A/N - A huge thank you to Dorothea Greengrass for her suggestions and edits for this chapter, they were tremendously helpful and I feel made a lot of things better.

Chapter 20

Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

Harry was the first one in the antechamber, but he wasn't alone for long. Fleur and Sebastian entered only moments later. Fleur had pulled out all the stops and was dazzling, her dress was flattering without being overly revealing. Her hair sparkled, along with the sequins on her dress. If she wanted to have all eyes on her, she was going to be successful.

Sebastian greeted him with a firm handshake and said, 'Hello, Mr Potter. Nice to meet you. I'm Sebastian. I'm with Fleur, but you've already met.'

'Pleasure to meet you, Sebastian. But please, call me Harry.'

They exchanged a nod. Fleur approached him next and extended a hand, palm down.

He was tempted to make another quip but realized he probably shouldn't show his hand that he wasn't really affected by her allure. There weren't many that could make that claim.

'H-Hello, M-Madamwasil Delacour,' he stumbled over his words slightly, though butchering the French word came naturally and didn't require any additional effort. He avoided eye contact as he bowed over her hand in the traditional greeting.

'Hello, Mr Potter,' Fleur replied, with a flick of her hair and a satisfied smile on her face. She walked away with her chin high. Her smug look indicated that she was pleased he now seemed to be affected by her allure.

Cody permitted himself a smug inward grin. That hadn't been the case during the press conference after the first task, he'd been careless. Now she could wave that off as extenuating circumstances if she so desired.

Krum entered next and greeted Harry with a handshake and a pat on the shoulder. He even smiled at him. Krum treated Harry as an equal, something about their celebrity status overcame any lack of interaction they had. Before his experiences as Harry Potter, Cody would've called Krum two-faced. But now he understood why someone would have a public persona versus a private one.

He returned the gesture. If Krum was going to be friendly it wouldn't hurt to reciprocate.

'Are you looking forward to this?' Harry asked.

Krum grimaced. 'I'd rather be flying.'

Harry grinned at that. 'Not a dancer, then?'

'No, I have great hand-eye coordination, but that never translated itself into rhythm or dancing.'

'Trust me, I know what you mean,' he said with a nod. 'If my mum didn't put me through lessons for years I would still be tripping all over myself. Now that I'm good at it, I enjoy it.'

'Well, you can have fun for the both of us. After the first dance, I don't know how much I will be out there.'

Cody lowered his head to hide his small frown. That didn't bode well for Daphne's fun for the night. He didn't know how much she enjoyed dancing, but given how excited she and Tracey had been about the evening, surely she wanted more than just one dance.

Cedric and Cho entered together next and made the rounds greeting the others. Cedric displayed his always friendly demeanour when he shook his hand.

'It's nice to finally meet you, Harry. I didn't get a chance after the task, but I wanted to tell you I thought your thing with the dragons was exceptional.' Cedric's energy was infectious, and there was nothing fake about it, this was how he was with everybody.

'Thank you. And it's nice to formally meet you as well, Cedric,' Harry said with a nod and a smile.

'Where are my manners? This is my date and my girlfriend, Cho Chang,' Cedric introduced his date with pride and an exaggerated wave of his arm.

Cho stepped forward and presented her hand as required. 'A pleasure to meet you, Mr Potter.'

'Likewise, Miss Chang.' He bowed over her hand in the same manner as he'd done with Fleur.

'Your robes are exquisite,' she commented with an impressed air. Her expression changed to a small grimace when her gaze darted to his scar and then to his hair. It was obvious that she wasn't impressed with whatever he was attempting on top. She didn't know, no one could know, how much time he spent trying to find a style for it. Nothing worked. It made him appreciate his more tamable long hair much better.

'Madam Malkin does fine work. Your dress looks very nice as well.' He returned the compliment with ease. It wasn't difficult, she was hot and this was hardly the first time he'd noticed.

Finally, and at the same time, Ginny and Daphne came into the room. They were both gorgeous in their own way. Instinctually, his eyes flicked towards Daphne.

She had her hair tied in an intricate knot on the top of her head, and a few curled strands framed her face, which from this distance appeared to have little to no makeup. Her royal blue dress had a fitted embellished bodice with a boat neckline and capped sleeves. A layered waistband matched the flair of the full-length A-line skirt that ended at the floor with soft-edged pleats. She was stunning, even if her look was simple, compared to the others.

Movement from Krum at his side as the Bulgarian seeker drew in a deep breath at the sight of his date reminded him that Ginny was his date and it might be considered rude if he stared at another girl.

Ginny sparkled from head to toe. Glitter glistened in her hair, on her cheeks, lips and even down her arms. Her copper dress was entirely covered in sequins that glimmered as the light struck from different angles. The fit accentuated her athletic build and flared below the waist to allow for comfortable and free movement. Her smile shone bright as she approached him and their eyes met. Any hints of the starstruck girl her brothers had described were gone, thankfully.

