Harry and Fleur had been friends for a while. In fact, their relationship had gone closer in the last year that they had considered each other best friends. Being important guests to the wizarding society, they are invited to the annual Ministry ball. Harry who didn't plan on attending the ball, reluctantly invites Ginny to the ball at the very last minute.
(Fleur, who have had a crush on Bill Weasley, receives an invitation to be his partner for the ball.)
As soon as Harry gets there, having no intention to dance nor enjoy the party, strikes up a conversation with Ron who recalls their Yule Ball while waiting for their partners.
He remembered that Fleur would be at the ball and got excited at the notion of them getting to talk and possibly making fun of the ball and excusing themselves away from it. Bill Weasley approaches Harry asking if he'd seen Fleur to which he responds no but then as he looks up, he sees her and boy does she take his breath away.
He didn't think she could get any more beautiful. Of course, he was used to her beauty. It easily surpassed anyone. He didn't think anyone on Earth could look as beautiful as her every day. Tonight, he just realized that she had just beaten herself to it. She was the most beautiful woman. He was inclined to move towards her, to greet her and take her arms into a dance. But then Bill Weasley moves forward, ready to greet her and he had never felt more miserable.
Great. He had some irrational thoughts towards Bill Weasley in that moment. He wanted to challenge him to a wizard's duel. A fist fight. Anything. Instead, he chose to just mentally kick himself. You didn't even think of inviting her in the first place, he thought. He's just a best friend to her. He thought of all the times she had mentioned the ball and how it would be romantic to go and all the times he had laughed at the idea of it and yet here he was. What total dumbass.
Not willing to risk an argument with Ron, he found Ginny and danced with her anyway. Enjoying her company and almost forgetting that he wanted to steal Fleur away. Irrationally.In the middle of the night, they had met with Fleur and Bill who looked like a match made in heaven. There's no way he can compete with that.
The host of the party announces, "Well folks. It's that time of the night. I'd like to ask each gentleman to invite a lady he did not accompany this evening to dance the King and Queen's waltz."
Life was full of surprises.