A/N: I finished Chapter 4 way ahead of schedule.Things might not come out so quickly when school's back in session, which starts again Jan. 3, 2005. I guess I was just really stuck today o.O
"Um, Ron, Harry...it's time for dinner, Ginny and I are going," Hermione told them quietly. She didn't want to get Harry upset again. Ron nodded and replied,
"Yeah...Hermione, we'll be right there." Hermione smiled and rushed back down the steps.
"Are you comming?" Ron asked as he was getting up. Harry sighed.
"Yeah, alright," Harry said with a little bit of a whiny tone. He and Ron quickly dashed down the stairs and through the empty common room. As they were walking down the corridors to get to the dining hall, Ron and Harry noticed that every wall was covered in blue papers. Certainly, this wasn't allowed, and had an authority seen it yet it would've been removed immediately. Obviously, these had to be posted within the last half hour at the latest. Harry and Ron decided to stop and take down a flyer.
"'Please recognize the importance of student dances...bring back a Yule Ball and a May Dance'? Who wrote this rubbish?" Ron demanded, reading the flyer out loud. "Oh, how remarkably conveinient! It even has...fifty lines for us to sign the petition. Ooh, let me just get out a pen!" he added sarcastically. Harry laughed at the flyer as he stuck it back on the wall.
"Oh, Ron, here...'Yours Truly, Lavander & Parvati'. The teachers will never go for this," Harry pointed out. Still chuckling at the flyers, they hadn't another worry as they continued to the dining hall.
Everyone had already begun eating when Harry and Ron sat next to an empty seat Hermione had saved. Of course, Ron sat in the middle deliberately to be next to Hermione.
"Did you talk to Harry?" Hermione asked him. Ron nodded.
"Uh..yeah, it's just new to him that's all," he explained simply. Hermione nodded.
"I thought Katherine would be a perfect first choice," Hermione commented shaking her head dissapointedly. Ron shrugged.
"We pushed him too hard," Ron said.
"We?" Hermione laughed. "This was your brilliant plan in the first place!" Ron huffed as he continued to wolf down his food. Harry leaned over the table so he could see both Hermione and Ron's faces.
"It's not like I can't hear you," he said before leaning back and continuing to eat like nothing happened. Now Hermione leaned forward to speak to Harry.
"We're really sorry, Harry. Ron should've respected your wishes," Hermione said. When Ron eyed her angrily, she continued, "and we shouldn't have set you up with out consulting you first." Harry nodded and waved off her apology.
"Yeah, it's alright...I know you all were just trying to help," Harry replied, smiling. Ron and Hermione smiled back in gratefulness for Harry's forgiveness. Harry took a deep breath, and asked, "Do you think I'd be mad to see if Ginny could fix me up again with Katherine? I feel bad I didn't even give her a chance."
"Yes--" - Hermione slapped Ron on the shoulder with a huff - "--erm, I mean, no of course not..." Ron replied in a mumble. Harry shrugged.
"It's just something to think about," he muttered. The conversation shifted to normal topics such as the weather and Chocolate Frog cards, until Ron and Hermione got into a fight about whether it could snow in the spring.
"Maybe, just maybe, there's a spell out there for changing the weather! Then that's highly probable!" Ron cried.
"No, no, no! You can't mess with nature! And besides, that's not even real weather - you've got it all wrong!" Hermione shouted.
"Yes, if there's a spell for making it snow then it's real snow," Ron insisted.
"Not! It'd be snowing unnaturally, therefore - FAKE SNOW!" Hermione insisted right back. "Fine, don't believe me? Why don't you just stand outside forever and ever and wait till it snows in spring."
"Maybe I will," Ron said, meant to somewhat offend Hermione but he realized he just seemed like an idiot. "There's a Hogsmeade weekend this week, why don't you go with me and we'll just see." Hermione smiled, knowing what was really going on, but decided to still act upset.
