WHAT IF
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K Rowling but I just wish she made Ron and Hermione together earlier. Too many wasted time for such a wonderful couple.
It was another Hogsmeade weekend.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went out the door of Honeydukes. Their pockets were full of chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every-flavour Beans, sugar quill, Fizzy Wizzy and many more treats from the sweet shop.
The snow was falling heavily, blanketing the roads and roofs of the shops and houses. The little town resembled a Christmas Village out from a postcard.
"Where to go next?" Harry asked, shivering.
"How about The Three Broomsticks? A glass of butterbeer is surely a bliss." Ron suggested longingly before shoving a whole chocolate frog into his mouth.
"Yeah! We could use a little warm. I can't feel my hands." agreed Hermione. She put her gloved hands in her pockets yet she was still shuddering. She wanted to curse herself for leaving her scarf in her room, at the top of her trunk.
Ron looked at Hermione. Her cheeks and nose were flushed, teeths chattering.
He noticed that she was not wearing a scarf. Without a second thought, he removed his own scarf and wrapped it on Hermione's neck.
Hermione was taken aback with Ron's gesture but still managed to say a small "thanks". Ron just nodded and they quickly looked away from each other, both cheeks were red.
Harry faked a cough, pretending to not noticed anything.
"Let's go then." He said, leading the way.
The golden trio hurriedly walked to the direction of The Three Broomstick.
"There's no more table." Hermione said, disappointed, when they entered the pub. The place was packed with the villagers and students who like them, were escaping from the freezing cold outside.
As they scanned the pub looking for available space, Harry saw a familiar red-colored hair among the crowd.
"Oh, wait. There's Ginny." He said, pointing the table near a window where Ginny, Luna and Neville seated.
They beamed to each other.
Ginny, Luna and Neville seemed to be in a serious conversation. No one even noticed them approaching.
"What if a Sparkling Wagburt ate the plant I gave you?" The golden trio heard Luna asking to Neville with her usual dreamy voice.
"Errr. I'm sorry, Luna. But I don't know what Sparkling Wagburt is." Neville awkwardly said. He looked at Ginny asking for help but the girl was busy trying to keep herself from laughing.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Neville. I thought you already heard about the Sparkling Wagburt. You see, they are rather known creatures among herbologist since…"Luna started explaining.
Neville tried to look around trying to get some help from anyone. His face brightened when he saw the trio heading to their table.
"Hello guys! Can we join you? There's no table available." said Hermione when they reached the table, interrupting Luna with her lecture.
"Certainly!" exclaimed Neville out of relief.
When they already settled, Neville offered to order butterbeers for them. He eagerly left for the counter before they can even answer.
"What are you talking about before we joined you?" Ron asked curiously, shaking the snow out of his blazing red hair.
"We are playing 'The What If Game'." answered Ginny with a wide grin.
"The what?" the trio asked in chorus.
"The What If Game." Ginny said, again.
"Never heard of that game." Harry said.
"It's pretty easy. We just asked hypothetical question to each other and then answer it." Luna explained with her glassy eyes on them. "You can join if you like." she added.
"Oh! You should join us! It's VERY entertaining." said Ginny, encouragingly.
Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to join because, well, there's nothing more interesting to do. They started playing when Neville returned with their glasses of butterbeers.
The game was weird at first but they found it interesting after a while.
"What if you're not in Gryffindor?" Neville asked Ginny.
"Then George and Fred would take the micky out of me about it for the rest of my life." Ginny snorted. They all laughed because they all know the possibilities.
"What if you will choose a pet." Harry asked Luna.
"Then I'll choose Woyera fish. I want to have it but Father said they can't be tamed. Besides, they can be invisible if they want to, so it will be very hard to have them as pet." Luna answered. They looked at each other, slightly dazed of what she just said.
"W-wow! That's amazing, Luna." said Ron. Luna just stared at him blankly.
"Woyera fish doesn't exist, Luna." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"Believe whatever you want, Hermione. But my father told me he saw one." said Luna, unaffected.
