Disclaimer: I don't own (sadly) the Harry Potter series, characters, etc. Although if I was older and thought of this idea before JKRowling I would have...

Summary: There's a masquerade ball and Ginny and Draco fall in love. They have to meet in secret, hiding their identities, afraid of the consequences if they show their true faces.


Chapter IV Gossip, Drake, and Ginger

"So what mask did you get?" Katie asked Hermione. Tonight was the ball, and everyone (well, the girls at least) was getting ready.

"Well, it's blue and green with white and gold wings on the side! Here, wait, I'll get it..." she said, skipping through the throngs of dresses and shoes scattered everywhere on the floor.

"This is mine," Ginny said, holding up a red mask with two chrysanthemums around the eyes.

"Emagawd! That is so ah-dor-able! It goes great with your temporary chestnut colored hair!" Angelina squealed.

"I like my hair this way. You think I should dye it permanently?" Ginny questioned, looking at her hair admirably in the mirror.

"NO! It's nice, but your red hair is the real Ginny. Right now, you're like...a Maria or something..."

"What about your dress? And your shoes? Put them on, I'll put the mask on for you when you come out!" Lavender responded.

"Okay, okay, hold up..."

Hermione rushed back in just as Ginny was leaving to change, and they almost ran into each other.

"SORRY!" they hollered over their shoulders.

"Look!" Hermione put the mask over her face.

"Emagawd it's almost like Parvati's! Here P, put yours on!" Alicia said.

"Where is it?" Parvati asked.

"Um..." Alicia mumbled, and the two girls started tossing dresses and shoes and masks up in the air trying to find the missing mask.

"Found it!" Katie said, holding up the mask, which was right next to Parvati's dress and shoes.

"Oh...heh...thanks..."

Parvati's mask had orange and pink wings and the rest of the mask was white.

"We could go together as twins Hermy!" Parvati sarcastically said in a joking fashion.

Hermione just rolled her eyes, and everyone laughed, including Ginny, who had come out of the bathroom at the point where Parvati called Hermione 'Hermy.'

Parvati turned her head and gasped. Ginny's dress was knee-high with red silk and lace with off-the-shoulders sleeves. She took a step forward, and everyone looked at her red lace-up high heels.

"You look absolutely gorgeous!" shrieked Parvati.

"Talk about lady in red!"

"Hey Hermy...I mean Hermione, sorry, go change into your dress!" Angelina said.

"Sure..."

As soon as Hermione let, Harry and Ron rushed upstairs.

"Katie, Alicia, Angelina, and Ginny! Quidditch practice today at...woah! Ginny, you look...nice..." Ron fumbled.

"Are you kidding Ron! Your sister is hot! Like a goddess..." Katie said.

"Like a sex goddess..." Angelina teased, and Alicia laughed, followed by giggles of all the other girls.

"Shut up!" Ginny said, turning as red as her outfit.

"Well, it's true! Hey, what do you think Harry?"

"I...agree?" Harry mumbled.

"No, in your own words. The truth!" Alicia pushed.

"She...um...looks...really beautiful," Harry said blushingly.

"Ginny, who was looking out the window, turned to face Harry and smiled. "Thanks Harry!" she said. There was an awkward silence.

"Yeah well, Quidditch practice today at 3 okay? Gotta go!" Ron rushed, and grabbing Harry's shirt, ran down the steps.


When they were in the boy dorms, Ron and Harry looked at each other stunned. Ron plopped into his bed and buried his face in his hands. Harry ran his hands through his hair. "Ron, I...I don't know what to say. Ginny...she's...she's..."

"I know. I never would have thought..."

"It's not your fault Ron. She's your only sister..."

"What if the other guys..."

Suddenly Fred, George, and Lee walked in. "So," Fred said, "have you guys seen Ginny?"

Harry and Ron nodded their heads in silence.

"Yeah...shocking isn't it? We didn't even think she could be such a girly girl, ya know? She's always been a tomboy. Well, that's what you get when you have no sisters and 6 brothers. She's really grown up," said George.

"But what if the other guys try to..." Ron gulped, "hurt her?"

"Fred and I have been thinking the same thing. We've decided that Gin's old enough and experienced enough to look out for herself. After all, she's 14..."

Dean and Seamus burst into the room. "Ron! Your sister is a hot babe! Can I take her to the ball?" Dean asked.

"No way! She's going with me!" cried Seamus.

I'm not going with either one of you dorks!" Ginny said.

Everyone turned towards the door, where Ginny had entered, wearing her Quidditch uniform.

"No one's asked me yet, but I'm not going with either of you two!"

"Why not?" they whined.

"Because Seamus, you're perverted. Dean, you have a girlfriend."

"She doesn't have to be my girlfriend anymore," Dean answered.

Ginny just rolled her eyes in disgust.

"What if I take you?" Ron asked.

"Uhh...you're my brother. NO. Harry?"

"B-but you don't like me!"

"DUH! But you probably don't have a date. Am I right?" she grinned.

Harry hung his head.

