Story: Moira
Chapter Thirteen: One Petal

The next day was bright. It wasn't completely eventful but it was a slow paced day. Having forgotten about the letter, Harry did not rush things as he usually did. His mind was filled with confusion. One question kept popping up in his energetic seat of intelligence. Did he fancy Ginny Weasley?

"Love is a waste of time, Harry."

"Love is the most powerful and truest feeling, Harry!"

The voices of his Master and Ginny Weasley kept resonating in his mind. He tried concentrating on learning some ancient and difficult runes but he could not, for the life of him, forget Ginny's face and her voice.

At one point he got irritable and when Ron offered him a chicken wing, he snapped, causing the former to look down guiltily. Harry left the hall ever since and found some quiet after meditating under the oak tree which contained his parents' names.

Draco, however, was in a mood totally opposite of Harry's. He looked like a love struck puppy, always following an uncomfortable looking Astoria behind. Astoria had accepted his invitation as his date to the ball but it did not necessarily mean that she liked him following her everywhere. She was in a dilemma. She couldn't tell him off either so she just let him follow her around.

Astoria was two years younger than Draco but was a good friend of Ginny's and Luna's despite being a Slytherin who were having tough ties with Gryffindor, Ginny's house. Having helped Luna stand up for her beliefs of Nargles on a former occasion, the three girls had a tight friendship.

On Ginny's insistence, Harry agreed to dine with them in the Gryffindor table during the lunch. Luna and Neville were off on a picnic date on the Hogwarts grounds and Astoria was in the library so as to finish her homework. Being the love struck puppy he was, Draco followed her to the chamber of books. This left only Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione to dine together.

"Hermione, cheer up. The ball is weeks away!" Ginny said reassuringly to the older girl causing Harry and Ron to look up from their plates.

"Whazzabloblem?" Ron asked in gibberish, his mouth filled with food of sorts.

"Ron! Don't talk while eating! It's. . . disgusting," Hermione reprimanded. Ron shrugged.

"Lorry." He quickly gobbled up the contents and repeated his question clearly. "What's the problem?"

"Hermione here," Ginny said, pointing to the bushy haired girl who frowned. "is afraid no one would ask her to the ball."

"Oh?" Harry half asked as Ginny winked at him. He wasn't sure to which action he replied.

"Thengowizme," Ron's muffled voice came and Hermione instantly looked up.

"Really?"

"Yez if yu vant to." Ron's mouth was stuffed with some huge sandwich. Harry met Ginny's eye and immediately looked away to avoid laughing.

"Mr Black," a cold voice said behind Harry and Ron's back. They turned around to see the potions professor of Hogwarts, Severus Snape. He had black greasy hair which seemed like they hadn't been washed for years and he wore an expression of disgust. "What.are.you.doing?"

"Thandwich, sir," Ron replied as he started making another one by adding anything and everything available on the table.

"Hasn't the mutt taught you table manners?"

"Who?"

"The senior Black."

"Dad? Nah, he's a dog and I take after him," Ron replied proudly, clearly having swallowed the previous sandwich. Snape frowned and for a second, caught Harry's eye before looking away. Harry glared at the potions master. "Sir, I have a doubt."

Snape grunted.

"Which mutt has taught you not to wash your hair? Blimey, it looks hellish!" Ron exclaimed in horror as the girls tried their best not to laugh at Snape's coloured face. Harry turned back to his plate, trying to hide a smirk.

"Fifty points from –" Snape stopped himself, looking confused for a split second before frowning and walking away. As soon as he was out of earshot, both the girls burst into fits of laughter. Ron grinned and Harry smirked.

"Th–that was brilliant, Ron!" Ginny applauded and Ron grinned even wider.

"You shouldn't have talked like that but," Hermione paused then looked at him with a soft smile. "Thank you."

Ginny and Harry looked on in confusion but Ron knew the reason why she thanked him. He made her smile when she was tensed and that small moment meant something more to Ron and Hermione. Ginny shrugged then went back to her meal.

"What about the ball? Will you accompany me to the ball?" Ron asked, taking a sip from his glass of pumpkin juice. Hermione turned pink but nevertheless nodded with a smile.

"Yes, Ron. I'll go with you."

The grin on Ginny's face when she caught his eye made Harry feel breathless. Perhaps he had someone in his mind to ask out for the ball.

____________________

The picnic between Neville and Luna was going pretty well. Neville had brought his Mimbus Mimbletonia along with him and Luna had gotten enough food for the two of them.

Basking generously in the sun's light, they talked about several things. It wasn't until Luna mentioned about Harry did Neville began to wonder about an unsaid question.

"Harry is acting strange, isn't he?" Neville asked, stroking Luna's blonde curls as she laid on his legs.

"Mhm . . . People have their own ways of expressing love, Nev."

"So . . ." Neville paused. "You think Harry likes Ginny?"

Luna hummed in response.

"But Luna, he was trained by You-Know-Who! Who knows? He might still be dark."

"Love can never be dark, Nev. It's a feeling which only the Light experience."

Neville could not say more. He knew she was right. She was always right and it made him ponder how on earth he got so lucky to have her by his side. He leant down and kissed her forehead. She hummed in pleasure and with smiles on their faces, they chatted the rest of the afternoon away.

________________________

Three days before the ball, the Durmstrang boys were chilling in their dormitory.

"Just tell her you love her," Draco suggested after a while.

"Are you kidding me? I don't love her!" Harry retorted. Both Draco and Ron snorted.

"We aren't tiny chicks, mate. We see the way you look at her or flinch when she comes near you," Ron reasoned.

"It can't be, Ron. I can't feel love, remember?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head.

"Just because master told you that love is a waste of time doesn't mean you can't harbour feelings. You are a human too, mate. Quit this nonsense and just ask her to the ball," Draco concluded. Harry sighed. He sent an owl asking Ginny to meet him at their usual place – under the oak tree.

________________

The night was serene. The sound of owls hooting was distantly heard as Harry stood, leaning on the oak tree with his eyes closed. A single blue ball of light floated in its case of glass serving the purpose of illumination. The sound of gentle footsteps made Harry open his eyes. His eyes met her brown ones and he felt the familiar warm feeling in his chest. He took a deep breath.

"Hey," Ginny greeted him.

"Hey, Ginny."

Ginny smiled then looked at the blue ball of flame. She was so lost in its beauty and Harry noticed the faint prussian hues reflect in her eyes. "It looks so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." The sudden and unexpected response caused her to turn to him with a shocked expression. Her expression turned to that of surprise when she saw him propped up on one knee with a red rose in his hand. "Ginny Weasley, do me the honours of accompanying me to the Yule Ball, please?"

The silence that accompanied them was palpable. The atmosphere started heating up so much that the pair were perspiring even in the chill weather.

Ginny looked scared for a few minutes. His eyes spoke of honesty, nothing more, nothing less yet she could not get her answer out. "I-I am sorry, Harry. I-I can't. Master might not recommend it . . ."

Harry's previous mask of emotionless face came back into effect as he stood up, the red rose still in his hand. Ginny looked down then suddenly turned around and ran away, tears falling out of her brown eyes.

She left him standing there, head bent down and eyes bearing hurt. A single petal of the rose fell down before the whole flower caught fire and turned into ashes. His master was right. Love was indeed a waste of time.

A bit of a drama sizzled into the story. Ginny just couldn't go with Harry. It would spoil my future plans so yeah. Hope you guys aren't disappointed with the chapter.

I just noticed that this is the thirteenth chapter of the story. Ironic considering thirteen being an unlucky number and Harry's rejection. Oh well –

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x