The Music Box

Chapter Three: The Spring Festival

 

The day was perfect for a spring festival. All the flowers were just beginning to bloom in the meadow outside of Hogsmeade, where the picnic was set up. There were foods of all kinds laid out on the several tables, decorated in a bright, springy green. Hermione and Ginny had been browsing the assortment of exhibits that lay around the village, while Harry watched as Ron stuffed himself with BBQ chicken wings claiming, “They're better than Mums!”  

After the picnic, they all strolled on over to The Three Broomsticks, where the poetry reading was to be held.  

“I can't wait to listen to Appleby!” Ginny said excitedly as Harry held the door into The Three Broomsticks for her.  

“Me too!” said Hermione walking in behind her dreamily. “He has such a wonderful way of expressing himself with prose!”  

Ron came in last, rolling his eyes at Hermione.

Hermione pointed to a table near the front and said, “Alright then, there is about an hour before the dance begins. Why don't you two have a butterbeer while Ginny and I attend the reading?”  

“Great idea,” Ron said. “Then maybe we won't have to listen to Mr. Fancy Schmancy Wonderful Poet!” Hermione gave him a sneer and followed Ginny to the back of the pub.  

Harry watched the girls make their way to the back of the pub. He was barely able to keep his eyes off Ginny all day. She was wearing a light pink dress with small white daisies on it. Her hair was swept back into a loose French braid, with small wisps of hair, which were beginning to fall about the back of her neck and around her delicate face. They had both exchanged looks of longing all day long. Even in the carriage on the way to Hogsmeade, they were able to hold hands for a time without Ron noticing. Harry was remembering this when Ron took a big swig of his pint and sighed deeply.  

“Honestly, I don't know why I put up with her sometimes.”  

“Huh, what?” Harry said, coming out of his daydream.  

“Hermione. She's probably drooling over the dumb bloke now,” Ron said, not even noticing.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Why do you care anyway?”  

“I don't,” Ron said rather hastily in defense. “I just don't see why she has to be interested in every other older guy she comes in contact with!”  

Harry tried hard to conceal his laughter as he put his hand on Ron's shoulder. “It's only a poetry reading, it's not like she wants to marry him or anything.”  

“I know,” Ron said unconvinced. “Why can't she just go out with someone her own age?”  

Harry leaned into him as he said quietly, “Someone like you I suppose?”  

Ron sat back in astonishment.

“I think you have had too much butterbeer my friend. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Harry was serious now. “Why don't you just ask her out? I've always known you have feelings for her.”

Ron said nothing. He wasn't sure if he was prepared to see the truth for what it was. But he realized that there was no turning back at this point, and he gave into the conversation.  

“Does it really show that much?” Ron asked wearily.

            “As clear as the scar on my forehead.”  

            “Oh great. I=m doomed,” Ron groaned, barely missing the butterbeer as he went down headfirst on the table.  

            It was a few more moments before he raised his head again and turned to Harry. “Do you think that if I asked her, she would go out with me?”  

            Harry gave his friend a nudge on the arm. “You never know, you might be surprised.”  

            Ron smiled weakly. “Gee, that's encouraging.”

 

*                      *                      * 

 

             By the time they had all returned to the meadow, it had completely changed. There were romantic looking lanterns everywhere, and a rather large space cleared away for dancing. The band was set up in a tent in front of the Shrieking Shack and had already begun their first set when they all sat down at a table near the dance floor.

            Harry debated in his mind risking asking Ginny for a dance, nervous that he would give away their newfound, secret relationship to his best friend. Ron however, looked very disconcerted himself. He was just sitting there next to Hermione, head resting in his palm, watching the dance. In the end, Harry decided that he just didn't care anymore. He really wanted to dance with her. He was doubtful Ron would really notice anyway.  

            “Wanna dance, Ginny?”  

“Sure!” Ginny said excitedly.  

They hopped around on the dance floor for a while before Ginny said to Harry, “Do you think that my brother is ever gonna muster up the courage to go for it with Hermione?”Harry simply looked dumbfounded by her cleverness in seeing Ron and Hermione's predicament.  

“Well it's true,” Ginny said. “Look at them!”  

Harry did look back at his two best friends. Hermione was sitting there looking quite bored, but still trying to keep a smile on while tapping her feet to the music. Ron was still sitting there, head in hand, looking as miserable as she was.  

Harry was suddenly struck with an idea. The music had slowed down and Harry and Ginny danced their way over to Neville, where he was standing at the punchbowl with Seamus and Dean.  

“Hey Harry, Ginny,” he said nodding to them. “How's it going?”  

Harry glanced over to Ron, who was beginning to watch them suspiciously.

“We're doing great. Say Neville, would you do me a favor and ask Hermione for a dance?”  

Neville looked at him curiously.

“Well I don't know,” he finally said after a moment of considering, shuffling his feet. “I've been turned down by her before.”

