Chapter 4: An unexpected invitation
Ron climbed in through the Portrait hole the morning after he had comforted Hermione to find her sitting alone in a big squishy couch.
"Hi Hermione" said Ron as he sat down next to her.
"Oh, Hi Ron" said Hermione not looking up from the thick book she held in her lap.
"Whats that?" Ron asked, trying to get hermione to talk to him rather than stare at her book. Hermione looked up from her book with a sigh "Its recommended reading for Transfiguration". Ron stared at Hermione with his mouth open for a second "Hermione! Christmas holidays start in three days! you have heaps of time then to do your homework!".
Hermione glared at Ron coldly and said "I know that Ron! I just wanted to get a head start".
"Well wouldn't you rather play chess with the best friend you're not going to see for all of next week?" he asked teasingly. Hermione looked up quickly from her book "Why am i not going to see you for all of next week?" she asked in surprise.
"I'm going home for christmas. Didn't you know?" Ron replied innocently.
"No RON! I didn't know!" said hermione her voice rising slightly.
"I was sure I told you. Well, Hermione, I'm going home for Christmas" said Ron.
Hermione angrily closed her book and put it on the table in front of them. Turning her body so she was facing him she said "And why would you be going home for christmas?".
"I haven't had christmas with my family in years, and bill and charlie are trying to get time off work to come back for the holidays" said ron "plus i don't want to go to the ball".
"Oh Ron! Thats just stupid. Balls are a lot of fun, You should come to the ball!" replied hermione.
"No. I'm not being stupid!" said Ron childishly "And I don't want to go to a stupid ball".
"Balls aren't stupid! They are a lot of Fun!" said Hermione angrily.
"Fun! Yeah right!" retorted Ron.
"You just haven't had fun at one yet! You won't dance, you don't want to socialise, you stood and watched all night last year instead of enjoying yourself!" said hermione stubbornly.
"And i don't want to do it again!" replied Ron.
"Just give it another go Ron!" said hermione almost pleadingly.
"No" replied Ron
"Please?" asked hermione
"No! I'm not going and that is final!" yelled Ron getting angry.
"well Fine!" yelled Hermione at Ron who was now standing opposite her in the gryffindor common room.
"Yeah Fine then!" Replied Ron with obvious anger in his voice.
"I'm leaving now!" raged Hermione as she turned on her heel and walked towards to the stairs to the girls dormitories.
"You do that then! Walk Away!" yelled Ron at her retreating back. Coming out of his rage, Ron shook himself mentally and looked around at the crowd of people which had formed in the common Room to watch the argument. "What? Have you never seen a fight before?" he asked of the crowd as he broke his way through and began to ascend the stairs to his dormitory.
Flopping on his bed, Ron buried his head in his pillow. "Why does she always get to me?" he thought outloud.
"Because you care what she thinks" came the unexpected reply from the doorway as Harry entered the room.
"Ron, What was the fight about this time?" asked harry resignedly as he sank onto his own bed.
"What? you didn't hear?" asked ron sarcastically. Lifting his face from his pillow Ron looked at his best friend for confirmation before continuing. "She Asked me why i was going home for christmas and not staying for the Yule Ball this year". Groaning loudly Ron dropped his head back into his pillow.
"Oh" was all harry could get out while he tried desperately to stifle his smile. "So how did you end up fighting over THAT?" asked harry once he had regained his composure.
"Hermione thought that i should go to the ball rather than going home. I said i didn't want to go to some stupid ball and we started arguing over whether balls are stupid or not!" said ron into his pillow.
"Well, Ron, Balls aren't always stupid. Last year wasn't really very exciting but i think that this year will be much much better.." said harry wistfully.
Raising his head from the pillow again Ron said in exasperation "Harry! Why would it be so much better this year? I'll go and watch everyone dance, eat, drink and go to bed early".
"like you did last year" said harry from where he was lying on his bed. "So ask someone you actually want to take to the ball!" said harry as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.
"Yeah. Where do i find someone who would go with me?" asked Ron as he let his head fall into the pillow again. "Well you could ask Hermione.." said harry hesitantly not sure what Ron's reaction to this would be.
Ron raised his head from the pillow once more and sat up on his bed. "And why do you think she would go with me?" he asked of his best friend, Curiosity obviously getting the better of him.
