Special thanks to J. N. Fischoff who provided the Goblet of Fire scene that I used as the basis for my own story. Ralph S. who gave me advice and support. Illiad over at Userfriendly from whom I got the 'Surrounded' joke.
A/N: Just to be clear. There are some parts that are VERY similar to what was written in GoF. Not word for word, but plot-wise very similar. Jo wrote GoF and this is my take in a similar manner.
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"Ron, I need you to take me to the ball as your partner."
"What? No!" his face aghast. It was his sister asking him, after all.
"All those witches parading themselves in front of Harry... I can't not be there, Ron. I mean, can you imagine them dressed to the nines? There's no way Harry will be able to resist them." Her face was deadly serious.
Unfortunately, she didn't have her brother's full attention. Ron's eyes had glazed slightly as her description had led him to begin contemplating the beautiful Fleur Delacour.
Ginny's imagination was also similarly focused. "I mean, gorgeous periwinkle blue ball gown-" that should have been mine, "-primped and powdered-" with a half dozen bottles of Sleak-easy, "-being held tight-" that SHOULD BE ME, "-gazing into his dreamy, toad green eyes-" MINE! "-while they whisper sweet nothings into each others' ears." Ginny blushed.
Ron was still out of it.
"Ron!"
"What!?" her blurted. The daydream had just started getting good.
"Well, will you take me to the Yule Ball or won't you?"
"What are you, soft in the head? Of course I won't. There are loads of good-looking girls I could take." Images of Fleur Delacour and that blond in their year with the fantastic baps pranced throughout his mind. "Why on earth would I want to take my little sister?"
"Ron. Think! I'm only a Third Year. I can't go unless one of the upper years invites me. And for your information, I am a good-looking girl!"
"You're my little sister! Even if you were good-looking, and I'm not saying you are, you don't count!"
Ginny began a slow burn. "For your information, Ronnie-kins, Neville Longbottom already asked me."
Ron scoffed at the thought of pudgy little Neville working up the courage to ask Ginny out. So skeptical was he that he did not even bother getting over-protective. "Well then why are you wasting my time if you already got asked by little Nevy-wevy?" He hated being called Ronnie-kins when his older brothers did it, he was not going to let it pass from his younger sister - especially since she was asking him for a favor when she did it.
This seemed to short-circuit Ginny famous temper and her expression softened. "I need to attend the ball so I can keep Harry away from all the harlots…" Her eyes flicked up and she glared at him. "If you repeat what I'm about to say to ANYONE, I will hit you with so many Bat Bogey hexes that you'll think you're surrounded.
Sneering lightly and rolling his eyes, he made a continue motion with his hand.
Breathing deeply then letting out a large sigh, she admitted, "I think Neville may fancy me. Eventually Harry and I will be together and so I don't want to encourage him. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to him."
"What about me, then? Don't I have feelings?" blustered Ron.
Sometimes I wonder… mused Ginny. "I don't see girls lining up to date you, Ron. I figure at least if you take me, then you'll have someone to dance with. I'll even promise I won't complain when you step all over my feet." She smirked. "That's a real plus, unless you've miraculously learned how to dance since you had to escort Aunt Muriel over the summer?"
Ron's ears turned a bright red. He'd been trying to suppress that memory for months and had largely succeeded until she had reminded him just now. Anew the horror had returned in full force. His teeth grit together and the sneer on his lip returned. He stood, turned abruptly on his heel and strode out. "Bugger off. I'll find someone good-looking to partner with even if it kills me."
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Hermione leaned back against Harry; his left arm nestled comfortably against her left side and conveniently covered by her robes. Idly, his fingers ran back and forth along the top of her skirt, every so often skimming the top of her sensitive skin.
By no coincidence at all, every so often Hermione had to suck in her breath and marvel at the casual intimacy. She was having a lovely day. She had decided a few days before to try out her new ball gown.
She had shown it to exactly two people: Harry and to Ginny. Hermione had always planned to show it to Harry, but showing it to Ginny had been a last minute decision. She wanted something to de-frizz her hair so she would look nice for Harry, and so she had turned to Ginny for magical beauty product advice. Of course Ginny had insisted on seeing the dress before she would help. After a few minutes of being at a loss for word, Ginny had hugged her very tightly, mumbled something about a product called Sleak-easy and then left in a rush.
Harry had moved his hand to rest comfortably against her stomach, still covered by her robes.
