Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room at two in the morning. He gazed
into
the fire. Somehow, despite the December weather, the fire always warmed
you up.
However, it was not flames he saw in the fireplace, it was Hermione's face.
His crush on
Cho Chang was simply his mind trying to hide who he actually was thinking
of.
Hermione. When he found out that Cho was going with Cedric Diggory to the
Yule Ball
last year, he was sad, but he didn't linger on the fact. And when he saw
Hermione with
Viktor Krum, well, it simply struck him the wrong way. He didn't
understand why until he returned to the Dursley's that summer. He truly
liked Hermione. However, it would be devastating to tell her, even more to
tell Ron. He'd actually had a hard time keeping it to himself all year.
He couldn't tell any person, or else the two of them would find out one way
or another, and he didn't trust books anymore. Who knew what memories were
lurking in them, waiting for people to find them. But he'd managed alone
until Christmas Break, so he figured he'd be all right. "Couldn't sleep?"
a voice asked him. He turned around sharply. There stood Hermione, in her
sleeping robe. He smiled.
"No." he answered. She sat down next to him in another chair.
"What were you thinking about? That wasn't normal fire gazing," Hermione
said, with a knowing look. He let out a fake laugh.
"Oh, nothing, nothing important," he said, shaking his head. Nothing I'd
tell you anyhow. She nodded, but could tell there was more behind it.
"So," she started. She sighed and looked into the fire as well, "You don't
do this every night do you?" She asked with concern.
"Oh, no," he began with a laugh, "Just when I can't sleep," he said.
"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball this year?" Hermione asked. He
stopped and thought. He hadn't thought about the Ball. His first instinct
was to ask Hermione, but considering last year, that didn't sound like a
good idea.
"Oh, I don't know. I suppose I'll just ask someone at the last minute.
Last year didn't turn out so bad." he said, with a half smile. "Who are
you going with?" he asked. She looked into the fire.
"No one, yet. I don't think I'll go this year. Last year was far too much
trouble, with my hair and all," she said, as a weak smile appeared on her
face.
"I think you look fine without the fancy hair," he stopped. "I mean, your
hair suits you.um, fancy just isn't you, you know? Oh, what do I know
about hair?" He asked, feeling quite foolish. He knew that didn't sound
right. Hermione was smiling.
"Oh yes, you and your wild hair. We'd make quite a couple, you and I," she
said, then stopped smiling, "you know, both of us have untamed hair, and
all," she said, turning away. Harry smiled on the inside. He wouldn't
mind her head of hair, if she went to the Ball with him. However, it would
be considerably awkward. Oh, bloody hell, what did it matter?
"So why don't we, as a laugh?" Harry suggested, with complete shock
afterwards. Did he just say those words? He'd just asked her to go to the
Ball. Hermione looked slightly nervous. "Oh, but you said you weren't
going, I remember," he decided to clear up any awkward silences for her to
actually think about why he'd actually asked her.
"It would be a good laugh, wouldn't it?" she asked, as if she were afraid
to speak. Harry swallowed hard. It wouldn't be a laugh if she had said
no. Can you imagine? Turned down, but his own best friend! But why in
God's name would she say yes? She was he best friend! It just wasn't
right."Alright then. For the sake of laughter," she replied, with a smile.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. "But Ron, this will be quite
uncomfortable." she said.
"Yes, it will," Harry agreed.
"I mean, you and I, together," she forced a laugh, "quite unusual, isn't
it? I mean, not that it's not likely, but just, strange for Ron's sake,
and all," she babbled on.
"Well, it's bound to happen, and it could have happened to either of us.
This has been coming for a while," Harry said, taking a deep breath. Was
it possible that she was trying to explain the same thing he was? He felt
as if their conversation had drifted from the Ball to something else.
"Yes, and he'd have to find out eventually.right?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, of course. I mean, he's our best friend," Harry said, assuring
himself. There was silence, for what seemed like a long time. Harry stood
up. He hated silences. "Well, I think I'll be able to get to sleep now."
he said, with a different tone. She stood up as well.
"Yes, I agree," she said with a forced smile. There was another moment of
silence. They simply looked at each other, almost as if they were afraid
to move. Harry desperately wanted to know what was going through that mind
of hers. Hermione closed her eyes. "Well, good night then," she said,
stepping quickly over towards him. Within a moment, she kissed him on the
cheek, and before she could run away, he grabbed her hand, with a smile.
"Good night," he said, then kissed her cheek. She smiled and walked up the
girl's staircase. Before Harry could walk across the room to the boy's
staircase, Ron quickly and quietly ran back to his bed. He threw his
covers over himself, and closed his eyes. Before he tried to fall asleep,
he smiled and whispered,
"It's about time."
into
the fire. Somehow, despite the December weather, the fire always warmed
you up.
