Really?" Michael seemed a bit thrown.

"Yes, I did. But thanks for letting me know."

"Yes, thanks, Corner." Harry said. "Very helpful of you." Unable to stop herself, Ginny stared at him, shocked by the cold tone of his voice.

Her ex-boyfriend paused. "Just looking out for her, Potter."

Harry gave him a stiff smile. "Aren't you going to the party with Cho?"

Ginny was struck right then with such an urge to slap him that her hand actually twitched.

Michael's normally pleasant demeanor took on a bit of an edge as well. "As Cho is my girlfriend, yes."

Not caring to be a part of this conversation any longer, she attempted an escape. "Well, I'll see you both there then. Nice talking to you, Michael. Thanks for thinking of me."

"You're welcome, Ginny. I'm just glad you got invited this time." Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked back towards his table.

The dig wasn't lost on either of the Gryffindors and, just on the periphery of her vision, she saw Harry go rigid next to her. He muttered something then, under his breath and much too softly for her to hear, but Ginny was too appalled by his general behavior to ask what it was. Leaving him to his Cho-ridden angst, she returned to her own table, sliding into a spot next to Hermione.

"Say, Ginny…" Seamus started.

"She knows," half a dozen voices chorused and he snapped his mouth shut.

Conversation turned then to other matters as the students set about alternately complaining over how much work they had to complete and chattering enthusiastically about the upcoming Quidditch match. Ginny tried not to look at Harry when he sat down on the other side of the table as she was still stung by his continued fascination with Cho Chang. She was especially vexed because she knew that she shouldn't care what he thought of her. She and Harry were friends. If he was still interested in Cho, well, that was none of her concern. Unless, of course, it was out of friendly concern. For his sanity.

Picking up her fork, and trying to find interest in her food, Ginny couldn't help but wonder when she'd began keeping such stupid friends.

~*~

With school an utter nightmare, Saturday afternoon rolled around before Ginny had the opportunity to work up a good deal of nerves over her first Quidditch match of the season. Her muscles were still somewhat sore from the nearly unbearable practices Katie had devised for the past two weeks and the day off the team had got yesterday afternoon simply hadn't been enough to fully rest.

Now, dressed in full uniform, she, Dean, Harry, Ron, and Katie were waiting near the passage to enter the pitch. Dean's tendency to keep poking his head out and looking around the stands with a thunderstruck look on his face certainly wasn't helping her mental state. Struggling with the incessant fluttering in the pit of her stomach, she heard Katie mutter an oath.

"Where are Hammond and Khan?"

Happy to have something to occupy the few remaining moments with, Ginny quickly volunteered to find them. It didn't take her long to locate the two missing Beaters near the far corner of the room and she headed over to call them to join the rest of the team. Chelsea looked up upon her approach but Amir simply moaned, his head hanging between his knees.

"He's-he's not doing well," she said softly, her hand rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"Amir, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to die," he groaned, still not looking up at her. "I can't go out there. Ring up the reserves."

Ginny fought the urge to laugh, instantly recognizing the nervousness in his voice. "Oh, come on, Amir, we can't go out there without you." Attempting a trick her mother often used to rouse her brothers, she made her voice brisk and cheerful. "Up with you, now. Come on, Amir, stand up. You'll be absolutely fine."

Chelsea shook her head. "I think he might be sick."

"I've already been sick." His voice was muffled. "Three times, I've been sick. There's nothing left."

"Only three times? My first game, I was sick four." Harry darted Ginny a glance as he walked past her and crouched next to the other boy. "My first time out on the pitch was my first year and I was raised by Muggles so I had never even heard of the game. I could scarcely remember how to get to the greenhouses let alone how to play Quidditch."

Amir simply moaned.

Sighing, Harry poked him in the shoulder. "Come on, mate. Look at me."

Amir's head popped up and Ginny winced. He really did look a bit green around the gills. Unperturbed, Harry looked him straight in the eye. "You remember Oliver Wood?"

