VIII—Avoiding a Date

Instead of visits to Hogsmeade this year, because of the complications involved, dances were scheduled at all of the celebrated holidays. Halloween had been fun and interesting with all of the cultures celebrating differently. Gwen and her fellow Northern Americans dressed up in costume and gave away sweets to people in the corridors, performing tricks and treats, as is their custom. Christmas was a relaxed festival with a wonderful feast for lunch so that the Great Hall could be transformed into a winter land ballroom. In February, a more romantic theme was scheduled. Out of all of the events, Valentine's Day was the most anticipated.

Harry did not need to worry about getting a date for the dance, he could not believe all of the invitations he had received. In the end, he decided to fly solo, as he had to the Halloween and Christmas festivities, a disappointment to all of the girls in his year and otherwise, except for Ginny, who knew his answer before he had turned down the first girl and had not bothered asking him, or hoping he would ask her.

Harry was in his office one evening, avoiding the glares of the girls who he had already turned away and the invitations of those who still thought they had a chance. There was a knock on the door and Harry bid them enter.

Ron entered the office, looking incredibly nervous. "I think the only time I've ever seen you this sick is when you were puking up slugs," Harry told him standing and walking to him. He took him by the shoulders and led him to the empty guest chair in front of the desk.

"Really?" Ron asked, preoccupied with his fingers.

Harry looked up from his work, "What is it? Do you have a problem with DA or is this about something else?"

"Something else, definitely something else…"

"Then spit it out!" Harry exclaimed, realizing how idiotic his pun must have sounded after his slug comment.

"I just asked Hermione to the Valentine's Dance."

Harry was speechless for a moment before his lips cracked into a smile and he exclaimed, "Well it's about time! How long have you been jealous of her going after other people? What did she say?"

"She said yes," he admitted. Harry could not tell whether he was nodding or shaking uncontrollably.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know. This just feels so—official," he blurted. "Like there really is something between us!" There was a glimmer of happiness in his eyes before it was replaced with the ill expression he had entered with.

"Of course there is, Ron. There has been something between the two of you since you were fourteen. You just cannot hide it anymore that's all. She was pretty furious that you hadn't asked her to the Christmas Ball and you went alone with me."

"Well, going alone is better than going with somebody else."

"That's true; she knows that Lavender asked you on Halloween. Remember she was nearly begging!" Harry said. "But it doesn't matter now because you're going with Hermione."

Ron could sense the jealousy in his voice, "W-were you hoping to go with her?"

Harry snorted indignantly, "Ron, Hermione will only ever be my friend. I would like to go with anybody because that would mean that I don't have anything else to worry about."

Ron stood with his mouth open. His face had lost its sick green colour. "I would give anything to have the attention you have! Nearly every girl in Hogwarts is dying to be with you!"

"Yes, but all you need is the attention of one girl, and you have that," Harry said.

"So do you, Harry, or have you forgotten?"

Harry, now in a mood, looked to the fire much as he had when the girl who Ron now insinuated had first entered his office. "Ron, I've told you, and her, the reason."

"But you're breaking her heart. Every day she looks at you with the same look that I—that I see Hermione with. I know you feel the same way, Harry. I didn't give you my blessing so that you could take it for granted," Ron exclaimed.

Harry nearly laughed but held his tongue, "Well it was very grown up of you to give us your blessing, but relationships and I just don't mix right now. In case you hadn't notice, I care about Ginny so much that I don't want anything to happen to her, after all, my fate is a little dangerous."

Ron sighed, "It's not just Ginny who looks at you like that." Harry groaned. "I was talking about Gwen too."

"Gwen?" Harry's eyes grew wide and his swallowed hard.

"Yeah mate, she's got it for you hard. When you're not around so that she can look at you, she's talking about you and when her voice hurts too much from talking about you, she's doodling little pictures in her book of you and her and hearts and writing your names in hearts forever, and signing Mrs. Gwen Potter all over pieces of parchment. I'm honestly surprised she hasn't handed in an essay with Gwen Potter on it yet."

This piece of news surprised Harry. He felt a little ill himself, "I had no idea."

"Of course you haven't, you've been too busy teaching and studying. It's all you ever do mate."

Harry realized this. At this time of year, he usually had some conspiracy or other about Malfoy and strange goings on in Hogwarts, but surprisingly, his seventh year at Hogwarts, so far, had been relatively quiet. He was not disappointed at this revelation, quite the opposite; in fact, he had never felt such a release of stress from his shoulders since he was eleven years old. Only to be replaced by a different kind of stress.

"And I'm perfectly happy with that."

"What are you going to do about Gwen?"

"Is there anything I can do? It's not my fault she has a crush on me."

Ron stopped fidgeting with the Dark Detector on Harry's shelf that he had received for Christmas from the Phoenix and looked warily in his direction. "Hermione's worried about you, you know."

"When is Hermione not worried about something?" Harry asked, "Actually let me rephrase that. When is somebody not worried about me?"

Ron sighed, "Don't shoot the owl, mate."

"I know I'm sorry, it's just stress, you know."

