Burgundy
Two white boxes with deep green bows, one large and slender and the other small but thick, sat on Ginny’s bed as she walked into her dorm after classes. It was the day of the Ball, and the boxes undoubtedly held what Draco wanted her to wear. After closing the door behind her, she walked over to her bed. She carefully pulled out the card that was tucked under the bow to read it. It was, of course, blank.
Draco had become rather careful when it came to sending things to Ginny. He didn’t want the wrong people to discover that the letters and gifts Ginny had been receiving were from him.
She muttered an incantation, and Draco’s familiar scrawl appeared on the card:
You’ll look amazing.
Draco always kept his notes and letters concise.
Ginny put the card aside and slowly opened the larger box. She gasped in a mixture of awe and confusion. Inside was a sleek floor length gown. It was low cut and tight around the bust, even tighter at the lower waist and upper bum, and belled out nicely from there. The straps of the dress were wide but would cover only the curve of her shoulders.
What confused her was not the simple elegance and beauty of the gown, but the colour. She had been expecting white or black, and if Draco had been stupid and really wanted to anger her brother, maybe even green. What she didn’t expect was Gryffindor burgundy.
She replaced the lid atop of the larger box, and went to open the smaller one. It contained a beautiful pair of perfectly matching slippers to go with the gown. Just as she was about to close that box, she noticed an even smaller box tucked in between the slippers. She picked it up and opened it. Inside was a small golden pin, in the shape of a lion with ruby eyes.
Ginny saw a note peak from beneath the pin. She carefully withdrew it and, again, spoke an incantation to reveal the message.
Wear it on your right breast. It’ll all make sense tonight.
Before she had the chance to really marvel at the pin’s beauty, she heard loud footsteps running up the staircase. She quickly closed the little box, placed it back with the slippers, and shoved both the large box and the small box under her bed. She stood up just as the door swung open.
She turned just in time to see her fellow chasers come crashing into the room. “Ginny, Ginny, guess who asked us to the ball,” one of them asked excitedly.
“Crabbe and Goyle?”
“Ewww, Ginny!” the other girl said as she wrinkled her nose.
Ginny smiled. “Okay, okay. Who?”
“Seamus and Dean!” both girls screamed and began to jump up and down in circles.
Ginny shook her head, “You’d think that you two had never been asked out before… and why didn’t you ever tell me that you fancied those two?”
“Oh, Gin,” one of the girls said regaining some composure. “We’re not exited about going with Seamus and Dean. We’re just happy that we don’t have to go dateless.”
“Oh.”
“Ladies! Would you please stop screaming and jumping? The first, second, and third years are trying to study in the common room!” An annoyed Hermione said from the doorway.
“Sorry, Hermione,” the girls said in unison.
“We have to head to our dorms to get ready, anyway,” one of the girls said pulling the other girl toward the door.
“We’ll see you later, Gin.”
Hermione moved aside to let the girls by. She shut the door behind them as she muttered about how she was never like that when she was their age.
“Why aren’t you getting ready yet, Hermione?” Hermione directed her attention to Ginny.
“I’ve found a much quicker and easier spell, to sleeking my hair, so I don’t need the four hours that everyone else does.”
“Oh,” Ginny’s boredom reverberated in her voice
Hermione went to sit down beside Ginny on her bed.
“Are sure that you don’t want to go, Ginny? You know, Harry still doesn’t have a date,” Hermione addressed her friend softly.
Ginny had to suppress herself from rolling her eyes at the mentioning of Harry. Ron and Hermione had been trying to get Ginny to go to the Ball with Harry for weeks, but she had always politely refused.
“I don’t really feel like going, Hermione. Besides I’ve got loads of homework,” Ginny said convincingly.
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Now go get ready for a fun night with Ron. Don’t worry about me,” Ginny tried to assure her.
