All's Fair in Love and Magic

All's Fair in Love...

And Magic.

A Fanfic by Measley

Prologue: That fateful Ball

The first thing Harry noticed as he climbed through the portrait hole was the chattering crowd surrounding the bulletin board. "What's going on Gin?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. He gave her a quick kiss in greeting.

"Hmm? Oh, Sweetheart Ball for Valentine's Day. McGonagall's just put up the notice." She rested her hands upon his, which were encircling her waist.

"So, will you be my Valentine, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny paused, apparently deep in thought. "Well...I was considering going with Neville again..." Harry twisted her around in his arms and kissed her gently. He looked into her eyes expectantly. "Oh, alright. I do suppose you'll make a better date," she replied, kissing him again.

Seeing Harry and Ginny, Ron scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Can't you two do that in private?" he begged.

Ginny ignored him, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. "So, dear brother, are you going to ask Hermione to the ball?" Ron took a sudden interest in his shoes. "Because if you are, you'd better do it quickly. I've heard that you may have some pretty stiff competition." At this, Ron seemed to forget that he was supposed to be ignoring his sister.

"What have you heard?" he demanded.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Ginny replied innocently. Then, "Only that a certain good-looking Quidditch Captain is interested in her."

Harry seemed perturbed by this, "Who, Malfoy?" he jested. Ginny gave him a stern look.

"Well, clearly it's not Slytherin's Captain, and I should hope it's not Griffyndor's..." she gave Harry a quick peck, "so that leaves only two other options."

"Considering that Cho is, as far as I know, not harboring same-sex tendencies, I'll just assume that you mean Finch-Fletchley, shall I?" Ginny shrugged. Ron sneered, "Come off it Gin. As though Hermione would go to a ball with that buggering twit."

Harry slipped quietly away. He did not want to be in the middle of a Weasley argument - especially not one between his girlfriend and his best friend.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Ron," Ginny said, "Justin has turned into quite the charmer. He's handsome, intelligent, considerate, strong - "

"If he's all that wonderful - why can't he find his own date for the ball, instead of nicking someone else's?" Ron muttered, and then, turning red, "Not that Hermione's my date or anything, I just mean...er...someone who's not...er...who is...uh...from his own house," he finished lamely.

"Ron, as your sister, who loves you, I'm telling you now - cut the crap and ask her out 'before someone else does and not as a last resort'." Ginny winked before hurrying off to join Harry. Ron wondered why she had rushed off, but soon found his answer as he turned to find himself facing...

"Hermione!"

"Hello Ron. Where'd Ginny run off to?"

"Oh, well, you know - Harry and all." Ron's ears were still twinged pink.

"Did you see the notice?" Hermione questioned not-so-subtley.

"Huh? Oh, right - the ball." Ron perfected the part of the typical clueless male.

"Right," Hermione paused before breaking the awkward silence. "Any idea who you'll be asking?" she continued innocently.

"Sure. Of course I do. Just a matter of asking - that's all." He walked absently away.

*****

"Seriously though, the ball is in two days Ron. You'd better ask her now, before it's too late."

"I will not be rushed, Harry. I'll ask whomever I want to, whenever I am ready."

"If you say so." Harry pushed away from the table, and he and Ginny left the hall.

"Come on," Ron said bracingly to himself, "You're the only Gryffindors left at the table. Now's the time to do it." Hermione rolled the parchment on which she had been writing and began to rise.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?" she perched gingerly on her seat.

"Have you got a date for the ball yet?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head, anticipation clear on her face.

"Oh...well then. Good luck with that." Ron quickly exited the hall. Turning a corner, he smacked his head off the cold stone wall. "'Good luck with that'? Bloody coward!" he cursed himself silently. "Just do it already." Bracing himself, Ron returned to the Entrance Hall, but the sight before him made him feel violently ill. There stood Hermione - clearly accepting an invitation to the ball from Justin Finch-Fletchley. Ron ran up to the dorm and punched the wall. "Ow!" he yelped, nursing his fist. "Bloody flipping coward!"

*****

The next day, Ron invited Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff and fellow 6^th year, to the ball. She happily accepted, having, of course, no idea that she would spend the evening being ignored. After the ball, she made it a point to avoid Ron in the corridors and ignore him in Herbology. Harry seemed to find this quite humorous.

"You have a rather unique way with women, eh Ron?"

"Oy, shut it scarhead."

Hermione, meanwhile, seemed quite taken with Justin [after all, "who wouldn't be?" as Ginny put it] and the two quickly became Hogwarts hottest couple ~ Head Girl and Quidditch Captain - they made quite a match.

*****

Chapter One - Two of a Kind

[The following year...]