Autumn had come to Hogwarts; the air had become chillier, the wind colder, and the leaves on the trees were turning a crisp reddish-orange. As the young girl closed her hand around the leaf, her brown eyes softened and she smiled.
Ginny Weasley loved this time of year.
Now, gazing up at the sky, she watched the clouds roll in, the vast space overhead becoming darker, nastier, and angrier. She kept her smile in place as she bowed her head and turned to leave, feeling the first drops on rainwater on her bare shoulders. Ginny picked up her cloak on the way inside and wrapped it around her body. Just as she entered the castle, a rumble of thunder made itself known outside.
Ginny turned and watched the heavy, torrential rain slash against the glass windows, which overlooked the grounds. As she made her way down the hall she idly wondered why it was so silent, except for the noise of the storm, and climbed the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. She felt mildly guilty when she came across the Fat Lady who had, apparently, been fast asleep and was very grumpy having just been woken up.
“What are you doing out of bed?” she asked, yawning widely. “It’s late. Better get inside before a Prefect catches you.”
“What time is it?” Ginny said, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
“Well past curfew, I can tell you that. Now, dear, to bed with you, please.”
Ginny sighed and climbed through the entrance hole when the Fat Lady swung forward. The common room was dark and she nearly stumbled getting to her dorm. She fell against her pillows, pulled the blanket tighter around herself, and let the oddly soothing storm carry her off to sleep.
“You got in late last night,” observed Hermione as she set her bag down beside her chair and took a seat.
Glancing around the Great Hall, Ginny took notice of all the eager faces.
As she looked down, she asked Hermione, “Why are we all here?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear?” her friend whispered back anxiously. “The Professors thought it might be a nice idea to have a Masquerade Ball. I think it’s a brilliant idea, actually.”
“Only because you can get a date,” said Ginny sullenly.
“What? That’s not what I meant.”
“You’re being gawked at…”
And sure enough, as Hermione lifted her head to scan the room, Ernie Macmillan grinned at her sheepishly. Then he went back to chatting with Hannah Abbot a few seconds later, as if nothing had even occurred.
“He’s a nice bloke,” muttered Harry as he sat down across from the girls suddenly. They looked a little startled to see him. “McGonagall told me to come down here. Ron should be along shortly, he was just finishing up a Transfiguration essay.”
“I think this is a stupid idea,” said Ginny roughly, glaring at the parchment in front of her. “If we get partnered up, I’m not going. I might end up with Neville.”
“That’s horrible!” said Hermione, looking appalled.
“So, you’re saying that anyone in here would be better qualified than him?” Harry asked. “Even a Slytherin?”
Ginny nodded. “I don’t see why not. I mean, Malfoy’s attractive enough. Yes, I think going with him would be an excellent idea, and then maybe later we could find a private area.”
Harry’s emerald eyes widened and Ginny smiled.
“That’s not funny,” he said, his face paling.
“Oh, you’re such a worry-wart, Harry. Do you actually think I’d be seen with a Death Eater at something so formal?”
“People have been changing a lot around here, Gin, so maybe you could,” he said.
Ginny thought that was very amusing.
Draco stared idly at the quill in front of him and listened as more students filed in and started to talk about what an injustice this whole situation was. He snorted as he thought of whom he may be paired with. Looking around the room, he thought that just about any of these girls would love to be on his arm, even someone like Ginny Weasley.
She wasn’t like the others. He had seen it when she dated Blaise for a few months.
“This is ridiculous!” Pansy shrieked, slamming her fist on the table. “I don’t want to be paired with a dumbass, incompetent guy!”
“Why not just go with Malfoy? It’s no different.” Blaise sniggered.
“You’re a real prick,” Malfoy sneered.
“Naturally.” Blaise smirked.
Draco lifted his head and locked eyes with the redhead across the room again.
As she stared the students down, Professor Minerva McGonagall scribbled something on the parchment in front of her. As she expected, several from her house had in fact started to shout across the room at others.
This in turn made Harry and Ginny laugh loudly as Ron entered and looked around. Hermione ushered him over with a sharp nod of her head. As he crumbled into a seat beside his sister, things had quieted considerably.
“Now, I have made a list of potential partners for you all.”
“Potential?” Hermione asked.
“Yes,” Professor McGonagall said lightly. “You will spend a length of a week with them, no more, and if by the end of the week, you do not find them suitable for you, you can come to me, and I will switch your partner. The Headmaster and I have decided this will be a good test for everyone. It will make for a nice inner-house cooperation, and maybe you’ll all learn to like each other. ”
“Doubtful,” Ginny snorted.
“So, it’s like a trade off then?” Ron asked, speaking for the first time since he had arrived.
“Sounds like it,” Harry muttered.
Hermione looked amused by the entire thing. “This may be good for us after all.”
Professor McGonagall put the list up as she exited the meeting. Hermione was the first to look down the rows of names and find her own. Next were Harry, Ron, Ernie, and Hannah.
Ginny had been watching this ordeal from her seat, a frown on her lips. Then she caught sight of Pansy and Blaise moving forward, Draco had stayed behind like she had.
Hermione cast a glance over her shoulder as she headed back toward her table and sat down. “It’s not so bad,” she said, reluctantly persuading the other girl to go up there.
“Who did you get?”
Hermione’s eyes flickered lightly and a soft smile formed on her lips. “Blaise Zabini.”
She watched the tall Slytherin go back to his group, staring her down all the way there.
Ginny started to chuckle when Ron and Harry came back, both looking annoyed.
“Well, boys?” Hermione giggled. “Let’s hear it.”
“I got Pansy Parkinson,” Ron said glumly.
“Luna is my partner,” Harry said a little too excitedly.
“But she’s not here…” Ginny said quickly.
“Oh, she’s here somewhere,” Hermione said with a grin.
Ginny sighed and stood up, walking past everyone to get to the parchment that was stuck to a large bulletin board. As she looked down the rows to find her name, she felt a pair of eyes on her. Turning quickly, she spotted Malfoy standing behind her, looking smug and uncomfortable.
“Are you going to stare at me or check the list?” he snapped irritably.
Rolling her eyes, she found her name and with a gasp she backed up into Draco. He grunted softly as she stepped on his foot. Brown met gray and she frowned.
“You don’t need to check it,” she said awkwardly. “I’m your partner.”
Standing in front of the mirror, Ginny gathered her hair into a ponytail and turned around to face Hermione. “He just stood there and didn’t say anything?” she asked. “That’s very uncharacteristic.”
“Yeah and what was more he looked like he didn’t hate the idea,” Hermione said, her quill poised in her teeth.
“Ha! Malfoy simply looked like he was about to have a stroke when I gave him the news, pompous jerk,” Ginny growled. “He’s got such an ego.”
“Why did Harry get the good partner?” Hermione wondered.
“Oh, he’s not the only one. Ernie and Hannah are going together, and they’re thrilled.”
The door to the dorm opened suddenly and Lavender walked in. She threw her bag on her bed and flopped down onto it with a sigh. She glanced at the other girls and shoved her hair behind her ear.
“I got partnered up with Seamus!” she said anxiously.
“You’re not happy about that?” Ginny asked.
Lavender smiled slightly. “Not particularly.”
Hermione sat up and crossed her legs underneath her. “Well, if it helps, I got paired with Zabini, and Ginny with Malfoy.”
“Malfoy?”
“Yeah.”
“Draco Malfoy?”
“Lavender, enough, I get it!” Ginny sighed. “What am I going to do?”
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