A/N Hi, everyone! Part 03 is mainly a sort of middly bit; if you liked the first two parts, it'll be okay. Maybe a bit boring otherwise. I'll try to get Part 04 soon. Meanwhile, in answer to a reviewer (I like all my reviewers!); the reason everyone thinks so poorly of Ron is...well, think about it. Parvati, Lavender, all that lot, room with Hermione. THEY saw how upset she was after the Yule Ball. THEY see Ron mucking around in Divination. WE know Ron's really a sweetie. Another (very nice!) reviewer said what they liked about this series was how I explored other characters, too (pause as Kat Black takes a moment to gloat), so to wind up, it's more of the same stuff...
Remember: all text in orange is thoughts.
What Witches Want - Part 03 - by Katherina Black (hee hee - I love writing this bit out)
When Hermione came back from the hospital wing the next morning, she found Ron and Harry bent over laughing, hardly able to speak to her. "Things are normal, then,"
"Hi," Hermione said. The two boys greeted her, then went back to laughing, before turning back to their work. "Well, they were obviously just pining away without me..."
Ron looked up. "By, the way, Hermione, we missed you."
"Hmm, Plant Transfiguration, that looks interes...what?!"
"What? Oh, er, thanks." Ron smirked to himself as he saw the reaction he'd caused with his unexpected comment. "What were you laughing at anyway?" Hermione added, unpacking her things.
"Oh, right...just that Dean and Seamus have to do ballroom dancing for Muggle Studies," Harry said, while he and Ron smirked, envisioning their room mates twirling around in tailcoats.
"Oh, that's right. Well, I wouldn't laugh too hard, boys; you might be asked."
Ron and Harry's jaws dropped in unmistakeable horror.
"Oh don't worry, I'm not going to ask you. I know what you'd say about that! But, you see, there are a lot more girls than boys in the Muggle Studies class, so just because you don't do Muggle Studies it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be asked..." A look of relief passed over Ron's face.
"No way. If it's anybody, it'll be Harry," he said, causing his best friend to groan. "So, er, anyway, Hermione, who did you pair up with?"
"Ah ha, I wondering how long it'd be before that question popped up..." Ron heard Hermione think, and shrugged to himself - why shouldn't he have asked? "Seamus," Hermione told them.
"Seamus?!" Ron spluttered, accidently turning his cactus into a caterpillar.
Hermione nodded. "Unless you'd rather I asked you, Ron," Hermione said. She thought: "Yeah, like that would happen."
"Exactly," Ron said.
"Hmm? Exactly what, Ron?" Hermione said, transfiguring her cactus perfectly into a pot plant, first try ("Yes!!").
"What? Oh, never mind," Ron mumbled, ducking under his chair to pick up the caterpillar which had somehow got onto the floor.
*
In the past, Ron was used to it always being Harry that people, especially girls, stared at and smiled at. After all, this was Harry Potter, wizard who had defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named four times and had pretty much won the Triwizard contest, as well as being Gryffindor Seeker. But now, Ron was startled to find that his own popularity, for some reason, was increasing - especially amongst the girls in his year.
"Okay, Ron, please tell me what is going on," Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron at lunchtime. She had just been talking to Lavender and Parvati, and had a shrewd expression on her face. Ron, who was eating lunch while trying to listen to the thoughts of the (possibly pregnant) seventh year while she talked with her boyfriend, fought the urge to tell Hermione to quieten down because she was drowning them out. Instead he sighed and looked up.
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" he said.
"Oh, only about the fact that practically all the Gryffindor girls in our year are suddenly gushing about you," Hermione said, in her I-want-some-answers tone, which neither Ron or Harry and ever even tried to defy. "In other words, what have you two been up to?" she thought, proving Ron right about her tone.
"They're...they're what?" Ron said.
"Well, this morning practically all Parvati and Lavender have been talking about is how Ron Weasley is such a nice person, so understanding and different from most of the fifth year boys..." "And that I'm lucky to have you, though no way am I going to tell you that," she added in her head. "...And since Paravti and Lavender never seemed so keen on you before, I want to know what's been going on," Hermione finished, out loud.
"Hermione, do I detect some jealousy here?" Ron teased, secretly pleased about what had been said (and thought). Hermione flushed. "Okay, Hermione, just cool it. Don't get caught up on this whole issue again," Ron heard her think, and had to stop himself from laughing, as Hermione's next comment came from behind clenched teeth.
"No, you don't."
