Goblet of Fire

Ginny Weasley looked down at her feet. Her shoes were so ugly! When she first got them they had been shiny and black, now they were dirty, brown, and they pinched her feet.

She pushed her way throught the crowded corridors of Hogwarts. Then she spotted... Harry Potter.

“Hi, Harry!” Ginny waved to him.

Harry looked at his friends Ron and Hermione and they all started laughing. Ginny’s face turned red. “Hi Ginny!” Harry mocked her.

Ginny continued walking down the hallway and staring at her shoes until... “Ummmph! Watch where you’re going, Rusty!”

She looked up at the blonde boy she bumped into. He was Draco Malfoy. Ginny sighed. This wasn’t going to be good.

Malfoy smirked. “Oh, I see it’s a Weasley.”

Thought that I was going crazy
Just having one of those days
didn't know what to do
then there was you

Ginny turned in the opposite direction. She didn’t need anymore trouble. There was already that stupid ball happening tonight. Nobody asked her to go. She was stuck going with Neville Longbottom. There wasn’t anything wrong with Neville, but he just wasn’t the right guy. He was more of an acquaintance than a soulmate.

Ginny reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She might as well get ready early.

She had already picked out what she would wear at the ball. It wasn’t anything formal, to her it was just another dance. She had picked out a strapless navy blue top that she had painted big gold stars onto. She wasn’t much of an artist, but she wanted to have clothes that she knew were her of her own design. At the start of this year she had claimed she would be more confident, more individual. It was already the end of September and she still was a bit on the shy side, with only a small handful of friends. The knee-length denim skirt she had planned to wear was a bit muggle-styled, but she really didn’t care at all.

Ginny entered the her dorm. Two other girls were already getting ready. The second Ginny entered the dorm Louise Johnson ran up to her.

“Oh my God, Ginny! Your hair is all messed up!” Louise practically squealed the words.

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Oh, well I had a tough day.”

“That’s no excuse! Change into your clothes for the dance and then I’ll do your hair.” Louise could be really bossy sometimes.

“I can do my own hair.” Ginny opened a drawer which contained the shirt and the skirt she was wearing to the dance.

Louise snatched the garments from her hands. “Stars?” Louise frowned. “Muggle clothing? Ginny, I don’t understand what you are trying to do here.”

Ginny sighed. “Nothing. I’m just trying to go to the dance.”

“In these clothes?” Ginny could tell that Louise thought she was being helpful.

“Yes. I can wear whatever I want.” Ginny hated talking to people like Louise, there wasn’t really much to say.

“Whatever.” Louise walked out in her long shiny black dress.

Ginny was just about to change when Louise stuck her wavy blonde head in the doorway. “By the way, did I mention Harry Potter is taking me to the dance?”

Ginny just ignored her.

* * * *

Draco entered the Great Hall holding Pansy Parkinson’s hand. Pansy Parkinson’s dirty blond hair was in some sort of elegant bun, and she was wearing a long shiny black dress, which in Draco’s opinion was a mistake. Draco thought that black was a bad color for blondes.

“Oh my god, look at the Muggle-lover girl!” Pansy squealed.

“Where?” Draco craned his neck.

Pansy pointed at Ginny. “And she is, like, wearing muggle clothes! I would totally die if I were her!”

Draco recognized the Weasley girl. “Oh, it’s just Rusty.” Draco continued to stare at her for a moment or two, before he remembered Pansy.

and everything went from wrong to right
And the stars came up, filled up the sky
the music you were playing really blew my mind
It was love at first sight

The enchanted speakers played some sort of rock song. “Let’s dance, Draco.” Pansy yanked his arm.

Draco danced for a few songs but his mind was out in space. For some reason he found “Rusty” and her Muggle clothes kind of attractive.

“Pansy, I’m going to get some punch. I’ll be right back.” Draco started heading towards the punch bowl.

“Okay, Draco,” Pansy’s voice was whiny and annoying, "don’t be gone too long.”

At the same time as Draco headed towards the punch bowl Ginny was, too.