“I’m not worried about you, at all. Don’t take this the wrong way Ginny, but I’m sort of worried about Harry. I mean, I know that you’ve been over your crush ages ago, but he really likes you. And I think he really wanted to go with you. I just feel so bad that he has to go alone.”
Ginny suppressed a snort.
Hermione sighed deeply. “Oh well.” She began to make her way to the door and turned just as she opened it. “I’ll come back when I’m ready. I’d like to know what you think.” Without waiting for a response, Hermione made her way out of the room just as Ginny’s roommates entered to get ready for the ball themselves.
*****
Two hours later Ginny walked up the girls’ stairs and into the corridor that connected all the girl dorms. The corridor was full of heavily made up girls in beautiful gowns. She saw the lower year students marveling at their house mates as they made their way to their own dorms from their own dinner. Those who weren’t going to the Ball had dinner normally, while those attending the Ball would have theirs during it. The traditional Halloween Feast would be held the following night.
She was tapped on the shoulder from behind and gasped when she turned to face the girl that tapped her. Hermione looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a simple strapless lilac dress. There was a bow under her breasts, and the dress ended just above her ankles. Her hair was done in a simple ponytail of ringlets with a sprinkle of glitter.
“You look amazing, Hermione,” Ginny said truthfully.
“Thank you,” Hermione blushed. “I’m sure I’d have been barely a candle to you, if you came though.”
Ginny only shrugged. She raised her voice to address all of the girls, “Well, the boys are waiting for you all down stairs. Shall I give you all a formal introduction?”
After several ‘please’ and ‘yes’, Ginny went back down to the common room. With a swift introduction, the girls walked slowly down the stairs to meet their dates.
Within ten minutes, everyone made their way out of the portrait hole and onto the Great Hall. Everyone but the trio, that is.
“Gin, are you sure?”
“Yes, Ron.” Ginny sighed with annoyance, convincingly assuring her brother for the fiftieth time that she didn’t want to go to the Ball.
“Come on Ron, I’m sure Ginny’s got tons of homework. Why else, would she pass up the Ball?” Ron turned to face his best friend. There was a mixture of shielded hurt and determination behind Harry’s emerald eyes.
Ron turned back to his sister, “I’ll see you when we get back, then.” The trio made their way to the portrait hole. Just before Ron went through, he turned and said very seriously, “Don’t try anything stupid, Gin. If He isn’t there, I will come back to make sure you’re here. And if he just happens to be here with you, then you don’t want to know what I’ll do. Understand?”
With a curt nod on Ginny’s part, Ron left her alone in the common room.
As soon as she heard the portrait hole shut, Ginny ran up the stairs to get ready for the Ball.
*****
“Ron, you should really give it a rest,” Hermione said to her boyfriend as she took his arm.
“What do you mean, give it a rest?” Ron all but snapped.
“You’re lucky she’s even decided to speak to you again,” Hermione sighed in hopelessness as Ron stubbornly ignored what she had said. She tried again, “Can’t you see how unhappy she is?”
“Unhappy? She looks fine to me.” Ron stated stubbornly.
“Everyone knows there’s something between Ginny and Malfoy, Ron. And everyone also knows that Ginny’s unhappiness has something to do with that,” Hermione said pressingly.
“Well, she’s been better lately.”
“Oh, please, Ron. You ar—”
“Come on, you two. Let’s not argue for one night,” Harry cut Hermione off.
Ron and Hermione nodded silently, as Harry led them into the Hall, with way too much confidence for it to be real.
Once they entered, Hermione and Ron dropped back a couple of steps to escape Harry’s earshot.
“What is that all about?” Hermione turned her head slightly to ask Ron.
“I think he’s determined to have fun tonight, even if it isn’t with the girl he wanted,” Ron leaned down to whisper into his girlfriend’s ear.
Ron had forgotten all about Malfoy.
*****
Ginny hurried down the corridor toward the Great Hall. She stopped to catch her breath and smooth down her dress when she reached the top of the last staircase. She ran a hand through her hair, which she had decided to keep down with only a touch of golden glitter.