"Well, I don't know Ron. She hasn't been asked by anyone else, and she did say 'Next year, don't ask me as a last resort'" replied harry as he rolled over onto his stomach to look at his best friend "Its up to you of course though".
Ron flopped back onto his bed again with a sigh. "Harry. Balls are stupid!" said ron Vehemently "Now you're trying to make me go to it as well!".
Harry rolled his eyes heavenward and said "Geez Ron, I just want you to come along and have some fun. Missing all of the Christmas holidays just because you don't want to go to the ball is really stupid".
Ron rolled to his feet and said "I'm not going! ok! and thats final!" he almost yelled as he moved towards the door again.
"Whatever you say ron. But Christmas is just not going to be the same without you" said harry as Ron disappeared out the door.
~~~
Ron's temper had cooled considerably as he had made his way through the castle to the main doors. He was almost sorry for arguing with Harry and Hermione. Harry was partially right, Christmas wasn't going to be the same if he wasn't spending it here at hogwarts, but maybe it would be better because he didn't have to attend the stupid ball.
Smiling wryly to himself, Ron stepped out into the cold winter air. For the first time in weeks it wasn't snowing and the the wind had stopped. The air was still and cold and the sun hung just above the horizon over the lake. There was one other person out obviously using the break in the bad weather to take a walk as well.
Ron started to walk in the same direction as the lone figure who appeared to be heading towards the lake. As he got closer he was surprised to find that he could tell from a distance that it was Hermione.
Ron stopped and looked, trying to pick what had alerted him to the fact that it was hermione. Her hair was covered with a woollen beanie and her black woolen robes were the same cut and colour as everybody elses. It clicked that it was the way she was standing that made him so sure it was her. Shrugging to himself Ron continued in the direction of Hermione, grabbing a handful of snow on the way.
He walked quietly, forming his handful of snow into a snowball, until he was about 10 metres from hermione. Preparing to throw his snowball, Ron was attacked from behind by an angry animated snowman.
"Hey!" shouted Ron as the snowman exploded into a shower of snow and covered him from head to foot in snow and water.
"Don't try and sneak up on me" said Hermione as she turned around to view Ron standing drenched behind her.
Ron opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times "But how..?" he asked as he tried to formulate his question.
"As i said, don't try and sneak up behind me. I know from a mile away when you're near" She said as she aimed her wand to perform a drying charm on Ron.
Ron looked at Hermione in shock for a moment or two before closing his mouth and swallowing noticeably.
"Hermione. I just came out to say sorry for yelling at you. Balls probably aren't stupid. I just don't enjoy them" Ron said in a rush not knowing why he was apologizing, that hadn't been his aim at all.
"Its alright Ron" said hermione as she returned to her contemplation of the sunset "I have fun at them and i just don't want you to miss out because of one bad experience".
"Well how do you know that any other experience would be any better than last years?" Ron asked as he moved to stand next to hermione looking out over the lake and the sunset. They stood staring at the sunset for a long time in a comfortable silence before Hermione answered "You just have to take someone you know you'll have fun with Ron". Ron sighed audibly and said "That's what Harry said too". Hermione just smiled in response and returned her gaze to the lowering sun.
They stood side by side for a few more minutes watching as the sun quickly sank beneath the horizon.
When the sun had finally set they turned to walk back to the school building and Ron broke the comfortable silence which had developed again and resumed the conversation "So who are you going with then?".
Hermione shrugged and said "No-one. Nobody has asked me who i think i would have fun with".
"Hermione! the dance is in 3 days! Why haven't you taken up any of the offers i've been hearing about for the last week?" Ron asked in surprise as they climbed the steps to the castle.
"Oh honestly Ron! I don't want to go with Neville this year, he hasn't got the courage to ask Joanne from the 4th year who he really wants to take, he was just asking me because its easier than working up the courage to ask her" hermione said as she stopped to dry her feet at the bottom of the stairs "And well all the others i barely know and don't want to spend a whole night making small talk with and dancing uncomfortably with".
"So you'll just go alone then?" Ron asked as they walked up a flight of stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.
"I guess so. It'll be fun anyway i'm sure" said Hermione in what seemed to be a cheerful voice even though her smile appeared somewhat forced.