Amir shrugged weakly. "Before my time. Heard of him, though."

"Oliver Wood was one of the greatest Quidditch Captains Hogwarts has ever seen," Harry said in a voice filled with reverence.

Someone snorted, and Ginny saw Katie standing to her left, listening to the exchange with a lopsided smirk on her face.

Ignoring her, he continued, "When I was about to go out onto the pitch that year, I was much smaller than you and I remember looking out at that crowd and all those bigger players and being convinced I was going to die as well."

"Yes, but he didn't. See, Amir?"

Harry looked at Chelsea as though he really wished she wouldn't be so helpful and, being a perceptive girl, she quickly fell silent.

"No, I didn't die. In fact, what really helped was the piece of advice Oliver gave me. He said 'Harry-'"

"Oh, this'll be rich." Katie muttered.

Harry started again, more loudly this time, "He said, 'Harry, that shows that you're really and truly ready. Only the very best players feel that way right before a match.'"

"Feel what way?" Ron asked, having missed most of the conversation.

"Sick."

"Well, I feel fine."

"Ah, proved your point then, didn't you Potter?" Katie said dryly.

Despite himself, Amir smiled and Harry capitalized on the moment by hauling him to his feet. "C'mon now, Amir. Grab your bat and let's get out there. Let's show Ravenclaw what we're made of." As the Beaters went off to collect their equipment, the rest of the team walked back to the passage.

"Just you wait, Potter. I'm going to owl Oliver and tell him what you said," Katie laughed. "Running around spreading rumors that he lost his lunch before every game. Not to mention saying that he was one of the greatest Quidditch Captains at Hogwarts. Come to think of it, I'm going to tell Angelina too."

Harry rolled his eyes but took the ribbing in stride. Ginny had seen and heard enough about Oliver Wood to know that the majority of the story was complete trollop.

"Dear Oliver," Katie began in a breathless, awed tone, "I just wanted to write to tell you how much I admire you. The way you vomited before each and every game was truly inspirational. You're the bestest Quidditch Captain that Hogworts has ever seen. I especially loved your demented pre-game pep talks and obsessive need to get at least one person hospitalized at the end of every match. You are my Hero. Love, Harry Potter."

Ron started snickering and Harry gave him a playful shove. "Shut it."

"You do remember that, don't you Potter?" Katie persisted. "The fact that both you and Wood ended up with Madam Pomfrey at the end of your first game?"

"Shut it, Katie, he's coming back."

And, sure enough, the Beaters had returned, so Katie left off her teasing. Their timing was impeccable, as the crowd suddenly started cheering and Ginny could distinctly hear a few voices raised in song. The Gryffindor team had just been announced and they quickly made their way onto the pitch. Katie strode out first, flanked by Ron and Harry. Ginny, Dean, Amir and Chelsea brought up the rear.

"Here we go," Ginny heard Harry whisper and when she looked over at him, he was smiling at her, a look of determination sparking in his eyes. "Good Luck, Gin. Give them hell."

Before she could return the encouragement, he was flying off into the sky to take his position hovering above their heads. Ginny glimpsed Cho Chang's raven hair gleaming in the sunshine nearby but before she could contemplate it further, the Quaffle was put into play and they were off.

The first half hour of the game passed in relative monotony. Neither team managed to score once and both almost seemed to be playing on their best behavior. Passing the Quaffle from person to person became a polite affair as the sides took turns attempting goals. This all changed, however, when Dean unexpectedly swooped in and intercepted a Quaffle pass between two Ravenclaw Chasers and threw the ball through the hoop before their Keeper had an opportunity to so much as blink. Gryffindor's stands erupted into wild cheering and Ginny suddenly felt herself infused with the competitive spirit she hadn't felt since when they'd last played Ravenclaw.

Remembering the look on Cho's face when she'd grabbed the Snitch right out from under her nose, Ginny seized the handle of her broom and took off after Lindsay Morris-Champlain, the fifth year Ravenclaw she was covering who also happened to be in possession of the returned Quaffle.