She heard the slight tapping of a foot and knew Draco was already at the doors to the hall, waiting for her. She took a deep breath and began to walk calmly down the steps. As she descended into view, she heard the tapping cease and fought to keep her eyes in front of her. When she finally reached the bottom of the steps, she turned and stifled a gasp.
Draco looked dead sexy. He was wearing heavy black, yet slightly tinted green, dress robes. His slacks were black, and his dress shirt was Slytherin green. On his right breast was a silver pin of a serpent with emerald eyes.
They stood where they were, unable to keep their eyes of one another’s bodies. A good five minutes later, Draco walked up to Ginny and offered her his arm. He began to lead her to the closed doors of the Great Hall.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered into her ear. “Even better than how I pictured the Gryffindor Princess to be.”
“Draco?”
“Yes?”
“What’s with the house theming?”
“Dumbledore’s always supported inter-house relations.”
“How does that answer my question? Besides, when did you become so found of Dumbledore or his goals?”
“I didn’t want your housemates thinking you were no longer loyal to them.”
*****
There were round tables set all over the perimetre of the hall. Set near the entrance were refreshment tables prepared for later that night, and a stage was set for the night’s entertainment at the other end of the hall.
Everyone was deeply immersed in their own little conversations as they finished their dinner.
Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as Oliver Wood. They were all eating and talking normally, when the doors to the hall slowly began to open. Everyone in the hall turned to see who the late comers were.
When Draco and Ginny walked through the doors, everyone’s eyes, except Dumbledore’s, seemed to boggle out of their heads.
Draco looked around the room, emotionlessly. Ginny kept her eyes on her feet, afraid of meeting her brother’s or any of her housemates’ eyes. Seeing this, Draco brought his hand up to tilt up her cheek, and kissed it, all the while looking straight into the eyes of Ron. Then he led Ginny to the table farthest from her brother’s. The room remained deathly silent, until Draco and Ginny were seated. But once they were seated, the whispering came in huge waves.
*****
“Ron…” Hermione tried to calm him down.
“How dare he?” Ron said through gritted teeth.
Hermione took her boyfriend’s hands under the table. “Just let them be. We’ll talk to Ginny about this when we get back to the common room,” Hermione whispered into Ron’s ear.
Ron turned to look at Hermione. “He touched her, did you see that? Malfoy put his filthy hands on my sister. And she let him do it!”
“Ron, please. Don’t make a scene. They’re sitting right next to the professors.” Hermione pleaded.
*****
“I can’t believe him!” Pansy Parkinson all but screeched.
“I don’t think any of us can,” one of Pansy’s pathetic followers agreed.
Pansy and friends seemed to be the only Slytherins that honestly found Draco and Ginny’s new found relationship a problem.
“It’s about time we try and clean that family up,” Blaise Zabini said to his date.
“Tell me about it. The Weasleys can be very valuable. And it was such a shame seeing such pure blood go to waste,” Blaise’s date responded.
“Yeah, and Weaselette isn’t that bad looking, either,” commented Malcolm Baddock from across the table.
Zabini looked over to where the Gyrffindors had all gathered. “Valuable she can be, indeed.”
Everyone at his table looked at him inquiringly.
Zabini smirked and pointed toward the table that seated the Gryffindor Quidditch team. “It looks like Potter’s just realised how stupid he really is.”
*****
Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat. Everyone quieted down immediately. “Now that everyone is here and dinner has been finished, I think it is time to get the entertainment started.” With the clap of his hands, various instruments on the stage began to play themselves. The instruments played a soft and slow melody to start of the Ball.
“Ginny, let’s dance,” Draco more commanded than requested.
“Draco, I don’t know. Ron already looks absolutely murderous as it is,” Ginny said with her head down.
Draco reached his hand across the table, and with one long slender finger under her chin, he raised Ginny’s face so that they were at eye level. “How would you know what your brother looks like? You haven’t looked up all night.”
