Author: Domino
Email: zahfat@yahoo.com
Summary: A H/G ball. An old friend, and a
lot of jealousy. AU. Set before HBP and DH
A/N: I wrote
this story a long time ago, and decided to recently post it, hoping to get
inspiration to finish it. I love the idea of a catalyst in H/G relationship.
Hope you enjoy as well.
Chapter 1
Ginny was
the first one
down. She was ready early, eager to
see Sean, to talk
to him. It had
been a while.
Ron and Harry’s mouths
dropped open, “Wow, Ginny,”
Ron began, “You look…”
“Amazing,” Harry breathed out. Ginny smiled. For once
she was going
to take that
at face value, and
not analyse her
every moment spent
with Harry, …even if
he did look
like she could
knock him over
with a feather.
“Thanks, guys,” she said breezily.
“Where’s your date, Gin?” Fred asked, as she
walked towards the
portrait hole.
“Meeting me in the
Hall,” Ginny replied.
“Wait,
Ginny. You can go
down with us. We’re
almost ready,” George said
as she was
about to climb
through.
So Ginny waited. Just then Hermione
walked down the
stairs. Ron
stared, slack-jawed
as she paused
on the last
step nervously.
“You look…” his voice
was husky. Hermione looked
at him hopefully, “…beautiful.”
She smiled.
“Yeah, you do,” Harry added
sincerely and Fred
and George echoed
it. Hermione smiled happily
at all of
them, and grabbed a
rather shell-shocked Ron, leading
the way to
the Hall, Fred and
George, and their dates, Angelina and
Katie following, leaving Harry
and Ginny to
bring up the
rear, since Harry was
meeting Cho in
the Hall as
well.
Ginny didn’t say much. In
fact, for the first
time, she barely noticed
she was walking
next to Harry
at all, and the
surreptitious looks he
sent her way
went by unseen.
“So who’s
your date, anyway, Ginny?” George said,
halting the entire procession at
the door.
All three
of her brothers
turned to face
her, questioning looks on
their faces. Ginny smiled
inwardly. It was a
bit late to
care, but that was
them. Out of the
corner of her
eye, she saw Harry
listening intently.
“You’ve never
met him,” Ginny replied, “My
best friend, Sean, remember.”
This was the first
time Harry had
heard the name. He frowned.
Ron, Fred and George
exchange confused looks. Ginny wasn’t
surprised they didn’t
remember.
“He goes
to school in
Ginny gasped, as did Hermione, and
they all gaped
open-mouthed.
“What’s going
on there?” Ron’s voice
interrupted. All of them
looked to where he
was pointing, to
see a mob
of people surrounding
a black haired
figure in the
centre. It was too
far away to
see who it
was, but it appeared
the entire crowd
was moving towards
them.
“Hello,” Cho Chang’s soft
spoken voice said, as
she suddenly appeared
next to them. Seeing
Harry standing closely
next to Ginny, she
frowned slightly, and took
his arm, moving him
away.
Ginny pushed
down the hurt, as
Harry allowed himself
to be dragged
away, giving her an
unreadable look. Just then
the mob of
people broke open
and a loud
cry was heard, halting the
entire hall.
“Ginny!” and the figure
that was in
the centre broke
free.
Ginny who
had been watching
Harry and Cho rather
sadly forgot all
about them, as she
heard the voice.
She turned
her head, seeing the
boy moving towards
her, and took off, and to
her brothers, and Harry’s
surprise. Ginny ran straight
into the boy’s
arms, where he swung
her around, giving her
a huge hug.
“Sean, Merlin, I missed you,” Ginny
said, when he finally
put her down. She
didn’t notice the
entire Hall watching
the proceedings in
great curiosity.
Sean leaned
back and took
a careful survey
of the girl
in his arms.
“Woah, Ginny.
You look gorgeous. You grow
more beautiful every time
I see you,” he
said seriously. Ginny blushed
and all the
girls around sighed
at his words.
Harry, on the
other hand glared
at the boy
who still had
his arms on
Ginny’s waist, while she
smiled happily at
him.
He shoved
Ron with his
elbow, “Aren't you going
to do anything?” he
demanded.
“Do you
know who that
is, Harry. That’s
Sean Parker. He just
joined the US
team, and he’s a
chaser for the
Lakers. They say he’s
one of the
best chasers in
the world,” Ron said
excitedly. Harry’s
frown deepened.
“That’s your
friend, Sean,” Fred asked disbelievingly. The Hall
was silent as
they eavesdropped.
Ginny turned
in Sean’s arms, “Sean, this is
Fred, George and Ron, my
brothers, and that’s Hermione, Ron’s girlfriend, and Harry,
a friend of the
family,” she said.
Ron and Hermione were
both blushing red
at the introduction. It was
the first time
that acknowledgement had
been made of
their relationship, and judging
by the mischievous look
in Ginny’s eyes, she
knew it.
“Guys, this is Sean.” Sean shook
their hands.
“You didn’t
tell us it
was Sean Parker,” Ron
said reprovingly to
Ginny.
“I told
you he played
Quidditch,” Ginny defended.
“I play
Quidditch. Fred and George
play Quidditch.
We do not
play professionally,” Ron replied.
“Sorry,” Ginny muttered, then she
turned back to
Sean who was
now standing in
front of Harry. The
two’s eyes were
locked in some
sort of battle
of wills, while everyone
observed with great
interest.
There was silence in
the Hall as
the tension rose. Cho, stood awkwardly,
unnoticed behind Harry. She was
frowning.
“Sean Parker,” the good-looking
boy said, and held
out his hand.
“Harry Potter,” Harry replied, and
reached out to
take it. They seemed
to be sizing
each other up.
“I heard
a lot about
you from Ginny,” Sean
said. Neither
boy had let
go yet.
“That’s funny, I haven’t
anything about you,,”
Harry answered, rather coldly.
“I wouldn’t
imagine you would,” Sean
retorted, “You and Ginny
barely talk, from what
I hear.” It was
a direct hit. Sean –1. Harry – 0.
Harry released his
hand.
Both boys
stepped back and
Ginny, seemingly unaware of
the tension led
Sean away.
“Let’s find
a table,” she said, and
as if a
switch had been
turned, the noise levels
in the Hall
resumed.
“So, Harry mate, what do
you think of
Ginny’s date?” George swung
a companionable arm
around his shoulders.
“Shut it, George,” Harry snapped
abruptly. He
turned away, and
caught sight of Cho, standing
behind him. He had
forgotten she was
even there, and everybody
there knew it. Taking her
hand, he dragged her
after Ginny and
Sean.
“Me thinks
somebody is jealous,” Fred smirked.
Everyone in the area
nodded, except Ron, who seemed
confused.
“About bloody
time, too,” it came from
Hermione.
They all stared at
her in shock.
“Hermione,” Ron sounded
scandalised at her
language. It
set everyone of
laughing. They
followed after Sean and Harry, still laughing.
“This is
going to be
one interesting ball,”
Angelina said, and there
was agreement all
round.
TBC.