Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything we use. Except for two OCs.


FFF

5. – Gotta Dance

"Another Yule ball?" said Neville. He looked shocked.

"No, it's not for Christmas," said Colin Creevey. He handed Neville the pamphlet that Parvati had forced on him. Neville read it and blanched.

"When's it for, Colin?" Harry asked.

"Halloween."

"They won't have us wear costumes, will they?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"'Fraid so," said Colin. "You don't have to go though."

"Yes you do!" said Parvati suddenly, and she poked Ron sharply in the shoulder with her quill. He winced. "We want as many people as possible. We were counting on the Gryffindors."

"The hall will look splendid," Lavender piped up. "We've had it all worked out with professor McGonagall, but we need people. Anyone who wants to is welcome to join the committee."

She smiled sweetly at the boys. None of them dared move. Harry thought he could detect a strangely predatory gleam in her eyes, which made him distinctly uncomfortable.

"Um," he said.

"Great!" Parvati exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "We knew we could count on you and Ron!"

Ron looked like he didn't know what train had hit him. Dean Thomas, who had just entered the common room, hurriedly backed away when he heard their topic of conversation. Unfortunately, he knocked over a chair in the process.

"Padma's recruiting people in Ravenclaw," Parvati continued. "Dean, will you help talk to some Hufflepuffs?"

Dean stopped in his tracks and sighed.

"Only couples?" Colin read aloud.

"Oh, yes," said Lavender. "For the dancing. That really shouldn't be a problem." She smiled at Seamus, who was sitting across the room looking queasy.

"A committee?" said Harry, hesitantly, trying to figure out what exactly he'd been dragged into.

"Yes, to take care of the decorations and food, and music, of course. You'll help ensure this will happen." she declared this as though it was a great honour. Harry certainly hoped they were good at organizing this kind of thing, because he was pretty sure none of the others were going to be very enthusiastic.


"A committee?" said Ron faintly, an hour later, when they were having breakfast. It was a fine, crisp Saturday morning in October. Their first Quidditch match against Ravenclaw was coming up, and Ron, Harry and Ginny had been practicing hard during the past few weeks. They had been looking forward to some relaxation during the weekend. However, it appeared that that was not to be.

"A committee?" repeated Ron. "I don't want to be in a committee."

"Cheer up, Ron," said Ginny. "We're all in the committee. Nobody escaped it. There's even a bunch of Slytherins in it. Kya's been doing some recruiting over there."

"Oh, that cheered me up," Ron grumbled.

Harry looked over his shoulder at Kya, who was mingling with some Slytherins entering the great hall. She seemed to be particularly occupied with one Draco Malfoy. Harry felt sorry that she had been given that task. Although, as he was watching he thought it seemed as if she wasn't that unhappy about it…

"Poor Kya," said Ginny, shaking her head sadly. "But no-one volunteered."

"I thought Malfoy seemed taken with her at the tryouts last month," said Ron, out of the blue.

"Don't be stupid," said Hermione, vaguely. They were all watching Kya and Malfoy.


It was past midnight, and there were only a few people left in the common room. Colin and Dennis Creevey were playing exploding snap with Neville in one corner. In another, Harry, Ron and Hermione were exchanging conspiracy theories regarding everything from the Ministry of Magic, to the upcoming ball. After the three of them had once again agreed to disagree on the subject of the ethics of professor Snape (or lack of them), talk turned to lighter matters.

"Hermione," said Ron, abruptly.

"Mm?"

"Er," he said, and his previously businesslike tone of voice faltered. He refused to look at her.

"… Yes?" said Hermione, with considerably more interest.

Ron cleared his throat, drew in a deep breath and said,

"Do you want to go?"

"What?"

"To the – the Halloween thing?"

"Oh," said Hermione. "Yeah – okay."

"Good." said Ron. He looked relieved.

Hermione didn't giggle like many of her fellow students, but as she got up and left for her dormitory, she looked as if she had seen light at the end of the tunnel.

As did Ron, after she had left. He even grinned a bit goofily at Harry, who simply remarked,

"At least she knows you didn't pick her as a last resort this time."