“I can feel his anger reverberating off of the walls.”
“I’m sure Granger will keep him on a tight leash,” Draco smirked.
He stood up, walked to the other side of the table, and offered Ginny his arm. Ginny took it, reluctantly, and was led to the empty dance floor.
*****
“You have to admit though, Gin looks absolutely gorgeous tonight,” said Seamus’ date.
“You can say that again,” Dean’s date agreed.
She’s always been gorgeous, we were all just too blind to see it, Harry thought to himself. Everyone but Malfoy, that is.
Every male in the room watched enviously as Ginny laid her head against Draco’s chest. Harry’s jealousy, however, was by far the strongest in the room. He felt like chopping Malfoy into little pieces and flushing them, one by one, down the toilet. He would have done it, too. But he was afraid it would only upset Ginny.
*****
Ron abruptly stood from his seat. “Hermione, you wanna dance?” he said, all the while staring daggers at Malfoy.
“Ron—” Before Hermione was able to properly answer him, Ron yanked her out of her seat and led her to the dance floor.
As soon as Ron had felt that Hermione had caught his flow, they began dancing circles around Draco and Ginny. Hermione tried her best to cool down Ron’s temper, but Ron only ignored her.
“I have a very very bad feeling about this,” said Dean as he watched Ron and Hermione dance circles around Draco and Ginny like vultures.
“Yeah. I think Ron’s reaching the verge of doing something very irrational,” agreed Seamus’ date.
“You think we should do something?” Seamus asked Dean.
Dean nodded.
“Well then ladies, how about we head out onto that dance floor?” Seamus asked with a smile.
*****
The Slytherins watched as Seamus and Dean led their dates onto the dance floor.
“Now this doesn’t seem fair does it?” Malcolm Baddock raised a brow.
“A snake stuck caught in a gang of lions. Nope, not fair at all,” Blaise Zabini responded.
“Well then, why don’t we help our dear friend a bit?” Malcolm stood and offered his arm to his date.
“That’s not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all,” Blaise stood and offered his arm to his own date.
*****
The entire hall watched as most of the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams walked onto the dance floor.
The Ravenclaws knew that if something broke out, then the Ball would be over. Seeing as they had been looking forward to this for three months, they were not willing to let that happen. The chasers of the Ravenclaw quidditch team were soon leading their own dates to the dance floor, as well.
Hufflepuffs soon followed.
Oliver sat in his seat amused. So Malfoy’s the lucky git that’s been able to land Ginny, he thought. He turned his head and shook it as he saw how furious Harry looked. Merlin, it sucks to be him.
*****
Draco and Ginny kept dancing as more and more people joined them on the dance floor. When Draco had re-caught view of Ron, he began to fiddle with his Slytherin pin. Ginny noticed this.
“Draco?”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you playing with your pin?”
Draco took off his pin and began to take work on Ginny’s pin.
“Dra—”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Draco cut Ginny off.
“Can’t you ask me out in the hall?” Ginny asked as she caught her brother’s furious gaze.
Draco took off Ginny’s pin and held both pins in his right hand. He held up his hand so that Ginny could see. The eyes of both pins began to glow, and before Ginny’s eyes, both pins were replaced by a beautiful diamond ring.
Draco leaned in to whisper into Ginny’s ear, “Will you marry me?”
Ginny’s eyes widened. She looked up into Draco’s eyes, which held so much love and promise. She looked back down at the ring, and tears began to swell in her eyes.
“Draco, I-I—” Ginny choked. She looked back into Draco’s eyes. “I-I can’t.”
Ginny could see the hurt and confusion flicker across Draco’s eyes. “Wh—,” Draco wasn’t able to finish.
Ron had seen the ring and lunged at him.
(A/N: Review: I gave you guys a break last chapter...but now my irritating reminders to review are back. I hate to use the old "arthur bribes readers with quicker updates" technique, but if that's what needs to be done--it will be done.)
