“Just a Dance�


It was a brilliantly beautiful June day. The sun was shinning brightly, the sky was the perfect shade of forget-me-not blue and Harry was at his second most favorite place in all the world: the Burrow. And all his favorite people were there, too, all except Dumbledore. His heart sank for a moment, returning back to that horrible day, to the moment when everything changed. He should have done something. There had to have been a way.

A high nasally voice interrupted his dark musings.

“I now pronounce you wizard and wife.�

Harry blinked and returned to the present. A still horribly scarred Bill was kissing a rather radiant Fleur. Fred and George whooped nosily. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing into her handkerchief; Mr. Weasley’s arm tight around her. Ron smiled and gave Harry a thumbs up from his place in the wedding party. Harry tried hard not to look at a certain other Weasley standing beside a willowy blonde haired girl. It made his heart ache. But she was so mesmerizing beautiful with her long red mane loose and free about her bare shoulders. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Ginny met his gaze and smiled a soft sad sort of smile as she walked by. Harry desperately wanted to reach out and touch her, to hold her and kiss her, to know she was real and that it wasn’t all just some sort of fantastical dream.

“Harry?� The sound of his name brought him out of his reverie. “Harry?� Hermione said, her hand on his arm. He turned to her. “Harry, its time to go.�

And he was lost in the rush of people, in the laughing, celebratory crowd.

Things quieted a little after dinner. The wireless crooned in the background. Mr. and Mrs. Weasely were dancing cheek to cheek alongside Bill and Fleur.

“There you are,� said a familiar voice. “I was wondering where you’ve been hiding. Nice party isn’t it?�

Harry massaged the spot on his arm where Ron had punched him. “Yeah nice,� he muttered, his mind still on Ginny.

Ron’s jaunty confidence seemed to wither as he turned to Hermione. His voice warbled a bit as he said her name. Both of them turned pink.

“You… you look…� stammered Ron reddening even more. Hermione smiled. It was true she did look pretty in her rose colored dress robes. She had done something to her bushy brown hair, it now hung in little ringlets around her face. Ron and Hermione stared at each other.

“You don’t clean up so bad yourself, Ron,� said Harry trying to dispel the mounting tension. “Nice robes by the way.�

“Its all thanks to Fred and George really,� Ron said tearing his gaze from Hermione to look at Harry. “Otherwise I’d still be wearing those horrid maroon ones I wore to the Yule Ball.� His voice trailed off. Hermione was looking at her feet. “Anyway nice party isn’t it?� He said in an overly cheery voice.

“Talking about us again?�

“Yeah we heard our names.�

“And whatever it is we didn’t do it,� finished Fred in a mock serious voice.

“We’re on our best behavior on account that mom would flay us alive if we did anything to spoil Bill and Fleur’s wedding,� said George looking disappointed.

“We were just admiring the dress robes you bought Ron,� explained Harry. The twins grinned conspiratorially at him.

“A hit with all the witches then?� Fred asked.

“Or one witch in particular?� George shot Hermione a furtive look. Ron went scarlet but said nothing.

“You know,� said Fred grinning at Hermione, “If my git of a little brother doesn’t get around to asking you I’d love to take a little twirl with you around the dance floor.�

Ron went from red to livid. The twins laughed and ducked back into the crowd.

It had suddenly gotten very quiet. Fred’s words hung heavily in the air. Ron and Hermione were determinedly not looking at each other. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

The lively music changed to a slow melody. Couples were filling the dance floor.

“Hermione --�

“Ron – �

“Yes?� They both chorused at the same moment. Harry had to stifle a laugh.

Ron gulped nervously, looking a little green. Hermione brushed a strand of hair back behind her ears.

After an interminable pause Ron whispered, “Would you like to dance?�

Hermione took his proffered hand with a shy smile. “I’d love to,� she said.

Harry watched his two best friends wend their way onto the dance floor. After the last year, Harry wasn’t never quite sure where the pair was headed. They always seemed so close to something but then something got in the way. There had been rows – jealousy -- a certain amount of tension between them.

