Regretfully Uncaring

by RMWB

In one earth-shattering second, Harry's life changes forever as he becomes a werewolf. He must navigate new challenges, but for the first time in his life, he is surrounded by those who love him. With bolstered confidence, Harry makes many decisions, both triumphs and failures, that lead him and his friends down a very different path. AU - Original Plot - Ensemble Cast - Slow Burn.

18. The Yule Ball

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Hit a terrible case of writer's block and needed to refocus this chapter so many damn times. But I hope I can make it up to you by announcing that this is by far the longest chapter yet.

This Chapter is just a lot of fun. It's long, full of minor character moments with big impacts, and we finally get Ron's pairing reveal.

Well, it starts here, at least.

Also, a couple of my friends felt like I was hinting at a bisexual Ginny Weasley. While that wasn't my intention, I have nothing against it. This story is Hinny throughout, besides Harry's brief infatuation with Elizabeth, (which concludes in this chapter) there won't be any Bi Ginny activities. I'd love to explore it, but I'm a straight white guy and realistically couldn't tell a compelling LGBT arc.

You can interpret it however you like, I may acknowledge it properly in the future, but it really isn't a part of the story, and therefore, can be taken however you like as a reader.

---

Chapter 18: The Yule Ball

---

December 19th, 1994. Five days, twenty-two hours to the Yule Ball.

Sirius Black tapped his foot on the carpeted floor of his Ministry office. He'd been working for five months now. Having begun work in the middle of August. His window was charmed to show a beautiful view from what was, in reality, the muggle parliament. The snow drifting lazily down to the river. Disappearing into the inky blackness the Thames displayed at night. He appreciated this window more than anything these past few months. Without it, he'd have felt as caged as he had when he'd been locked up in Azkaban. The North Sea was not nearly as appealing as central London.

He wouldn't have taken this job. Never in a million years had he ever considered working for the Ministry. He'd always seen himself in a career like that of the missing Bill Weasley. Working internationally alongside Peter or James. He regretted never thinking about Remus back then.

He'd always been distant from Remus.

So then why would he have chosen his current position? Senior Undersecretary to the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was a position with a very long name, that confused a very long list of people.

But it meant that Sirius had a foot in.

A foot in to change laws before an ultimatum, which had no set date, that, quite frankly, terrified the living daylights out of him.

When the world would discover Harry Potter was a werewolf.

Surprisingly, the difficulties in passing laws for werewolf rights and protections did not reside within the department itself. In fact, the department head was quite progressive. She was all for werewolf rights and believed them to be quite misunderstood.

The trouble was with a woman far higher in the Ministry ladder than Sirius. She'd done something that Sirius could never have believed possible.

She made Voldemort seem sympathetic. In fact, he'd go as far as to say that tea alone with the snake himself would be a pleasant experience compared to the inevitable hell that tea with the foul undersecretary would be.

Whenever he'd been roped into meetings, and she'd been there, he'd weighed the pros and cons of another life sentence to Azkaban for murdering the pink demon.

Personally, he felt as though the list of positives far outweighed the negatives.

As though his thoughts had summoned the woman herself, the door to his office burst open to reveal a short woman with a toad-like face. Her stubby hands were wrapped around a file Sirius knew had come from his department. It was a revision on a law he and his department head had been trying to pass since mid-September. Rings adorned each and every short, wrinkled little finger save the fourth of her left hand. It brought Sirius some relief that this woman couldn't spread her evil to a husband and, Merlin forbid, children.

'Sirius! What a pleasant surprise!' she said in her sugary, girlish voice that made Sirius want to jump off the astronomy tower.

Despite his feelings, he smiled a false smile. Returning the sugary girlish tone. 'Oh! Why, yes, Dolores, it is quite a surprise to find me here… in my office…'

He saw her eye twitch at the imitation of her putrid voice, but she continued to smile at him. 'Well, you see, Cornelius and I were just revising this latest pass of your Werewolf Workplace Protection Laws, and we came to a bit of a snag…'

Sirius knew that Dolores Umbridge had read the law on her own and hadn't consulted the Minister whatsoever. He also knew that this was, unfortunately, legal. As Fudge's undersecretary, her job was to read mail and incoming documents. Yes, if it was directly addressed to Fudge and was a law to which needed his approval, then yes, he ought to have been notified. But Umbridge didn't work that way.

'And what might that be?' Sirius asked in mock curiosity.

'Well…' she giggled, 'You see, we still feel as though the risk of these creatures being in a workplace environment isn't being taken seriously… These creatures could severely harm our populace! And what might your department do when hundreds of werewolves begin to spread their curse?'

Sirius bit back the retort he'd wished to say and settled on answering in a more politically correct manner. 'Well, Dolores, as is stated in the documents, the wolfsbane potion will be distributed to werewolves who register themselves with the Ministry. All that will happen is a few days off. We've already backed down on monetary coverage of their full moon-induced absences, and we've already removed the laws against werewolf discrimination, so I really don't see how this cannot be acceptable. These laws are the bare minimum for life to be financially possible for werewolves. You must understand this!'

Umbridge looked thoughtful for a moment before dropping the file on his desk. That file had started out quite large, with major improvements and restructurings to the British Ministry's laws around beast and being management. Now, it was simply workplace protections. 'Sirius, I am simply not comfortable with werewolves being allowed to teach! I understand that such a thing is, in theory, up to the headmaster,' – she grimaced at the mention of Dumbledore, - 'but the laws of Ministry-approved education are, as you know, receiving a restructuring as well. Werewolves are simply too dangerous to be living, breathing, and aiding, in an educational environment,' she leaned over and patted Sirius's face, smiling a cruel smile. 'Bring it back to me when you're finished.'

She turned and exited the office, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand down his face. He needed the education pass because it meant that Moony could continue to teach and Harry could continue to attend school. Sirius knew that if he only removed the right to be a professor, she'd come back stating that werewolf students were also too much of a risk.

He stared at the calendar that sat on his desk. The Yule Ball was only a few days away. He'd talk to Moony then.

---

Earlier that day. Six days to the minute from the Yule Ball.

'He says he's already got a date,'

'Well, that's obviously a lie. Have you seen the state of your hair? Why would Harry Potter wish to be seen at a formal event with a thing like that!'

'Shut up, Pansy,'

'I heard that he was going with Hannah Abbott!'

'A Hufflepuff? Are you daft?'

'Remember, he is a noble lord, after all,'

'Exactly, which is why he'd need someone better than you Tracey,'

'What do you think, Daphne?'

Daphne Greengrass shook herself awake from the mind-numbing conversation that was going on around her. Did these people honestly find this discussion - if you could call it that - interesting? It was another day of wishful thinking on her part, to expect a smidge of worthwhile conversation out of this pitiful group of friends.

If you could call them that.

She looked up from her charms essay and stared blankly back at Millicent Bulstrode – who had asked her a question.

'Sorry, what was that?'

The three girls in front of her sighed. Pansy slammed her face into the table. 'More brain damage,' Daphne thought to herself blandly.

'Do you think Potter's got a date?'

Daphne sighed. Why couldn't she have been sorted into Ravenclaw? 'Because Slytherin house will lead you on your way to greatness! There's a thirst there… to prove yourself! Yes, you've got a bright mind, but I wouldn't place it as wisdom… no… it is cunning that best defines your form of intelligence. You know what you need and how to use it. You can distinguish between the unimportant from the significant. Yes… better be… SLYTHERIN!' was what that dunce of a hat had said. Now she was stuck with these three petulant dunderheads. It was in moments like this that she felt very sorry for Professor Snape.

'Yes, I'm sure of it,' Daphne replied in a bored tone of voice.

'Daphne!' Tracey squealed, 'Do you know something we don't?'

Daphne turned back down to her charms essay. 'Obviously, I do, seeing as you're surprised. He's got a girlfriend. She doesn't go to Hogwarts,' she scratched the tip of her nose absently, 'I reckon Potter could pull enough strings to let her come as a guest to the Ball.'

Pansy rolled her eyes. 'That's the most ridiculous trick in the book. 'She doesn't go to Hogwarts.' He probably told you that just to get you off his back. We are a tight-knit community of ancient families and bloodlines. The families known to homeschool their children are widely known. On top of that, we'd know if Potter had a girlfriend.'

'I didn't ask him to the ball. I wouldn't - even if he were available.' the fact that Pansy honestly thought that Potter would be dating a pureblood loyalist who stayed home from Hogwarts was laughable. Potter's best friend was a mudblood.

'Then how do you know he's got a girlfriend?' said Millicent, crossing her arms over her chest in triumph.

Daphne began to etch small lines into the wooden surface of the table the girls were working at in the library. She was dulling the point of her quill, but it was better than etching lines into the eyes of the girls sitting across from her. 'I've met her.'

Pansy's eyes widened in shock, before quickly shifting into an apprehensive expression. 'Was this a true meeting? Or was this a Daphne meeting?'

'It was real…' Daphne defended before grimacing and deflating slightly. 'Well, I suppose it was a Daphne meeting,' since their first year, and Daphne's unfortunate placement into Pansy's gang, they'd begun referring to Daphne's observant tendencies as 'Daphne Meetings'. Essentially, for a Daphne meeting to take place, all one had to do was come in relatively close proximity to her and she'd have more information on their lives and behaviour than some of their closest friends. 'She's a squib. I don't know how long they've been going out.'

Pansy seemed to gag on air as her eyes bulged out of their sockets. 'She's a squib! What the fuck is a bloke like Potter doing going out with a squib?'

Daphne rolled her eyes. 'Potters are blood traitors. Have been for generations. She's attractive and confident. I think the world cup was her first outing into the Wizarding World - Judging from her mannerisms and the things that were catching her eye.'

Pansy frowned and rose from her seat. 'I'm going to have to tell Draco about this.'

'Go ahead…' Daphne muttered under her breath as she dipped her quill in ink, ignoring the other girls who rose after their leader, and continued her charms essay.

---

December 20th, 1994. Five days and three hours to the Yule Ball.

Ginny grabbed her bag and shrugged it over her left shoulder, tapping her feet in relative annoyance as she waited for Colin and Harry to get out of their seats and join her on the walk back to Gryffindor Tower.

She had a problem on her hands.