"Okay it's settled! Ron, you are going with Hermione; Fred, you're going with Katie; George, you're with Angelina; and Lee's with Alicia. No, wait... Fred's going with Alicia and Lee is going with Katie. Okay! See you tonight!" she stated, and quickly left.


Harry patiently waited at the foot of the main hall staircase for Ginny, along with just about every other boy in Hogwarts. Suddenly, feminine voices were heard from the top of the stairs. Many "I'm not going first!" could be heard, followed by squeals and shrieks. Then, one familiar voice cried out tiredly, "It's not that big of a deal! Look, I'll go first!"

The boys hopefully looked up, waiting anxiously for their dates.

Ginny Weasley was walking down the steps delicately, looking for Harry's face, which was not covered by a mask (yet). Finding it, she hastened her steps. Many boys whistled and hooted, while Ginny thought, We had to come down this staircase, the longest one in the castle...

Two steps from the ground floor, Ginny jumped them and landed with a perfect stance. The boys who were making those idiotic noises stopped in shock. Ginny smirked, smoothed out her already-smoothed-out dress, looked at Harry, and asked, "Shall we go?"

A dozen or so boys ran up to her and said, "Bloody hell yes!"

Ginny looked them over, wrinkled her nose in disgust as Harry laughed, and took Harry's hand. "Too bad mate, she's mine tonight. Try next year or something..." Harry said.

The ball was outdoors in the beginning, and after dinner, inside, for more dancing. As Ginny and Harry walked towards the gardens where the ball was taking place, they had an interesting "dispute" over Hermione's new organization. (Harry thought it would go down the toilet like the one before, but Gin believed that Hermione was much more mature than before, and she knew what she was doing, and besides, Dumbledore believes in her, why can't you?) They took twice as long as most people to get to the ball, due to stopping every now and then and arguing to a higher altitude.

When they arrived, Ron and Hermione greeted them. Immediately Hermione and Ginny left the "men" to talk about anonymous girl things, such as their gorgeous outfits and things such as that.

Ginny dragged Hermione to an empty table and the gossip mill began to run.

"Omigod, can you believe the outfit Pansy has on?"

"I know, it's not even a dress, it's like an Arabian outfit that's two sizes too small..."

" Can you believe her?"

"It doesn't even match..."

"Green and purple clash..."

"Is she color blind?"

"Oh look, Luna's here..."

"Omigod, she's gorgeous!"

"It's sooo pretty!"

"What's so pretty? 411 people..." Angelina whispered as she slid into an empty chair.

"Luna! Her outfit is exactly her name! All, lunar, you know?"

"Totally, good thing I let her borrow my TanTowel..."

"She doesn't look so pale anymore..."

"Yeah, wonder why?" responded Katie, who slid into another empty chair.

"I told you, I let her borrow my TanTowel..."

"Hey, I wasn't here...ugh...look it's Cho Chang..."

"Salmon Pink? With an updo? Yuck..."

"Really, that color and hairstyle totally messes up her complexion..."

"Yeah...but look who she's with!"

"Who is with who?" Alicia hissed, sliding into the last empty chair.

"Cho Chang...she's with..."

"Flint? That's just wrong..."

"No one in their right mind would go with him..."

"Maybe she's drugged?"

"Are you kidding!"

"Sure...what kind of idiot wears an orange bow tie with a black tuxedo?"

"Flint?"

"Duh..."

"I'm going to get something to drink. Anyone..." Ginny said, starting to stand up.

"We're good!" said everyone, who went back gossiping.

Ginny walked to the refreshment stand, and every boy she passed followed her with their eyes, especially Malfoy.

Ginny started to pour herself some tea when Draco walked up to her and offered to pour some for her. Ginny said sure, since Draco's mask had covered his hair (and you can't miss that really bright blonde hair, you know?). He handed it to her, and the two of them starting talking, simply about life in general.

"What's your name?" Ginny shyly asked.

"Drac...Drake. And yours?"

"Gin...Gin...Ginger. Sorry, I was in a bit of daydreaming..."

"Ginger. That's a beautiful name---"

"I've never heard of you..." Ginny/Ginger interrupted.

"I've never heard of you either..." Draco/Drake accusingly responded.

"I'm not around much...I tend to be by myself. What's your excuse?"

"Same, pretty much..."

"That's what most people say..."

"Well, I can only give you the truth..."

"Than stop beating around the bush and give already!" Ginny/Ginger smirked.

"She got you there, buddy. May I inquire your names?" a voice interfered. Ginny gasped, it was Ron! He was going to totally blow her cover!

"So, Gin, are you going to introduce me?"

Ginny/Ginger breathed a sigh of relief. He called her by her nickname.

Draco/Drake asked Ron, "You know her?"

"Yeah...she's my..." Ron started, but was cut off by Ginny/Ginger, who quickly said, "Ron this is Drake, Drake, meet Ron, Ron's an acquaintance of mine, but I really must go or I'll miss dinner! Good night!" She then rushed off.


I promise there'll be some action in the next chapter. I'm trying to stretch everything so my story isn't 10 chapters, ya know? thanks!