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( December 1994 )
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GINGER SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST TASK IN THE HOSPITAL WING OF HOGWARTS. With Cedric injured, the only thing that could've possibly gotten her out was the fact that Madame Pomfrey had kicked her out to allow him to rest. But days passed and Cedric was back to semi-good health, with the exception of wincing every time Alex felt the need to torment him and poke at his wounds.
So there they sat, faces down in their work in the Great Hall just as many other students did too. Earlier that month, Professor Flitwick had announced to the Ravenclaws that there was going to be a ball held there at Hogwarts for the purpose of unity between the schools.
"Cedric?" Ginger looked up from her work to the boy who hadn't been doing his assignment, "do you plan to ask anyone to the ball?" she questioned. His cheeks flushed a light pink at the question and the two around him both giggled at the sight. "I'll take that as a yes."
"What about you?" Alexander spoke up pointing at Ginger. She hummed furrowing her eyebrows, "Is there anyone you plan to ask? Any suitors or suitesses?" he struggled to pronounce the last word but shrugged.
"Suitesses isn't even a word."
"The question still stands!"
She sighed and put her chin in her hand while her elbow sat on the table. Ginger hadn't given much thought to the part of the ball that involved bringing a date. Sure there were plenty of suitable boys and girls in the school of Hogwarts, but she couldn't seem to think of many she would actually enjoy spending the night with.
"I don't think I want to..." she trailed off as a familiar trio made their presence known by laughing loudly into the Great Hall. Alexander and Cedric followed her gaze to one of the Weasley twins and smiled to themselves.
"Ginger, are you sure you don't want to ask anyone to the ball?" Alex questioned innocently. The words from the boy got the trio to turn their heads at their conversation, Fred and Lee both sat down on Ginger's side of the table on either side of her and George sat beside Alexander without invitation.
"Heard you lot were talking about the ball?" Fred said from beside Ginger who nodded.
"Cedric and Alex were talking about getting dates," She stated. Fred and Lee both looked directly at each other and nodded as if reading each other's thoughts.
"Say, Gingy, do you have a date to the ball?" Lee subtly winked at George during the question. The boy's eyes widened when he learned what his friend was insinuating while his cheeks and ears began to turn pink.
"Gingy?" Cedric furrowed his eyebrows at the odd nickname but was ignored.
"No, I don't. But I'm not even sure if I want one."
"How would you know if you don't want one if you've never even had one?" Alex raised a brow at the end of his sentence before Ginger threw a crumpled piece of paper at him.
"It's not like you've ever had one either," she retaliated. The boys around them all 'oo'd and chuckled at her jab at the youngest with them. She shrugged at their responses with no intention of apologizing.
Ginger gasped in the realization of the fact she had forgotten a dress was supposed to be sent to her for the ball. She had sent a letter to her parents earlier in the month as soon as she found out about the ball and what was required to be worn to the event. Her only request to those who brought her into the world was that the gown be blue, the kind of blue wasn't important to her, as long as it wasn't teal or turquoise.
"You alright, Ginger?" Cedric questioned his friend who seemed to be trapped in her thoughts.
Her head snapped in the direction of the boy, "I've just remembered my gown is going to be getting here soon."
With their interests piqued, Lee and Fred prepared themselves for more questions while George remained silent for the sake of registering every word the girl was saying to not miss anything. "Any idea of the colour of the dress, Miss?" Fred asked. Gingers eyebrows knitted together at the new question. Lee and Fred had been rather interested in how she was planning to be involved in the ball and it concerned her a bit.
"What's with all the interest in the ball?" She leaned on her forearms and turned her head to both her sides to get a look at them. Their eyes widened for a moment to which she took notice of, as did Cedric and Alexander.
"Nothing special."
"Just harmless interest."
The original trio all shared a knowing look at each other and like reading each other's minds they began closing their books. Lee, Fred, and George's faces contorted wondering where they were off to. Ginger caught on to their faces as she stood from her seat and answered, "We're just heading to our common rooms. Our work has been finished for a bit."
They didn't truly believe her words but nodded and said their goodbyes nonetheless.
As the trio took themselves out of the Great Hall and out of sight George threw his books from his bag at Fred and Lee. "What the bloody hell is wrong with the two of you?" he scolded, "harmless interest my ass."
The duo held up their hands in defense, "calm your tits mate, we're only trying to get you a date," Lee defended. George rolled his eyes. As nice as he believed going to the ball with Ginger would be, he didn't have the nerve to ask her to it.
"You don't even know if she likes me in that way."
"Well if you aren't sure, then ask her to the ball as a friend. She's far too nice to say no," Fred reasoned. His twin took a moment to think about the idea. On one hand, if he asked her to the ball as an actual date he could risk his feelings not being reciprocated and being embarrassed from rejection, on the other hand, if he asked her with no definite clarification for romantic or platonic feelings, he'd still be going to the ball with her. That is unless she had been asked in the last five minutes of her departure, but those chances were highly unlikely since she was with Cedric, the boy most believed she was together with and or had feelings for.
"I suppose I could ask her." He shrugged, Lee and Fred high-fived each other at his response.
"But if either of you does anything else to help you're both dead to me."