Neville looked unconvinced. Seamus elbowed him hard in the arm. “It doesn't hurt to ask, ya silly git!”

Ginny caught on to Harry's plan and went along.

“You know Neville, I was telling her what a great dancer you were last year at the Yule Ball, and she was so envious! I bet she would say yes.”  

“All right then, if you say so,” Neville said with a bit more confidence. Neville put down his cup and started walking over to the table where Hermione and Ron sat.             “I sure hope this works,” Harry said under his breath to Ginny.

Neville trudged over to Hermione. “Hermione, would you like to dance with me?” he asked nervously.  

Ron popped up from his seat like a cork from a bottle.

“Uh, sorry Neville, but Hermione just said that she would dance with me,” he said, stretching out his hand to her.  

“I most certainly did naahhh...”

“Come on, let’s go!” Ron said, grabbing her hand and pulling her from her seat.             “Sorry Neville,” Hermione mouthed to him as Ron dragged her to the dance floor.             A very defeated looking Neville shrugged to himself and walked back over to the punchbowl. Harry and Ginny danced closely together, cheek to cheek. He felt as though he could hold her like this forever.

            “Oh Neville, the poor dear,” Ginny said looking troubled. “I didn't think that he would have taken it so hard.”

            “I know. He looks terribly hurt,” Harry said.  

            “I'm sorry,” Ginny pulled away slightly. “You don't mind if I go over and dance with him do you” she implored him.

Harry nodded over to Ron and Hermione. “Nah, go ahead. It's worth it just to see them together at last,” he smiled and squeezed her tightly once more before letting her go.

            Ginny walked over to Neville. “Sorry about that Neville. She really is missing out on a great dance. Would you mind if I took it instead?” 

            “Alright!” Neville said thrilled.  

            Harry sat back down at the table and watched his best friends. He watched as Ron turned Hermione around jerkily, trying not to step on her toes as he did. He gave Harry a wink and a thumbs up, as Hermione was laughing at something he said to her.  

            He watched Ginny dance with Neville. She as so wonderfully companionate, so unlike his own family, the Dursleys. He adored her so much, and he wished that he could tell Ron how he really felt about her.

            Perhaps, he thought, being with Hermione would help soften up his overprotection he felt for his sister.  

            It had completely slipped Harry=s mind that he was supposed to meet with Sirius at dusk.

            After another song with Neville, Ginny thanked him for the dance, and walked back over to Harry at the table.  

            “Well, I think Ron is a bit preoccupied for the moment. Want to go for a walk?”             “You bet I do!” Harry said, jumping from his seat.

            Arm in arm, they strolled into an unused part of the meadow on the other side of the Shrieking Shack. The night air was still warm on Harry's face as they walked through the tall grass. They found a small clearing in the grass and sat down, looking up at stars, which were only beginning to brighten up the navy sky.

            Harry watched Ginny as she picked up one of the wildflowers growing in the grass around them. She pressed it to her nose, and flopped backwards into the grass, still staring into the night sky.  

            Harry lay down next to her on his side, propping his head up with his hand so that he could still watch her in the light of a not quite full moon.  

            “It's funny how your whole world can change in an instant, but no matter what, the stars remain the same,” Ginny said reflectively. Harry agreed. It was only a week since they had shared their first kiss in the common room. Yet since then, he had felt they had never been apart, that it seemed to him like they were always meant to be together.             “Ginny, can I ask you a kind of odd question?”  

            “What is it?”  

            “Did you always know that we were going to end up together?”

            Ginny kept looking at the sky, contemplating. “Don=t ask me how I know this, but from the very first time that I saw you in Kings Cross, on your first day at Hogwarts, I knew somehow that we would forever be a part of each others' lives.”  

            The breeze had died down, but Harry could still hear the gentle rustling of the grass behind them.

            Ginny turned to him then, her eyes sparkling as bright as her smile. “I only hoped that someday you would feel the way that I always have, and we could share such a perfect moment as this one.” 

            It was true. Harry had never felt anything like he did for her then. He looked into her eyes, wanting to blanket himself in the warmth of those brown eyes forever. Feeling moved by the moment, he leaned over and kissed her sweetly. Ginny reciprocated his kisses even more passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harry rolled onto his back taking Ginny in his arms with him.  

            Their kiss concluded and Ginny rested her chin on her arms, which stretched across Harry's chest. He gently pulled the grass from the wisps of her hair, falling around her face. She was so enchanting to him. Harry looked into her exquisite face.

            “How on earth did I get so lucky as to end up with you?”  

“It's not luck silly, it's–“ Ginny stopped suddenly. Her eyes became wide with fear.  

“What is it?” Harry asked, beginning to sit up.

Ginny glanced at Harry and her mouth dropped open, but no words would come out. Harry turned around to see the large black dog that was staring them down, only steps away from them.