CHAPTER 4
-1 Week before the Ball ^_~-
Hermione walked out of the library,finishing her research for the day,and made for the common room. On her way, she bumped into Jia who was walking with her sister,Kun. "Hermione!" Jia squeaked. "Hey,Jia," Hermione dully greeted. "Hermione, wait," Jia said. "Yes?" Hermione asked. "You know, with Draco being my boyfriend and everything, i hope this hasn't put a rift in our friendship," she said carefully. Hermione smiled warmly, "Don't think of such things Jia. I'll always like you ,even if you get MARRIED to Malfoy one of these days," she said. "Tch,let's hope not, " Kun mumbled. "Oh, i highly doubt it! And Cho said to give you this. Well, we'll be going, see you Mione," Jia walked away after handing Hermione a sealed note. hermione opened it,gasped in suprise,and ran down the halls.
"It's soooo beautiful..." Hermione breathed. They were in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had brought Cho in just for the occassion. They had bought Hermione a ball gown. "Why didn't you tell me?" hermione asked. "Well,we knew you forgot to bring a gown,and so we decided to buy it for you at hogsmeade," Cho replied. Ron sighed, "More like, CHO decided to buy it. Now i'm broke." Hermione laughed,and promised to pay him back, which cheered him up a bit. "So, Mione, you know how to dance don't you?" Cho asked, folding the gown back into the box. "Uhh...yes,a little bit," Hermione said. "How many times, i mean , in your whole lifetime,have you slow-danced?" Cho asked, pausing for her reply. "Uh...5?" Hermione answered weakly. Cho groaned,and Ron laughed. "Here. I just finished teaching Ron, so he'll show you. As for me, i've got to get out of here. I'm not even in my own house! See you both later," and with no further adieu, Cho left.
"Ok, now to the left,Mione, no, to the LEFT," Ron directed. They had been practicing for an hour,and were both tired. "There! Now you've got it!" Ron sighed. "Tell me , Mione, we've been best friends forever,right?" he asked. "Uh huh..." Hermione tried getting her dancing steps right. "So, you'd tell me your deepest secrets,right?" Ron asked. "If i even HAD any..." Hermione snorted. "Good! Do you have any feelings for Harry then?" Ron flatly asked. Hermione's head snapped up. "Ronald Weasley! how dare you ask such a question!" she half scowling,half smiling said. "No, really,do you?" Ron persisted. "Harry and mine's relationship is strictly professional. I haven't any feelings for him as i haven't any for you," she said. "Aw,Mione,that hurt!" Ron said, pretending to be offended."Well, i like him and all,but my feelings for him are...he's just my best friend," Hermione explained."Yea right," Ron said,smiling. "No,Ron, i'm serious!" Hermione said,scowling,but she couldn't help grinning too. "Are you sure?" Ron asked. "Yes," Hermione sighed. Ron just stared at her. "Ron,stop it!" Hermione's scowl turned into a grin. "Tell me the truth or i'll get that truth potion from Snape's office," Ron said. They had stopped dancing and were standing three feet away from each other. "Are you threatning me?" Hermione whispered. "yes...i am," Ron replied, stepping closer to her. They stared at each other hard for a few moments,and finally, Hermione broke her gaze. "Alright,alright, so maybe i did have a crush on him ever since fifth year,and have dreamed of his lovely green eyes ever since he won that TriWizard Tournament,but,honestly,Ron, i don't have any feelings for him any more," Hermione sighed,and sat down. Ron sat down next to her and said, " Oh Hermione. You DO have feelings for him,you DO. " Hermione buried her face in her hands. "I know...but what AM i going to do?" she asked miserably. Ron grinned. "The ball. We've got everything planned. Just wait till Cho hears about this, i can almost hear her excited squeal."
-LATER-
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OH MYYYY WORRRD!!! MY DEEEEAAAARRRR MIONNNE!!!!" Cho screamed. Ron turned to Hermione. "Told you," he said. "Hermione! Oh this is just perfect! Oh it's like a puzzle! And you're the missing piece,oh!!" Cho squealed,clasping Hermione's hand. "Well, sorry to leave you at such a happy state, ladies, but i have to go. See you both later," with that, Ron left. Cho took Hermione's arm. "Hermione, you have no idea how you've made me happy," Cho sighed. "No,actually i don't," Hermione said laughing," I have something to ask you." "Anything,dear. " "Why do you think Harry chose....me...when practically any girl in Hogwarts would say yes at once if he asked them?" Hermione asked. "Don't you see,dear?" Cho asked. "He likes you. No, more than that. He loves you," Cho said. Hermione turned to her in suprise. "No! He doesn't. I mean,he-he can't possibly...he does?" Hermione asked, breathless. "I had the honor of being the first to know,dearie," Cho replied, her eyes laughing. "I won't believe it till he tells me himself," Hermione chuckled. "Oh,he'll tell you soon," Cho mumbled. "What?" Hermione turned to her. "Oh...nothing..so how's that slow dance coming?"