'Hello, Miss Weasley. May I call you Ginny?' he asked in his most distinguished tone and bowed over her extended hand. If he was going to go through this charade, he might as well go all-in and have some fun with it.

'You may, if I may call you Harry, Mr Potter,' she replied, playing her part just as well, a small grin tugging at her lips.

'I would expect nothing less. I have something for you.'

He reached into his pocket and enlarged the little plastic box before pulling out the box that contained her corsage. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the small arrangement of flowers, and he mentally patted himself, and his mom, on the back. He slipped the small band over her wrist and she twisted her arm to view the flowers from different angles, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. All eyes were on her and she didn't mind at all.

'You look great, you didn't need the flowers for that,' he said with a smile.

'They are a lovely addition, thank you very much. You look quite dapper yourself.'

The disappointment and envy from the other girls was palpable.

Cho turned to her boyfriend. "Why didn't you give me flowers?" she asked with a playful slap on his arm.

Cedric had the grace to look contrite, then smirked at Harry. "Thanks for making us all look like oafs, Harry."

Harry returned the smirk. "I can't help being a superior date."

That had the other young men groan with mock irritation, and the girls giggle.

They'd be in for the next surprise when they saw Ginny's and his first dance. He allowed himself another inward grin.

From a corner of the antechamber, Professor McGonagall watched the scene, a small smirk and a twinkle in her eye. Was she taking lessons from Dumbledore? It seemed to Harry as if she was oozing with pride at her little Gryffindor that he had shown up the other boys.

He shook his head a little. Mom had been spot on. Professor McGonagall had a mischievous streak, and it ran deeper than even he had previously thought. What better way to throw everyone off your trail than to have the reputation of an unyielding disciplinarian?

Harry looked around for a waste bin to dispose of the plastic container, but there was none to be found. As far as he could tell everyone was looking at Ginny and her flowers, so he shrunk the plastic in the palm of his hand and placed it back in his pocket.

He still had to introduce Ginny to the other champions so he offered his arm to lead her towards the other champions and introduce her properly.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. 'Excuse me,' she said. 'We are nearly ready to begin, and I need to give you some instructions before we walk into the ballroom.'

Harry stopped in his tracks. The introductions would have to wait.

When she was sure she had their attention, Professor McGonagall explained the order of events for the evening to them. They would parade into the ballroom in pairs to kick off the Ball, and continue in that fashion towards the table that was reserved for the champions and their dates. They'd have dinner, and after dinner, there would be another parade of the champions onto the dance floor. The four couples would open the ball with the first dance, and the rest of the ball guests would join them after the initial song.

Described like that, the task ahead of him didn't seem intimidating when. However, Harry knew how things changed when the lights were bright and all eyeballs were fixed on you. At least he felt good about his preparation, and Ginny was portraying confidence herself, so that helped as well.

The doors to the Great Hall opened.

'Fleur Delacour and Sebastian Lemieux!' Ludo Bagman's voice reverberated throughout the castle as he announced the first couple.

The cheerful shouts and applause of the assembly rolled into the antechamber.

'Viktor Krum and Daphne Greengrass!'

The applause was stronger this time, and the cheers louder. Krum had a strong fan base in the castle and among the foreign students.

'Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang!'

More cheers and applause. The Hogwarts students welcomed their champion in style, especially the Hufflepuffs.

'Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley!'

They marched out together to the roar of the crowd. The cheers were louder for him than any of the other couples, and he couldn't ignore the jolt of adrenaline of having your name announced and received by thunderous applause.

The lights were dimmed and a set of spotlights followed each couple across the Hall. The moment the spotlight was on them, a charm took effect that made each dress and set of robes give off different colors and sparkles as the couples walked to their places at their table.

All the tables in the Hall were set for twelve except the champions' which was set for eight. The round table had four pairs of place settings with a space between each pair. Ginny was on his left, and he held out her chair for her to sit. Fleur was technically on his right, though the space between them made it feel like they weren't even neighbors. Given the space, and that her boyfriend was on the other side he wouldn't have to worry about too many questions from her.

He had been concerned that this situation might be one where he was constantly peppered with questions about his life. The size of the table and the seating arrangement almost entirely put that worry to bed. He relaxed into his chair and observed the decorations floating around the Hall. Tinsel covered trees, candles, and even boughs of mistletoe were scattered about.

He caught Dumbledore's gaze, who gave him a subtle nod. So, the table arrangement had been his doing. That was thoughtful of him, knowing how much Cody wanted to keep Harry out of too much conversation.

Cedric was to the left of Ginny, which left Krum and Daphne directly across from him on the table.

As soon as all were seated, Dumbledore demonstrated how to request the food. His stomach rumbled and he realized he hadn't eaten all day, which for his body meant he had only missed breakfast, but he was still quite hungry as a result.

It was one of the better meals he had eaten at Hogwarts. This was confirmed by the fact that even Fleur seemed to enjoy the spread.

