Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
Harry decided not to go to Hogsmeade for the weekend, because Sirius had asked him to stay behind and wait for him in the common room. Harry never missed an opportunity to see his godfather if he could help it.
Taking a seat by the fire, Crookshanks jumped up into his lap and began to purr. Ron and Hermione shared a concerned look before Hermione asked Harry, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Harry responded, staring into the fire and waiting expectantly.
Ron glanced at Hermione and his gaze traveled down to her hand. His itched.
Hermione followed his gaze and smiled widely, reaching out her hand. Ron grasped it awkwardly, and they headed off for Hogsmeade together.
Sitting down in town and ordering a mug of butterbeer, Ron watched Hermione as she puffed her bushy brown hair and discussed classes. "And, you know Professor Vector was telling me how.."
Ron was trying hard to concentrate on what she was saying, but it really was rather difficult with her puffing that big, bushy hair. It made him smile just thinking about unique her hair was, just like the rest of her.
"So, Ron, what do you think?" Hermione asked finally.
"Huh?" Ron suddenly became aware that she was asking him a question. And then he stared at her harder. She really is a girl. A pretty girl.
"Ron, were you even listening?" she asked with slightly annoyance, wrinkling her face in her irritation.
"Yeah, of course I was," he muttered defensively. "But I lost you a bit ago." He tapped his fingers on the table and tried to think of something she'd said within the last few minutes. Nothing was really coming to mind beyond the graceful way she kept lifting her hands to her hair.
"When was that?" she asked curiously, slightly pacified by his apparent attempt to seem interested suddenly.
"It doesn't matter," he answered in a wobbly voice, attempting to avoid topic and move on to something he could at least pay some amount of attention to. "Do you think that Fluffy will speak to Harry today?"
The change of topic was a good one, because Hermione got sidetracked by the question and nodded, "Yeah, I think it's been a while since Fluffy saw Harry. He'll do his best to show up."
"Yeah, I hope he does," Ron bumbled, honestly more interested at the moment in the way she lifted the butterbeer to her lips.
"Do you think we should get back soon? I hate leaving Harry all alone," Hermione admitted in her concerned-for-a-friend voice.
"Yeah, we should go back in a bit," Ron agreed, his lips twitching to say more.
"Ron, something's on your mind." Hermione was always perceptive. "I can tell."
"Oh, it's nothing," he bit his lip to keep saying from more.
Hermione frowned at him, "Is it something serious?"
"Oh, no, not at all!" Ron quickly assured her before he bit his lip again. Hermione was smiling. She'd tricked him into admitting something was on his mind at least.
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked sweetly, kindly, her face encouraging him to talk to her.
Ron sighed, staring at her for a second before focusing his eyes on the table and asking in an extremely quiet murmur, "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?'
"That's ages away," Hermione said noncommittally before her eyes widened and she stared at Ron in shock. "Wait, you just asked me on a date?"
"Well, yeah," Ron answered sarcastically, his nervous energy turning foul, because he hadn't as of yet gotten a positive answer.
Hermione's eyes narrowed on him for a moment before she pushed his sarcasm aside and said thoughtfully, "I would love to attend the Yule Ball with you, Ron Weasley."
And Ron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Great. Well. I guess we should get back and see how Harry's doing."
"Yeah, we should," she agreed, packing up her things and standing up.
Ron held back for a moment, choking on his next thought. But then he slipped his hand down and walked next to her. Finally, he worked up the courage to rub his hand against hers as if on accident, and she turned on him with a smile before holding out her hand again.
They walked together hand-in-hand to Hogwarts.
Harry decided not to go to Hogsmeade for the weekend, because Sirius had asked him to stay behind and wait for him in the common room. Harry never missed an opportunity to see his godfather if he could help it.
Taking a seat by the fire, Crookshanks jumped up into his lap and began to purr. Ron and Hermione shared a concerned look before Hermione asked Harry, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Harry responded, staring into the fire and waiting expectantly.
Ron glanced at Hermione and his gaze traveled down to her hand. His itched.
Hermione followed his gaze and smiled widely, reaching out her hand. Ron grasped it awkwardly, and they headed off for Hogsmeade together.
Sitting down in town and ordering a mug of butterbeer, Ron watched Hermione as she puffed her bushy brown hair and discussed classes. "And, you know Professor Vector was telling me how.."
Ron was trying hard to concentrate on what she was saying, but it really was rather difficult with her puffing that big, bushy hair. It made him smile just thinking about unique her hair was, just like the rest of her.
"So, Ron, what do you think?" Hermione asked finally.
"Huh?" Ron suddenly became aware that she was asking him a question. And then he stared at her harder. She really is a girl. A pretty girl.
"Ron, were you even listening?" she asked with slightly annoyance, wrinkling her face in her irritation.
"Yeah, of course I was," he muttered defensively. "But I lost you a bit ago." He tapped his fingers on the table and tried to think of something she'd said within the last few minutes. Nothing was really coming to mind beyond the graceful way she kept lifting her hands to her hair.
"When was that?" she asked curiously, slightly pacified by his apparent attempt to seem interested suddenly.
"It doesn't matter," he answered in a wobbly voice, attempting to avoid topic and move on to something he could at least pay some amount of attention to. "Do you think that Fluffy will speak to Harry today?"
The change of topic was a good one, because Hermione got sidetracked by the question and nodded, "Yeah, I think it's been a while since Fluffy saw Harry. He'll do his best to show up."
"Yeah, I hope he does," Ron bumbled, honestly more interested at the moment in the way she lifted the butterbeer to her lips.
"Do you think we should get back soon? I hate leaving Harry all alone," Hermione admitted in her concerned-for-a-friend voice.
"Yeah, we should go back in a bit," Ron agreed, his lips twitching to say more.
"Ron, something's on your mind." Hermione was always perceptive. "I can tell."
"Oh, it's nothing," he bit his lip to keep saying from more.
Hermione frowned at him, "Is it something serious?"
"Oh, no, not at all!" Ron quickly assured her before he bit his lip again. Hermione was smiling. She'd tricked him into admitting something was on his mind at least.
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked sweetly, kindly, her face encouraging him to talk to her.
Ron sighed, staring at her for a second before focusing his eyes on the table and asking in an extremely quiet murmur, "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?'
"That's ages away," Hermione said noncommittally before her eyes widened and she stared at Ron in shock. "Wait, you just asked me on a date?"
"Well, yeah," Ron answered sarcastically, his nervous energy turning foul, because he hadn't as of yet gotten a positive answer.
Hermione's eyes narrowed on him for a moment before she pushed his sarcasm aside and said thoughtfully, "I would love to attend the Yule Ball with you, Ron Weasley."
And Ron let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Great. Well. I guess we should get back and see how Harry's doing."
"Yeah, we should," she agreed, packing up her things and standing up.
Ron held back for a moment, choking on his next thought. But then he slipped his hand down and walked next to her. Finally, he worked up the courage to rub his hand against hers as if on accident, and she turned on him with a smile before holding out her hand again.
They walked together hand-in-hand to Hogwarts.