Flying up alongside Lindsay on the left, she spotted two things: the first was the fact that no one had taught the girl how to carry a Quaffle properly. The second was the fact that they were fast approaching Katie Bell's position and she was hovering a few feet below them. Hunching down on her broom, Ginny gritted her teeth and leaned sharply to her right, slamming herself directly into Lindsay, who let out a startled yelp. They were only briefly intertwined, but it was just enough time for Ginny to force her to drop the Quaffle right into Katie's outstretched hands. Another scream erupted from the stands seconds later and she knew that Gryffindor had just scored again.

A Bludger flew just past her ear then and she looked up, startled, to see both Ravenclaw Beaters bearing down on her. Having sensed the changing tone of the game, they were rapidly catching up to her but she took off with a sharp laugh and dodged the next shot as it skirted several inches past her knee. Pulling straight up in the air, she momentarily reached eye level with Harry, temporarily confusing him, as he had clearly not been paying one whit of attention to what was going on below.

"Duck, Harry!"

He complied almost instantly and the Bludger went sailing over both of their heads before turning in an arc and falling back towards the ground.

"Careful there!" she shouted gaily before spinning back down to the rest of her teammates.

She was just righting herself from her dive in time to see Ravenclaw Mitchell Perkins score a rather impressive goal on Ron, causing thunderous applause from the other side. Not allowing herself to fully feel the twinge of disappointment, she forced it instead to fuel the burning need she suddenly felt to win.

This need sustained her well into the first hour of the game, but by the second, even it couldn't keep her energy from flagging. The strain of having to constantly fly back and forth across the pitch was almost overwhelming. She hoped that Katie would call another brief time out, but was afraid that she'd collapse and be unable to remount her broom if she was given the opportunity to rest.

They were trailing the Ravenclaw team 360 to 210 and the fight had been a brutal one. Chelsea had almost been knocked off her broom by a Bludger, but managed to stay on by sheer tenacity alone. The single time out they'd been given, Katie had spent the majority of her time inspecting Amir's blistered palms, which were starting to bleed and wrapping Dean's wrist, which had been twisted when one of the Ravenclaw players had tried to wrench the Quaffle free from him. Ron had been knocked backwards against the metal hoops twice already, trying to save a goal. The second time, he'd almost lost control of his broom and plummeted to the ground. Ginny herself was covered in bruises from body-checking other players. Her slight frame was perfect for speed, but not as good for the rougher contact necessary from Chasers and she often had to hit harder to have the same effect as Dean or Katie. Dark purple welts were already starting to show on her forearms, but she did her best to ignore them.

Just then, Katie made an anguished noise as Rufus Keeney scored a goal against a clearly distracted Ron and Ginny felt her morale fall as well. Every time Ravenclaw pulled ahead, Gryffindor had to muster their strength and score in response. She wasn't sure she had the energy left. It wasn't until the screaming that resulted from Rufus's goal failed to abate that her gaze lifted to where Ron was looking.

Cho was zipping off towards a point above the Hufflepuff stands, with Harry hot on her heels. Ginny heard Katie let out a gasp as the Asian girl reached stretched out her lithe form, fingers grasping in the air.

As if in deference to Katie's horror, the Snitch changed directions then. They knew this because Harry suddenly darted to the left, leaving Cho to fumble momentarily before turning and heading after him. For a split second, seeing Harry in front made Ginny feel better, but when the dark determination on his face didn't vanish and he continued to pursue the glittering ball, she was suddenly seized by a heart-stopping panic.

"Harry, NO!" Katie shrieked before flying away.

