"I think possibly, maybe, I'm falling for you…"
The lyrics stuck out in his head as he stalked back to the dorm room after a vigorous Quidditch practice. He had been off his game today, getting yelled at multiple times by Harry for his lack of concentration. As the lyrics circled through his mind, he had to give a small smile to himself at the memory. Hermione had shown him this song a few days back, claiming it was a popular Muggle song that she had taken a liking to, named "Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop" by a man called "London Piggs" or something of that sort. The contraption in which she had shown him confused him to no end. It was merely a rectangular box with a whole for these two string like things you put in your ear, and the music comes out of the box and goes into your ears. Hermione had tried to explain the mechanisms of it all, but he just didn't understand the Muggle device.
This song had brought up so many emotions that he had tried to hide since the first time he had seen Hermione. She always says that she doesn't believe in love at first sight, but Ron would have to disagree. The first moment he had seen her, he was hooked. Not necessarily "in love", he was only eleven. But, he was intrigued with her cute, little buck-teeth and frizzy, poodle-like hair. Over the six years they had known each other, he had slowly and surely fallen in love with his witty, smart, bushy-hair friend, Hermione.
Despite the fact that he had fallen for Hermione, he was still unsure about her feelings towards him. Ron had to give a small smile to himself as he remembered every time he had messed up with his relationship with Hermione. The first time, in which he had called her a friendless, socially awkward know-it-all, which landed her with losing 5 points for Gryffindor for the first time in her Hogwarts career, and the most recent time, which leads him back to the song. After the song had ended, he looked at her, and said,
"What? Did you sing this song to Viktor Krum?"
She had looked at him with such despair in her eyes, and a broken expression on her face. "No, Ron," is all she had said before she slumped off to her dormitory, claiming she had to go to bed.
It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon when this had happened.
It had been four days since they had talked last, and he can't help but beating himself up about it. Ron had to wander why he got so jealous of any guy that even just looked like he was interested in Hermione. Why couldn't he just trust that she's not like other girls, who would do anything for any bloke's attention?
These thoughts attacked his mind all the way to the Gryffindor common room. He glanced around the room and noticed Hermione reading one of her two-thousand page books about how to brew the perfect potion, or something of that sort. Ron contemplated turning and walking toward the dormitory, as he needed a shower and some rest. The red-headed boy shoved that thought away and crawled up to Hermione, scuffing his shoe when he got to his desired destination.
"Hi, Hermione," whispered Ron as he looked at the floor swiping his toe back and forth over the carpet.
"Hello, Ronald." Ron flinched, biting his lip. Her tone was crisp and formal, not at all what you would expect from best friends.
"'Mione? Can we talk?" He asked, silently praying that she would agree. He was hesitant to admit it, but he missed Hermione.
"I s'ppose so," she replied as she placed a book marker in her novel and set it to the left of her legs, stacking it upon the other books she had checked out of the library the day before last.
"Hermione, I'm- No, let me talk," he demanded as she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry for what I said. I don't know why I said it. I guess I was just jealous," he said, and then quickly closed his mouth, turning a bright shade of red.
Hermione stared at him blankly. "You were jealous?" she whispered quietly, looking somewhat appalled.
"Well, blimey, Hermione. No, well y-yes, but I guess.." he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed for his lack of response.
"Ron, I'm going to be serious right now," stated Hermione, looking directly into the deep brown eyes of her friend. "If I was standing next to the most beautiful girl in the world, who would you pick to go out on a date with, me or her? And don't say me just because you would feel guilty saying the most beautiful girl in the world.." trailed off Hermione, looking at Ron expectedly.
Ron stared at her, confused. "So you would be standing next to yourself? How would that work?" He asked completely serious.
Hermione stared at Ron, noticing the sincerity of his face. He looked actually puzzled as to why she would stand next to herself. That was the sweetest thing someone's ever said to her. She noticed the dirt scattered across his face, and the endearing scrunched up nose and frown, and she made her decision.
"Pick me up at eight, and plan something nice," said Hermione, picking up her books and walking to the dormitory.
Ron stared blankly at her as she got up and walked toward the stairs, and when what she had just said computed in his mind, he quickly called, "Hermione!"
She turned around, raising an eyebrow expectantly at Ron. "Yes?"
"Thank you," he said, a goofy smile lit upon his face.
"No, Ronald. Thank you," Hermione said as she turned and sauntered up the stairs. Ron stared after her wistfully.
He looked behind him after Hermione made her way out of sight, and noticed her box of music still lying on the couch. Ron picked it up, and noticed that on the screen, the song she had shown him was on. He smiled to himself and put the strings in his ears, and pressed the button that said, "Play".
"I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much…"
He had to make this date perfect, and he knew exactly where it should take place.