The Rebirth

Chapter 4

The Ball

October 31, 1997

Without any advance warning, somebody bounced hard on Ginny's bed, landing mostly on Ginny's feet. She sat up quickly and reached for her wand, which she always kept under her pillow. Through the layers of slumber-induced fog that enveloped her mind, she thought she heard someone giggle. Ginny rubbed her eyes and turned to the person who had woken her out of a sound sleep and now had the gall to laugh: it was Shannon. Gwen and Ria sat on one of the other beds, looking at her expectantly. "Wake up," Shannon ordered. "It's your birthday!"

Ginny pushed her tangled hair out of her face. "It's too early for this." Her voice was raspy from sleep.

"It's never too early for presents," Shannon told her.

Ginny saw that all three girls held packages; the figures on the wrapping paper moved frantically with excitement. "Open mine first!" Ria demanded, tossing her present to Ginny, who deftly caught it out of the air. Even when she was half-asleep her chaser instincts were sharp. Ria had wrapped her gift in Quidditch paper; bludgers, quaffles, and snitches zoomed around the box. Ginny tore into the gift, revealing a new pair of state of the art Quality Quidditch Chaser Gloves, designed to give the player a secure grip on the quaffle. Ginny grinned at Ria and slid the gloves out of the box. She put one on, held her hand up, and flexed her fingers, admiring the treads on the palms.

"They have an anti-tearing charm, and they repel water so you'll never have to worry about dropping the ball, even in the rain," Ria told her.

"I love them! Thanks so much," Ginny said. "They'll be a big help."

Gwen and Shannon glanced at each other. "Gwen and I went in on your present together," Shannon said, handing Ginny a box covered with flowered paper.

Ginny tore the wrapping off eagerly and opened the box inside. She froze in surprise, then looked up at her friends and back at the box. "This is too much," she said. "You two--"

"We went in on it together," Gwen said. "So it wasn't too much; it was just enough. We want you to have them."

Shannon and Gwen had given Ginny the most beautiful, delicate pair of shoes she had ever seen. Ginny pulled one out of the box and held it up to the light--it was perfectly, flawlessly clear. "Glass slippers," she whispered in awe.

The girls grinned. "They're enchanted to fit your feet perfectly. And we had the shop put a cushioning charm in them so you can dance all night and feel like you're walking on air." Shannon looked like she was going to explode from excitement. "Gwen and I have been planning this gift since we found out that the ball would be on your birthday."

"The cushioning charm was my idea though," Ria interjected.

"And, of course, they're unbreakable," Gwen put in. "Nothing but the best."

Ginny thought she might cry. The slippers were the most beautiful gift imaginable. The three girls piled onto Ginny's bed and gave her a birthday group hug. "You're the best friends I could ever want," Ginny told them.

"After you worked so hard on your dress robes, we couldn't just stand by and let you wear your mum's castoff shoes!" Gwen exclaimed. "Here," she tossed two more packages into Ginny's lap. "These came for you by owl post."

Ginny picked up the soft-sided gift first. She recognized her mother's handwriting on the address label and ripped apart the wrapping paper. Inside, there was a cloak made of an ice blue fluid material with silver clasps. It reminded her a bit of Harry's invisibility cloak. She held it up to get a better look and a note fluttered out and drifted to the floor. Shannon picked it up and handed it to Ginny, who unfolded it and read it quickly. "What's it say?" Ria asked. "That cloak is beautiful!"

"My mum made it for me," Ginny answered, scanning the note a second time. "She thought the color would go well with the dress robes." Ginny put the note down and grinned at her friends. "Between this cloak and the slippers, I'm all set for tonight."

She reached for the last gift. It was a white box, long and thin, tied shut with a length of red and gold ribbon. Gryffindor colors, she noted. Ginny slid the ribbon off the end of the box and removed the lid. Her mouth fell open in surprise. The box was full of white orchids. Shannon gave a low whistle. "Those must have cost a fortune," she said.

"Really?" Ria asked.

"Orchids have to be owled in," Gwen explained. "These must have been special ordered, considering the time of the year. They're beautiful, Gin. Who are they from?"

Ginny reached for the card and flipped it open with one hand.

Ginny,

Have a wonderful birthday. I hope you're looking forward to our three dances as much as I am.

"Well?" Shannon demanded. "Who sent them?"

Ginny folded the card closed again. "There's no name," she said, smiling at Harry's thoughtfulness.

Gwen squealed. "A secret admirer!"

Ria rolled her eyes at Gwen. "They are pretty," she conceded. "Are you sure you have no idea who sent them?"

Ginny looked at her, the smile still tugging on her mouth. "I never said that."

"Tell us!" Shannon ordered. "Who do you know that can afford orchids at the end of October?"

Ginny shook her head. "I have an idea," she said. "But there's no name on the card, so anything I say would just be a guess."

Try as the other girls might to get Ginny to tell, she remained as mute on the subject as if she'd taken some of Mike Fletcher's Pepperup potion.

* * * * *

After classes were over for the day, Ginny and her dorm mates reconvened in their room, freshly showered and ready for intensive hours of primping. Gwen immediately took charge, bullying Ria into an upswept hairstyle and just a hint of makeup. "It's not too much!" Gwen exclaimed. "Just hold still!"

Ria made a horrible face. "You can't go to a ball without lipstick," Gwen told her sternly. "It's a light color. You'll cope."

"She's right," Ginny offered from her perch on the bed. Shannon agreed as well.

Finally Ria gave in. "Only lipstick," she warned. "That's all the goop I'll let you put on my face."

Next it was Shannon's turn. Gwen used her wand to charm Shannon's shoulder-length hair into soft ringlets, and then painstakingly applied complicated eye makeup to her blue eyes. Shannon, enraptured with the result, thanked Gwen profusely. Gwen tossed her head and affected a posh accent. "It's what I do best, dahling," she said with a laugh.

Gwen's own hair was short and blonde, cut in a trendy, shaggy style. She ran some Sleekeasy's Hair Potion through it and then finger-styled it into sophisticated waves. "You look like a twenties movie star," Ria said. The other girls looked at her with some confusion. She shrugged. "It's a Muggle thing."

"Is it good?" Gwen asked.

"Absolutely," Ria reassured her.

Gwen turned back to her reflection. "All right then," she said with a satisfied smile. "It's Ginny's turn. What should we do with your hair, Gin?"

Ginny looked around the room. She didn't want the same style as any of her friends; she wanted to be original. "An updo?" Gwen suggested. "Or some curls?"

Suddenly, Ginny had a flash of inspiration. She rifled through her trunk and pulled out the issue of Vogue she bought the day she had visited the grocery store with Harry. It was battered and some pages were torn; the magazine had been passed around to all the Gryffindor girls, and then had found its way to Hufflepuff and even Ravenclaw before Ginny managed to track it down and get it back. She flipped through the pages until she found the article she had been looking for and held it out to Gwen.

"Hair extensions?" Gwen read, taking the magazine for a closer look.

"The muggles do it when they want to have long hair for the night," Ginny answered.