The music stopped as a certain famous Quidditch player's voice sounded throughout the Great Hall. “Vaz up, Pansy! Did you think your boyfriend vouldn’t show up to your dance?”

Draco froze, he thought he was Pansy’s boyfriend. Standing in one spot turned out to be a big mistake. Draco was knocked to the ground and nearly killed as probably four hundred screaming girls (and a few boys) trampled him. They all wanted Viktor’s autograph.

Draco stood up. He tried to brush off the dirt from his robes in vain.

“There’s a footprint on your butt,” Neville said to Draco.

Draco squinted at Neville.

“What are you staring at?” Neville asked innocently.

Draco continued heading towards the punch bowl. Ginny was already standing by the puch bowl glaring at Neville.

“I guess your squib boyfriend isn’t all you thought he was.” Draco said regaining his smug composure.

“What does that mean?” Ginny couldn’t help but smile. She had been taught to hate the Malfoys, but Draco was almost irresistible in some strange way. She shook the thought of Draco being irresistible out of her head.

cuz baby when I heard you
for the first time I knew
we were meant to be as one

“You heard him didn’t you?” Draco smiled at her. “There’s a footprint on your butt.” he mimicked Neville in a high pitched squeal.

“Well, there is.” Ginny said firmly. Neville was a really nice kid Draco had no right to be making comments, even if they could be true.

“And you know this... how?” Draco found Ginny more than just attractive. He thought she was sweet, pretty, and unique.

“The footprint is right there on your butt, look for yourself.” Ginny blushed after realizing what she had just said.

“Nice to know that you were looking, and Neville was too. What is it with Gryffindors and my butt?” Draco smiled benignly for the first time.

“I wasn’t-” Ginny wasn’t sure what to say.

“Whatever, Rusty, I don’t need to hear your story. I’ve had a tough day.” Draco suddenly remembered she was a Weasley.

“I had a tough day, you don’t know the meaning of tough until you’ve dealed with what I’ve had to deal with.” Ginny sighed, she had this much fun just talking to someone.

“Really now, I get trampled by mob of screaming girls and few screaming guys, and I find my girlfriend has been cheating on me at the same time. Can it get worse?”

“Oh, well, let me see...” Ginny pretended to think. “Yes. It can. Harry Potter and his friends laugh at me for saying ‘hi’. And I got criticized for my style.”

“I can see why.” Draco had a playful smile on his lips. “None of that sounds so bad actually.”

“I’m not finished yet.” Ginny said “The guy I went to the dance with likes you better than me. Oh, and I bumped into you.”

“Actually bumping into you made my day a whole lot better.” Draco was shocked at the words that had come out of his mouth.

started running out of luck
thinkin' 'bout giving up, yeah
didn't know what to do
then there was you

“Really?” Ginny could feel herself blushing.

“Umm...” Draco didn’t know what to say.

“Do you really like me? Tell me. Be honest.” Ginny closed her eyes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

and everything went from wrong to right
And the stars came up and filled up the sky
the music you were playing really blew my mind
It was love at first sight


“Yeah.” Draco searched for the words. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

“It’s okay.” Ginny smiled at him.

“You um, have really nice teeth.” Draco really liked Ginny. In fact, she was a lot better than Pansy. Pansy was always a snotty airhead. Ginny was a sweet thoughtful person. She was one of those people you could just talk to for hours.

cuz baby when I heard you
for the first time I knew
we were meant to be as one

“Wanna sneak outside, and we could just like, sno- I mean, talk?” Ginny put her arm around Draco.

“Good idea.”

and everything went from wrong to right
And the stars came up and filled up the sky
the music you were playing really blew my mind
It was love at first sight
love at first sight
love at first sight
love at first sight

“Oh, by the way,” Ginny said as they snuck outside, “do you really think I’m a bad dresser?”


THE END

(A/N: This isn’t a true sequel to Hopelessly Devoted, but the joke with Viktor and Pansy might make more sense if you’ve read it :>)