Chapter 9
Hermione decided that the first person she would ask out would be Seamus, since he was nice, unattached, and in the same room as she was at the moment. Hermione quickly scribbled down a note on a piece of paper.
Seamus-
Hi. I know we don't know each other very well even though we're in the same house, and I would like to get to know you a little better. If you'd like to hang out with me at Hogsmeade on our next visit, it would be great. Please tell me your decision soon.
-Hermione
Hermione looked down at what she had just written. It was the stupidest thing she had ever read; she couldn't believe she had actually written that! It was so pathetic! It sounded like something she would have written to a boy in first grade. Hermione quickly crumpled up the paper, receiving a glare from Professor Binns for disturbing his lecture on Vampire Councils.
The next class Hermione had was arithmancy. She entered the room and took a seat next to Ernie McMillan. "Ernie, can I ask you something?" she asked, still not believing what she was about to do.
"Sure. Did you have a problem with last night's homework?"
"No," Hermione said slowly. "I wanted to know if, when we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, you'd like to hang out with me?"
"Are you asking me out?" Ernie asked.
Hermione nodded, turning bright red.
"Okay then, I think I'd like that," Ernie said, grinning.
Hermione couldn't believe what she had just done. Why was she asking Ernie out? She loved Harry! Going out with Ernie McMillan was no way to get Harry to like her! But Harry was never going to like her, she thought. She needed someone to take her mind off Harry.
* * *
The next day, Hermione reluctantly got ready for the Hogsmeade trip.
"Hey Hermione, do you want to go to Zonko's first when we get to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked her.
Hermione turned red. "Actually, I'm not going to Hogsmeade with you and Harry," Hermione said.
"What? You mean you're not going to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked.
"No, I'm going. I'm just going with. . . Ernie," Hermione said, squirming with embarrassment.
"You're going to Hogsmeade with Ernie?" Ron said, surprised. "Is it like. . .a date?"
Hermione looked at the ground and nodded.
Hermione was dating Ernie? Harry couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. He'd thought that maybe, just maybe, there could be something between Hermione and himself, but hearing that Hermione was going to Hogsmeade with Ernie. . . . 'Maybe she doesn't like me after all,' Harry thought. 'Maybe I should just give up on her.'
* * *
Hermione found herself walking silently next to Ernie, toward the Three Broomsticks. They entered the building and sat down at a table near the back of the room.
"You want to know something, Hermione?" Ernie said, "I was really glad you asked me to come here today."
Hermione smiled weakly.
"I've really liked you for a long time," Ernie went on, "and when you asked me to come here with you, I was so happy. I think today has been really fun so far. And well, Hermione, I think we go really well together and I just wanted to know if you'd like to be my girlfriend."
Hermione looked at Ernie blankly. This was what she had hoped would happen when she came up with her plan to forget Harry, but suddenly she felt very badly. Poor Ernie really liked her, and she was just using him. 'How can I have done this?' Hermione wondered. 'How can I have been so cruel?'
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ernie that she wasn't ready to jump into a relationship just yet, but somehow, one little word popped out. "Okay."
Ernie grinned broadly.
'What did I just do?' Hermione wondered frantically.
Hermione decided that the first person she would ask out would be Seamus, since he was nice, unattached, and in the same room as she was at the moment. Hermione quickly scribbled down a note on a piece of paper.
Seamus-
Hi. I know we don't know each other very well even though we're in the same house, and I would like to get to know you a little better. If you'd like to hang out with me at Hogsmeade on our next visit, it would be great. Please tell me your decision soon.
-Hermione
Hermione looked down at what she had just written. It was the stupidest thing she had ever read; she couldn't believe she had actually written that! It was so pathetic! It sounded like something she would have written to a boy in first grade. Hermione quickly crumpled up the paper, receiving a glare from Professor Binns for disturbing his lecture on Vampire Councils.
The next class Hermione had was arithmancy. She entered the room and took a seat next to Ernie McMillan. "Ernie, can I ask you something?" she asked, still not believing what she was about to do.
"Sure. Did you have a problem with last night's homework?"
"No," Hermione said slowly. "I wanted to know if, when we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, you'd like to hang out with me?"
"Are you asking me out?" Ernie asked.
Hermione nodded, turning bright red.
"Okay then, I think I'd like that," Ernie said, grinning.
Hermione couldn't believe what she had just done. Why was she asking Ernie out? She loved Harry! Going out with Ernie McMillan was no way to get Harry to like her! But Harry was never going to like her, she thought. She needed someone to take her mind off Harry.
* * *
The next day, Hermione reluctantly got ready for the Hogsmeade trip.
"Hey Hermione, do you want to go to Zonko's first when we get to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked her.
Hermione turned red. "Actually, I'm not going to Hogsmeade with you and Harry," Hermione said.
"What? You mean you're not going to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked.
"No, I'm going. I'm just going with. . . Ernie," Hermione said, squirming with embarrassment.
"You're going to Hogsmeade with Ernie?" Ron said, surprised. "Is it like. . .a date?"
Hermione looked at the ground and nodded.
Hermione was dating Ernie? Harry couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. He'd thought that maybe, just maybe, there could be something between Hermione and himself, but hearing that Hermione was going to Hogsmeade with Ernie. . . . 'Maybe she doesn't like me after all,' Harry thought. 'Maybe I should just give up on her.'
* * *
Hermione found herself walking silently next to Ernie, toward the Three Broomsticks. They entered the building and sat down at a table near the back of the room.
"You want to know something, Hermione?" Ernie said, "I was really glad you asked me to come here today."
Hermione smiled weakly.
"I've really liked you for a long time," Ernie went on, "and when you asked me to come here with you, I was so happy. I think today has been really fun so far. And well, Hermione, I think we go really well together and I just wanted to know if you'd like to be my girlfriend."
Hermione looked at Ernie blankly. This was what she had hoped would happen when she came up with her plan to forget Harry, but suddenly she felt very badly. Poor Ernie really liked her, and she was just using him. 'How can I have done this?' Hermione wondered. 'How can I have been so cruel?'
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ernie that she wasn't ready to jump into a relationship just yet, but somehow, one little word popped out. "Okay."
Ernie grinned broadly.
'What did I just do?' Hermione wondered frantically.
