"What do you think?" Ginny asked her dorm mate Stacy. "Do you think Harry'll like it?"

"Girl, if Harry doesn't like that on you, he's not male," joked Stacy.

"That looks very pretty on you, Ginny," commented Luna, Ginny's long-time friend and Ravenclaw. Many thought Luna a joke, but Ginny saw the person beneath and the two became fast friends.

"Are you sure," Ginny bit her lip worriedly. Normally, Ginny was hardly ever nervous-living as a Weasley at the Burrow taught her that-but it was her first official date with Harry and she wanted to look good.

After everything had settled down and life was slowly returning to normal, she and Harry had been at the pond one warm summer day. It suddenly occurred to her that during the few weeks she and her boyfriend had together in her 5th year, they'd never actually gone out on a date. They had been too busy, Harry with Auror training, and Ginny with schoolwork. This weekend was the first Hogsmeade visit and their first real date.

"You know what," announced Ginny. "I will wear this outfit…and knock Harry dead!" she said with a smile.

"You go girl!" cheered Stacy. "Now, about your face…"

"What about my face?" demanded Ginny, hands on her hips, looking frighteningly like her mother.

"Nothing," replied Stacy, hands held in front of her. "We-that is-Luna and I-just want to emphasize a few of your features."

"What! NO! I said no makeup earlier and I mean it," said Ginny. She wasn't a fan of cosmetics. She felt beautiful around Harry with or without them.

"Sit down Ginny," ordered Hermione as she entered the 7th year girl dormitories.

"It'll just be a little makeup," promised Stacy, her eyes pleading.

Ginny sighed in reluctance. "Fine. But if I don't like it…" she threatened quietly.

"Just sit down and let us do all the work," smiled Hermione as she sat Ginny down on a chair.

"What? No mirrors?" asked Ginny wryly.

"Of course not," replied Stacy cheerfully. "Wouldn't want you complaining or spoiling the surprise.

1 hour later…

"Well…what do you think?" asked Stacy, a little nervously. Ginny's temper was renowned. The only one who could fully dissipate her temper was Harry.

"I…I can't believe it!" gasped Ginny.

"You looked beautiful," said Hermione proudly.

"Harry's jaw will drop," added Luna.

She was wearing the outfit she had picked out earlier; the short denim skirt and pretty green blouse, and her hair and makeup fully complemented it. Her eyes seemed to glow with the light eye shadow and her lashes actually existed with the mascara. But what she loved the most was her lips and hair. Some sort of lip colour that actually didn't clash with her red hair that was all shiny and kissable had been applied. Her hair fell down in soft waves that just begged hands to run through the soft strands.

"Harry will want to devour you," declared Stacy happily.

"Well, I certainly hope so," replied Ginny mischievously, a predatory twinkle in her eye.

"Oh my goodness! It's almost time for us to meet the boys," said Hermione, glancing at her watch. "I'm just going to get ready." And with that, the bushy-haired Gryffindor dashed into the bathroom.

"Oh, I'm so nervous," said Ginny, a look of worry now in her eyes.

"Don't be," assured Luna. "You and Harry are meant for each other. And you've been together for over a year," she continued. "The Narphakels say so."

"So they say," replied Ginny easily. "However, even though we've been together for over a year-and you can't really say that because technically we broke up during his hunt for Voldemort-we have never been on a real date. And that's what's got me nervous."

"Oh, pish," scoffed Stacy, dismissing Ginny's words with a wave of her hand. "As soon as you see Harry, you'll be fine and you'll both have a fine time."

Ginny let out a breath. "Thanks Stacy. I knew there was a reason why I kept you around," she joked as she hugged her friend. "Thanks to you too, Luna," Ginny said warmly, hugging the blonde.

"Now, the guys are waiting for you," declared Stacy with a smile.. With that announcement, Hermione and Ginny flew over to the door, gave a smile to their beaming friends, and as calmly as they could, descended the stairs to the Common Room. They slowly headed outside to the gates of Hogwarts where the boys said they'd meet their respective girlfriends.

Meanwhile, at the boys' flat....

"Blimey Harry! If you keep pacing any longer, you'll wear out the carpet," commented Ron Weasley, best friend to the famous Harry Potter. Who was so nervous about his first real date with his girlfriend Ginny Weasley that he had resorted to pacing to use up nervous energy.

"You'll be fine, Harry," Neville said quietly.

"Thanks, Neville," Harry said, flashing his friend a smile.