"I know. Say, I got Fred and George to send me some Fire Whiskey, I could go get it and we could have a drink. Take off the edge maybe?"

Harry chuckled at Ron's kindness. "When did you become such the drinker?"

Ron laughed, "Well, we are of age now."

"Yeah, you've been of age for nearly a year and you've never spoken of sitting around and drinking Fire Whiskey. What would your mother say? And I'm your professor, what would I say?"

The look on Ron's face nearly made Harry peel with laughter. He was not sure whether he should pass off what he offered as a joke or laugh along with Harry. He took a chance and started snickering. Soon, they were both laughing so hard that they did not need any drink to make themselves feel high.

"Hey Harry, is that an owl?" Ron asked.

"What? You don't know what an owl looks like?" Harry turned to the window, stifling his giggles, and sure enough, there was a black owl perched on the window. It was almost invisible against the night sky. It tapped lightly against the frosted glass with its hooked beak. Harry forced open the window, shivering at the cold air blowing in. The owl fluttered in on light wings and perched by the fire, where Hedwig would usually sit if he were not in the owlery, catching mice.

He had never seen an owl so black before. It caused Harry to shiver, sending spooky feelings down his spine. There was a note tied with a string to its leg, which it stuck out for Harry to untie. Harry did so and let the owl rest for a bit as he read it.

Beloved Harry

I am sorry I could not muster the courage earlier, but I would like to ask you to the Valentine's Day Ball. I have been told you have no date, and it would be a shame to go alone. I never seem to be able to catch you by yourself at an appropriate time, and I wanted to ask you privately so I am terribly sorry if this owl seems too impersonal for you.

Yours always,

Gwen Skrinkenshaft

"Skrinkenshaft?" Ron giggled.

Harry sighed. "How am I supposed to deal with this?"

Ron stopped his laughter when he noticed that Harry was no longer enjoying himself quite as much. "Well, you could pretend that you didn't get the note."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "How do I do that?"

"Well, you could avoid her, not that that would be difficult, you seem to be doing that a lot anyway. I could take the note and tell her that I was in your office when the owl came you were out and I did a most disrespectful thing and read it. I could tell her no such luck for her. It'll break her dear little heart," he laughed, "but I'd do it for my best mate."

"Sounds brilliant. We could do it right now, I'll head back to the tower, you stay here a few moments. Tell her I'd already left when you got here," Ron nodded as Harry packed up his things and set off.

When Harry arrived at the Gryffindor common room, Gwen was sitting on a sofa with her back to him, chatting with Hermione and Ginny. Ginny looked up as Harry passed and she gave him that recognizable look of longing and a short smile. Harry shook his head and bolted up the stairs, which, to Ginny, would have been odd behavior on Harry's part. However, Harry knew that as soon as Ginny saw him, Gwen would see Ginny's expression and look for Harry. He hid just out of sight on the steps leading up to the boy's dormitory.

Ron entered minutes later and went toward the group of girls. He approached Gwen confidently handing her the note saying, "I found this attached to an owl, I believe it belongs to you. Trust me, he won't."

Harry sighed, Ron's act seemed good enough but the next moment, Harry could hear sobs and screams erupting from the common room. Oddly enough to Harry, they were not Gwen's sobs of disappointment.

"You asked him to the Dance?" Ginny erupted furiously. Harry risked a peek around the corner. Ginny was standing, her wand drawn, hovering over Gwen, who was somewhat cowering on the Victorian styled chair her letter to Harry crumpling in her hands. "After what I told you, you still had the nerve—"

"Stop, that is enough!" Harry could not handle it anymore; he was tired of the bickering that went on between all of the women who lusted for him. He no longer wanted to hide behind Ron like an immature child, making it Ron's responsibility to turn all of these girls down for him. "Once and for all; stop your fighting. I am not going to the dance with anybody. At this rate, I don't even think I'll go to the dance!"

Ron stood close to Hermione, away from the other two girls, who did not seem to take any notice except of themselves and Harry.

"Oh, good one Ginny, you've turned him gay," Gwen spat.

Ginny, with righteous fury, flicked her wand, but was too slow because Gwen blocked whatever hex she was sending her way.

Before the battle could get any dirtier and before anymore, embarrassing name-calling came forth, Harry put a stop to their fight. He stood between them both, and announced that they would be attending detention next Saturday evening in his classroom. "That's right, next Saturday, Valentine's Day," he added manically.

They both stood shock faced. Even Ron and Hermione were surprised. Before they could retort, Harry stormed out of the common room up to the boy's dormitory.

Shortly, when Ron came up he told Harry that it was a right rotten thing to do, but he honestly thought that both of the girls deserved it.

I would like to thank personally all of the people who have so far reviewed this story (if I've done so already just ignore me) because not only am I writing for my own health and sanity, I'm writing to keep you entertained! So here goes: Potter-crzy, hglvr42593, PSmith, Anna, ChocolateMoonyGal, animeanigel, and CSI Queen. Thank you for your wonderful comments, keep it up, it gets the chapters out quicker! ;) How did you like this chapter?