"Awright 'Mione! Pay up," Ron bellowed, swaggering into the small office and throwing himself into a chair behind a desk.
Hermione was also sitting at a desk in the small bullpen of the auror office at the Ministry. Her wild bushy hair was barely visible over a large stack of paperwork mounting her desk.
"What?!" squealed Hermione, as her head popped up from behind the mountainous papers.
"That's right," Ron grinned, kicking his boots up to rest on his bare desk, "Caught Dolohov this afternoon."
"Mate, really?" Harry piped up from his desk behind Ron's, some of the other aurors were looking at Ron with surprise.
"I highly doubt that," Hermione snapped with a scowl, "You have done zero preparation, whereas I know his entire family history. You've probably caught the wrong wizard, again."
Ron stood up with a smirk, strutting over to Hermione's desk. "You're just mad that brawn beat brains, Granger," he crowed, flexing a bicep for good measure. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I don't believe it, Ronald." Hermione said stubbornly, staring him down across her desk. Harry sat at his desk, watching the showdown from a safe distance. His two friends were always bickering over the best approach to take as an auror, and as a result, wound up wildly competing with each other.
A scorching silence had fallen over the auror's office as the two friends remained still, Hermione shooting daggers at Ron. A gloating smile crawled its way over Ron's face and he rummaged in a pocket, producing a crumpled paper. He slapped it down on top of the stack on Hermione's desk, his smile broadening.
"The arrest report, confirming that one infamous Death Eater was booked today by Ronald Weasley."
Hermione read the slip of paper, paling as her scowl deepened. Ron clapped his hands together triumphantly.
"So!" he grinned "One memory of my choosing, thanks!"
Hermione groaned loudly, crossing her arms angrily at her stupidity for entering the dumb bet with Ron in the first place.
"Fine," Hermione sighed, admitting defeat to her best friend.
"Whattaya gonna pick, Ron?" Harry chirped, leaning forward at his desk in interest. Ron looked thoughtful for a moment before a sly grin broke out on his face.
"Well, Harry," Ron said deliberately, moving to pace theatrically around the auror desks, "Do you remember the case I had where I had to work the Quidditch World Cup?"
"Who doesn't," Hermione said darkly, gesturing at the walls of the office plastered in photos of an enthusiastic Ron posing with various quidditch heroes. Ron turned to smile conspiratorially at Hermione.
"Well, one day I made a joke about Krum kissing you at the Yule Ball…" Ron said, clasping his hands behind his back like a professor, "You know, the famous story of Hermione's first kiss."
Harry nodded, he was familiar with the story. The trio had shared stories of their first kisses many times over the years. Hermione paled.
"Funny thing is… He said you didn't kiss that night," Ron said, pacing down the office again before wheeling to face Hermione, "In fact, he said he never kissed you at all!"
"'Mione?" Harry asked, surprised. Hermione was standing very stiffly, with an unreadable expression on her face.
"I want to claim that memory as part of our deal," Ron finished smugly. Further to Harry's surprise, Hermione turned a dark beet red.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, his mouth hanging open a little at this new mystery, "Who was it? Why did you lie?"
Ron came to lean against Harry's desk, "I reckon it must be someone either really embarrassing… Like Neville, or Malfoy…"
Hermione blushed even darker and the boys chuckled, even more curious now.
"Say it isn't Crabbe, 'Mione," Harry said with an amused grin. Hermione glared at him.
"Snape?" Ron proposed ridiculously, Hermione snorted and crossed her arms again.
"Alright, lets have it," Harry said, standing up from his desk. Hermione shot him another glare for his enthusiasm in ganging up with Ron. She stiffly moved her wand up to her temple, pulling a silver thread of memory from it before depositing it in an empty glass on her desk. She clutched it in her hands before storming across the room and pushing it hard into Ron's chest.
"Congratulations," she hissed between gritted teeth, before storming out of the office.
"Oooh, this is gonna be good!" Ron giggled, unfazed, galloping over to the office pensieve with Harry. They tipped the memory in before plunging their heads into the large basin.
With a sudden woosh, Ron and Harry found themselves in the entrance way of Hogwarts, which was garishly decorated for Christmas.
"Cripes," Ron murmured, running a hand through his tangled ginger locks as he looked around the pre-war Hogwarts. Harry elbowed him in the side with a hoot of laughter and he turned to see a mop-haired, gangly teen Ron barge out of the Great Hall. Teen Ron was wearing a hideous set of dress robes, complete with frills.
