Chapter Six: A Visit to Hagrid's.
"So yeh decided teh stay fer Christmas did ya Ron?" asked Hagrid ushered them into his cabin.
"yeah, I'm going home on Christmas Eve, Uh i decided to go to the Yule Ball after all" said Ron uncomfortably.
"Well good on yer Ron. Who's th' lucky gal?" asked Hagrid as he placed Rock cakes on the table in front of them.
"Uh, well i'm actually going with Hermione" said Ron taking a rock cake and feeding it to fang under the table.
"Well Congratulations teh both of yer, its' 'bout time if you ask me" said hagrid turning back to the stove to get the teapot.
"What do you mean its about time?" asked Ron suspiciously.
"Well its 'bout time yeh two realised you liked each other" replied hagrid absently.
"Uh, Hagrid, Uh we don't like each other... uh we're not going out together" said Hermione with embarrassment evident in her voice.
"Oh my mistak'. sorry 'bout that. just 'ssumed you know that yeh'd finally worked it out." said hagrid setting the teapot and cups down on the table "oh but i shouldn'ta said that". Ron and Hermione glanced at each other and exchanged bemused expressions before changing the topic of conversation.
Later in the afternoon as it began to get dark, Ron and hermione bid Hagrid farewell with him shouting after them "Have fun at th' ball". They both smiled and waved back at him and began to walk towards the brightly lit castle.
"I had a good afternoon, did you?" asked Hermione as they picked there way through snow piles.
"Yeah it was fun. I like hagrid" said Ron.
"Yeah me too" replied Hermione. They walked on in silence which grew increasingly uncomfortable until Ron couldn't take it any more.
"Hermione.." He said stopping abruptly in the snow. Hermione stopped as well and turned towards him looking at him questioningly "Can't we just forget what Hagrid said?".
Hermione's face flushed and she smiled with obvious relief as she nodded and smiled. "Please Ron! Lets forget it" she said quickly "I don't like you that way".
Ron smiled and said "And I don't like you that way!". Hermione offered her hand to Ron who took it and shook hands with her "Ok we'll just forget that he thinks we like each other then" said Ron dropping her hand and beginning to walk towards the castle again "Because we both know thats not right, we are just friends" he added.
Slipping into their seats at the gryffindor table Hermione and Ron scanned the room to see who had left for the holidays. Not many of the upper school had left at all.
"May i have your attention" said Dumbledore from the front platform. The hall quietened slowly as everyone turned to their headmaster.
"Tommorrow night is the yule ball and i know you are all excited. The ball will begin at 7pm and include dinner. Everyone is expected to wear dress robes and you are able to come alone if you wish. Now before we all waste away, please enjoy your dinner".
"Ron.. are you going to the ball?" asked ginny as she looked across the table at her brother.
"Balls are stupid" said Ron again for the 3rd or 4th time in 2 days.
"But yes he's going" put in hermione from his right hand side.
"Thanks Hermione" said Ron with a touch of anger in his voice "and yes Ginny, i am going alone". The rest of dinner passed with uncomfortable conversation as Ron didn't want to join in the conversation. "I'm finished. See you all later" said Ron abruptly when he had eaten enough. As he left the great hall, Hermione got up out of his seat and moved after him.
"Ron!" she called as she got to the doors of the hall just in time to see him disappearing down a corridor. "Ron!" she called again as she ran after him. "oh do stop!" she called as he went to duck through a doorway. Ron stopped and turned to face her. "I'm sorry Ron!" she cried as she caught up with him. "I didn't want to make you angry!" she said "I just didn't want ginny to start matching you up with other people!".
"Its alright I guess 'Mione. I just hate... I don't know. It just irritated me" Ron said as he leant against the wall staring at nothing in particular.
"What did you call me Ron?" asked Hermione with curiosity evident in her voice. Her heart had skipped a beat when she had heard 'Mione come from Ron's Mouth.
"I called you Hermione didn't I?" asked Ron looking at her as if she was insane.
"No Ron, You called me 'Mione' said Hermione not looking directly at Ron "and I liked you calling me 'Mione"
"Why?" asked Ron in confusion.
"No-one else calls me 'Mione. I guess it makes me feel special or something" said Hermione with colour beginning to creep into her cheeks.
"So you would like me to call you 'Mione?" asked Ron realising that saying the name 'Mione was making his heart skip a bit as he watched Hermione blush.
"Yes, Ron if you want to that is" she said very quietly.
"Ok, i'll call you Mione, as long as you don't say another word about the ball to anyone else" he said jokingly.
Both of them looked at each other at the same time and their eyes locked onto each other. Ron was transfixed by her eyes, he had never been able to see so far into her soul before by looking into her beautiful brown eyes. He had never paid much attention to them before, but then again, he thought to himself, he had never paid much attention to her before either. Standing facing him with a small smile on her face, she looked astonishingly beautiful, why had he not noticed this before? he asked himself. He felt so close to his best friend right now, that he could almost tell what she was thinking.
"Well, uh.. we should get back to the common room right?" whispered Hermione, breaking the eye contact and beginning to walk away from him. "Are you coming Ron?" she asked, stopping to wait for him. He nodded and joined her, walking side by side up the staircase towards Griffyndor tower.
