She couldn't believe that the night was finally here. The Ministry Ball to honor all of those lost at the final battle, and a celebration of the defeat of Voldemort. She looked absolutely stunning, if she did say so herself, and of course she did. She'd spent her entire day primping and preparing everything so that she would look perfect for him. Her dress of emerald green emphasized all of her curves, complemented her red hair perfectly, and had a neckline so low that others wondered how it stayed up. Her eyes were a smokey black, her skin as pale as porcelain, and her lips were rose red, just like her hair.

She sat there staring at the man she loved as he awkwardly stood at the podium and nervously looked around at all of the people waiting for him to deliver his speech. She could tell that he didn't have anything prepared, and this was one of the things that bothered her most about him. For a hero, he didn't have all of the qualities she'd expect him to. He was supposed to be articulate and gracious. She supposed that she could always train him though. So feeling satisfied she glanced at the other people on the stage, and then she saw HER.

She didn't even look pretty. Her pale pink dress was strapless but didn't cling tightly to the brunette's body. It fell into an a-line skirt, and made her look both regal and elegant (although the redhead could only think of her as boring and plain).

She was barely wearing any makeup. There was a touch of light brown on her eyes, and a hint of mascara, which managed to showcase her features well, though of course the redhead thought she looked pale and not appropriately attired for such an event. "That's why he's mine," the redhead thought to herself. "Well, maybe not technically, but he loves me, and that is what matters after all." Finally, the man of her dream cleared his throat and began to speak:

"I'd really like to thank everyone that fought in the final battle. I couldn't have done it without the members of the Order, or without the members of the DA. I'd really like to thank the three that kept the DA alive while I was searching for a way to destroy Voldemort. Without Ginny, Neville, and Luna, I don't think the DA would've survived."

There was a smattering of applause, and she smiled graciously at the mention of her name. She thought she saw a shadow cross his face, but it was quickly gone as he continued.

"As most of you know, I'm not very good with words, and that's why I'm going to let someone else finish, but I have one last thing to say. I would not have survived without the two people standing on the stage with me, and I'm sure that Ron won't mind if I say that most of it is probably due to efforts by Hermione."

Another small round of applause and Harry smiled as Ron gave him a pat on the back for encouragement for what was coming next.

"This year, I spent most of my life in a tent, feeling very lonely and thinking more than talking to my best friends. After Ron splinched himself and had to return home, Hermione and I were left alone to deal with the problems of survival. She saved my life more times than I can count. She even stood beside me while I visited my parents' graves. It was one of the hardest moments in my life, which I guess is saying something, and I couldn't imagine anyone other than her right beside me through all of it."

"But, I also thought a lot about the people at Hogwarts. I used to sit for hours staring into space thinking about everyone I left behind. During the long months in the tent, I realized, well I realized that I'm in love. This is a big deal for me, and saying it for the first time was the scariest moment of my life. This girl was always on my mind, and without the positive thoughts of her, I would not have been able to face Voldemort."

At this Ginny stood up, and though she got many strange looks from those around her she waved at the crowd. Harry gave her a strange look and coldly said,

"I'd like to introduce the love of my life, the woman who kept me alive, and my fiancée, Miss Hermione Granger, to finish the speech, and to say what I cannot about the final battle."