A/n: Thanks for the great reviews everyone.... now.... sorry but I'm not including the Ball in this one...SORRY!!!!! But this one should still be fun to read *Grins*... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ginny!" Hermione gasped, a hand to her heart, "Don't do that!" "Well," she said, "What happened to make you look like you do?" "What do you mean?" Hermione asked feverishly hoping the blush was gone by now. Ginny smiled slowly, "Well something must have happened while you were looking for-" she stopped suddenly and clapped a hand to her mouth. "For what Ginny? What on Earth are you-" "Ron!" Ginny squealed. Hermione felt a warm sensation on her cheeks at the sound of his name, disgusted and embarrassed by it; she hastily turned away, "What about Ron?" "Well you were looking for him...so what happened?" "What do you mean what happened?" Hermione asked emphasizing happened to the fullest extent. "Well what did Ron do to make you look that way. Did he -WAIT did he.... Hermione did he-" "Did he what?!" Hermione cried in exasperation. "Ask you to the ball...did he?" "Well as a matter a fact he did." Ginny squealed and hugged her, "I always knew this would happen. You two will make an adorable couple." "Couple? Ginny don't be stupid." "But...but..." "Were going the ball as friends...that's all." Ginny drew away, and noticing the faint pink tint on her cheeks smiled slyly, Suuure...just friends, nothing more." With another sly smile, she departed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione stared at the door for a good ten minutes before stalking over the window and opening it quickly. Frigid air rushed in and Hermione breathed it in, shaking her head hard. She shut the window just as quickly with a bang, then stood peering out at the grounds, thinking hard. "Couple?" she whispered, "Weren't NOT a couple...I mean honestly...." Hermione trailed off as fat snowflakes began to fall rapidly; she smiled like a little child and watched them with wonder. Snow had always fascinated her, making her feel free and happy. Snow was just like... Magic Magic...Hermione heard Ron's voice in her head, echoing her own, he sounded just like he had that day...standing there... Hermione shook her head once again, "I need more air..." she muttered hastily reopening the window... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ginny flounced down to the Common Room, a smile plastered on her face. She noticed it was nearly empty except for Neville, Harry and Katie Bell. "Hi there Ginny." Katie said, "Do you happen to know the time?" "Umm.... 9:30 maybe?" "Certainly feels like it." Katie stood up and stretched, "Well I'm exhausted goodnight all," she said taking her leave. With her gone Ginny sat down in the chair she had been in, not able to keep the smile off her face. "Ginny? Why are you so happy?" Neville asked from his corner, where he was vainly trying to complete a three-foot essay. "Oh...no reason..." she trailed looking into the fire. Neville shrugged and went back to his essay. Harry was silent all this time, and stayed that way until Neville went upstairs half an hour later. "Ginny?" he whispered, "What has been going on?" Ginny laughed loud; "You don't know Harry?" "No." he said feeling extremely put out, "No." "Well....Ron'll tell you I'm sure." she laughed, "Ask him." "Alright then...I will." Harry said walking up the staircase, before he went inside however he turned back, "Night Gin." he said quietly, then stepped inside. Ginny just waved and then bouncing up from her chair, "Can my life get any better!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harry walked into the boy's dorms, over to Ron's four poster and pulled aside the curtains. There was Ron lying fully clothed and smiling like an idiot. "Ok what happened with you and Hermione? I know something is up." Ron sat bolt upright, "Nothing.... I'm going to the ball with her that's all." "Really Ron? Cool now you have a date!" "Yeah...cool..." Ron murmured the same smile falling back into place. Harry climbed into bed, "Hermione seemed quite happy herself you know." "Really?!" Ron said, "I mean uh...oh...so," He cleared his throat, "Who're you going with Harry." "Ginny." Ron looked shocked, "Ginny? As in my sister Ginny?" "Uh yea.... that's not a problem is it Ron?" "Well no....it's just you know...my sister Harry. Be nice to her all right, you know how much she ...er.... likes you." Harry pulled his curtains around his bed, "Yeah...I know." He whispered before falling to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning at breakfast Harry was sitting studying the staff table. It was so empty now. Professor Snape had been gone all year, and well, Professor Lupin was frequently absent due to his er...condition. Harry had just learned the Sirius had left last month on his mission, as had Hagrid. Hagrid had flown to France to get Madam Maxine; and that was the last Harry had seen of him. Harry also noted how tense the teachers seemed, Professor Figg was the worst, although Harry had no idea why. As he pondered this another sharp stab of pain assaulted his brain. He had been having constant headaches for the past four days, dulling and sharpening at various points. It was really rather annoying. As he sat drumming his knuckles against his scar to ease the pain, Seamus came over. "Hey Harry." he said. " "lo Seamus." Harry answered dully. "Hey Harry I was uh wondering.... who're you taking to the ball?" "Hmm....oh I'm uh taking Ginny." Seamus whistled slowly, "Wow Harry ...I was certain you'd be taking Parvati again, but I can easily see why you chose Ginny." Harry's head snapped up quickly, "What do you mean you can easily see why I chose her?" He asked indignantly. Seamus raised his hands in a 'I come in peace' type gesture, "Nothing Harry...I just mean, well, I meant that she is actually one of the prettier girls at Hogwarts for starters and well she-" "I get it." Harry said curtly, surprising himself. For some reason, he really didn't like Seamus talking about Ginny that way... "Sorry...my head hurts a little..." He made up. "Its ok...I'm uh I'm going to find Dean ok Harry?" Harry nodded, glad he was gone. Seamus can be really annoying sometimes and he talks way too much. Harry thought about what he had been talking about, and a sharp stab of pain assaulted him once more... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Hermione!" Hermione stopped dead on her way to the fifth year's bathroom, "What Lavendar?" she asked annoyed. "Why the heck we're you outside running last night?" Hermione's jaw dropped, "What?!" "Well when you came in Seamus and Dean said you had been running...I personally thought you were blushing but then-" "Well I was running actually Lav," Hermione said in a high, very unlike herself voice, "I wanted to fit into my dress robes you know, and running around outside in ten degree weather is just the way to do it. Really gets the blood moving, especially to the face." Lavendar stared at her for a moment, "Really.... I never thought of that...." she walked away, obviously looking for Parvati so she could tell her about their new exercise. And sure enough, just try and guess who was out jogging later that night.... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Harry sighed.... Christmas was right around the corner, tomorrow in fact (Sorry, randomly skipping days here) and he was more confused and weary then ever. His head was a constant annoyance these days, interfering with everything. Another point was Ginny. Yes.... Ginny.... He saw her everywhere, and was thinking about her more than he thought normal.... maybe it was his head? Sighing he went upstairs, he had to go finish wrapping presents, Ginny's in fact. Ginny... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: That was quite a WEIRD chapter...I just had to tie up some lose ends, fill in space before the ball. Yes the ball. That's going to be the next chapter.... so be prepared!!!!!