A/N: I have made a few edits to some of the dialogue to make it flow better. Thanks to everyone who has read my story!

The school was in a buzz about classes finally ending for the remainder of the year and the upcoming Yule Ball, and Ginny was in a very good mood as she finished a game of Exploding Snap with one of her fellow third-years, a short blond girl named Lena.

"I'm starving," Ginny told her after she got rid of all her cards just in time before they exploded. "I'm going to dinner."

She bade Lena goodbye, but no sooner had she gotten up and began making her way to the portrait hole than Ron had burst in with a look of utmost horror on his face; he made a mad dash to the corner of the room where he collapsed and put his face in his hands.

Ginny contemplated whether she really wanted to know what this was about. Hungry though she was, her curiosity got the better of her, and she hurried over to Ron to find out what had happened.

"What's the matter, Ron? Did you finally have a look at yourself after putting on those dress robes?"

Ron, though still white as a sheet, still managed to shoot her a dirty look. He put his hands back over his eyes and did not respond.

"Come off it," Ginny persisted. "What happened? You look like you just saw a spider the size of a Horntail."

Ron took a deep breath before answering.

"I asked Fleur to the ball." These words came out very fast as though it would make them less embarrassing.

"What?"

Ginny wasn't sure what she expected but it wasn't that. Ron just shook his head.

"So, uh, what did she say?"

"I ran before she could answer!" choked Ron. "What was I doing? There were people everywhere! Diggory was two feet away! He's probably having a good laugh with all his friends about it right now!"

Ginny could not help but feel amused, but she felt an odd kind of sympathy for Ron at the same time.

"Don't worry, Ron," she told him kindly. "Everyone has their embarrassing moments now and then." She patted his arm sympathetically. She thought of the number of times she had embarrassed herself in front of Harry, but she pushed this from her mind as these were unpleasant thoughts and took a different tack instead.

"Remember Malfoy the ferret?"

Ron, who normally broke into a wide smile when reminded of this, did not react this time. Ginny continued to try to cheer him up but was without success.

"What's up, Ron?" said a voice Ginny recognized at once as Harry's. She and Ron looked up; neither of them had noticed him approaching.

"Why did I do it?" Ron told him. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?" said Harry.

"He — er — just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny, patting Ron's arm again absentmindedly. For a fleeting instant she envisioned herself instead comforting Harry after having his own traumatic experience, though this would not have involved him getting rejected by a girl.

"You what?" said Harry.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped. "What was I playing at? There were people — all around — I've gone mad — everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall — she was standing there talking to Diggory — and it sort of came over me — and I asked her!"

Ron moaned and put his face back in his hands and mumbled something that was unintelligible.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then — I dunno — I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

Ginny fought back a smile after envisioning this scene unfold.

"She's part veela," said Harry. "You were right — her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it — but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."

Ron looked up again.

"I asked her to go with me just now," Harry said dully, "and she told me."

The cheerful mood that Ginny had been in since her last class ended evaporated in a nanosecond. She knew Harry did not share her feelings for him, but it still stung knowing he was actively trying to get a date with another girl, and worse, one who was both quite attractive and popular. Attractive and popular enough, in fact, to get asked out by Cedric Diggory…

"This is mad," said Ron. "We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone — well, except Neville."

Ginny suddenly became very interested in her own shoelaces.

"Hey," Ron continued. "Guess who he asked? Hermione!" He clearly was proud of himself for knowing this piece of gossip.

"What?" said Harry, stunned.

"Yeah, I know!" said Ron. "He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff — but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville . . . I mean, who would?"

"Don't!" cried Ginny, as Ron and Harry snickered. This was not improving her mood. "Don't laugh —"

Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.

"Because — oh shut up laughing, you two — because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.

Harry and Ron stopped laughing abruptly. Ginny felt a smug satisfaction after they just had laughed at Neville.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," Ron said sourly.

Ron and Hermione started to bicker over the Yule Ball after Ron suggested Hermione come with one of them. Hermione explained that she couldn't because she already had a date, which Ron still didn't believe, and the spat ended with Hermione stomping off to the girl's dormitories in a huff. Ginny knew that Hermione was telling the truth though, because she told her who she was going with earlier that day.

"She's lying," Ron said confidently.

"She's not," Ginny said quietly.

"Who is it then?"

"I'm not telling you, it's her business."

"Right," said Ron irritably, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just —"

"I can't, I'm going with — with Neville," Ginny said, feeling herself go red. She was really trying to avoid admitting this to Ron, but now she really had no choice. She was used to him being a prat, but this took it to a new level. Seriously, how could he be this thick? Surely he knew she wanted Harry to ask her to the ball on his own and not take her as a last-minute desperation date at his suggestion? Evidently not. Feeling both stupid and humiliated, she continued, "He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought... well... I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year."

Ginny, thoroughly depressed now, wished mightily that she had just left Ron alone in the corner by himself.

"I think I'll go and have dinner," she said as casually as she could, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole with her head bowed.

