As the weeks went by Dinah's rage dissipated and turned inward. She chastised herself for her actions, after all, what business of it was hers? She presented an apology by crafting dozens of skiving snack box prototypes. She also made them each a very nifty and portable shop to showcase their newest offerings to the students.
In turn, Fred and George apologize for ditching her and admitting their substantial weakness to the charms of the Veela. While Dinah felt mildly better that maybe their judgment was clouded by external factors, she still felt a pang of jealousy.
These actions did not fix everything right away, there was still some driving force between the three of them. This so happens to parallel Ron and his friends Harry and Hermione having some kind of invisible wedge between them.
Turns out that Ron felt betrayed by Harry for being selected for the Tournament so he opted to spend significantly less time with him. The invading student population also claimed another friend in the group. Victor Krum, the Champion for Durmstrang, had begun monopolizing Hermione's time. Dinah could practically see the hearts shooting from her eyes.
Ron was quite unhappy with these most recent developments as well so Dinah found herself spending far more time with Ron and Ginny than she ever had previously. Much to her delight. They did not share the same penchant for mischief as she did but they did have a wicked streak just the same as hers. They loved plotting hypothetical revenge with Dinah which sometimes turned them into some petty pranks.
If one thing Ginny learned from spending so much time with the two is that, even if they refused to admit it, they felt cast aside by the people they were secretly in love with. Now, if Ginny were to call them out they would claim nonsense. Ginny knew though, from the day that she sat with Dinah after the twins were exposed, so to speak, that Dinah felt a lump of jealousy and despair that they didn't show interest in her.
Likewise, Ron was hurt by how quickly Hermione turned her head to the first handsome boy who paid her any mind. Ginny though would be far quicker to chastise her brother's poor choice of actions and words and cite them as a driving force. In Dinah's case, the twins were truly blind.
Ginny saw the beauty of Dinah for who she really was, and she was astounded at least one of the twins didn't see it. If her dimwitted brothers didn't open their eyes soon, another Weasly would certainly snatch her up, at least temporarily. Ginny was not blind to the glances Ron would give her or the way he watched her.
One evening Ginny and Ron were playing Chess when she caught Ron staring at Dinah who was leaning over the back of one of the couches talking to another student. Ginny kicked Ron under the table which brought him out of his reverie. "Fred and George are idiots," Ron said more to himself. "Why is that Ron?" Ginny watched him carefully. "She is bloody gorgeous and they did a number on her esteem with those Veelas." Ginny nodded, "I am not even sure she fully understands it herself. Hopefully, someone will ask her to the ball and it better be one of our brothers."
Just as Ginny stated that she saw Fred and George walk in with the girls on the quidditch team, they were draped all over each other chatting and laughing away. Ron also spied them and looked immediately to Dinah who glanced up at them and moments later turned to go to her dorm. Not without casting a little tripping curse toward the lot of them that just walked in. Ginny and Ron both looked at each other because they saw the hurt in her eyes before it became buried in her wide grin after watching the Twins and their group all stumble about.
Dinah, while mostly good-natured, was exploring her vindictive streak. Especially at the dance lessons hosted by Professor McGonagall. The Twins had caught Dinah high-fiving their younger siblings Ron and Ginny after casting a jelly legs hex on half the Gryffindor students, including every girl Fred and George tried to approach.
Fred and George were becoming miffed but they happen to be on their best behaviors after the skinny dipping incident because after the howler they received from their Mum and the near threat of expulsion from their head of house.
The Yule ball was a week away and so far everyone that sat in their group had yet to engage in the fluster of date requests. Hermione was the only exception since Krum had asked her two weeks before. She wandered around floating on a cloud of air. Harry and Ron were finally talking so they were discussing who they should ask. Ginny had her ears peeled because she secretly hoped Harry would ask her.
Dinah teased, "Ron, I am sure if you ask Peeves he would be glad to accompany you." Ron laughed, "Oh sod off Dinah!" He yelled a little too loudly. Fred and George turned to them, "Oh, and what has our little Dinah said now?" Fred smiled. Dinah pouted, "I am not little, I am taller than Ginny by at least two inches, yet she is not Little Ginny." George just shook his head, "Now, now, Dinah." Ron saw the mood of his friend quickly decline. "Guys I don't know what to do about the ball!"
Fred snickered, "You waited too long Ronnie now all the good ones are taken." Dinah visibly shrunk away from the words Fred uttered. It didn't go without Ginny's notice. "Oi you git, no one has asked me so sod off. Besides, only the wankers are left."
George peered around Fred, "Who you calling a wanker Ginny. I am already going with Alicia." Ginny was surprised and it was apparent by Dinah's features that she also didn't know.