Two white boxes with deep green bows, one large and slender and the other small but thick, sat on Ginny’s bed as she walked into her dorm after classes. It was the day of the Ball, and the boxes undoubtedly held what Draco wanted her to wear. After closing the door behind her, she walked over to her bed. She carefully pulled out the card that was tucked under the bow to read it. It was, of course, blank.
Draco had become rather careful when it came to sending things to Ginny. He didn’t want the wrong people to discover that the letters and gifts Ginny had been receiving were from him.
She muttered an incantation, and Draco’s familiar scrawl appeared on the card:
You’ll look amazing.
Draco always kept his notes and letters concise.
Ginny put the card aside and slowly opened the larger box. She gasped in a mixture of awe and confusion. Inside was a sleek floor length gown. It was low cut and tight around the bust, even tighter at the lower waist and upper bum, and belled out nicely from there. The straps of the dress were wide but would cover only the curve of her shoulders.
What confused her was not the simple elegance and beauty of the gown, but the colour. She had been expecting white or black, and if Draco had been stupid and really wanted to anger her brother, maybe even green. What she didn’t expect was Gryffindor burgundy.
She replaced the lid atop of the larger box, and went to open the smaller one. It contained a beautiful pair of perfectly matching slippers to go with the gown. Just as she was about to close that box, she noticed an even smaller box tucked in between the slippers. She picked it up and opened it. Inside was a small golden pin, in the shape of a lion with ruby eyes.
Ginny saw a note peak from beneath the pin. She carefully withdrew it and, again, spoke an incantation to reveal the message.
Wear it on your right breast. It’ll all make sense tonight.
Before she had the chance to really marvel at the pin’s beauty, she heard loud footsteps running up the staircase. She quickly closed the little box, placed it back with the slippers, and shoved both the large box and the small box under her bed. She stood up just as the door swung open.
She turned just in time to see her fellow chasers come crashing into the room. “Ginny, Ginny, guess who asked us to the ball,” one of them asked excitedly.
“Crabbe and Goyle?”
“Ewww, Ginny!” the other girl said as she wrinkled her nose.
Ginny smiled. “Okay, okay. Who?”
“Seamus and Dean!” both girls screamed and began to jump up and down in circles.
Ginny shook her head, “You’d think that you two had never been asked out before… and why didn’t you ever tell me that you fancied those two?”
“Oh, Gin,” one of the girls said regaining some composure. “We’re not exited about going with Seamus and Dean. We’re just happy that we don’t have to go dateless.”
“Oh.”
“Ladies! Would you please stop screaming and jumping? The first, second, and third years are trying to study in the common room!” An annoyed Hermione said from the doorway.
“Sorry, Hermione,” the girls said in unison.
“We have to head to our dorms to get ready, anyway,” one of the girls said pulling the other girl toward the door.
“We’ll see you later, Gin.”
Hermione moved aside to let the girls by. She shut the door behind them as she muttered about how she was never like that when she was their age.
“Why aren’t you getting ready yet, Hermione?” Hermione directed her attention to Ginny.
“I’ve found a much quicker and easier spell, to sleeking my hair, so I don’t need the four hours that everyone else does.”
“Oh,” Ginny’s boredom reverberated in her voice
Hermione went to sit down beside Ginny on her bed.
“Are sure that you don’t want to go, Ginny? You know, Harry still doesn’t have a date,” Hermione addressed her friend softly.
Ginny had to suppress herself from rolling her eyes at the mentioning of Harry. Ron and Hermione had been trying to get Ginny to go to the Ball with Harry for weeks, but she had always politely refused.
“I don’t really feel like going, Hermione. Besides I’ve got loads of homework,” Ginny said convincingly.
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Now go get ready for a fun night with Ron. Don’t worry about me,” Ginny tried to assure her.
“I’m not worried about you, at all. Don’t take this the wrong way Ginny, but I’m sort of worried about Harry. I mean, I know that you’ve been over your crush ages ago, but he really likes you. And I think he really wanted to go with you. I just feel so bad that he has to go alone.”
