The Christmas Dance
By Pinkmagentafire
"I'm going to fail this exam," Ron announced, sounding very frustrated.
"You always say that, Ron," Hermione replied, not even looking up from her stack of notes.
"Because I always do!" he exclaimed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, you don't."
"Well, I never do as good as you."
"Nobody does," Harry said as he smiled at Hermione.
She blushed and then rolled her eyes again. "Come on you guys, you could do just as good as me, maybe even better, if you only tried harder."
Ron let out a snort. "Yeah right! I try hard enough! I'm not going to spend all my time with my nose in a book!" He looked down at all his notes that were scattered on the table and sighed. "I don't even know why we're here. Who studies a week before the test?"
Hermione glared at him. "I do."
Ron rolled his eyes this time. He then returned to his notes. The three of them stayed in the library for another half hour before Hermione seemed to give up.
"I can't study anymore, let's do something else."
Ron and Harry of course didn't protest, and so they gathered their books and papers and made their way towards the library exit.
They were almost to the door when out of no where, a girl with long, straggly dirty-blonde hair and dreamy gray eyes popped up in front of them and smiled warmly. It was none other than Luna Lovegood.
"Hello, Harry…Hermione," she said coolly. "Ronald, may I speak with you?"
Harry and Hermione wore confused expressions on their faces, but Ron just looked annoyed. Luna didn't seem to notice however.
"We'll see you in the Great Hall in a bit then?" Harry asked.
"Fine," Ron grumbled and watched as they left the library together, leaving him alone with Luna.
He turned back to Luna and found her gazing at him.
"Ermm, you wanted to tell me something?"
"Oh, yes…" she said, and led him to the table where he, Harry, and Hermione were sitting just before.
"Actually, Ronald, I wanted to ask you something," Luna said as they sat down.
"Okay…" he said, a hint of aggravation in his voice.
"Yes, well, as you know next week is the---"
"Christmas Dance," Ron remembered suddenly and realized what Luna might be asking him. He was horrified at the thought.
"Well, yes, and---"
"Errr, look Loony---Luna, I have to go," Ron interrupted her in a panicky voice. "I, err, I am late for class, and, err, I have to go now…"
"Don't be silly, Ronald, this is Saturday."
"Yes, well, I have detention…with Snape…you know how he is…so I must go now…"
And so he did. He scrambled out of his chair and hurried out of the library, leaving Luna confused and somewhat irritated.
---------------
Ron ran all the way back to the Gryffindor common room. Feeling safe inside, he plopped down into a chair that was in front of the fireplace. He was the only one there, for everyone else was in the Great Hall, enjoying their dinner.
Ron sat there for a while, wondering how on earth he was going to avoid Luna Lovegood for a whole entire week. It didn't seem possible, she always just seemed to kind of…appear.
His thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the rest of the Gryffindors pouring into the common room. Dinner was obviously over.
Harry and Hermione were the last ones to enter the room and when they spotted Ron, they rushed over.
"Ron, what happened to you? We never saw you at dinner," Hermione said as she sat down on the couch next to Ron's chair.
Harry sat down next to Hermione and looked at Ron strangely. "Have you been in here this whole time?" he asked. "What in the world did Luna say to you?"
Ron stared at him.
"I think she was trying to ask me to go to the dance with her," he finally said.
Hermione looked surprised. "Well, what did you say?"
"I actually…errr…didn't let her ask me. I just told her I had to go and got the hell out of there."
"Ron! What's the matter with you? You can't just run away!" Hermione shouted at him.
"But Hermione, the girl is nuts! She's Loony Lovegood! There's no way I'm going anywhere with her!" Ron shouted back.
The other Gryffindors were starting to stare at them now, so Hermione decided they better take it down a notch.
"Ron," she said calmly, "I know Luna is a little…well, she's a little strange, and I can't say I am all that fond of her, but you just can't hide from her. She does have feelings you know. I'm not saying you should go to the dance with her, but at least talk to her. She deserves that. Am I right, Harry?"
Harry had been pretty quiet, unsure of what to say, so he decided to side with Hermione.
"Errr, yeah…I guess."