He felt Ron poking him, and he turned to his best mate with a questioning glance. Ron just pointed to the clock.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Harry. Just then, an owl flew into the flat via the window. Harry took the letter addressed to him, opened it up and read the piece of parchment.

"Stupid Ministry," he muttered, crumpling up the parchment. "I've got to go to Kingsley, and explain to him that this'll have to wait, as I've got a date with the most beautiful woman in the world. "Tell Ginny I'll be a few minutes late, but not to worry."

"Sure thing, Harry," said Ron easily. With that, Harry disapparated to the Ministry and Ron to the gates at Hogwarts.

At the gates of Hogwarts…

"Phew, made it with ten minutes to spare," said Hermione. She and Ginny had been worried they'd be late. Ginny always did underestimate the time it took to travel to the gates.

A quiet crack announced the arrival of their dates. Both Hermione and Ginny turned around, only to see just Ron there.

"Where's Harry?" asked Ginny, fearing he ditched her.

"Ministry owled Harry and he went to talk to Kingsley," said Ron. "Bloody Ministry. Can't survive without the Boy-Who-Lived," he scowled. "Harry said he'd be by in a minute. Just had to tell Kingsley that whatever the Ministry wanted would have to wait until tomorrow."

Hermione beamed at Ron's next words. "Because, he said, and I quote: "as I've got a date with the most beautiful woman in the world."

Ginny flushed at Harry's words. "Go on you two. Have a good time. I'll wait for Harry to show up," she said, indicating that they go on.

"Are you sure?" asked Hermione, not wanting to leave her friend alone, but at the same time wanting to be alone with Ron.

"I'll be fine," she assured the older girl.

Ron shrugged and led his girlfriend down the path to Hogsmeade, his arm around Hermione's waist.

Ginny glanced around, waiting for Harry. Students passed her by, on their way to the little wizarding village.

"Looking for someone, Ginny," said a voice behind her. She spun around to find fellow 7th year, Brian White. While she didn't hate White, he did get on her nerves quite often. He seemed to find that no one, including Ginny, should be able to not find him simply irresistible. She sighed.

"What do you want, White?" she demanded.

"Why, you. Isn't it obvious," he said, stepping closer.

"Urgh, back off Brian!" Ginny said. She was starting to feeling worried. Where was Harry?

"You called me Brian," he crowded. "Come on, Ginny. You know you want me," he cajoled.

Ginny shoved him away. "You even think of taking one more step, let alone touching me, I will hex you to the next millennia," she threatened, brandishing her wand at him.

"You wouldn't do that," he said smugly.

"Oh wouldn't I," she said softly. She raised her wand and was about to perform the bat bogey incantation when she heard another voice call out.

"Something the matter," said Harry mildly, striding towards his extremely angry girlfriend and a smarmy git he vaguely remembers being in Ravenclaw.

"Well yes, if you must know," the git replied. "You are interrupting a very private moment."

"I wouldn't have said that if I were you," Harry said seriously.

Just then, Ginny put her wand up White's throat and said, "Excuse me," she said slowly. "'Private moment.' How dare you. In case you haven't realized, I have a boyfriend. One who will hex you into next year before I can finish my favourite curse. Not to mention my six brothers," she added as an afterthought.

Harry didn't bother to correct her about the brother count. He stepped up to Ginny, put his hand on her shoulder. She stepped aside to let Harry talk to White the git. He stood right in front of the other guy, nose to nose with him.

"Let me tell you something," began Harry softly, fingering his wand. "You do not hit on my girlfriend, especially when she is threatening to do you bodily harm. She is mine, and you have no business harassing her." He noticed with satisfaction that White's face was slowly losing colour. "So, if I hear anymore of this harassment from Ginny…well, let's just say I know a very handy little spell that will cripple your 'little Brian' permanently."

By now, Brian White's face was void of any colour. "Capice?" said Harry. Brian nodded quickly and dashed away. But not without announcing, perhaps to save face, "She wasn't worth it anyway!" And he disappeared.

"My hero," announced Ginny, half serious half giggling. Harry merely smiled and opened up his arms, prompting Ginny to run into them. His arms closed around her and both just held each other for a few minutes. Slowly, they separated.

"I thought you wouldn't show," Ginny admitted.

"And miss my first official date with the most beautiful woman in the world! Never," he vowed, still holding onto Ginny.

"Well, come on then, Mr. Potter." She giggled, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the path. "We've got a village to conquer!"