The door to Remus' office was slightly ajar. Harry knocked twice to indicate his presence, and then entered the room without waiting for a reply. Remus was busily fussing over a cage, which contained a particularly ugly elfish creature called an Erkling. Harry figured it was for the third years' next Defense lesson. They had taken up Erklings around Christmas during his third year too.

"Hello, Harry," Remus greeted as he straightened up, smiling calmly at Harry.

Harry returned the greeting and the smile.

"You're not busy are you?" asked Harry. "I can just come back later."

"No, I've just finished," said Remus. "Come, sit down. Where's your Sneakoscope?"

Harry sat on the only remaining seat, which was directly opposite the Erkling's cage, and put his Pocket Sneakoscope on Remus' table. The Sneakoscope lay limply on the table. It had somehow lost its ability to balance on its point. Remus asked Harry what happened to the Sneakoscope, trying to diagnose its problem. Once he had figured out what was wrong with it, he told Harry the correct spell to fix it. It was one of those spells that worked better when more than one person performed it, so they did it together, with Remus guiding Harry on what to do. A few minutes later, the Sneakoscope was standing on its tip, good as new. Harry grinned triumphantly at Remus.

"Do they teach you this at Auror training, Professor?" asked Harry.

Before Remus came to teach at Hogwarts, he had worked as an Auror for the Ministry. About two years ago, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had found out that he was a werewolf and he was convinced by one of his advisors to sack Remus. The Head of the Auror Department had tried to stop it, but in the end, he was given no say on the matter. When Dumbledore heard what had happened, he immediately asked Remus to teach at Hogwarts, and, luckily for everyone at Hogwarts, Remus took the position.

"They cover it, but we're not really required to learn it," replied Remus. "I learned it because I thought that it might come in useful someday."

"Well, it came in useful today," Harry said gratefully.

The Erkling in the cage had been 'following' their conversation, eyeing whoever was speaking. It must have gotten bored because it suddenly let out a high-pitched cackle. Harry knew for a fact that the cackle was particularly entrancing to children, but it had little effect on him.

"Silencio," muttered Remus, pointing his wand at the Erkling. It was still opening and closing its mouth, but no sound came out. "At your age it must still sound okay, but it gets irritating once you grow older…. As I'm sure you remembered," added Remus, grinning at Harry.

Harry nodded; Remus had told them that in third year. "I wonder how Ginny would react to this," he said, gesturing at the Erkling, which was now staring angrily at him.

"Ginny Weasley?"

"Yeah," replied Harry. "I mean, she likes gnomes, says they're funny…and this thing looks a bit like a gnome, so maybe she'd like it. Then again, maybe it's just gnomes. She once had a pet gnome when she was little."

"Did she?" asked Remus, sounding both surprised and amused. "Well, I guess I learn something new about my students every day."

"Yeah…she's a little insane," continued Harry, grinning. "And she always says everyone's a little insane…probably right too."

Remus smiled at Harry, he looked rather amused. There was also something else in his expression, but Harry couldn't place what it was.

"So," began Remus, "who're you taking to the Yule Ball?"

Harry narrowed his face jokingly at Remus. "Were you the one who told my parents and Sirius that they'd already announced the ball?" he asked.

"No, of course not," Remus said calmly. "You know your parents—and Sirius—they have their ways. Have they given you 'advice' already?"

"Yeah, their owls came this morning," Harry replied darkly. "During breakfast, with everyone around…."

"What'd they say?" Remus asked, chuckling.

"Well, Dad said to find out everything I can about whoever it is that I want to ask, and also, mess my hair up. Mum just said to be sincere. And Sirius said to smile and stare…I mean, what does that even mean? I'd look like a dolt!"

Remus burst out laughing. It took him several minutes to regain his composure.

"Sirius used to do that all the time when we were in Hogwarts. He'd smile and stare intently at a girl, and the next thing you know, he's taking her to Hogsmeade."

"Well, I'm not Sirius, I can't do that."

"I remember our first school dance," Remus said reminiscently. "We were in fifth year then. Your Dad wanted to ask your Mum, but his nerves kept getting to him—"

"Really? Mum said that he was always so confident."

"He never let her see how nervous he was. He'd come up to her all sure of himself, and maybe that was why she kept thinking that he wasn't sincere. But Sirius and I knew better. Asking her to the Ball was no different for James. We had to keep reassuring him that she'd say yes."

