SD ~ J.K. Rowling reaps all.
The Notebook
-dutchtulips-
~*~
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione; her hair was coming out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.
"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"
Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Harry.
"Well," he spluttered, looking thunderstruck, "well - that just proves - completely missed the point -"
Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now - but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.
--Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Scholastic Press, pg. 432
~*~
Dusk. The still September air was calm, quiet. It was surprisingly still warm, although autumn's arrival would soon be on swift wings. The gothic looking Hogwarts castle actually seemed cheerful with dusk's gold washing over the area. It was a perfect evening for relaxing outside.
The figure of a young girl sat on the grass, just on the outskirts of Hogwarts' vast lake, a large book spread across her lap. She absentmindedly twirled a lock of her bushy brown hair as she read, only pausing from studying the words to flip to the next page.
Ron Weasley stood a ways away from the lake, watching the girl. She seemed so graceful and agile just sitting there reading; the sight of her filling Ron's heart with an emotion he couldn't really put into words. A content smile spread over his face as he looked at her, then after a moment's hesitation, Ron took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair, and started towards her.
"Hermione?"
She blinked and looked up, then smiled at him. "Hi, Ron. What are you doing out this way? Looking for me?"
"Um, sorta," he stammered. "Mind if I sit?"
"Not at all," Hermione replied pleasantly, softly closing her book. She set it aside and glanced at Ron as he dropped down next to her.
He returned her gaze, opening his mouth as if to say something. Hermione arched an eyebrow in interest. But instead Ron remained quiet, promptly closing his mouth. He turned and looked out at the water.
A few minutes' silence passed with the two of them staring at the lake. Ron cleared his throat and looked at Hermione again. "Er. . ."
She turned her head and looked back at him, silently prompting him. He blinked and closed his mouth again, letting out a short breath, seeming to change his mind. Ron glued his eyes to the horizon. Hermione was quiet as well, and merely picked at the grass.
She felt his eyes on her again some minutes later, and she looked up and said, "You wanted to say something, Ron?"
"Yes. No. I don't know," he stammered. "You?"
"It just seemed like something was on your mind. Sure nothing's not?" Hermione asked.
"Well, suppose you could. . .hit around the subject. . ." He supplied.
She gave a small laugh. "Now I know there's something you want to say."
"I, uh. . .well, I guess what it is is. . .I'm sorry for not writing you very much over the summer. I wanted you and Harry to. . .come visit for a few days. . .but I thought you were. . .going to Bulgaria. . . . .I hadn't gotten much post from you, so. . .I thought you had. . .gone," Ron said quietly.
There was a long silence and Hermione contemplated his words. Finally she replied, but not with words that seemed to have anything to do with Ron's.
"Why didn't you ask me to the Yule Ball?"
"What?" Ron jerked his head in her direction, taken aback by her words.
"Why didn't you ask me to the Yule Ball?" Hermione repeated.
"I. . .you were already going with Krum. . ." he answered, slightly puzzled. "Besides, I did ask you, remember?"
"No. You suggested I go with you or Harry. You, Ron Weasley, never walked up to me, Hermione Granger, and came straightforward with 'Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?' Even before Viktor asked me," she replied.
"I. . .didn't know you wanted me to," Ron said, very softly. "You did?"
"You remember that argument we got into the common room," she told him, her tone equal to his.
There was another pregnant silence. Ron pondered over what he wanted to say next. Finally he came out with it, but in a somewhat quivering voice.
"Did you go to Bulgaria. . .with him?" His voice implied that his entire life was hanging on her answer.
Hermione turned to look at him. She gave him a long, long look, simply staring into his eyes. She was nervous to reply, tense he would question her answer.
"You did, didn't you?" Ron looked away. "Long silence with you just. . .staring at me. . ."
She swallowed hard. "Ron," she whispered, touching his arm, "I didn't go."
"What? He snapped around to look at her. "You - you. . .didn't go?"
Hermione shook her head. "N-no. There was a lot on my mind over the holidays. When Viktor owled me about it, I just told him I couldn't make it."
"Then. . .what did you do all summer? Since I didn't get much post from you?" Ron wanted to know.
"Thinking. Just thinking. Spending time with Mum and Dad. Doing things with them," she answered. "I was wanting to visit the Burrow, but you have to concede, things were still funny, but not bad, between us. That's one of the reasons I didn't owl you much. Maybe we both just needed some time to think about. . .things."
"Yeah, I reckon you're right," he said quietly. "I s'pose I did do some thinking and such over the holidays as well."
They were quiet again. After a few moments, Ron reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out something. He extended it to Hermione.
Her eyebrows drew together in curiosity and puzzlement as she took the object. "What - what's this, Ron?"
"It's a present for you," he replied. "From. . .me."
Hermione stared down at the gift. It resembled an ordinary sized book, with a deep red leather cover and bindings, with her initials, H.G., embossed in gold on the front. She opened it up to reveal pages, delicate and feather-light.
"It's, uh, a notebook for you to write in. . .like, for class notes or assignments, or for home or whatever you want to. I specially ordered from Flourish and Blotts," he told her.
Hermione ran her fingers over the smooth interior pages. "This is papyrus, isn't it?"
"Yeah. When I ordered it, the witch at Flourish and Blotts told me that papyrus was a really exquisite kind of paper, and very valuable. And that's what I got."
She traced her fingers lightly over her initials on the cover. She looked up at Ron, a happy smile growing across her face. "You bought this especially for me? You went though all of the trouble of ordering it from Flourish and Blotts?"
"Well, yes. I thought you'd like it. I wanted you to have it. It seemed like the perfect gift for you," Ron returned her smile with a lopsided one of his own. "Um, do you like it?"
"I love it, Ron! I absolutely love it. Thank you so much," Hermione exclaimed, clutching the book to her chest. "It must have cost you a lot, Ron. Papyrus is a really precious material. And the leather coverings."
"It doesn't matter. I wanted you to have it. I wanted to get you something that no one else could. Something I knew you'd really love," he said softly. "And it's also to remind you of me, to know that I. . .care about you a lot, 'Mione."
Hermione looked up at him, eyebrows drawn up.
"I guess I'm just. . . trying to compete with Viktor," Ron uttered, looking down at his hands.
She moved in closer to him. "Ron?" She whispered, taking his hand. "Do you know something? I love the book you gave me. It's one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. But not because it's such an exquisite item, Ron. It's because it came from you."
He looked up at her.
"And. . .you never have to worry about 'competing with Viktor.' Because if it's a pursuit to capture my heart, well. . .you've already won the race, Ron." Hermione leaned forward and kissed him.
When their lips parted, Ron smirked and said to her, the banter evident, "So does that mean I can take the book back and cash it in?"
Laughing, Hermione hit him with it.
el fin