Dani was so tired the next day that Jackie had to wake her up. Thankfully there were no classes because the Professors had been smart and knew that everyone would need a day for recovery.

"Come on, Dani," Jackie said with a sigh, shaking her friend. "Help me! Bri's head hurts and I don't know what to do to help her."

"Go away." Dani shoved her pillow over her head and tried to sleep again, but now that she had been woken she could hear Bri's groaning and it was incredibly distracting.

"Murder me..." came a whimper from Bri.

Suddenly, Dani's mind decided to remind her of something and she squeaked, falling off the side of her bed in shock.

"Are you okay? You didn't get drunk too, did you?" Jackie asked, rushing over to her.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility just yet," Dani muttered, putting her head in her hands. How did she manage to get any sleep last night knowing that she'd kissed Malfoy willingly and then told him she'd go out with him!?

Maybe she really was drunk. But she didn't have a headache.

"Well is there anything we can do about Bri's headache?" Jackie asked.

"Please, just stop talking." Bri mumbled. Her hands were pressed over her eyes tightly.

"I'll go see if any of the guys know some useful spells to get rid of hangovers." Dani said, standing up and grabbing a jacket before leaving the room and going downstairs.

The first person she saw was, coincidentally, Harry. As soon he spotted her he turned away though and she sighed. Ron was just walking down as well and Dani moved over to him quickly.

"Hey, do you know how to get rid of a hangover?" she asked him.

"You're hungover?" Ron asked in shock, eyes widening.

"No, Bri is. But do you know any spells for it?" Dani continued. He frowned and then shook his head.

"Nah, sorry, but Seamus does," Ron half turned around again. "I'll go get him."

"Thanks." Dani said as Ron disappeared upstairs.

"You could have said no. I wouldn't have gotten mad." Harry said quietly. Dani slowly turned to face him and her heart sunk when she saw that they were the only people in the common room.

"Said no to what?" she asked cautiously.

"To going with me to the ball." Harry folded his arms and stared at the floor.

"Harry," Dani took a step towards him. "I didn't-"

"It's alright, I'm just disappointed." Harry shrugged. "See you around, yeah?"

Dani watched in despair as Harry turned and left the common room without a backwards glance. She was thinking about running after him when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Seamus.

"You needed a spell for a hangover?" he asked.

"Yeah, Bri got a bit drunk last night." Dani nodded, trying to sound normal but not able to keep the sadness out of her voice. What was she supposed to say to Harry, anyway? I'm sorry I ditched you but now I've come to realise I'm in l- that I like Malfoy?

"Want me to teach it to you or are you gonna bring her down here for me?" Seamus asked curiously.

"I'll go get her." Dani said, turning and walking off. If she tried to do the spell she was sure her sadness would make it fail.

Bringing Bri down was difficult. She complained loudly of the pain and the noise and the light, so halfway down the stairs Dani was tempted to drop her and give up. But she didn't because she knew if their positions were swapped Bri would have done everything she could to make Dani comfortable again.

"Ah, here she is." Seamus said, walking over. Bri whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"Make it quick." Dani said. Seamus nodded and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Bri and then muttering the spell. The effect was instantaneous.

"Oh my gosh, I thought for sure you were gonna blow my brains up or something." Bri said, standing up on her own now. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Seamus said, rolling his eyes and leaving.

"Dani, how was your night last night? I had so much fun! Dayn is so sweet." Bri grinned.

"Um, yeah, my night was okay." Dani shrugged. "Can I get back to you on it, though? I have to go talk to someone."

Bri watched her silently for a moment before frowning. "Did you and Harry fight?"

"I'll tell you all about it later." Dani promised.

Without saying another word, she turned and left the common room.

*

Walking into the Great Hall, Dani swept her eyes around the room quickly in search of Harry. She didn't know where he'd be, but it seemed likely that he would have come to eat breakfast before going anywhere else.

Her eyes widening slightly, Dani saw him sitting across from Ginny and laughing at something she'd just said. A small spark of jealousy flared within her and she tried to smother it. She had no right to be jealous now that she had a boyfriend.

Wow. That was a weird thought.

Walking over to the Gryffindor table anyway, Dani sat down quietly beside Harry, staring at the table and avoiding his eyes as he glanced over at her. His conversation with Ginny abruptly ended and they all looked in different directions.