The conversation at the table was rather limited. Thankfully, Fleur talked to her boyfriend most of the time, they had plenty of catching up to do. Even without that, she wasn't a very talkative person. She wasn't one to initiate a lot of conversation, even amongst friends.

Harry and Krum seemed to have a gentlemen's agreement to not pry into each other's private lives, so there was little chance of him asking personal questions. Cedric spent most of the dinner trying to ease Cho's nerves. Daphne also seemed nervous, she kept looking over her shoulder at Tracey for her reassuring smile.

The air of nervousness that hung about the other two girls was completely absent from Ginny. She happily chatted about everything that came to her mind, and he was happy to appease her by carrying on a soft conversation with her. They mainly discussed Ginny's family. He only knew a little bit about her family, but it took more effort than he'd anticipated to pretend to know nothing. He misremembered the number of brothers she had and messed up a name or two on purpose. He felt a little stupid about it, but it beat the alternative of getting found out over something silly.

The conversation was a good distraction, it helped him to not sneak too many glances at Daphne. He did that much too often tonight. Her being directly across from him made it easier. He could just pretend he was looking past her.

She looked lovely tonight, even with her unassuming style. Fleur, Ginny, and Cho all glittered and sparkled with eye-catching makeups and glosses. In contrast, Daphne's makeup was conspicuous save her regular lip gloss, and her natural look radiated beauty. He had noticed her attractiveness before, it was the first thing that drew him to her. Ever since he had settled on just being friends for the time, he had stopped recognizing it, at least consciously. Tonight, with the way she prepared herself so uniquely from the rest, there was no mistaking that it wasn't just her looks that separated her from other girls. No, there was something more to Daphne Greengrass.

All those thoughts, and any further evaluation of them, came to a screeching halt as Ginny tapped his arm.

'Harry, they're ready for us.'

He turned his head around. She was right. Dumbledore was just introducing the Weird Sisters to raucous applause, and the other couples at the table were preparing themselves for the opening dance.

He stood up and held his arm out to Ginny.

'Harry, do you actually know how to dance?' For the first time all night, hints of nervousness entered Ginny's voice as she got up and took his arm.

'Just follow my lead,' he replied confidently.

'Oh, this is going to be fun!' she said with a big smile.

The tables and chairs in the Great Hall vanished as he led her out to their spot on the dance floor behind the other couples, in the same order as the pairs had been introduced. He turned to face her, took her hand in his and rested his other on her hip, while she put her free hand on his shoulder.

Dumbledore flicked his wand, and the Great Hall went dark. A moment later, a spotlight illuminated the band on the stage. Next, a set of spotlights lit up each couple.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, nerves for this moment had long since disappeared. The feeling of eyes watching him from the shadows was familiar to his championship wrestling match. Only this time, the person he would be sharing the spotlight with would be cooperating with his movements instead of fighting against them.

'Ready?' he asked.

Her brown eyes shone, her smile grew, and she gave a nod.

'Great. Let's have some fun!' he said with a roguish grin.

She replied with a nod and a grin of her own.

The music began, and he guided her into the dance. Mom had been right, all the practice maneuvering in tight spaces made performing on the wide-open dance floor feel like a breeze. He was able to let his muscle memory take over and thoroughly enjoy the experience. He spun, twisted and lifted Ginny so much he wondered if she would become dizzy. Her balance never faltered, and she followed his pushes and pulls with graceful, cat-like reflexes. The ease with which they dance would convince a casual observer they had been dancing together for months, or even years.

The song ended, candles relit and filled the Great Hall with light once more and a slower tune began. Ginny inhaled deeply and sighed in satisfaction. Her smile was sparkling, and her face shone with a sheen of sweat.

'That was bloody brilliant!' she exclaimed. 'I didn't know what to expect, but that blew everything out of the water. You are an amazing dancer!'

'You did great yourself!' Harry replied with a satisfied smile.

'I didn't do anything though, you did all the work.' Her voice was still breathy as she was trying to recover. He had put her through a workout of sorts and she wasn't nearly in the same shape he was.

'Eh, I don't think there are many girls here tonight that would've held it together like you did. Especially since we never practiced together or anything.' He wasn't lying just to be nice, either. He knew there were few other girls that possessed the same athleticism as Ginny. Even if some had been trained in dancing, he didn't think many would've been able to keep pace with him the way she had.

He caught a glimpse of Celine dancing with her date, now that others had taken to the floor. There's no way she would've gotten halfway through the routine, and for a brief moment, he was glad she wasn't his date.

'Thanks, that's nice of you.' She paused and bit her lip for a moment before speaking again. 'Do you mind if I ask you some questions about yourself?' she asked tentatively. 'I mean I know you probably want to maintain your privacy, but you can't expect me to not learn anything about you.'

'Yeah, that's ok,' he said with a small laugh. 'I expected that. I'm sure you'll get hounded for answers so I won't tell you anything you'd have to lie about.'