Gwen seemed confused. "You...want me to attach fake hair to your head?"

"Of course not," Ginny answered, impatient. "But there has to be some kind of charm to grow it out until tomorrow."

Gwen frowned for a moment, and then pulled a book off of her shelf and flipped through it rapidly. "Ah ha!" she finally exclaimed. "This should work just fine. Stand up, Gin."

Ginny stood, and Gwen pointed her wand at Ginny's head and said "Saeta Autus."

Ginny stared at her reflection as her hair lengthened. It went down her back, past her waist and kept going. When it reached her knees, she said, "Um, Gwen? I think you need to stop it now."

Gwen was frantically paging through her book. "I'm looking! Patience!"

"Gwen!" Ginny cried as her hair reached the floor and began to pool around her feet.

"For heaven's sake!" Ria exclaimed, pulling out her wand. "Finite Incantatum!"

The runaway hair growth stopped. It hung all the way down Ginny's back and over most of the floor. "You won't be able to dance like that," Shannon said, shaking her head.

"Thanks," Ginny answered. "Because, you know, the fact that my hair is twenty feet long is a problem that pales in comparison to how I'll dance tonight."

"Hang on," Gwen said, still flipping through her book. "I can fix it." She located the appropriate spell, pointed her wand at Ginny's head, and said "Decresco!"

To Ginny's great relief, her hair began to shorten. When it reached her waist, Gwen said "Finite Incantatum." The hair stopped.

Ginny frowned in the mirror. "Isn't it still too long?" she asked.

"It's perfect," Gwen said testily. "I just have to fix it up a bit."

She considered Ginny's head from all angles, and then pulled out her wand and said "Torqueo!"

Ginny's hair twisted into tightly kinked curls. She looked like the girl in the Orphan Annie comics her father had shown her.

"That's terrible," Shannon volunteered.

Gwen frowned. She pulled out her wand again. "Derigo," she said. The curls unwound into long, straight, flat locks.

"That is, quite possibly, even worse," Ria said. "She looks like Morticia Addams." The other three girls turned to look at her. She shrugged. "It's a Muggle thing."

Gwen turned back to Ginny, who was starting to think that perhaps hair extensions and magic were not meant to go together. "Last try," Gwen said, tapping Ginny's head with her wand. "Crispo."

Before her eyes, Ginny's hair transformed a mass of tousled waves, cascading to her waist. She had to admit the effect was beautiful, but it reminded her a bit too much of Mórrígan for comfort. Ria and Shannon were complimenting Gwen on her work, however, and so Ginny didn't say anything. It did look nice, and it was only for one night after all. Tomorrow she'd have her regular, shoulder length, mostly straight hair back.

Gwen put a light coating of cosmetics on Ginny's face. "Not too much," Gwen reassured. "You're too fair skinned for really dramatic colors."

When her makeup was done, Ginny donned her white silk dress robes, careful of the delicate fabric. They were sleeveless, with a modestly cut neckline and a low, plunging back. The skirt just touched the tops of her glass slippers. Ginny made sure the ring around her neck was concealed beneath the dress, and then twirled in a circle to make the skirt bell out. It's amazing what smart clothes can do for a girl's mood, she thought. Especially when it's said girl's sixteenth birthday!

Gwen frowned at Ginny's ensemble. "It's missing something," she mused. "I just can't think what...." Gwen trailed off, and then her face lit up. "Gin, where are your orchids?"

Seconds later, Gwen was fixing the flowers in Ginny's hair in a seemingly haphazard fashion. "Stay still!" she ordered. "The charm won't hold them if you're squirming around." When Gwen finished, she turned Ginny back to face the mirror. Gwen had tangled the orchids in Ginny's newly waist-length locks, spacing them at random down Ginny's back. It looked like she'd fallen asleep in a field of flowers. "And," Gwen said in a satisfied tone, "now you won't have to wear any fragrance!"

Ginny wondered how Harry would react when she showed up at the ball with his flowers in her hair. She couldn't imagine what he'd say, but she thought it might be interesting to find out. She slung the cloak around her shoulders and fastened the silver clasps. "Are we all ready?" she asked.

"Oh, wait!" Gwen exclaimed. "Gin, there's this charm I've been dying to try out. Do you mind?"

"Can't you do it on one of them?" she asked, motioning to Ria and Shannon. Ginny had no desire to be the guinea pig for one of Gwen's charm experiments.

"Sorry," Gwen replied. "They don't have freckles. It's a freckle charm."

"You're not going to remove them, are you?" Ginny asked. She was rather fond of her freckles and wouldn't have felt quite herself without them.

"It's a surprise," Gwen answered. "Just come here and hold still."

Ginny screwed her eyes shut and braced herself for the charm. "Arum Niteo," Gwen said.

Ginny looked in the mirror and gasped. Her freckles were...gold. They shimmered on her face, catching the light. "It worked!" Gwen looked extremely pleased with herself. "I found it in a book a few months ago."

"Can you make them silver?" Ginny asked. "Gold doesn't really go with my outfit."

"Of course," Gwen answered. "If I got Ria to wear lipstick then I can do anything." She paged through her book, found the appropriate spell, and said, "Argentum Niteo."

Ginny opened her eyes and turned back to the mirror. "It's perfect," she breathed. The delicate silver shimmer across her nose and cheekbones drew attention to her eyes and picked up the silver of the chain around her neck.

"Ginny," Gwen said standing back and looking at her dispassionately, "tonight you are my masterpiece. Don't get me wrong; objectively speaking Shannon is prettier than you are, but tonight everyone will be looking at you."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Thanks so much, Gwen. I'm touched."

The four girls headed to the entrance hall. All the way down, Shannon and, to Ginny's surprise, Ria showered Gwen with compliments and thanks. Gwen accepted them all as her due. "After all," she said, "When the day comes that I actually have paying customers, I'll be an expert after practicing on you three."

* * * * *

Harry smoothed his hands down the front of his green dress robes and pretended to listen to Seamus's story about how he met his date for the ball. While Ron and Hermione listened attentively, Harry's eyes wandered around the entrance hall, briefly resting on Ernie MacMillian who stared at Hannah Abbott with a sad-puppy expression. Harry frowned. He didn't like the idea that Ginny's date was someone who wasn't thrilled to go with her. In fact, Harry didn't like the fact that Ginny's date was someone who wasn't Harry. Maybe he should go have a chat with MacMillian before she came down....

"So she sent me a butterbeer to soften me up first," Seamus prattled on. "I never would've thought to ask her myself, but a girl who buys the drinks is a rare find, am I right? Even if she is a--"

"Seamus!" A pretty, petite girl with a friendly face and long red hair joined the four Gryffindors where they stood against the wall. Harry gave her a brief nod; he was still fantasizing about taking MacMillian for a walk and explaining to him that if Ginny didn't have a good time then he, Harry, would break MacMillian's nose.

Seamus grinned at the group. "Everybody, this is Dana Silvermoon. Fourth year. Dana, this is...everybody."