She absolutely loved how warm his hands were. She snuggled back into him and allowed a satisfied grin to form on her face. Harry had reacted well just seeing the dress and since Ginny reacted so strongly, she expected quite a reaction on the night of the ball after she had styled her hair and made herself up properly. She couldn't wait…
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Back from evening meal, Ginny stepped over the portrait entrance into the common room. Quickly spotting the Golden Trio, she began walking toward them. "Why weren't you three at dinner?"
"Because - oh enough with the laughter, you children - because Ron has just succeeded in getting rejected by both of the girls he asked to the ball!" Hermione informed her. "We're trying to help, right Harry?"
The two males of the Trio suddenly found THAT a lot less funny; Ron because he was embarrassed and Harry because he recognized that tone.
"Thanks loads, Hermione." Ron whined theatrically.
"All the good-looking ones taken, brother dear?" asked Ginny. The smirk was just barely visible on her face, but if you listened, you could hear the gloating smiles.
"A certain underclassman that you described as 'plain' must be beginning to look quite fetching to you at this late hour, I should think." There was a bit more acerbity in Hermione's voice than she had intended; Ron just naturally grated at her like that.
"Well, there has to still be someone shallow and vapid enough to agree to accompany you." Offered Ginny in a 'not my problem anymore' sort of tone. He'd had his chance and that broom had flown.
But Ron couldn't seem to take his eyes from Ginny. His eyes were wide, as though suddenly truly seeing her for the first time in his young life. The stare was a little unnerving.
"Ginny… Neville might have been onto something. You… you're a girl…"
"Congratulations. Do you want a trophy?" she almost spat, but deciding spitting was unladylike, and refrained, but only just.
"This is brilliant! If I can't go with my first or second choices, then I'll just take you!" He was really warming up to the idea. He ignored the fact that Ginny had broached this very same idea a couple of days before and at the time he had ridiculed her and then turned her down flat.
"No, I won't!" declared Ginny. If her brother thought she'd take pity on him after the way he'd treated her than he had another thing coming to him.
"Oh come off it, Ginny" Ron wheedled. He was getting bored with the discussion topic already, "I need a partner and anyone below fourth year isn't even invited unless one of the upper years asks you. In any case, just imagine our family's loss of face if I'm forced to show up without a partner, I mean, I swear it seems like everyone else has already paired off . . ."
Remembering the ridiculous name draw Ginny had organized to try and set him up with someone; Harry glanced at Hermione and found himself smiling for no particular reason.
Hermione noticed the glance and the accompanying smile. She turned to look at him and smiled her special smile, one for his eyes only.
Harry's smile increased in size.
"I already said I won't be going with you," repeated Ron's kid sister, now flushing in embarrassment and annoyance, "In case you haven't figured out the reason, it's because I've already agreed to attend with someone else."
"Oh, yes you will!" said Ron. "You're just using the same excuse you used to get rid of Neville! Well, it won't work on me. I'll get Mum involved if I have to."
"You're accusing me of lying? That's low, even for you. Oh and then bringing Mum into this, you-you, pathetic flobberworm excuse for a man." Ground out Ginny, and then her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you my entire lifetime to notice, Ron, does not mean that nobody else has realized I'm a girl!" Ginny spent a few precious seconds glancing toward Harry, but nothing came of it. He was staring at Hermione and seemed to have a goofy grin on his face.
Ron didn't notice Harry's inattention, but continue to stare at Ginny. Finally, he grinned again.
"Okay, alright, I get it. You're a girl," he said. "I've said it, do you need it in writing or will that do?" he made a mock bow and extended an arm. "Will you hurry up and just agree to come with me already?" Despite the inappropriateness, he still let the sarcasm slip through.
"I've already TOLD you! Bloody Hell, I've even told you TWICE!" Ginny said very angrily. "I AM GOING TO THE BALL WITH SOMEONE ELSE! Why does that not seem to register with you?" She glanced at Harry and Hermione, their attention back on the Weaslys. "I mean, you two heard me, right?"
Both Harry and Hermione nodded.
Throwing her hands up in disgust, Ginny stormed off toward the girls' dormitories.
"She's lying," said Ron casually as he watched her stomp away. "'Just got to be. I mean, can you imagine someone wanting to take her to ball for real?"
Harry and Hermione just shook their heads in disbelief - not at Ginny but at Ron.
For such a petite girl, she really could make a lot of noise on the castle's stone floor, Hermione mused.