Harry finally spoke up, "Ginny how about you go to the ball with me? I honestly thought Neville asked you because when I talked to him last week, he wouldn't stop talking about it." Ginny smiled and gushed her acceptance. Dinah was truly happy for Ginny, and it brought her great joy to see her friend getting asked by the one she wanted.
Fred turned to George with a strange look, "Shit, you asked Alicia? I thought…" George kicked Fred hard in the shin. Both boys glanced toward Dinah who was happily congratulating their sister. Fred happen to notice Ron watching them, his eyes held a bit of anger.
Everyone stopped talking when Angelina walked up just behind Dinah. "Hey Freddie, so Alicia is going with George. How about you and me go? I bet we would have a bangin' time." Fred smiled goofily, "Sure!" and with that the brothers high-fived themselves as Angelina turned to leave.
Dinah stood abruptly she muttered some words under her breath and she watched as the jug of pumpkin juice poured over Fred's head while a jug of milk poured over George's. Dinah slammed her hands down on the table and leaned toward the two twins, "I'll assume then that I am not good enough for you or anyone else for that matter, and please do remember that you are to no longer call me your little anything from now on!"
Fred and George were fuming as she walked away, then took their wands out and cleaned themselves up. They looked at the rest of the table, and they both asked, "What?" simultaneously. Ron shook his head, "No one has asked her to the Yule Ball." The twins looked at each other than at everyone else, "But we thought…" Ginny cut them off, "That's the problem, you're NOT thinking, at all." Ron just stood up and glared at the twins, "You just told her she wasn't good enough to be asked to the ball, then you go flaunting your dates in front of her when really, she just wanted to go with one of you." Ron shook his head in disgust. The rest of the table departed as well leaving the twins to dwell and what just transpired.
Ginny and Ron found Dinah in her dorm listening to her strange muggle music contraption. She was sitting on her bed staring at the stitching on her quilt. Ron sat in front of her and gently removed her headphones. He smiled warmly, "Hey." She smiled back, "Hey guys" Ginny sat on the side of Dinah, "Are you ok?"
Dinah smiled broadly, "Right as rain!" Ginny just scoffed, "Bull." Dinah just shook her head, "Flowers cannot bloom without a little rain and sometimes I need to provide the rain." Ron just shook his head at her riddled words. "I'm sorry our brothers are being twats." Ginny rested her head on Dinah's shoulder.
Ron grabbed Dinah's hand, "Don't listen to Fred and his stupid words. Look, I hadn't worked up the courage yet, but I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball." Dinah looked at Ron, "You want to go with me?" Ron smiled, "Why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't anyone for that matter."
Dinah lost the joy in her eyes, "Fred and George didn't but I should have known that Tweedles are fickle things and make many stupid choices." She smiled at Ron and leaned forward to hug him, "I would love to go with your Ron, I would be honored to go with a wanker like you." Dinah giggled and winked at Ginny. "I'm no wanker!" Ron protested.
Dinha stood up and twirled around in her joy, "But I bet you wank it at least once a day!" She laughed as Ron turned beet red and Ginny threw a pillow at Dinah, "Eww Dinah that's gross!" They just laughed some more before deciding to play a game of snaps.
Dinah, having seen Ron's dress robes quickly wrote her sister and Bill. Which happened to be staying with Alice since Dinah wasn't coming home for Christmas this year. Aunt Imogen did have some classic muggle tuxedos and a dapper cape from when she organized various local theatrical productions. Alice also made her sister a very fitting dress for the event as well.
Ron was relieved to not have to wear the ancient dressing robes, but when he saw Dinah coming down from her room. He was sure he was the luckiest git in all of Hogwarts. Dinah was never conventional and neither would her style of gown. Where most of the young ladies were wearing long gowns. Dinah's was knee length. The corset top was dark blue with deep navy accents. The Lacing up the back was a shimmering blue. The skirt was a multilayer chiffon in various tones of blue that matched the corset piece. The look was finished with a pair of navy and lighter dark blue striped tights. She wore a pair of chunky classic peep-toe navy lace shoes that coordinated with her dress. She completed it with a sweet little choker featuring a tiny tinkling bell. Her hair was a gorgeous shade of blue that matched everything.
Ginny and Harry gaped at Ron and Dinah together. Ron's tuxedo's accents matched the lighter dark blue of her dress perfectly. Ginny walked up to Dinah, "Oh Merlin who knew you were hiding such gorgeous ta-ta's!" Ginny smiled lightly and poked at the swell of her breast mesmerized by the way it moved. Ron slapped Ginny's hand away, "Hands off my date you perv!"