Hermione smiled at her. "Nice to meet you," she said.

Ron nodded in agreement. "I've seen you around," he told her, "but I didn't catch what house you're in. Ravenclaw, right?"

She shook her head. "My twin is in Ravenclaw. You're probably thinking of her. I'm--"

Seamus interrupted. "I didn't know you had a twin. I've always wondered what that would be like. Or to have any siblings at all."

"It's awful," Ron said. "No privacy, practical jokes all the time, they're always getting into your business. Right, Dana?"

She laughed. "It's true. Twice as bad when it's a twin; especially when people can't even tell you apart half the time. At least my sister and I are in different houses."

"But speaking as an only child, I've always thought it would be nice to have a brother or sister to talk to and do things with," Hermione said. "Right, Harry?"

Harry didn't hear her, because at that moment the sixth year Gryffindor girls came down the stairs. He looked right past the first three who were talking and laughing about something and his eyes rested on Ginny, who hung back a little. Harry's mouth went dry. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was positively luminous, a pillar of silver light in the dim entrance hall. Her white silk dress robes set off the creaminess of her skin and their form-fitting cut left almost nothing to Harry's imagination, which seemed to be working overtime. Her hair fell to her hips in a red-gold cascade of riotous waves and...dear god...she was wearing his orchids. Harry's fingers itched to touch her skin, to see if it was as soft as the silk of her dress. He wanted to smell the perfume of the flowers she wore in her hair, knowing that he was the one who gave them to her.

She had been in his thoughts every moment of every day for the past month. He had evaluated his feelings over and over and, when he finally started being honest with himself, Harry reached an irrevocable and undeniable conclusion. What's more, Harry knew she felt the same way. He had seen it that morning by the fire. And he wouldn't rest tonight until she admitted it out loud. He could sense that Ginny avoided him because she was afraid of something. He was determined to find out what and then eliminate the problem. But it had to be soon. Every time he saw her it was near agony, both emotional and physical. With any luck the torture of wanting her and not having her would be over by the end of the evening.

Ginny was almost to the bottom of the stairs when her eyes met Harry's over the heads of the crowd. She gave him a dazzling smile although her eyes were guarded, as they always were lately when she was near him. He knew they wouldn't get anywhere as long as she looked him with that wary expression. Harry thought of that morning in the common room, thought of the piece of her he held inside of him and wondered if it might yield a hint or two about how he should proceed. As long as she avoided him she held the upper hand, but maybe he could use their link to turn the situation to his advantage. After all, he thought, the Sorting Hat almost put me in Slytherin for a reason.

Ron laughed, and Harry snapped out of his reverie and turned to his friend. "Gwen Winters?" Ron said, following Harry's gaze and shaking his head. "She's way out of your league, mate." Harry didn't bother to correct his friend as to which sixth year had caught his attention. He turned his thoughts inward and reached his mind out to Ginny's, his eyes never leaving her form as she continued down the stairs. He felt her presence inside of him and gently tried to reach inside. She froze midstep and her mouth fell open in a little O of surprise. She knew exactly what he was doing.

Harry frowned. I can't be so obvious, he admonished himself. I'll scare her off if I don't do this exactly right. This would take patience, he knew, but being a seeker had helped him develop patience to spare. Harry started to plan.

* * * * *

Ginny caught Harry's eye as she neared the bottom of the steps. He stared at her with a strange, almost hungry expression that made her face heat up and her heart beat faster. She began to feel lightheaded, and rested her hand on the stair rail for balance. The utter fascination she saw reflected in his eyes almost made Ginny lose her nerve. She very nearly turned and ran right back up the stairs, but stopped herself just in time. Are you a Gryffindor or not? Ginny thought sternly. After a moment's hesitation, she squared her shoulders, shot him her brightest smile, and continued down the steps. She saw her brother laugh but Harry seemed to be thinking hard about something and didn't notice the joke. Except for a quick glance at Ron, he still hadn't stopped staring at her. Gwen's voice echoed in her mind: Ginny, tonight you are my masterpiece.

"Fine," Ginny said under her breath. "Let him look then." She was one step away from the bottom of the staircase when the oddest sensation washed over her. She froze; her eyes flew to his. Harry's gaze was intent and unblinking. Ginny felt it again, a gentle but insistent tugging in the corner of her brain. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she realized what was going on; the bastard was trying to read her mind! She stared at him, incredulous, and the feeling stopped as suddenly as it started. His piercing emerald gaze remained on her face, reflecting his need, challenging her to continue down the stairs, imploring her to stop hiding from him. Ginny clutched the railing so hard her knuckles turned white, torn between brazening it out by pretending that nothing had passed between them and running for her life until she reached the safety of her dorm.

Ginny felt a hand cover hers on the stair rail. "Ginny?" Ernie said. "Is everything all right?" She tore her gaze from Harry's and looked at her date. It took her a moment to bring her mind back into focus and to remember who he was and what he was doing there.

Finally she smiled, overcompensating for her strange behavior. "Ernie! I was looking for you. This is such a crowd, isn't it?" She took the last step down and looped her arm through his. "Do you think we could go into the hall?" She could feel Harry's eyes still on her and was desperate to put as much space as possible between herself and that green stare, so unsettling in its intensity.

Ernie began steering her through the crowd to the door of the Great Hall when she felt it again: an insistent yet gentle probing in the back of her mind. What the hell does he think he's doing? She looked over her shoulder at Harry, who still leaned against the wall in the corner; his arms folded over his chest and a lock of dark hair hung in his eyes. Two can play at that game, Ginny thought, and tentatively reached into the link they shared, stretching her mind into his. For the third time that evening, their eyes locked across the room.

Harry tilted his head at the strangeness of having his thoughts invaded by her. A wild idea occurred to him. What are you so afraid of? He sent the question from his mind to hers through the connection she had opened. He watched her eyes widen as she spun around violently and tightened her grip on Ernie's arm.

A satisfied smile crept slowly across Harry's face. The experiment had worked. She heard him. That certainly made things interesting. Harry pushed away from the wall and turned to his friends. "I'm starved," he said. "Let's go get a table before all the good ones are taken." He was suddenly looking forward to this ball very much.

* * * * *

Ginny and Ernie walked into the Great Hall, which was beginning to fill with students. The four long house tables were gone, replaced by many round tables surrounded by eight chairs each. Hagrid's tremendous jack-o'-lanterns lined two of the walls; the candles inside cast a flickering pattern of light and shadow over the hall. Students seated themselves along house lines, talking and laughing softly. The party wouldn't get loud for hours yet.

"Do you want to sit with the Hufflepuffs?" Ginny asked Ernie.

He glanced over to the corner his house had claimed as its own and said, "No, that's all right. We can sit with the Gryffindors."

"If you'd rather--"

"No, really." He smiled down at her and then looked back at the Hufflepuffs. "I'd rather sit with your friends."

Ginny followed his eyes to a table bathed in the flickering candlelight. Hannah Abbott and Mike Fletcher sat very closely. Hannah leaned in and whispered in his ear; Mike laughed and put his arm around her, a look of adoration on his face.