"Oh sweet Merlin," Ginny moaned. He couldn't catch the Snitch now. If he did, the game would be over with a final score of 370 to 360 and Ravenclaw would win the way Hufflepuff had in their game against Gryffindor last year. Angelina had been so depressed about everyone's miserable effort at the end of that game that she hadn't said much to Ginny about it, but did take a moment to warn her that, in general, when pursuing the Snitch, she really ought to be somewhat aware of the score and see if she can't hold off on capturing it or shoving the other Seeker out of the way if the Chasers were a tad behind. Harry clearly hadn't received that advice, or else he had failed to note Rufus' late goal. Either way, Cho was leagues behind him and his attention was still focused in front.

"Too busy chasing Chang to pay attention to what's going on under his nose," Dean shouted in frustration above the deafening screams of the crowd. It took him a few seconds to realize he was talking to thin air as Ginny had already flown off after Katie.

Tension radiating through her body, Ginny came up alongside the other girl's position where she had somehow managed to physically wrest the Quaffle from one of the Ravenclaws and was heading towards the hoops. The Ravenclaw Keeper looked ready for them, his eyes trained firmly on Katie, but as she feinted to her left and he immediately swung right in anticipation, she instead flipped the Quaffle to Ginny who threw it through the left hand hoops. The screaming had reached such a level that it almost felt like the entire pitch was vibrating and Ginny barely had time to breath as the Quaffle rebounded into play and the Ravenclaws shot across the field with it in triangular formation.

Dean met them partway, and with an impulse Ginny could only chalk up to pure insanity, flew directly into their path, causing them to scatter at the last second, but not quite fast enough as he collided with the lead Chaser carrying the Quaffle. Both boys immediately fell over, sliding off of their brooms just as the Quaffle fell obediently into Katie's arms once again.

A few of the Professors managed to hit the boys with charms to soften their fall and, once she was sure Dean wasn't too injured, Ginny riveted her gaze to Harry, praying that he'd noticed by now what was going on and that he would give Katie an opportunity to try to score. A draw wasn't quite so bad as a loss, but it was still nothing compared to an all out win.

Unfortunately, Harry was just then reaching towards the Snitch with such eagerness that she knew he still hadn't seen a thing.

What happened next took place in such rapid succession that it would take her a full three hours afterwards to piece it all together. First, a loud crack sounded near her head and Ginny heard Amir scream for her to duck left, which she did just in time. She watched in horror as the Bludger went sailing towards Harry, but only just brushed past his fingers, causing him to jerk his hands back for a split second. Turning, she realized that it had been shot towards him by their own Beaters, just as Katie sailed past her, dropping something large and disturbingly round into her lap from above.

Realizing she was now in possession of the Quaffle, Ginny felt the object almost burning into her hands and a prickling sensation started up the back of her neck as she took off, screaming at the top of her lungs. Clinging to the Quaffle with everything she had left, Ginny raced up the corridor towards the Ravenclaw Keeper, who was clearly disturbed to see a shrieking mass of red and gold hurtling towards him. She heard another crack from behind her head and ducked instinctively, dipping her broom lower as well. When she heard the strangled sound of someone having the air knocked out of them she realized that the Ravenclaw Keeper took the blow that was intended for her. Darting under his broom, she flung the Quaffle into the goal over her head as she went sailing under the hoops after it, unable to stop herself in time.

She narrowly missed getting struck by one of the hoop posts and wasn't sure that she had beaten Harry to catching the Snitch until she heard the announcer screaming, "GRYFFINDOR WINS!" and the stands around her shook from the stomping and clapping that erupted.

She was well past the pitch by the time she managed to bring her broom to a full stop and was shaking so hard from exertion that she hopped off it, leaving it in the grass, before sprinting back to where pandemonium was erupting from all sides. Before she made it within ten feet of the pitch, she was suddenly rushed by Amir and Chelsea who hugged her so hard she was lifted well off the ground. Together, they carried her back to where she could see Harry being swamped by Ron, Hermione, Neville, and a few other Gryffindors who had already broken out of their seats. Their eyes met over the heads of their friends and they simultaneously broke into joyful smiles.

