Disclaimer: see first chapter.

As the Ball Turns

Are things already on the rocks for our young couple? Can the advice of their friends keep them together? Is a new relationship about to bloom? These are the questions answered in the coming chapter As the Ball Turns…..

"YOU DID WHAT!" Ginny screamed jumping off of Harry's lap.

"Honey calm down! We weren't together and I didn't know if I would ever get up the courage to ask you back out, and when I did I forgot that I had asked her. I am so sorry! What do you want me to do?" Harry said, trying to stay calm, while at the same time attempting to keep his possibly now ex-girlfriend calm.

"I want you to say that you were kidding that this is all a huge joke and that you weren't serious!"

"Well then I would be lying now wouldn't I?"

"How should I know? Can you just back out? No, never mind that was rude of me. I don't know; but I would like to go with my boyfriend to the ball." she stated sounding as though she was going to cry, "I really didn't think it was that much to ask of you. Harry if you would rather go to the ball with that fame-hounding-boy-crazy-tramp then I don't think I can be with you any more." she screamed tears streaming down her now red face. "DON'T!" she yelled as he tried to grab her hand and pull her back to him, instead she ran back up to her dormitory.

Harry, now standing, kicked the table in front of him, to his displeasure though he hurt his foot in the process. He then tried to think of ways to make it up to her, as he was doing this Hermione came back from the library. She walked up to a very stressed out Harry, he was scribbling hurriedly on a piece of parchment. He hadn't noticed that she had come back.

"Harry what on earth are you doing?" she asked him with a little amusement in her voice.

"I am trying to figure out a way to fix things with Ginny," he said hurriedly as he continued to scribble on the parchment.

"What did you do this time ask Romilda to the ball or something?" she said snorting with laughter, but then stopped suddenly Harry did not reply. "Oh Harry you didn't did you?" she asked, "Harry why would you do something like that, you know how Ginny feels about her!"

"Yes, well I just wanted to make sure that I had a date and I wasn't sure if was going to ever get up the courage to ask Ginny back out, and well, I panicked! What more can I say? I'm sorry and if I could do it over again I wouldn't have asked Romilda!" Harry said, then murmured more to himself than to Hermione, "I would never have broken up with Ginny to begin with if I had the chance to do this over again….."

"Well you could always set Romilda up with someone else. That way you could go with Ginny, and she wouldn't be so offended when you ditch her," Hermione suggested.

"Who does she like? Could you talk to them for me while I talk to Romilda?"

"Yes Harry, I suppose I could. Now go get some rest, it's been kind of a long day for you I'm sure. I'm off to find Ron, we have a dinner date tonight in the Room of Requirements!" Hermione said cheerily before trouncing off letting her bushy hair bounce along behind her.

"McLaggen! Harry wake up! Wake up!" Hermione shouted as she jumped on his bed the next morning.

"Was'smater? Whoze saing wrds?"

"Harry wake up! I found out who Romilda Vane likes! Wake up sleepy head!" Hermione said giddily while she just kept bouncing on his bed and consequently his legs.

"Ow! 'sits too early for words! Goway!" Harry said before pulling the covers roughly out from under Hermione and over his head, which resulted in her being thrown off the bed.

A whole two seconds later as Hermione sat on the ground ruefully regretting the choice to jump on Harry, the boy in questions sat bolt upright and said, "McLaggen? She likes him? Figures though if you think about it though. She would like someone who is as stuck up and arrogant as she is. So have you talked to McLaggen?"

"Yes and he's agreed to ask her out and you don't have to talk to her at all because he agreed to make it sound like you were dumping her for Ginny which isn't a lie really because you are. I'm sure he didn't mind making you sound bad though. He really doesn't like you much," Hermione said as she got up and rubbed her aching backside.

"Great! Anymore obstacles in view for today? Or is that all? Is Ginny still mad at me? Do I need to go sweep her off her feet and put on some extra charm?" Harry asked all in one breath.

"No, no, and yes it wouldn't hurt to put on some extra charm," Hermione stated.

"So how did she take this when you told her?" Harry asked her.

"Well she doesn't know yet. That much I am leaving up to you. You got yourself into this mess and you should do something to get yourself out of it. I'm off to breakfast. See ya later Harry!" she said leaving a very anxious Harry Potter in her wake, who for the first time in his life had no idea how to win a girl's heart.

A/N: now is there anyone out there who still thinks this is a formula romance? J