However, it was not flames he saw in the fireplace, it was Hermione's face.
His crush on
Cho Chang was simply his mind trying to hide who he actually was thinking
of.
Hermione. When he found out that Cho was going with Cedric Diggory to the
Yule Ball
last year, he was sad, but he didn't linger on the fact. And when he saw
Hermione with
Viktor Krum, well, it simply struck him the wrong way. He didn't
understand why until he returned to the Dursley's that summer. He truly
liked Hermione. However, it would be devastating to tell her, even more to
tell Ron. He'd actually had a hard time keeping it to himself all year.
He couldn't tell any person, or else the two of them would find out one way
or another, and he didn't trust books anymore. Who knew what memories were
lurking in them, waiting for people to find them. But he'd managed alone
until Christmas Break, so he figured he'd be all right. "Couldn't sleep?"
a voice asked him. He turned around sharply. There stood Hermione, in her
sleeping robe. He smiled.
"No." he answered. She sat down next to him in another chair.
"What were you thinking about? That wasn't normal fire gazing," Hermione
said, with a knowing look. He let out a fake laugh.
"Oh, nothing, nothing important," he said, shaking his head. Nothing I'd
tell you anyhow. She nodded, but could tell there was more behind it.
"So," she started. She sighed and looked into the fire as well, "You don't
do this every night do you?" She asked with concern.
"Oh, no," he began with a laugh, "Just when I can't sleep," he said.
"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball this year?" Hermione asked. He
stopped and thought. He hadn't thought about the Ball. His first instinct
was to ask Hermione, but considering last year, that didn't sound like a
good idea.
"Oh, I don't know. I suppose I'll just ask someone at the last minute.
Last year didn't turn out so bad." he said, with a half smile. "Who are
you going with?" he asked. She looked into the fire.
"No one, yet. I don't think I'll go this year. Last year was far too much
trouble, with my hair and all," she said, as a weak smile appeared on her
face.
"I think you look fine without the fancy hair," he stopped. "I mean, your
hair suits you.um, fancy just isn't you, you know? Oh, what do I know
about hair?" He asked, feeling quite foolish. He knew that didn't sound
right. Hermione was smiling.
"Oh yes, you and your wild hair. We'd make quite a couple, you and I," she
said, then stopped smiling, "you know, both of us have untamed hair, and
all," she said, turning away. Harry smiled on the inside. He wouldn't
mind her head of hair, if she went to the Ball with him. However, it would
be considerably awkward. Oh, bloody hell, what did it matter?
"So why don't we, as a laugh?" Harry suggested, with complete shock
afterwards. Did he just say those words? He'd just asked her to go to the
Ball. Hermione looked slightly nervous. "Oh, but you said you weren't
going, I remember," he decided to clear up any awkward silences for her to
actually think about why he'd actually asked her.
"It would be a good laugh, wouldn't it?" she asked, as if she were afraid
to speak. Harry swallowed hard. It wouldn't be a laugh if she had said
no. Can you imagine? Turned down, but his own best friend! But why in
God's name would she say yes? She was he best friend! It just wasn't
right."Alright then. For the sake of laughter," she replied, with a smile.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. "But Ron, this will be quite
uncomfortable." she said.
"Yes, it will," Harry agreed.
"I mean, you and I, together," she forced a laugh, "quite unusual, isn't
it? I mean, not that it's not likely, but just, strange for Ron's sake,
and all," she babbled on.
"Well, it's bound to happen, and it could have happened to either of us.
This has been coming for a while," Harry said, taking a deep breath. Was
it possible that she was trying to explain the same thing he was? He felt
as if their conversation had drifted from the Ball to something else.
"Yes, and he'd have to find out eventually.right?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, of course. I mean, he's our best friend," Harry said, assuring
himself. There was silence, for what seemed like a long time. Harry stood
up. He hated silences. "Well, I think I'll be able to get to sleep now."
he said, with a different tone. She stood up as well.
"Yes, I agree," she said with a forced smile. There was another moment of
silence. They simply looked at each other, almost as if they were afraid
to move. Harry desperately wanted to know what was going through that mind
of hers. Hermione closed her eyes. "Well, good night then," she said,
stepping quickly over towards him. Within a moment, she kissed him on the
cheek, and before she could run away, he grabbed her hand, with a smile.
"Good night," he said, then kissed her cheek. She smiled and walked up the
girl's staircase. Before Harry could walk across the room to the boy's
staircase, Ron quickly and quietly ran back to his bed. He threw his
covers over himself, and closed his eyes. Before he tried to fall asleep,
he smiled and whispered,
"It's about time."