'I understand. Now, where to start? How about, outside of school, where do you live?'

'I can't answer that, sorry.'

She frowned at that. 'You've got to give me something. I'm going to make a rule. You can't just not answer,' she playfully decreed.

'Ok, I'll play along. I live south of here.' He wore a cheeky grin.

'See, you barely told me anything, but that was so much more interesting.' She returned his cheeky grin.

Their conversation was much more interesting than it could have been because of Ginny's little rule. He had to consider each answer and it led to some creative ways of saying "no comment." He had a feeling some of the answers he gave her would get circulated, and now he was intrigued at what sort of stories would come of them.

He let his eyes wander and most others were dancing now. Daphne had convinced Krum to stay out for at least a second song.

Good for her, he thought.

His gaze met with Professor McGonagall's. She raised her eyebrows, pursed her lips and gave an impressed nod.

He couldn't help the smile that split his face.

She smiled in return.

A warm feeling filled his chest. Since when did he care what a teacher thought of him?

They danced a few more songs together, and Ginny's smile was continuous. He had to admit she was a great dance partner, he was thoroughly enjoying this part of the evening. Eventually, they needed a break and made their way over to the drinks.

'You have to meet my brothers,' she half commanded, half requested.

'Ok,' he said. He had to bite the inside of his lip to prevent the grin from showing, he was anticipating this moment.

Ginny guided him over to where her three brothers were standing, drinks in hand.

'This is Fred, George, and Ron.' She used her arm to indicate each brother before using the same arm to point at her date. 'This is Harry Potter.'

'Nice to meet you all,' he said, extending a hand to shake with each brother.

'Nice to meet you, as well,' they each replied. They lacked their typical joviality, and it had nothing to do with Harry's celebrity status either.

'I like the scars, they look good on you,' he said to them. He made a gesture towards their foreheads, where each brother was sporting a Harry Potter-esque scar. Theirs were all significantly darker and bigger than the real thing.

'We think it's somebody's bad idea of a prank,' George said accusingly as the three of them scowled at Ginny.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She wasn't admitting to anything, but her satisfied smirk told the story.

'You think the memory of my dead parents is a prank?' Harry deadpanned. He hadn't planned that line.

'Er.' All three brothers glanced at each other with sheepish looks.

Even Ginny looked slightly abashed.

'Well, be glad it's just a prank and that you don't have to be reminded you don't have a mother or father every time you look in the mirror.' He was laying it on thick now, and it was a little callous but there was a certain satisfaction in seeing the twins on the receiving end of a prank and left speechless, Ron was more a victim of happenstance.

They kept their heads down, refusing to make eye contact, and the awkwardness began to build.

Ginny seemed to feel this as well and changed the subject. 'Ron, where's your date?'

'Over there,' Ron said, pointing across the room.

'Let's go, Harry. I want you to meet Luna. I won't make you meet anyone else if you don't want to.'

'Ok, that's fine. Nice to meet you guys,' Harry said as he walked away with Ginny.

He barely registered their mumbled responses.

After they had walked away a safe distance and before they reached Luna, Ginny grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

'It was me that kinda put those scars there. Well, it wasn't my idea, but I sure went along with it. I didn't think about it being in poor taste. I'm sorry,' Ginny said with regret. Her eyes pleaded with him to not be upset with her.

'Oh! Don't apologize, that was an awesome joke. I could tell they thought you had something to do with it, so I decided to play it up.' There was no way he could get mad at her. It was his idea after all, and even he hadn't considered how insensitive it could've been perceived. He didn't want Ginny to feel at all bad about the situation.

Ginny bent over clutching her knees as a bellow of laughter escaped her.

'You mean, all that about your parents, you weren't offended? It was just for show?'

'Yeah. Did I go too far?'

'No, not at all, they deserved it. But you seem pretty casual about joking about your dead parents. I don't mean to be rude, but that's not what I would expect,' Ginny said as they again began making their way around the room.

'Well, I didn't even know they were dead until I was quite a bit older. So, by that point, I had already developed a good relationship with those that were raising me. I was so young when it happened I don't even remember noticing my parents getting taken away from me. So, while it's not fun to think about, it doesn't cause a whole bunch of grief for me.'

'I see. I'm still sorry. I wouldn't trade my parents for anything,' Ginny said sweetly.

'You don't have to be sorry. I've had a good life so far, and I wouldn't trade my parents either.'

They stopped in front of Luna who was lost in thought, eyes scanning the ceiling with a dreamy expression. He had a vague recollection of her. Very vague in fact, only a couple of instances of passing her alone in the corridors came to mind. And she was a Ravenclaw, he gave himself a mental pat on the back for remembering that.

'Luna, I want you to meet my date, Harry Potter,' Ginny stated.

'I'm Luna Lovegood, it's a great pleasure to meet you, Harry,' she said, offering her hand.

'The pleasure is all mine,' Harry said with grace. And he bowed over her hand in the traditional greeting.