"God those were dreadful," Ron groaned at his teen self, scratching his beard. He was a far cry from his teen self now. Harry and Ron were now in their mid-twenties. Since the war they had both filled out, now with broad shoulders and muscle mass. Ron now had a short ginger beard and Harry often sported bristles across his handsome face.
A teen Hermione stormed out of the Hall after Ron, looking stunning in her periwinkle gown and sleek hair.
"What is your problem, Ron?!" Hermione shrieked at the fresh faced teen Ron. Teen Ron whirled around, balling his hands into fists before bellowing at her about going to the ball with Krum.
Ron cringed and glanced at Harry, who looked surprised. "Yeah… I may have had a crush on her back then," Ron explained, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Eventually Hermione burst into tears and took off down a hallway. Harry and Ron took chase, falling into step behind Hermione.
"I mean so far this seems exactly like the story she told us about Krum," Harry said quizzically to Ron, "Maybe Krum lied to you?"
"I dunno, 'Mione had a pretty big reaction in the office just before," Ron said, unconvinced.
Eventually Hermione stopped and leant against a wall adorned in tinsel, wiping her eyes sadly.
"You used to be a real prat at times," Harry said, feeling a surge of sympathy for the sniffling Hermione in front of them.
"Hey, Hermione," a familiar voice called out and a stumbling Neville clopped down the hallway and up to Hermione, "You okay?"
"I bloody knew it!" Ron hissed, nudging Harry. But Hermione simply pulled a fake smile on her face and nodded at Neville, who promptly continued clopping clumsily down the hallway in the direction of the Great Hall.
Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks, and shuffled awkwardly as they watched Hermione sniffle alone for several minutes.
"Maybe this is meant to be a guilt trip?" Harry suggested. Ron frowned awkwardly.
"Well, its bloody working!" he said, rubbing the back of his neck again as teen Hermione continued to sadly lean against the wall, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Bonsoir," a melodic voice called out in a French lilt, and out of the shadows emerged a radiant young Fleur Delacour. Her silver-blonde hair was loose around her and she was wearing an elegant silver gown.
"Oh… hi…" Hermione said weakly, wiping her eyes even more furiously as Fleur approached her.
"'Ermione Granger, correct?" Fleur inquired, coming to stand in front of Hermione. Hermione looked thoroughly intimidated.
"Y-yeah," she stammered.
"What eez wrong?" Fleur asked, cocking her head to one side. It was strange to hear Fleur with a thick accent again, Harry and Ron were now used to the extremely fluent English that modern-day Fleur spoke in.
"Just… Viktor told me he had only taken me to the Ball to make his ex jealous," Hermione said tearily, "And now one of my best friends will barely talk to me for going to the ball with Viktor, and won't even let me explain! I feel so unwanted."
"Zat is ridicule," Fleur said with uncharacteristic warmth, "'Oo would not want ze smartest witch in 'Ogwarts?"
"How do you know I'm smart?" Hermione sniffled, wiping more tears from her eyes but looking curious.
"I 'ave admired you from afar," Fleur said airily, flipping her sheet of silver-blonde over her shoulder. Hermione blushed.
"Admired?" she said croakily.
"Oui," Fleur replied, flashing a stunning smile, "In fact I was tres désappointé when Viktor beat me to asking you to ze ball,"
"Y-you… someone like you would ask someone like me to the Ball?" Hermione stuttered, blushing again.
Harry and Ron stood silently, their mouths beginning to hang open.
Fleur flipped her hair again and smiled coyly at Hermione, "Oui, but per'aps I can settle for asking you to oblige me…"
Hermione looked quizzically at Fleur. Fleur nodded above their heads where there was a bobbing magical mistletoe. Hermione blushed again, before nodding with stunned enthusiasm.
Fleur raised an elegant hand to Hermione's face, wiping away the last of her tears.
"Belle," Fleur said softly. Her hand moved from Hermione's face to behind Hermione's neck, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Hermione's hands found their way to Fleur's hips before wrapping her arms around Fleur's petite waist, drawing her in to kiss her more deeply.
All of a sudden, Ron and Harry were ripped from the memory and back in the auror's office.
"Blimey," Harry said, reeling at what they had just seen, "I guess that explains her secrecy around the whole thing…"
There was only a faint gurgling sound in response. Ron was bright purple, rendered just as speechless and bumbling as he had been as a teen.