"I need to talk to you." Dani whispered, still not looking up.

"There's nothing to talk about." Harry replied.

Turning to face him, Dani grabbed his arm. "Harry, please, can we just go somewhere so I can explain?" she begged.

"You don't have to explain anything! I know what happened." Harry said firmly.

"Then you'd know it wasn't my fault." Dani said, studying his face for a reaction. There! Harry frowned and turned away slightly and she knew he didn't know the truth.

"It's okay Dani... you don't have to sugarcoat it-"

"Harry, if you don't come right now I am going to hex you into the Slytherin table." Dani growled threateningly, interrupting him.

Clenching his teeth together, Harry stood and began walking towards the doors. Dani quickly jumped up and followed after him, glad that she would be able to talk to him in private. As cute as Ginny was, she was very dangerous. She didn't need the red-head to find out about what Katie had been doing.

Outside the Great Hall, Dani pulled Harry down an empty corridor before stopping and facing him.

"The day you asked me to the ball Katie had come to speak to me and begged me for help. She wanted to swap places with me so I did and she pretended to be me while I was gone. You asked her at first, and then I said yes when I came back. With me so far?" Dani asked, watching Harry closely. He nodded slightly. "Okay, then when we were going to the ball, Katie ran up and dragged me away, pretending to be me and forcing me to pretend to be her. When I came to swap back I called her Dani just to keep up the pretence. I was with you outside when our clothes changed. But when we went in to dance, do you remember spinning me out so that our fingers hardly touched?"

"Yeah."

"Katie pulled me away and swapped places with me in an instant. I hadn't even been expecting her! But then you were dancing in a different direction and you didn't even see me. I'm so sorry Harry, but that's why and how I came to run up at the end, dragging Katie away again. Do you understand? I wish it hadn't happened!"

Harry was silent for a moment as he took in everything Dani had just said to him, his eyebrows creased slightly in thought. "What did she want you to swap places for?"

"She thought for some strange reason that I'd be able to make Malfoy like her again since what happened with Dayn, but obviously it didn't work." Dani shrugged in explanation.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I thought you didn't even want to go with me in the first place." Harry murmured, looking down at his shoes.

"At least we're okay again, yeah?" Dani asked with a small smile.

"Yeah... Dani?" Harry glanced up and then looked down again, his face slightly red in embarrassment as he shuffled his feet.

"What is it?" Dani asked curiously.

"Well," he shrugged. "I've just... liked you a lot for a while... and I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?" His voice was so quiet at the end that Dani had to lean forward to hear what he was saying, but a small smile appeared on her face when she realised he was asking her out.

"Harry-" she began to say happily, but then stopped, her face paling and her smile fading.

"Y-yeah?" Harry asked, still staring down at his feet and not noticing Dani's look of horror.

How could she say no to the boy she'd had a crush on for years? Why on earth had she said yes to that stupid jerk Malfoy?

"Look... the thing is..." Dani took a deep breath and let it out again, wincing as Harry looked up and finally noticed her discomfort.

"You don't like me like that. Okay, sure. Fine. That's fine." Harry began nodding quickly.

"No! Harry, I do! Which is why... I have to say that in five minutes, my answer will be a yes. But for now, it's a no." Dani rushed out her words.

Harry blinked and then frowned.

"No?"

"Promise me you won't move? Stay here until I get back, okay?" she asked desperately, grabbing his shoulders.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked cautiously.

"To sort out my life within five minutes so that I can say yes to you!" Dani exclaimed, before flashing him a grin and running back to the Great Hall.

Harry still wasn't sure what had just happened, but decided it would be best to wait for her to come back so that she could explain again.

Dani didn't even stop to think about what she was doing as she ran over to the Slytherin table, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She spotted Draco quickly and made her way over, skidding to a stop behind where he was sitting.

"I have to talk to you." she burst out quickly. Draco slowly stood up, smirking as his friends looked at what was happening in confusion, and faced her with one eyebrow raised.

"I thought we were meant to keep all this hush-hush, but if you want to make it public-" Draco began saying slyly.

"I'm dumping you." she snapped, interrupting him before grinning uncontrollably and running from the Great Hall again.

Draco was left to stand there in shock.