"Did she?"

"No…you know the story Harry, your Mum didn't agree to any date with your Dad until seventh year. She turned him down when he asked her to the ball, so he went stag instead, pun not intended."

Harry chuckled at Remus' joke. "Did no one else agree to go with him?" he asked, worrying that no one will agree to go to the Ball with him either.

"Nah, there were quite a number of girls who'd have given anything to date him," replied Remus, "but he said he'd rather go by himself than go with anyone who wasn't Lily."

"That's just crazy," said Harry, shaking his head. Sure, he thought that it was great that his Dad really loved his Mum, but he, Harry, definitely wouldn't go as far as his Dad did. He liked Cho and he really wanted to go to the Ball with her, but if she turned him down, he'd definitely go and ask someone else.

"That's what Sirius said too," said Remus, clearly amused with Harry's reaction. "He went with three girls—"

"Three girls?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "And they didn't mind?"

"Nope. They were probably just happy that they were going with him. They were the prettiest girls in Hogwarts too, and they were all older than him."

"Man…how does he even do that?" said Harry, his tone half-admiring and half-envious.

"I keep asking the same thing myself," said Remus.

"Who'd you go with, Professor?" Harry asked curiously.

"Alice Longbottom, though she wasn't Longbottom at the time," replied Remus.

"Neville's Mum?" asked Harry, surprised. He never knew that Remus and Mrs. Longbottom had something between them when they were in Hogwarts. It was a little disturbing.

"Yes. I only asked her as a friend though," continued Remus. "I couldn't get the guts to ask the girl I liked; she was a year older than me…. You may think I took the coward's way out, but in the end, I had more fun than James and Sirius. James, well, we all knew he'd never have fun that night. We wondered why he even bothered to come. And Sirius, the three girls he took with him kept arguing and he spent the night as a peacemaker…it was really funny, James even laughed for a while. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the night with Alice. It wasn't painful, and it wasn't awkward, we were just enjoying the Ball together…as friends."

"Did you ever wish that you had the guts to ask the girl you liked to the ball?"

"At the time I did, of course," conceded Remus. "I had fancied her, after all."

On Monday, Harry started feeling like the world was teasing him. Before the ball, he'd often look around the hallways, hoping for even a glimpse of Cho, but he'd be lucky to be able to see her more than three times a week. Now, it seemed that she was everywhere, and it didn't help that Hermione kept looking pointedly at him whenever she was around. To make matters worse, some girls had started asking him out (much to Ron and Neville's amusement), and he was running out of ways to turn them down. It all seemed like a very elaborate prank at his expense.

By Tuesday, he thought that maybe he'd just do what Remus did. He really wanted to go with Cho, but she was always surrounded by a group of girls and it all suddenly seemed a much bigger hassle than it should be. Asking a friend to the Ball was really much easier.

That evening, while his classmates were in the library doing their Potions homework, he waited for Ginny in the common room. He was going to ask her to the Ball, of course. Once he'd decided he'd rather ask a friend than go through the embarrassment of asking Cho to the ball, he automatically chose to ask Ginny. The choice had been so obvious that he didn't even think of it. He knew he was going to have a lot of fun with her.

Presently, Ginny came through the portrait hole with her friends Anne, Sarah, and Irvine. Harry waited for them to settle on a spot near the fire before he stood up and approached them. They all said their various greetings as he came near.

"Ginny, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, looking expectantly up at him.

"Er…in private," he said, looking around at the other four.

Ginny gave him a questioning look, but she stood up and led him to one part of the common near the windows. She turned to face him.

"So?"

"Er…"

Harry looked around at Ginny's friends. They had already turned back to their conversation. He looked back at Ginny, who was staring curiously at him. He suddenly felt a little nervous again. He wished he had thought of what he was going to say. Deciding to just go for it, he took a deep breath.

"Listen," he began, "I was wondering…" he paused, changing his line of questioning. "I mean, has, er…has someone asked you to the ball?" he asked instead. He really wouldn't be surprised if someone already had.

Ginny shook her head. "No," she replied. She looked inquiringly at him, "Why?"

"Do you—do you, er…" Harry paused again, taking a deep breath. "Would you like to go with me? To the ball, I mean—just as friends," he added quickly.

Ginny stared at him for about a minute. Harry flattened his hair.