Ron glared at Harry and decided he had had enough of this. "I'm going to bed," he mumbled before heading up the stairs to his dormitory.
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The next week went by pretty fast. It was already Thursday and Ron had somehow managed to avoid Luna all week.
Meanwhile, the whole school was talking about Friday's Quidditch match and the Christmas Dance on Saturday. The dance was only two days away and Ron still had no one to ask to be his date…no one normal anyway. All the other girls had dates, or they claimed to. Ron suspected some of them were lying because they didn't want to go with him, but didn't want to sound mean and say no.
It seemed as if everyone had a date but him. Even his sister Ginny had found someone new to run around with, or she had a date to the dance anyway.
This didn't make Ron feel any better.
"Ron, don't feel bad. You have two days left. That's plenty of time!" Ginny told him. It was lunchtime and they were spending it outside. Even though the December weather was very cold, Ron didn't want to be around all the 'couples.'
"Who are you going with anyway?" Ron asked her.
"Oh, I'm going with Neville," she answered, not noticing the look of shock on her brother's face.
"Neville?"
"Yes, Neville. What's the big deal? I went to the Yule Ball with him," she said, annoyed.
"I don't know…Neville is just…Neville."
Ginny shook her head and then looked towards the castle doors.
"Where are Harry and Hermione? I thought they were going to meet us out here."
Ron just shrugged. " I don't know where they are. Probably off, finding dates to the dance too…"
Ginny looked surprised. "You mean they don't have dates either?"
"Last time I checked they didn't," Ron said, staring at the ground gloomily.
"Well, that should make you feel better then. You're not the only one," she assured him. She was quiet for a minute and then said, "You know what? It's getting a little too cold out here and I don't see Harry or Hermione anywhere, so I think I'm going to head back inside. Lunch is almost over anyway."
Ron watched her walk up to the giant castle and go inside. After a while, he did the same.
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It was the end of the day and Ron, exhausted from Quidditch practice and stuffing his face at dinner, was finally heading back to the Gryffindor common room to get some sleep. Harry and Hermione had left the Great Hall early, saying they had homework to catch up on, and so Ron didn't expect to see either of them still up, but to his surprise, Hermione was, working away on her Transfiguration homework.
Ron walked over and sat down in the chair opposite Hermione's.
"There's more to life than school, you know," he said playfully to her.
Hermione looked over at him and then back down at her parchment. "There's more to life than girls, you know," she said, but in a serious tone.
"Oh, believe me, I know," he replied. "I've decided to give up on finding a date for the dance. Why do we have these stupid dances anyway? All they do is cause guys like me to feel bad about themselves. I'm just glad I have friends who are also losers, that way we can all stay here Saturday night and feel sorry for each other."
Hermione looked a little uncomfortable.
"Well, actually…" she began.
"What?" Ron demanded.
"Actually, I'm going with Harry…"
"WHAT?"
"Calm down, Ron, we're just going as friends. There's no need to go bonkers."
Ron had jumped out of his chair and was now looking like he was about to pull his hair out.
"HOW COULD YOU AND HARRY DO THIS TO ME?" he yelled.
"Shhh, please, Ron, don't wake up everyone!" Hermione pleaded.
"Hermione! Do you realize that I'm the only one in school who doesn't have a date to this bloody dance?"
"Well, whose fault is that?"
Ron frowned at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Now Hermione got up from her chair.
"It means you had someone to go with and you turned them down. You said Luna was trying to ask you, but you didn't give her a chance, so you really have no reason to complain."
Ron watched Hermione as she gathered her things, walked across the room, and disappeared up the staircase that led to the girls' dormitory.
He then sat back down and put his face in his hands. He knew Hermione was right. He had no reason to complain. If he really wanted to go to the dance, he could. He would just have to pay a price.
Ron had made up his mind. Tomorrow he would ask Luna Lovegood to the Christmas Dance.
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It was Friday afternoon and all the students were chatting excitedly about the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch match that would take place later that day. Ron was nervous as he usually was the day of a match, but today he was feeling extra uneasy. He had looked for Luna all morning, but she was no where to be found. He was seriously beginning to wonder if she had switched schools…that would explain how he was able to avoid her all week.