'I told you he would be a gentleman,' Luna said to Ginny.

'He has been nothing less,' Ginny replied with a pleased tone. Then she turned to Harry. 'No one knew what to expect, and some girls said that you were going to be an arrogant prat. Rita's articles haven't been real positive,' she admitted, a bit embarrassed she had given ear to those other girls.

'I tried to tell you they were just jealous,' Luna said.

'Yeah, you were right, thankfully.'

'Luna, would you like to dance?' Harry asked.

'I'd love to. My date doesn't seem interested,' Luna replied.

'Great!'

Ginny smiled at them as he led Luna to the dance floor.

'Has Ron danced at all with you tonight?' he asked.

'Yes, once. He said he was embarrassed by his robes and that scar. So he didn't want to be seen by everyone.'

'I'm sorry.' The robes, he had nothing to do with, but the scar, he was guilty of contributing to that, so he couldn't help the pang of guilt that struck him at recognizing the unintended consequences of his actions.

'It's ok. I wouldn't even be here if he had been able to find his own date. Ginny asked me to come with him. And I can entertain myself just fine.'

'Well, that's good. I don't think Ron means any ill will, he's just a little focused on his own situation.'

'I know. I've been friends with Ginny forever, I'm aware of her brother's social tendencies. I'm not surprised.'

'Hmm.'

'What does surprise me is you, Harry Potter. You are such an enigma. And yet the Wrackspurt infestation is as big as I've ever seen.'

'Excuse me?' He asked, confused.

'Your Wrackspurt infestation. They are almost synonymous with teenage boys, but you've got it bad.'

'I'm guessing that's another one of those magical things I haven't learned about yet.'

'Yes, but you won't learn about them at Hogwarts.'

'What do they do?' At this point he didn't even question when someone presented some new magical thing or idea, everything was weird, so there were just different levels of weird to him

'They make your brain fuzzy. The best description that I've heard is that it makes you feel confused, your feelings and brain aren't in sync.'

'Hmm, so if I start to notice conflicting thoughts and feelings, that's just the Wrackspurts?' he asked as he analyzed his thoughts so far through the night. Had there been moments of confusion? He didn't think he had been that conflicted, but he also hadn't had much time to ponder.

'That's the age-old question, which came first, the confusion or the Wrackspurt?' Luna said pensively.

'Age-old question?' he asked skeptically.

'Oh yes, for ages people have wondered whether Wrackspurts cause the confusion or if it is the turmoil that attracts the Wrackspurts.'

'I'm gonna be honest, Luna. I haven't felt that confused lately.'

'Wrackspurts can feast off your inner turmoil, the things that haven't even reached your consciousness yet.'

He drew in a deep breath. This was sounding really weird, even for magic, but dismissing Luna's words wouldn't serve any purpose, so he indulged her. 'So, is there anything I should do about it?'

'No, just know Wrackspurts aren't necessarily bad. Just be yourself, things seem to sort out if you are true to yourself.'

'Ok, that's good advice, Luna. Wrackspurts or not. But what if I don't even really know who I am myself?'

'If you want to talk philosophy, you should try somebody else.'

He laughed. 'You are funny, Luna. I like talking to you.'

She smiled. 'Thanks, most people think I'm weird.'

'Weird is fun, normal is boring. I'm glad I got to meet you, Luna.'

'I think you are weird too, Harry.' She smiled again.

He smiled back as he realised that was her version of a compliment.

She continued, 'I hope we can talk again sometime.'

'Thanks, Luna. I like the idea of that,' he said with a smile. He would pay more attention to the enlightening Ravenclaw in the future.

'Great!' She smiled brightly at him in return.

He returned with Luna to where Ginny was standing. As he was visiting some more with Luna and Ginny, Daphne and Krum approached the group.

'Are you having fun?' Krum asked Harry.

'Yeah, so far it's been good. How about you?'

'It's good, but I am just not a good dancer. My date would like to dance more, maybe you could dance with her.'

'Oh, uh, sure. I can do that.' He tried to keep his face neutral, but this was a surprise. He took a breath. This was no big deal.

'You don't have to if you don't want to,' Daphne said. Had she caught on to his slight unease at the proposal?

'No, it's no problem.' He forced a smile. 'Ginny, are you ok to hang out with Krum?'

'If you don't want to dance, can we just talk Quidditch?' Ginny asked Krum.

'I prefer that much better than dancing,' he replied.

'Go on, Harry,' Ginny encouraged.

'Thank you,' Krum said.

Harry gave him a nod and offered his arm to Daphne who took it and let him lead her out to dance.

As he found a suitable place to dance he considered what kind of dance to perform with her. The fact that he knew what he was doing on the dance floor was no longer a secret. So, he decided to lead her through a more active routine, allowing for less chance of much conversation, not that he didn't want to talk to her, but he didn't trust himself to be able to keep up the facade for too much dialogue.