-1 Week before the Ball ^_~-
Hermione walked out of the library,finishing her research for the day,and made for the common room. On her way, she bumped into Jia who was walking with her sister,Kun. "Hermione!" Jia squeaked. "Hey,Jia," Hermione dully greeted. "Hermione, wait," Jia said. "Yes?" Hermione asked. "You know, with Draco being my boyfriend and everything, i hope this hasn't put a rift in our friendship," she said carefully. Hermione smiled warmly, "Don't think of such things Jia. I'll always like you ,even if you get MARRIED to Malfoy one of these days," she said. "Tch,let's hope not, " Kun mumbled. "Oh, i highly doubt it! And Cho said to give you this. Well, we'll be going, see you Mione," Jia walked away after handing Hermione a sealed note. hermione opened it,gasped in suprise,and ran down the halls.
"It's soooo beautiful..." Hermione breathed. They were in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had brought Cho in just for the occassion. They had bought Hermione a ball gown. "Why didn't you tell me?" hermione asked. "Well,we knew you forgot to bring a gown,and so we decided to buy it for you at hogsmeade," Cho replied. Ron sighed, "More like, CHO decided to buy it. Now i'm broke." Hermione laughed,and promised to pay him back, which cheered him up a bit. "So, Mione, you know how to dance don't you?" Cho asked, folding the gown back into the box. "Uhh...yes,a little bit," Hermione said. "How many times, i mean , in your whole lifetime,have you slow-danced?" Cho asked, pausing for her reply. "Uh...5?" Hermione answered weakly. Cho groaned,and Ron laughed. "Here. I just finished teaching Ron, so he'll show you. As for me, i've got to get out of here. I'm not even in my own house! See you both later," and with no further adieu, Cho left.
"Ok, now to the left,Mione, no, to the LEFT," Ron directed. They had been practicing for an hour,and were both tired. "There! Now you've got it!" Ron sighed. "Tell me , Mione, we've been best friends forever,right?" he asked. "Uh huh..." Hermione tried getting her dancing steps right. "So, you'd tell me your deepest secrets,right?" Ron asked. "If i even HAD any..." Hermione snorted. "Good! Do you have any feelings for Harry then?" Ron flatly asked. Hermione's head snapped up. "Ronald Weasley! how dare you ask such a question!" she half scowling,half smiling said. "No, really,do you?" Ron persisted. "Harry and mine's relationship is strictly professional. I haven't any feelings for him as i haven't any for you," she said. "Aw,Mione,that hurt!" Ron said, pretending to be offended."Well, i like him and all,but my feelings for him are...he's just my best friend," Hermione explained."Yea right," Ron said,smiling. "No,Ron, i'm serious!" Hermione said,scowling,but she couldn't help grinning too. "Are you sure?" Ron asked. "Yes," Hermione sighed. Ron just stared at her. "Ron,stop it!" Hermione's scowl turned into a grin. "Tell me the truth or i'll get that truth potion from Snape's office," Ron said. They had stopped dancing and were standing three feet away from each other. "Are you threatning me?" Hermione whispered. "yes...i am," Ron replied, stepping closer to her. They stared at each other hard for a few moments,and finally, Hermione broke her gaze. "Alright,alright, so maybe i did have a crush on him ever since fifth year,and have dreamed of his lovely green eyes ever since he won that TriWizard Tournament,but,honestly,Ron, i don't have any feelings for him any more," Hermione sighed,and sat down. Ron sat down next to her and said, " Oh Hermione. You DO have feelings for him,you DO. " Hermione buried her face in her hands. "I know...but what AM i going to do?" she asked miserably. Ron grinned. "The ball. We've got everything planned. Just wait till Cho hears about this, i can almost hear her excited squeal."
-LATER-
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OH MYYYY WORRRD!!! MY DEEEEAAAARRRR MIONNNE!!!!" Cho screamed. Ron turned to Hermione. "Told you," he said. "Hermione! Oh this is just perfect! Oh it's like a puzzle! And you're the missing piece,oh!!" Cho squealed,clasping Hermione's hand. "Well, sorry to leave you at such a happy state, ladies, but i have to go. See you both later," with that, Ron left. Cho took Hermione's arm. "Hermione, you have no idea how you've made me happy," Cho sighed. "No,actually i don't," Hermione said laughing," I have something to ask you." "Anything,dear. " "Why do you think Harry chose....me...when practically any girl in Hogwarts would say yes at once if he asked them?" Hermione asked. "Don't you see,dear?" Cho asked. "He likes you. No, more than that. He loves you," Cho said. Hermione turned to her in suprise. "No! He doesn't. I mean,he-he can't possibly...he does?" Hermione asked, breathless. "I had the honor of being the first to know,dearie," Cho replied, her eyes laughing. "I won't believe it till he tells me himself," Hermione chuckled. "Oh,he'll tell you soon," Cho mumbled. "What?" Hermione turned to her. "Oh...nothing..so how's that slow dance coming?"