A/N: Sorry for the long delay, and for the very short chapter. The only excuse I have is 'exams'. That Ron and Hermione part isn't easy to write too. I know it's not very good, but compared to my first draft, it's much better.
Thanks also to Bucky (nice to know that you are a girl.), TheMonkeyStoleMyDad'sVisaCard, and Ronninkin's Sweetheart for your kind reviews.
Please take a moment to review. I need the reviews to tell me if I'm doing something right. Thank you.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The name Tel'anran'rhiod belong to Robert Jorden and the 'Wheel of Time'
Dreaming of You
Chapter 5
Slip of tongue
"I can't believe it!" Hermione cried out, jumping to her feet. She had asked Ron for a game of chess after she had gotten tired of seeing Ron pacing around the common room. She knew that he was worried for Ginny, and so tried to take his mind off the matter by playing chess with him.
"What?" Ron asked, looking up at her in surprise. It was seldom that you get to see Hermione jumping around like that, she being the serious student that she is.
"Checkmate!" she cried, waving her hands about in her amazement at actually beating Ron at chess for the first time in four years.
"What!" Ron was shocked. No one had ever managed to beat him in chess since Bill taught him the game when he was nine. He looked down at the chess pieces, only to see his king shaking its fist at him. He returned his gaze to Hermione, his mouth agape. One mistake. One stupid mistake, and he didn't even see it till now.
"You must really be concerned about Ginny, or you would have won." Hermione said, seating back down.
"It's not about Ginny." Ron replied. "I know Harry can take care of that. It's… something else…" Suddenly quiet, he sank back into his chair. How could he tell her that he was thinking of her when he made the mistake that allowed her to win the game?
"Something else brothering you?" Hermione asked. "Come on, let's hear it." She sat up expectantly in her chair.
"No… I don't think so…" Ron answered. He was starting to get really nervous. Events have been running too fast together today, what with Hermione running off earlier, and now with Ginny's absence, that he didn't really have enough time to think. He had been planning to tell Hermione about his feelings for her today, but now that they are actually alone, he couldn't seems to bring out the courage to say anything.
"Come on, you can tell me." Hermione pressed. "Aren't we best friends?"
"Well…" Ron hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her. It's just that he had no idea how to do it. It was, after all, the first time he was in this situation. "I like you. Would you be my girlfriend?" he blurted out at last.
There was a stunned silence for a moment.
"What?" Hermione said at last. "I must have heard wrongly. I thought I heard you ask me to be your girlfriend?" Whatever she was expecting, it certainly wasn't that…
"You did." Ron sighed. He silently curse his mouth for blurting it out like that.
"Oh man…" Hermione wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Here she had just been rejected by Harry, and now Ron came asking her to be his girlfriend. It's so absurd, it's almost funny.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry. I need to think about it." Hermione answered slowly. Until she has gotten over Harry and Ginny can she answer this question. As things stand, it wouldn't be fair to either Ron or her to answer it now.
"Oh, okay…" That wasn't the way he had envision it. He thought that with Harry now dating Ginny, Hermione would go out with him. Apparently, he thought wrongly…
There they sat, both wrapped in silence and their own thoughts, waiting for Harry to bring Ginny back.
~~~~~~~~~
Harry was about halfway from the Gryffindor Tower when he felt Ginny stir on his back.
"Awake already?" Harry said, smiling at Ginny over his shoulder.
"Where are we?" She asked sleepily. Harry let her down from his back before answering.
"On the way back to the tower. You fell asleep, remember."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry you had to carry me."
"No problem." Harry answered.
They walked on in a comfortable silence.
"Hey, Harry?" Ginny suddenly spoke up, turning to face Harry. "Are you telling the others about us?"
"If you want." Harry replied. "Why?"
"I just don't like to sneak around." Was the reply.
"That's fine with me." Harry said. "I just hope that Voldemort wouldn't hear of this."
"Why's that?"
"Just think. As it is now, Ron and Hermione are in danger because they are my best friends. Imagine the danger you'll be in if it was made known that you're my girlfriend."
"I think I'll take that chance." Ginny replied primly.
"So would I." Harry said. "Whatever happens, happens. I'll just have to deal with it when it comes."
"Wow! Words of wisdom." Ginny said in a teasing tone. "What a shock!"
"Hagrid said that to me at the end of last year." Harry answered with a smile.
"Pretty confident words, don't you think?" a nasty, familiar voice drawled out from behind them.
"Malfoy? What are you doing out here at this time?" Harry turned to face his old enemy, pulling Ginny behind him as he did.
"Out for a walk." Malfoy answered, shrugging his shoulders. "And maybe grab a bite or something."
They stood there staring at each other for a long while.
"Well? Go on. I'm not stopping you." Harry said at last, seeing Malfoy just standing there, making no move to continue on his way.
"You know, eating alone is rather boring, don't you think?" Malfoy said, a grin appearing on his mouth.
"So?"
"So I think I'll ask Miss Weasley to join me."
"I think not." Harry said, folding his arms.
"Well, Weasley. Wanna join me for supper?" Malfoy said, directing the question to Ginny.
"Hmm…" Ginny stepped forward, looking at Malfoy up and down, as if checking him out. Her hand on her chin, she looked as if she was really considering his proposal.
"Ahh…, Ginny?" Harry asked tentatively. "You don't seriously think you want to go with him….?"
"Shh. I'm thinking." Ginny replied distantly, her eyes still on Malfoy. She begin to circle around Malfoy slowly, her eyes traveling all over him. Malfoy looked distinctly uncomfortable under the gaze of Ginny, while Harry looked on helplessly, wondering what exactly was Ginny up to. Even his recent knowledge of her did not help him one bit."
~~~~~~~~~~
"That's it! I can't wait any longer!" Ron busted out. For the past twenty minutes he had been staring at the Marauder's Map, and he couldn't stand the awkward silence he and Hermione had been sitting in since his slip of tongue anymore.
"Wait a little longer, Ron." Hermione said. "They're on their way already."
"I know, but they've stopped for the last ten minutes." Ron replied. "I'm going." With that, he jumped out of his chair and walked towards the entrance.
"I'll come with you." Hermione said as she stood up too.
"No need." Ron said shortly. "I'll be back with them soon." The bang of the portray echoed around the room, broken by the Fat Lady's murmurings about the manners of youths. Hermione slowly sank back into her chair, feeling suddenly very tired.
"Why did the first day of school have to turn out like that…" She whispered to herself as she pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees.
~~~~~~~~~
Ginny ended her tour around Malfoy, looking up to his face. Malfoy returned her look coolly, one eyebrow cocked up.
"Well?" Malfoy asked.
"Sure, why not?" Ginny replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"What!?" Harry practically yelled. He ran up to Ginny and caught hold of her arm. "You can't be serious!"
"Alright. Shell we be off then?" Malfoy said, extending one arm.