Perfect

Ginny walked towards the Great Hall, yawning from lack of sleep.

"Stupid essays," she muttered. Keep a person awake all night long! Well, at least some breakfast might be good. Especially coffee. Draco had been the one to addict her to coffee.

When she walked in, she noticed the room was buzzing with excitement. Wonder what Harry supposedly did this time, she thought wryly. She sat down across from Lavender and Parvati. They'd know what was going on.

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked, pouring herself some coffee and getting a chocolate chip muffin.

"Oh Ginny!" Lavender gushed. "The most wonderful thing!"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, another habit she'd picked up from Draco.

"You see," Parvati began. "There's going to be a masquerade ball on Valentine's Day. It's for fourth years and above. You go with your sweetheart and dress up like a famous couple, or some other costume that's a pair."

Is it just me or do these two talk in turns? Ginny mused.

"Like Romeo and Juliet?"

Lavender pouted. "That was my idea!"

Ginny shook her head resisting the urge to laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not going to take it. I don't think I'm even going to go."

"If you're worried about not having anyone to go with, you could always go with Colin," Parvati suggested. "You're like best friends, right?"

Yep, turns it was.

"No, it's not that," Ginny explained. "I just don't want to have to deal with the whole 'pick a costume, buy it, get ready, stress out and get your feet stepped on' issue."

Lavender shrugged. "Suit yourself. I think it's going to be fun."

"Whatever," Ginny said, getting up. "See you."

Finishing up her muffin, she made her way down to the dungeons. Wednesday morning equals Potions. Contrary to what she had just told the Gossip Queens, she thought the masquerade was a wonderful idea. Oh, she was going to go. It's just that nobody would know. Hey, that rhymed, she noted. Shaking her head, Ginny sat down beside her caldron. Time to start planning. She had the perfect plan too, she just had to hope that Draco would unknowingly play along.

~

Ginny stood, examining herself in front of the mirror. Not bad, she thought.

"You look nice," Moaning Myrtle commented, flying overhead. "Going to that masquerade ball?"

Ginny sighed. Although it was a good idea coming here, since she didn't want anyone discovering her plan, she should have known coming to Myrtle's bathroom would only bite her in the butt.

"So, are you?" Said ghost demanded.

"Yes, I am," Ginny answered, looking at Myrtle.

"With who?"

"None of your business,"

"Fine! Be that way!" Myrtle sobbed, then dove into her toilet.

Hopefully that got rid of her a bit, Ginny thought. She turned back to the mirror. So far, her plan had gone off without a hitch. She'd turned down every invite to the ball, which Ron was very happy about.

"Stupid git," she muttered.

Now everyone assumed she wasn't going. She had convinced Draco to tell everyone he wasn't going, but really would be. There, the two would meet up, confuse everybody and then leave. All while keeping the Warrior secret safe. That was all that Draco knew. No specifics. Personally, Ginny thought she ought to be congratulated. Even her costume was perfect.

She was wearing a long, dark red dress with gold embroidery on the bottom. The top was done as a halter top, leaving her back open. She'd lengthened her hair and turned the color darker, more auburn. It fell in soft waves down her back, with gold beads threaded in. To complete the ensemble, she wore a dark red phoenix mask. It had a few dark red feathers on it for effect and the eye holes were outlined in gold beads which then made a beautiful pattern all over the mask. Her lips were the same dark red color and her eyes were outlined in gold eyeliner. She was picture perfect.

Ginny looked at the watch she had left on the sink. It was eight thirty. Perfect. The ball had started at eight, so everyone who had decided to be fashionably late had already arrived. Checking her reflection in the mirror one last time, she started for the ball.

~

Stopping outside the Great Hall's double doors, Ginny took a deep breath. The final step of the plan. Hopefully Draco had played along. She'd made it this far, why turn back now? With another deep breath she opened the doors.

Everyone turned to see who had come in. Every Romeo and Juliet, every Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, every Cinderella and Prince Charming. All talking stopped. Jaws dropped.

Perfect, Ginny thought. She scanned the crowd, looking for Draco. She spotted a silver dragon mask. Draco was dressed in white pants and silver dress shirt. He was a dragon.

Perfect.

She made her way over to him.

All eyes followed the beauty in red. Who was she?

A grin crossed Draco's face as Ginny neared him. He'd realized the rest her plan. No words had been needed. He took her hand, and brought it to his lips. Ginny smiled at this.

He led her onto the dance floor. As a slow song started, they began to dance. All eyes were on them. Who were these people?

The crowd soon regained their senses, and more couples joined them on the dance floor. Talking resumed again. Still, everyone watched the dragon and the phoenix.

"Nice plan," Draco whispered.

Ginny looked up at him, smiling. "You think?"

"Unlike you, yes I do."

She slapped his arm playfully. "Very funny. But seriously, what do you think about my plan?"

"It's perfect," he said.

Ginny shook her head. "No it's not."

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"This is perfect."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. "You're perfect."

Ginny put her head on Draco's chest.

For a few moments, they could forget about the war. They could forget about their destinies, about their secret, about fear. For a few moments, everything could be perfect.

~

Ginny sleepily trudged into the Great Hall. What a night it had been. She wondered if anyone had figured out who they were. Well, she was about to see.

Unknowingly, she plopped down right in front of Parvati and Lavender.

"Oh Merlin! Ginny! You should have been at the ball last night!" Parvati exclaimed.

Ginny took a sip of her coffee. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Well," Lavender began. "After the ball had officially started, this girl walked in dressed as a- as a- oh! What's it called again, Par?"

"A phoenix," Parvati supplied.

"Right, a phoenix. Well, she and this guy dressed as a dragon started dancing. Oh it was wonderful!"

Ginny frowned. Had they made that little of an impression? "That's it? That's all that happened?"

"Lavender didn't tell it right," Parvati said, waving a hand at her friend. "See, the phoenix was just so beautiful, and she had such a presence. And when she and the dragon started dancing, they just looked like a fairy tale. Just absolutely perfect! But nobody knows who they are. That's the mystery. But they were just so perfect!"

"Perfect?" Ginny asked with a wry smile. As Lavender gushed on, Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table. A pair of gray eyes met hers. Ginny smiled.

Perfect.