"Hermione? Do you want to go to the dance with me?" asked Ron as they reached the entry to the common room. Ron realised after he had said it, what he had said. It had just seemed a natural progression of the conversation and he hadn't even thought about it. "As friends i mean?" he said as his ears turned bright red.
"But Ron! Your going home!" said hermione as they stopped walking.
"I can change that if you want" said Ron with a shrug.
"You're sure about this?" asked hermione again uncertainly.
"Geez hermione! just answer the question" said Ron irritably.
"Ron. Settle down. I would like to go with you if you want to go to some stupid ball" said hermione teasingly before she gave the password to the fat lady.
"Hermione you are making me regret asking you to this stupid ball already" said Ron jokingly as they climbed through into the Gryffindor common room.
"I think you'll change your mind on how stupid balls are by the end of Saturday night" said hermione as she moved towards where Harry and Ginny were sitting on a couch near the fire.
Rolling his eyes, Ron followed Hermione to where the other two were sitting.
"You two are alone together and we didn't hear your arguments from a mile away? Are you alright?" teased Harry while Hermione and Ron settled into armchairs.
"So hermione, which lucky guy had stolen you from us for the night of the ball?" asked Ginny and got a warning glance from Harry. "Gin, Do you want to spark the stupid ball debate again?" he asked in an exaggerated whisper so that Hermione and Ron heard him clearly.
Hermione answered Ginny's question with "Its a surprise" and Ron said "Balls are so stupid" at the same time. Ron tried to glare at hermione and she was trying to glare at him, however the corners of their mouths both twitched and they burst out laughing, much to the astonishment of Harry and Ginny.
"Did we miss something?" asked ginny as she looked from one to the other.
"No nothing" gasped ron as he tried to regain his composure.
"I have to go send an owl" said Ron as he stood up, still red in the face from laughing.
"I'll come with you" said hermione as she also stood up "I have to send off my application for Wizarding World Wide Magazine" she said as she summoned it from her dormitory.
"Ok lets go then. We'll meet you guys at dinner ok?" Ron said as he started to walk away.
Ron climbed in through the Portrait hole the morning after he had comforted Hermione to find her sitting alone in a big squishy couch.
"Hi Hermione" said Ron as he sat down next to her.
"Oh, Hi Ron" said Hermione not looking up from the thick book she held in her lap.
"Whats that?" Ron asked, trying to get hermione to talk to him rather than stare at her book. Hermione looked up from her book with a sigh "Its recommended reading for Transfiguration". Ron stared at Hermione with his mouth open for a second "Hermione! Christmas holidays start in three days! you have heaps of time then to do your homework!".
Hermione glared at Ron coldly and said "I know that Ron! I just wanted to get a head start".
"Well wouldn't you rather play chess with the best friend you're not going to see for all of next week?" he asked teasingly. Hermione looked up quickly from her book "Why am i not going to see you for all of next week?" she asked in surprise.
"I'm going home for christmas. Didn't you know?" Ron replied innocently.
"No RON! I didn't know!" said hermione her voice rising slightly.
"I was sure I told you. Well, Hermione, I'm going home for Christmas" said Ron.
Hermione angrily closed her book and put it on the table in front of them. Turning her body so she was facing him she said "And why would you be going home for christmas?".
"I haven't had christmas with my family in years, and bill and charlie are trying to get time off work to come back for the holidays" said ron "plus i don't want to go to the ball".
"Oh Ron! Thats just stupid. Balls are a lot of fun, You should come to the ball!" replied hermione.
"No. I'm not being stupid!" said Ron childishly "And I don't want to go to a stupid ball".
"Balls aren't stupid! They are a lot of Fun!" said Hermione angrily.
"Fun! Yeah right!" retorted Ron.
"You just haven't had fun at one yet! You won't dance, you don't want to socialise, you stood and watched all night last year instead of enjoying yourself!" said hermione stubbornly.
"And i don't want to do it again!" replied Ron.
"Just give it another go Ron!" said hermione almost pleadingly.
"No" replied Ron
"Please?" asked hermione
"No! I'm not going and that is final!" yelled Ron getting angry.
