Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
"I'm sorry Neville, I couldn't understand you. What were you trying to ask me?" the painfully shy boy's eyes were fixed intently on the floor in front of him. If he could look at a girl with that level of intensity, Ginny mused, he'd probably be quite popular with the witches. Though no one seemed to have noticed, the boy had grown into his body some over the summer. The childish softness had faded as his face became more defined and there was an understated intensity in the eyes that looked warily out from the slightly overgrown hair that fell around his face.
"The-er-dance… I was wondering if you had a date yet or something."
"Nope. They're not letting anyone in my year go unless they're with someone older, remember?"
"Would you go with me?"
"Of course, Neville." Ginny beamed at the boy warmly, feeling a bit unsure. After a moment, she spoke again tentatively. "Neville, you know I like you a lot as a friend, but I wanted to make sure that was how you meant it. I mean, it's just that I don't think I want to date anyone right now or anything like that." Her stomach flooded with warmth and relief when she saw that his smile didn't fade.
"I like you Ginny, but not like that. I think we'd have a good time together." The quick hug they shared before rushing off in different directions to avoid being late for class was the last contact they shared before the night of the ball.
When Harry finally got around to asking her, Ginny tried to hide her discomfort while straining to hear the conversation taking place between Ron and Hermione. The other girl seemed genuinely flustered, and Ginny felt a very new and foreign surge of anger toward her brother.
Trying to avoid stirring up the chaos that already swirled inside her, Ginny focused on the gratitude she felt for Neville's invitation in that moment.