No one had asked her to the Ball. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Loads of blokes had come up to her and asked her. And though originally she'd gone in with the expectation of accepting the first person to ask her, she quickly realized that most of them were expecting some sort of relationship after the fact, or in some horrendous cases, before the Ball as well.

So she declined Michael Corner and Dean Thomas, and that Hufflepuff sixth year who really shouldn't have his eyes on a thirteen-year-old girl. And was now getting mildly stressed about the Ball. Since her name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, she'd sort of stopped all thoughts of dating in general. She didn't see this as much of a problem if she was honest with herself. Thirteen is rather young, and she'd avoid unnecessary conflict with her mother this way.

But that didn't rid her of stray thoughts of Harry Potter.

Everyone had been acting strangely around the Ball. Most people were understandably anxious. Others were aloof. Those who had already obtained dates, like Harry, were completely oblivious to everyone else's struggles, and then there were some that Ginny just couldn't understand. Like Colin.

Since the ball had been announced, he'd been very quiet. Never glum or angry, just in a constant state of scheming. Ginny and Harry both assumed that Colin was thinking about how to ask the girl to the ball, but neither of them knew which girl it was.

So when Colin came to Runes late, frowning, and quieter than ever, Ginny figured something had gone wrong.

As Colin and Harry rose from their seats, Ginny grabbed them both by their arms and hauled them out of the classroom. She didn't let them go until they were behind a tapestry covering a hidden passageway.

'Alright, Colin, out with it,' she said without hesitation. She folded her arms over her chest and stared pointedly at Colin. Absently, she noticed that Harry mirrored her gesture in perfect unison, which made her face heat inexplicably.

Colin sighed and let his back hit the wall. He rested the back of his head against the stone surface and stared up at the ceiling, clutching his books to his chest. 'I asked her,'

'I take it didn't go so well,' said Harry, his expression softening somewhat.

Colin shook his head. 'She said she's got a date already,' he sighed and stared back at Ginny. 'I should've just asked her right when they announced the damn thing,'

Ginny nodded solemnly and reached forward to pat him on the shoulder. 'Who'd you ask?'

Colin groaned and slapped a hand to his face. He mumbled something and Ginny turned to Harry, a light smirk playing across her lips. 'Sorry, didn't quite catch that,' she said.

He dropped his hand to hold his books again and glared at Ginny before focusing on a point right above her left shoulder. 'Hermione,'

Harry clicked his tongue and sighed. 'Yeah… she's going with Krum,'

'What?' Ginny and Colin replied.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. 'Yeah. I overheard while trying to talk to Fleur, who's resolutely ignoring me, I might add. Anyway, Krum was there and we struck up a conversation. He seems pretty excited if I'm honest,'

Ginny nodded but Colin quirked his head to the side. 'Why are you trying to talk to Delacour?'

Harry shot a quick glance in Ginny's direction before answering. 'Well, I just figured we should be friends with all the Champions… you know.'

'Right,' was Colin's response. 'Well, I suppose I had no chance competing with an international Quidditch star now did I?'

Ginny scowled. 'Don't talk about yourself like that. Here, Krum is nothing more than a student. Just like Harry.'

Harry perked up. 'Yeah, mate. I'm not this hero celebrity when I'm at school because everyone's used to me. It's the same with Krum. Plus, Hermione doesn't even like Quidditch all that much! She probably liked him for other reasons… and I'm sure you have those characteristics too.'

Colin brightened somewhat but otherwise remained morose. He was about to leave when Ginny had a sudden idea. 'Hey Colin, I erm… I know I'm not all that brilliant or anything but… would you like to come to the ball with me? As friends,' she added as an afterthought.

Colin seemed surprised but let out a true smile. 'That'd be great, Ginny, thanks.'

---

December 24th, 1994. Thirty-six hours to the Yule Ball

Harry was rather excited. Elizabeth would be arriving in just under an hour, and he and Ginny would be greeting her at the gates to the castle grounds with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. He, Hagrid, Ginny, and Elizabeth would go around Hogsmeade and find her a suitable gown. He and Sirius had gifted her a fair sum of gold for her birthday, which was coming up in January. Hagrid was there for obvious reasons. Protection.

He was so excited, in fact, that Ginny had threatened to body-bind him for the remainder of the hour. He'd been looking forward to it since that morning, and though classes had ended only yesterday, it'd felt like an eternity waiting for his friend to arrive. Though Ginny hid it well, she too was excited for Elizabeth's arrival. She'd even conspired with Harry in discussing what they'd show her and speculating on how Elizabeth would take seeing Hogwarts for the first time.

He sobered slightly upon seeing a very awkward Ron walk into the common room. He looked around before spotting Hermione sitting in an armchair near the fire, reading a book. From where Harry and Ginny sat, they could overhear whatever conversation was likely to take place.

Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbed uncertainly as he walked up to Hermione, and Harry grimaced as he watched Ron pat his hair and try to ignore his reddening ears. 'Erm, Hermione…' he started a bit shakily and Harry sat up. Was Ron about to...? 'I was wondering if… if you'd like to go to the ball with me?' the room went dead silent, and Harry's eyes widened. He turned to Ginny who was staring right back at him.

'Oh, poor Ron,' Ginny hissed near inaudibly in parseltongue, 'The common room had to get quiet just as he'd asked that.'

Harry nodded in agreement. If only everyone had continued their conversations. Now the entire room was focused in on Ron and Hermione. Hermione's cheeks were flushed with colour and Ron's ears seemed to be working their way in matching his hair.

Hermione seemed genuinely taken aback at his request. 'Oh… Ron, I'm sorry… if you'd asked a little earlier, I would have said yes. I just… I've already got a date.'

The second-hand disappointment radiating through Harry as he watched Ron's pained expression was nearly unbearable. Ron stuffed his hands in his pockets, the flush now meeting his cheeks. 'Oh… I'm sorry for asking, then.'

Harry was quite impressed at the lack of an explosion. He really shouldn't have thought so soon.

Not a minute of awkward silence had passed before Ron turned around, his face screwed up in that of mock curiosity. 'Are you sure you aren't just making that up to get me off of your back?' he asked, rather heatedly.

'Fuck,' Ginny mumbled. Hiding her face in Harry's shoulder. Harry cringed and tried to mold into the couch, bringing Ginny down with him to avoid listening in on this already very loud and public conversation.

Hermione's face instantly turned quite red. Though not in embarrassment. This was anger. 'No, Ron. I've already got a date, and I said yes.'

'Really? Because it seems like this wasn't a thing until I asked you out,'

'Asked me out? Like some sort of date?'

Ron groaned. 'You know that's not what I meant,'

'That's exactly what he meant,' Ginny hissed so quietly that Harry had to strain his wolfish hearing to understand her.

Hermione stood up from her seat. 'I can't go to the ball with you, Ron, because I've got a date. End of story.' she pushed past him and stormed up the steps to the girl's dormitory. Ron made eye contact with Harry – likely out of habit than anything else - which only made the whole situation even more uncomfortable. Harry grimaced to Ron, trying to alleviate the tension, and show a bit of support.

'I expect you'd be going with my sister then?' he said, pointing to where Ginny was hiding from the second-hand embarrassment, in Harry's shoulder.

Harry shook his head. He couldn't believe that this was what his first conversation with Ron in months would entail. 'No. I would have, but we aren't allowed. Tournament sabotage… you know.'

Ron turned away and strode towards the boy's stairs before stopping and calling over his shoulder bitterly, 'No, actually, I wouldn't know.'

'Git,' Ginny murmured next to Harry.

Harry shook his head and sighed. His previous good mood was ruined.

That was until Professor McGonagall strode into the common room, found Harry and Ginny, and beckoned them over. 'Miss Edwards is here. She is at the gates with Hagrid,' she seemed rather concerned for the safety of Elizabeth in Hagrid's care, judging by her facial expression. 'I suggest we go and meet her.'

Harry and Ginny both nodded excitedly and rose from the couch. They grabbed their coats, which they'd brought down from their dormitories earlier that morning, and followed their head of house out the portrait hole.

They walked through Hogwarts in companionable silence. When they finally reached the Entrance Hall and exited the warmth of the castle, Harry was thankful for Sirius's insistence on buying him a proper snow coat.

The mid-day sun was obscured by white clouds that stretched out beyond the horizon. It was snowing faintly, adding to the near-foot-deep covering that already lay fresh and untouched on the grounds. The trio stomped their way down to the gates, which from that point on were mercifully magically cleared of snow.

Elizabeth was there, smiling up at Hagrid. Her arms were folded over her chest and Harry once again felt that odd flip-flopping in his stomach. He stamped it down hard and a smile flittered across his face. 'Liz!' he called.

She turned and her smile broadened. She looked a bit different head-on since last Harry had seen her. Her hair was braided into two pigtails which made her cheekbones stand out even more. Even in the weak lighting that snow and cloud cover provided.

What Harry did notice however was the lack of any glint or movement in her eyes. Ginny's always seemed to have fire dancing around in them. It was an odd thing to notice, Harry thought, absently.

'Harry!' she called, running over through the snow and hugging him. She let go after a few seconds and turned to Ginny. 'Ginny!' she squealed, equally as excited. She flung her arms around her and lifted Ginny off the ground.

Ginny laughed heartily and held her just as tightly before letting go. 'It's so good to see you!' all three of them said at once, before laughing at each other's expense.

Professor McGonagall regarded them with a rare smile. 'Well, you're in capable hands with Hagrid,' Harry noticed the dip in her voice, as though she didn't quite believe her own words. 'Do enjoy yourselves.' She turned and strode back up the steps to the castle.

'Jesus, she's a scary woman,' Elizabeth said to Ginny.

Ginny could only nod in reply.

Hagrid called them over and explained what was happening. Harry and Ginny had already heard this plan through McGonagall. No other students had access to the village today, and Elizabeth was staying in a room at The Hog's Head of all places, courtesy of Dumbledore, for the remainder of the Holiday.

'So, what does your dad think you're doing?' Harry asked as they began to make their way up the lane to the village.

Elizabeth grinned. 'He doesn't even know I'm here.'

Harry's jaw dropped. 'Isn't he going to look for you?'

'He knows I'm not home for a few days. Typically, I'm homeschooled but I explained to him that I'm helping with something on the Migner's farm.' Elizabeth paused and took a breath. 'They're good people and he trusts them. Helps that the only people who live there are women, so there's no chance of illicit activities,' she smirked up at Harry who blushed.