"Right," Ginny said under her breath, steering Ernie away from the scene. She eyed the Gryffindor section of the hall, searching for a table that would be halfway entertaining. Ernie looked like he could use some good conversation. Shannon and Gwen were both paired with Ravenclaws and so were on the other side of the room. Ginny saw Colin and Denis Creevey sitting together, but passed them over when she saw that Ria was sitting alone, scanning the crowd for someone to talk to. "Come on," Ginny tugged on Ernie's arm. "I found a table."

Ria's face lit up when Ginny slid into the seat next to her. "Thank the gods you're here," Ria said. "I was so bored I was about to go sit with the Creeveys."

Ginny grinned at her friend. "Good thing we saved her, right Ernie?" When he didn't answer Ginny looked over at him; he was staring at Hannah again. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to Ria. "Don't mind him," she lowered her voice to a faux-confidential whisper. "He's a bit lovesick."

Ria looked at Hannah and Mike, and then back to Ginny. "They look pretty cozy."

Ginny shrugged. "I suppose. Mike claims to be absolutely mad for her." She fell silent when Harry entered her field of vision. He spotted her from across the room and started for their table with purposeful strides, trailed by Ron, Hermione, Seamus, and a girl Ginny didn't know.

When he reached their table, Harry gave Ria his brightest smile. "Is anyone sitting here?" He indicated the five empty chairs.

Ria smiled back. "Not at all," she said. "Take a seat."

"I'd love to, thanks." He sat in the chair directly opposite Ginny and shifted his smile to her. That cautiously guarded look was back in full force. He wondered how to get rid of it, and then decided it wasn't so important at the moment. Eventually she'd get used to him sitting with her; her brother and Ria would be adequate distractions. And for now he was directly across from her, able to appreciate the light in her eyes and the orchids, his orchids, in her hair and, was that glitter across her cheekbones? Well, he had no idea why she would wear glitter, but it made her face look positively ethereal. Probably Gwen's idea, he figured.

Ernie finally tore his eyes away from Hannah long enough to ask Ginny, "Can I take your cloak?"

"What?"

"There's a cloak check over there," he pointed to a door near the Hufflepuff region of the hall. "Can I take it for you? Unless you're cold."

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." She opened the silver clasps of her cloak and handed it to him, knowing that he wanted an excuse to walk by Hannah. Far be it from her to stand in the way of such tenacious stalking tendencies.

When Ernie was out of earshot, Ginny turned to the red-haired girl and said, "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley. I don't think we've met. You're a Ravenclaw, right?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "My sister is. I'm Dana Silvermoon."

Ginny raised an eyebrow and smiled wryly. "A Slytherin, Seamus?"

"You're here with a Hufflepuff, so I don't really think you have any room to talk," Dana said. She caught Ginny's laughing gaze and glanced at Ron, who looked very surprised indeed.

"You're a Slytherin?" He was astounded. "But you were so nice!"

"I still am," Dana said easily, realizing that Ginny had only been trying to get a reaction from her brother. "After all, a girl who buys the drinks is a rare find, or so I hear." Dana gave her date an arch look. Seamus had the grace to blush.

"I should say so," Ginny agreed. She thought she might like this girl, even if she was a Slytherin. Ginny was surprised to see her with a Gryffindor, granted, but Dana was right. With a Hufflepuff as her date, Ginny had absolutely no room to talk.

Ginny introduced Dana to Ria, and the Gryffindors began telling Dana potions stories, each one more horrible than the last. It became a game to try to top each other, especially since Dana didn't believe a word. "But Professor Snape is always so nice!" she protested more than once. Still, she had tears of laughter in her eyes at Ginny's dead-on impression of the greasy-haired teacher.

Sometime during their performance, Ernie slipped back into his seat. Ginny didn't really pay any attention to him, as he wasn't paying any attention to her. All he wanted to do was stare across the room at Hannah and Mike, occasionally sighing wistfully. Ginny was ready to dump her plate of food over his head. She wished that she had followed her first instincts and come without a partner, for all the good this one was doing her. How long ago was their breakup, anyway? she wondered. Shannon would know. But Shannon was all the way across the room, locked in a soulful gaze with some insufferably brilliant Ravenclaw.

Ginny looked up at the Hufflepuff section, where it appeared that Mike and Hannah were in imminent danger of forgetting they were in public. Just then, so quickly that Ginny almost missed it, Hannah glanced at their table. That little witch, Ginny thought, amused in spite of herself. She's only doing this to get to Ernie. Ginny watched the pair carefully throughout the rest of the meal. Sure enough, every time Hannah laid a hand on Mike's arm or whispered in his ear she glanced over to the Gryffindor area to make sure Ernie was getting an eyeful. Ginny felt bad for Mike; he liked Hannah so much and had no idea that he was being used.

Dinner seemed to last forever. Ginny tried to keep the conversation going as best as she could, and Seamus, Ron, and Dana were a great help. The three of them were full of funny stories and slightly off-color jokes. Unfortunately, Ernie wouldn't stop sighing and Harry wouldn't stop staring and, all in all, Ginny was very relieved when the meal ended.

The band began tuning up their instruments for dancing, and Dumbledore moved the tables to the edge of the room with a wave of his wand. The chatter of the students grew louder with excitement. Ginny stood, smoothed the creases out of her dress robes, and gave Ernie an expectant look. She felt a hand on her arm. "My dance, I think," Harry said.

"No," Ginny answered.

Harry looked surprised. "You promised two slow songs and one fast song. They're about to play a slow song. I claim this dance."

"You can't," Ginny told him. "Not the first one of the night."

Harry was confused. "Why not?"

"Because I'm here with somebody. I have to dance the first dance with my dance partner."

Harry gave Ernie an irritated glance. "I honestly don't think he'd notice, Gin."

She rolled her eyes. "Next one. I promise." That would be one down, leaving only two more dances she'd have to give him. Maybe getting them all out of the way early would be the best thing to do after that horrible telepathy trick he had pulled on her earlier.

Ginny's dance with Ernie was uninspiring, to say the least. She tried to converse with him, but he wasn't interested in anything she had to say. He didn't step on her feet, and he was scrupulously polite, but she knew full well that he didn't want to be there with her. When the song ended, Ginny started analyzing the room for escape plans. This was ridiculous. She decided that if she wasn't having fun half an hour from now, she would go back to Gryffindor tower and go to bed. At least then she wouldn't be tired for the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow.

Ginny started off of the dance floor and ran smack into Harry. He closed his hands around her arms to steady her balance and smiled down at her. "My turn?" he asked.

Ginny turned to Ernie, but he had already wandered off. She looked up at Harry. "I suppose it is," she answered.

Harry slid his hands down her bare arms and threaded his fingers through hers, raising one of her hands to shoulder height and placing her other hand on his shoulder. He rested his left hand on her waist. The band launched into a new slow song, and Harry confidently led Ginny around the floor.

"I thought you were a terrible dancer," she said in surprise.