Hermione was about to answer back but Ginny acted faster.
"How about you, Hermione? What if Viktor will ask you to visit him in Bulgaria?" Ginny asked innocently.
Hermione didn't expect Ginny's question. She opened her mouth to answer but closed it again. Her friends were all quite, clearly waiting for her answer. She could feel her whole face on fire.
She gave Ginny a death glare but she just smiled innocently. She made a mental note to kill Ginny later.
Ron snorted and took a big gulp of his butterbeer.
"What if you invite him, instead?" he spat at Hermione.
"And what do you mean by that?" Hermione snapped. She faced Ron and they sat there glaring at each other.
All of them fell silent, awkwardly watching the infamous row of Ron and Hermione in front of them.
"Well, What if you owl Vicky and invite him to spend the holiday with you!" Ron said. Hands crossed on his chest.
"Why would I do that, may I ask? And His name is Viktor!" asked Hermione furiously.
"Because…it's very fucking obvious that's what you want!" Ron answered, determined to win this time.
Hermione glared daggers at Ron. Before she can stop it, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I can't believe you!" she said in whisper to Ron.
Then she turned to others. "I'm sorry, but I think I'll go ahead." she excused herself.
She stood up and walked hurriedly out the pub.
They all watched Hermione stomped her way out the door.
"What's her problem?" Ron asked with no one in particular.
"I think you went overboard this time, mate." Harry sighed.
"You are the problem, Ron!" Ginny hissed. "If you fancy Hermione, tell her. Don't pick a fight just because you're jealous!" she added.
"I-I don't fancy Hermione!" Ron denied. Ginny's eyebrows arched at him but he avoided meeting her eyes.
"Whatever, Ron. But I tell you, with what you did, I'm afraid you're gonna lose her." Ginny continued.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ron said, stubbornly.
Luna and Neville who were quietly listening looked at each other.
"Suit yourself, Ron." Luna said, joining the conversation.
"Just let me give you some advice." Ron's attention was on her. "You must never bottle up your feelings inside. If you love Hermione, tell her your feelings. Don't wait for the time when she turn around and love someone else."
Ron felt a sinking feeling just thinking with other bloke.
"You two are my bestfriends. All I want is the best of everything for both of you. Follow her mate." Harry said.
Ron still hesitated but with the encouragement of his friends, he finally stood up and ran outside to follow Hermione.
It took him a few moments to spot Hermione who started heading her way back to Hogwarts.
"Hermione, wait!" he called. When he saw her walked even faster, he started to run after her.
"Could you please wait a sec?" he said holding Hermoine's arm tightly to stop her.
"Go away, Ron! I don't want to talk to you!" Hermione said angrily. She tried to yank her arm back but Ron won't let go.
"Look, I'm sorry! I was being a prat back there." Ron said.
"You are really a prat, Ron! I can't understand why you're always acting stupid when Viktor's name is mentioned. And in case you don't know, it hurts!" said Hermione, wiping her tears furiously with the back of her hands.
Ron's face softened looking at her tear-stained face.
"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that I couldn't help it whenever you blush because of Vicky!" He said.
"It's Viktor, not Vicky!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Besides, what is it to you? Don't tell me you're jealous!" They both fell silent with the idea.
"What if I tell you that maybe, I am!" Ron managed to say, his face and ears matched the color of his hair.
"Why?" asked Hermione, watching him carefully.
"What do you think?" Ron asked back.
"Oh! I don't know, Ron. Tell me! I'm not a master in legilimency so don't expect me to know what's on your mind!" Hermione said in frustration.
"Bloody hell, Mione! You don't have to be a legilimens to know that-that…" his voice faded.
"That?" she asked, hopefully.
"That-bloody hell! Forget it! It doesn't matter anyway!" he finally said, releasing her arm.
Ron started walking away from her but she blocked his way.
"You're not going anywhere, Ronald! We have to finish this once and for all! I'm so tired of this!" she said in stern voice. "Tell me why you're jealous of Viktor!"