'And he isn't going to check with the Migners to see if you're really there?' Harry asked. He saw a lot of flaws in this plan.

'Did I mention that my Da's on some sort of business trip?'

Harry frowned. That didn't seem possible in a small town like that. It wasn't like the Edwards' Café was a chain restaurant or something. It was a local shop. Elizabeth's smile broadened and Harry wondered what else she was up to.

'Sirius wrote this whole fake letter. Da's basically getting a prepaid vacation for a few days. I've got to be back by the morning of the twenty-sixth, though.' Elizabeth explained.

Ginny laughed and Harry chuckled. 'I sort of feel bad for your dad,' Harry said quietly.

Elizabeth waved her hand in dismissal. 'He'll be fine. He's been needing to get out of the house.' There was a long pause before Elizabeth broke the silence. 'So, what's going on with you two, Ron, and Hermione?'

Harry groaned and Ginny sighed. 'That bad, huh?' Elizabeth quipped.

They both nodded solemnly. 'I fucked up,' Harry said after a while. He didn't miss the fact that Hagrid was paying attention to the conversation, but he didn't mind either. 'Hermione… well… I don't know. I haven't been needing her around as much anymore and I didn't realize what I'd been doing. And… well, our trio just hasn't been all that strong recently.'

'How do you mean?' Elizabeth asked, 'I mean, during the summer you all seemed pretty close… well, Hermione seemed distant but…'

'Exactly,' Ginny cut in, 'Hermione kept this massive secret from them all through last year… and her and Ron were fighting all the time too… I don't know, she's been the weak link for a while now. Even at the end of Harry's second year…' she paused and her face suddenly hardened, 'Well, she was… I can't remember if we told you about the Chamber or not.'

Elizabeth shook her head and Ginny frowned slightly. 'It doesn't matter,' Harry said, 'Basically, Hermione was out of the picture for a good chunk of the year, so it was just me and Ron there for quite a while. Add onto that the lack of trust during our third year, then now with me and Ron just ignoring her because we don't need her to fill our grades… we- I've been a bad friend.'

Elizabeth nodded slowly. 'But what about Ron? I know you mentioned it in your letter, but I don't understand.'

'Neither do I,' Ginny mumbled beside her. Harry scowled.

'Listen, cut Ron some slack, alright?' he said icily. 'The trouble with Ron is that he's always felt worthless,'

Elizabeth hummed in understanding. 'Low self-esteem,'

Harry nodded. 'He's got six older brothers. Bill and Charlie are both successful and powerful. Percy… well I don't know him all that well but I'm sure Ron sees something. The twins are super popular and magically talented, and then Ginny is the only girl.' Harry gestured to Ginny who grimaced slightly. 'The point is, Ron has always been neglected. He's always been the sixth boy. He's always wanted to stand out, to have something that not only made others proud but made himself proud,'

'And you've just gone and become even more extraordinary than you already were, half-included him, and then – from his perspective – ditched him for a tournament of eternal glory, and his little sister, who already got all the attention.' Elizabeth summarized what Harry was going to say perfectly.

'Exactly.' Harry confirmed with a nod.

'I can see how that'd be an issue…' Elizabeth trailed off and they all fell into an uneasy silence.

'Have yeh tried to talk to either of 'em?' Hagrid spoke up, startling Harry.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 'I've tried talking to Hermione… but I haven't said anything to Ron…'

Hagrid turned around to face them, walking backwards along the path. 'Well, tha's your problem, Harry! The best way to sort somthin' out is by talkin' about it. Just talk to Ron!'

'No.' Harry replied simply. Hagrid's eyebrows furrowed.

'Why not?'

'Because,' Harry explained, 'he needs to get over his shit first,'

Hagrid cocked his head to the side in invitation for Harry to continue. His long shaggy hair blew in the wind, nearly obscuring his face.

Harry sighed. 'He still hasn't said a word to Ginny. It's like he thinks I've replaced him with her or something,'

'Have yeh?' Hagrid asked, smiling sadly.

Harry shook his head. 'No one can replace Ron,' he looked up at the sky, shrouded in clouds. The falling snowflakes tickled his nose and eyelashes, but he kept his eyes open. The world around him was so full of… everything. Winter was different though. The snow muffled every sound. It was like living in a vacuum. Just the soft crunching of their feet and the faint sounds of birds who hadn't flown south. It was comforting, especially while Harry thought back on his relationship with Ron.

He missed him. And though he could rationalize Ron's actions, there was a sense of acceptance that was beginning to settle in. Harry knew that Ron would eventually come to his senses. It was only a matter of time. But what if Ron waited too long? What if Ginny died in the second or third task? What if Harry did? Lily was always quiet on this subject. She'd encouraged Harry to talk to Ron as well, but Harry continued to ignore it all.

'I should talk to him,' Harry relented, quietly.

Hagrid's eyes crinkled, and though his beard hid it, Harry knew he was smiling. He turned around and called over his shoulder. 'I think that'd be a good place to start, Harry.'

---

Harry had never seen Hogsmeade without the rest of the Hogwarts population there with him. The streets seemed oddly quiet. The roofs of the many cottages and shops were topped with snow. The diminished sound, due to the snow, made it feel as though they were living in a snow globe. Harry heard more than listened to Ginny go on and on about the different shops and her favourite times at Hogsmeade. Harry chuckled at that. She'd only been there once since the start of term.

Hagrid essentially left them to their own devices, explaining that he was going into the Three Broomsticks for a pint, and that's where he'd be if they needed him for something. Harry rolled his eyes at Ginny as Hagrid left them. 'I can see why McGonagall was hesitant on letting him be our great protector,'

The trio meandered around before the girls told Harry to bugger off, maybe join Hagrid, while they bought Elizabeth's gown. Harry scowled but accepted his fate and made his way towards The Three Broomsticks.

---

Gladrags was empty when Ginny pushed open the door. Elizabeth followed her in, her jaw dropping as she took in the sight of hundreds of dresses and ballgowns.

'There's a store for this? How many balls are there in this world?'

'Loads,' Ginny replied, turning around and facing Elizabeth with a broad grin. 'If you work for the Ministry, you've got the summer ball, their Yule Ball, and loads of fancy events sprinkled throughout the year.'

Elizabeth gaped at Ginny before smiling and turning to the racks. A kindly old witch came out of the back and helped Elizabeth pick out three gowns to try on. The woman left them alone after that.

Ginny watched with a touch of envy as Elizabeth undressed to change into one of the gowns. Obviously, she understood that she was only thirteen, and Elizabeth sixteen, but it was still hard not to compare. Not to mention the fact that she'd garnered attention. Not just Harry's but Ron and the twins as well. Elizabeth really was beautiful. She wasn't short like Ginny. Her hair had a natural curl to it that Ginny's lacked. Not to mention the fact that it was blonde. What she would do to have a less obscene hair colour. Even in her own family, it stood out. Her hair was multiple shades of red. Strands of orange, gold, and auburn mixed together to make her head look like it was on fire. The rest of her family's hair was an orangish red. Ginny's just had to be different.

Elizabeth's legs were long, but not like Fleur's that only looked good in a magazine but were sort of strange in person. No, Elizabeth just had nice legs. She had blue eyes, which were obviously more interesting than brown. Fuck, anything was better than brown. The more she watched, the more things she could compliment. She had a really nice nose. Like… really nice. Her lips were full and symmetrical, and her teeth were pretty much perfect. Then again, Ginny's teeth weren't all that bad. Elizabeth's hands as well. Why would her hands draw her attention? It was all rather frustrating. Ginny's face heated and she turned away. This was a stupid internal battle. Ginny wasn't insecure. Not really. She was… well she found herself pretty.

'So… what do you think?' Ginny turned back to look at Elizabeth and her jaw dropped.

'Wow,' It was a dark, midnight blue ball gown that hugged all of Elizabeth's curves and accentuated her eyes. Her blonde hair, which had been taken out of its pigtails, cascading down her back only promoted the look. 'That's… you're bloody gorgeous,' Ginny could feel herself blushing but couldn't take her eyes off Elizabeth.

She smiled and turned back to look at herself in the mirror. 'I could get used to this,'

Ginny didn't know whether or not to voice her thoughts. She'd never had anyone to talk to about this sort of thing. 'How do you…' Ginny hesitated. 'You're really pretty,'

Elizabeth laughed lightly. It didn't make Ginny feel stupid. 'Thank you… and you should know that you're stunning.'

'I'm not,' Ginny responded, scuffing her second-hand boots on the floor. Elizabeth turned around and tapped Ginny on the head. She looked up into Elizabeth's blue eyes.

'Yes, you are,' she smiled, 'You've got this hair! Which is just so cool,' she ran her hands through Ginny's hair and twisted it around her index finger. 'You've got a nice smile… you're young, Ginny. I went through my weird-looking phase when I was twelve to fourteen. It'll pass… and when it does,' she grinned mischievously, 'they won't know what hit them,'

Ginny nodded to herself and was inexplicably emotional over the whole thing. No one had touched her like this since… well that wasn't exactly worth remembering. 'I don't know…' she started and stopped a few times before diving in. 'I grew up with boys… and I just sort of got used to wearing their old clothes and all that… my mum always made me do the "girl's jobs" like kitchen cleanup and all that,' Elizabeth wrinkled her nose and Ginny smiled. 'But I never got to be a girl… I suppose.'

Elizabeth nodded and brought Ginny forward to stand in front of the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. 'So… who are you going to the ball with?'

Ginny sighed. 'Colin… a friend of mine. I've made it clear that it's all as friends so, yeah.'

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. 'Alright, let me rephrase that. Who are you going to the Ball for?'

Ginny furrowed her brow. 'What do you mean?'

Elizabeth sighed and pushed Ginny further into the changing booth. 'Look at your face. You've got those cute freckles on your nose and cheeks. Then you have your perfect hair,'

'My hair is not perfect!' Ginny said with a scandalized tone of voice at Elizabeth through the reflection.

Elizabeth slapped Ginny over the side of the head. It didn't hurt, and it was all for fun, but Ginny shut up. 'People would die for your hair,' she paused and eyed Ginny up and down. 'So, you're going to the Ball for Harry.'

It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes now. 'No… I'm going because I have to as a Champion of the Tournament. Besides, my life is on the line, I haven't got time to worry about boys, Elizabeth.'