Ginny suppressed a snort.
Hermione sighed deeply. “Oh well.” She began to make her way to the door and turned just as she opened it. “I’ll come back when I’m ready. I’d like to know what you think.” Without waiting for a response, Hermione made her way out of the room just as Ginny’s roommates entered to get ready for the ball themselves.
*****
Two hours later Ginny walked up the girls’ stairs and into the corridor that connected all the girl dorms. The corridor was full of heavily made up girls in beautiful gowns. She saw the lower year students marveling at their house mates as they made their way to their own dorms from their own dinner. Those who weren’t going to the Ball had dinner normally, while those attending the Ball would have theirs during it. The traditional Halloween Feast would be held the following night.
She was tapped on the shoulder from behind and gasped when she turned to face the girl that tapped her. Hermione looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a simple strapless lilac dress. There was a bow under her breasts, and the dress ended just above her ankles. Her hair was done in a simple ponytail of ringlets with a sprinkle of glitter.
“You look amazing, Hermione,” Ginny said truthfully.
“Thank you,” Hermione blushed. “I’m sure I’d have been barely a candle to you, if you came though.”
Ginny only shrugged. She raised her voice to address all of the girls, “Well, the boys are waiting for you all down stairs. Shall I give you all a formal introduction?”
After several ‘please’ and ‘yes’, Ginny went back down to the common room. With a swift introduction, the girls walked slowly down the stairs to meet their dates.
Within ten minutes, everyone made their way out of the portrait hole and onto the Great Hall. Everyone but the trio, that is.
“Gin, are you sure?”
“Yes, Ron.” Ginny sighed with annoyance, convincingly assuring her brother for the fiftieth time that she didn’t want to go to the Ball.
“Come on Ron, I’m sure Ginny’s got tons of homework. Why else, would she pass up the Ball?” Ron turned to face his best friend. There was a mixture of shielded hurt and determination behind Harry’s emerald eyes.
Ron turned back to his sister, “I’ll see you when we get back, then.” The trio made their way to the portrait hole. Just before Ron went through, he turned and said very seriously, “Don’t try anything stupid, Gin. If He isn’t there, I will come back to make sure you’re here. And if he just happens to be here with you, then you don’t want to know what I’ll do. Understand?”
With a curt nod on Ginny’s part, Ron left her alone in the common room.
As soon as she heard the portrait hole shut, Ginny ran up the stairs to get ready for the Ball.
*****
“Ron, you should really give it a rest,” Hermione said to her boyfriend as she took his arm.
“What do you mean, give it a rest?” Ron all but snapped.
“You’re lucky she’s even decided to speak to you again,” Hermione sighed in hopelessness as Ron stubbornly ignored what she had said. She tried again, “Can’t you see how unhappy she is?”
“Unhappy? She looks fine to me.” Ron stated stubbornly.
“Everyone knows there’s something between Ginny and Malfoy, Ron. And everyone also knows that Ginny’s unhappiness has something to do with that,” Hermione said pressingly.
“Well, she’s been better lately.”
“Oh, please, Ron. You ar—”
“Come on, you two. Let’s not argue for one night,” Harry cut Hermione off.
Ron and Hermione nodded silently, as Harry led them into the Hall, with way too much confidence for it to be real.
Once they entered, Hermione and Ron dropped back a couple of steps to escape Harry’s earshot.
“What is that all about?” Hermione turned her head slightly to ask Ron.
“I think he’s determined to have fun tonight, even if it isn’t with the girl he wanted,” Ron leaned down to whisper into his girlfriend’s ear.
Ron had forgotten all about Malfoy.
*****
Ginny hurried down the corridor toward the Great Hall. She stopped to catch her breath and smooth down her dress when she reached the top of the last staircase. She ran a hand through her hair, which she had decided to keep down with only a touch of golden glitter.
