"Oh come off it Ron!" Hermione said in exasperation, rolling her eyes at the red-headed boy that had become like a brother to her. "If you like her, just go over there and talk to her"

"But she's a Slytherin" Ron protested, eyeing the pretty dark-haired girl who stood a few feet away, chatting with another girl from her house. "That's like... being a traitor"

"Oh it is not Ronald" Hermione said, smacking him hard with the book she had brought to entertain herself it. "Harry doesn't see anything wrong with it, do you Harry?"

Harry shook his head, "Oh no Hermione" he said, handing Ron a tall glass, "Don't bring me into this"

Ron blushed as scarlet as his hair as he accepted the drink, his third or fourth since they had gotten there and drank deeply from the glass, his eyes still on the pretty girl before him.

"She really is quite pretty" he murmured, more to himself than to his friends, but earned snickers from them nonetheless.
"Go talk to her mate" Harry said softly, giving Ron a gentle shove.

Ron took a deep breath, blinking twice to clear his vision. Perhaps drinking so much so fast wasn't a good idea. The music had reached a new level, and his head was beginning to pound in time with the beat. Maybe he should forget this stupid plan of his and go back to his dorm before he made himself sick from the drinks.

Turning, he was about to do just that when he bumped right into the girl he had been thinking of, slopping some of his drink onto her robes.

"S...Sorry about that" he mumbled, flushing scarlet again as he looked up at her. This was not the way he had invisioned their first meeting going.

Christa let out a gasp as the drink splashed her robes, immediately brushing at the liquid with her free hand, managing not to spill her own drink as she did so. She was about to make a sarcastic remark to the perpetrator when she glanced up, and promptly forgot what she had been about to say.

"No worries" she said instead, smiling up at him. "You're Ron aren't you?" she asked, showing no outward sign of any nervousness she may have felt.

"Yeah.. and you're Christa right?" he said, offering her a tentative smile when she nodded. "I am sorry about that" he said gesturing to her wet robes, "It appears that I have had too many drinks tonight"

"You and me both" Christa said, gesturing to her own glass as she swayed slightly. "Pansy and Draco seemed to think it would be funny to get me drunk"

At the mention of her housemates, Ron looked up nervously. If they were to spot them together, they would never hear the end of it.

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" he asked her

"No thanks" Christa said, finishing her drink before setting her empty glass down on a nearby table. "But I would like to dance with you" she declared, taking his hand and tugging him back towards the middle of the room.

Helplessly, Ron quickly finished the rest of his drink, setting his glass beside hers before allowing himself to be dragged onto the dancefloor.

"Did they put you up to this?" Ron suggested nervously as Christa stumbled a bit, wrapping her arms around his neck, more, he feared, to keep herself upright than for anything else.

"Did who put me up to what?" she asked, blinking up at him uncomprehending.

"Did your housemates put you up to dancing with me?"

"Why would they do that?"

"To make me look like a fool"

Christa stopped moving to stare up at him, "I don't think you look like a fool" she said softly, "And I don't much care what they" she turned to wave in the direction of the other Slytherins, managing to knock a tray full of drinks carried by a house elf flying, "Think"

Looking down at the mess she had made, Christa began to giggle uncontrollably, causing Ron to smile down at her. Perhaps it was the alcohol making him braver than he usually was, or maybe he was just tired of wondering, he fumbled for her chin, managing to catch it lightly in his hand before turning her face up to him. Before she could react, or he could change his mind, Ron lowered his head, kissing her softly.

As the kiss broke, Christa looked up at him, hiccuping softly. "You're a very good kisser Ronald Weasley" she said.

"Thank you" Ron said, letting his hands rest on her waist as they began to dance together again.

"Hey Christa?" he asked after several moments.

"Yeah Ron?"

"If either of us remembers this tomorrow, do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Christa giggled, hiccuping again before she tugged him down for another kiss. "Of course, you silly Cub. I've been waiting ages for you to ask me"

Ron grinned, he would have to remember to thank Harry for giving him all that liquid courage.