Elizabeth glared at her. 'You're practically my sister, Ginny. You call me Liz. And on top of that, aren't you in peace times now? No Tasks until February?' Ginny nodded slowly and Elizabeth smiled again. 'Right, so there is time for boys. Do you have a dress for the Ball?'

Ginny scowled. 'I've got one, but it's ancient and I've had to fix it with magic,'

Elizabeth drew the tag for the gown she had yet to remove out of the folds of the dress, she eyed the price before hoisting the money pouch Sirius had given her. 'Sirius said this was for my time here in the Wizarding World… do you reckon there's enough in here for two gowns?'

Ginny whirled around, facing Elizabeth properly. 'Do. Not.' She said forcefully.

Elizabeth only grinned in return. 'My money… well, a birthday gift from Sirius and Harry, but still… my money, my rules.'

Ginny huffed in annoyance but followed Elizabeth around the shop. She still hadn't taken off the midnight blue gown and Ginny found that mildly amusing. Elizabeth gushed over loads of different dresses and kept muttering to herself.

'Right, well,' she stated as she came to Ginny holding three options, 'You're a lot shorter than me,' Ginny scowled, 'Which is not in any way a bad thing,' she pressed, noticing Ginny's reaction, 'so come on then.'

It was fun, Ginny decided. None of the initial three gowns looked very good. But it was fun to move around in them. Elizabeth twirled her around and they mock danced in the middle of the empty shop. They laughed and tried on absurd items before Ginny finally found a dark green dress that caught her eye.

Trying it on further confirmed her opinion on the gown. 'Oh, Merlin this actually looks good!' she exclaimed excitedly, turning to face Elizabeth with a bright smile. The dress hugged her waist, which was, admittedly, attractively small. It made her hair look surprisingly good. In fact, Ginny decided that from now on, dark green would be her preferred colour. The bodice was covered in brown and gold embroidery shaped like leaves and twigs, which happened to match her eyes.

'That is definitely going to catch his eye,' for a moment, Ginny didn't even know who she was talking about before her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her feet. Elizabeth didn't seem to wish to show any mercy. 'You know, with his green eyes and all… They almost match the colour, actually.'

Ginny let out a half groan, half laugh, and proceeded to reaffirm that Elizabeth was alright with buying her this ballgown. They couldn't fold the gowns, but a charm performed by the witch at the counter allowed them to fit in a small slip of paper each. It was magically expanded, so in reality, the dress wasn't folded, it was hanging suspended in a magical space. Elizabeth thought it was the most amazing bit of magic she'd seen yet.

'Tomorrow is going to be brilliant,' Elizabeth murmured wistfully. Ginny couldn't help but agree. For the first time since the Ball had been announced, she was excited.

---

The Three Broomsticks was remarkably empty. Harry had been surprised to find Sirius there, chatting up the barkeep, Rosmerta. Apparently, he'd be staying the next two nights in a room above the inn. He'd joined his godfather and Hagrid and listened with half a mind to their conversations and stories. What was drawing Harry's attention was a multitude of topics.

First, there was Ron. He didn't know what to do. Sure, he hadn't bothered to talk to Ron, but it wasn't as though Ron had made any effort to contact Harry. Then there was the complete avoidance and ignorance of his own sister. Something he swore off ever doing again after the Chamber incident. Harry had decided after the first task that he simply didn't have the time, nor the energy, to put up with meaningless insecurities. But that was a lie. Ron's insecurities, as he'd already pointed out many times to Ginny, himself, and Elizabeth before, were perfectly valid. But still, Harry was in a Tournament rigged to result in his and Ginny's death. He didn't have time to validate Ron and make up for past mistakes. He had to live in the present, look to the future, and learn from his past mistakes.

It hurt, he admitted, to not have Ron by his side. To have no friends in the classes spent with his own year, but it was necessary at this point.

Lily would admonish him for becoming distant. For isolating himself and creating a larger problem. Harry, quite frankly, didn't give a fuck. He needed to stay alive. Though he never gave it much thought, seeing as the Prophecy was inactive without Voldemort's physical form, he had a duty to perform for the Wizarding World. He himself had to finish it. If he died, he was essentially subjugating everyone he cared about, everyone he loved, and thousands of innocent witches, wizards, and muggles, to a life of misery.

The second matter that was nibbling away at his own mind was Elizabeth. Every time he looked at her, or she looked at him, an odd fluttering would settle in the pit of his stomach. It reminded him of adrenaline and the feeling of weightlessness that overcame your body when subjugated to it.

But did he fancy her?

She was, truth be told, incredibly beautiful. She made him laugh and was overall a good time to be around. But there was always something at the back of his mind that made him hold back on admitting that he might have feelings for the girl.

Finally, he decided to ask his mum about it.

'Are you interfering with my feelings for Liz?'

'No, Harry, I'm not. Though I am a little offended that you'd think I am,'

'Well, it's not that I thought you were, it's just… I needed to make sure,'

'Do you want my opinion on that little nagging feeling?'

Harry hesitated, then, mentally said, 'Yes,'

'I was sixteen, I think, when I first started really feeling that nagging. Your father had been quiet for the first time ever. He wasn't asking me out every day of the week anymore, he'd honestly left me alone on that front. He'd offer to help with homework, and he'd explain things to me in class without me having to ask him. He just knew that I needed help… anyway, sorry, I'm getting off track,' Harry chuckled out loud and Sirius gave him a quizzical look. Harry just shook his head and tapped his temple with his index finger to indicate a mental conversation. Sirius smiled. 'As I was saying, without your father constantly pining after me, at least not in the same way, loads of boys saw me as "Available".' Harry grimaced. He didn't want to think about his mother like that. 'There was this one boy… he was a Ravenclaw prefect. Good looking, talented, smart, pretty much everything you could really ask for. But I felt that nagging at the back of my head. As though my subconscious was telling me that, somehow, this wasn't right. It took me a long time to understand that the reason for that little voice was because the person I truly wished to be with was right in front of me the whole time,'

'Dad,' Harry thought to himself, completing his mother's riddle.

'Yes. So, I feel like, somehow, even though I myself hadn't acknowledged it, I was already in love with James… If you want my advice, Harry, I'd say you should listen to that voice. Elizabeth is a great friend to you, but maybe that's all she'll ever be.'

Harry couldn't help it. He sighed. 'That's a shame because Liz is beautiful,'

'That she is,'

'Hopefully, my mystery true love makes me feel that tingling,'

'One day, I'm sure, she will,'

'Do you know who it is?' Harry asked, hopeful that his mother would provide an answer.

'I have an idea, yes.'

But Harry, truthfully, had absolutely no idea who it could be.

He waited for what must have been hours before Elizabeth and Ginny turned up with small slips of paper. Harry assumed their gowns were stored in there, somehow.

'Well that took bloody forever,' Harry admonished, rising from his stiff-backed wooden chair and walking over to them. 'We've got to be back at the castle by noon. It's already eleven thirty!'

Hagrid rose from his chair, albeit sloppily, and gaped at Harry. 'Merlin 'arry! I hadn't noticed the time slip away so easily! Well, off yeh trot Harry, Ginny. I'll be right out. Miss Edwards here is stayin' in town for the time bein,' He patted Elizabeth on the shoulder and her knees actually buckled under her. Hagrid apologized profusely but she took it in her stride.

Harry left the Three Broomsticks in a bit of a haze. Ginny was also oddly quiet. They didn't really mind that Hagrid hadn't bothered to actually escort them back to the castle. He was far behind them, they could see him up the lane, but they were on their own. It was only as he reached the gates to the castle grounds, eyeing the winged boars appreciatively, that he remembered that he still had no idea how to dance.

And Sirius was the only person who could teach him.

And he hadn't said a word about it the entire time they'd spent together in The Three Broomsticks.

---

Christmas morning dawned bright and cheery. Even though he didn't know if he and Ron were technically even friends, he'd still gotten his best mate a large box of chocolate frogs. He was surprised to find the exact same gift addressed to him from Ron as well. Neither made eye contact with one another upon this realization.

He'd gotten some fudge and a new jumper from Mrs. Weasley, which was always Harry's favourite gift. There was nothing from Hermione, which didn't surprise him. He hadn't gotten her anything either.

Ginny had made him a framed crude sketch of himself sitting on a podium with a large number two, being hugged by Fleur Delacour, while Ginny stood high above them on a large pillar with a golden number one emblazoned on the front of the pillar. Harry laughed as he watched himself flinch and cringe at Fleur's touch. Ginny had gone all out on her charm work, it would seem.

Sirius had got him a letter that had 'Open after you win the Tournament' written across the front. And Remus had given him a stack of papers that were bound magically. Across the front of the first page, read the words: Werewolves: The Truth Behind the Curse, by Remus Lupin. Harry's eyes widened in shock and he noticed the letter taped to the front of the manuscript.

Dear Harry,

I hope you're well. I only see you roughly five times a day so I wouldn't know. (laugh) Anyway, what I have just gifted to you can only be read by you. I doubt you scanned it for runes but if anyone else looks at this manuscript, (yes, that's what it is) they will just see a load of blank muggle paper.

What is it? Well, it's step one in Sirius's master plan to make me and you legal members of this school. Basically, if this book is published and promoted by the somewhat famous Sirius Black, people may rally behind the cause, pressuring the Ministry into action. It really is a shot in the dark, and I wouldn't consider myself much of a writer, but it's worth the gamble, in my opinion.

Now, the official book won't be published under my name, but under Nymphadora Tonks. This way, no one will have reason to suspect me of being a werewolf. Tonks has a near-perfect attendance record, so she can back up her story. I, however, have no such luxuries. I miss too many days not to arouse suspicion.

Anyway, I used a lot of what you've told me of your relationship with Lily to tell the stories here, and yes, they are stories. The entire thing is presented as a work of non-fiction, and the stories presented are those of true werewolves. In reality, they are only mine and your stories. I hope you don't mind me using yours.

There are four stories in total, each discussed in great length, and many of the symptoms, concepts, and experiences are further explained through the author's notes. The first is of my being bitten. How there are villainous werewolves, who chose that life to survive. (Though with proper Ministry representation, these werewolves would not be forced to take such drastic actions) And that there are those like me, (though I am not named) who try desperately to fit in and lead normal lives. I tell the story of the consequences of the lack of wolfsbane, (which is essentially a modified retelling of your bite). The next story is that of the inner voice. I explain everything there is to it, from what you've told me and from my own personal experience. And the fourth story is about the expanded magical power and possibilities of new discoveries if we allow werewolves to learn magic fully.

