| 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮 |

November morphed into December as smoothly as soft clay, a thin layer of crystaline snow now blanketing the grounds. Yule was approaching, and the spirits in the castle were rising.

Ginny floated along the corriders, feeling content. Catching sight of her girlfriend, she came to a run and wrapped her arms around Luna, pecking little kisses all over her face like a bird. A lovebird.

"Come on, love, we're gonna be late to transfiguration." Luna giggled at the nickname and obliged.

***

Transfiguration passed smoothly, and at the end, professor McGonagall cleared her throught, instantly getting everyone's attention as if they were frozen. Ginny looked up at the woman about to speak.

"As you know, the Yule Ball has become an annual tradition since the Triwizard Tournament in your fourth year." She glanced at Harry for a moment, who blushed, having been in the tournament himself. Ginny seemed to be the only one who noticed this.

"Anyways," said McGonagall, clearing her throught once again and snapping back any attention that was lost, "it will take place on Christmas night, as custom, and any dates may be allowed." Ginny almost saw a smile on the woman's face. She smirked and her spirits soared.

***

Ginny was smiling as she held Luna's hand walking out of Transfiguration. She had something g she wanted to do. Something that would be wonderful. And was slightly nervous about too. "C'mon Luns, I have something g to show you."

Ginny smarty led Luna up to... the astronomy tower, where the two girls moved to the balcony. With a majestic wave of her wand, Ginny made pink flowers start lightly raining down on them. It was so nice. Ginny smiled lovingly at her gifriend.

"Hey Luna," she said, biting her lip, "will you go to the dance with me?"

Luna's yes lit up.

"Hey Ginny, of course."

Ginnyeaned in and found Luna's soft lips with her own, smiling into the kiss.

After breaking apart following the magical kiss, Ginny leaned in and whispered, "you know I love you, right?"

"More than anything," Luna replied, kissing her again.

***

Their feet made indents in the perfect snow as the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs headed across the lawn for herbology.

The greenhouse doors opened with a sound like a squealing pig, and the students gratefully hurried into shelter out of the dreary cold of December.

The sight Ginny saw when she entered the greenhouse was Professor sprout standing among tablefulls of mystical flowering plants that had midnight black stems and pure white flowers.

They were beautiful.

Ginny got an image of tucking one behind Luna's ear and smiled to herself.

"Now, today is a very special lesson" Professor Sprout announced heartily, which made Neville, who was known for having a knack for herbology, perk up. "We will be incorporating spells into the lesson." The students all looked at her curiously, some apprehensive, some excited, as if a carnival act had just come into the greenhouse.

"Now, now these plants are called molly flowers. They can heal just about any mi or to moderate hex, curse, potion, etc, etc, and the like. Today you will be casting minor, harmless, I repeat, minor, harmless spells on eachother and then practicing applying molly to the situation.

Ginny smirked. She knew exactly which curse- or hex- she wanted to use.

"Hey Weasley I think you've got something in your hair," a boy named Zacharias Smith teased, pulling on her hair. A-bomb went off inside of Jenny, A slow steady spreading explosion of fury. No, she wod not accept that. "Hey, Zacharias, partners?"

He smirked, "Sure Weasley."

Luna glanced at Ginny, confused,but Ginny gave her girlfriend a reassuring nod.

"It's ok love, you'll see."

Five minutes later the class was standing with their pairs, and Professor sprout magicked a list of acceptable spells, assured them they'd have bad things to pay of they cast something that wasn't on the list. Ginny's hex wasn't on the list. Shedding give a fuck. Zachariaswas going to pay for everything he did- including pulling her hair.

He was an insufferable idiot who-

"Ok, class, you may start. Figure out amongst yourselves who is going to cast a spell first- no,not at the same time boys...!"

"I'll go first," Zacharias said, and before Ginny could stop him he had cast a tickling charm at her. Her body erupted in wave after wave of tickles. "Now you have to eat a petal, Ginny!" "Yeah- haha- thanks- haha- I'll get it- hahahahaha- myself- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

This damn spell.

Ginny plucked off a flower from the plant and stuck it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Finally, no more damn laughing.

"My turn," Ginny said lowly, eyes narrowing.

"Ok- but I-"

"Batbogium!"

In an instant, green bats were flying out of Zacharias' nose, and he was yelling, and the class had burst out in laughter, some of them shrieking,because the bats were flying everywhere in the greenhouse, bouncing off walls, hitting people's heads and the like. It was complete chaos. Ginny felt satisfied, she didn't even care what happened next.

"Ms. Weasley, that was not on the list! I'm sorry but I'm going to have to give you a detention. I'm not free, so you will be reporting to Professor Snape's office tonight at eight o'clock! Class dismissed."

***

"Professor Snape. Professor Snape! Out of all the teachers, that woman put me with bloody Snape." Ginny was pacing in the courtyard while ranting to Luna and Hermione.

"I know, just, maybe try to keep your temper under control a little more, Gin," Hermione suggested. Ginny scoffed, unbelieving. Luna was looking with wife eyes between the two girls.

"Wait, are you saying I was wrong? First if all, Zacharias Smith deserves that bat bogey charm more than anyone in the whole castle does! Do you know how much of an idiot and jerk he is? And you're blaming me?"

Ginny didn't know what was wrong with herself, but she was too flaming g angry to admit it, so she turned around and started stomping off with footsteps that could've been made by an elephant. She heard Hermione's pleading voice behind her, but didn't turn around.

"Ginny- please, wait, I'm sorry- I didn't mean-!"

Ginny spun around, "Save it, Hermione."

***

She didn't know how she had gone there, but Ginny's legs had somehow carried her to the top of the astronomy tower, where she was perched on the roof, thinking about the disaster that had been that day, staring at the stars- the stars.

The stars!

Shit!

It's nighttime already!

Ginny checked her watch: 8:05 pm.

Double shit!

She scrambled down from the steep, tiled roof, and frantically raced down the steps of the astronomy tower, prying with all her might, leaping 5 steps at a time, zigzagging through corridors like there was no tomorrow-

Probably won't be for me, assuming Snape kills me tonight...

- until she finally screeched to a halt in front of Snape's dark, ominous office door, a pit unwillingly welling up in her stomach. Ginny shook herself, and then knocked three times.

tap. tap. tap. There's the sound of your life-clock, Ginny, you idiot.

"Enter," said a deep, expressionless voice from within. Ginny took a deep breath, and slowly cracked the door open, until it was wide open, and stepped into Severus Snape's office for rthe first time.

If snape's personality could be in the form of a room, this room would be it. Nauseating and gnarly things floated in jars that were placed on dark oakwood shelves lining the walls. row after row after row...

Good thing Ginny had a strong stomach, she thought.

"Well, well, well, little Miss Weasley, thinks she can just go about like a god doing whatever she wants, her heart's desire-"

"I only learned it from yo-" she started saying pointedly.

"do not interrupt me, child!" Snape shot at the girl.

"Well, I wouldn't really say I'm a child." Ginny knew she shouldn't be sassing the Potions master,but she didn't care at the moment.

Snape's eyes flashed dangerously.

Ha.

"Miss Weasley, if you do not file every single one of these papers-" he pointed to a large stack of boxes beside his desk that the redhead hadn't noticed before "- you will not be attending the Yule Ball this year."

Ginny gaped up at him in shock. That was an impossible task. What. the. actual. fu-.

Snape's mouth curled maliciously. "You'd better get started."

word count: 1255

A/N: i am so sorry for the super late update, but it's a long chapter, so enjoy :)

- rue