Title:When Wooing a Witch
Ship: Ron/Hermione
Rating: K+
Author's note: Special thanks to my beta Hannah and a special nod to Laura for looking over it briefly and inspiring a Fail-Safe Way to Charm a Witch and the title. ;DD More importantly, thanks to JKR, ie. The Goddess, whose words (some) and characters I stole directly from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
This was written for the LJ Hallowed (Missing) Moments Fic-a-Fest using the following prompt: Hermione and Ron dance at Bill's Wedding.
As Krum was scowling over Mr Lovegood and hearing the golden band on the podium begin playing, Ron was suddenly moved into action as the wise words of his copy of Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches echoed in his mind: "Properly wooing your witch to the dance floor is a craft that must be learned if you are to progress further in your relationship. It requires appropriate language and poise..." He didn't fully get the whole 'appropriate language and poise' nonsense, but he was damned if he was going to give Krum any excuse to linger around her for a moment longer. "Come and dance," he said to Hermione abruptly, standing up.
He saw Hermione's cheeks flush pink but she looked pleased and stood up to take his proffered hand, following him onto the dance floor where a crowd had already gathered.
He felt elated. He had just asked her to dance. Now what? How did a boy go about dancing with his best friend, and a girl at that? Even the book hadn't prepared him for this giddiness. All he knew was that he couldn't ruin this moment; he certainly didn't want a repeat of the harrowing canary episode.
"Well?" Hermione's voice broke into his train of thought. She stood before him, looking at him expectantly.
Ron looked about him and saw the couples gliding around the dance floor in time to the waltz-like song. His ears reddened. "Oh, er …" He suddenly stood frozen to the spot, looking as though he'd swallowed a particularly unpleasant Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean.
"Oh, honestly," Hermione said. She moved forward to grasp his right hand, methodically clamping it to her waist. She then placed her left hand on his shoulder. She linked her free hand with his. "And now we move," she said.
"Right," his voice sounded strangled. He stepped forward, nearly treading on Hermione's foot.
She looked amused. "What's happened, Ron? Have you forgotten how to dance?"
She didn't sound or look particularly angry with him, so he supposed he wasn't disappointing her so far, even if he'd been a bit slow on the uptake. And why not? It had just occurred to him that he had never danced with Hermione before. Not even at the Yule Ball. He scowled, remembering Hermione's "date" that evening.
"Don't tease," Ron replied, shuffling his left foot. "I haven't done this in a long time."
Hermione's expression softened. She moved closer, leaning herself against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for asking me to dance," she murmured into his dress robes.
Ron swallowed nervously, feeling a delicious shiver run through him. "Don't mention it," he finally responded.
Now determined, he picked up his pace and took the lead. He was really dancing with Hermione; he could feel her pressed against him as they spun around, hands, limbs touching, sensations everywhere. He could smell her hair, her perfume and was utterly arrested by his senses. He could forget about the war, Harry, Death Eaters, You-Know-Who – all he could think was that they were closer than they'd ever been before. They were having a good time. Now. Together.
The music suddenly reached a crescendo and Ron lifted Hermione off her feet and twirled her around before setting her back down as the band was met with applause. She looked breathless, but delighted. "That was wonderful, Ron!"
Ron grinned. "Charlie showed us how to do that. Had to practise with Ginny about ten times until I got it right." Hermione beamed up at him, her arms twined about his neck. Ron stared entranced, hands pressing firmer into her waist, taken aback by how she seemed to only have eyes for him.
They were still holding each other until Luna floated towards them. "Hi Ron, Hermione! Great song, wasn't it?" She was humming to the tune, swaying a little on the spot. She appeared oblivious to the fact that she'd intruded on something intimate.
"Erm, yeah, brilliant," Ron replied thickly, watching Hermione as she moved to smooth the creases in her dress with her hands. He whipped his head up, reddening. "The Gernumblies got you then on the dance floor, eh?" He gave a chuckle.
Luna looked gleeful. "I think so, yes!" She looked at her bitten finger, smiling dreamily. "The band's taking a break now, so I'm going to find Daddy; I think I spotted Nargles behind the garden gnomes – he'll want to know," Luna said cheerfully and she drifted away, her yellow robes somehow looking more garish than before, even though the sun was losing its glare as twilight was setting in.
"You couldn't miss either of them even in an entire Quidditch field of people," Ron remarked.
"Ron!" Hermione admonished.
"What? It's true."
Hermione frowned. "Well, I'm going to get a drink. Do you want one?"
"Wait, don't you want to dance some more?"
Hermione cheeks flushed. "Well, yes, but there's an interval now, and I really do need a drink; I'm parched. Wait here a minute, I'll get one for you too." She walked off before Ron could interrupt and say that there was no need to go when waiters were lingering everywhere.
He stood, rooted awkwardly to his spot. Most of the people who'd been dancing had moved back to the tables. He eyed the band that was flirting with a couple of waitresses, hoping they'd get back to their real task for the evening and play music.
He sat down on one of the empty chairs by the edge of the dance floor, wondering when Hermione would come back. Maybe she'd been put off by something he'd done and wouldn't? Maybe Krum had seized the opportunity to get his slimy hands on her.
"Well, well, Ronnie-kins finally plucked up the courage, eh?" a voice teased from behind Ron.
"Sod off, Fred," Ron scowled, folding his arms, and feeling his ears turn scarlet for the umpteenth time. Fred sat down next to him.