Harry was of similar thoughts. Hate to be on the other end of that shoe if she was mad at me…
"No, she's not," said Hermione in a stage whisper. It was easily loud enough for Harry to hear, but she'd planned for it to be loud enough for Ron to hear as well. Plausible deniability was important. The Marauder's had stressed that time and time again.
"Then who IS she going with? If you know, you have to tell me!" demanded Ron.
"I'm not telling you, it's really none of your concern," answered Hermione. Her voice sounded chill.
"Riiight," muttered Ron. This entire situation was putting him off his dinner… though come to think of it, he hadn't actually eaten supper yet. With a sigh at the annoyances in life that generally involved a bratty sister, he turned to Harry. "This is getting stupid. Hey Harry, how about you go with Ginny, and then Hermione and I can just -"
"He can't," said Hermione, and she began to blush prettily. "I'm going with Harry. He asked me a bit ago before the two of you mended fences. Remembering the excuse they had come up with in the, in his opinion, likely or, and in her opinion, unlikely, event that she got asked by someone else, and I thought . . . well . . . even though I'm entitled to go, I would have decided not to if I didn't have an escort." She looked extremely pleased. "I think we should go and have dinner," she said, and then she stood up and walked off to the portrait hole. It was wrong, she knew, but she found she liked to at least have the illusion of choice, even if she would always choose Harry.
Ron goggled at Harry as he called out to his departing future dance partner. "I'll just be a few more minutes!"
"What's gotten into you?" he demanded. "And when did you decide to take Hermione? This is the first I've heard of it."
Harry paid Ron little attention. Something far more important had caught his attention, and it was for that reason that he wasn't currently enjoying Hermione's company. He had seen Parvati and Lavender entering the common room from the portrait hole. He was looking forward to the ball now, but if Ron couldn't go, well a good friend doesn't just leave a friend hung out to dry. The time had come for some drastic action, and since Ron appeared to be cleaning his ears out with his wand, it looked like it fell to him. *Sigh* A hero's work is never done. He cringed. He hated that saying and then and there resolved to never make use of it again.
"Wait here," he said to Ron, and he swiftly made his way to Parvati. Utterly cool and completely lacking in self-consciousness (because he already had a date, thank you very much) he asked, "Parvati? Are you going to the ball with anyone?"
Parvati turned to her best friend in all of Hogwarts and immediately fell prey to a fit of the giggles. Harry patiently waited for them to subside, and he was even gentlemanly enough not to roll his eyes. For luck he crossed his fingers in his robe pockets. This was arduous, but he didn't want his long time friend to miss out on the ball.
"Not at the moment. Why, Granger cancel on you?" Her eyes were alight with interest.
"No, it's nothing like that. You see, a certain long time friend needs my help - anyway I was wondering if you would be willing to go to the ball with Ron?"
Parvati raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to give Ron an astonished look.
Deliberating it over in her head and then glancing at Lavender for corroboration she finally said, "Yes, all right then." As soon as she finished saying those words, she began blushing furiously.
"Thanks," said Harry, in relief. A thought occurred to him. "Lavender, could you go with Neville?"
"Sorry, Harry. She's already promised to go with Seamus," volunteered Parvati, and the pair of them giggled harder than ever.
Harry sighed. "Can't you think of anyone who'd go with Neville?" he said, lowering his voice so that the entire room wouldn't hear.
"What about Ginny Weasley?" suggested Parvati.
"She said she's going with someone else. "
Parvati looked astonished. She was, after all, only a third year.
"Ooooh - do tell?" she asked. Gossip was always fun, except if it was about you and even then, sometimes.
Harry shrugged. "She never said," he shrugged. "So, any ideas of a partner for Neville?"
"Well…" Parvati began slowly, "I suppose I could try to convince my sister.. .Padma, you know . . . looks just like me but sits at the Ravenclaw table. I can ask her if you want me to."
"Oh, definitely. If you would, then that would be great," admitted Harry. "You will let me know just as soon as you find out, won't you?"
Parvati and Lavender both started giggling and Harry took that to be a yes.
As he hurried back over to tell Ron his good fortune before heading off to catch up with Hermione, he had the distinct feeling that this ball was going to end up a lot more trouble than it was worth. Granted, seeing Hermione in that dress would be worth a great deal, but everyone else was really troublesome. He hoped very much that Padma Patil liked Gryffindor men on the shy side.