She heard the slight tapping of a foot and knew Draco was already at the doors to the hall, waiting for her. She took a deep breath and began to walk calmly down the steps. As she descended into view, she heard the tapping cease and fought to keep her eyes in front of her. When she finally reached the bottom of the steps, she turned and stifled a gasp.
Draco looked dead sexy. He was wearing heavy black, yet slightly tinted green, dress robes. His slacks were black, and his dress shirt was Slytherin green. On his right breast was a silver pin of a serpent with emerald eyes.
They stood where they were, unable to keep their eyes of one another’s bodies. A good five minutes later, Draco walked up to Ginny and offered her his arm. He began to lead her to the closed doors of the Great Hall.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered into her ear. “Even better than how I pictured the Gryffindor Princess to be.”
“Draco?”
“Yes?”
“What’s with the house theming?”
“Dumbledore’s always supported inter-house relations.”
“How does that answer my question? Besides, when did you become so found of Dumbledore or his goals?”
“I didn’t want your housemates thinking you were no longer loyal to them.”
*****
There were round tables set all over the perimetre of the hall. Set near the entrance were refreshment tables prepared for later that night, and a stage was set for the night’s entertainment at the other end of the hall.
Everyone was deeply immersed in their own little conversations as they finished their dinner.
Hermione, Ron, and Harry sat with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as Oliver Wood. They were all eating and talking normally, when the doors to the hall slowly began to open. Everyone in the hall turned to see who the late comers were.
When Draco and Ginny walked through the doors, everyone’s eyes, except Dumbledore’s, seemed to boggle out of their heads.
Draco looked around the room, emotionlessly. Ginny kept her eyes on her feet, afraid of meeting her brother’s or any of her housemates’ eyes. Seeing this, Draco brought his hand up to tilt up her cheek, and kissed it, all the while looking straight into the eyes of Ron. Then he led Ginny to the table farthest from her brother’s. The room remained deathly silent, until Draco and Ginny were seated. But once they were seated, the whispering came in huge waves.
*****
“Ron…” Hermione tried to calm him down.
“How dare he?” Ron said through gritted teeth.
Hermione took her boyfriend’s hands under the table. “Just let them be. We’ll talk to Ginny about this when we get back to the common room,” Hermione whispered into Ron’s ear.
Ron turned to look at Hermione. “He touched her, did you see that? Malfoy put his filthy hands on my sister. And she let him do it!”
“Ron, please. Don’t make a scene. They’re sitting right next to the professors.” Hermione pleaded.
*****
“I can’t believe him!” Pansy Parkinson all but screeched.
“I don’t think any of us can,” one of Pansy’s pathetic followers agreed.
Pansy and friends seemed to be the only Slytherins that honestly found Draco and Ginny’s new found relationship a problem.
“It’s about time we try and clean that family up,” Blaise Zabini said to his date.
“Tell me about it. The Weasleys can be very valuable. And it was such a shame seeing such pure blood go to waste,” Blaise’s date responded.
“Yeah, and Weaselette isn’t that bad looking, either,” commented Malcolm Baddock from across the table.
Zabini looked over to where the Gyrffindors had all gathered. “Valuable she can be, indeed.”
Everyone at his table looked at him inquiringly.
Zabini smirked and pointed toward the table that seated the Gryffindor Quidditch team. “It looks like Potter’s just realised how stupid he really is.”
*****
Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat. Everyone quieted down immediately. “Now that everyone is here and dinner has been finished, I think it is time to get the entertainment started.” With the clap of his hands, various instruments on the stage began to play themselves. The instruments played a soft and slow melody to start of the Ball.
“Ginny, let’s dance,” Draco more commanded than requested.
“Draco, I don’t know. Ron already looks absolutely murderous as it is,” Ginny said with her head down.
Draco reached his hand across the table, and with one long slender finger under her chin, he raised Ginny’s face so that they were at eye level. “How would you know what your brother looks like? You haven’t looked up all night.”