He raised his eyebrows. "Who told you that?"

"Neville Longbottom," she answered. When he looked surprised she laughed and said, "Parvati Patil told me. She would know, I suppose."

He laughed and shook his head. "My cousin wanted ballroom dancing lessons to impress some girl. My aunt and uncle made me be his practice partner for the entire summer between fifth and sixth year."

Ginny laughed too, at the mental image of tall, slim Harry slowly revolving hand in hand with his short, fat cousin. "Who had to be the girl?" she asked.

"I did, of course."

"So you never learned how to lead." She was teasing him now, and the wary expression had vanished almost entirely.

The smile she gave him made him want to sink his hands into her hair and kiss her senseless. Instead, he forced himself to shrug nonchalantly and say, "It's not that difficult. I just have to remember to do the steps in reverse." After that, they were silent for a moment.

"Mum made me take lessons," she volunteered to fill the lull in the conversation. "Piano, ballroom dance...she said that music and dancing were things every proper young lady should know." Ginny gave Harry an exasperated look. "I told her it was pointless. I mean, do I resemble a proper young lady at all?"

"You're an excellent dancer, at any rate," Harry said. "You haven't stepped on my feet even once."

"You know, Harry, that's the first compliment I've gotten since I left Gryffindor tower." She gave him a sheepish look. "Thanks very much."

Harry gasped in mock horror. "You mean MacMillian didn't tell you that your impression of Professor Snape is frighteningly accurate?"

Ginny laughed. "No, I'm afraid he didn't."

"Or that your dress robes turned out perfectly?"

She shook her head.

"Or that you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen?" Harry's voice had completely lost its teasing tone.

"Harry--"

"Did he tell you that?"

"I don't think--"

"What, Ginny? Tell me." He lowered his head until his mouth was only a few inches from hers. "Tell me," he repeated. "Why have you been running from me?" His thumb stroked her waist through the silk of her dress. "What can I do, Ginny? Tell me what I have to do and I'll do it."

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Would you like me to spell it out for you? Ginny, I--"

"Don't!" she exclaimed.

"Why not!" Harry was half tempted to reach inside her head and pull out the answers he needed, but he knew she would never forgive him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "There's no reason for you to be afraid of me." He squeezed her hand to reinforce his words. "I would never ever hurt you, Ginny. You know that, right?"

Ginny held Harry's gaze for a long moment, and suddenly she just knew. She knew what he was trying to tell her, even though he hadn't said the words yet. "Harry," she whispered. Gods, how could something like this have happened? How could she not have noticed?

The music faded to a halt. They stood there, hand in hand, looking at each other. Neither one knew what to say. Ginny spotted Ernie making his way through the crowd, looking flustered. She figured she'd be disconcerted as well if she found her date looking at someone the way she was probably looking at Harry. Then she remembered that her date had, in fact, spent the entire evening looking at someone the way she was looking at Harry. Ginny suddenly found her patience for Ernie considerably lessened.

Harry saw Ernie too. "I want the next dance," he said quickly before the other boy could reach them through the crowd.

"You can't have two in a row," Ginny answered. "It's against the rules." But she didn't pull away from him.

"What rules?"

"My rules. It would be rude."

Ernie finally made his way to their sides. "Do you mind if I keep her for one more song, MacMillian?" Harry asked him.

Ginny stepped on his foot. Hard. "Harry, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"No, it's all right, Ginny," Ernie said, his eyes fixed somewhere over her head. "I'll get us some drinks while you dance this song with Potter."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"It's no problem." He finally met her eyes and smiled at her before leaving in the direction from which he came.

The music started a second time, and once again Harry slowly revolved Ginny around the floor. "Now where were we?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I believe you were about to tell me that you feel about me the same way I feel about you." He was no longer smiling.

Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She swallowed hard, licked her lips and started again. "Harry, I don't think you've thought this through properly." Oh, now where did that come from? It wasn't at all what she had meant to say.

"You told me that morning that we could talk about it after we've thought it over. It's all I've thought about for the past month, Gin," he answered. His voice seemed deeper than usual. "I'm sure about myself. I'm just not sure about you. I'm done thinking. Now it's time to talk."

He fell silent again, waiting patiently for her answer. Ginny got the impression that he would wait all night, if she expected it of him. Her mind wandered through all sorts of inconsequential thoughts: anything to keep from contemplating what he was demanding of her. When did he get so tall? she wondered.

He smiled. I heard that, he sent the thought to her. It was mostly during fifth year.

Ginny's hand tightened convulsively around his. "What's going on?" she whispered. "Everything's different suddenly. How do we change it back?"

Harry rested his forehead against hers, never ceasing the gentle revolutions of their dance. "I wouldn't change it for anything," he murmured. "Not for all the gold in Gringotts."

"Easy to say for someone who already owns practically all the gold in Gringotts."

"You've got me there." His smile faded. "Say something, Ginny."

"I need time, Harry," she whispered. "I have to figure this out."

"I already know how you feel."

"How nice for you." She tried to pull away, but he held her close.

Harry cursed inwardly. That had been the wrong thing to say. Maybe he'd have to wait a bit longer to hear her say the words; just because he knew how she felt didn't mean that she knew as well. In fact, she quite obviously didn't. Oh well, he thought, they say that discretion is the better part of valor. And that means knowing when to back off. "Would you rather talk about this later?" he asked out loud.

Ginny nodded, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Hey, Gin," he implored. "Look at me, please?" She raised her chin and he saw that he had truly upset her by reminding her that they could read each other's thoughts. "It's not going away, Gin. You know it's not. We'll just have to figure out how to deal with it."

She gave him a half-hearted smile. "It'll probably make Quidditch more interesting."

He laughed at that. "I could just see Malfoy now! Trying to tell Madam Hooch that the Gryffindors are cheating by using telepathy!" His face turned serious again. "You're not in the clear yet, Ginny. We will talk about this again later."

Ginny didn't answer, but she didn't look away from his face either. They held each other's gazes until the song finally ended.

* * * * *

Ginny wandered through the crowd looking for Ernie. Five songs ago he said he would get them some drinks, but then he disappeared. She hoped he hadn't gotten sick; he had seemed more distracted than usual when she saw him last.

Ginny spotted Dana in the crowd and pushed her way over to the girl. "Dana, have you seen Ernie?" she asked. "He said he'd get some drinks but I can't find him anywhere."

"Dana?" she asked. "Did you just call me Dana? I'm Delia Silvermoon, Ravenclaw."

"Nice to meet you--" Ginny began, but the girl cut her off.

"And you're looking for Ernie MacMillian are you?" The expression on her face was not at all nice. "He just left."

"Was he all right?" Ginny might not have been having a good time with him, but she hoped he wasn't ill.

"Oh, he looked just fine. Hannah Abbott certainly thought so." Ginny gave the girl an odd look, and Delia laughed. "They were together," she said slowly. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"No thanks," Ginny answered.

