Chapter three
"But I thought you had a date," gasped Hermione.
"And you like the perfume I gave you two years ago."
Of course, a Weasley had to be charming at some point. Ron gave a smile and welcomed her to sit next to him.
"Yes, I have a date. That date is you, Hermione."
It was one of those rare occasions in which another side of Ron had been shown. His fingers were tightly wrapped round a rose, extended to give to Hermione.
Hermione was speechless. "T-Thank you." She accepted it with her fingers trembling. "You - you wrote all of that stuff?"
"I would have loved help from Ginny, but it sounded corny at first," said Ron. "But that poem I wrote was a good idea - I wanted to apologise for all those bickering times."
"Well.I liked it." Hermione paused. "Well to be honest, I loved it."
"But I bet I love you more," muttered Ron, shyly. His ears went red.
Yet silence filled the willow. Hagrid's sounds of shooing off nearby students were heard, and Hermione guessed that Ron asked to keep guard.
"R-Really?" asked Hermione.
"I have always wanted to tell you.for a while." Ron breathed out. "I just couldn't say it. And thank god for Valentine's Day being a Saturday and thank god for the ball set for us."
"Well.when you told me you had a date, I felt.jealous."
"It would be better than what happened at the Yule Ball."
Flashback.
[i]"Ron, what is wrong with you?" asked fourteen-year-old Hermione.
"You and Krum, that's what!" shouted Ron, reddening. "Why did you go with him? He's such a - a jerk!"
"Your favourite Quidditch player a jerk? Oh, I'm surprised."
"Out of all the boys you could have gone with, you picked HIM tonight?" shouted back Ron, his face boiling.
"And why it's particularly him all of a sudden? It's not just him, isn't it? It's just ANYONE. ANYONE THAT ISN'T YOU!"
Ron was breathing hard. Hermione was turning red.
"And what exactly do you mean by that, Miss Perfect?"
"Oh come on, admit it Ron! You're just jealous!"
"Jealous? You're just a last resort! I just hate the point you're with Krum!"
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione, her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, her face screwed up in anger.
"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, not as a last resort!"[/i]
Hermione realised she had closed her eyes and leaned on Ron's shoulder, his arm around her.
"At least I asked you this time, and not as a last resort," whispered Ron, patting her hair.
"Did you - you plan it all out?" asked Hermione.
Ron raised his eyebrows a little and felt his voice crack. "Yeah.I knew you weren't the last resort this time, but the first one out of a crowd I'd pick." Ron rested his head against Hermione's. "But you seem more beautiful than you were at that Yule Ball."
Hermione smiled. "Do you think we should go inside?"
Ron looked into her brown eyes. They came apart looking into each other's eyes.
Hermione's eyes were warm and brown. They were so difficult to look at, thought Ron; they're just too beautiful and warm. Hermione loved Ron's blue eyes, so wild and magical.
Ron took her hand with his left hand, and his right held her chin.
"Yeah, let's go," he muttered. But they still sat there, not moving.
Ron was glad he stayed.
~*§*~
Harry was chatting to Cho, who seemed happier than she had been for days. Harry so far had stood up for her three times: the people around them got the idea and stopped bothering them.
Cho was sorry for what she did the years before, when she first dated him. She had come to realise Hermione was one of his best friends, and he couldn't blame her for thinking that way two years ago. Harry explained she knew her grief, as he experienced his at breakfast today.
"So, who's Ron's date then?" said Cho.
"I can guess," said Harry. "Anyways, how's it going with your job in Hogsmeade?"
"Well, as I told you this morning, I'm getting a bit of stress, but it seems my job improves, and I can visit here to help Hagrid sometimes. He's such a nice guy. Also I like visiting Firenze - Divination with him was good when I was here. But it's nice to be back at Hogwarts, in general."
"Oh, there he is, and just what I thought . . ."
Ron and Hermione was laughing, and holding hands.
"Hey, isn't that Ron and Hermione?" asked Cho.
"I had to guess she was his date. It has been so obvious . . .well, I was just mindlessly sitting in the dormitory, and his diary fell open, you know?" Harry grinned. "Don't say anything."
Cho giggled. "Look at them. Hermione looks like she's going to get drinks, and look how he stares at her."