Ron was just about to give up searching for Luna, when he walked into the library and saw her sitting at a table by herself, reading The Quibbler.
"Oh, boy," Ron thought aloud to himself as he walked over to her table.
"Erm, hi, Luna. Can I sit here?" he asked as he approached her.
Luna looked up at Ron and nodded.
Ron pulled out the chair opposite from hers and sat down.
Luna stared at him for a minute before speaking.
"I thought you were hiding from me."
Ron stared down at the table, not wanting to look her in the eye. "No, I haven't been…hiding from you…" he lied. "Why would you say that?"
"Because I haven't seen you in ages," she answered.
"Oh…well, that's only because I've been really busy with Quidditch practices and ---"
"Detentions with Snape?" Luna said, looking unconvinced.
"Ermm…" Ron couldn't think of what to say.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ronald, I forgive you. I'm glad you're here," she smiled.
"I never got to ask you---"
"Yes," Ron said quickly.
"Yes?" Luna asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I'll go to the dance with you."
Luna looked surprised.
"Oh," she said and blushed. "I wasn't going to ask you that, but sure, Ronald, I'll go to the dance with you, of course. I don't like dancing very much, but I'm sure we'll find something to do…"
Ron's face was as red as his hair. He was so embarrassed. He watched silently as Luna pulled something out of her bag. It was a scarlet and gold flag with a picture of a lion on it….and the lion had some type of small animal in its mouth. Ron figured it to be a badger since they were playing Hufflepuff in the Quidditch match.
"This is what I wanted to ask you about," Luna said as she handed the flag to Ron. "Isn't it lovely? I made it myself. I just wanted to see what you thought about it. You'll see it at the Quidditch match today. I'll be cheering for you."
Ron looked the flag over. "This is very…wow…"
"I was hoping you would like it," she said shyly.
"I do," Ron said back, meaning it. Compared to the giant lion head she made last year, the flag was actually normal.
He handed the flag back to Luna.
She rolled it up and placed it back in her schoolbag. Then she stood up and put her bag over her shoulder.
"Well, I must be going, Ronald. Good luck in the Quidditch match…and thanks for inviting me to the dance."
She pulled her wand out of her bag and tucked it behind her ear and then walked past the table towards the door. Ron noticed her turn her head and smile in his direction before leaving.
----------------
Friday afternoon's weather couldn't have been more perfect for a game of Quidditch. The air was cool and crisp and the wind really carried Luna's flag, which pleased all the Gryffindors. They had won the match and were now all returning to their common room to start the celebration of their victory.
"Really nice flying today, Harry," Ron said to his friend as they walked down the corridor with the rest of their teammates. "Zacharias had no chance of getting that snitch."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "I should say the same to you. You're actually getting good at Keeper," he teased.
They both climbed into the Gryffindor common room and scanned the scene for Hermione.
They spotted her at a table by herself. She looked up and raised her eyebrows as they approached her.
"Hello, Harry. Hello, Ron…or should I say 'Ronald?'"
Harry and Ron both made a kind of "Ehhh?" sound in their confusion.
"Ginny told me you're taking Luna to the Christmas Dance, Ron," Hermione explained.
"You're what?" Harry blurted out.
Ron didn't seem to want to say anything.
Hermione spoke again instead.
"Now weren't you just saying the other day how loony she was and how you would never go anywhere with her? And what is this…now you're going to the dance with her? That doesn't make any sense, Ron!"
"You told me to ask her!" Ron exclaimed.
"No, I didn't. I told you that you had no reason to complain because Luna did want you to go with her, but I didn't think you were going to go back and ask her, not when you were just saying how crazy she was. I mean Ron, is this dance that important to you?"
"I just want to go. Everyone else is. I'm not going to be stuck in here, dying of boredom while everyone else is having fun."
Hermione seemed to understand. "Okay, Ron, I get that. I wouldn't want everyone else having a good time without me either. I just hope Luna doesn't get any ideas, that's all, and she may if you guys go together…but hey, that's your decision. If you really want to go, then go."
"For the love of Merlin, Hermione, it's just a dance!" Ron groaned. "It's not like I'm taking her on a moonlit stroll by the lake."
