The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 83: Ask the Question

"Psst, Angelina!"

Angelina stopped and looked at Harry with surprise.  "Hey Rabbit, what's up?"  She grew concerned.  "Is everything okay?"

Harry nodded but he looked about the room nervously.  "Everything's okay, but I really need your help with something.  Can I ask you a few things, in private?"

Angelina nodded.  "Of course.  Let me drop my things off and we can go somewhere to chat?"  At his nod, the tall girl walked up to her dorm room and dropped her things off before walking back to him in the common room.  "Where do you want to go?"

"The owlery?" he asked.  At her agreement, he led her to the owlery, staying silent the whole time.

Angelina was more than a little curious.  She figured it was not a true emergency.  If it was, Harry would have been more frantic and been more upfront.  At first, she tried to think of things that Harry might ask her but she decided to wait for him to actually ask her.

The pair finally got to the roof space and settled on a bench side-by-side for warmth, hiding from the frosty December wind.  "What's on your mind Rabbit?" she asked.

Harry knitted his fingers together, marshaling his thoughts.  Finally, he gulped and looked right up at her.  "How do I ask someone out on a date?"

Angelina blinked.  Her mind finally registered what he had asked her and she suppressed what she knew would be a very loud shrill squeal.  "Like...a date date?" she asked as calmly as she could.

"Well...more specifically...how do I ask someone to the Ball?"

Angelina could not stop herself from squealing a little bit.  "Oh my goodness you want to ask someone to the Yule Ball?!"

Just yesterday, Professor McGonagall had announced to the whole school that Hogwarts would be having the Yule Ball as part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  It would take place during the Holiday break and only to fourth years and above though third years could be invited as a guest.  The school had erupted into a frenzy of gossip, whispers, and red faces.  Suddenly everyone was intensely interested in who fancied who and who would go to the ball together.  Secrets were worth their weight in gold and rumors flew fast and thick.

Harry nodded, blushing slightly.

Angelina hugged him tightly.  "That's wonderful!  I'm so glad to hear it.  Not that I'm upset or anything, why are you asking me?"

"I trust you," Harry said simply and Angelina felt immensely happy at that.  "You also have a date to the ball already."

George had asked Angelina to the Ball almost immediately after the announcement.  As they approached the common room, he pulled her aside and asked her in a very straight-forward fashion.  Angelina had thought for just a moment and had agreed with a smile and a light flush.  George had responded gracefully, at first, before he ran away screaming in delight and leaving a trail of fireworks behind him.  Fred of course did the same to celebrate his twin and the two had received a very loud scolding from a slightly deaf McGonagall who the twins had run into in the midst of their firework bombing.

"So why aren't you asking George then?" Angelina asked.  She laughed at the face Harry made.  "Right, why'd I ask that."

Harry smiled.  "The twins are so full of confidence and I'm...not.  You know me and you've always given me excellent advice."

"I like to think so."  Her face fell a little.  "Don't you want to ask your real family for help?  Now that you got one."

He rolled his eyes at her.  "You're a part of my real family and I've always seen you as my first real big sister."  He smiled happily when she crushed him in her arms and kissed his cheek.  "I did ask Sirius and Tonks for advice too but their advice was...not so great."