Author's Note: Possibly the worst chapter i've ever written :s and the shortest, i got such bad writers block. i was totally stuck with where to go but i ploughed on anyway. major thanks to sckl13 who keeps me writing always :D
enjoy...review...:)
Ron & Cho
Hogwarts was certainly coming up trumps with parties this year, there were an unusually high amount scheduled. It was less than three full weeks since the last party and there was another one coming up. This however was slightly strange for the time of year. It was a Hogwarts version of a Garden Party (so a Grounds Party) taking place around the lake, with a Barbeque and live music and swimming. Ron was planning to go with Cho, Hannah, Roger and a few others then meet back at their house for an after party. I could get used to this life. He thought happily to himself. He and Cho got in from having a late lunch out on Saturday, where she'd helped him with his homework and he'd helped her do some more organising for her committee.
"I'm going upstairs to get ready Ron."
"Cho, you have hours. Why the rush?"
"No rush." She smiled playfully, "I just don't want to risk not looking perfect."
"You always look perfect." He told her gently. She giggled and ran upstairs, but not before he'd caught the happy shine in her eyes.
When Cho was finally ready she wore a delicate knee length blue dress and a cardigan with her hair held back with a hair band.
"Oh help, I don't know how I'm going to carry all of this. I've got swimming things, a change of clothes in case the dress is too much, a handbag of things I might need for the party, a coat and some sensible shoes for walking home and…" She trailed off looking sheepishly at Ron, "You think I've over packed?"
"You always over pack. You need a man bag."
"A what?" Cho spluttered
"Well," Ron explained. "It's where you have too much stuff and not enough bags that you can carry, so you give it all to the man you're with to carry either on his person or in his bag and he becomes your man bag. You see?" Cho burst out laughing and allowed Ron to pack her many changes of outfit into his rucksack.
Draco & Hermione
"Mrs G, I told you that you wouldn't be able to walk in those shoes." Draco's voice was running out of patience as he waited for the fifth time that walk for her to catch up.
"Oh I know! And now we're going to be late." She moaned. He looked at her getting more and more frazzled and simply linked arms with her.
"We wont be late, don't worry." Hermione beamed at him, it was such a little gesture but coming from Draco that meant a lot.
When they drew nearer the party both of them dropped their arms and became awkward, Hermione saw Pansy coming the direction and went to go meet the Patil twins, but Draco caught her arm,
"Maybe you could come and say hi later?"
"Maybe you could come over to me?" Hermione suggested,
"Sure, maybe. And I'll erm…come and get me when you want to walk home." Hermione nodded and scuttled off to Padma and Parvati.
Hermione and the twins had just finished getting changed when Harry and Luna arrived; they waved them over to join with them and the boys and were about to go in the water.
"You coming in Luna?" Hermione asked,
"Yeah, I think so." Luna looked nice in skinny jeans and a printed top of her own design, with a long cardigan. Hermione thought she looked very happy next to Harry though they both still seemed a little shy of each other,
"Come on. Harry too." Hermione declared so loudly that neither could refuse. So both of them removed their clothes down to their swimsuits and the twins, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, Harry and Luna all slipped into the chilly water. Hermione ignored the looks of distaste she was getting from Pansy, who had a possessive hand on Draco's arm,
"I can't believe they are actually swimming. It was meant to be a joke." She iterated, expecting Draco to laugh in the same way Crabbe and Goyle did but instead he just looked away. Hermione heard the remark drift towards her across the lake and just snorted, muttering under her breath. She noticed Harry beckoning to her and swam to him nervously, remembering the argument they had.
"Hi."
"Just ignore her she's not worth it." Hermione realised he didn't want to hold a grudge and smiled warmly,
"Thanks. What about him though? Is he worth it?" She asked, nodding towards where Ron and Cho were getting changed to go in swimming right round the other side of the lake. Harry shrugged,
"Don't know. Guess we'll find out sooner or later eh?"
Harry & Luna
Harry enjoyed swimming with Luna, diving under the water and grabbing her legs, pulling her off the bank when she was getting out, making her laugh more than he'd ever heard her laugh before; Luna generally was a quiet reserved person. But he wasn't the only one that evening who noticed that she came out of her shell around him, it gave him a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Eventually the smell of the food became too strong and they both got out of the lake reluctantly, being practically the last people left in there. Harry changed hurriedly and dashed off to the barbeque in time to hand Luna her hotdog the second she was dressed; noticing the effort Luna smiled widely
"Thanks Harry." He was spellbound by the radiance of her smile and reached out to give her an impulsive hug.
"Any time." He whispered in her ear, and he felt his stomach turn over as she whispered back,
"Hold me." Harry let his arm tighten around her waist and felt her lean into his chest with a contented smile. He knew he shouldn't push her but he couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was the night.
Ron & Cho
Ron smiled, perhaps a little dreamily, as he watched Cho laughing while she pulled her wet hair back into a bun.
"She's pretty darn hot isn't she?" Roger muttered to him. Ron felt awkward, the only person he'd ever talked to about girls was Harry.
"Yea…she's…yea." Roger raised an eyebrow,
"You do know you're lucky. No guy has been able to even touch her since Diggory-" He looked upset that he had mentioned his friend's name, but seemingly forced himself to continue, "Since he died. What did you do?" Ron thought about it and looked straight at Roger,
"I was there for her when she needed someone." He told him honestly, and in that moment he knew it was true.
Cho turned to Ron and flashed her killer smile, walking towards him confidently. Ron ruffled his hair self consciously before returning her warm hug. On impulse he bent his head next to hers and gave her a peck on the cheek; Cho blushed crimson. But not so much as Ron, who was shocked how much he loved the feel of her soft, smooth skin against his lips. She smiled though and kept her arm hooked through his as the music started up.
"You two just have to dance together." Hannah Abbott announced perhaps a tad too loudly. Ron glanced furtively at Harry and Hermione now watching him sceptically. He was about to reply when Cho smiled at Hannah and gave an airy laugh,
"Oh I'll insist that Ron dances with me only if you and Roger dance first." Cho challenged, and Ron smiled down at her. She knew exactly how to handle things, to regain control, making people laugh to fill the awkward silence that would have been.
Several slow songs later and Hannah was dancing with Roger, giving meaningful looks to Cho who was looking down at the floor embarrassedly. Ron cleared his throat and then took Cho's hand gently; he bent his head to whisper in her ear,
"We've danced before." As his other hand encircled her waste she breathed back,
"I remember. It was nice." Her soft breath tickled his neck and Ron let his eyes drift shut. They began to sway in time with the music, so intimate that somehow he managed to forget about everyone else. All he could do was feel Cho, her warmth, her soft hand in his, her breath on his shoulder, hair on his cheek. He felt his stomach tie itself in a knot as he tried to tell her,
"Cho I- I …the way I feel about you…" She looked up from his shoulder, her eyes blazing into his and suddenly he couldn't continue, her light was dazzling "Cho…I…"
"Shh." She put a finger to his lips, a half smile playing on her face. Then without warning she tilted her head upwards, lips on lips, and as she kissed him something inside Ron roared with triumph.