"Shouldn't you go ask Cho first?" she said finally.

"I—what?" he asked, confused. He really thought she would have said yes by now. She wouldn't be able to go the Yule Ball otherwise, after all. "How—how'd you know I haven't asked her?" he asked. It wasn't the most urgent question, but it was the only one he could think of at the moment.

Ginny grinned. "I have my ways," she replied airily.

Harry raised his eyebrows disbelievingly at her.

"Hermione told me," she said nonchalantly.

"Ooo-kay…" he began, "I'll ignore the fact that you were talking about me behind my back. So will you please go to the ball with me?"

"Sorry, I can't go with you."

"Why?" he asked. "You just said that no one else has asked you yet."

"Well, no—"

"So it's not that you can't go with me, it's that you won't go with me…."

Ginny nodded. Harry stared at her, dumbstruck. He really thought this would be easier.

"It's just as friends!" he said again, his tone half-pleading, half-protesting.

"I know, okay," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "Look, it's not that I don't want to go to the Ball with you. I just thought that maybe you should go ask her first—Cho, I mean. You don't want to just give up without trying, do you? You'll just regret it later…and I definitely don't want to go with someone who will keep regretting every minute of the Ball, wishing that he had asked the girl he fancied first…."

Harry looked at Ginny, remembering what Remus said about wishing that he had asked the girl he fancied. He sighed loudly, Ginny was probably right. He couldn't ask Cho though. He told Ginny that.

"Why not?" she asked incredulously. "It's easy."

"Why, have you asked a girl out before?" he asked pointedly.

"Fortunately for all the non-Weasley boys in the world, no," she said jokingly.

Harry chuckled, rolling his eyes at Ginny, but he knew there was truth to what she said. Hogwarts' male population would probably mourn for a week if Ginny suddenly 'played for the other team'. Harry mentally shook himself, trying not to think of that.

"Harry, ask her out," she said sincerely. "Hermione told me you got asked out by four girls already—"

"I don't see how that is relevant."

"If the girls can ask you, then you can ask a girl," she pointed out. "Come on, I'll help you…it'll be fun," she added, grinning mischievously at him.

"Ow!" Harry protested quietly as Ginny poked him in the ribs.

They were standing in the hallway, and Ginny was 'encouraging' Harry to go up to Cho and ask her to the Ball. Ginny's brand of encouragement wasn't exactly pain-free though. She had poked him, hard, in the ribs for about five times already. Not that he could blame her, he'd been peering around the corner at Cho, but he hadn't made any moves to approach her. She was, again, surrounded by her friends.

"When you said this would be fun, you only meant for yourself, didn't you?" Harry accused Ginny.

"Of course," she said offhandedly. "Now go ask her," she added, poking him again.

"Ow!"

"What?" she asked innocently.

He gave her a disgruntled look, and then turned to peer around the corner again. She pushed him, and he stumbled forward, in plain view of Cho and her friends. Thankfully, they weren't looking his way so he hurriedly stepped back, hiding behind the wall with Ginny, who was laughing silently.

"Ginny!"

"Harry!"

"She could've seen me!"

"Isn't that the point? Look," she said, crossing her arms and sighing audibly, "if you're not gonna ask her, I will."

"Alright, alright...I'll go now," he said.

He took a deep, calming breath, and then exhaled slowly. He peered around the corner again. Nothing had changed. Cho was still surrounded by her friends. He couldn't do it. He was just about to turn back to Ginny when she too peered around the corner, took a deep breath, and—

"Cho!" she yelled loudly, then stepped nimbly back behind the wall.

Harry wasn't so quick, however. Cho and her friends had already looked his way. He cringed, blood started rising up his cheeks. Ginny, hidden behind the wall, pushed him forward again. This time, he didn't have a choice. He stepped away from the wall and started to walk towards Cho, feeling like his legs had turned to jelly. Cho had walked towards him too, her friends right behind her.

"Er…hi Cho," he began, wondering how stupid he sounded. The girls behind her started giggling, but Cho didn't. This gave him a bit of heart. "I'm Harry…" he trailed off awkwardly, and then because he realized that Cho might not know him, he added, "Potter."

"Yeah, I know," she said, smiling pleasantly at him. She looked so pretty. And she knew him. At this thought, Harry went, if possible, even redder.

"Er," he said.