"well Fine!" yelled Hermione at Ron who was now standing opposite her in the gryffindor common room.
"Yeah Fine then!" Replied Ron with obvious anger in his voice.
"I'm leaving now!" raged Hermione as she turned on her heel and walked towards to the stairs to the girls dormitories.
"You do that then! Walk Away!" yelled Ron at her retreating back. Coming out of his rage, Ron shook himself mentally and looked around at the crowd of people which had formed in the common Room to watch the argument. "What? Have you never seen a fight before?" he asked of the crowd as he broke his way through and began to ascend the stairs to his dormitory.
Flopping on his bed, Ron buried his head in his pillow. "Why does she always get to me?" he thought outloud.
"Because you care what she thinks" came the unexpected reply from the doorway as Harry entered the room.
"Ron, What was the fight about this time?" asked harry resignedly as he sank onto his own bed.
"What? you didn't hear?" asked ron sarcastically. Lifting his face from his pillow Ron looked at his best friend for confirmation before continuing. "She Asked me why i was going home for christmas and not staying for the Yule Ball this year". Groaning loudly Ron dropped his head back into his pillow.
"Oh" was all harry could get out while he tried desperately to stifle his smile. "So how did you end up fighting over THAT?" asked harry once he had regained his composure.
"Hermione thought that i should go to the ball rather than going home. I said i didn't want to go to some stupid ball and we started arguing over whether balls are stupid or not!" said ron into his pillow.
"Well, Ron, Balls aren't always stupid. Last year wasn't really very exciting but i think that this year will be much much better.." said harry wistfully.
Raising his head from the pillow again Ron said in exasperation "Harry! Why would it be so much better this year? I'll go and watch everyone dance, eat, drink and go to bed early".
"like you did last year" said harry from where he was lying on his bed. "So ask someone you actually want to take to the ball!" said harry as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.
"Yeah. Where do i find someone who would go with me?" asked Ron as he let his head fall into the pillow again. "Well you could ask Hermione.." said harry hesitantly not sure what Ron's reaction to this would be.
Ron raised his head from the pillow once more and sat up on his bed. "And why do you think she would go with me?" he asked of his best friend, Curiosity obviously getting the better of him.
"Well, I don't know Ron. She hasn't been asked by anyone else, and she did say 'Next year, don't ask me as a last resort'" replied harry as he rolled over onto his stomach to look at his best friend "Its up to you of course though".
Ron flopped back onto his bed again with a sigh. "Harry. Balls are stupid!" said ron Vehemently "Now you're trying to make me go to it as well!".
Harry rolled his eyes heavenward and said "Geez Ron, I just want you to come along and have some fun. Missing all of the Christmas holidays just because you don't want to go to the ball is really stupid".
Ron rolled to his feet and said "I'm not going! ok! and thats final!" he almost yelled as he moved towards the door again.
"Whatever you say ron. But Christmas is just not going to be the same without you" said harry as Ron disappeared out the door.
~~~
Ron's temper had cooled considerably as he had made his way through the castle to the main doors. He was almost sorry for arguing with Harry and Hermione. Harry was partially right, Christmas wasn't going to be the same if he wasn't spending it here at hogwarts, but maybe it would be better because he didn't have to attend the stupid ball.
Smiling wryly to himself, Ron stepped out into the cold winter air. For the first time in weeks it wasn't snowing and the the wind had stopped. The air was still and cold and the sun hung just above the horizon over the lake. There was one other person out obviously using the break in the bad weather to take a walk as well.
Ron started to walk in the same direction as the lone figure who appeared to be heading towards the lake. As he got closer he was surprised to find that he could tell from a distance that it was Hermione.
Ron stopped and looked, trying to pick what had alerted him to the fact that it was hermione. Her hair was covered with a woollen beanie and her black woolen robes were the same cut and colour as everybody elses. It clicked that it was the way she was standing that made him so sure it was her. Shrugging to himself Ron continued in the direction of Hermione, grabbing a handful of snow on the way.
He walked quietly, forming his handful of snow into a snowball, until he was about 10 metres from hermione. Preparing to throw his snowball, Ron was attacked from behind by an angry animated snowman.
"Hey!" shouted Ron as the snowman exploded into a shower of snow and covered him from head to foot in snow and water.