"Fine, we'll just see who's right," she said inferiorly. The two didn't have another argument or real conversation for the rest of dinner but when Harry asked if Ron would be studying with him on Saturday for those stupid Potions finals for the semester, he replied quietly,
"Sorry, Harry...I have a date." Not even discreet Hermione, who never kissed Ron in public except on the cheek, couldn't hide grabbing his hand and swinging it back and forth under the table.
Just before all the houses were excused to return to their common room and dormitories, Dumbledore announced,
"It has come to our attention the numerous flyers posted around the school. They have been removed, but their topic - a yearly dance - will be considered if enough interest is shown. You may now return to your house common rooms." Ron and Harry groaned, but their whines were drowned out by the rushing and clammoring of students to get out of the dining hall. Lavander and Parvati soaked up some of the attention of having been the posters and were smiling and chatting with anyone asking about them - including more then half the school telling them what a 'fantastic idea' it was.
"Hermione! Wouldn't this be fun - another dance?" Ginny asked, emerging from the crowd and comming right next to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "You would go - right, Dean?" Hermione, Ron, and Harry all whipped around to see Dean Thomas, who had gone unnoticed by following Ginny up to the three.
"What are you doing with him?" Ron demanded of Ginny. Ginny scoffed.
"What do you think?" Ginny snapped.
"I think he has five seconds to get away from -- oh, do whatever you want, Ginny," Ron ended up grumbling. Hermione thought Ron being protective of his sister was sweet; Ginny thought otherwise. It frankly didn't matter to Harry either way, although he could pick a side if he had any siblings or what he'd consider family for that matter.
In the common room, Ron and Seamus were playing chess, Hermione was studying, and Ginny was doodling in her notebook, Dean sitting nearby almost asleep in his armchair. Everyone else had gone to bed or just up to the dormitory. Except for Harry, that is, who was sitting at a table tapping his fingers against the wood. Hermione was studying at that table, and shot him an annoyed glare when she barked,
"Would you stop?"
"Sorry, it's just...Dean and Ginny are bothering me..look at 'em!" Harry whispered. Hermione scrunched up her face like she had no comprehension of what he was saying. She slowly turned around and looked at Ginny and Dean, who were sitting quietly doing whatever they had to do. They weren't even speaking. She just as slowly turned back to Harry and gave him such a look suggesting he was insane.
"Are you mental?" she asked. "They're not even doing anything. She's writing, and he's almost out cold." Harry shrugged.
"You know, you spend way too much time with Ron," he muttered. He got up from his seat and snuck up behind Ginny as she was scribbling. He tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and almost fell off of her seat. She looked behind her at Harry, and then, realizing her notebook was flat open, slammed it shut before Harry would even look at it. Ginny took a deep breath and clutched her hand to her chest.
"You scared me," she whispered harshly. Then in a normal-tone voice, asked, "What is it?"
"I wonder if you could talk to Katherine for me. I'd love to ask her out, and give us another chance," Harry explained, embellishing his intentions a bit. Suddenly, Dean made some kind of noise and shook himself awake.
"Wha - what? Oh..g'night. Ginny, good night," Dean said with a smile. Ginny smiled back and watched him walk away until he was out of sight up the stairs. Harry was irritated with Ginny at that moment. He didn't like that she was ignoring him.
"So, what?" she asked.
"What I just asked you," Harry told her, knowing that she probably could remember if she really wanted to. Ginny nodded. She hesitated before saying,
"Yes, of course..yeah, I'll talk to Katherine tomorrow," Ginny replied. She smiled and added, "It looks we'll all have dates for this comming Hogsmeade weekend." She yawned and clutched her notebook closely as she disappeared up the steps to the girls' dormitory. Harry decided he best be off to bed as well.
"Women," Ron muttered angrily as he rushed down the steps from the boys' dormitory. Harry was already sitting in an armchair waiting for Ron and Hermione so that they'd all walk down to breakfast.
"What now?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head.
"She just decided to reject another coat," Ron complained. "A coat."
"What are her coats doing in our dormitory?" Harry asked slyly. Ron scoffed.