"So yeh decided teh stay fer Christmas did ya Ron?" asked Hagrid ushered them into his cabin.
"yeah, I'm going home on Christmas Eve, Uh i decided to go to the Yule Ball after all" said Ron uncomfortably.
"Well good on yer Ron. Who's th' lucky gal?" asked Hagrid as he placed Rock cakes on the table in front of them.
"Uh, well i'm actually going with Hermione" said Ron taking a rock cake and feeding it to fang under the table.
"Well Congratulations teh both of yer, its' 'bout time if you ask me" said hagrid turning back to the stove to get the teapot.
"What do you mean its about time?" asked Ron suspiciously.
"Well its 'bout time yeh two realised you liked each other" replied hagrid absently.
"Uh, Hagrid, Uh we don't like each other... uh we're not going out together" said Hermione with embarrassment evident in her voice.
"Oh my mistak'. sorry 'bout that. just 'ssumed you know that yeh'd finally worked it out." said hagrid setting the teapot and cups down on the table "oh but i shouldn'ta said that". Ron and Hermione glanced at each other and exchanged bemused expressions before changing the topic of conversation.
Later in the afternoon as it began to get dark, Ron and hermione bid Hagrid farewell with him shouting after them "Have fun at th' ball". They both smiled and waved back at him and began to walk towards the brightly lit castle.
"I had a good afternoon, did you?" asked Hermione as they picked there way through snow piles.
"Yeah it was fun. I like hagrid" said Ron.
"Yeah me too" replied Hermione. They walked on in silence which grew increasingly uncomfortable until Ron couldn't take it any more.
"Hermione.." He said stopping abruptly in the snow. Hermione stopped as well and turned towards him looking at him questioningly "Can't we just forget what Hagrid said?".
Hermione's face flushed and she smiled with obvious relief as she nodded and smiled. "Please Ron! Lets forget it" she said quickly "I don't like you that way".
Ron smiled and said "And I don't like you that way!". Hermione offered her hand to Ron who took it and shook hands with her "Ok we'll just forget that he thinks we like each other then" said Ron dropping her hand and beginning to walk towards the castle again "Because we both know thats not right, we are just friends" he added.
Slipping into their seats at the gryffindor table Hermione and Ron scanned the room to see who had left for the holidays. Not many of the upper school had left at all.
"May i have your attention" said Dumbledore from the front platform. The hall quietened slowly as everyone turned to their headmaster.
"Tommorrow night is the yule ball and i know you are all excited. The ball will begin at 7pm and include dinner. Everyone is expected to wear dress robes and you are able to come alone if you wish. Now before we all waste away, please enjoy your dinner".
"Ron.. are you going to the ball?" asked ginny as she looked across the table at her brother.
"Balls are stupid" said Ron again for the 3rd or 4th time in 2 days.
"But yes he's going" put in hermione from his right hand side.
"Thanks Hermione" said Ron with a touch of anger in his voice "and yes Ginny, i am going alone". The rest of dinner passed with uncomfortable conversation as Ron didn't want to join in the conversation. "I'm finished. See you all later" said Ron abruptly when he had eaten enough. As he left the great hall, Hermione got up out of his seat and moved after him.
"Ron!" she called as she got to the doors of the hall just in time to see him disappearing down a corridor. "Ron!" she called again as she ran after him. "oh do stop!" she called as he went to duck through a doorway. Ron stopped and turned to face her. "I'm sorry Ron!" she cried as she caught up with him. "I didn't want to make you angry!" she said "I just didn't want ginny to start matching you up with other people!".
"Its alright I guess 'Mione. I just hate... I don't know. It just irritated me" Ron said as he leant against the wall staring at nothing in particular.
"What did you call me Ron?" asked Hermione with curiosity evident in her voice. Her heart had skipped a beat when she had heard 'Mione come from Ron's Mouth.
"I called you Hermione didn't I?" asked Ron looking at her as if she was insane.
"No Ron, You called me 'Mione' said Hermione not looking directly at Ron "and I liked you calling me 'Mione"
"Why?" asked Ron in confusion.
"No-one else calls me 'Mione. I guess it makes me feel special or something" said Hermione with colour beginning to creep into her cheeks.
"So you would like me to call you 'Mione?" asked Ron realising that saying the name 'Mione was making his heart skip a bit as he watched Hermione blush.
"Yes, Ron if you want to that is" she said very quietly.
"Ok, i'll call you Mione, as long as you don't say another word about the ball to anyone else" he said jokingly.
Both of them looked at each other at the same time and their eyes locked onto each other. Ron was transfixed by her eyes, he had never been able to see so far into her soul before by looking into her beautiful brown eyes. He had never paid much attention to them before, but then again, he thought to himself, he had never paid much attention to her before either. Standing facing him with a small smile on her face, she looked astonishingly beautiful, why had he not noticed this before? he asked himself. He felt so close to his best friend right now, that he could almost tell what she was thinking.
"Well, uh.. we should get back to the common room right?" whispered Hermione, breaking the eye contact and beginning to walk away from him. "Are you coming Ron?" she asked, stopping to wait for him. He nodded and joined her, walking side by side up the staircase towards Griffyndor tower.