“They’re so obvious – except to each other.�

Harry turned. Ginny stood beside him smiling knowingly. “Well just look at them,� she said. Harry followed her gaze. Ron and Hermione were dancing awfully close for two people who were just friends.

“Do you think they’ll ever figure it out?� Harry wondered aloud.

“Knowing how thick of a git my brother is I’d say sometime next century.�

Harry laughed. It felt good to be here with her. It felt normal.

“Or maybe not,� said Ginny, nudging Harry.

Hermione had her head on Ron’s chest and Ron had his nose buried in her hair. Both had their eyes closed.

“You know we could…� Ginny whispered.

“Ginny…�

“Let’s just forget for one night that you’re Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the chosen one. Just be Harry. Its just a dance.�

Harry thought his heart would break on the spot, but he took her hand as she led him to the dance floor. And then she was so close to him and nothing else existed. He breathed in the sweet smell of her and felt light-headed.

“Ginny…� he breathed.

She put a hand to his lips and shook her head.

“Just dance, Harry.�

Her arms closed around his neck and pulled him close. His hands settled on her waist.

This was heaven having her in his arms again. He’d died and gone to heaven. He tried desperately not to step on her feet.

She smiled up at him, her brown eyes shimmering in the fading light. Harry pulled her closer and stroked her hair. He wanted the song to go on forever; for nothing but the two of them to exist. He closed his eyes as if to capture this feeling, to take this moment and hide it away deep inside so that he’d have it when the darkness came again. So she’s be with him when he stood up to fight Voldemort -- beautiful, alive, his. He would cling to this moment, this perfect moment with her, cling to it as if it were the breath of life itself.

But the song ended and Ginny pulled away.

Harry didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, how much longed to be with her. But the words wouldn’t come. So he kissed her.

It was like coming home.

Ginny reached up to touch his cheek. “You know I’ll be right here waiting for you to come back to me,� she whispered.

Harry nodded. “Thanks, Ginny.�

“What for?�

“For everything.�

He kissed her again, long and loving, kissing her goodbye.

“Oy Ron!� Fred’s voice rang over the buzz of the crowd and the hum of the music.

Ron and Hermione were still dancing completely oblivious to the fact that the wireless was now playing a bright, happy beat.

Ron’s head jerked up.

“Why don’t you just kiss her and be done with it little bro,� called George.

Ron and Hermione blushed scarlet and broke apart. Ron bit his lip and stared at his shoes. Hermione smoothed her hair self consciously.

Ginny grabbed both twins by the back of the neck.

“What did you do that for?� she hissed.

“Ron looked like he needed a bit of help.�

“I’ll show you a bit of help,� Ginny said.

“Now Ginny,� began Fred.

“We’re your brothers,� finished George.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t bat bogey hex you into next week.�

“You’d better be careful with this one,� warned George.

“She’s right dangerous, this one.�

“I know,� laughed Harry as the twins disappeared again.

Ron and Hermione were coming up to Harry and Ginny. Both looked a little flustered.

“Nice party, isn’t it?� said Ron.

Harry turned to Ginny and smiled.

“Yeah, really great party.�

All the sudden Ron was looking a little green again.

“What’s wrong with you?� Ginny asked.

Ron shook his head as if afraid to speak.

“Ron?� Hermione put a hand on his arm.

“Hermione-do-you-think-it-would-be-ok-if-I-did-kiss-you?� he said all in one breath.

Hermione stared silently at him. Ron cursed softly and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek but Hermione turned her head. Their noses bumped and then his lips were on hers. It was nothing like the way he had kissed Lavender. This kiss was soft and hesitant, full of longing and hope.

They both smiled sheepishly as they broke away.

Ginny slipped her hand in Harry’s and gave it a squeeze.

“Ok, maybe before next century,� she said as Ron leaned in to kiss Hermione a second time.

Harry beamed and for that moment he was Harry, just Harry, sixteen and in love and wishing his two best friends all the happiness in the world.