I don't know, Hermione," Ron Weasley said. "Maybe you should be a doctor. Doctors make a lot of money, you know. Then you could lend me some." The tall redhead grinned hopefully at the bushy-haired girl walking beside him through the courtyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hermione Granger gave Ron a disgusted look. "Go make your own money, Ronald. Although the doctor idea isn't so bad. Dr. Hermione Granger. What do you think Harry? Umm, Harry? HARRY!"

Harry Potter jumped, and then grinned sheepishly at his two best friends. The wind was whipping through his already messed up black hair, showing the lightning shaped scar that he was so famous for. "Sorry, Hermione," he apologized. "Now, what did you say?" Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Never mind. Go back to dream world."

But now that Harry had left, he found it hard to go back. So he started up a new conversation, one that all of the seventh years were talking about. "Have you found anyone to take to the Christmas Ball, Ron?" he asked. Ron's face fell. "No," he answered. "I want to ask Lavender, but I can never muster up the courage." Then he blushed fiercely. "Have you found anyone, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I was going to ask Parvati, but after what happened in our fourth year, I don't think she will go with me. Any ideas?" Ron shook his head. "Nope. We are allowed to take someone younger, of course. That might be easier." Harry nodded, agreeing.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you two. How hard can it be to go up to someone and ask them one simple little question?" Ron glared at her. "You wouldn't know, Hermione. It's always the boys ask the girls, not the other way around. And it is bloody hard, mind you!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. "Uh-huh. Hey, look Ron; there's Lavender. Hey, Lavender, could you come here for a moment?" Ron clutched Hermione's arm. "Oh, no, Hermione, no, please," he whimpered. Hermione shook off his arm and marched over to Lavender. Ron and Harry huddled in the background.

"What do you think they're saying," Ron asked. Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Couldn't be too bad, though, Lavender's laughing." Ron stiffened. "That's not good, Harry... she'll say no... I know she will... why did I ever think of asking her... I am so stupid... she's laughing at me..."

"Ron, shut up, Hermione's coming back over."

Hermione marched back over with a grin on her face. "She said yes," Hermione announced.

"See, Harry? Didn't I tell you? Didn't I tell you she would say...what?" Ron stopped and stood there staring at Hermione. She laughed. "She said yes. I said that we will be in the common room at 7:45 waiting on our dates, and she said that she will see you there. There, now, you see? All you have to do is ask."

Ron stopped staring at Hermione and all of a sudden got suspicious. "Wait a minute, Hermione. You got me a date, Harry can't decide, but he will get a date. Who are you going with?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. She looked down at the ground and muttered a name. Ron grinned. "Can't hear you, Hermione." She raised her voice. "Neville Longbottom."

Both of the boys stopped walking and stared at her, open-mouthed. Hermione took up defense. "What," she snapped. "He asked, he didn't have a date, I didn't have a date, and so I said ok, is that so bad?"

She glared at them, as if she was daring them to say anything. Harry took the hint and looked away. Ron wasn't so smart.

"But...but," he sputtered. "Neville Longbottom, Hermione? Couldn't you have gone with...with Dean or Seamus, or someone else like that? Neville will probably blow you up or break your foot, or something else just as bad."

Hermione flared up. "For your information, Neville is a really nice guy, and he told me he took dancing lessons over the summer. And Seamus is taking Padma Patil, and Dean is going with your sister."

"WHAT?!" roared Ron. "Are they on again?!" Hermione looked smug. "Well, obviously they are, or else he wouldn't be taking her."

All this time, Harry had been standing off to the side, thinking about who he wanted to take to the Christmas Ball. He had learned to block out the sound of Ron and Hermione; after all, it wasn't unusual for them to be bickering.

He began to look at people who were walking past, trying to decide on who he could take to the Ball. Every time he saw a girl, he could tell that she wasn't the one to go with: either she was going with someone else, or she was too young, or she just wasn't right. After about five minutes of this, he saw a blonde head, and smiled to himself.

He walked over to the girl, who happened to be walking with Ginny Weasley, and muttered something in her ear. She smiled and nodded. Ginny and the girl continued walking to the castle, talking excitedly, and Harry wandered back over to his friends.

Ron and Hermione hadn't even noticed that he had gone. After he had been back for a few minutes, they decided to stop shouting and go in for lunch.

When they sat down at the Gryfindor table, Ron started talking about the Ball again. "So, 'Arry," he said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "We still 'ave to find you a date for de Chrispmas Ball." Harry grinned. "No, you don't, Ron, I've already found someone." Ron began to choke on his pumpkin juice.

"What? When did you...how...huh?" Harry started to laugh. "Ya know, Ron, you and Hermione would really find out a whole lot more if you didn't spend so much time arguing." Ron and Hermione started to laugh too.

"So, who is it, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry finished chewing his chicken before he replied. "Luna Lovegood." Ron started to choke again, this time on a piece of cornbread. Harry and Hermione pounded him frantically on the back until he could breathe again.

"What has gotten into you two?" Ron asked, his eyes wide. "First I hear that Hermione is going with Neville Longbottom;" "And there is nothing wrong with that," Hermione said hotly; "And now you're going with Loony Lovegood! Am I the only one here who has any sense?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and took a drink from her goblet. "I don't know what's so wrong about Harry going with Luna, Ron. I mean, Luna is a nice girl, and at least she's stopped wearing those idiotic hats that she used to wear. And in case you haven't noticed, Ron, Slytherins are the only people who call her 'Loony Lovegood' anymore."

Harry snickered into his pudding as he watched Ron turned white.