Summary:  Hey everyone, this is the 2nd chapter of Passing Notes .  Ginny reluctantly has told Hermione who the girl is that Ron likes.  See Hermione's reaction to it, and what she does about it.

Disclaimer:  I only wish I was the inventor of the famous characters of this story, thank you JK Rowling!

Chapter 2

Hermione's Reaction

By happythoughts

         Hermione lay on her stomach on her bed, in her dormitory, hangings shut, trying to shut the world out of her life for awhile.  She closed her eyes and tried to remember what had just happened. 

~

         "He likes you, Hermione," said Ginny, with a tremendous sigh, obviously glad to get the secret off of her chest. She risked taking a look at Hermione's face.  What she saw was a face of extreme bewilderment and surprise.

         Hermione sat speechless for a couple of minutes, until what Ginny said finally sunk down into her.  "Me? He likes me?"  She whispered.  Ginny nodded solemnly, still waiting for Hermione's complete reaction.  "Oh my gosh! He actually LIKES ME! Me! Only Me! After all of these years, finally, he likes me! Finally! Yes! Oh my gosh, I can't believe that this is happening! This is crazy! I've waited all of these years—"

         Hermione gasped.  She covered her mouth, wishing she could take back those words that she had just said to Ginny.  But unfortunately, Ginny had heard.  She was hysterically laughing, she jumped off the bed and pointed at Hermione.  "I knew  it! I knew you liked him! It was SO obvious.  I just knew it!"

         Hermione argued, trying to cover it up.  "You're crazy, why would I like someone like that? I mean, not that he's bad  or anything," she said, forgetting that she had been talking to his sister, "it's just that he's not my type, not at all.  I mean it." 

         Ginny gave her a look that said, you obviously are not a good actress.  Hermione gave up.  Ginny was not going to fall for it, not one bit.  She sighed, and lay back onto Ginny's bed and said, "Now what?"

         Ginny squealed in delight and said, "Now, we start planning.  Hermione, after you get out of my room, you are going to be a totally different, completely new, Hermione Granger."

         Hermione gulped.  She did not like the sound of this. 

~

         Hermione opened her eyes and grinned sheepishly, as she remembered her reaction.  She couldn't believe that this was happening.  She had a feeling of excitement and happiness in the pit of her stomach, but there seemed to be a puncture in it, a puncture of nervousness and doubt.  What if Ron doesn't like the new and improved me? Thought Hermione.  She stepped out of her bed and went to the bathroom, to look at her reflection.  She saw just a touch of blush, noticeable mascara and eyeliner, and just one layer of baby blue eye shadow.  Ginny had told her that the color blue was a perfect color for Hermione.  Hermione smiled slightly, happy with the results of Ginny's makeover.  She only wished that Ron had thought the same thing. She sighed as she remembered his reaction.

                                                                                          ~

         Ginny had pulled out a large make up kit.  She grinned mischeviously, as if she was hiding a secret from Hermione.  "Ginny, where did you get all of this?" asked Hermione in wonder.

         "Oh, you know, Mom gave it to me on my 13th birthday, she said I was old enough to start wearing it.  Although I only wear it on special occasions," answered Ginny.  She took Hermione over to the bathroom and made her sit on a stool, away from the mirror, so that Hermione could not see what she was doing until she was finally done.  Hermione tried to protest as Ginny began to make her over, but Ginny would not approve. 

         "Hermione, stop fidgeting! You look great! Wait until Ron sees this, he's going to flip!"  said Ginny excitedly. 

         Hermione wished that she could feel the same way as Ginny did.  She had a feeling that something bad was going to come out of this. 

         Half an hour later, Ginny was done.  She led Hermione downstairs to the common room, where everyone was still either studying or having conversations with their friends.  Right away Hermione saw Harry and Ron sitting in armchairs, having a quiet conversation, obviously not wanting anyone else to hear.  Two yards within them, Hermione stopped in her footsteps.  "Oh Ginny, I can't do this! What if he doesn't like this new look? I will be so embarrassed!" she moaned. 

         "Trust me, if Ron doesn't like your look, he is completely braindead and blind." 

         Hermione started walking again, Ginny right behind her.  As she approached them, they abruptly stopped their conversation.  Harry looked up at Hermione in surprise.  He said, "Oh --- hi, Hermione, what's up?"

         Hermione flipped her hair and said, "Nothing, mind if we sit down with you guys?" They didn't mind and just as Hermione was about to sit down next to Harry, Ginny cleared her throat, motioning to sit down next to Ron.  Hermione caught on and nervously sat down next to Ron.  "So, guys, what were you talking about before we came?" asked Ginny.

         Harry and Ron cautiously looked act each other in panic.  "Oh, nothing in particular, just school, the next trip to Hogsmeade, quidditch … stuff like that, right Harry?" said Ron quickly.

         "Er—yeah, that's right, exactly.  Just can't wait to go to practice tomorrow!" said Harry.  Ginny and Hermione both pursed their lips, knowing that they had not been talking about that stuff at all.  But Hermione wasn't concerned about that, she still hadn't seen Ron's reaction.  She turned her head towards him and said, "So, Ron, do you notice anything different about me?"

         Ron turned pink slightly, and gulped.  He obviously had noticed a major change in Hermione's physical appearance … she was wearing make up.  But it took him by surprise, he never had pictured her to be the one to wear make up like that.  He gulped again, looked her up and down, and said, "Hmm … nope! Did you finally do something with your hair? It's not as bushy and messy anymore."

         Ginny made a noise of disgust, and Harry shook his head. They both knew that that was definitely the wrong thing to say to Hermione.  Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away.  She was completely embarrassed, and the only thing she wanted to do right now was to get away from Ron.  She tried not to blink, so that her mascara would not run.  She excused herself quickly and walked back up to her dormitory. 

~

         Hermione shook the thoughts out of her head, and washed her face, getting rid of the makeup.  She looked at her reflection when she was down, mostly looking at her hair.  It is rather bushy, isn't it? Maybe I should do something about it.  NO! I can't do that! Then Ron will think that I changed my hair just because of him.  That would be too obvious, wouldn't it? But I don't want him thinking that I have messy, bushy hair, do I?  She thought to herself. 

         Not caring anymore, she went back to her bed and tried to go to bed.  It took her about an hour before she finally fell asleep, having a dreamless sleep.  She was lucky that she had not heard Ginny, Harry, and Ron's conversation after she had left, because she would have had a sleep of dreams for the next year. 

~

         "Ron, how can you be so dense? That was not the thing to say to the girl that you like!" said Ginny in disgust, after Hermione had left them. 

         "Really, Ron, we were just talking about what to do with her! How to slyly ask her out, remember? What happened with that? You really ruined it, she's not going to talk to you for the rest of your life," added Harry.

         "And now look what you did, Ron.  She probably is going to hate her hair now, and she's going to be so self-conscious about it now.  You really know what to say to a girl, you know," Ginny said sarcastically. 

         "ALRIGHT! Enough! I get your point," burst out Ron, "but what else was I supposed to say, 'Oh, you look hott, Hermione,'?"

         "Exactly," Harry and Ginny said in unison. 

         Ron put his head in his hands and sighed.  He knew that it was dumb of him to say what he had said to Hermione, but for some reason, he just could not give girls compliments.  Especially Hermione.  After all those years of making fun of her, it was just a habit of Ron. 

~

A/N:  Well, what do you think? I've made Ron such a rude guy, haven't I? Don't worry, I will definitely loosen him up a bit in the chapters to come. Stay tuned!  ~Melissa~