"Hey, I've noticed it, too, you know," Harry said, deciding at that moment to stop staring at Cho nonchalantly and join in the conversation suddenly. "Girls just keep smiling at you."
Ron shrugged. "I dunno. Is it my fault if people like me?" Hermione didn't look satisfied with this at all, and her thoughts mirrored the look on her face, but Ron hurridly suggested she help him with some homework. The three of them stood up, but they hadn't crossed the entrance hall before Eloise Midgen, looking very nervous and unsure, appeared before them.
"Er, Harry - ?" Eloise, looking at her toes, mumbled.
"He's going to say no. I just know he's going to say no," Ron heard her think, as she looked up and stared, terrified, at Harry. Eloise seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that Ron and Hermione were just standing there.
"Yes?" Harry said.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod...I can't do this. But if I don't I'll never know. Oh, Great Merlin. Help."
"Er - you know I do Muggle Studies, and we have to learn ballroom dancing...well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind being my partner - I mean, you don't have to, it's just -"
" - it's just I really really like you and I can't take any more rejection, so please can you at least let me down gently...shut up, shut up, Eloise."
Well, now I know who the person she loves/hates is, Ron thought to himself. But even Ron couldn't miss the desparation in Eloise's voice - or at least in her thoughts. He caught Hermione shooting him a warning look as well, and also caught her thinking "If Ron laughs now, I will kill him." Like even I could be that insensitive, Ron thought to himself, wondering if Hermione thought he went round with a collander over his head.
Meanwhile, Harry's face could hardly mask his horror. Then, with a trace of relief detected -
"Oh, er - I've got quidditch practice everyday so I probably won't be able to, sorry. Thanks for asking me, though."
"Right, that's fine. Er - sorry for...taking your time up," Eloise said.
"Well, I suppose that was pretty gentle - I mean, his relief wasn't that obvious. His excuse might even be true. Yeah, right. He just can't face dancing, let alone with me, Eloise Midgen, the-off-center-nose freak. Is this how it's going to be for the rest of my life? Why doesn't anybody like me? WHY??? Oh, I remember, because I'm not a perfect Fleur Delacour, that's why..."
After unsuspectingly letting Ron into all of this, Eloise turned to go.
"Eloise, wait!" Ron said, hardly knowing what had posessed him. "If you need a dancing partner, I could do it."
"You did not just hear that." "What? Really?"
"Yep - I mean, I'm not really that good, but I don't mind having a go..."
Great Wizards, what am I saying? Ron thought to himself. He could see Harry and Hermione were thinking the same thing, while Eloise just stood there, mouth open, rocking on her heels, looking very much like she'd been hit with the body-binding charm.
"Thank you so much," Eloise finally managed, before turning and walking away.
Once she was gone, Hermione broke into a beam. "Ron, that was so nice of you," she said, half hugging him, while Harry continued to gawp.
"Yeah, well - she just looked so unhappy. Just don't bug me about it." Ron said, grumpily. And he inwardly groaned as he thought of what he had got himself into.
*
"Eloise Midgen??" Malfoy said delightedly. They were lined up in the corridor before Potions, a the time conveniently used by Malfoy before each lesson to insult the Gryffindors. "Obviously the Weasleys have found new lows," he sneered.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said, loudly.
"And to think that I thought you would stop at Mudbloods," Malfoy added, with a nasty look at Hermione, who was trying to ignore him.
"Yes, Malfoy, just go ahead and continue to humiliate me, after all, I don't have feelings...ignore him, ignore him, ignore him, Hermione...oh I would so love to slap his stupid face again..."
Ron looked from Hermione to Malfoy. "That's it, Malfoy. Say one more word about her and..."
"And what?" Malfoy said, quietly. "You'll do what to me, Weasley?" He turned to Hermione. "Tell me, Granger, how does it feel to be second place to a Hufflepuff brat? Sure you're not going to cry about it?" Hermione gave him a long, hard stare.
"Well, you would know about brats, wouldn't you, Malfoy?" she said, quietly, looking him straight in the eye.
"Leave her alone, Malfoy," Ron repeated, through gritted teeth.
"Ah, well I wouldn't want to disobey one of the great Weasleys, now, would I?" Malfoy drawled. "Not when you're one of the most disgraced, empty-handed wizarding families..."
A funny thing had happened. Usually, when fights like these occured, everybody stopped to listen. But today, some of the Slytherins were just continuing to chat unconcernedly.
"Oh, lay off him, Malfoy," a slight, determined looking Slytherin girl muttered over her shoulder before turning back to her conversation. Nearly all the Gryffindors and Malfoy jumped almost out of their skins. A Slytherin, telling Malfoy to lay off a Gryffindor?
