Chapter 4: Firelit Fancy

*Yay! A fourth chapter! For all of you who have read the previous chapters (and why on earth wouldn't you?), you've probably realized Harry gone + Hermione and Ron alone together = fluffy situation. And you were right, o brilliant readers! More fluff. I'm sorry. I do try to get humor in there sometimes, honestly. It's just difficult when you love fluff as much as I do. So, here it is. Ron gets very, very, very tense, along with Harry. Aren't I evil.*

*Anyways, thank you to all you wonderful people who review me. You really help, 'cause when you're writing a longer story if no one ever reviews it's really disheartening. SO thank you to: Adnap Nottap, myria, animeluvr, Tikal, TrinitySublime, chibi neko, Ase, Len, unravel-me, and SomeGrowYoung.*

Disclaimer: If I owned them, Hermione would NEVER have gone with Krum to the Yule Ball. She would have gone with someone else, not naming names of course..

So I'll come by and see you again
I'll be such a very good friend
Have mercy on my soul
I will never let you know
Where my mind has been

-Melissa Etheridge, "Angels Would Fall"

Harry was standing in front of Ron with a very anxious expression on his face. "So, do you think I look okay?" He was compulsively straightening his sweater, and nervously looking in the mirror. "It's hard to know what to wear because, have you ever noticed how Cho always looks so amazing? It's odd, because I know she's not the kind of girl that would be vain and spend a lot of time on her appearance, but she always looks so beautifully-"

Ron cut him off. "Harry, you look fine. No, I haven't noticed Cho because I know she's hands-off restricted. I don't think she's vain. Stop worrying! Now go out there and make her fall madly in love with you." Ron looked at Harry.

"And don't turn beet-red like that when you do." Harry lunged at Ron, and Ron ran, yelling something about not messing up his clothes.

Harry stopped and smiled at Ron. "I think I'm ready now. I'm going to take her to Honeyduke's and then anywhere else she wants to go -"

"I wouldn't recommend the Screaming Shack."

"And I'll be back here by ten, okay?"

"Yup."

Harry turned suddenly, looking distraught. "Ron, you know how much I appreciate you doing this for me, right?"

Ron nodded. "Oh, yes. I realize that this has been your fantasy since third year and that it never included me and Hermione."

"And Ron?"

"Yes? If you keep this up Harry, you'll have no time for even a Butterbeer."

"What are you going to do for the dance? I was going to ask Cho tonight, but do you know yet - do you want me not to ask her so that you're not -"

"No. Absolutely not. I will be fine. Now go before you completely lose your momentum!"

Harry nodded again, and set off for the door, biting his lip.

Ron glanced at Harry. He seemed so honest, standing there. Smiling wistfully, he wished that someday he could have the experience that Harry was having. And that Harry still thought about his feelings during it was touching, and made Ron feel honored. What a friend. A famous friend who thought of everyone but himself. Then his mind flew back to the scene at dinner that night. Hermione probably thought nothing of it, but Ron not only had been utterly bewildered, but also blown away. The fact that she had stood up for him was amazing, it made him feel very warm somewhere within his chest. And that look in her eyes, the intensely gorgeous heat. He felt rather like floating. He looked again at Harry.

"Hey, good luck, okay?"

"Okay."

                                                                  ***


Ron dashed into the library. After he had finally set Harry off, he had realized that he had to get to Hermione before he did anything else. He ran through it, earning dirty looks from Madam Pince as he jumped from one mahogany bookcase to the next, looking round each one quickly before moving on.

He moved into the study table area, and there she was, just where he had expected, gathering up her books and getting ready to leave. If he had come a minute later, he would have missed her and not been able to intercept her for his friend.

"Hermione! I was just looking for you. I, uh -" He trailed off at the expression of embarassment on her face, as she quickly glanced down at her books when she saw who it was.

"I, I'm sorry if I sort of over-reacted at dinner tonight. I don't know if maybe you wanted to handle it yourself, but I, uh, I just couldn't handle their condescending ways anymore," she murmured, her eyes glued to her Runes Translation book.

"Oh, that? Honestly, don't wor-"

She suddenly looked up, her eyes flashing. "I mean for them to attack you, who has never done anything to them, sure, maybe me, I've rejected their offers to join them in 'boy-hunts' many times, but you! And in such a low, DESPICABLE manner!"

Ron tried to speak, but there were no words, he opened and closed his mouth several times before wildly improvising. "Hermione, I am not upset with you at all! After all, isn't that what friends are for, sticking up for each other? We wouldn't let Draco call you a mudblood or anything. I'm really truly touched that you were actually that upset over it. So don't worry about it. And thank you. I don't know if I've said that yet, but thank you."