He gradually increased the pace and complexity of the maneuvers, as Daphne showed no trouble in keeping up. The dance floor was crowded and it would take a lot of his concentration to avoid bumping into people.

Unless. . .

He could hear the voice of his friend, Victor, in his head, Did we train you to be a Jedi, or what!?

He let his magic flow, and now he could sense the bodies around him, and without focusing on it, he could dance without knocking anyone else over.

He allowed himself a small grin, Daphne was in for it now, and he began spinning, turning and twisting her nearly as much he had done with Ginny.

Initially, there were looks of surprise and trepidation on her face as she anticipated colliding with others. But when the collision never came she lost the anxious look and replaced it with sheer delight. Even a few squeals of glee escaped her when he surprised her with the first couple of lifts.

The smile on her face told him all he needed to know about how she felt about the dance. It wouldn't come off, and it was magnetic to his eyes. He didn't even try to look away now, that just wouldn't be a good dance partner, he told himself. And he was very glad he didn't have to think about the dance moves, cause his mind was not focused at all on what to do next, the only thing on his mind was that smile, and those eyes that sparkled with each spin, twist and turn.

He loved how happy she looked. Why did making Daphne happy matter so much to him?

Because she was his friend, of course.

But why was there this warmth spreading in his chest? Well, that was from the exercise, right?

If these were those damn Wrackspurts. . .

The song ended and he offered an arm to escort her back towards their dates.

Daphne paused and turned to him, 'That was great. But do you think we could dance another? I haven't had much of an opportunity, to be honest.'

He glanced at her, then back at Krum and Ginny. They were deep in conversation and he responded, 'I don't think they will notice or mind if we give them some more time together.'

'I don't think so either,' she said with a grin. 'I do need a little break, so can we take this one a bit slower?'

'Yeah, of course.'

The slower pace meant he didn't have the option of creating as much space or spinning her away as often.

The smell of her lilac perfume wafted near, it was a nice smell but it wasn't nearly as intoxicating as her mesmerizing smile.

'What happened while we were dancing?' Daphne asked curiously.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, at first everything was normal. But then, I felt—it was almost like a surge of magic. That's the best way I can describe it.' She paused and looked at him pensively. 'Did you have anything to do with that?' she asked suspiciously.

Harry ducked his head but it was too late, his attempt at aversion failed.

'What was it? At first, I was nervous, but then it felt like I knew I wasn't going to hit anyone.'

'You could feel that?' Now he was curious.

'Yeah, what kind of spell was that?'

'It's not so much a spell. It's more like using magic to help you be aware of what is around you,' he said thoughtfully.

'I see, that's interesting, and with no wand either. Just like when you shrunk that plastic box before the Ball.' Her tone was a combination of playful, suspicious, and curious.

'Yeah, that. Uh—' Great, how was he going to try and explain that? It would be easy to say, "That's none of your business," but he couldn't bring himself to be rude to Daphne like that.

'It's ok. I keep some magic to myself too. But wandless magic, I've only seen adults do it.'

'Just takes lots of practice, that's all.'

'I'm sure there's more to it, but you don't have to give me a magic lesson. I'm here to dance,' she stated.

He led her through another series of twists, turns, spins, and twirls. A big smile reappeared on her face, she really did like dancing.

'Krum isn't real big on dancing is he?' he asked. He did have some interest in how her night was going.

'No, not really. But he has been very polite about it and has tried. But I don't know if my toes can take any more of his efforts. No matter how much of a gentleman he is,' she replied with a hint of sadness.

He had no response for that. He didn't mind Krum, and he got along just fine with him, as Harry. But in his American form, Krum wasn't as amicable, and he didn't care to hear much more about him. They danced in silence, both of their eyes were scanning the room. He noticed Celine dancing, and she appeared to be enjoying herself. He was happy about that, at least she could still have a good time. She was dancing rather close to her partner. But it was just a dance, that was normal. But shouldn't he have felt something? Even a slight pang of jealousy that somebody else was dancing with his girlfriend.

Damn it, Luna!

He picked up the pace again, though not nearly to the degree as before, and not to the point where he had to use magic to avoid collisions. As they danced, he noticed Daphne's eyes regularly flicker towards the entrance of the Great Hall, and there weren't exactly a lot of people congregated there.

'You seem a bit distracted,' he commented.

'Oh,' she started. 'I'm sorry. Yeah. I guess. I was just looking for someone,' she replied nonchalantly.

This could be worth probing just a little bit more. 'Someone in particular?'

'Just a friend. He said he wasn't going to be here, but I thought I could sense something in his voice that he might have been joking. My friend Tracey and I tried to convince him to come. He hasn't been in the magical world for very long, and we wanted him to see this.'

'It has been a pretty special event,' he said.

'Exactly! That's what we said, but he played it off like it was just another dance. Then again, I felt like he wasn't saying something. He likes to be a little sneaky, so I thought maybe he would show up,' she said with a note of disappointment.

