Chapter 6
"Ron…" Harry looked uneasily at his best friend. It was past midnight and they were the last ones in the Common Room, bending bleary-eyed over overdue Potions homework. He swallowed hard. "I reckon Hermione wants you to take her to the Valentine's Ball."
Ron gave an indignant splutter. "I doubt it," he said coldly, "seeing as she's currently involved in meetings with all of my worst enemies."
"Well…you like Sirius, don't you?" Harry said, feeling rather as if he was trying to save a drowning ship. "And Professor Lupin? And Fudge is okay…" in spite of himself, Harry grimaced. "Okay, maybe not, but still…"
He expected another outburst from Ron, but instead he looked up to see the red-haired boy eyeing him thoughtfully. "D'you really think she'd like it if I asked her?" he asked.
Harry nodded vigorously. "Of course," he said. He neglected to mention the fact that it was Hermione who'd ordered him to carry out this conversation in the first place.
"Then I will," said Ron decisively. "Parvati can find someone else, I can tell she wasn't thrilled about going with me anyhow."
And with that, they went to bed.
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"Um…Hermione," Ron said the next morning at breakfast. His ears flamed brighter than his hair; Hermione, noticing, hid a smile.
"Yes?" she asked with studied nonchalance.
"I…er….well…." Ron drew a deep breath. "Wannagoaballwithme?" he mumbled.
Harry, from the other side of the table, snorted. "Even I didn't understand what that was," he said.
Ron glared at him and muttered, "Helpful this morning, aren't we."
Harry grinned and took a bite of toast.
"Anyway," Ron said to Hermione desperately, "Will you…"
Hermione looked utterly nonplussed, her gaze drifting from Ron to Harry and back again. Finally it seemed to dawn on her, and she nodded vigorously.
"Sure," she said, and Harry noticed she sounded immensely pleased. "Malfoy'll just have to find someone else."
"This is more like the Hermione I know," Harry muttered to Ron as Hermione turned to talk to Ginny, beside her.
"You've forgotten the love letters," Ron said in a hollow voice. "And Severus. But," he added, brightening, "she doesn't seem to care for Malfoy much after all, does she?"
"Not a bit," Harry said, hoping very much that it was true.
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The Great Hall had been decorated in blushing reds and pinks for the Ball, and the four long House tables had vanished, to be replaced by small round tables around the edges of the dance floor. As Harry nervously entered the Hall, Ginny close beside him, he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that it didn't look nearly so horrible as he'd expected.
"It's beautiful," Ginny said, and Harry – though he didn't know about beautiful – nodded.
"Yeah," he said, and felt very nervous all at once. "Er…d'you want to sit down?"
"Sure," Ginny agreed immediately. They sat; a few moments later, Ron and Hermione came over to join them.
With Ron and Hermione there, it was easier for Harry to fall into a conversation. After they had eaten their light dinner and stood up to dance the butterflies returned, but as he danced awkwardly and talked less so with Ginny, he realized he wasn't doing so badly as he had expected…in fact, he thought in surprise, maybe even enjoying it.
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After the Ball was over Harry walked Ginny back to Gryffindor Tower, Ron and Hermione not far behind. The Common Room was crowded, but not as noisy as usual; the four of them sat in armchairs near the fire.
When they had exhausted every possible subject, from house-elves to detention to that night's Ball, Ron yawned and announced his intention to retire.
Hermione stood too. "It's getting late," she said. "And we do have classes tomorrow."
As she turned to go, Harry noticed a small white parchment fluttering out of the small purse she was carrying. He stooped to retrieve it and was surprise when Hermione snatched it out of his fingers, blushing crimson.
"Good night," she said hastily, and turned to go up the girls' stairs.
"What was that, Hermione?" Ron asked, the good feeling between them dissipating rapidly. "A letter from Lupin? Sirius? Fudge, maybe?"
"No," Hermione muttered and tried to leave again. Ron snatched the letter from her hand and began to open it. After a few futile attempts to grab it back, Hermione sank back into an armchair and put her flaming face to her hands.
Ron's jaw dropped as he read the letter. "'Er – my – knee," he said hoarsely when he had finished. "This is a joke, right?"
Hermione shook her head miserably.
"What?" Harry asked, curious in spite of himself. "Who is it, Lucius Malfoy?"
"Worse," Ron said stonily. "Much, much worse." He began to read in a loud, mocking voice.
"Dear Hermione," he read. "I cannot deny the thrill I feel when I receive your letters. It all changes when I hear from you. You make me feel positively…human again. I've wanted so many things in my life…world domination, defeat of Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter's death. (Harry Potter: the Boy Who Simply Won't Die. How I hate him.)" Here Ron stopped, a greenish tinge to his face.
"Go on," Harry croaked.
"But now I realize," Ron continued, "That all I need, all I ever needed, was you, Hermione." Now he looked as if he might be sick; hastily, Harry grabbed the letter and continued its reading.
"When you call me Tom," Harry said, suddenly feeling quite as sick as Ron looked, "It makes me feel so wonderful. No one else calls me Tom, except for Dumbledore, and that's just demeaning. Your 'Dear Tom's make me happier than Ginny Weasley's ever did, Hermione. I lived for years for the sake of living, but now I live for the sake of love."
"Hermione," Harry said faintly, looking up from the letter. "Is this from who I think it's from?"
Hermione nodded, tears streaming down her face.
Harry skipped to the end of the letter to find the signature. It was there, just as he had feared –
I remain now and forever your ardent admirer.
Love,
Voldemort
The End Author's Note – Yes, I am certifiably insane. If you must know, I am actually writing this from the closed ward in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. No, I should not be allowed near a computer ever, ever, again.However, I did NOT come up with the Hermione/Voldemort idea. Well…I sort of did. But Iaurore helped a lot, so blame her too.
Next installment coming soon!!! This'll be a Crossover AND a Mary-Sue…and the Interlude'll be interesting too. Look out for Professor Trelawney's 3rd real prediction!
-Emma Kathryn-