As Ron and Dinah walked to the Great Hall arm in arm, they were painfully aware of how many eyes were on the both of them. Ron stopped near one main entrance, "Dinah, I don't know if anyone has ever told you this. You are absolutely gorgeous." Dinah blushed and looked at a loss so Ron continued, "I mean that, whether you are dressed like this or whether we are hanging out in the common room on a Sunday in our pajamas, you are bloody gorgeous. I am sorry my brothers don't see it but…"
Dinah interrupted, "Thank you Ron. I must admit, you look very dapper as well." she ran a gentle hand through Ron's hair, it was soft and silky and her hand landed on his cheek, "You're very handsome yourself, those Durmstrang boys don't even compare." Dinah smiled warmly and kissed Ron's cheek and he blushed as brightly as his hair. "Come let us blow them all away with our most horrible dance moves!" Dinah linked her arm to Ron's and they waltzed in with their heads held high.
Dinah and Ron failed to see the reactions of Fred and George since they were already settled in at their table. George kicked Fred under the table and they watched unabashedly at the way Dinah moved. Their eyes grazed every inch of her and realized their Dinah was indeed no longer their little one, in the conventional sense. Fred hit George and whispered to his brother, "How could you? You were supposed to ask her!" George shook his head, "I know, I know but I saw the way you looked at her and I couldn't, I didn't have a chance to tell you before Angelina asked you." Fred looked down and fiddled with his hands, "We fucked up Georgie." George clapped his brother's back in agreement, "Don't I know it."
After the Champions danced Ron took Dinah's arm out to the dance floor. Anyone with eyes could see how stunning Dinah was and many others were never aware of just how handsome Ron could clean up if he tried. They turned so many heads that Dinah giggled, "It would appear that some of their heads may actually fall off." Ron laughed as well, "I don't think anyone has ever paid us this much attention. Not sure I like it." Dinah tucked into Ron a little more, "It is just for one night, think of it as one night in Wonderland, where we are not ourselves and when we wake in the morning, it will be as if it never happened."
Ron smiled, "Maybe I like having you on my arm, dancing with me, maybe I don't want it to be as if it never happened." Ron felt a sense of ease around Dinah, she was not judgemental of what is or is not proper, and she didn't impose her sense of proper conduct on anyone. Unlike Hermione who was always chastizing Ron for everything he did or did not do properly. He was resentful of the girl he had thought non-stop about since their first year at Hogwarts.
As if Dinah sensed it she squeezed him, "We both have a piece of our hearts elsewhere, and that is OK, as long as you don't share with me the part that she owns and I promise not to share the parts that your brother's own." Ron smiled, "So you do have a thing for them?" Dinah smiled wistfully, "Whether or not my heart has Fred and George-shaped pieces doesn't matter because neither of them has a Dinah-shaped piece." Dinah glanced over and saw the twins dancing with their respective partners, "I suspect my offerings are simply not enough for them."
Ron turned quickly in the waltz to change her scenery away from his brothers "I somehow doubt that, you have quite a lot to offer." Ron joked as he looked down at the swell of her breast. Dinah laughed, "Maybe Ginny got her perviness from her brother?"
As the evening wore on and Dinah danced with numerous people. She was surprised the twins hadn't asked. She had hoped they would, as she was on the dance floor with Hermione and Ginny, they nodded toward her, "Enjoying your time with Ron?" Ginny asked with a coy lilt. Dinah read the emotions that crossed Hermione's face. "I am having a wonderful time with Ron, even if I wasn't his first choice, at least he asked me." Hermione perked up, "Who was his first choice?" Dinah just shook her head, "Doesn't matter now, no point in dwelling on what didn't happen." Hermione pouted slightly, "You should take your own advice, Dinah!" She stormed off the dance floor. Ginny filled the empty space more, "Like she has any right to say such things." Dinah shook her head, "She is right. What's done is done, no longer a need to dwell." Ginny frowned at Dinah's words because she could see that she was hurt. That was happening a lot for the poor girl lately.
Ron approached, wrapping his arm around Dinah's waist, he spoke into her ear, "What did you say to her?" She looked to Ron, "I simply told her there is no point in dwelling on who you wanted to ask to the Ball since it didn't happen. She has no right to have an opinion since she was so easily wooed by that hot-head Krum." Dinah felt a hint of anger for how Ron had been jilted. Ron kissed her cheek and she turned into Ron to meet his lips, as she did she saw two flashes of red approach as she shut her eyes. Ron pressed his lips gently to hers and it was a simple and innocent kiss that held a desire for so much more. Dinah smiled and opened her eyes to see Ron smiling back at her. At this point, they were both shoved harshly on either side by Fred and George walking past them. They walked up to their dates and pulled them to the dance floor and began dancing with them in a slow and sexy fashion in time to the music.
Dinah just looked at Ron, he spoke first, "Come on, let's go play chess in the common room." Dinah smiled brilliantly, "I would love to!".