Welcome to The War Over Hermione!

This may have been done. Maybe not. I haven't seen this in any Romione nor dreaded Harmione stories. This will be sweet and a lot shorter than the others. Hope you like it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world that is Harry Potter nor the characters. Queen Rowling owns them. The plot however is all mine. Wish Ron Weasley could be too, but hey it is what it is lol.

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Wins

December 1994

The Yule Ball. Also known as The Date Race. Or at least that is what it seemed like to Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. They had waited til the almost last minute to find dates for themselves. After the humiliation Ron suffered from having the nerve to ask Fleur Delacour, and the painful rejection Harry endured from hearing Cho Chang say she had already been asked, the boys had started to look around for last resort choices.

"Do you think Hermione is going with anyone?" asked Ron as he watched Hermione do her homework from afar.

"Dunno. She hasn't mentioned anything. Maybe she isn't going." said Harry now turning his eyes to Hermione.

Ron sat and thought. Since the time that he had burps slugs for Hermione in 2nd year he had started to be aware that he felt a little bit more than friendship for his best female friend. It began to grow from a small crush to full on liking after the huge argument that they had during their 3rd year when he realized he actually missed her company. And the fact that she had came to visit The Burrow and loved it during the summer before their 4th year had made it clear in Ron's mind that he wasn't going to lose these feelings he had developed for her. He just didn't know what to do with them.

He had thought about asking her ages ago when the Yule Ball was first announced but every time he felt he had the opportunity, he froze and either would cause a row, or shut down entirely. And with that embarrassing moment with Fleur, it had really gotten him down about asking her.

"Maybe I should-" started Ron

"I think I'll ask her." interrupted Harry pulling Ron out of his thoughts quickly like a record had scratched.

"I'm sorry what" he asked his friend certain he had heard him wrong.

"I said I think I'll ask her. I mean what harm could it do? She is one of my best mates."

'YEAH BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK HER YOU BLOODY PRAT!' screamed Ron in his mind.

"Ummmmm yeah. I mean I guess..." said Ron low. He was hoping that Harry would pull the ridiculous thought out of his head. He had to think of something to convince him that he was making the wrong decision.

"What do you mean by that?" questioned Harry.

"Why ask Hermione? Don't you want an actual date date and not a friend date? Wouldn't it be awkward snogging your friend?" asked Ron praying that Harry would find it awkward.

Harry looked over at Hermione and thought for a second. "I mean she has gotten really pretty. Especially since she shrunk her teeth. I don't think it would come to that, but if it did I don't think I would mind snogging Hermione."

'FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!' screamed Ron in his head.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but Harry had already jumped up and walked over to Hermione. Ron watched in horror as Harry spoke to Hermione, her face changing from wonder, to confusion, to blushing, and finally to agreeance as she nodded her head.

Ron felt like yanking all of his red hair of out his head. What the hell was that?! How could Harry do this to him? He had to have known how he felt about Hermione. Didn't he? No. There was no way he knew, so he knew so he couldn't very well say Harry stole his girl.

Harry walked back over to Ron with a big smile on his face. "Well I got my date. Now all we have to do is find you one, mate." said Harry patting Ron on the back.

"So...so she said yes?" asked Ron, knowing the answer.

"Of course. You saw. She looked excited. I'm excited. I can't wait." said a growing cheerful Harry, as he dismissed himself and went up to the boys dorm.

"Yeah...well...that's great mate." said Ron, with a forced smile. Inside, he was fuming. Why, why, why didn't he ask her when he had the bloody chance? Surely he didn't think that no one at all would ask her. Hermione was gorgeous and sweet. Who wouldn't want to go with her?

Ron sat there and tried his best not to show his emotions. But of course the object of his affection could see right through him every time.

"Ron? Is something the matter?" asked Hermione sitting beside him.

Ron looked up into Hermione's chocolate frog brown eyes. Every time he would look into her eyes, he felt like she could see into his very soul, and it would both thrill and scare him at the same time.

"I'm fine Mione, just fine." said Ron in a low voice.

"Oh..."said Hermione knowing that Ron was completely lying, but didn't want to push him any further. "So...have you found a date to the ball yet? Harry just asked me. Came out of nowhere. Would have never expected that."

'Oh god, someone just petrify me right now.' said Ron in his head.

"Yeah. He had talked about it. Congrats to you two." said Ron giving Hermione a grin.

"Are...are you okay with that?" asked Hermione, fidgeting with her skirt and biting her lip. Ron loved it when she did that

'NO I AM NOT OKAY WITH THAT! BREAK IT OFF AND GO WITH ME!'

"Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" asked Ron.

Hermione shrugged. "I dunno...I'm glad you're okay with it though. I guess I'll see you later. I have to go turn some books back in." said Hermione, giving Ron's shoulder a squeeze then gathering her things up and leaving the tower.

Ron got up and started pacing back and forth feeling very frustrated. Thankfully, he was the only one left in the common room, so he was alone with his thoughts. He tried to find a silver lining in the whole situation. Maybe Hermione would change her mind. Maybe at the ball, Harry would step on Hermione's foot, and make her so mad, she would leave Harry and come to him. Maybe, even though she was Harry's date, she would still dance with him.

Maybe this whole ordeal will be nothing at all.

Too bad all his maybes never happened.