Chapter 12

Ron looked at himself in the full-length mirror. His new grey and dark blue dress robes certainly looked better than the old ones he was forced to wear to the Yule Ball back in his fourth year, but his upgraded attired didn't make him feel any better. Hermione hadn't spoken to him since she had told him that she needed time and it had been three days. Ron told himself that he would give her as much time as she needed, but after the first day of the silent treatment, Ron tried to get her to talk to him and she wouldn't budge. A few times he tried just talking to her, but it was more like talking at her, since she never seemed to be paying attention. No matter how many times he said "I love you," to her she would always walk away from him as if he had said nothing at all. Ron knew that he deserved the silent treatment, but it didn't make it any easier.

"You ready?" Harry asked, coming up behind him.

"I'm not going," Ron stated as he began to pull off his dress robes and throw them on the floor.

"You can't not go. This dinner is the whole reason McGonagall invited us here in the first place."

"And what am I supposed to do the whole time? Sit around and be miserable while you Ginny are off snogging in the corner?"

"We won't be snogging in the corner."

"Well, whatever. You two will be off in your little world and I'll be stuck all by myself wallowing in my own misery."

Harry sighed and sat down on his bed.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I haven't exactly…been there for you these past few days." And he was right. Since had and Ginny had become engaged, they started spending more and more time together and Ron had been spending more and more time alone.

"It's not your fault, Harry. I'm the one who got myself into this in the first place. Me and my ego."

"Look, Ron, I know…I know it can't always have been easy for you being my best mate and all. But I want you to know that I never once went looking to become…famous. I don't even think I am famous, but apparently everyone else thinks I am. And I never once thought that I was any better than you and…"

"What are you going on about, Harry? Do you think…I'm jealous of you?"

"Well, no, I just…"

Ron started to laugh out loud for what felt like the first time in a long time.

"Trust me, Harry, I wouldn't want to be you," he said after regaining his composure.

"Well, thanks, Ron," Harry replied, not sure how to take Ron's statement.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean that as a bad thing, but like I already said, none of this was your fault. Ginny was right – I like attention. I just never realized how much that can hurt the people around me. And trust me, you'll never find me being flattered by Jackie or any other woman again."

"You should tell all that to Hermione."

"If only she'd let me," Ron said, sitting down beside Harry.

"Well, as far as going to the dinner and sitting around and being miserable is concerned, I think that's the best thing you can do."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Harry."

"Well, the more miserable you are, the more Hermione will see that you're missing her."

Ron contemplated Harry's suggestion for a moment. What he said did make sense, but that didn't mean that he wanted to go.

"I'm still not going," Ron insisted.

"You're going."

Harry stood up and began his descent down the ladder. Ron groaned as he pulled his robes back on.

In the girl's guest room, Ginny quickly applied a bright red lipstick to her lips. She covered the lipstick and dabbed her lips with a tissue to get off some of the excess. She knew that Harry wouldn't appreciate it if he was covered in lipstick by the end of the night.

"You look beautiful," Hermione complimented, pushing aside the red drapes that surrounded her bed. Ginny looked back at her, smiling.

"I thought you weren't going," Ginny said, noticing that Hermione was dressed in a beautiful, strapless black, floor-length gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was expertly curled in small ringlets that framed her face beautifully.

"Mind if I borrow some of your makeup?" Hermione asked, standing up and walking over to Ginny.

Ginny handed over her small, green makeup bag. Hermione began to dig through it and took out some eye shadow.

"What made you change your mind?" Ginny asked as Hermione attempted to apply the eye shadow to her eyes without poking her actual eyeball. She never did understand why women put themselves through putting on makeup. In Hermione's opinion, makeup was just another form of torture, but she also knew that tonight was different and she was going to make it as special as possible.

"I figured your brother has squirmed enough over the past few days."

Ginny stared at Hermione, her mouth gaping open.

"So, you mean, all this time you've just been…playing with him?"

"Well, yes and no."

"Here, let me help you," Ginny offered, knowing Hermione knew little about makeup. Ginny grabbed the eye shadow from Hermione and began to apply it for her.

"I mean, I was upset," Hermione continued. "I still sort of am, but not being with him over these past few days made me realize how much I miss him. And I have never seen Ron so determined to do something than when he was trying to get me to talk to him. If only he concentrated so hard on his studies as he did on that when we were in school."

Ginny giggled as she put the eye shadow away and pulled out a tube of cover-up.

"You are a sly woman, Ms. Hermione Granger."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Hermione said, smiling. "Besides, seeing the look on Ron's face every time I basically ignored him told me all I needed to know."

"I told you he loved you."

"I know," Hermione replied. "And now I know for sure."
Ginny pulled out a tube of mascara.

"Close your eyes," she instructed.

"What is that thing?" Hermione asked.

"It's mascara. Now close your eyes."

"What if you poke my eye out?" Hermione practically shrieked.

"Hermione, you've faced the darkest magic in the world, but you can't handle a little mascara? Stop being such a baby."

Hermione closed her eyes as Ginny brushed her lashes with the mascara.

"Ron better appreciate this," Hermione mumbled.

"Let me tell you, Ron is going to all but fall over when he sees you. Especially in that dress."

"I don't think Harry'll be staying on his feet, either when he sees you," Hermione said, as she opened her eyes and looked at Ginny's beautiful, knee-length red dress.

"We've got some lucky boyfriends," Ginny joked, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"If only they realized just how lucky they are," Hermione responded, laughing.

Author's Note:

I know this one is a little shorter than my chapters usually are, but this one just kind of spilled out very quickly and I liked how it turned out. Only one more chapter left!