Chapter 21 - The Easter Ball

                                        

                                              
The Easter Ball
                              
Harry stared up at the ceiling above his head. He had woken up early from restlessness. Tomorrow was the Ball. Was he going to ask or not? Time was running out. Ron was snoring loudly and the sun had started to rise. He exhaustedly threw off his blanket and got dressed. No one was even stirring, so he went down to sit by the fire. He still wanted to ask Ginny to the Ball, but he just needed to find the right time. 
                              
A few people had started wandering down from their dormitories, ready for another day of gossip and exciting mutterings. Hermione came down, with Crookshanks trailing at her heels, and sat on the couch across from him. Crookshanks jumped onto his lap.
                              
"I think Crookshanks has really grown on to you," Hermione said.
                              
"Yeah," he mumbled, not really interested in small talk. 
                              
Hermione caught on and did not say anything else until Ron finally came down and they went to breakfast. Ron and Hermione chatted all the way through breakfast. He did not want to eat, so told them he would see them later and headed back up to the common room. Ginny was at one of the tables by the window, studying. There were only a few people in the common room. He slowly walked over to her table. Now was the time to ask. She did not notice him walk over.
                              
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked, keeping his voice as even as possible. She looked up slightly surprised, but smiled.
                              
"Fine, where's Ron and Hermione?" she asked.
                              
"They're still eating. I wasn't hungry, plus they were talking," he said, starting to sweat.
                              
"Oh, well, they do make a good couple," she said, slightly turning pink. 
                              
It was now or never, he thought.
                              
"Err... Ginny... err... I was just wondering..." he started.
                              
"Hey! Ginny! You coming down!?! Luna, Neville and Susan are waiting to help us study!" Colin yelled from the portrait hole. Harry and Ginny both looked over and then at each other.
                              
"You should get going," Harry said, trying to avoid looking into her eyes.
                              
"Err, yeah, Harry..." she said, and when Colin asked again, she said goodbye and headed out the door, glancing back at him again before disappearing out the door. 
                              
He sighed and sat down. That went great, he thought. She did not say no, but I never got around to asking. Maybe, it is not meant to be. No, he said, arguing with himself. I didn't even ask. 
                              
Ron and Hermione came up soon after and he did not see Ginny again until they went to lunch and she was leaving with her study group. He caught some of their conversation when they passed, and they were going to study more in the empty classroom they usually commandeered. He thought about going to help them, but he decided against it. He ate his sandwich, but escaped upstairs before Ron and Hermione were done. He was on the sixth floor when Ginny came rounding the corner and stopped, when she saw him.
                              
"Hi, Harry, done with lunch already?" Ginny said, equally surprised.
                              
"Err... yeah..." he said, trying to think of something else to say. " What are you doing up here, I thought you were studying downstairs?"
                              
"I was, but I needed a book," she said, breathlessly.
                              
"Well, err..." Harry started, but then he starting thinking. 
                              
Should I ask her out now or not? He had another chance. No one was going to call her away this time. The Ball was tomorrow, and this was probably going to the last time he would be able to ask, but should he? What if she said no, or had already been asked by someone else? He was starting to have second thoughts, but then his mind flashed to the prophecy... he needed to say something as she was watching the dilemma in his eyes....