Hermione blushed even deeper than before. "It wasn't a problem."

Ron smiled, thinking how an already awkward situation had already turned much worse. "So, anyways, I was thinking, are you really up for Hogsmeade tonight? 'Cause I'm not particularly, and since Harry has to go to" mentally, he scrambled around frantically, what did Harry have to do? "research a report he's doing for school, I was hoping maybe you wouldn't mind sticking around so I'd have some defense against the two wigs? And some company, of course."

He waited anxiously. His main fear here was that she would mistake his offer for something completely different, that he wanted time alone with her. Upon reflection of course, this wasn't completely wrong.

Hermione smiled at him. "That would be lovely. I'm not really up to braving the comments from people either."

                                                                     ***

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

-Goo Goo Dolls, "Iris"



As they walked back to the common room, Ron remembered yet another thing that had been niggling in his mind as very odd. The fact that he had actually seen something in Divination had been odd enough, but that there had been a dance announcement on the very same day? Professor Trelawney would be just as shocked as he was, and might actually improve his grade. And God knew he needed it.

Also troubling was the fact that he had seen himself dancing with Hermione. Did that mean -? Could it possibly be that -? Harry with Cho was no surprise, but the fact that his wildest dreams might actually come true - maybe it all would work out after all.

Together they walked through the Fat Lady ("flibbertigibbet") and sat shyly in the two armchairs by the fireplace.

Ron did not want to have to do this with his crush. He searched madly for a topic, something related to school. "So, do you reckon the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher will be even worse than Miss Perthins?"

Hermione laughed. Her even white teeth shone in the firelight, outlined by lush dusty rose lips. Ron looked into the fire, trying to burn away the un- friend-like thoughts he was having.

"I don't know. I figure, Snape's going to be a prime candidate."

Ron's mouth fell open in sheer horror. "You're right, I never thought of that! Oh god, what hell. What hell. Abuse twice as often as usual."

Hermione smiled a perfect half-smile. "Don't worry. What more could he do to us?"

"Ah, but you are the perfect student, Hermione. He can find less things about you to criticize than the rest of us, and than he'd like to. "

Hermione looked down for a second, her lashes creating shadows on her creamy cheeks. Ron resisted the sudden urge to bang his head against the brick fireplace.

"I'm honestly not the perfect student, I just wish people would stop calling me that, sometimes I feel inadequate just like everyone else. The fact that everyone is always expecting me to succeed, what would happen if I failed? I'd fail not only myself, but everyone else." Hermione paused, looking as if she had no idea why she'd said that. "I mean, I know it sounds arrogant, but -"

Ron stopped her. "I don't think that's arrogant, Hermione. No one would think you failed them, at least, I wouldn't. You do something with yourself, and that's what 's admirable."

The brick fireplace beckoned Ron again. Why, why, why? If he wanted to be any more obvious he'd have to take out space on the billboard at the next Quidditch Cup. He sincerely hoped that Harry was having more luck than he was. Or rather, keeping his cool.

But he was by a fireplace, after all.

"Thank you, Ron. That means a lot." Her mouth with the small indent at the top curved upwards slightly, creating a winsome arc that made Ron break out in a sweat. Than she spoke out suddenly, a look of concentration coming over her.

"Ron, you don't actually believe all that junk that Draco and Parvati say about you, do you?"

Ron was speechless, again. It had been so unexpected, he hadn't thought of an answer beforehand. "Uh, um, of course not -"

"Because if you do, I just wanted to tell you, that despite whatever you may think, you are a truly good person. They never attack your heart, because they can't. A heart of gold is something I don't read about often in my books. And that is really saying something."

Ron had absolutely nothing to say. His mind was a blank.

"Well, I have some last minute Transfiguration homework to do. I'll see you tomorrow, Ron," she said softly, slowly moving out of the soft orange glow of the firelight.

He sat there, still mute, staring into the blazing streaks of the fire. It filled his eyes, the red, orange and yellow burning into his brain and the emptiness that was there. It seared on, its indignant flames licking at his consciousness and questioning everything his numb awareness refused to.

The embers pulsed with heat, golden veined centers of energy. They were the heart and beginning and end of the whole thing, the creator and all that was left when everything else disappeared. They always remained. The flames merely rose from them and, powerful and formidable as they were, they would be nothing without the start.

Minutes passed by, and the fire lived on, and Ron still sat mesmerized. There was only the fire and his feelings.

A voice called gently from the top of the staircase.

"And Ron? Tell Harry I want full details about the date with Cho tomorrow."