Something that sounded strangely like 'Weasley is our Queen' reverberated around the stands but the only thing Ginny was paying attention to was the fact that Katie was noticeably absent. That's when she remembered her fallen teammate and, shouting his name, she struggled away from Amir and Chelsea before racing towards Madam Pomfrey's gleaming white robes.

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed in a blur of color, music, congratulations, and celebration, punctuated by a few visits to the serene quiet of the hospital ward where Dean Thomas was being kept overnight. He had suffered a sprained wrist, some cuts and bruises, as well as a mild concussion, but the grin he gave Ginny when she came to sneak him some chocolate frogs put her at ease.

"Hey Ginny?" he said in a voice she recognized as his best imitation of someone pitifully injured and on his deathbed.

"Yes, Dean?" she responded, trying not to look too amused.

"Be a dear and do a favor for a dying man," he rasped dramatically.

"And what would that be?"

Suddenly, his tone became serious. "Be my date for the DA party?"

She stared at him then, mildly surprised, her smile fading from her lips. "Oh…" It was so unexpected that she didn't even know what to say. In the euphoria surrounding the game, the Christmas party had all but slipped her mind and even when she was thinking about it, she had never once considered the fact that she would need to find a date. Of its own accord, her mind immediately flashed to Harry and she wondered whom he would be asking. It was stupid, she told herself, to be thinking about him at a time like this.

Suddenly, Dean touched her arm, bringing her out of her reverie. "Look, you don't have to tell me now. I mean, feel free to think about it. I just…you know, I just wanted to beat the rush."

The thinly veiled compliment both pleased her and made her feel vaguely uncomfortable at the same time, so she forced a chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Right. I'm sure I'll be fending them off in droves." He shrugged then, and just smiled back at her in such a way that she felt her face warm.

By the time she'd left the hospital ward, she was still a bit confused over how she felt about being asked by Dean to the party, but there was a lightness there, a hopefulness that hadn't existed before. The thought of saying yes rather excited her and the more she regarded him as something beyond just a friend, the more she thought it just might work. She remembered naming him as her new conquest on the train home from Hogwarts last year, but had done it in jest, just to irk Ron. She wondered idly if perhaps that had got back to Dean somehow and sparked his initial interest. Nevertheless, she found that she genuinely liked him, especially after he had been such a good friend to Harry last year while most everyone else was wretched to him until The Quibbler expose came out.

Ginny fought back a moan at the fact that Harry had somehow managed to pop back into her mind. Then again, if she were to be entirely honest, he was still a part of the equation. Dean Thomas was providing her with the first opportunity since Michael Corner to truly get over her crush on Harry once and for all.

Luckily, as someone who had once been duped into a relationship that only existed to serve a greater purpose, Ginny knew she had to tread carefully when it came to this particular decision. If she were to accept Dean's invitation, it would have to be for him and not just to serve as an escape from something else.

In the end, she wasn't sure she could manage it.

~*~

The next two weeks passed without any real incident and Ginny found herself grateful for the approaching weekend, as it would be the single Hogsmeade trip the school was allowing before the spring term and she had already made a list of what she needed to purchase. She also had yet to give Dean a definite answer regarding the party, despite the fact that he had asked her again, and planned on thinking more about it while at Hogsmeade.

Between homework, Quidditch and her Familiar, it had started to feel as though she were moving through life swathed in thick cotton. She was so burnt out that the upcoming trip almost made her weak with anticipation, so much so that she could scarcely pay attention to anything at all. O.W.L.s were finally starting to take their toll and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep everything together. Take today, for instance.

By the afternoon, Ginny was starting to think she had a record bad day on her hands. Between a surprise quiz in Potions, accidentally injuring Colin Creevey in Charms and losing House points in Arithmancy for forgetting a homework assignment, she was all but ready to retire to her room before the morning was even over. On her way to lunch, Hagrid had detained her in the hall to tell her he'd found Rufus by the lake (the turtle had evidently made excellent friends with the Giant Squid). By the time she managed to extricate herself from a rather involved discussion of magical creatures, she had only fifteen minutes left to eat.