Ginny had no real intention of going to dinner, for she was no longer hungry at all. On the contrary, she now felt very queasy, and her insides seemed to have melted. She wandered aimlessly for a bit; negative, unwanted thoughts flooding her body like an icy acid. It was hard to believe how happy she was just fifteen minutes ago. She couldn't decide what was worse: missing out on an opportunity to go to the ball with Harry, or going to the ball with Harry and have him spend the entire time wishing she were Cho.

Ginny looked up and found herself standing outside a bathroom on sixth floor. She opened the door quietly and went in; the bathroom was quite empty, aside from a fly buzzing near the sinks. Her head still swimming with the recent conversation and the missed opportunity with Harry, she kicked a stall door in frustration, and before she could stop herself, was crying uncontrollably.

The next morning, Ginny headed down to breakfast earlier than she normally would have; she did not sleep particularly well. To her surprise, Hermione was already sitting at the Gryffindor table eating what looked like porridge and some toast.

"Good morning, Ginny," she said as Ginny sat down next to her.

"Hello," she responded listlessly.

Ginny helped herself to a small bowl of porridge and some orange juice.

"Steer clear of the sausage rolls," Hermione warned. "Fred and George have hexed some of them with their Canary Creams. I've already seen two people burst into feathers this morning."

"Right," Ginny said, trying to smile. "Those prats."

Ginny poked at her porridge a few times before taking a bite. She wasn't very hungry and her mind was still on the events of the previous evening.

"What's wrong?" Hermione said astutely.

Ginny shrugged but she knew it was no good; nothing ever got past Hermione.

"Is it Harry?" she said quietly.

Ginny nodded slowly without looking at her.

"I just want him to notice me," she said wistfully, before she could stop herself.

"You just need to relax around him," said Hermione. "Just be yourself."

"Easy to say that," Ginny mumbled. It was hard to be herself when she couldn't be around him for two seconds without blushing or doing something embarrassing.

"The thing you need to know about Harry," Hermione pressed on wisely, "is that he doesn't like being famous. He's very humble and he hates the attention. His fame is not something he can control though. I think the whole fangirl thing put him off a bit, as it's hard for him to separate that from the hordes of people that gawk at him and his scar, especially in his first year. I think unconsciously he just sees you as his friend's little sister. You just need to step back and relax a little bit. He's never met the real Ginny Weasley, has he? I'm sure he'd take a lot more notice of you if you were the funny, spirited person around him that you are around everyone else."

Ginny blushed slightly at the compliment but said nothing as she digested what she had said for a moment.

"What about Cho?" she said bitterly. "He thinks she's something special."

"Cho's going to the ball with Cedric, don't forget," said Hermione. "It's hard to see that being a one-off, Cedric being so handsome and a champion, and Cho being attractive and popular herself. Harry will have to move on eventually."

This cheered Ginny up slightly. She felt a sudden rush of affection for Cedric that had nothing to do with his good looks or being a champion. She still had a quandary, though.

"How am I supposed to relax enough around Harry to be myself?"

Hermione thought for a moment.

"I think if it were me, I'd try to focus more on other stuff. Your life doesn't revolve around Harry you know. I'm not telling you to forget about him, but just try and... push him into the background, a little. Maybe start talking to some other boys. I think it will be easier to relax around him if you branch out a little."

Ginny stared. This sounded like very weird and counterintuitive advice.

"You think I'd have a better chance of dating Harry by dating other boys?" she said incredulously.

"I think you need to accept that it's possible it just might not happen with Harry," said Hermione. "I think dating other boys will help you relax and be yourself around Harry, and that will help Harry see you as someone he would want to hang out with more; as someone more than just 'Ron's little sister'. And after that, who knows what might happen? Maybe he'll start returning your feelings. Great relationships often start with great friendships."

Ginny continued to stare at Hermione as though seeing her properly for the first time, then looked down at her food.

"I don't know, Hermione... I'm not sure I like this..."

"Well, you asked me for advice... this is my advice."

"And you really think that will make Harry like me?"

"I can't guarantee it," said Hermione earnestly. "But I firmly believe that it's the best way to go and will give you the best chance. It's certainly not something that would happen overnight, but if you just give it some time..."

When Ginny continued to look unconvinced, Hermione put her hand on Ginny's arm and said, "You know I would never purposefully give you bad advice, Ginny. I only see Harry as a friend and I know he feels the same about me. I want to see you two together, I think you would make a great couple, and nothing would make me happier!"

Ginny smiled uncertainly. She wasn't sure that she was convinced of Hermione's advice, but she'd never been more thankful that she had befriended her and could see why Harry and Ron were such good friends with her as well.

"I'll do what I can to help make it happen," said Hermione determinedly, "if you take my advice and Harry begins to notice you for who you really are. Maybe after the Yule Ball we can discuss it more. You didn't tell Ron who I was going with, did you?" she added abruptly.

"No," said Ginny.

"Good, I want to see the look on his face when he sees!"

Ginny laughed in spite of herself. Yes, she thought, Ron's reaction to Hermione and Krum was something she very much wanted to see, especially after he wouldn't shut up about Krum in the leadup to the Quidditch World Cup. She hadn't quite forgiven Ron for embarrassing her yesterday. Feeling a bit better, she grabbed a biscuit from the table and made her way back to the common room.