There are lots of chapters after that, which discuss the transformation. (How it feels, the physical toll it takes, how animagi can help humanize the wolf's mind) and I also talk about suggestions for a "brighter werewolf future". You're lucky the Potters own a publishing company because, without it, this book would never get off the ground.

Now, I would love your opinion on it before we publish, but I'm afraid we need it published as soon as possible. Sirius's cousin, Andromeda, is editing it as we speak. We're hoping for a New Year's Day release, but we'll have to see how fast the printing elves can do their jobs.

Why the rush? Well, with reporters constantly sniffing you out, it'll be hard for your secret to remain, well, secret, for long. Plus, after letting me know of Madame Delacour's knowledge of your condition, the circumstances are even more dire. I need you to promise me that you'll keep your mouth shut during the ball. You never know who might be lurking around the corner.

Sirius is working on the advertising for the book. He and Tonks will be doing book signings and press releases and all of that. Essentially, we are going to artificially exaggerate the popularity of this book, to get it off shelves. It's actually rather intelligent, and you should commend your godfather for the plan.

Now that you're finally in the loop, I hope you enjoy your evening at the Yule Ball with Elizabeth.

Love,

Remus

Harry couldn't believe it. Yes, there were flaws in the plan. He could accidentally expose himself if someone saw the similarities between the stories and their Professor, but for the most part, Harry approved.

He knew that eventually, the world would discover that Harry Potter, their saviour, was a werewolf. He had sort of hoped that him being him would convince a lot of people that werewolves truly weren't all that bad, but with so many labeling him as an attention-seeking dark wizard in the making, not to mention a Noble Lord… well, he doubted very much that anyone would see werewolves as anything but corrupting and vile.

Something Remus had said made him think. He'd once again brought up the animagus transformation being cathartic, and even helping to bring out the human in the non-altered werewolf brain. His father had done that for Remus. As had Sirius. Wormtail didn't count, Harry decided.

He wondered if things were different, if he hadn't ignored his friends for the summer, if he'd communicated a little better, if maybe he'd be thinking about his latest adventure outside on the school grounds with his animal friends by his side. He wondered what Hermione's form would be. Or Ron's.

Well, Ron's was obvious, Harry thought, he would be a dog. Loyal beyond belief.

With a start, he realized that in the time he'd taken reading Remus's letter, the other fourth-year boys had cleared out of the dormitory.

Except for one.

Neville stared out the window, seemingly in a trance, all alone.

Harry hadn't given Neville much thought. Not wanting to further jeopardize his and Ron's friendship by trying to hang out with Neville. But there was something in Neville's eyes that made Harry get out of bed and slowly creep over towards the window. They were haunted. It looked as though he'd just seen a dementor. But underneath the covering was a deep sadness. It was obvious by his pained expression.

'Neville?'

The boy in question whirled around to face him. 'Oh, hi Harry,'

Harry slid down the wall to face Neville. 'What's wrong?' Harry looked over to Neville's bed and noticed with a pang that he'd only received two presents. He had known that Neville didn't have many friends, and earlier in the year when Harry had been socializing with the other fourth-year Gryffindor boys, Neville had always been rather awkward and didn't join in on the magical experimentation with Remus's journal, but he hadn't given it much thought.

Now, he could see that Neville must be unbelievably lonely here in this castle. He lived in a large manor, not unlike Harry's, with no one but his grandmother. His parents had been tortured to insanity by Bellatrix and Redolphus Lestrange, and that Barty Crouch Jr. fellow. Sirius had mentioned it during the summer.

At Hogwarts, Neville was equally as alone. Only now, he was being picked on mercilessly by Pansy's gang and Draco Malfoy. Not to mention Snape, who had somehow managed to be so horrible that he'd become the boy's worst fear.

Neville seemed to finally acknowledge Harry's question and he turned those hollow eyes to Harry. 'Just a lousy Christmas, I suppose,'

Harry nodded, even though for him, it had been a great Christmas. Especially with the confirmation that Ron still cared about Harry. 'Anything I can do to help?' Harry found himself asking.

Neville began to shake his head but then his eyes came into focus and it seemed as though he was staring at Harry in a whole new light. 'Actually yeah… you might be able to,'

Harry readjusted himself and stared intently at Neville, silently inviting him to begin explaining.

'Do you… do you know what happened to my parents?'

Harry nodded. 'Sirius told me,' he whispered. Neville flushed slightly and averted his eyes from Harry.

There was a prolonged silence before Neville started speaking again. 'I don't know why I tried to keep it a secret. Most people don't know because either they weren't raised in the Wizarding World or their parents don't like telling their kids about the war,' he continued to avoid eye contact with Harry and turned to gaze out the window once more. 'Malfoy knows… I can see it when he looks at me,'

Harry's heart went out to the boy in front of him. It was stupid, really, that Harry had never sought out a friendship with Neville. He'd known, to some extent, that Neville's parents weren't around anymore. Seeing as he lived with his Gran. But he'd never bothered to reach out aside from shallow conversation. It would have helped in Harry's first and second years had he had someone with similar experiences to bounce ideas off of.

'My family… they're an old pureblood line… so, we've got lots of gold,' he started picking at the hem of his jumper. There were two wands that were connected at the tip, forming an A. Harry vaguely associated it with the auror symbol on Tonks's uniform. Harry smiled. Judging by its frayed collar, he wondered if it had once belonged to Neville's father, Frank. 'so we always pay for the best care and experimental testing for my mum and dad… but nothing ever works,'

Neville sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Harry could have laughed. It seemed every bloke had the same nervous mannerisms. 'but this new one, it's straight out of the Department of Mysteries, we really thought it might work,' Neville finally turned to face Harry dead on. It was strange having such a serious conversation with him. 'It's like they're… stuck. Like they don't want to leave this… shell they've made around their minds. It's like they want to stay. I don't get it. What if they're living in their own heads, and have a fake me, and a fake wife or husband… what if they don't know they're living a lie?' he finished, throwing his arms up into the air in frustration.

Harry paled somewhat. This sounded so familiar. His two first transformations were spent in a mindscape. A world created to comfort himself. He could summon fake fathers and talk to his mother for days on end.

During his second transformation, he'd gotten stuck! He'd needed his mother to go into his mind and pull him out of his own shell. Neville had stopped talking and the two boys sat in contemplative silence, though for completely different reasons.

'You say they're stuck? Harry prompted.

Neville started at Harry's voice but nodded all the same. 'Like the curse wrapped them up and left them living in their own head,' he paused and ruffled his own hair again. 'At least, that's how the healers described it,'

The contours of a plan were beginning to form in Harry's mind. But he couldn't give Neville false hope. He'd need to talk to his mother about this-

'Harry, I'm always here,'

'Right, sorry,' Harry paused, 'I think we should talk about this some other time. We need a quick way to brighten Neville up. Let's talk about this later, yeah?'

Lily gave an understanding sigh. 'I will remind you in case you forget,'

'I could never forget an idea like this,'

Pulling out of the mental conversation he tried to find a way to change the subject while drawing the previous one to a close. He reached forward and lay a comforting hand on Neville's shoulder. 'Magic is always evolving, Neville. One day they'll find a cure. You've just got to keep on trying. Keep hoping. But it isn't worth dragging your mood down on Christmas. You've got a Ball to get ready for!' He grinned at Neville who seemed to sink further into his misery.

'I haven't even got a date,' he said, quietly.

Harry, truthfully, wasn't surprised. But that was the very last thing he was going to tell him. 'Who cares? You're going to get dressed up. Strut into the Great Hall and when one of those girls gets bored with their date, she'll find you readily available!'

Neville scoffed at the idea of a girl approaching him. 'I don't have any dress robes,'

Harry frowned. 'What? It was on the list of required material before term started,'

Neville smiled ruefully. 'Gran said it wasn't worth it. That I'd wreck my family's robes because they'd be sitting at the bottom of my trunk all year, seeing as I'd never get a date,' he paused and then laughed a hollow chuckle. 'I guess I proved her right,'

'No offence Neville, but I don't think I'm too fond of your Gran,' Harry straightened himself and leaned forward so Neville was either forced to look away or stare straight at Harry. 'I've got a pair I can duplicate; I've learned the spell for the tournament. We can adjust the size and all that after. You are coming to the Ball.' Harry finished with a determined glint in his eye.

'I don't even know how to dance,' Neville protested feebly.

Harry stood up and extended a hand towards Neville, who hesitantly took it. Harry hoisted him off the ground and to his feet. 'Neither do I,' said Harry brightly. Harry didn't care if this was the most feminine thing he'd ever done with a friend. He was going to get Neville ready for this Ball if it was the last thing he did.

Harry walked over to his trunk and pulled out his dress robes. They were a dark emerald green that matched his eyes perfectly. It had black accents, but other than that was fairly simple. 'Right, so these robes are a bit weird,' Harry explained, 'They've got a muggle-worthy mode, which, when activated, transfigures itself into a suit, vest, tie, and trousers. I don't want to match with you, so I'll wear mine in muggle fashion and you can have the robes,' Harry grinned up at Neville who smiled back, albeit hesitantly.

Harry asked his mum for the spell and cast it successfully on the first try. The dress robes doubled and Harry held it up to Neville, who was quite a bit shorter than Harry. Harry had quite a bit of muscle built around his body due to his bite, but Neville was rather pudgy. Nothing like Dudley, though. Harry figured it was an average amount of fat. He'd probably lose it as he grew older. It didn't really matter, because it meant that Harry could just shrink the robes and the minor adjustments would be easier to handle.

Harry shrunk it down to fit Neville and offered them to his friend. 'Wow, Harry, thanks!' Harry just smiled.

They proved to be an awkward fit for Neville. 'If I didn't know any better,' Harry began, 'I'd say we'd need it tailored,'

'What?' Neville asked, having grown up in the Wizarding World.

'Nevermind,' said Harry, absently. 'Do you mind if I go and get Ginny? I reckon she knows how to make all those small adjustments.'

