So Much Better

Disclaimer: Ignoring the fact that I'm 16, I'm NOT a famous writer, I'm NOT rich, and I'm NOT working on the Half Blood Prince I'm almost exactly like JKR and therefore have the right to claim all Harry Potter characters... NOT!

McGonagall(sp? Jade...) stopped him after class, "Harry," the name rang in his ears and it took him a second to register it as his own.

He turned slowly, wondering what he'd been framed for or who was trying to kill him this time, "Yes Professor?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office before dinner, password is Every Flavor."

"Okay Professor."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she had a gleam in her eye Harry couldn't have ignored if he wanted to, why did Dumbledore want to see him?

He met Ron and Hermione right outside the door, "What was that all about?" The Weasley boy was quick to ask.

"I need to see Dumbledore, probably another dumb warning."

Hermione immediately went into her mothering mode, which Harry and Ron had found harder and harder to avoid lately, "They aren't dumb Harry," she lectured, "They're important, but I don't think that's it."

Ron and Harry took one look at Hermione and began distancing themselves a little, "That look is freaky Hermione."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, momentarily forgetting they're new-found alliance, "You look like you're about to turn Malfoy into a ferret."

"Oh no, this is so much better than that!" Her grin widened, and so did her eyes, creating a very scary Malfoy-Professor Trelenway(sp? Again! Ahh! My books are at my Mom's, lol) mix which created a sensation inside of Harry that made him want to run away screaming for help.

"Well," Ron said impatiently, "are you going to tell us?"

"Absolutely not," Hermione reprimanded, "I'm not even supposed to know! Besides, it'd ruin the fun of watching Harry tell you, and you'll both find out soon enough anyway."

The rest of the day seemed to inch by, and as dinner grew closer Harry's curiosity began to mount. He (unlike Ron) did not pester Hermione; he knew she wasn't going to tell them. Finally it was fifteen minutes before dinner, and Harry realized he didn't know when he was supposed to meet Dumbledore.

"I guess I better go."

"See ya! Tell me all about it when you get back, if it's got Hermione looking that creepy it's gotta be good!"

"Alright, will do mate," he waved to Ron as he got up and headed across the common room.

"Have fun," Hermione had the same Malfoy-Trelenway(ahh!) grin in place that she had worn when she first found out Harry had been called to Dumbledore's office.

"Erm, okay Herm..." He quickly made his way through the portrait hole and toward the statue outside of Dumbledore's office.

"Every Flavor," his excitement and apprehension grew as the goblin (? I think that's what I remember) stepped aside, allowing him to climb the stairs to the Headmaster's office. He knocked on the door and waited nervously for an answer, twiddling his hands to expend energy.

"Come in Harry, I have an important favor to ask of you."

Harry walked into the now familiar office that looked just as it had the last time he'd been in it. A pang of guilt and sadness pressed at him and a wave of pain that had been threatening to come forth for some time was again pushed back into place.

"What is it Professor?"

"Please, sit down, this may come as a slightly shocking request," he saw an unfamiliar, yet very prominent, gleam in Dumbledore's eye. Besides, he'd caught Harry's interest with the word "shocking". Hadn't he been through enough that Dumbledore knew he was hard to shock? Perhaps not... But perhaps so...

"Do you remember the Yule Ball Harry?"

"Of course Professor," How could he forget?

"Well, we're going to have a Halloween Ball just for fun this year!"

"Really?!" He tried (and probably failed) to sound enthused about the upcoming event. After the events of two years ago he couldn't imagine repeating the horrors of trying to find a date again.

"Yes, but as you yourself, I'm sure, experienced, it's not always easy to get a date for the ball," Harry turned a slight shade of crimson and Dumbledore nodded knowingly, "Well, this time we want to encourage people to come, date or no."

Harry nodded, he liked the sound of that, but when Dumbledore continued he started to have second thoughts about this whole "coming alone" thing, "Well, Professor McGonagall (sp again) and I were talking, and we asked ourselves, what better way to convince people to come alone than to have two drawings: One for the girls and one for the boys, to go to the dance with the most eligible person of the opposite sex."

Harry gaped, they were insane, but he finished Dumbledore's thought through his confusion, sarcasm etched in every part of his voice, "and who is more eligible than the great Harry Potter?"

"I hate to say it, but right you are my boy!"

Harry sighed and went to work figuring out his answer. The plus side was he wouldn't need to find a date of his own, and it was only for a night, how horrible could it be? After about two minutes of conflicting thoughts running through his head (over, and over, and over again) he made up his mind, "sure."

"Very good," Dumbledore clapped his hands happily.

"One question," a thought popped randomly into Harry's head, "who's the girl?"

Dumbledore smiled politely, "Why, you're friend Sian actually."

Harry's mouth dropped open, "Sian, why Sian?"

"Well, we wanted someone in 6th or 7th year, on a quidditch team, a nice person, somewhat good looking, not in Gryffindor since we already had you... So it was either Cho Chang or Sian, Cho refused to participate."

Harry shook his head, that made sense, but wait a second, "Sian's on the Slytherin quidditch team?"

"Yes, she's their new keeper," Harry quickly stored this information for later, he'd found out earlier he'd been appointed quidditch captain, and knowing the other teams keeper and her abilities would be good information.

Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts, "Oh look at the time! We'd best go eat!" The two made their way out of Dumbledore's office and down the stairs, where they split, Dumbledore heading to the staff table and Harry taking his seat between Ron and Hermione.

Over dinner Harry told Ron and Hermione everything he could remember about his discussion with Dumbledore, except for Cho being chosen before Sian. When Harry was done Ron paused for a minute with a thoughtful look on his face, then burst into laughter. Hermione sat back and smirked knowingly.

"How did you know Hermione?" Harry asked through a mouthful of chicken.

"I have connections," she shrugged and suddenly became very occupied with her Marmalade.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, "Sian," they said unanimously.

"That would be my name!" The flamboyant red head showed up at the perfect time, flanked by the ever-present Eve and Nick, "I'm guessing Dumbledore talked to you?"

"Yep," he scowled as the Slytherin burst out laughing.

"Sorry," she stopped abruptly, looking at his face, "I just find this whole thing hilarious. See you guys later," she returned to Slytherin table somewhat abruptly, sitting down between Malfoy and Eve.

"Just hope you don't end up with someone like Pansy or Eloise," Ron pointed out.

"Oh, come on Ron!" Hermione protested, "You judge girls way to much based on their looks!"

"I made that mistake once, I won't do it again," realizing what he'd just said he turned away, but Harry saw the red-tinge spreading to the back of his ears.

"When did you make that mistake?" Hermione asked in innocent curiosity.

"Never mind," Ron muttered.

Harry had a vague idea of what Ron meant and promptly asked Hermione, "What'd you think of that potions quiz?"

Hermione immediately started her reenactment of the day's pop-quiz and forgot all about Ron, who gave Harry a thankful look and returned to his dinner.

(A/N: I must apologize this is moving so slowly – During the ball things will pick up a bit, just bear with me  Thanks to Jade for being my marvelous beta and thanks to you guys for reading – please review. Again, sorry it's short!)