The words, "Just a friend, huh?" were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back. He wasn't quite ready for that answer right now, whether it be good or bad.

He also knew the Cody/Harry secret wouldn't last forever. And when Daphne found out, it wouldn't take long for her to remember this conversation and if he pried too much, things likely wouldn't turn out well.

'Who is that girl over there?' And he used his chin subtly to indicate the direction he was looking.

'That's Millicent Bulstrode.'

'Do you know if she came with a date?'

'Yeah, she came with Gregory Goyle.' Distaste laced her voice.

'Not a fan?'

'No, but I don't know how much is his fault, honestly. He just follows and doesn't seem to make his own decisions. I'm pretty sure he didn't even ask her himself, but she wasn't going to turn down a date either. It's sad, because she is really sweet.'

'Most people have good things to offer if you get to know them.'

'Most people,' she agreed.

A silence settled upon them as they continued to dance, and he let loose with some moves one last time. It was a selfish reason too, he wanted to see that bright smile one more time. He was not disappointed.

Her eyes locked with his and for a moment he got lost in them.

Had he said how pretty he thought she was? Well, he certainly hadn't said it out loud, but if he had forgotten, he was thoroughly reminded.

His stomach did a flip and a similar warmth filled his chest.

The hell, Luna!

'Well, Daphne, it has been a pleasure dancing with you,' he said as the song drew to an end.

'Same—Hey, how did you know my name?' she asked with a start. The introductions that were meant to happen in the antechamber never took place, and even when Krum brought her over to dance, the formalities were skipped and in his carelessness, he forgot to introduce himself when they started dancing. These details had not been missed by her.

'Oh, um, I heard it when you were introduced at the beginning of the Ball. My mum loves your name, so it caught my attention.' Fortunately, he had been paying attention and remembered the one time that night he had heard her name.

'Oh, right. Wait! Your mum? I—isn't she?' Her words were tentative, and she didn't even finish her question.

'Dead? Yeah, my birth mother is. But when you are taken in as a baby, and get treated like a son your entire life, you call the woman that raises you, "mum." '

She audibly sighed in relief. 'You don't know how happy I am to hear that.'

'I think I do,' he said while fighting a grin.

She gave a quizzical look. 'But now I'm curious how she would know my name? And well enough to say she likes it?'

'Well, you see, I got this letter—'

'Merlin. No!' she exclaimed, color rising in her face faster than water in a clogged toilet.

There was more than a small part of him that wanted to play it up a little bit more, but the look of abject horror on her face softened his resolve. 'I know you might be a little embarrassed, but you don't have to be.'

'I can't believe you actually got that! And you read it?' Her question had a note of hope that his response would be a negative one.

'Yeah, that's kinda what you do with a letter,' he said with a small smirk.

Her countenance fell.

'Before you get all despondent, let me tell you a couple things; my mum is the only one I've ever shown it to, and it honestly was the kindest and most generous offer, so you have nothing to be ashamed of. I never had to live in an orphanage, so you can tell your parents they won't have to put me up in their house. And you can call me Harry.'

She looked up at him, a forced smile on her face. 'I'd so like to go hide under a rock right now,' Daphne declared, tilting her head back down.

'You really don't have to. I already told you, I think it was very thoughtful of you, and the offer, extremely generous.'

'Ok, thank you, Harry. And thanks again for dancing.'

'It was my pleasure.' He extended his arm and she slid hers through.

They returned to their dates and they were still blabbering about Quidditch.

'Ginny, I'm gonna go dance with one other person. Then, I'll be all yours the rest of the night,' he said to his date.

'Oh, sure. No problem,' Ginny said with a smile. Talking with Krum was definitely going to be a highlight for her based on the attention she was giving him.

Harry walked across to the girl he had seen sitting by herself.

'Miss Bulstrode? Would you do me the honor of this dance?'

'Me?' Her voice was high and cracked in surprise.

'Do you know another Miss Bulstrode?'

'No.'

'Then, yes, I mean you.' He offered a hand, and she took it.

He naturally wasn't as tall as her, but with the platforms he was wearing, he not only reached her height but surpassed it. One of the benefits of the robes he was wearing was that they went all the way to the floor and hid the shoes, and the charms kept it that way. No one was the wiser and it was a nice distinguishing characteristic.

Millicent followed his lead very well. It surprised him, but when he thought about it, he didn't have a good reason for it. He mentally kicked himself for assuming these types of things based on her appearance.

He could feel the curious stares from people around them. He tried not to feel judgemental but he couldn't help the aggravation that was rising in him.

They chatted a little about things they liked to do, and he learned something new about her—she loved to draw. She never showed anybody her drawings because she was scared they wouldn't think they were good. Apparently, she was comfortable sharing this with him since he wouldn't be around to share it with others. Well, he would have to find a way to draw it out of her someday.

Their dance came to an end and he realized the conversation had been a good distraction from the looks that they were receiving. He paid them no mind as he escorted Millicent over to Goyle.