"Don't try and sneak up on me" said Hermione as she turned around to view Ron standing drenched behind her.
Ron opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times "But how..?" he asked as he tried to formulate his question.
"As i said, don't try and sneak up behind me. I know from a mile away when you're near" She said as she aimed her wand to perform a drying charm on Ron.
Ron looked at Hermione in shock for a moment or two before closing his mouth and swallowing noticeably.
"Hermione. I just came out to say sorry for yelling at you. Balls probably aren't stupid. I just don't enjoy them" Ron said in a rush not knowing why he was apologizing, that hadn't been his aim at all.
"Its alright Ron" said hermione as she returned to her contemplation of the sunset "I have fun at them and i just don't want you to miss out because of one bad experience".
"Well how do you know that any other experience would be any better than last years?" Ron asked as he moved to stand next to hermione looking out over the lake and the sunset. They stood staring at the sunset for a long time in a comfortable silence before Hermione answered "You just have to take someone you know you'll have fun with Ron". Ron sighed audibly and said "That's what Harry said too". Hermione just smiled in response and returned her gaze to the lowering sun.
They stood side by side for a few more minutes watching as the sun quickly sank beneath the horizon.
When the sun had finally set they turned to walk back to the school building and Ron broke the comfortable silence which had developed again and resumed the conversation "So who are you going with then?".
Hermione shrugged and said "No-one. Nobody has asked me who i think i would have fun with".
"Hermione! the dance is in 3 days! Why haven't you taken up any of the offers i've been hearing about for the last week?" Ron asked in surprise as they climbed the steps to the castle.
"Oh honestly Ron! I don't want to go with Neville this year, he hasn't got the courage to ask Joanne from the 4th year who he really wants to take, he was just asking me because its easier than working up the courage to ask her" hermione said as she stopped to dry her feet at the bottom of the stairs "And well all the others i barely know and don't want to spend a whole night making small talk with and dancing uncomfortably with".
"So you'll just go alone then?" Ron asked as they walked up a flight of stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.
"I guess so. It'll be fun anyway i'm sure" said Hermione in what seemed to be a cheerful voice even though her smile appeared somewhat forced.
"Hermione? Do you want to go to the dance with me?" asked Ron as they reached the entry to the common room. Ron realised after he had said it, what he had said. It had just seemed a natural progression of the conversation and he hadn't even thought about it. "As friends i mean?" he said as his ears turned bright red.
"But Ron! Your going home!" said hermione as they stopped walking.
"I can change that if you want" said Ron with a shrug.
"You're sure about this?" asked hermione again uncertainly.
"Geez hermione! just answer the question" said Ron irritably.
"Ron. Settle down. I would like to go with you if you want to go to some stupid ball" said hermione teasingly before she gave the password to the fat lady.
"Hermione you are making me regret asking you to this stupid ball already" said Ron jokingly as they climbed through into the Gryffindor common room.
"I think you'll change your mind on how stupid balls are by the end of Saturday night" said hermione as she moved towards where Harry and Ginny were sitting on a couch near the fire.
Rolling his eyes, Ron followed Hermione to where the other two were sitting.
"You two are alone together and we didn't hear your arguments from a mile away? Are you alright?" teased Harry while Hermione and Ron settled into armchairs.
"So hermione, which lucky guy had stolen you from us for the night of the ball?" asked Ginny and got a warning glance from Harry. "Gin, Do you want to spark the stupid ball debate again?" he asked in an exaggerated whisper so that Hermione and Ron heard him clearly.
Hermione answered Ginny's question with "Its a surprise" and Ron said "Balls are so stupid" at the same time. Ron tried to glare at hermione and she was trying to glare at him, however the corners of their mouths both twitched and they burst out laughing, much to the astonishment of Harry and Ginny.
"Did we miss something?" asked ginny as she looked from one to the other.
"No nothing" gasped ron as he tried to regain his composure.
"I have to go send an owl" said Ron as he stood up, still red in the face from laughing.
"I'll come with you" said hermione as she also stood up "I have to send off my application for Wizarding World Wide Magazine" she said as she summoned it from her dormitory.
"Ok lets go then. We'll meet you guys at dinner ok?" Ron said as he started to walk away.