The only positive moment was spotting Susan Bones alone at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. Ginny rushed to join her and the girls had a brief, hurried conversation as she quickly ate.

To make matters worse, Maeven was acting exceptionally jumpy and distracted. The phoenix had started to look downright ragged and although Ginny knew it was to be expected, it was still disconcerting. She sighed, scooping up the last of her books and putting them into her rucksack before hurrying to where Susan was holding the door for her.

"Your bird's molting a bit there."

Susan held up a few purple feathers she'd picked off of Ginny's robe and raised her eyebrow.

"Yes, I noticed. Thanks for letting me know, though. Dumbledore said it's normal." Even so, she cast a worried look at the bird perched on her shoulder as they headed down the hallway.

"How much longer till she's back in her chick stage?"

"I'm not sure yet, since I missed the start of this cycle when I got her. I'll be keeping count from when she undergoes the transforma-"

Ginny broke off as a sudden dizzy feeling swept through her and she stumbled forward. Almost immediately thereafter, she felt a painful flash of heat right next to her head and something hit her shoe.

"Incendio," someone hissed and the pain increased mightily. That's when she knew.

She was on fire.

Susan started screaming but before she could react, Ginny was hit by at least ten different spells.

In retrospect, she realized why Professor Flitwick stressed the importance of matching the correct charms to each occasion. For, in their haste to aid in snuffing out the flames, the assorted passersby struck out with an odd variety of strategies. The two or three older students in the hallway at the time correctly used a water charm, but many of the younger students tossed wind and cold charms at her. By the time it was all said and done, she was standing in the hall, dripping wet and so cold that her lips were tinged with blue.

Reaching up, she gingerly touched the right side of her face and was horrified to find her hair partially singed. Susan stood next to her, tearfully cupping what appeared to be a very naked, very wet, baby version of Maeven.

"What's the meaning of all this?" Professor Snape's smooth baritone silenced the gathering crowd almost instantly.

She couldn't believe her terrible luck and her almost incomprehensible stupidity. It was her fault that this had happened. She knew she shouldn't have carried Maeven on her shoulder once the bird started molting, but she simply hadn't had the heart to leave her in her cage back in the dormitory. This was rapidly looking like a detention.

Snape's dark eyes suddenly lit on the chick in Susan's hands and understanding dawned. He gave her a disgusted sneer. "Oh, Miss Weasley, I expected more from you."

Another voice smoothly cut in. "It was Malfoy, sir."

Ginny froze. Upon hearing the Slytherin's name, she automatically scanned the crowd for his white blonde head but failed to find him.

"What was that?" Snape sounded irritated.

"Her phoenix underwent its transformation, but Malfoy used Incendio to make it worse. I heard him."

Turning, she was decidedly shocked to see who had come to stand beside her.

"Are you sure of that, Mr. Zabini?" Snape's eyes glittered dangerously.

The younger man's face remained expressionless. "Positive, sir."

"Very well." He turned to the crowd. "Get to class. All of you. Miss Weasley and Mr. Zabini, come with me."

The only odd humor injected into the moment was when Ginny glimpsed the look on Susan's face as Snape led them away. She appeared about ready to run up and swoon right into Blaise's arms. It would have been deliriously funny if Ginny hadn't been concentrating on the stinging pain emanating from the minor burns on her neck. She didn't even have the heart to glance down at her robes as they were undoubtedly ruined.

Walking awkwardly into Snape's private office, she waited mutely as he disappeared into his quarters before returning with an uncorked vial of pink liquid.

"This is a general restorative potion, Miss Weasley. Drink it quickly and you might be saved a trip to the hospital wing."

She gratefully gulped down the elixir and felt her body start to warm as her skin began to cool. Reaching up, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the crisply burnt edges of her hair had flattened out and lengthened slightly. She was about to thank him, when he pinned her with a dark glare.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for sheer stupidity, Miss Weasley." He darted an angry look at Blaise. "Twenty from Slytherin for the same, Mr. Zabini."

