"Blonde, eleven o'clock." George Weasley nudged Fred, his twin, who in turn nudged their younger brother, Ron. "Sixth year Hufflepuff."
"There you go, mate. Its about time you'd learn to impress the ladies." Fred wiggled an eyebrow and shoved George into the crowd toward the Hufflepuff. "Show 'im, you handsome lady-killer, you." George couldn't seem to get his legs to move in the right direction and ended up back in his chair outside Ona Onstanstaught's Café.
Ron sighed. Over the summer, his two elder brothers had taken it upon themselves to try and match up Ron and his best friend, Harry Potter. So far, they'd succeeded in turning three girls into canaries (which they thought was quite the laugh and would 'lighten the mood.') and had gotten Harry and Ron their first public screaming at by a lady other than their mother or wicked aunt. "Can't you give it a rest?" He moaned as they nearly shoved Harry off his seat while pointing out a very attractive witch.
Harry couldn't help but laugh at the whole predicament. Both Fred and George knew that he was particularly interested in Cho Chang. "Come on, Ron, lighten up." Ron scowled at him.
"Since when do you join up with this lot?" Ron shoved his chair back and stood up. "I'm going to meet Hermione." He growled, shoving through the crowd toward Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley's wizard bookshop. Hermione should be waiting for him already.
He continued his was through the ebbing crowd of Flourish and Blotts customers finally making it through the double doors. Several third-year students Ron recognized from Hogwarts were bouncing up and down, reaching into the air. Ron raised his eyes to a flock of books, which were definitely flying. 'Not too big a surprise.' He read the poster on the table below them. "International Regulations for Intermediate Flying Study-books." Ron muttered as he made his way toward an empty shelf and turned around to search the crowd for Hermione. Leaning backward, he startled as his elbow rested on something soft.
"Check out the brunette looking out the window."
Ron closed his eyes tightly, his jaw stiffening as he turned to face Lee Jordan, Fred and George's right-hand man. "Sod off, will you?" He said through clenched teeth. The brunette near the window did have quite nice hair. Good body...Ron shook his head. "She's got amazing hair..." He rolled his eyes and started to look for Hermione again. The witch's hair was about the shade of Hermione's, but only half as bushy. Not that Hermione's...
"Are you kidding me?" Lee's voice sounded flabbergasted. "You've got to be joking..." Ron looked back up at the brunette, his breath catching in his throat. "Damn...Hermione Granger...I know who I'm taking to the Yule Ball."
Ron pushed himself from the bookshelf and took a cautious step toward Hermione, who was now pushing her way through the crowd with a huge smile on her face. "Keep your pants on Jordan." His voice came out in a hoarse rumble.
"Hermione," Ron gulped, trying to think of something more to say. Before he could get another word out she'd flung her arms around his neck and face was pressed into her newly smoothened hair. "Hermione?" He could hear Lee Jordan snicker as he walked away from them.
Hermione released her startled friend and shifted her sack of books onto her other shoulder. "Hello, Ron." She waited for a reply.
"What happened to your hair?"
Hermione's jaw dropped to the floor. "Wha-what happened...WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAIR?" She stuttered in disbelief. "Is that all you have to say after a whole summer of being away from your best friend? After all the arguments we went through during the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Her eyes were brimming with tears and her jaw was wobbling uncontrollably. At least Ron could show a little compassion...or heck, even compliment her. "I thought it looked nice." She choked. "I thought...I thought that you, Ron Weasley, would remember that, in fact, I, Hermione Granger, am still a girl and actually care about how I look, contrary to popular belief!"
Ron, on the other hand, was just as surprised as she was. He felt paralysed. 'I can't move my mouth. I can't move my legs to run.' He thought in a panic. 'I think this is a record, Ronald. Two minutes with Hermione and you've already begun the first row of the year...' Ron could feel himself bite his lip in thought. Bad move.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Hermione's knitted brow was nothing compared to her eyes, which seemed to be shooting daggers. Ron nodded. "Well, spit it out! Honestly, Ron! I don't know why you insist on not thinking before you speak."
Ron glanced to the floor, his mind flooded with different approaches to the inevitable apology. "It makes your face look better." He winced. It makes your face look better...
Hermione's eyes bulged as she spun on one heel, shoving through the crowd as she made her way toward the door. 'I guess I can forget dinner without Harry, of course.' Ron bit his lip.
"Miss...Miss! You need to pay for those!"