"Harry, would you please? It happened this way..Ginny comes in asking where Dean is because she can't find him. Then, he's there with Seamus, so she starts yelling at him to hurry up and get ready. Hermione's down here, yelling for Ginny," Ron explained. "Ginny yells back, 'Oh, Hermione! I'm up here!'" - Harry couldn't help laughing at Ron's Ginny imitation - "Hermione has a bundle of coats on her arm and she can't figure out which one is the most practical to go over the amount of clothes she already has on, and to keep her warm!" Harry laughed at poor Ron's troubles. Ron huffed and ended the story, "Now, Ginny's telling her the pink coat goes with her shoes but Hermione is insisting it's not warming enough. Now they're up in our dormitory, fighting about what Hermione should be wearing now."
"You sure have you're hands full, don't you Ron?" Harry said mockingly. Ron glared at him as he sat at the armchair across from him.
"Hermione, the brown coat with the furry fringe is obviously the best choice," Ginny was explaining to Hermione as they hopped down the steps from the boys' dormitory.
"I suppose...the fur should keep me warm enough," Hermione replied, turning around to smile at Ginny. They were at the bottom of the steps by now and standing next to where Ron and Harry were sitting.
"Are you done?" Ron whined. Hermione pat him on the back.
"Yes, are you two?" Ginny said, eyeing what the two seventeen-year-old boys were wearing. A long sleeve shirt on each of them and jeans - almost identical, while Hermione and Ginny looked completely different. The boys shrugged and were the first to start to leave for the dining hall, and the girls followed closely behind.
After breakfast, they headed to Hogsmeade. Katherine had agreed to go with Harry when Ginny had asked. She looked prettier than when she first met her. Her hair wasn't tied back but let low past her shoulders. She wore a floral blouse over her jeans and under her brown leather jacket. It wasn't like she wasn't interesting, either. She could talk about every subject and have something to say - Quidditch, Herbology, the Potion finals...anything Harry wanted to say, Katherine enjoyed talking about it as well. Harry actually enjoyed himself that day.
After spending a while in Zonko's Joke Shop and when Harry didn't even mind, at least not too much at least, when Katherine wanted to shop in Gladrags Wizardwear, they headed over to The Three Broomsticks. As they were drinking their butterbeers and chatting in the crowded pub, Harry spotted Ron and Hermione. Because they were laughing and holding hands, they seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Hermione caught Harry's eye and pointed to him. Ron saw him too, and they both smiled and waved. Harry smiled back, but he did not wave as not to distract his...date.
"I had to say, I was worried about comming," Katherine admitted.
"Yeah, me too," Harry confessed.
"I don't know about you, but I really did have a great time today. This was fun," Katherine said, smiling. Harry smiled and nodded his head. It wasn't just a polite smile, but a genuine smile. Harry hesitated on asking Katherine out for another time, and as he was going to Ginny and Dean walked in - holding hands. Harry didn't know why this bothered him even a little bit.
"Erm..I'm going to get another butterbeer, do you want one?" Harry asked, turning back to Katherine. Katherine shook her head.
"No, let me get them. You paid for them," Katherine said as she got up.
"Oh, thanks...hey? What, I did?! I thought you paid!" Harry called but Katherine had already reached the front of the pub. Dean and Ginny had sat down at an empty table in the corner. Dean got up to head to the front. He spotted Harry and gave him a quick wave before continuing. Harry didn't even turn to look at Ginny. Katherine had returned with their butterbeers.
"Here you go," Katherine said cheerfully as she slid a mug in front of Harry. She took a sip of her hot, foamy butterbeer. Katherine kept looking at Harry in a way she hadn't before that moment.
"What?" he finally asked, nervous again. Katherine looked away and set down her mug.
"Nothing," she said quickly. She tossed her long, brunette hair back over her shoulder. "After we finish our drinks, do you want to go to Honeydukes?" Harry nodded. He looked over to Dean and Ginny, sitting quietly and talking, but they were sitting awfully close. Harry didn't hear Katherine's calling of his name until she shook his shoulder.
"Harry, I thought I lost you," Katherine said with a laugh. Harry shook himself to get Ginny out of his head...what was she doing in his thoughts anyway?