"I know and perhaps you're right." she replied.
"Of course I'm right. Now can we just celebrate our easiest Quidditch match ever and have a good time?"
Hermione smiled. "Of course. I'm sorry I got so…carried away. You and Harry both did really great today."
---------------
For the rest of the evening, the Gryffindors enjoyed a wonderful victory party. The festivities kept Ron from being so nervous about the following night, but it sure didn't help with people constantly coming up to Ron and asking him if he was serious about going to the dance with Luna Lovegood. Sometimes, Ron wondered himself how serious he was about it. It did seem like a joke. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought of such a thing. Him and Luna? The idea was as loony as Luna herself. But Ron wouldn't find out how loony it really was until Saturday night…
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Ron woke up late the next morning with a knot in his stomach. He couldn't figure out why he was so nervous. It was just a school dance…no big deal. And he wasn't going with anyone special…just Luna. So why was he feeling so tense he wondered. He didn't have much time to think about this though, because he and Harry both had to get ready for the dance. It was still hours away, but they didn't even know what they were going to wear yet.
"Seriously, tell me, Harry, does this make me look like a git?" Ron asked as he tried on his dress robes.
"I don't know Ron, ask Hermione."
"Good idea. I'll go get her," Ron said and went to open the door, when suddenly Hermione walked in, carrying two different colors of clothing under her arm.
"Geeze, Hermione, don't you ever knock?" Ron rudely asked.
She ignored his comment and tossed a color to both of them.
"Ron, blue, Harry, green," she ordered.
"These are dress robes, Hermione…why did you get us dress robes?" Harry asked her in a bemused voice.
Hermione shrugged. " I saw them in a shop in Diagon Alley over the summer. I almost forgot about them, but I was just going through my trunk looking for my own robes and I found those." She noticed Harry and Ron just seemed to be staring blankly at the robes in their hands. "What's the matter? Don't you like them?"
"Hermione," Ron started, "You do realize we have our own robes, don't you?"
"Of course. But these are so much nicer. Look at that fabric. It's much better material."
"Gosh, Hermione, how rich are you?" asked Ron, sounding amazed.
She rolled her eyes. "I just thought you guys would like them," she answered.
"We do," Harry said quickly. " Thanks a lot, Hermione."
"Yeah…thanks." Ron added.
Hermione smiled at them and then left their dormitory, going back to hers and searching through her trunk again.
Harry looked at his new robes again and then at Ron.
"These really are better than ours," he said sincerely.
"Yeah, they are," Ron agreed. "We really owe Hermione one."
---------------
Ron spent the rest of the morning trying on his new dress robes and checking his appearance in the mirror. Ron felt pretty foolish doing this…it seemed so girlish to be trying on clothes and modeling in front of the mirror, but he really wanted to look good for the dance. Even though he was going with Luna, he still wanted to try to impress the other girls. Harry had tried on his robes too, but he was going with Hermione and so he didn't seem to care as much about his appearance as Ron did.
Ron actually didn't like the fact that Harry and Hermione were going together. It bothered him for some reason, but he didn't want to admit that. The truth was he was a little jealous. He used to have more-than-friendship feelings for Hermione…nothing major, but he did, and he still didn't like it that her and Harry were so close. He didn't like feeling left out. Of course Ron would never let them know this. He let his pride get the best of him.
---------------
Ron and Harry decided to take it easy and relax for the afternoon. Hermione and Ginny, like most of the girls in the school, were busy pampering themselves for the big night. Unlike the boys, it took the girls the whole day to get ready instead of just a few hours. The girls had to pick out the perfect dress robes and do their hair and makeup just right. Hermione was an exception to this actually because she never fussed with makeup, just an elegant ponytail would do for her. Luna, too, was different from the other girls, for she rarely did anything with her straggly hair, and if she did, it was most often in a very unusual style. And if she ever wore anything on her face, it would be a tiny painting of a moon or a star, never lipstick or eye shadow like the other girls. Yes, Hermione and Luna were very different indeed…but that only made them even more unique. Harry knew this about Hermione, but Ron had yet to see it in Luna.
