In his exuberance, Harry challenged Ron to a game of wizard's chess,
figuring that if he was ever going to beat Ron, who was the far superior
player, today would be the day.
He seemed to be right: from the first moves of the game, Harry was ahead. But it wasn't because of any great skill of his own; it was because Ron was constantly distracted by a conversation going on at the other end of the Common Room. A crowd of other fifth-years, including Hermione Granger, Gryffindor's newest prefect, was gathered near the fireplace, and they seemed to be discussing the Dance. Harry was on the brink of telling Ron they could put the game on hold so he could go over and satisfy his curiosity, when Hermione suddenly came over to talk to them.
"Seamus just asked me to the Dance." she said abruptly.
Harry wasn't sure how to respond and Ron was currently refusing to look away from the chessboard. "Um, that's nice, Hermione," Harry finally said.
She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't say yes!"
"Huh?" Harry was thoroughly confused. Ron looked up, absentmindedly moving his knight into check.
Hermione looked very uncomfortable. "I told him I'd think about it and get back to him. I thought I'd come over here and give Ron a chance to ask me before it's too late, seeing as he threw a fit last year when I went with Viktor." Her cheeks were red.
Ron also blushed. He sputtered nonsensically, "What, so you can just come over here-and I'm supposed to-just because-last year!-do you think I haven't-"
Hermione, already embarrassed, snapped back at him, speaking over his disconnected phrases, "You're not supposed to do anything you don't want to do, but if you don't ask me now then I don't want to hear anything else about it and you'd better just grin and watch me go with Seamus-"
"Stop it!" Harry looked up from the chessboard and interrupted them both, causing them to look at him in shock. "Now, Ron." he said, turning to his best friend. "Do you want to go to the Dance with Hermione? That's all she's asking." Hermione, peeved, started to protest, but Harry silenced her with a pleading look.
Ron looked back down at the chessboard, where he quickly made a move, as if to prove how little any of this mattered to him, but without noticing that Harry's knight had threateningly drawn its sword on his king. "Dunno."
Harry sighed. "Well, I know you don't have another date yet. Is there anyone else you'd especially like to go with?"
Ron was a long time in responding. Harry knew he was trying desperately to think of any other girl who might agree to go with him. Ron finally sighed and said, "Guess not."
"So, Ron, it seems to me that all Hermione is asking is that either the two of you go together-"
"I did not-" Hermione said angrily.
"But-" Ron said.
Harry went on, speaking over them both. "Or, at the least, that you do not repeat last year's performance. Now, Ron, I think that if you let this opportunity go by, then you are sure to make all three of our lives a living hell. And I am looking forward to this dance too much for you two to spoil it fighting. So, Hermione," Harry turned to her, "the only remaining question is whether you would like to go with Ron."
Both the boys looked intently at the very red-faced Hermione, who was now the one sputtering. "But-I didn't mean-he-" She sighed, exasperated, and finally gritted her teeth and said with forced dignity, "If it's the only way to make him behave." and turned abruptly on her heel.
Harry made his final move on the chessboard and smiled at Ron, who was still staring after Hermione, completely dumbfounded. "Checkmate!" he said triumphantly.
He seemed to be right: from the first moves of the game, Harry was ahead. But it wasn't because of any great skill of his own; it was because Ron was constantly distracted by a conversation going on at the other end of the Common Room. A crowd of other fifth-years, including Hermione Granger, Gryffindor's newest prefect, was gathered near the fireplace, and they seemed to be discussing the Dance. Harry was on the brink of telling Ron they could put the game on hold so he could go over and satisfy his curiosity, when Hermione suddenly came over to talk to them.
"Seamus just asked me to the Dance." she said abruptly.
Harry wasn't sure how to respond and Ron was currently refusing to look away from the chessboard. "Um, that's nice, Hermione," Harry finally said.
She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't say yes!"
"Huh?" Harry was thoroughly confused. Ron looked up, absentmindedly moving his knight into check.
Hermione looked very uncomfortable. "I told him I'd think about it and get back to him. I thought I'd come over here and give Ron a chance to ask me before it's too late, seeing as he threw a fit last year when I went with Viktor." Her cheeks were red.
Ron also blushed. He sputtered nonsensically, "What, so you can just come over here-and I'm supposed to-just because-last year!-do you think I haven't-"
Hermione, already embarrassed, snapped back at him, speaking over his disconnected phrases, "You're not supposed to do anything you don't want to do, but if you don't ask me now then I don't want to hear anything else about it and you'd better just grin and watch me go with Seamus-"
"Stop it!" Harry looked up from the chessboard and interrupted them both, causing them to look at him in shock. "Now, Ron." he said, turning to his best friend. "Do you want to go to the Dance with Hermione? That's all she's asking." Hermione, peeved, started to protest, but Harry silenced her with a pleading look.
Ron looked back down at the chessboard, where he quickly made a move, as if to prove how little any of this mattered to him, but without noticing that Harry's knight had threateningly drawn its sword on his king. "Dunno."
Harry sighed. "Well, I know you don't have another date yet. Is there anyone else you'd especially like to go with?"
Ron was a long time in responding. Harry knew he was trying desperately to think of any other girl who might agree to go with him. Ron finally sighed and said, "Guess not."
"So, Ron, it seems to me that all Hermione is asking is that either the two of you go together-"
"I did not-" Hermione said angrily.
"But-" Ron said.
Harry went on, speaking over them both. "Or, at the least, that you do not repeat last year's performance. Now, Ron, I think that if you let this opportunity go by, then you are sure to make all three of our lives a living hell. And I am looking forward to this dance too much for you two to spoil it fighting. So, Hermione," Harry turned to her, "the only remaining question is whether you would like to go with Ron."
Both the boys looked intently at the very red-faced Hermione, who was now the one sputtering. "But-I didn't mean-he-" She sighed, exasperated, and finally gritted her teeth and said with forced dignity, "If it's the only way to make him behave." and turned abruptly on her heel.
Harry made his final move on the chessboard and smiled at Ron, who was still staring after Hermione, completely dumbfounded. "Checkmate!" he said triumphantly.