'Mr Goyle, your date is an excellent dancer and you'd do well to provide her more opportunities.'

'Uh—' Goyle scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

'Hey! You don't get to tell Goyle what to do!' Malfoy declared. Where the git came from, he couldn't tell, but where Goyle was, Malfoy wasn't far behind. Or was it the other way around?

Harry didn't even acknowledge his existence. 'Goyle. Your date.'

'Do you want to dance, Millicent?' Goyle murmured his question.

'I do,' she responded. She held out her arm for him to escort her, and he did. She smiled at Harry and he returned the gesture.

As they all began to walk away, Malfoy's voice rang out, cursing Goyle, Potter, Bulstrode, and proclaiming he was going to test the auditory abilities of his Father. Fortunately for Goyle, Millicent had a firm grip on his arm and continuously guided him towards the dance floor, even against the will of her date's taskmaster.

Harry returned to Ginny, who was finally finishing up her conversation with Krum, likely because Daphne had also just returned from her chat with Tracey.

Tracey's cheeks were pink from laughing, and Daphne's cheeks were pink with embarrassment. He understood, but still didn't think she needed to feel that way. He tried a friendly smile to ease her discomfort, and she forced a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

'Well, Ginny, shall we dance?' Harry asked his date, again trying for his regal tone.

'That would be lovely,' she replied elegantly. 'It's been nice chatting, Krum.'

'Yes. Maybe someday we will play against each other,' Krum replied.

'That would be something,' she said.

He escorted Ginny away and they danced, and they chatted. He learned quite a bit about her family. It wasn't hard, considering this was more than he'd ever talked to her, even during their months sharing a common room. She was easy to carry a conversation with, he was happy with his choice of a date, given some of the limitations that had been placed on his selection.

He frequently caught glimpses of his friends, Susan with Theo, Michael with Hannah, Astoria with Mathias. He was going to give Astoria such a hard time when she admitted she had a good time.

Then there was Celine, his eyes found her occasionally but not as often as he would have expected. If you had asked him so little as a few hours ago, she would have been his preferred date. Now though, after dancing with Ginny and Daphne, his answer might still be the same, but it wouldn't have the same level of certainty attached to it.

Ok! If these fetching Wrackspurts didn't leave him alone. . .

A check of the time showed there was just about an hour left until the party was over, not super late, but he wanted to get out of the Hall for a while. One last glance at Celine before he pulled Ginny back in from a spin.

'Would you like to go for a walk, Ginny? Maybe give me a little tour of the interesting places,' he suggested.

'Yeah, that sounds good,' she answered.

They walked together out of the Great Hall.

'Do you want to go outside, or around the castle?' Ginny asked.

'Outside.'

They walked together out through the courtyard and onto the grounds. Ginny described some of the things she found interesting and places where interesting events had happened as they meandered around. He had to recast the Warming Charm a couple of times to keep the both of them comfortable on this cold night.

As they made their way back through the courtyard he noticed Celine sitting on a bench by herself. He wasn't close enough to gauge her mood but that scenario didn't seem particularly positive.

Ginny then gave him a thorough tour of the castle. And even though he'd been here for months, there were still things she pointed out to him that he'd never seen or noticed before. They ended up back at the entrance of the Great Hall just as the final song of the night was beginning.

'Is it ok if we dance out here? he asked. 'I'd like to make a quick getaway when this is over.'

'Yeah, that's ok.'

She wrapped her arms around his neck and took a position Harry had resisted all night. He had said it was more fun to actually move around, even if some of the really slow songs made that more of a challenge.

In the end, she agreed with his fun sentiment, but for this last song, she wanted the closeness of the more basic slow dance.

'You know, this song is quite appropriate. And I don't know if I've already told you, but you do look wonderful tonight,' Harry said sincerely.

'You have. But a girl likes to be reminded, so thank you. And you have been wonderful tonight as well,' Ginny replied kindly.

They slowly swayed to the music, turning slightly with each step.

'Am I ever going to see you again?' Ginny asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

'I'll for sure be around for the second task. I could make it a point to come find you, if you'd like.'

'I'd like that,' she said with a smile.

He recognized the last few lines of the song and thought it a good idea to get his goodbye over with. 'Ginny, I've had a lot of fun tonight. More than I anticipated, honestly. So, I thank you for that and for accepting my blind invitation.'

'It was an easy decision, but this night has surpassed even my expectations. So, thank you.'

The song ended and he escorted her to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. He placed a very brief kiss on her cheek, 'Goodnight, Ginny.'

'Goodnight, Harry,' she responded, a smile splitting her face.

He set off quickly towards Professor McGonagall's office and he used side corridors and secret passages to avoid any crowds on his way.

His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts, and he could use some time to sort them out.

A/N- Next chapter is going through final edits right now and will be up as soon as it is ready, I won't hold on to it. Hopefully, a day or two.