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It was finally six o'clock and the Christmas Dance had begun. Ron, Harry, and Neville - all dressed and ready - were standing in the common room, anxiously waiting for Hermione and Ginny to come down.
"They better look good if they're going to take this long," Ron muttered.
"Well, to be fair, Ron, you spent an awful long time in the bathroom this morning," said Harry.
Neville let out a little laugh, which he truly needed, seeing as he looked extremely nervous.
Ron looked at Harry threateningly, but Harry was looking past him, up at the girl's staircase. So was Neville. Ron turned around and saw Hermione and Ginny grinning at them as they walked down the steps.
"Sorry for the holdup," Hermione said, stepping onto the common room floor. She was wearing dark red velvet dress robes and had her hair up in a neat ponytail. Ginny's normally straight locks were beautifully curled and she wore purple dress robes. Both of them looked very pretty.
"It was worth the wait though, huh?" Ginny grinned, seeing the three boys with their mouths hanging open in awe.
Hermione took a hold of Harry's arm and smiled. "Shall we go then?"
Harry nodded, still speechless.
The group left the Gryffindor common room and proceeded to the Great Hall. They could already hear the sound of Christmas music and people laughing and having fun.
Ron looked around for Luna. He was supposed to meet her right outside the entrance of the Great Hall, but he didn't see her anywhere.
Then he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Luna right in front of him. She was wearing dress robes made of silver satin and her dirty-blonde hair was pulled back in many braids. Hanging from her ears were moon-shaped earrings and around her neck was a necklace made of seashells. All this mixed with her pleasant smile made her look dreamier than ever.
"Good evening Ronald," she said softly. "You look very nice."
"Ermm, thanks," he replied. He stood there for a moment in the awkward silence. Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"You look nice too…" he said to Luna weakly, then glared at his sister.
Ginny smiled innocently. "Should we go inside now?"
The group then made their way through the Great Hall entrance. Inside, the room was filled with people dancing and talking. In the center of the room there stood a giant Christmas tree and leaned up against one of the walls were two long tables filled with food and drinks.
"Let's dance," Ginny said as soon as they were in the Hall. She grabbed Neville's hand and pulled him over to the dance floor, where they began to waltz.
Hermione giggled as she watched them dance. Neville's nervousness caused him to keep stepping on Ginny's toes, which Ginny tried to ignore, but you couldn't help but notice her face scrunch up in pain every time Neville missed a step.
Then Hermione saw something that made her smile disappear…it was Draco Malfoy.
Obviously Ron and Harry saw him too, because they, like Hermione, had looks of disgust on their faces. Their eyes grew wide with anger as Malfoy strode over to them, a pug-faced Pansy Parkinson clinging to his arm.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he sneered.
Ron glared at him. "Get lost, Malfoy."
Malfoy smirked at Ron and then his eyes fell upon Luna. "So it is true. You really are here with Loony Lovegood."
"Leave her out of this," Ron said as he stepped in front of Luna.
"Awww, protecting your little girlfriend, Weasley?"
"Back off, Malfoy," Harry warned.
Malfoy ignored him.
"Potter and Weasley sure do have interesting taste in girls," Malfoy said to Pansy. "One's a mudblood and the other belongs in a loony bin."
Ron and Harry both shot forward, ready to attack, but they didn't have to, because someone else got to him first.
It was Professor McGonagall.
"What did you just say, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked furiously, her nostrils flaring.
Malfoy got a very nervous look on his face. "Erm…nothing, Professor…I was just---"
"Save it," Professor McGonagall snapped. "I think I know exactly what you said, and you should know that word is not tolerated in this school. You are no longer permitted to this dance, Mr. Malfoy." Her eyes appeared above her glasses as she looked at Pansy. "I suggest you find someone new to spend the evening with, Miss Parkinson."
Pansy narrowed her eyes and then walked away, joining a group of snide-looking Slytherins.
Professor McGonagall's angry eyes darted back to Malfoy.
"And before you follow me to serve your detention, I think you should apologize to Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger here."
"But Professor!" Malfoy whined.
"Apologize now or I'll take ten points from Slytherin as well," McGonagall threatened.
Malfoy scowled and turned to Luna and Hermione reluctantly.