"That's a fine way to repay us, after all the effort we put into helping you with your aventure amoureuse," George piped up, seeming quite proud of his beginner's French. He held two glasses of Firewhiskey, giving one to Fred and sat on the opposite chair.
Fred shook his head mockingly. "George, you are shameless today! But you are right, as our dear brother here doesn't seem to fully appreciate the magnitude of our generosity! I am, of course, referring to the Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to –"
"I already said thanks!" Ron interrupted. His scowl turned into a glower. "It's just a bloody book! And it wasn't even new!"
"Well, you weren't the only one who's read it, Ron," George smirked, nudging him. "We ought to take it back, now that you've learnt all the know-how– Oh, look, here she comes!"
Ron turned in the direction George was looking. Hermione was grinning, and held up two drinks. Ron inhaled deeply, struck anew by how stunning she looked today.
Hermione looked levelly at Ron and the smirking twins. "Hi Fred, George!"
"'llo Hermione," they answered in unison. "Our little brother's not being too boorish, we hope?"
Ron glared at them, stood up and retorted before Hermione could reply: "Don't forget, I'm taller and bigger than you, so don't make me hex you–"
The twins sniggered. "I think that's our cue to leave, George," Fred said. "I'm just going to find our Veela cousins again. They did seem quite lost by the tables! " He walked off.
George remained, grinning smugly at Ron and Hermione, who now appeared uneasy under his scrutiny. "Well then. I'll leave you two lovebirds to it." He went to chase up Lee Jordan who had emerged from the crowd hovering by the garden.
Ron shook his head in embarrassment and disbelief. "Gits," he muttered.
"Don't worry about them, Ron. Here," Hermione handed him a glass of champagne. Ron looked down in surprise. "Cheers," she said, clinked her glass with his, and took an unceremoniously big sip. Ron watched as the rim of the glass met her lips.
"Have you seen Harry?" Hermione asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Ron frowned slightly, gulping down his champagne in one go. "No, why?"
Hermione reddened. "Oh, well, it's just that we should be keeping an eye out for him, shouldn't we? And with him being disguised and all– "
Ron relaxed. "Yeah, you're right. No, I think I saw him go over to another table before. Near Muriel, I think. Dunno why, the old bat's a nutter."
Hermione smiled in amusement, as she finished the rest of her champagne.
A slow song suddenly started sounding behind them. "Oh, this is a great song!" Hermione said excitedly. "It's by a Muggle musician!"
Ron cleared his throat as he set his glass onto the tray of a passing waiter. "Er, then, shall we?" he offered his arm for her.
Hermione looked pleased. "Oooh, thank you, Ron!"
They were the first onto the dance floor, much to Ron's chagrin, but it didn't matter now that he was dancing with Hermione again. He'd wager that he'd do anything just to get her head on his shoulder again.
Two more songs went by before being replaced by a wildly up-tempo tune that encouraged more people onto the dance floor. All were jumping and waving their arms about. Ron spotted Fleur and Bill looking fondly at each other in one corner. They were the odd ones out, gently swaying, apparently dancing in time to their own tune. Luna had materialised again and was bopping her head, jumping around in circles and making strange arm movements, quite unaware of the growing crowd of gaping faces that watched her.
Ron stifled a laugh at the horrified expressions of several French girls, but he was distracted by Hermione who was getting lost in the music. He had never seen her like this, and relished that she had chosen to dance with him. "Be creative and have fun (at your own risk)," Twelve Fail-Safe Ways reminded him. Ah, what the hell, he thought. You only live once, and I might not even live through this... But he banished that thought when Hermione took his hands and moved with him.
"Isn't it wonderful!" she said to him, cheeks flushed a fetching pink.
"Wonderful," Ron echoed, pressing her back and raising his left hand to spin her around again, her floaty dress lifting as she twirled around. He could do this over and over...
Ginny and Lee Jordan suddenly appeared from the swarm of people, in a rather complex dance number together. Ginny turned her head and upon seeing Ron and Hermione together, a smirk lifted her mouth.
Ron cleared his throat, and he pulled at the collar in his robes, feeling hot. Hermione appeared to not have noticed.
As the song ended, Hermione was out of breath. "That was fantastic! But I just can't dance anymore; these shoes are impossible." She glanced down at her feet which were beginning to swell at the heel.
"Yeah, these robes are a nightmare; how about I get us some Butterbeers and you can find Harry?" He moved to brush a tendril of hair that had flopped over Hermione's face.
Hermione gave him such a sweet smile that he nearly doubled over. Now would be the perfect time to tell her...
No, she'd laugh at him.
She reached for his hand just as he turned away. "Ron," she said shyly. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me for anything," Ron said, he held his breath, looking at where their hands were joined.
"Well, I had a lovely time," she said. Watching her look so vulnerable, Ron was overwhelmed by an urge to hold her again. More than just hold her, if he was honest with himself. He wanted to wrap himself around her and never let go. You-Know-Who be damned.
"Erm, well, we'll do this again ... sometime," he replied, embarrassed, his ears turning scarlet yet again.
Hermione beamed, moved forward suddenly and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go and find Harry now!" she said quickly.
Ron raised his hand to trace the spot where she'd kissed him. Her scent still lingered. He felt a goofy grin cross his face.
Well then. The book had actually promised a lot more than this; it hadn't been as satisfying as he might have liked, but it was a start.
And that would have to do for now.