Neville blushed and Harry grinned. Ginny clearly had an effect on people. For some odd reason, that thought brought the nagging sensation at the back of his mind to the pit of his stomach. 'That's odd,' he thought to himself, filing it away for later.

Neville hesitantly nodded and Harry told him to 'Wait here!' before running down the stairs.

Ginny and Colin were playing wizards chess on what seemed to be a brand-new chessboard. 'Happy Christmas Harry!' cried Colin, who saw him first as he was facing the stairs, while Ginny's back was turned to it.

Ginny whirled around and smiled up at Harry. 'So, what made you finally get out of bed?' said Ginny.

'Oh, actually, Ginny, I need your help with something in our dormitory,' said Harry, before mentally punching himself. 'Happy Christmas, by the way. To the both of you. I really liked the beans, Colin, and Ginny your drawing made me laugh,'

Ginny smirked at Harry's vain attempts at getting her to come and help him. She silently rose out of her seat and made her way to the stairs. Calling over her shoulder, she said, 'I'm glad you found it funny. I especially loved drawing you squirm in phlegm's arms,'

Harry chased her up the stairs and found her staring at Neville. 'Those don't fit you, you know,' Ginny acknowledged, pointing at Neville who shrugged embarrassedly.

'Yeah, that's why we need your help,' said Harry, guiding her over to where Neville was standing. 'Call me sexist, but over the summer you said there were some spells girls just knew. Well, I reckon there's a spell to readjust and modify clothing to perfectly fit the wearer?'

Ginny turned to him and cocked an eyebrow.

'What? You said it yourself,' said Harry.

Ginny grinned. 'Yeah, just wanted to scare you into thinking you offended me or something. Alright,' she pulled her wand from the depths of her robes. 'Stay still and hold out your arms in a t shape,' Neville did so, and after repeating the instruction to 'Stay still!' she muttered a spell under her breath and the robes began to magically reshape to fit Neville perfectly. 'Done,' Ginny said with a final delicate flick of her wand before she put it back in the folds of her robes.

'Thanks, Ginny!' said Harry, coming to stand next to her until their shoulders brushed.

Ginny's cheeks pinkened and she looked around the room. Without looking at Harry, she said, 'Are we going to go down for breakfast now?'

Harry turned to her in surprise. 'You haven't gone already? Me and Neville have been up here for ages!'

Ginny rounded on him with a bemused expression. 'It's Christmas… we wanted you there,'

Harry shrugged and gestured towards the door. 'You coming, Neville?'

'What? Oh… yeah okay,' Ginny gave Harry an odd look and he just raised his eyebrows in challenge.

Ginny rolled her eyes and nodded toward Neville. 'It's a good thing you're doing,' she whispered so only Harry could hear while Neville lifted the dress robes over his head.

Harry nodded absently. 'Agreed,'

---

Christmas day was spent playing in the snow outside before coming in to warm up with a game of exploding snap. Neville stuck with them the entire time, but Harry could tell he wasn't all that comfortable. He'd give him time, but years of relative isolation couldn't wear off in a day.

At around five, Ginny ran up the stairs to her dormitory to get ready. Harry, Colin, and Neville all found this to be a bit odd. That was until the entire female population began filtering their way into the dormitories, leaving dozens of boys alone and in confusion.

'Who the hell needs three hours to get ready?' came a voice from across the common room.

Many murmured male agreements followed his statement.

---

Harry, knowing that Elizabeth would be arriving at seven-thirty, made his way to his dormitory at seven. He and Neville got changed, Harry transfigured his into the muggle suit, and they both made their way back down into the common room. Colin would be waiting for Ginny, and Harry had half a mind to do the same. 'We'll wait for a for a few minutes and if she's not down we'll just-' he was interrupted in his speech to Neville by the sound of shoes on stone stairs. He looked up and for a brief second, everything around him disintegrated.

Ginny was… 'Fuck,' beautiful. 'She's Ron's sister,' She was dressed in a flowing emerald gown that clashed with her hair really, really well. 'Fred and George's sister, that should be a red flag,' Her hair was tied up in an elaborate updo, with some strands left falling out of place. Two of these strands fell to frame her face, which was absolutely adorable. 'Bill is a curse-breaker, he could lock you up in a tomb,' She wasn't wearing any makeup or glamour charms, so her freckles were on full display. She had applied something on her eyelashes that made them stand out more. Which wasn't a bad thing whatsoever. 'Charlie handles dragons, he could set one lose on you,'

'Well, yeah but I've fought one of them before,'

'Stop making excuses for yourself, she's Ron's sister,'

'Am I even friends with Ron at the moment?'

'You'd like to think so,'

'Yeah, but he gave me chocolate frogs, the lowest level gift of all time,'

'You got him the SAME THING!'

'Harry, while this conversation with yourself is entertaining, I think you should probably focus back on the present,'

'Sometimes I forget you're here, mum,'

'Thanks, Harry, I only birthed you,'

There were leaves and branches with brown and gold highlights etched into the bodice, which hugged her waist in a very attractive way, 'Mrs. Weasley's daughter, think of what she'd say to you ogling Ginny like this,' Which matched her eyes perfectly and brought out that blazing look that was having a very strange effect on him. 'Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry; he could put you in Azkaban. Stop staring,' He could feel his face heating, and he had the distinct impression that Neville was staring at him. Hell, he could have been talking to him at the moment and Harry wouldn't have noticed. He was probably making a fool of himself but… 'Fuck,'

'Wow, Ginny you look really nice!' Harry was taken out of his reverie by Colin's voice, and he shook himself, before staring at his shoes. Ginny was standing pretty much right in front of him and he did not want her to see the effect her appearance was having on his face.

'Well let's head down then,' Harry said after clearing his throat. Looking anywhere but at Ginny.

---

The four students were some of the first to arrive in the Entrance Hall. Harry went out to wait out on the steps for Elizabeth, using the sound of the wind and snow to try and comfort himself. To alleviate the thoughts of Ginny that were entering his mind. He was now determined, Tournament rules or not, to get one dance with that redhead.

'Is she here yet?' Harry jumped and turned around. There was Ginny. He gaped at her for a moment, again, likely making a fool of himself. She blushed and Harry could have thrown himself off the astronomy tower for embarrassing her.

He averted his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'Sorry,' he mumbled.

'What?' she asked, standing closer to him. Harry's face was heating and he didn't know what to say.

'Nothing,' he settled on. 'Yeah, that'll do,'

'No,' Lily was outright laughing in his head, 'It really won't,'

Ignoring his mother, for now, he answered her question. 'No, she isn't here yet. I expect she'll be here in a few minutes. It's only twenty after seven,'

Ginny hummed in agreement and they fell into what was to Harry, an awkward silence. He cleared his throat and said, 'You do look… fantastic, by the way,'

Ginny's breath caught for a moment before it continued as normal her voice wavered slightly but she said, 'Thanks,' in return.

Harry was fighting the urge to rub the back of his neck with a vengeance. What the fuck was going on with him right now? Then, he saw them. Sirius and Elizabeth walking side by side up the steps to the castle. Elizabeth looked beautiful in her gown and her blonde hair was done up identically to Ginny's. Sirius was smiling a little too knowingly at Harry's flushed appearance for comfort.

'So, Potter, ready for the Ball?' Sirius asked, gesturing towards Elizabeth and raising an eyebrow.

'Oh, er, yeah, Hi Liz,' Harry gave a lopsided grin and Elizabeth laughed at him. Grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards the doors. Ginny fell into step next to Sirius.

'So, Harry, you're supposed to put your arm out like that, and my hand is supposed to fit in the crook,' Elizabeth explained, as though speaking to a mentally challenged terrier puppy.

Harry rolled his eyes and bent his arm for her to hold. He could hear Sirius and Ginny behind him. Perhaps they had forgotten that he had wolf senses because their conversation wasn't exactly private.

'Why does he get so awkward around her when she's all done up, but normal when she's just around him? Like yesterday,' said Ginny in a whisper. Harry frowned. He wasn't acting awkward.

'Because he's the son of James Potter. He was the definition of confident until he had to actually go on a date with someone. Poor bloke. Drove most of the ladies away, I'm afraid,'

'Well, not his mum,'

Sirius scoffed. 'She probably found it endearing,' Sirius sighed, 'she could have done so much better. With me, for example,'

Ginny laughed and Harry fought the urge to chuckle as well.

He, Elizabeth, and Ginny made casual conversation as they walked into the Entrance Hall. Everyone stared in wonder at Elizabeth, who was a complete stranger, at Harry's muggle suit, as well as Sirius Black, a famous escapee and mild celebrity. Ginny led them over to where Colin and Neville were standing. Sirius joined them.

Harry introduced Elizabeth to Colin and Neville, who were both friendly in return, though Neville was rather shy about it.

'You're Frank and Alice's boy, aren't you?' said Sirius, addressing Neville for the first time.

Harry's heart sank. Today really was a bad time to bring that up. But Neville seemed to gain confidence from being addressed as such. He puffed out his chest slightly and smiled at Sirius. 'Yeah, I am,'

Sirius struck out his hand and Neville hesitantly shook it. 'I loved your dad,' he smiled a bit wistfully and looked down at his shoes for a moment before releasing Neville's hand and looking back up at the boy. 'Though I must say, he really couldn't handle his alcohol,'

Neville, who had clearly never heard anything so typical about his father, seeing as he'd only heard his Gran's opinions, latched onto the conversation. 'Really?'

Sirius chuckled. 'Oh yeah. He proposed to me after having his first ever shot of firewhiskey. I gave him a kiss on the lips and sent him on his way. Told him that he'd likely piss off Alice. Which, let me tell you, was not something anyone would want to do,'

Neville was staring at Sirius with a mix between shock and awe. Harry knew it was probably the best feeling in the world to hear about your parents in such a casual sense. None of this glossed up honour, but of their mistakes and flaws as well.

Much too soon, the Champions were called to line up. Ginny, being first in the Tournament, led the charge, with Harry in second, then Fleur, and finally, Krum. Harry nearly choked on his own spit as he noticed Hermione. He'd known she was going to the Ball with Krum, but she was nearly unrecognizeable. He looked around out of habit for Ron, only to find him glaring at Krum and completely neglecting his date, Parvati.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and Harry was momentarily driven speechless. He heard a murmured 'Wow,' from Elizabeth and couldn't help but agree. The entire hall was covered in magical ice. The ceiling was decorated with large hanging icicles. Multiple tables lined the floor while a large space was cleared for dancing. The Champions were led to what was typically referred to as the staff table. Harry sat in between Ginny and Elizabeth, while they watched students and staff alike, filter into the hall. Mr. Crouch and Ludo Bagman were both present, though Crouch seemed ill. His complexion was incredibly pale, and he seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight.