"Sorry…" he grumbled.
Professor McGonagall nodded. "That will do. Now if you will follow me…"
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Luna all smiled happily as they watched Professor McGonagall drag Malfoy out of the Great Hall.
"Well, that takes care of him," Hermione said contentedly. "Come on, Harry, the fight's over, let's go dance."
And off they went, leaving Ron and Luna by themselves.
Ron looked at Luna. She was gazing at him as usual, and it made Ron feel uncomfortable, as it usually did.
"You want some punch or something," he asked her, trying to break the tension.
"Sure, Ronald, I'd love some" was her reply.
They made their way to the refreshment table and Ron poured him and Luna some punch.
"Here you go," he said as he handed Luna a cup.
Luna took it and smiled at him. "Thank you, Ronald," she said sweetly.
Ron sighed. "You know, Luna, you don't always have to call me 'Ronald.'"
"It's your name isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, but I go by Ron. I hate 'Ronald.' It sounds so formal…"
"Oh…" Luna said softly. "I didn't know it bothered you so much. It won't happen again. Sorry, Ronald."
Ron raised his eyebrows at her, but she didn't seem to catch on. She was looking past him, in the direction of the dance floor.
"Harry and Hermione seem to really care for each other," she said, staring at the dancing couple.
Ron turned around and saw Harry and Hermione slow dancing, both of them looking oblivious to anyone or anything around them.
"Yeah…" Ron mumbled, feeling a bit jealous.
"They make a very nice couple, don't they?" Luna said vaguely.
Ron couldn't stand this talk of Harry and Hermione being a 'couple.' And he didn't like feeling left out.
"Come on," he grumbled, grabbing Luna's hand before she could say anything and leading her to the dance floor. He stopped right in the middle and they began to slow dance.
For several minutes they danced in silence, Ron looking anywhere around the room except at Luna. His eyes kept darting back to Harry and Hermione, who still seemed to be in their own world.
Then Luna broke the silence.
"You know, I didn't think I liked dancing very much, but it's not so bad after all."
She smiled and then blushed. "Not with you anyway…"
Ron blushed too. But then he was distracted by Harry and Hermione again.
Luna kept on talking though, as if she didn't notice.
"You really do look nice tonight, Ronald," she went on, "The color of your robes really brings out your eyes."
"Yeah, yeah, yours too," Ron said, not really paying attention.
"You really think so?" Luna asked, sounding surprised.
Ron decided to actually look at Luna's eyes this time.
He turned his head to glance at her…but this time, for some reason, he couldn't look away.
Luna's eyes were stormy gray and misty-looking and Ron couldn't bring himself to look away from them. He just continued to stare into them…until he finally blinked and was able to gain control again.
He shook his head, making sure he had snapped out of it and looked at the floor, afraid to look back up at Luna. He was afraid he would fall back in a trance if he did.
"I think I could use some fresh air," he said breathlessly, as he looked towards the doors of the Great Hall.
"Is something the matter, Ronald?" Luna asked with a concerned face.
"No…no, I'm fine…I just need to step outside for a sec…"
But Ron really wasn't fine. Something strange had come over him back there, but he didn't know what. He just knew he had to get out of there for a while and figure things out.
He left the Great Hall, snuck by a group of chatting prefects and slipped out the main castle doors without anyone noticing.
Outside, Ron crossed the Hogwarts grounds towards the lake. He could see the moon's reflection shining brightly in the dark water.
Ron found a large rock near the edge of the lake and sat down, putting his face in his hands, as he usually did when something was troubling him.
He wasn't exactly sure why he was troubled. Actually, he wasn't even sure if he was troubled. He was confused, he knew that at least. But why? Why was he acting so strange?
Ron thought about this for a while, but he still could not come up with a reason for his abnormal behavior.
Suddenly he heard footsteps. He jumped off his rock and peered into the darkness.
"Erm, hello? Is someone out there?"
"It's me, Ronald," a dreamy voice answered. Then the voice's owner stepped out of the shadows.
"Are you all right?" she asked with a worried expression. "You've been out here for a while now."
"Yes…I'm fine," Ron gulped.