"Well one can never be too sure," Delia said. "You are a Gryffindor, after all. You didn't even realize that he was just using you to make her jealous." She seemed nearly overcome with malicious glee. Ginny had no idea how two girls could look identical but have such opposite temperaments. She thought that Delia was definitely the twin who belonged in Slytherin.

"Have a wonderful night," Delia said, all false friendliness.

Ginny didn't bother to reply. She turned on her heel and started toward the row of tall windows that lined one side of the hall. She had no idea why Delia would lie about Ernie and Hannah leaving together, but she wanted to see for herself. If they had, in fact, ducked out of the ball then chances were that the couple would soon be visible through the windows, stealing across the grounds for a bit of privacy in the bushes.

Halfway to her destination, Ginny passed Pansy Parkinson, arm in arm with Draco Malfoy. The pair eyed Seamus and Dana scornfully and Pansy said, loud enough for Ginny to overhear, "I'm surprised she came with a Gryffindor."

"I'm not," he replied. "You can't expect proper house pride from a mudblood."

Unfortunately for them, they had also spoken loud enough for Dana to overhear. As Ginny watched, the younger girl turned and faced Draco, challenge evident in her posture. Loathing burned in her gray eyes. "Better a Gryffindor than the son of a Death Eater."

Everyone standing nearby gasped. Ginny's mouth fell open. Had Dana really just said that? In the middle of a crowd of people? To Draco Malfoy's face? Ginny couldn't comprehend why the girl wasn't in Gryffindor, where she so obviously belonged. Especially considering that she wasn't a pureblood.

Draco's lips pressed into a thin line. "My father was under the Imperius Curse," he spat out through clenched teeth.

"A story believed by exactly no one. Including you, I'm sure," Dana replied. The two Slytherins' barely repressed hatred for each other was palpable. This was obviously not the first confrontation between them.

Draco's hand flexed. He's going for his wand, Ginny realized. That thought was immediately followed by: Who brings their wand to a school ball? But she was already in motion, stepping between them, her eyes fixed, unblinking, on Draco's. Ginny barely registered Seamus, Ria, and Ron joining her in front of Dana. The sounds of the ball receded as Ginny's entire focus narrowed on the older boy's face: the angry glint in his silver eyes, the curves of light and shadow over the planes of his high cheekbones, the arrogant tilt of his chin. Only Harry's arrival on the scene jarred her concentration enough that she could shake out of the trance. Harry flicked his eyes over the group, nonchalantly pulled out his wand, and asked in a mild tone, "Is there a problem, Malfoy?"

"It's none of your business, Potter," Draco answered without moving his eyes from Ginny's. "It's a Slytherin matter."

"Teacher!" a girl hissed. Draco and Harry shoved their wands back in their pockets as Professor Snape strode up to the circle of students. "Is Potter bothering you, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked. He was obviously itching for an excuse to take points from Gryffindor.

Draco opened his mouth but before he could speak Dana shoved her way through the phalanx of Gryffindors and said, "No, Professor. We were all just talking." The students who had witnessed the confrontation nodded in agreement. Only Harry, Draco, and Ginny remained still.

"Very well," Snape answered, but he didn't move from his spot in the middle of the crowd. The students immediately began to disperse. Seamus dragged Dana away from her housemates and, seeing that there was no need for her continued presence, Ginny resumed her walk towards the windows that faced the front of the castle.

She looked out across the school grounds. No sign of her errant date and his not-so-ex-girlfriend. Well, all right. She could be patient.

Someone nudged Ginny's back and she turned to see Mike Fletcher, balancing two butterbeers and a plate of chocolates. Ginny groaned inwardly. Of all the people she didn't want to see at the moment....

"Gin, have you seen Hannah?" Mike asked. "She sent me for drinks ages ago and I haven't been able to find her. Do you know where she is?"

Just then, Ginny spotted two cloaked figures stealing across the lawns, hand in hand. Delia had been telling the truth. She grabbed one of Mike's butterbeers and took a big swallow. Maybe it would be best if I didn't sugar coat it, she thought. Ginny pointed at the pair outside, who stopped halfway to the bushes to steal a kiss. "She's right there." Ginny took another swallow from the bottle. "With Ernie."

Mike stared at the couple and then turned to Ginny in disbelief. "Ernie MacMillian? Why would she be out there with Ernie MacMillian?"

"They used to date," Ginny answered as the pair moved behind the hedges and out of sight from the Great Hall.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Shannon."

Mike looked as though someone had hit him across the face. "But she was my date. She asked me."

Ginny squeezed his arm. "I guess they asked us to make each other jealous. Not very Hufflepuffian of them, but there you are. It was pretty obvious Ernie wanted to be with her." She drained the rest of the drink. This night was positively surreal. Discovering bizarre telepathic connections, narrowly avoiding an emotional Harry-revelation, breaking up a fight between a couple of Slytherins, and now she had been abandoned by a Hufflepuff, someone who was supposed to be steadfast and loyal. And on her birthday, too.

Mike rested his forehead against the cool smoothness of the windowpane and tilted his head to look down at Ginny. "How could something like this happen to me?" he groaned. "I will never live this down. You have no idea, Gin."

Ginny rolled her eyes and started on the second butterbeer. "My partner deserted me too, you know. It's not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't even want a partner," Mike said angrily. He grabbed the bottle from her hands and took a long drink.

"Get over yourself," Ginny told him. Drinking a bottle and a half of butterbeer so quickly made her head feel a bit floaty, and the words tumbled out of her mouth before she had a chance to censor them. "You're just upset because you don't want to look stupid. It's not like you actually care about Hannah. She's blond and popular and you were happy because you got to be seen with her, not because you got to spend time with her."

Mike turned so that he was leaning against the wall and gave the dancers a sullen glare. "So what now?" he asked.

Ginny thought for a moment. "Well, we could ruin the rest of my birthday by standing here snapping at each other, or we could decide to make the best of it, dance a bit, and try to salvage some fun out of this stupid ball."

He looked down at her in surprise. "Weren't you having fun?"

"Not particularly."

The pair leaned side-by-side against the wall for two more songs without speaking. Finally, Mike set his empty bottle on the windowsill with a click. As the band struck up a the last song of the evening he said, "I don't suppose you know how to waltz."

"As a matter of fact, I do. But only when asked nicely," she answered, irritated at his tone.

Mike sighed. "I'm sorry Gin. I didn't mean to say it like that. Will you please dance with me?"

"Since you said please...." She gave him a small smile as he grabbed her hand and swung her onto the dance floor.

Ginny and Mike weren't the only ones who spotted the two Hufflepuffs sneaking across the school grounds. A few feet away, Harry sat with Ron, Hermione, and several other Gryffindors. The trio watched the unfolding scene between Mike and Ginny. "I don't believe this!" Harry exclaimed in indignation. "MacMillian asks her to the ball and then just leaves?" He scowled at the dancers. "And now she's stuck with Fletcher."

"Yeah, poor Ginny." Ron's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Harry gave his friend a scathing look. "Neither of those guys treat her the way she deserves. Fletcher is always upsetting her on purpose. And MacMillian! I can't believe he would do something like this. I'm going to have a talk with him tomorrow."

