Disclaimer: Harry Potter is a property of J.K.

WHITE LILIES

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE PINK INVITATION

I ran after them that day but I wasn't able to find them. I scanned the whole grounds for any sign of them but I found nothing. I guess if Ginny wants something, she'd do everything in her power to have it. Like hiding Harry from me for example. I went to the library after that and later did I find out that she took him to the Quidditch pitch. It was silly for me not to look there. Stupid.

It's been three days since our game began. The weekend was over and classes were resumed. What's a Hermione to do? Of course, burry herself in books and home works. I also tried to convince Harry and Ron to do the same, but – well, it's useless. They kept on talking about Quidditch and this wasn't good for me.

You see, Ginny keeps on appearing at places where Harry is. In the common room, in corridors, in meal Great Hall at meal times – everywhere! And once the Quidditch talk starts, I'll be out. They'll be talking about stuff I don't understand, things that I don't care about. If I try to join them, I'll look like a moron. You can't blame me if Quidditch is really not my thing. So, Ginny gets closer to Harry with Quidditch. So what? Big deal.

While we were in the library (Ginny's in class), I asked Harry if he noticed that Ginny was acting odd these past few days.

"She's always hanging out with us when she's free," I said. "Don't you think that's odd? Usually, she's not like that."

"What's wrong with that?" he asked. "I mean, she's my friend and I enjoy her company. I really like her, actually."

I almost killed him when he said that and my face fell.

"But you know I like you more than anything," he said and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You are the best – no, wait – the bestest girl I ever met!"

"Don't you think you're exaggerating?" I asked him, smiling in spite of myself. I was about to ask him if I was better than the girl that he was planning to ask out but decided not to.

"Nah...why should I?"

"You're just trying to pull my leg!"

"Of course not! You are the greatest girl I've ever met."

"Really?"

"Sure. You are my best friend and – I love you."

I turned scarlet. "Now, that's enough."

"What's wrong?" he asked, pouting. "Don't you love me?"

"No! I mean – yes! No, wait –"

"Tell me you love me, then," he dared. He looked serious.

"I love you," I whispered.

"What did you say?" He cupped his ear. "I didn't catch that one."

"I said I love you," I muttered a little louder.

"I can't hear you," he said in a sing-song voice.

"I said – I LOVE YOU!" I almost yelled and that caught the attention of the other students around us. They started looking at me and Harry who was practically grinning.

"That's better," he beamed.

After that incident, rumors that Harry and I was a couple went flying around the school. I spent half of my time telling everybody that it wasn't true, and Harry spent half of his time telling everyone that it was up to them to believe it or not.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him while we're in one of our Head Boy and Head Girl duties. We were to check if nobody was roaming around the castle at this hour.

"What do you mean by 'what do you think you're doing?'" he said, playfully.

"You know what I'm talking about," I snapped. "Why do keep on telling everyone that we're together?"

"I'm not telling them that!" he said defensively. "I told them to believe whatever they want to believe."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "They tend to believe that the rumors are true because of that!"

"Oh, is that so?" he said. "How fascinating."

"Fascinating!" I said hysterically. "What's so fascinating about that?"

"Well, I told them to decide for themselves and they choose to believe the rumors," he said slowly. "That must mean the rumors look real."

"What?"

"The rumors are about us being a couple, right?" he asked me and I nodded. "Then, maybe, we look exactly how the rumors describe us."

"Look exactly like what?"

"We look like we are together! Like we are so much in love with each other! Like – well, we are a couple!"

I felt hot around the face. "But we're not a couple! Are they crazy?"

"No, they're not," he whispered and I almost wasn't able to hear it. "They're just seeing the things that you're refusing to see. Or to believe."

"What?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Because you are in your final year here at Hogwarts, you will have your Graduation Ball," Professor McGonagall announced.

We were in our Common Room one Monday evening. The seventh years were all here because Professor McGonagall told us to. She said she was to announce some important things to us. What an important thing this is, I thought. When she said that we're going to have a Ball, the boys groaned and the girls murmured excitedly.

"The Ball will be on the fourteenth of February, which, we all know, Valentines day," Professor McGonagall continued. "And that would be this coming Friday. This Ball, like the Yule Ball that we had three years ago, will have a dance. And to be able to dance, you will need a partner."

More groans from the boys and more excited chattering from the girls. A partner. A partner. There is no more Viktor Krum to have pity on me now, I thought.

"Now, to the boys, I have here invitations for – every house has the same color of invitation, so do not complain Mr. Finnigan!" Professor McGonagall said when Seamus made a comment about the pink invitation. "You will give this invitation to the girl that you want to invite, even to the lower years. As to the seventh year girl that – uhm -- will not receive an invitation, she will, of course, be allowed to attend the ball if she wants to." Then she waved her wand and the invitations landed to every guys lap.

"Good luck, boys," she said and she left.

The girls began to giggle as the boys rose to their feet. I, on the other hand, felt nervous. What if I ended up without a partner? Would I still go to the ball?

I glanced over at Harry who was looking at his invitation. I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his face to look at me.

"Give it to her," I said slowly, thinking of the girl that he told me about while we were at the library. "Give it a shot. This is your chance to tell her how you feel."

"What if she refuses to go with me?" he said.

"No, she won't," I said assuring him. "I can feel it. I just know."

"Thanks," he smiled and stood up. He gave me a hug, murmured a quick good night and went to their dormitory.