The weeks that followed their rendezvous at the quidditch field were uncomfortable, and tension-filled. Hermione wasn't necessarily avoiding Ron, but she wasn't making any efforts to confront him. She had instead, buried her nose in books, studying for the O.W.L.s. She wasn't exactly sure of what Ron had been up to, but it seemed to involve neither girls nor books. Instead, it seemed to be more like a dazed predicament.
She found herself watching him staring off into space numerous times. His was face just too cute with that dazed expression and lopsided grin. She couldn't fathom for the life of her what could be crossing his mind. Despite the childish innocence on that face, she knew the adult monster within. Hermione just couldn't forgive him for what he had done. Well, she wouldn't forgive him just yet. 'Forgiveness takes time, right?' She had thought she was in love with the red-haired boy, but the more she thought about what he had done, the less sure she was of herself. Could Hermione really allow herself to fall for someone like him? She just wasn't sure.
On this particular December afternoon, she sat at a large oak table in the Gryffindor common room, studying for a Transfiguration exam. The Christmas holiday would be starting soon, which signaled the coming of the pre-holiday exams. She knew she had to do well on them. Besides, the more she studied, the better she'd probably do on the O.W.L.s.
"um..Hermione?" A timid voice breathed from behind her. She lifted her face from the book she had been reading to find her nose mere inches from Ron's.
"Ron?" she asked. He quickly pulled back from her face and stood upright, his face flushing.
"well…Hermione." His face crinkled in nervousness. "As you know, Dumbledore announced another Yule Ball yesterday. And I…er" He smiled weakly at her, as if summoning his courage. "Rather…Hermione would you--"
"Would I go to the ball with you?" She asked.
He sighed in relief and almost smiled. "Well, yeah. So, would you? If it makes you feel any better, you're the first girl I've asked." He then gave her that wonderfully lopsided grin.
Hermione looked at him for a moment. Then her eyes went back down to the text book. She sighed, a wavering, sigh. "I'm sorry Ron. No. I can't go with you to the Yule Ball." She shut the book with a loud slam against the heavy wooden table. She stood, looking up into his eyes, tears forming in hers'. 'I can't believe he asked me! He must've known I'd say no. Did he really think I'd just take him back for a romantic tryst?'
Ron looked as though he had been slapped across the face. "Wha? ….oh, um, okay Hermione." Then he walked past her and towards the portrait hole. He took a last, pained look at her, and then stepped out of the common room.
When he was gone, Hermione collapsed back into her chair, refusing to let tears fall. She just absolutely could not forgive Ron! He just didn't get it. They couldn't just leap into a relationship, they needed to take it slow…which meant being friends, not lovers. She looked back towards the portrait hole and cautiously walked over to it. She looked around the common room, and then followed Ron out of the portrait hole. She needed to make him understand her.
She found herself watching him staring off into space numerous times. His was face just too cute with that dazed expression and lopsided grin. She couldn't fathom for the life of her what could be crossing his mind. Despite the childish innocence on that face, she knew the adult monster within. Hermione just couldn't forgive him for what he had done. Well, she wouldn't forgive him just yet. 'Forgiveness takes time, right?' She had thought she was in love with the red-haired boy, but the more she thought about what he had done, the less sure she was of herself. Could Hermione really allow herself to fall for someone like him? She just wasn't sure.
On this particular December afternoon, she sat at a large oak table in the Gryffindor common room, studying for a Transfiguration exam. The Christmas holiday would be starting soon, which signaled the coming of the pre-holiday exams. She knew she had to do well on them. Besides, the more she studied, the better she'd probably do on the O.W.L.s.
"um..Hermione?" A timid voice breathed from behind her. She lifted her face from the book she had been reading to find her nose mere inches from Ron's.
"Ron?" she asked. He quickly pulled back from her face and stood upright, his face flushing.
"well…Hermione." His face crinkled in nervousness. "As you know, Dumbledore announced another Yule Ball yesterday. And I…er" He smiled weakly at her, as if summoning his courage. "Rather…Hermione would you--"
"Would I go to the ball with you?" She asked.
He sighed in relief and almost smiled. "Well, yeah. So, would you? If it makes you feel any better, you're the first girl I've asked." He then gave her that wonderfully lopsided grin.
Hermione looked at him for a moment. Then her eyes went back down to the text book. She sighed, a wavering, sigh. "I'm sorry Ron. No. I can't go with you to the Yule Ball." She shut the book with a loud slam against the heavy wooden table. She stood, looking up into his eyes, tears forming in hers'. 'I can't believe he asked me! He must've known I'd say no. Did he really think I'd just take him back for a romantic tryst?'
Ron looked as though he had been slapped across the face. "Wha? ….oh, um, okay Hermione." Then he walked past her and towards the portrait hole. He took a last, pained look at her, and then stepped out of the common room.
When he was gone, Hermione collapsed back into her chair, refusing to let tears fall. She just absolutely could not forgive Ron! He just didn't get it. They couldn't just leap into a relationship, they needed to take it slow…which meant being friends, not lovers. She looked back towards the portrait hole and cautiously walked over to it. She looked around the common room, and then followed Ron out of the portrait hole. She needed to make him understand her.