"Leave him alone, Harry. The ball is almost over and she doesn't look too broken up about it," Ron answered. "What do you care?"

Harry didn't answer. Ron shrugged and turned to Dean and Neville's Quidditch discussion, but Hermione wasn't about to give up so easily. Her expression was shrewd as she sized Harry up and then asked him quietly, "Why do you care so much?"

The look he gave her spoke volumes. Her eyes widened. "I see," she said.

"You don't see anything," he said, glancing at Ron.

"I won't tell him, if that's what you're worried about," Hermione said. "Although he might take it better than you think."

Harry shook his head. "Not a word, Hermione. Promise me."

She dutifully crossed her heart. "I promise."

* * * * *

The last notes of the waltz faded away, and the students gathered their things and began leaving the Great Hall. Mike and Ginny hung back a bit from the throng. "Thanks, Gin, for...saying what you did. It really did make me feel better," he said.

"It seems like lately you're always either apologizing or thanking me for something or other," she answered, craning her neck trying to spot her dorm mates in the crowd.

"Can I make it up to you?" he asked. "I owe you, I think, for dancing with me tonight and being such a good sport about the Pepperup potion two weeks ago."

"That depends on how you're planning on making it up." Ginny gave him a mischievous smile. "It'll have to be good."

"What if I told you I'd give you a present?" he asked, a teasing light in his eyes. "Will you meet me at the Three Broomsticks tomorrow?"

She frowned. "Well, I promised Gwen and Shannon that I'd help them bully Ria into buying some.... " She trailed off and was silent for a moment. Her face brightened. "I could meet you after. Say, at two o'clock?"

"I'll see you then." He tugged on a lock of her long hair. "Will you be back to normal?"

"This was just one of Gwen's experiments. It'll be short again in the morning."

"I'm glad," he said, but before he could continue Ginny spotted Gwen and Shannon, who were frantically waving her over.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said brightly, running to join her friends who stood a short distance away with their Ravenclaws.

Ginny filled the girls in on Ernie's desertion and, as expected, they were outraged on her behalf. She told them not to worry so much, but they were determined to make Ernie apologize publicly. "The two of us, plus Ria, will think of a plan," Shannon assured Ginny.

"You won't have to worry about a thing," Gwen added.

Ginny stood with her friends, half listening to them plot poor Ernie's humiliation, when an interesting scene a few feet away caught her attention. On Mike's way out of the Hall, he was stopped by Harry, who grabbed his arm and spoke quietly. Ginny edged further into the entrance hall and strained to hear their murmured conversation. She certainly got an earful.

"I heard what you just said," Harry voice was loaded with accusation. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. I've known it since the summer."

Mike met Harry's challenging gaze with a raised eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar," Harry spat out. "She's way too good for you."

"Don't you think that might be for her to decide?" Compared to Harry, Mike was the epitome of calm collectedness.

"You bribed her. I heard you!" Harry was having trouble keeping his voice low.

"It's her birthday," Mike answered. "People give presents on birthdays. And anyway, who Ginny meets in Hogsmeade is none of your damn business."

"I'm making it my business," Harry answered. "I swear to God, if you upset her--"

Mike jerked his arm out of Harry's grip. "You obviously don't know me very well at all," he hissed. "I never--"

"You always," Harry interrupted.

The two young men stared at each other in mutual dislike for a long, fraught moment, and then they turned and stormed off in opposite directions.

Near Ginny, Dana Silvermoon watched the entire exchange with amazement. "I thought I was supposed to be the bad-tempered Slytherin around here," she muttered under her breath.

"Harry doesn't act like a Slytherin." Apparently she hadn't said it quietly enough as Ron immediately leapt to his friend's defense.

Dana raised her eyebrows and turned to him. "Of course he doesn't. That's why he almost bit someone's head off over your sister. Or did I miss something?" The look in Dana's gray eyes challenged Ron to deny it but after a moment he backed off and walked in the direction Harry had gone. His friend had some explaining to do.

Ginny stood, dumbfounded. She didn't think she had ever been so angry in her entire life. Just because Harry had come to some kind of...realization...about her didn't mean that he had any right at all to dictate what she did and who she did it with. There was no excuse for him to talk to Mike that way, especially since his accusations were so far off the mark. Ginny's first instinct was to take off after him and give him a piece of her mind, but she didn't think she'd be able to get anything more coherent than a scream of rage out of her mouth. She had to go somewhere to cool off. Without a word, Ginny turned away from her friends and left the hall.

* * * * *

Once Ginny was free of the castle, she lifted her skirt to her knees and ran as fast as she could across the lawn. She didn't want anyone to spot her through the windows; she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to be out this late at night, especially not by herself, and without her wand.

The ancient, gnarled oak tree stood on the banks of the lake. Ginny practically slammed into it, she was running so fast. Realizing she had reached her goal, Ginny stretched her arms around the tree and rested her cheek against its scratchy bark, drawing deep, gulping breaths. Trees always had a calming effect on her; it was why she spent so much time in the tree house at the Burrow. She closed her eyes and inhaled the earthy scent of the oak. Her mind slowed almost immediately. Ginny slid her hands back around the trunk until her palms rested in front of her chest. "What am I going to do about him?" she whispered aloud.

A wind whipped through the grass, lifting the dry leaves from the ground and molding her skirt to her legs. For a moment, the only thing Ginny was aware of was the slide of the silk against her skin. The wind abruptly died, as though someone had simply flipped a switch and turned it off. The wood against Ginny's hands and forehead was no longer the rough, uneven surface of tree bark; it was polished and smooth.

Ginny opened her eyes and took a step back. Her palms now rested against a door. She whirled around and saw that she had been transported into a windowless bedroom. The walls were covered with heavy black wooden paneling. Candles covered almost every surface. Dark red wax melted down the sides of the tapers and coagulated on the tables like rivers of blood. They gave off a heavy perfume that curled through Ginny's mind and slowed her senses. The room was crowded with furniture; several armchairs and loveseats were clustered in groups, and in the center of the room was the largest bed Ginny had ever seen. It must have been at least ten feet on a side. All of the furniture was covered in deep red upholstery.

Blood pounded in Ginny's ears, and her breath seemed very loud. Stupid, stupid, stupid going anywhere near an oak tree on Samhain. She should have known better. She did know better. Harry had just completely destroyed her ability to think rationally. She had been pulled into the Otherworld, which meant that Mórrígan must be nearby.

Ginny cautiously stepped around the furniture that cluttered the floor of the room. A movement on the bed stopped her in her tracks. She stared openly at the young woman who slowly sat up and smiled. It was Mórrígan, the same, yet somehow different. This facet of the goddess was younger; she didn't look much older than Ginny. She was still laden with gold and rubies and dressed in burgundy velvet, but her weapons and warlike nature were nowhere to be seen. This had to be the Mórrígan's maiden face. This was the girl who attempted to seduce Cuchullain, the hero of The Táin, and then killed him when he refused her. "I've been waiting for you." Mórrígan's voice was husky and low.