Bagman, on the other hand, was his usual jovial self. Winking at Harry and Ginny before seating himself next to Dumbledore.

Sirius and Remus sat together at a student table, which made Harry laugh as many fourth years piled in around them awkwardly. It seemed that Remus had forgotten he was a professor for the night. Joking and laughing with Sirius quite loudly.

Dumbledore ordered his meal and the rest of the Hall followed suit. Harry filled Elizabeth in on the many students in the Hall. Trying to get her to know some of their names.

'See that bloke over there with the blonde hair?' Harry asked, gesturing to Draco Malfoy, who was sitting next to Pansy Parkinson. 'He's Malfoy,'

'He reminds me of someone,' Elizabeth mused aloud. 'This new woman in town. Said her name was Miss Black,'

Harry whirled around to face her. 'What? That's not possible,'

'Yeah, she said she knew you,' said Elizabeth. 'Do you reckon she's his mum?'

Harry stared at her for a moment before shaking his head in disbelief. 'There's no way,' he said, more to himself than anything. 'She'd never introduce herself with her maiden name,'

But the more Harry thought about it, the most it seemed to fit. Harry had sent her a note during the summer, warning her of what he was going to do to Lucius. It was a shot in the dark as far as plans go, and he hadn't told Sirius or Remus about it, but he'd hoped that he'd get a better idea of her and Lucius's relationship that way. When the trial had occurred, and Lucius was surprised by his summon, Harry realized that Narcissa must not have told her husband about his plan.

Then, with the handling of the Malfoy fortune, she didn't seem too displeased. Focusing on the fact that at least now her son would have to work for a living.

'It might be, actually,' said Harry after a while. Ginny's eyebrows rose into her hair.

'Are you serious?' Ginny asked. 'She's too proud for that. Always following her ferret of a son and that… monster of a husband around. Why would she move to your village?'

Elizabeth shook her head. 'I don't know, but I got that aristocratic sense after her,'

The Champions were then called to dance and Harry's palms started to sweat. He now realized that Elizabeth was nearly seventeen. He was only fourteen. She'd probably danced with hundreds of people.

'Well, no,' he thought. 'She said I was the first and only bloke in town,'

He led her onto the dance floor and immediately apologized. 'I have absolutely no idea how to dance. We did it in primary for a bit, but I was like… ten,'

She giggled and shook her head. 'That's alright. I haven't got a clue either,'

Harry's eyes widened. 'What? I was counting on you knowing what to do so you could lead me!'

Elizabeth gave a very unladylike laugh. Loud and boisterous before fumbling her hands around Harry's neck. His hands went to her middle and she squirmed a bit. Their laughter, along with their terrible dancing, had already garnered quite a bit of attention.

'Why are you squirming?' Harry asked in a hushed whisper as they tripped and stumbled their way around the floor. Harry could hear Ginny snickering from behind them as the Champions danced around each other.

'It tickles,' she explained, gesturing with her head to the hands on her waist.

'I don't know how I'm supposed to avoid that if I'm honest,' said Harry, smiling sheepishly and applying light pressure to her waist. She glared at him and stepped on his toe rather harshly, in Harry's opinion.

He groaned and tried not to hobble too noticeably.

Finally, the rest of the Hall's occupants were allowed to dance, and Ginny, Harry, Elizabeth, and Colin all made their way to an empty table. Colin drew out a deck of exploding snap and they all began to play.

'Harry, just so you know, you dance with the elegance of a baby giraffe,' said Ginny raising her glass of water towards him. Harry let himself laugh and for a moment, it felt as though there was no Voldemort, no Tournament. For once, Harry was at Hogwarts and he was just any other student. Well, besides the occasional flash of a camera.

The press was inexplicably invited to the Ball, and Harry wanted to have some words with Bagman over the rules and regulations.

A young woman with a kind smile hesitantly walked over to Ginny and tapped her on the shoulder. 'Hello, my name is Audrey Williams from Young Witch's Monthly Magazine, I was wondering if you could comment on your performance in the Tournament so far?'

Harry felt as though this was rather rude. This wasn't a press event. However, he hadn't seen this woman or heard of her magazine at any of the other conferences.

Ginny's face brightened considerably. 'I used to read that when I was younger!' she said excitedly. 'Yeah, okay, I'll comment,' Ginny pulled out the chair next to her and invited Audrey to sit down.

Audrey seemed surprised at the warm welcome. Ginny had been notoriously cold to the press throughout the Tournament so far. The Prophet had not been very kind following the Tournament's wand ceremony and press conference.

Audrey sat down in the chair offered and pulled out a muggle pen and notepad. With a start, Harry realized that this would be the first proper interview Ginny had given about the First Task. She had slept through the last one.

'I just wanted to say that your performance in the first task was really incredible. Out of all the Champions, you really seemed to understand the creatures,' Audrey's face was flushed, and she was speaking incredibly fast. To someone who wasn't paying attention. It would appear as though she was rambling.

Ginny smiled and answered kindly. 'Well, my second oldest brother, Charlie, is a dragon handler. He works out in Romania. I was surprised that he hadn't come to watch my Task, actually… a few of my brothers messed it...' she paused and stared down at her hands for a moment before continuing. 'Anyway, from him I've heard a lot about dragons, so I've always been able to see them as animals rather than monsters. On top of that, I have six older brothers, so dragons were always a popular topic in our home growing up.'

Most reporters would have latched on to the potential family drama of the absent brothers, but Audrey didn't seem to be that kind of writer. 'Six brothers! Are you the only girl?'

Ginny grimaced and Audrey laughed. 'Yeah, I'm the only girl. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have had a sister but I've got honorary ones to fill the void,' she nudged Elizabeth, who was sitting beside her, and grinned.

Audrey smiled at that and then asked her the next question. 'How does it feel to be such an inspiration for young witches worldwide?'

Harry hadn't thought of that. By the look on Ginny's face, neither had she. But of course, that made sense. He'd wager nearly everything besides maybe his invisibility cloak that Fleur was having a similar influence in France.

Besides the Holyhead Harpies, witches in sporting events were pretty much unheard of. And if they did exist, they weren't ever front-page news. Now, Ginny would have been plastered on newspapers around the world. That stylized portrait of her with her hair billowing and her eyes glinting would be on clothes, posters, and even miniature figurines like the ones at the World Cup.

'It seems you hadn't thought of that,' said Audrey to Ginny's stunned silence. 'You're only thirteen, you see, and so, unlike Madame Delacour, you have quite the mile to prove yourself. You've become a sort of inspiration,'

Ginny gaped at her. 'Really? That's… that's really cool,' Ginny became thoughtful and Audrey wrote down that response.

'So, what do you think of it?' she asked.

Ginny stared for a moment before she spoke. 'Well, I'm a bit proud. You know? As you said, I'm young and I've proven myself once. I'd like to do it again and I have great friends who will help me get there,' she pointed specifically at Harry who flushed slightly and Audrey smiled at him. 'I just hope people will watch what I'm doing and realize that I'm really nothing special and that they could just as easily do the same thing, with their own talents.'

Audrey nodded as she penned that down and smiled at Ginny. 'That's probably everything but I just have a small question on the side,' she dug through her bag and pulled out one of the posters of Ginny and Harry, which had 'Hogwarts Triwizard Champions,' emblazoned above their heads. 'I was wondering if you could sign this. Oh, and you as well, Mr. Potter,'

Two years ago, Harry would have scowled and thrown the pen right back at whoever was asking's face. Likely Colin's. But now, with the context of the whole situation. Harry readily took the muggle marker and wrote his initials in cursive right underneath his Poster-self's feet. Ginny did the same, though her's was much more aesthetically pleasing.

Audrey was smiling from ear to ear, blushing slightly. 'I'm sorry to ask, really,' she said as she watched them sign the poster. 'It's just, well, my daughter loves you both. She's been asking me to get you two to sign a poster since I started covering the Tournament,'

Ginny finished signing and looked up at Audrey, Harry did the same. 'Oh, how old is your daughter?' she asked, genuinely curious.

Audrey took the poster and began to roll it up. 'She just turned four last October… her father isn't around so it's just me and her. Anyways, that just means that any time we get to spend together while I'm not at work is really special so the free press tickets have been really good,' she seemed to have thought she'd said too much to two celebrity children and averted her gaze for a moment. 'Anyway, so, naturally she's grown quite fond of the two of you, being from Hogwarts and all,'

Harry smiled and nodded. He didn't feel like he was truly a part of this conversation. Audrey tucked the poster into her evidently magically expanded bag and shook hands with both Harry and Ginny before she left.

'I never really thought about the implications of me being in this Tournament,' said Ginny, watching Audrey's back as she left the Hall. 'In that sense, I mean,'

'Yeah,' said Elizabeth. 'I wouldn't have either.' They quickly resumed their game of exploding snap while Colin left to get drinks.

---

Across the Hall, there was one wizard who was heavily brooding. He'd danced with Parvati for two songs. He'd really tried to make the night alright for her, but his feelings weren't really in it, and when she'd asked if it was alright to switch partners, Ron had agreed and let the first boy who asked, take her. He'd come and found a seat next to Neville, who seemed to visualize Ron's internal suffering. But even Neville had been rescued from the perpetual boredom and embarrassment of sitting out of a dance by none other than Hannah Abbott. Someone who was widely considered as one of the most attractive girls in their year.

And now Ron sat alone. Watching that Bulgarian Ponce dance with Hermione. Viktor Krum? What the hell did he have to offer?

'Well,' Ron thought to himself. 'A lot more than Ron Weasley,'

Ron was interrupted out of his internal plotting of Krum's assassination by the sounds of shuffling dresses that indicated a girl had just sat in the seat next to him.

'Yeah,' she said airily, 'Krum's a git.'

Ron turned and faced the side profile of the girl from the World Cup. The one he'd stumbled into and pulled up off the ground. The girl Hermione and Ginny had seemed to know, but he had never heard of. The girl who had randomly entered his thoughts when he'd discussed girls with the twins.

