"Then pluck up the courage to ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"
With those words Ron and Harry scampered up the stairs, leaving Hermione to plop down and push her shoes off, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
A figure sat down on the stairs next to her, gently took one of her feet and drew it onto his lap. Almost tenderly he started rubbing it, massaging some feeling back into it.
"Shouldn't wear shoes like those. Specially not for dancing."
"Can't exactly wear my school shoes with this dress." she managed, sniffing. A handkerchief was offered and accepted.
"You look beautiful no matter what you wear."
"Fred you shouldn't say things like that to me."
"Why? Because my idiot brother has laid claim to you?"
She chuckled through her tears. He could always make her laugh. "He hasn't. He only realised I was a girl a few weeks ago."
"Well we all know he's a plonker."
"You shouldn't be so mean to him."
"I'm his brother, it's my job."
She laughed and he grinned. "I shouldn't have gone with Victor tonight."
"Certainly changed Ron's opinion of him." Fred drew her other foot onto his lap and started massaging it.
"That feels nice. Looked like you had fun out there tonight."
"So did you, until Ickle Ronnikins ruined it all."
"I mean, shouldn't you be spending time with your date?"
Fred looked down, concentrating on her feet. "You weren't the only ones fighting tonight."
"Oh. You want to talk about it?"
"Not really. It's resolved anyway. She got pissy that I spent more time admiring you in your dress than her in hers."
Hermione opened and shut her mouth a few times, unsure of how to answer that.
Fred looked up and smiled. "Have I made you uncomfortable again?"
"A little. Why is it that all of a sudden a host of guys are paying attention to me?"
"Maybe they're only just now noticing what I've known for years."
"Which is?"
"That you're beautiful all the way through. Outside and in. Everyone knows you're smart but you can be funny too. You're brave and loyal, a true Gryffindor. Sure you're a stickler for the rules but even you have been known to break a few now and then."
Hermione chuckled, blushing deeply.
"Tonight you really are Cinderella. You know, your big entrance on these stairs ruined the punchline of one of my jokes."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. You were so stunning that you rendered me speechless."
"Now that is an achievement."
He laughed.
"Wait. You know about Cinderella? But that's a muggle thing."
Fred shrugged. "I took Muggle Studies."
From high above them the big clock struck the hour. Fred reached round Hermione, took her shoes and slipped them onto her feet.
"Cinderella needs her slippers back." he said, smirking. He moved her legs off his lap and stood up, holding out a hand to help her up.
Smiling she took it and stood up too. "Thank you Fred, you always make me feel better."
Grinning he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Still hovering over her hand he looked up and met her eyes. "You are my reason to smile."