"Alright! I'm bloody jealous because I fucking love you, Mione! I want you to love me but I know I'm nothing compare with that git!" he blurted out.
Hermione froze. She stared at Ron with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry! Just forget what I said." He said softly without meeting her eyes.
"H-How can you say you love me then ask me to just forget it?" she said with panic on her voice.
"Just don't mind it! I know you don't feel the same way. I mean, how can you love me, right? It's bloody impossible!" Ron said, almost shouting.
"Ron…"
"Right! You can never love a prat like me." Ron continued.
"Ron, listen…"
"I don't have manners and I always make you cry! You can't love me!" Ron continued saying, mostly to himself.
"I love you, Ronald Weasley! You idiot!" Hermione yelled.
Ron stopped blabbing and stared at Hermione with a shock expression on his face.
"W-What did you just say?" Ron asked, holding his breathe. He was very sure she heard her wrong.
But Hermione said it again in a soft voice. "What if I tell you that I do love a prat like you, Ron!"
He wanted to open his mouth but his brain seemed to forgot how. He just stared at her, this time in awe.
"I hate you for even thinking I would rather spend holiday with Viktor when I promised to spend it at The Burrow. With You."
Hermione was looking at him with her teary brown eyes.
God! She was so beautiful, he thought.
Before he can even think rationally, he crossed their distance and pulled her to him.
"I'm so sorry, Mione! I thought you would prefer a famous like him. I'm nothing in compare to him." He said. The bitterness in his voice was obvious.
"I don't care even if he's the Ministry of Magic, Ron. Because you captured my heart long time ago. And don't ever say you're nothing. For me, you are my Everything." She said sincerely.
Ron was speechless. Everything was overwhelming to him. He couldn't trust himself to speak without bursting to tears. Instead, he pulled her even closer.
The feeling of their body pressing together so tightly was heavenly, making their head dizzy. Hermione encircled her arms to his body to draw him closer. Her face buried on his chest.
"But, how can you love me? You always say I'm the most annoying person you've ever met!" Ron asked after sometime, still unable to believe that he was holding Hermione in his arms. Hermione! In his arms!
Hermione looked at him and his heart missed a beat. Hermione's looking at her and he didn't need to look away. He can meet her eyes now without fears of the possibility of ruined friendship.
All he can see was the love on her eyes. For him!
She smiled and he thought she was the most wonderful thing in the world.
"Yes, you have that talent to annoy me than anyone else, Ron. You make me yell yet you make me laugh. You make me crazy. You make me crazy for you as well!" she said lovingly.
She held his gaze and she sighed with too much happiness.
"You are the most irritating person I've known, Ron. But I want to let you know that I want to spend every irritating moment here." She said as she pressed her body to his, snuggling against him.
They stood there holding each other ignoring the fact that they were standing in the middle of the road. Ignoring the cold. Their shared body heat was more than enough to them.
It was until they heard whistles and sound of clapping hands that they reluctantly released each other. Many students were now surrounding them. Ron and Hermione flushed but then they saw Luna, Ginny, Neville, Seamus, Dean and Harry were among their audience, all clapping and smiling.
"No more, what if's?" Ron asked to Hermione, offering his hand to her.
"No more, what if's." she answered, reaching for his hand.
As they make their way to their friends, holding each other hands so tightly as if they could do this for the rest of their lives, she knew for a fact that she'll never let go this hand, Ever!
Author's note: "What If Game" is a game I played with my friends back in highschool and I find it really entertaining. I don't know if it's an official game because we just thought of it out of the blue. Meanwhile, Sparkling Wagburt and Woyera Fish are creatures from my imagination. Sparkling Wagburt is a kind of pest in a Herbologist garden, eating magical plants. On the other hand, Woyera fish is a mythical fish. No one ever see this fish because they can be invisible, well, except Luna's father as she claimed. Woyera is a Chichewa word for "ghost". Can you connect the dot? .?