'You should see him at mealtimes,' said Daphne Greengrass, finally turning to face Ron. They were quite close. 'He's disgusting.'

Ron gaped at her for a moment before, for the first time that night, he laughed. 'I reckon all blokes are disgusting when they eat,'

Daphne smiled and looked back out to the dance floor. 'They really don't have to be,' she said.

'She's in Slytherin, why are you talking to her?' was coursing through Ron's mind like a pulsing Patronus. But at this point, he really didn't care. They had a mutual dislike. That was as common as the ground could be, in Ron's opinion.

'I just don't get what she sees in him,' said Ron after a moment of silence.

Daphne hummed in agreement. 'Granger's smart, talented, and relatively attractive with the new teeth,' she said, averting her eyes down to her fingernails, she began to pick at the cuticle on her middle finger. 'Krum stands like a duck, looks like Snape in the rain, and can't speak English. Honestly, Weasley, I'd say you've got a point.'

Ron's laugh started off as a chuckle and quickly deteriorated into uproarious laughter. Sobering, he wiped his eye. 'He really does look like Snape in the rain,' he sniffed and quickly came to his sense. 'I mean, really, besides the Quidditch thing-'

'Minor aspect of his persona,' Daphne interrupted.

'Yes, microscopic, if you ask me,' Ron smiled and then continued on his rant. 'But aside from that, what's he got! He's short, for one thing. I mean, Harry is taller than him for fucks sake,'

'Yes, about that,' said Daphne, her voice suddenly conspiratorial, 'how is it that Potter grew so much in one summer? I mean, he looks sixteen!'

Ron nodded, all conversation of Krum driven to the, well, not the back of his mind as the dolt was standing right in front of him, but to the middle at least. 'I don't know, he just grew, I suppose. He didn't used to eat much, you know,'

'Yes,' said Daphne, which confused Ron a little, but he ignored it.

'So, I reckon it was just a mix of him getting older and eating enough,' Ron finished, reaching behind him to grab his discarded apple.

'But what about those scars on his face? Every month they become more and more prominent,' Greengrass was speaking in a way that set off an alarm bell in Ron's mind. It was similar to that of when his mother was trying to let him figure something out on his own. It made him feel like an idiotic child, but Greengrass had a point. The scars had only begun to appear around October. Likely around halfway through the month. Each month they'd become easier to decern. By now, they were quite evident. Unlike what his lightning scar used to look like, these were white.

That was another thing. Harry's lightning scar, though still incredibly noticeable, was a faint pink now, instead of the angry red it used to be.

'If I'm being honest, Weasley,' Daphne's voice startled him slightly but she didn't seem to notice. 'Granger will always need more mature men in her life. She's either going to wait for you to change or change you herself. Not like there's anything wrong with that, but if you want to feel better about yourself, I think I'd find someone who made you feel half-decent,' and with that, she got up and disappeared into the crowds.

'What the fuck just happened,' Ron said to himself.

---

The Great Hall was emptying, and Harry, Elizabeth, Colin, and Ginny made their way to the Entrance Hall and to the front steps. Sirius was there as well. He and Remus said goodbye and Sirius told them he'd be waiting outside.

'Thank you very much for inviting me,' said Elizabeth to Harry and Ginny, who both smiled and nodded.

'It was really nice getting to see you sooner than expected,' said Ginny, hugging Elizabeth with pink cheeks and releasing her quickly after.

'Yeah!' replied Elizabeth enthusiastically. 'I wonder if I could come watch some of these tasks,'

Colin shook his head. 'The second and third tasks are already sold out, unfortunately. It was nice meeting you, though,'

Elizabeth nodded. 'It was great meeting you too,'

'Sorry for being such a lousy dancer,' said Harry sheepishly. They had gone back out to the dance floor and spun around for quite a while once Exploding Snap had lost its appeal.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and stepped up to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. 'It was more fun with you being as horrific as you were,' they all laughed, 'besides, I wasn't much better,'

Harry's eyebrows raised. 'No, you were dreadful,'

Elizabeth laughed and took a step back. 'Thank you for this dress, by the way. I know it was probably Sirius's money, but your name was on the card for the money pouch soooo…'

Harry laughed and watched her run down the steps, miraculously not tripping, and joining Sirius. 'You're welcome!' he yelled out.

The walk back to the common room was spent in laughter and the occasional companionable silence. Then, Harry pulled on Ginny's arm, deciding to act on something he'd been thinking about since she walked down the steps of the girl's dormitory.

'Do you think you could follow me for a bit?' said Harry quietly.

Ginny seemed confused but nodded. She told Colin she'd see him later. Harry winked at Colin over Ginny's shoulder and he rolled his eyes. Mouthing 'You owe me.'

---

Colin made his way through the portrait hole and into the now-empty common room. Well, empty of all but one.

Hermione sat on the sofa in front of the fire. Her eyes were red and her hair had begun to frizz up again. Colin hesitated before making his way over to her.

'Hermione? Are you alright?'

Hermione looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. He sat down next to her and fell into silence.

'I think I care about the people around me a lot more than they care about me,' she said quietly.

That was the last thing Colin had expected out of this little sit-down, but he wasn't about to abandon her. 'What makes you think that?' he asked, before immediately regretting it after a moment of thought. 'Actually, don't answer that. Harry's been a terrible friend... I'm assuming Ron has too?'

Hermione stared at him for a moment before the tears came back again. Falling down her face. 'I feel so used,' she said, her voice cracking. 'I never had friends, you know, before Hogwarts,' she sniffed and Colin nodded encouragingly. He was trying to think of every time his brother had needed to talk, and how Hermione had likely been holding this in for a long time. Which was probably why she was being so open with him.

'And I get here and everything's the same. People don't like me because I'm a "know it all" and whatever else... but then I get rescued by these two boys and they both seem like they'll actually be my friends. That they'll stick with me.'

Colin could now understand why Harry felt so terrible. Watching Hermione fall apart in front of him was, quite frankly, incredibly difficult to sit through.

'We go through all of this... stuff together. These adventures.' She scoffed at the term. 'But then I don't trust them with one secret... and it all falls apart. Harry gets quiet. Ron's mad at me... and I just can't fix it. So my mum tells me: 'Let them fix it if they really care." And they didn't do anything... then, Harry tried... but then proceeded to lie and go behind our backs again!' she wiped at her nose and physically drooped. Her dress pooled underneath her. 'I just don't get it... I care too much.'

Colin sighed and shook his head. 'You don't care too much, Hermione... you care more than most people, maybe, but that's a good thing! It makes you a great friend. A good person.'

Hermione shook her head. 'I haven't been a good friend. I lied too.'

Colin nodded. 'So you've both made mistakes. Some are more drastic than others. But why should that be irreparable? I'll tell you this, Harry goes on and on about how much he fucked up with you and how miserable he is because of it.' Hermione stared at him in disbelief. 'No, honestly, if I had a galleon for every time he brought it up, I'd have more money than even him!'

Hermione smiled sadly before rising to her feet abruptly and brushing herself off awkwardly. 'I hope that's true,' she said, wistfully.

Colin could do nothing as she walked towards the girl's dormitory stairs. He continued to gaze into the dying embers of the fire when he heard Hermione speak quite softly. 'I'm sorry for not being able to go to the Ball with you, Colin. It would have been fun.'

---

Harry led Ginny through corridors and staircases. Secret passageways and tapestries until finally, he came to where he was looking for.

'How agile do you think you are in that gown?'

Ginny looked down at her dress. Her hair was falling out of its updo somewhat, but it was still elegant. 'I reckon I could still lap you on a broom,' she said confidently, striding up to where Harry stood next to a window.

'Confident, are we?'

Ginny hummed in acknowledgment and stared at him, waiting for him to explain what he was doing.

Harry lifted the latch on the window and swung it open, clambering onto the windowsill and lifting a leg out and onto the roof of the sixth floor. 'Come on then, Weasley,' he said.

She grinned, having absolutely no idea what he was going to do, and followed him out.

They were standing on the roof of the sixth-floor Charms classroom. The night sky was plainly visible and Ginny admired the quarter moon shining bright above the castle. The roof they were on was more of a floor. There were crenels facing the one wall that wasn't attached to the seventh floor. It overlooked the lake.

'What's this all for, Harry?' Ginny asked, somewhat exasperatedly. She was getting a bit tired. It was well past midnight at this point. The Ball having been unofficially extended by a lack of proper staff enforcement.

'Mum,' Harry asked mentally, 'Do you think we're still close enough to the past full moon for you to take control of my body?'

'I think so, yes,'

'Brilliant… how well can you lead a dance,'

'I'll let you do the talking,' said Lily, chuckling mentally. Her laughter filled his head with a dizzying warmth, and he felt his body fall into his mother's control.

'Be subtle about it, though. I want her to think I knew how to dance the whole time,'

Lily laughed at him but agreed all the same.

Harry, or rather, Lily in control of Harry, walked up to Ginny. 'Would you like to dance?' Harry asked.

Ginny stared at him for nearly ten seconds in complete silence. Her face slowly flooded pink.

'I promise I won't sabotage your performance in the Tournament,' he added.

Ginny threw Harry the most brilliant smile he'd ever had the pleasure of witnessing and it made his head spin a little. He felt his mother's control leave his head and settle in on the rest of his body so he could still turn his head and blink and, essentially, keep up appearances. While Lily guided his body's movements.

And so, they danced under the stars for nearly an hour. Laughing and doing the most outrageous things.

It was about halfway through while Ginny was being spun when she said, quite loudly, 'Thank your mother for this dance, will you?'

Harry blushed and nearly fell over with the mental attack that was his mother's uncontained laughter.

He learned a very important lesson that day. Nothing ever gets passed Ginny Weasley.

---

A/N: Daphne isn't an Ice Queen in this story. She isn't this super popular and living menace like most fanon works. She is quite set in her ways, and definitely a pureblood loyalist, but as with anyone...

we all change.

Ron will evolve differently than he does in the books. I hope you're all as excited as I am to see where that goes.

Hermione/Colin isn't really set in stone. Hermione's pairing is something that will be confirmed in an epilogue or sequel rather than developed over the course of the story. Her pairing isn't important for what she ends up having to do. (Which is something I think a lot of people are going to find really cool.)

Have a great day everyone!