He couldn't ask her. He couldn't. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled (and very pretty), watching him. The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them.

"Wangoballwime?"

"Sorry?" said Cho.

"D'you—d'you want to go to the ball with me?" asked Harry. He hated himself. 'Wangoballwime'? What was he, a fish?

"Oh!" said Cho, and she went red too. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," and she truly looked it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."

"Oh," Harry said quietly. He felt his insides disappear. Blood started rushing away from his head, and he suddenly felt a little dizzy.

"Oh okay," he said, "no problem."

"I'm really sorry," she said again.

"That's okay," said Harry.

They stood there looking at each other, Harry feeling like he was about to collapse.

"Well," began Cho.

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Well, bye," she said, still a little red. She walked back to where her friends were standing.

Harry called after her, before he could stop himself.

"Who're you going with?"

"Oh—Cedric," she answered. "Cedric Diggory."

"Oh…right," said Harry. He stared after Cho as she and her friends walked away and rounded the corner at the far end of the hallway, then he walked back towards the wall where Ginny was hiding.

He turned the corner and saw Ginny leaning against the wall, shaking with silent laughter. He looked irritably at her, but she seemed to have missed his expression.

"Wangoballwime?" she asked teasingly. "That's really—that's nice."

Harry looked stonily at her, not sharing her mirth.

"How'd it go? She said yes?" asked Ginny.

Harry frowned at her. She obviously hadn't heard the rest of his conversation with Cho because she had been too busy laughing at him.

"No, she's going with Cedric Diggory," he said irritably. The bloody Hogwarts Champion, he added in his head.

"Oh…sorry," said Ginny, the grin dying on her face.

She really did look sorry, so he decided to forgive her for laughing at him.

"Yeah," he said, nodding.

They stood in silence for a while until Ginny chuckled and started laughing again. She didn't laugh as hard as she did the last time, but it was still irritating.

"What?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Sorry," said Ginny. "I can't help it—wangoballwime—that's, that's really—sorry," she said through bursts of laughter.

She looked up at him, grinning. He looked back in annoyance.

"Come on, you have to admit it's funny," she reasoned, still grinning.

He was starting to get really mad.

"It's not funny," he told her angrily. "I can't believe this! I can't believe that you're laughing at this. I humiliate myself in front of Cho and you just laugh at me? You probably knew this was going to happen, didn't you? You knew she's already going with Cedric!" he accused.

"You're being really dramatic about all this," said Ginny. He detected a bit of coldness in her voice, and his anger started fading away. "I mean, seriously Harry, do you really think I'd do that?"

"No," he admitted. But he still frowned at her, trying to hold on to what little anger he had left. He had every right to be mad at her, after all.

"Come on, I was wrong to laugh. I'm sorry, okay?" she said sincerely.

Harry looked at her, still frowning, then looked away. He wanted to stay mad at her, and that wasn't possible when he could see her starting to grin mischievously at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her grin even wider. She reached out her hand and tried to straighten the frown that he forced on his face. He swatted her hand away.

"Did you just hit me?" she asked dangerously.

"Well, maybe I did," he said, sounding braver than he felt.

She narrowed her eyes at him and punched him on the arm, hard.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

He hadn't given her any reason to hit him, so he retaliated. He hit her on her arm, but very lightly. A mosquito bite would have been more painful. She hit him again, harder this time. Harry retaliated, but he still made sure that she didn't really get hurt. It was a battle he was obviously going to lose. Each time he retaliated, she would hit him again, harder every time.

"Okay, okay, stop!" he yelled. One of them had to give up; otherwise, he'd end up in the infirmary. "This isn't fair. You know I'd never hit you for real!"

"You started it," she argued, hitting him again.

"Okay! Truce!" he said, stepping away from her and massaging his arm. "You hit like a guy," he complained.

"You, on the other hand, are such a girl," she told him.

He tried to frown, but she was already grinning at him. It was hard to frown at Ginny when she was grinning like that, so he gave in and returned her smile instead.

"I asked Cho out," he told her proudly. The feeling was akin to having a huge thorn being pulled out from his body.

"Yes, you did," said Ginny. "I'm sorry for laughing," she added sincerely.

"Nah…it was probably funny."

"It was," she confirmed.

"So does this mean you're going with me now?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

"Good. Don't want to have to go through that again."

Betaed by: PadfootProngs7 and NancyDrewGirl