Falling Some More

As he passed Ginny in the corridor, she winked. As soon as she was out of earshot, Terry started making comments that would've made anyone with any kind of decency blush (let's just say that if Padma had been present, he would've never been anywhere near this vocabulary). As Michael's colour did heighten (even though he point blank denied it) he had to suffer even worse from Terry's mocking, and Anthony's questions if the two of them weren't getting somewhere by now.

Those questions were, however annoying, justified. It had been months since the Yule Ball and the sort-of-flirting with the first girl ever to have left him speechless (if only briefly), and the dancing with her scent of flowers and girl so intoxicatingly close that his head had been wiped completely empty (something she had made sure to mock him endlessly about, afterwards, even if she herself had been unusually quiet in his arms and he couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't had a similar effect on her – even if he'd never dare mention this suspicion).

That had been at Christmas, and now it was almost the end of term. They had continued to talk, now and then, when they met in the corridors, in the Great Hall, even spending longer periods together once in a while, just getting stuck in a conversation. There was still that easy banter, the flirty tone of it all that alighted his hopes for the possibility of something more. And yet, after all this time, that was all.

It was getting ridiculous. It was almost the summer holidays. He needed to do something about it. If only to get Terry off his back (of course, it was not only that, but also the fact that her red hair and playful grin were everywhere and driving him kind of insane).

He'd made up his mind, and had made sure to walk alone down to dinner, in the hope that she'd be arriving at the same time. She had not. Feeling utterly pathetic, he had all the same proceeded to hover, just outside the Great Hall, receiving many questioning looks. At last, he spotted her, thankfully alone.

"Hello, Mikey," she greeted him with a broad smile.

For once, he didn't simply fake a scowl at her nickname and enter into their normal routine. He instead simply attempted a grin and greeted her back. She stopped in her tracks, looking at him in something between surprise and suspicion, obviously waiting for an explanation for his sudden extreme nervousness (he cursed his hand for immediately flying to his hair when he was awkward, giving him away).

"Well, um, Ginny? I was kind of wondering something."

She simply raised her eyebrow, and waited. When he didn't continue, she chuckled. "Geez, Mike. Who died?"

"No one," he muttered, consciously stopping his hand half-way back to his head. "I just, er – was wondering. Well, thinking is more like it. I was thinking that – well, you know, me and you – "

"I'd say so," she nodded in amusement. "I've known you for about six months, and me for about thirteen years. And now that we've established that…?" she left off, waving her hand in the air. From the smug look on her face, she had already figured out where he was heading, but wasn't going to spare him the trouble of actually getting there.

"Er, yes," he said, taking a deep breath, before starting to speak in a much higher speed than normally. "I wanted to tell you that if you don't have plans or anything, you could come and watch the third task tomorrow with us. I mean, with me. But, y'know, Terry and Anthony'll be there too, I guess, but you'd be going with me. I mean – if you'd want to…?" he trailed off, cringing as he realized just how rambling he was getting.

Ginny giggled, before unexpectedly pressing her lips against his cheek for a second. "Yes, Mikey, I'd love to go with you," she said, grinning brightly as she pulled away again. "I'll see you tomorrow then!" she called, leaving him dumbstruck, feeling the place her lips had touched, trying to comprehend that he had actually asked Ginny Weasley to an official date – and she had actually agreed to go.

A/N: Next up, the Third Task!