Luna was right about the after party which was happening in the Gryffindor Common Room.  Neville had no idea how a party could be planned so fast and all the food could come so...fast, but then again Gryffindor did have Fred and George and they could make anything happen. 

Neville was in conversation with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, fellow Gryffindors in his year, when Ginny sat next to them. 

"Hi." She said to the two. "Hi." Dean said coughing, clearly he didn't want Ginny joining into the conversation. Seamus rolled his eyes and grinned at Ginny. 

"Hey." He said. "Aren't you suppose to be with Harry?" Dean asked. 

"No, she's suppose to be with me." Demelza said, walking towards them, her hands on her hips. Ginny grinned. "How dare you leave me alone with Colin of all people!" She exclaimed. 

"Goodbye boys." Ginny said,  "I think I have to go."

Ginny walked away with Demelza towards the other end of the Gryffindor common room and sat on a large red sofa, with Colin snoozing quietly. 

"Should we wake him up?" Ginny asked as a glass of butterbeer came floating towards her. 

"Nah," Demelza said. Ginny shrugged. "You should drink that by the way." She added, pointing at the butterbeer near Ginny's hair. 

"Right." Ginny said and took the glass and began to drink. 

"I thought we were friends so how could you leave me alone." Demelza said sarcastically . Ginny chuckled. "Yeah, I just came and I was looking for you so I went to Neville and somehow found myself in conversation with those, "Ginny chewed on her lip. 

"Prats?", Demelza suggested and Ginny chuckled, "Yeah, that's the word." 

"You came late today, you won the match after all." Demelza said, taking a flying butterbeer glass. 

"Neville and Luna wanted to talk with me about something. ", Ginny said. 

"They did, "Demelza said, something in her voice which Ginny did not like. Ginny ignored it. 

"Then I went to change and then Potter came. " Ginny frowned. "You came together you know. " Demelza said. Ginny chuckled. "Yes, I know but I hate he is an annoying arrogant toe rag," 

"On a broom.." Demelza said, looking behind Ginny. 

"Yes, an annoying arrogant toe rag on a broom. " Ginny said. "No I mean your arrogant toe rag is on a broom." Demelza said. 

"He's not my arrogant toe rag and he's on a broom sometimes yes." Ginny said. Demelza pointed her finger and Ginny turned to see where she was pointing and nearly dropped her butter bear.

"Bloody Hell!" Fred and George Weasley's voice echoed in the silent common room.  Bloody Hell indeed, Ginny thought. 

Harry James Potter was on his Nimbus 2000, he was standing up on his broom and balancing on one leg and holding a bright pink poster which said and I quote, 'Weasley Weasley! Go out with me! Weasley!', next to a bright smiling ugly drawing of Ginny's head. 

"Weasley! Weasley!" Harry shouted, "Go out with me! Weasley!"

Ginny swore and went scarlet. "NO!" Ginny screamed as eyes turned to look at her. Ginny got up and ran to the girls dormitory and slammed the door shut. Ginny swore again. The door slowly creaked open and Demelza and, to Ginny's astonishment, Hermione Granger came inside. 

"I told Harry not to do it." Hermione said, "But he wouldn't listen." Ginny smiled at Hermione. 

"You probably did but let me guess Ron agreed." Demelza said. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Those two are so annoying." She said but both Demelza and Ginny knew that she didn't mean it. 

"Anyway, how are you doing?" Hermione asked Ginny. "I want to die." Ginny said, sitting down on her  bed. Demelza chuckled and elbowed Ginny to move. Ginny rolled her eyes and move to the right so that Demelza could sit down next to her. 

"You don't want to die," Demelza said and Ginny turned her head to look at her, "You just don't want to live for the rest of the year with Potter. "

"Oh those rumors are going to spread fast, before you know it people will be saying that I am not virgin!" 

"I doubt it," Hermione said, sitting across from them. "I don't think people would go that far." 

"You don't know people Hermione, rumors spread faster than wildfire. " Demelza said, patting Ginny's head. 

"Ugh!" Ginny exclaimed and glared at Demelza, "You're not helping." 

"I know." Demelza said grinning and Ginny groaned again. Hermione chuckled. Demelza grinned and Ginny groaned again. 

"How do you put up with Harry and Ron Hermione?" She moaned to Hermione. Hermione thought about it. 

"You get used to it really." She said thoughtfully. Ginny glared at her. 

"I lived with my brother for eleven years now and I still haven't gotten used to him." She said. Hermione chuckled,

"I guess its different, but my main question is how do you put up with Demelza?" Hermione said. 

"I know secrets of her which she does not!" Demelza exaggerated, standing up on her feet and turning to face Hermione and put a hand on her heart, "Her life is my life!" 