“I can feel his anger reverberating off of the walls.”
“I’m sure Granger will keep him on a tight leash,” Draco smirked.
He stood up, walked to the other side of the table, and offered Ginny his arm. Ginny took it, reluctantly, and was led to the empty dance floor.
*****
“You have to admit though, Gin looks absolutely gorgeous tonight,” said Seamus’ date.
“You can say that again,” Dean’s date agreed.
She’s always been gorgeous, we were all just too blind to see it, Harry thought to himself. Everyone but Malfoy, that is.
Every male in the room watched enviously as Ginny laid her head against Draco’s chest. Harry’s jealousy, however, was by far the strongest in the room. He felt like chopping Malfoy into little pieces and flushing them, one by one, down the toilet. He would have done it, too. But he was afraid it would only upset Ginny.
*****
Ron abruptly stood from his seat. “Hermione, you wanna dance?” he said, all the while staring daggers at Malfoy.
“Ron—” Before Hermione was able to properly answer him, Ron yanked her out of her seat and led her to the dance floor.
As soon as Ron had felt that Hermione had caught his flow, they began dancing circles around Draco and Ginny. Hermione tried her best to cool down Ron’s temper, but Ron only ignored her.
“I have a very very bad feeling about this,” said Dean as he watched Ron and Hermione dance circles around Draco and Ginny like vultures.
“Yeah. I think Ron’s reaching the verge of doing something very irrational,” agreed Seamus’ date.
“You think we should do something?” Seamus asked Dean.
Dean nodded.
“Well then ladies, how about we head out onto that dance floor?” Seamus asked with a smile.
*****
The Slytherins watched as Seamus and Dean led their dates onto the dance floor.
“Now this doesn’t seem fair does it?” Malcolm Baddock raised a brow.
“A snake stuck caught in a gang of lions. Nope, not fair at all,” Blaise Zabini responded.
“Well then, why don’t we help our dear friend a bit?” Malcolm stood and offered his arm to his date.
“That’s not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all,” Blaise stood and offered his arm to his own date.
*****
The entire hall watched as most of the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams walked onto the dance floor.
The Ravenclaws knew that if something broke out, then the Ball would be over. Seeing as they had been looking forward to this for three months, they were not willing to let that happen. The chasers of the Ravenclaw quidditch team were soon leading their own dates to the dance floor, as well.
Hufflepuffs soon followed.
Oliver sat in his seat amused. So Malfoy’s the lucky git that’s been able to land Ginny, he thought. He turned his head and shook it as he saw how furious Harry looked. Merlin, it sucks to be him.
*****
Draco and Ginny kept dancing as more and more people joined them on the dance floor. When Draco had re-caught view of Ron, he began to fiddle with his Slytherin pin. Ginny noticed this.
“Draco?”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you playing with your pin?”
Draco took off his pin and began to take work on Ginny’s pin.
“Dra—”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Draco cut Ginny off.
“Can’t you ask me out in the hall?” Ginny asked as she caught her brother’s furious gaze.
Draco took off Ginny’s pin and held both pins in his right hand. He held up his hand so that Ginny could see. The eyes of both pins began to glow, and before Ginny’s eyes, both pins were replaced by a beautiful diamond ring.
Draco leaned in to whisper into Ginny’s ear, “Will you marry me?”
Ginny’s eyes widened. She looked up into Draco’s eyes, which held so much love and promise. She looked back down at the ring, and tears began to swell in her eyes.
“Draco, I-I—” Ginny choked. She looked back into Draco’s eyes. “I-I can’t.”
Ginny could see the hurt and confusion flicker across Draco’s eyes. “Wh—,” Draco wasn’t able to finish.
Ron had seen the ring and lunged at him.
(A/N: Review: I gave you guys a break last chapter...but now my irritating reminders to review are back. I hate to use the old "arthur bribes readers with quicker updates" technique, but if that's what needs to be done--it will be done.)
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