Ginny's mouth fell open. Snape almost never took points off of his own house and she had no idea why he was showing such animosity towards Blaise. As she had fully expected this outcome, she silently accepted the loss of House points, unfair as it was. Blaise, on the other hand, was looking at Snape with a fury she had never seen from him before. In response to his reprimand, he shot off something in rapid Italian. The Potions professor gave an agitated but equally incomprehensible response and suddenly they were engaged in what sounded like a particularly vicious argument.

She started to grow increasingly worried as certain words and phrases began to sound familiar. What little Italian she knew, she had learned from Charlie as he had picked a bit of the language up while traveling and working in Italy over the summers after his sixth and seventh years. He had only taught her the cuss words.

"Class, Miss Weasley. You do recall what that is, don't you?"

She jumped at the sudden switch back to English.

"Y-yes, sir."

"Well, as this period has already begun and you are late, I suspect you will be joining us in Detention this evening. Now go."

Given that he was making it clear he had no intention of giving her an excusal note for her late arrival she had no choice but to comply with the dismissal. Shooting what she hoped was a recognizably grateful look at Blaise over her shoulder, she hurried off in the direction of class.

~*~

It had taken a particularly rousing Quidditch practice that afternoon to fully pull Ginny out of her dark mood and make her forget the rather tragic start to her day. The fact that Professor Binns hadn't even noticed her late entrance to class had certainly helped. However, it wasn't until she had taken her frustration out on the pitch that her spirit returned to full strength. With their game against Hufflepuff not until after Christmas, Katie was doing an excellent job continuously drumming passion and fierce competitiveness into the team.

Ever since Amir and Chelsea had been given the go to aim at the Chasers directly, it had added a particularly exhilarating and realistic twist to practice. Ginny was only too happy to throw herself into her combined Chaser/Beater exercises that afternoon and she spent the majority of her time flirting with the sailing Bludger while she hugged the Quaffle to her chest and flew at breakneck speed towards her brother. There were a few times when she would change her direction so suddenly that she'd momentarily lose control of her broom. Those parts were the most fun.

Her relentless scoring appeared to completely bewilder Ron, as he had never seen his sister fly and shoot with such accuracy. Her success in sinking fifteen of twenty attempted goals had also earned him a particularly blistering reprimand from Katie, but Ginny couldn't quite bring herself to feel bad.

This was especially true when Dean jokingly told her that, at this rate, he wouldn't be needed on the team at all and pretended to fly away back towards the castle.

By the time evening rolled around she was feeling more relaxed than she had in days as she sat with Neville, Harry, Hermione and Ron in the library. They were diligently finishing up their assorted assignments, in a manner that had become a sort of unofficial ritual for them since the third week of the term.

Ron, who appeared more restless than usual, provided the only occasional sound as he shuffled papers on the table, constantly organizing various sheets of parchment.

Ginny had just finished her Arithmancy assignment and was in the middle of a quick respite before pulling out her Muggle Studies reading. She watched her brother scribble something so furiously that his Quill unexpectedly snapped.

He let out a rather miserable moan and, hearing him, Hermione glanced up from her Charms homework.

"Hermione-" he began, a note of resignation in his voice.

"Just a second, Ron." She was already rummaging in her rucksack and quickly pulled out a Quill to lend him.

"-will you be my date to the Christmas party?"

"Here you go," she responded absent-mindedly before freezing when his question sank in. "Wh-what?"

He cleared his throat. "The DA Christmas party. Will you…erm…go with me?"

Ginny watched in fascination as the Quill simply hung there in the air where she held it.

Hermione's delicate features turned white and her mouth fell open. "Oh…well…I hadn't really….that is…yes. Yes, of course." She let out a relieved breath as the power of speech had clearly returned. "Yes, I will. Yes. Thank you for asking."