Hermione burst out laughing and Ginny threw another pillow at Demelza. 

"Ow!" She exclaimed and Hermione giggled again. "Demelza wins this round." She said, rolling around the bed. Demelza grinned at her. 

"How can you side with her Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed in mock anger. 

"How could I not?", Hermione said in between giggles. Ginny rolled her eyes. 

"You have to agree with her though," Demelza said, taking her seat next to Ginny again, "How could you not?" 

Ginny chuckled. "I hate to admit it, but that's true." Hermione got up and yawned. 

"I'm going to bed, see you both tomorrow." She said. 

"You can stay here if you want, we have an extra bed." Demelza said. Hermione smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "No that's fine, thanks." Hermione walked towards the door and left the dormitory. 

.  .  .

At six o clock, Neville was downstairs in the Common Room, trying to have a few quiet moments alone but he was disappointed to see Harry walking pacing in front of the fire. Neville looked at him wearily and then sat down on the sofa. He really didn't want to know. He had a guess and he really didn't want to hear it. Maybe he could just leave, before Potter noticed him. 

"What is it?" Neville asked. Stupid git. Harry turned around and looked at Neville. 

"I am stupid." And then he slumped onto the couch next to Neville. Neville looked at Harry for a minute thinking that'd say more but he didn't. Neville sighed. 

"Is this about Ginny?" Neville asked dryly. "Why is she so pretty!?" Harry exclaimed. Neville grinned. "Looks like someone has the L-O-V-E". Neville teased. Harry looked at Neville, horror filling his face. 

"Oh no, if I love her then we'd have to get married and then have children and then we'd have to die together and have the same job and-" 

"I was joking!" Neville exclaimed and then sighed. "You really like her? She is only a first year Harry, you can't expect much from that." 

"She is a hot, hot first year." 

"God, just kiss another girl!" 

"In front of her!" 

"Somewhere hidden." 

"But I can't! I really like her!" 

"She is a first year!" 

"But she is so pretty!"

"She is Ron's sister!" 

"She is fierce!"

Neville sighed and sat down on an armchair. Why was he such a stupid git? Why didn't he leave? Why did he open his stupid mouth? 

"Look, I don't know what you might think is right or wrong but I really think that you should say sorry."  Neville said with a sigh. 

"Really?" Harry asked, skeptically. "Yes." Neville said and then went back to the dormitory, forgetting about the quiet moment he'd wanted. Maybe Harry and Ginny would be friends after Harry said sorry? 

Harry and Ginny were not friends. That afternoon, Ginny came from practice enraged, you could practically see smoke coming out of her ears. 

"He had the nerve," Ginny said, sitting down on a chair in the library, "He had the nerve to apologies to me. What a prat!?" 

Neville looked up wearily from his essay, well unwritten essay. This wasn't going to be written soon so why shouldn't he humor Ginny? What better way did he have of spending his time. Luna also peaked from the top of the book she had been reading, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. 

"He apologized, that means he isn't so much of a prat?" Neville said, it sounded more like a question then an answer. 

"He said, he said," Ginny said, "He said and I quite, 'Ginny dear, I am sorry for thinking you are a pretty hot first year, you are not, I am sorry'. No, don't look at me like that Neville, he said that! He had the nerve to say I am not hot!"

"But you don't want him to think you are hot." Neville said confused. From the corner of his eye, he saw Luna looking at Ginny and Neville with faint amusement. 

"I do," Ginny said, "I mean I don't want him to say I'm hot but he said it in front of the team, do you know how embarrassing that is!? Do you Neville!? Do you!?"

"I think he was just trying to be nice." Neville said. 

"Well, he was a prat." Ginny replied. Neville shook his head, exasperated. "I don't understand you at all."

A small, almost indiscernible sound from Luna. "Well, neither do I." Ginny replied, taking out her bag. 

.  .  .

Winter hit full force on Hogwarts and the Christmas holidays came right by. Luna and Neville were staying home for Christmas while Ginny and her family were going to the Burrow. As Christmas approached, Neville and Luna puzzled over Snape trying to curse Ginny's broom. 

"Maybe he wanted revenge on the Weasleys?" Luna suggested, the day before Christmas. Neville looked at her wearily and Luna shook her head, "No, you're right, who would want revenge on the Weasleys?" 

"Ron has an aunt who has a daughter who is a squib, " Neville said, throwing a ball of snow in the air. It hit right on his face, "Maybe it's them?" Luna looked at Neville, faintly amused, faintly curious. 

"I doubt they'd curse a broom and it would take lots of magic," Luna said calmly. "And who has that kind of magic?" Neville asked. Luna looked at Neville and like he had read it from her thoughts, Neville said quietly, "Voldemort", and Luna nodded.