Malfoy, who had been twirling his wand idoly with his fingers, let off sparks in his suprise and furiousness. Not a very nice combination. The sparks, though not specifically aimed at Ron, caught him in the arm. When the smoke had cleared, Ron was revealed to be crouched over, moaning in a lot of pain.
"Weasley, get yourself down to the hospital wing and stop moaning like a muggle girl," Snape had appeared, and directed this speech to Ron while ushering the class inside, causing the Gryffindors to speak up indignantly.
"Malfoy hit him, sir -"
" - Ron wasn't even armed - Malfoy was insulting him again - "
" - He didn't even provoke Malfoy, sir," Harry said, angrily. Most of the Gryffindor girls were addressing Ron with "Are you okay?" with genuine looks of worry on their faces. Dean took one look at Ron's arm and moaned himself ("Great Merlin, that's got to hurt!")
Snape, however, was not in the mood for hearing out the story (is he ever?) "Ten points from Gryffindor for not shutting up this instant, and an extra five for not being yet out of my sight, Weasley," he barked. "Weasley, go...Granger, go with him...anything to get you out of earshot for a while..."
"Greasy...slimy...git..." Ron hissed, too much in pain to say more as he half staggered to the wing escorted by Hermione.
"I'll take a look at it, give me a moment," Madam Pomfrey said once they'd made it to the wing and Hermione had explained to her (Ron was still moaning quietly). Madam Pomfrey bustled off to get her eye glass; leaving Ron and Hermione to wait.
Suddenly, looking extremely distraught, a Gryffindor Seventh year girl entered the hospital wing. Ron recognised her as the one who'd been telling her boyfriend that she was "late" the other day at breakfast. At once a torrent of loud, desparate thoughts filled his head.
"...And if I have a baby that means missing the start of Auror University. That's if Mum and Dad don't force me to become a catalogue housewife...Oh, Merlin, Mum and Dad...They are going to hit the roof...It's okay, calm down - you might not be. On the other hand...oh thank god, there's Madam Pomfrey."
"Yes, what is it, Megan?" Madame Pomfrey had reappeared with her spectacles and was addressing the seventh year girl.
"Well, I er - I have a problem..." "I can't tell her, not in front of everybody!"
"Is it serious?"
"Well, I er..." "Oh, shit shit shit! Is there anything more serious than this??!!"
"It's okay, you go first," Ron, from his half bent position, broke in.
"Are you sure?" Madam Pomfrey looked doubtfully at the very-much-in-pain Ron. "It does look extremely painful."
"Ron?" Hermione said, gently.
"Yeah, go ahead. I'll survive for another few minutes," Ron muttered.
"Oh, thank you!" Megan said to Ron, before dragging Madam Pomfrey to a quiet corner.
"Okay, that was...odd. Not that it's unlike Ron to be kind and sweet...sometimes...but suddenly he's being VERY kind and sweet...I mean, obviously kind and sweet...and gentle, and caring...stop it! Hermione, you simply under estimate him sometimes. It doesn't mean you...you...no don't even think it. Now stop being so silly..."
Ron, even though his arm was still killing him, was very curious to know as to what Hermione didn't want to think about...about him. ???
*
"Well, thanks for waiting with me," Ron said, as they traipsed back to lessons, Ron's arm newly repaired.
"That's okay," Hermione said. Distractedly, though. Ron opened an ear.
"Oh what the heck..." Hermione suddenly leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek. Ron, suprised, coloured up.
"What was that for?" he said, throatily, shocked. This was a first.
"Ron, I know we fight a lot, but I just wanted to say that, over the past couple of days, I felt really proud of you. I mean, the way you let that girl go before you just now, and what you did for Eloise..." Hermione was smiling slightly at him, and had taken his good arm in hers.
"Oh, right," Ron said. "Er, well, it's nothing. I'm honored to have Hermione Granger praising me, though." Ron noticed Hermione, out of the side of her eye, was looking at him.
"Hmm, slightly red, seems okay, a bit suprised. Well I would be, too, of course. I don't think he's guessed, though, thank god...wait, I've got to stop this. I've suddenly become Parvati! What's happening to me?"
Hermione went off for Transfiguration, and left Ron deep in thought as he made his way to Divination.
A/N I just read this again, and...I'm sorry! This is probably one of the most long and tedious chapters...or maybe I'm just getting paranoid. Ah, well anyway, hopefully next chapter will be better. So don't give up on me yet!