Mashed Potato

Chapter Three: Pickles

A/N. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, I like the way people are going 'Oooh, I want to know what happens next.' Really? Well, so do I coz I haven't a clue.

And thanks to jaffacake for reviewing my stories and being a fantabulous writer!

Ron was in a pickle. He didn't really know what to do. Harry was all in favour of him telling her. 'She's your friend. She's not going to laugh or anything. Chances are she likes you too.' But Ron wasn't convinced. What if she didn't like him? What if he ruined their friendship?

He was still debating this in Charms and Harry, knowing what he was thinking, decided to push him in the right direction. His chance came when they had to choose a partner to practice the Talking charm. Naturally Ron moved towards Harry.

'Er...Ron? You don't mind if I pair up with Lara this lesson do you?'

'No of course not,' Ron blinked, confused and slightly hurt. Then he realised what Harry was trying to do.

'You're dead,' he whispered in his ear, before reluctantly going over to Hermione. She was sat there watching.

'Hi,'

'Hi, I'm the last resort again, am I?' she said coldly.

'No, Hermione, it's not like that I...'

'Oh come on, we have to practice this charm.' She stood up, rolled up her sleeves and bit her lip in concentration.

You have to explain. You have to explain to her about the ball. She wasn't your last resort. She's hurt that she thinks she was. You hurt her. You have to explain that you didn't have the guts to ask her properly so you tried to make it look like you didn't care. That plan went well, didn't it? You lost her. You've lost her once but you're not going to loose her again. Tell her. Tell her how you feel. Tell her you love her. 'Casuse you do, don't you?

'Hermione I...'

'Liber loquax!' Hermione shouted, cutting across him in order to perform the spell. The book Hermione had pointed her wand at, was currently reciting, in a high pitched voice, everything that was written in it's pages.

Hermione, looking impressed and no longer angry, turned to Ron.

'Sorry, were you going to say something?'

Ron looked from her to the book, then back to her. He shook his head.

'No, no I wasn't'

A/N. Sorry, I shouldn't have stopped there because it was very short but it seemed an appropriate place. Awww, bless Ron, he's doing his best!

Disclaimer: JK owns everything except Lara. I had to think of a name for someone Harry could pair up with (not in that way...or could it be?) and it just came to me in a flash of blinding light (actually I just looked at my mouse mat which has Lara Croft on it)!:}