Hermione was already gone. Ron shoved after her, shoving his only galleon into the palm of the Flourish and Blotts employee.
"There you go, mate. Its about time you'd learn to impress the ladies." Fred wiggled an eyebrow and shoved George into the crowd toward the Hufflepuff. "Show 'im, you handsome lady-killer, you." George couldn't seem to get his legs to move in the right direction and ended up back in his chair outside Ona Onstanstaught's Café.
Ron sighed. Over the summer, his two elder brothers had taken it upon themselves to try and match up Ron and his best friend, Harry Potter. So far, they'd succeeded in turning three girls into canaries (which they thought was quite the laugh and would 'lighten the mood.') and had gotten Harry and Ron their first public screaming at by a lady other than their mother or wicked aunt. "Can't you give it a rest?" He moaned as they nearly shoved Harry off his seat while pointing out a very attractive witch.
Harry couldn't help but laugh at the whole predicament. Both Fred and George knew that he was particularly interested in Cho Chang. "Come on, Ron, lighten up." Ron scowled at him.
"Since when do you join up with this lot?" Ron shoved his chair back and stood up. "I'm going to meet Hermione." He growled, shoving through the crowd toward Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley's wizard bookshop. Hermione should be waiting for him already.
He continued his was through the ebbing crowd of Flourish and Blotts customers finally making it through the double doors. Several third-year students Ron recognized from Hogwarts were bouncing up and down, reaching into the air. Ron raised his eyes to a flock of books, which were definitely flying. 'Not too big a surprise.' He read the poster on the table below them. "International Regulations for Intermediate Flying Study-books." Ron muttered as he made his way toward an empty shelf and turned around to search the crowd for Hermione. Leaning backward, he startled as his elbow rested on something soft.
"Check out the brunette looking out the window."
Ron closed his eyes tightly, his jaw stiffening as he turned to face Lee Jordan, Fred and George's right-hand man. "Sod off, will you?" He said through clenched teeth. The brunette near the window did have quite nice hair. Good body...Ron shook his head. "She's got amazing hair..." He rolled his eyes and started to look for Hermione again. The witch's hair was about the shade of Hermione's, but only half as bushy. Not that Hermione's...
"Are you kidding me?" Lee's voice sounded flabbergasted. "You've got to be joking..." Ron looked back up at the brunette, his breath catching in his throat. "Damn...Hermione Granger...I know who I'm taking to the Yule Ball."
Ron pushed himself from the bookshelf and took a cautious step toward Hermione, who was now pushing her way through the crowd with a huge smile on her face. "Keep your pants on Jordan." His voice came out in a hoarse rumble.
"Hermione," Ron gulped, trying to think of something more to say. Before he could get another word out she'd flung her arms around his neck and face was pressed into her newly smoothened hair. "Hermione?" He could hear Lee Jordan snicker as he walked away from them.
Hermione released her startled friend and shifted her sack of books onto her other shoulder. "Hello, Ron." She waited for a reply.
"What happened to your hair?"
Hermione's jaw dropped to the floor. "Wha-what happened...WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAIR?" She stuttered in disbelief. "Is that all you have to say after a whole summer of being away from your best friend? After all the arguments we went through during the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Her eyes were brimming with tears and her jaw was wobbling uncontrollably. At least Ron could show a little compassion...or heck, even compliment her. "I thought it looked nice." She choked. "I thought...I thought that you, Ron Weasley, would remember that, in fact, I, Hermione Granger, am still a girl and actually care about how I look, contrary to popular belief!"
Ron, on the other hand, was just as surprised as she was. He felt paralysed. 'I can't move my mouth. I can't move my legs to run.' He thought in a panic. 'I think this is a record, Ronald. Two minutes with Hermione and you've already begun the first row of the year...' Ron could feel himself bite his lip in thought. Bad move.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Hermione's knitted brow was nothing compared to her eyes, which seemed to be shooting daggers. Ron nodded. "Well, spit it out! Honestly, Ron! I don't know why you insist on not thinking before you speak."
Ron glanced to the floor, his mind flooded with different approaches to the inevitable apology. "It makes your face look better." He winced. It makes your face look better...
Hermione's eyes bulged as she spun on one heel, shoving through the crowd as she made her way toward the door. 'I guess I can forget dinner without Harry, of course.' Ron bit his lip.
"Miss...Miss! You need to pay for those!"
Hermione was already gone. Ron shoved after her, shoving his only galleon into the palm of the Flourish and Blotts employee.