Luna smiled and looked around.
"I can see why you like it out here…it's quite lovely with the moon out. A little chilly though…"
Indeed, it was chilly, but it was winter, after all.
Ron thought Luna might be suggesting they go back inside however, and so he started walking slowly back up to the castle.
Luna wasn't following though. Instead, she walked to the edge of the lake and stood there for a few minutes, staring at the black water.
"Err, Luna, what are you doing?" Ron asked as he joined her by the lake.
She didn't seem to hear him. She remained silent for a couple more minutes and then suddenly spoke.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
"What?" said Ron.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" she repeated. "Around the lake?"
---------------
Ron wasn't sure how long he and Luna had been outside, walking around the lake in the awkward silence. It was awkward for Ron anyway. Luna didn't seem to mind. She was so fascinated with everything around her.
Ron felt he had to say something though…the tranquility was too much for him.
"So---" he started.
"Can I ask you a question, Ronald?" Luna interrupted him.
"Ermm, sure…" he said, wondering what in the world she was going to ask him.
"I want to know…why did you ask me to the dance?"
Ron felt a pang of guilt, but tried to ignore it. "What do you mean?"
"Did you ask me because you really wanted to, or did you ask me because you felt sorry for me? I know a lot of people make fun of me, and I'm used to it. It doesn't really bother me. So you don't need to feel sorry for me."
"No…I mean yes, of course I wanted to go with you," Ron said, not wanting to admit that the real reason he went with her was because he felt sorry for himself, not her.
Luna stopped walking to face Ron. She looked into his eyes, as if she was trying to see if he was telling the truth or not. This made Ron very nervous.
Luna sighed with disappointment and turned away.
Ron got that guilty feeling again. He had to say something, but he didn't know what.
"Luna?"
She turned her gaze back upon him in response, her wide silver eyes shining brightly under the moonlight.
Ron was once again hypnotized by them…worse this time though. He couldn't control himself. He was thinking things he never thought he would. And for once he wasn't thinking about Harry and Hermione. He didn't care about them being a 'couple' or whatnot. It didn't matter anymore. He was falling deeper into Luna's eyes. Luna's gaze held his own, but she had no idea what he was thinking. Ron couldn't help himself…he leaned in closer and closer to her…until they were just an inch apart, and then it happened…Ron actually kissed Luna Lovegood.
Luna obviously was surprised, but she didn't pull away.
Ron did after a few seconds though, and he had a dazed look on his face.
"Ermm…" Ron mumbled, desperately trying to find something to say.
Luna looked bemused. She didn't seem to know what to say either.
They stood there, staring at each other for a minute, lost for words.
"Maybe we should go back inside," Ron said quietly, finally breaking the disturbing silence.
"Oh…all right…" Luna whispered.
So they both started walking slowly back to the Hogwarts castle, glancing at each other along the way. And even though neither one of them said anything, Ron knew everything was different now. Luna, who Ron didn't even really consider a friend before, was now something more than a friend. It all sounded crazy of course…after all, this was Luna Lovegood he was talking about. There was something about the girl though…and Ron couldn't deny that.
When Ron and Luna finally got back inside, the corridors were flooded with students. It appeared that the Christmas Dance was over, and now everyone was heading back to their dormitories, chatting excitedly about all the fun they had had.
Ron and Luna continued to walk with the crowd until they reached the Gryffindor common room.
Luna turned to Ron and smiled. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Ronald" she said and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned around and starting walking in the opposite direction. Ron watched her until she disappeared around a corner and out of sight.
He sighed and smiled to himself.
Then he gave the password to the 'Fat Lady' painting and climbed through the portrait hole that led to the common room.
Inside he found Harry and Hermione sitting on the couch together, looking extremely cozy, but their coziness was interrupted when they saw Ron.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"
"Yeah," Harry added, "You've been gone for hours."
"I was with Luna," Ron simply said.
Hermione looked shocked. "Doing what?"
Ron smiled to himself again just thinking about it.
"Oh, let's just say we went on a little moonlit stroll…" he answered.
And with that, he walked across the room and disappeared up the staircase, leaving Harry and Hermione both surprised and dumbfounded.
THE END