Ron, who had been turning an impressive shade of beet red during the exchange, looked equally relieved. Ginny fought the urge to break into an idiotic grin at her brother's unexpected bravery and the fact that Hermione had said yes four times. It became even harder to keep her composure when she felt the gentle but steady pressure of Harry's foot pressing against her own under the table. Risking a glance at him, she saw his eyes carefully skimming the page in front of him, looking for the entire world like he hadn't even noticed the conversation that had just taken place. She knew it was all an act when, moments later, he gave her foot two rapid taps and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"Brilliant. Good. Glad that's settled, then." Ron sounded as pleased as he looked.

Schoolwork seemed a moot point from then on as Ginny was so close to bursting from happiness that she could scarcely take notes on what she was reading. The only person who appeared to be truly oblivious was Neville. The gentle scratching noise of his quill hadn't ceased once in the past ten minutes he'd been working on his Divination essay.

It was later, walking back to the Common Room when she suspected that he had, in fact, been paying at least partial attention to the conversation. She had been staring rather obviously at the back of Harry's head, somewhat lost in pondering over what it would feel like to run her fingers through his thick black hair, when Neville's voice pulled her out of her stupor.

"Say, Gin."

"Yes?" Blushing, she turned to him.

"About the Christmas party. You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course I am. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Well, I was wondering, since you and I went to the Yule Ball together that one time…" His voice trailed off in embarrassment.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Are you asking me to go with you to the party?" As Harry and Ron had suddenly quickened their pace down the hall in front of her, she didn't bother to lower her voice.

"Well…yes…"

Unable to stand it, she grabbed his arm. "Neville, are you insane?"

"I-I-,"

"Seriously, are you barking mad?"

He looked hurt. "A simple 'no' would have sufficed."

She loosened her grip in sympathy, and forced some patience into her character. Taking a deep breath, she pinned him with what she hoped was an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Neville. No, I will not be your date to the party."

"Well, I reckoned as much on my own." He let out a dignified sniff.

Ignoring the fact that he was looking at her like a whipped puppy, she continued, "Now go ask Luna, like you're supposed to."

He flushed such a shade of red at that point that he could have been mistaken for a Weasley. "What?!"

"Neville, ask Luna to the party or I'm afraid I'll be forced to kill you. Both of you."

"B-but, what would make you think that I would want to ask Luna to-"

"Do you really want to know?"

He stopped. "No, I suppose not." A pause. "Is it that obvious?"

Ginny tried to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Not to Luna, it isn't."

"I don't think she'd say yes."

"She'll say yes."

"Did she tell you she'd say yes?"

She sighed. "Neville, if she doesn't say yes, I'll go find Filch and snog him. Does that sound fair?"

"Don't snog Filch," he said absentmindedly. An oddly hopeful look crossed his face. "Do you really think she'll say yes?"

He wasn't quite looking at her, but he appeared so adorably bashful just then that Ginny felt her irritation melt. Throwing her arm around his shoulders, she gave him a squeeze. For good measure, she planted a quick, chaste kiss on his cheek and his round face instantly turned red. She followed his gaze to where Harry and Ron were waiting for them by the portrait of the Fat Lady, watching. Ron looked particularly amused.

"Aw, blimey, Gin…" Neville reacted much the same way any one of her brothers did to public sisterly affection, with the possible exceptions of Bill and Charlie, which was to try and shrug her off.

Laughing, Ginny took hold of his arm and pulled him along to where the others were standing. "Yes. A definite yes. I've never had less of a doubt of anything in my life." Crawling through the portrait hole with her friends, she tried to catch Harry's eye then, almost certain he would back up her opinion with the same support he had secretly given Ron's asking Hermione. Unfortunately, he looked away at that moment, seemingly distracted by a chess game going on between Seamus and Pavarti.

Not wanting to pull him aside and make things altogether too obvious for Neville, she simply murmured a few more words of encouragement to him before heading up to her dormitory to relax.

Privately, she hoped that acting against her better sense and meddling in Luna and Neville's budding romance wouldn't cause too much trouble in the long run.

~*~

End Chapter 6