Ginny wished she had her wand, even if it didn't work in this world. She resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't getting back to Hogwarts until she listened to whatever it was that the goddess had to say. "What can I do for you?" Ginny asked.

Mórrígan set her bare feet on the floor and straightened in a sinuous motion. "Where do I start?" she answered, trailing her fingers over the back of one of the chairs. "I brought you here to tell you that your world is a dangerous place, Virginia. You won't be able to face it alone much longer."

Ginny couldn't think of a response to that cryptic statement, so she remained silent.

Mórrígan slowly paced across the room towards the spot where Ginny stood. The goddess's smooth, rolling steps put Ginny strongly in mind of a panther. "You need to find your protectors," the goddess said. "You will not be able to do what you must without them."

"I can protect myself," Ginny answered. "I don't need anyone's help."

Mórrígan stood in front of Ginny and looked at her. The goddess was no more than three inches taller than the girl. "You don't know what you need," she said in that slow, smoky voice.

"And you do?"

"I do. Very well." Her scarlet lips curved in a sly smile. Ginny thought that, given the choice, she vastly preferred the violent, warlike Mórrígan to this younger, hyper-sexualized version of the goddess.

"Look at us, Virginia." Mórrígan motioned to a round mirror that leaned against the wall. Ginny turned her head to look at their reflection and gasped in horror. But for their differences in height and the fact that she was dressed all in white, she and the goddess might have been twins. Mórrígan leaned down until her face was only a breath from Ginny's and said, "So you see, you are very much as I was when I was young."

Ginny jerked back several steps and toppled into a chair. She looked up at the goddess. "We are nothing alike. Nothing!" Her voice trembled in desperation.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Mórrígan said, her eyes shining with amusement. "You know it's true, Virginia. And because of this I am going to give you some advice." She rested one hand on each arm of Ginny's chair and leaned down. "Find those two people who would protect you to the death, no matter what the circumstances. Find them. And soon, because the time is coming when you will need them."

"Are you one of these protectors?"

"Of course not." Mórrígan straightened and looked down at the girl.

Ginny shook her head. "How do you expect me to find two people, out of all the ones in the entire world? It's impossible."

"Virginia, are you going to be difficult after I've gone out of my way to give you such good advice?" Her voice was still calm, but anger flashed in the goddess's eyes. It was gone so quickly, though, Ginny thought she might have imagined it. "I don't care how you find them. Just find them."

"You know," Ginny said. "I never asked for any of this."

"I should say not," Mórrígan replied. Her irritation was evident now. "You were very likely the only person who didn't ask for it, which, of course, is why it fell to you. I told them a woman would be nothing but trouble, but they insisted after what happened with the man last time."

"What?" Ginny demanded. "What man! Who are they! You owe me an explanation." She stood to confront the goddess who had her face.

Mórrígan was silent. Ginny waited, and when it became evident that she was not going to answer, Ginny demanded again, "Well?"

The goddess's voice was cold. "Enjoy your swim, Virginia."

The next thing Ginny knew, she was hurtling through the air. She hit the frigid water with a painful smack.

* * * * *

Harry sat alone in the common room. Everyone had gone to bed long ago. He was the only one who noticed that Ginny was not with the others. And so he waited for her to come in. He had told her that they would talk later; he wasn't going to let her off that easily. Maybe he should feel guilty, but he didn't. Harry was fighting for what he knew in his heart to be right, and he would do anything, as long as it wasn't amoral or illegal, to bring it about.

The portrait swung open, and Harry kept his eyes glued to the opening. When he saw her, he suddenly felt lightheaded, as though all of the blood rushed from his head. And to another part of his anatomy, he thought ruefully, shifting in his chair. She was drenched from head to toe. Her gown clung to every curve like a second skin. Wet white silk. He had never even dreamed a sight like this. Somehow, a thought pierced through his arousal. How the hell did she get this wet? And then, she must be freezing.

And so she was. Ginny's arms were wrapped around her and she shivered uncontrollably. Her lips were bluish. Harry suddenly felt like the worst sort of cad for admiring her body when she was obviously in distress. "Ginny?" he asked, standing. "What happened?

"I f-f-fell in the l-lake," she said through her chattering teeth.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed. "How?" Without waiting for an answer, he got up and hurried across the common room, swinging his cloak off of his shoulders. He wrapped it securely around her and ran his hands briskly over her arms, hoping the friction might warm her a bit.

"D-do you have your w-wand still?" she asked.

"Oh, right," he said. He pulled out the wand and cast a quick drying charm over her. It helped a bit, but it didn't work entirely; he was distracted and she was extremely wet. She hadn't stopped shivering. He hauled her up against his chest and wrapped his arms around her; he remembered seeing a television show once that said sailors warmed up by sharing body heat whenever one fell overboard. Eventually, her shaking subsided. He pulled back a bit and tipped her chin up so he could see her face.

Ginny knew that she should still be angry with him, but she couldn't seem to catch hold of the fury that had consumed her only a short time ago. He was holding her as though she were the most precious thing on Earth. In spite of herself, she was touched by his obvious concern. He had given her the cloak right off his back, for Merlin's sake.

"Ginny, how did you wind up in the lake?" he asked in a voice laced with worry. When she didn't reply he said, "Please, Gin. You can tell me." One of his thumbs traced a reassuring path along the side of her face and his other arm anchored her securely against his body. "Talk to me," he pleaded quietly.

She leaned her cheek against his chest and sighed deeply, but didn't answer his question. The two of them stood like that for a long time. Finally, Harry said, "You should be in bed. You're freezing."

He laced his fingers through hers and led her over to the entrance to the girls' dorm. Instead of releasing her hand at the foot of the staircase, he walked her up the steps and down the hallway to the door that said "Sixth Years."

Harry folded Ginny into one last embrace, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and whispered, "I'm glad you wore the orchids tonight."

She looked up at him and gave a weak smile. "Gwen thought they would look nice."

"She was right. We'll talk tomorrow, all right?"

Ginny nodded, and began to shrug out of his cloak. He gently took her hands in his to stop her. "You can give it back in the morning," he said.

"Thanks." Her voice was nothing but a whisper. They both knew how much trouble they'd be in if a prefect caught him on the girls' side.

Harry smiled, brushed a lock of hair out of her face, and walked to the end of the hall. He glanced at her over his shoulder when he reached the staircase, raised his hand in a goodbye wave, and then he was gone.

Ginny pulled his cloak tightly around her. It smelled like him. Then she eased open the door to her room and crept inside, careful to not disturb her friends who were sound asleep.

* * * * *

Harry raced up the stairs to the boys' side and sneaked into his room. He changed into his nightclothes--sweatpants and a Gryffindor T-shirt--but he didn't fall asleep for a long time. Several problems swirled around his head, and all of them centered on Ginny Weasley. How would he get her to make the declaration he so needed to hear? How long would he be able to keep Ron in the dark about their feelings? And how had she managed to fall in the lake?

---------------------------------------------