Disclaimer: sadly, I own nothing....

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Harry looked REALLY angry as he neared me.

"What?" I asked before he got there. He gave me this really cynical look.

"You weren't supposed to ask her if she wanted to go as FRIENDS," He said in this really loud whisper that I was sure everyone else in the Gryffindor common room could hear.

"Look, I asked, that was the deal," I stated bluntly.

"Well, she didn't seem happy about it, going as friends I mean," Harry said as if dangling something I wanted to have over my head.

"What?" I asked a bit too quickly. He shrugged giving me this knowing look, he started walking away, I jumped up going after him and grabbing his arm.

"She just seemed a little put out when she mentioned it was just as FRIENDS," Harry said giving me another knowing look.

"So you think maybe she wanted to go as..." Harry nodded answering my un-asked question. I started up to the girl's dorm.

"She's not in there, she said she had to help Neville with something," Harry called after me.

"Thanks mate," I muttered before running towards the portrait hall.

"Whipped," Harry muttered grinning. Slyly. I shot him a glare, which changed into a sheepish smile.


"Neville, where's Hermione?" I asked seeing him in the corridor leading to the library. He shrugged.

"I dunno, why?" He asked getting a grin identical to Harry's Whipped-Grin.

"I just wondered, and since she was helping you with something I figured-"

"She wasn't helping me with anything today, she helped me with charms yesterday but-"
I was too far out of earshot to here the rest since I started running off to look for Hermione right when I heard that he didn't know where she was. I looked up and down the most common used corridors, and into her favorite classrooms and reading spots.

"Where is she?" I muttered to myself. I had to find her before tomorrow night. I wandered into yet another empty classroom, out of breath and walked over to the open window that was letting in gusts of cold air.

A brown haired person was walking around out there, without a coat or anything.

"Stupid person," I mumbled to myself, thinking of how Hermione always made Harry and I put on extra shirts underneath our quidditch uniforms for the early morning and late night practices. "You don't want to catch colds do you?" She would always ask. I stared at the person as she wrapped her arms around her, her brown slightly bushy hair flying all over the place.

"Hermione?" I asked myself.

It was certainly cold outside; I was halfway around the castle when I finally saw her. Red cheeks and nose watery eyes, due to the icy wind.

"What do you think your doing?" I called to her. She didn't answer. Just walked towards me.

"I, uh forgot my cloak," She said not looking me in the eye.

"And forgot that you didn't need to help Neville with anything?" I asked slyly. She looked up at me sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah." She mumbled. I reached up to wipe a strand of hair from her eyes. Her skin was icy.

"How long have you been out here?" I asked.

"Uh, about a half hour, maybe a bit longer," She answered. I yanked off my jumper remembering what my mother had said about how girls liked it when boys gave them their coats. I handed it to her and she put it on with trembling hands. I grabbed her freezing hands in mine after she had it on and started walking with her back towards the entrance.

"Trying to get sick so you won't have to go to the ball with me ay?" I joked looking down at her.

"No, actually... Um, when you asked me, did you just ask me because... Well, because of what I said last year?" She asked looking at her feet.

"Well, sorta," I muttered thinking of the bet I had made with Harry.

"Oh," she said in a dejected voice.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, I mean, Ron, if you don't WANT to go with me, you don't have to," She said biting her lower lip.

I swallowed hard. Maybe Harry had been wrong, maybe she was put out because I had asked at all.

"Oh. Well, it's tomorrow, so I doubt I could find anyone else to go with," I muttered lamely.

"Ok," She said slowly, looking off into the distance and away from me. Her shoulders were shivering in the cold wind. I looked at my feet.

She didn't want to go with me at all. Damn it. I knew it was a bloody hidden message. I'm gonna kill Harry.

Once we were inside the castle she wrenched her hands away from mine and muttered something about studying. I went into the great hall, Harry was sitting with the other guys and they were all grinning that same grin.

"So we saw you and Hermione outside," Seamus said smoothly. I scowled at him.

"She doesn't want to go with me," I muttered miserably.

"What?" they all asked in unison.

I hate my life.

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Aww, poor ronniekins. Little does he know, why Hermione asked that question. More to come soon! Until then go read my other fics, if you like slightly fluffy fics, then read Tears of War, if you like angst, then read The Monster in Me, and if you like the Mediator series by Jenny Carroll then read Angels.

And don't forget to REVIEW!!!!!!!