Ron's blue eyes trailed across Hermione's dress robes, and smiled.
[i]I can't believe what a beautiful girl I have,[/i] he thought.
Ginny was smiling at a table at her brother's expression. She went back to talking to Neville, who was now grown up from the clumsy fourth year boy she went to the Yule Ball with. He was more handsome, with a less round face, and less chubby too. He was more of a gentleman, in Ginny's point of view. Braver in many other point of view.
"I'll go for some butterbeer," said Neville, after a long conversation. "See how Hermione is doing with Ron."
"I'll go talk to my brother, I should be back when you are," said Ginny. The two separated in their two different ways.
Ginny gave a small cough behind her brother. Her brother was still staring at Hermione's hair, of how elegant it was, and down to her dress robes. He took no notice.
"Ahem," said Ginny, imitating Professor Umbridge's voice. Ron jumped very suddenly, as if he was to expect a huge hairy spider - or of course his worst teacher ever back - behind him.
"Oh, it's you," he said softly. "Come to hear the old tale?"
"Spill," said Ginny, with an impatient look on her face.
"Well - I - err . . .kissed her?" The tips of Ron's ears reddened. "It was - err - long and - err - well good - err - well, that's about it."
Ginny smiled. "She liked your rose, didn't she?"
Ron gave a small nod. "We had the same feelings, so I very happy right now." He sat down on the nearest table, which Harry was on the next one. "Shame these tables are seated for only two." He raised his eyebrows at Harry, seeing his date. "If I go hyper tonight, blame my happiness." He glanced over to Hermione, who was talking to Neville. "Cause I'm drunk on love."
Harry remembered such an entry he had read a week before he was sitting there, talking to Cho.
~*§*~
[i]Dear Diary, (this is getting rather corny, so ignore this if you really want to)
Okay, I admit it. I am in love with Hermione. Like she'd feel the same for me. I have to always resist trying to catch her eye in class, or looking at her in a strange way. But there is a Valentine ball coming up - wait a minute. I have just had the most brilliant idea, my dear friend (god, I am turning into Hermione, I am calling a book a friend. Oh dear, she's rubbing off on me too much).
Write a poem and letter. Ask her to the ball and remain unknown. That way she will be my date. Aha, what brilliance you have Ron Weasley! Now, to write a poem. Not the old 'roses are red, violets are blue' thing. Hmm.
I wish there was an easier way. She seems to be the light of my dark, but yet the dark of my light sometimes. But it's because of me she is the dark sometimes. Cause of how I act. Cause of how terribly stupid I am. Cause I am such a loser compared to Harry. Harry's a great friend, and she deserves someone like him.
Oh well, I could try my best.
Ron[/i]
~*§*~
"But I thought you had a date," gasped Hermione.
"And you like the perfume I gave you two years ago."
Of course, a Weasley had to be charming at some point. Ron gave a smile and welcomed her to sit next to him.
"Yes, I have a date. That date is you, Hermione."
It was one of those rare occasions in which another side of Ron had been shown. His fingers were tightly wrapped round a rose, extended to give to Hermione.
Hermione was speechless. "T-Thank you." She accepted it with her fingers trembling. "You - you wrote all of that stuff?"
"I would have loved help from Ginny, but it sounded corny at first," said Ron. "But that poem I wrote was a good idea - I wanted to apologise for all those bickering times."
"Well.I liked it." Hermione paused. "Well to be honest, I loved it."
"But I bet I love you more," muttered Ron, shyly. His ears went red.
Yet silence filled the willow. Hagrid's sounds of shooing off nearby students were heard, and Hermione guessed that Ron asked to keep guard.
"R-Really?" asked Hermione.
"I have always wanted to tell you.for a while." Ron breathed out. "I just couldn't say it. And thank god for Valentine's Day being a Saturday and thank god for the ball set for us."
"Well.when you told me you had a date, I felt.jealous."
"It would be better than what happened at the Yule Ball."
Flashback.
[i]"Ron, what is wrong with you?" asked fourteen-year-old Hermione.
"You and Krum, that's what!" shouted Ron, reddening. "Why did you go with him? He's such a - a jerk!"
"Your favourite Quidditch player a jerk? Oh, I'm surprised."
"Out of all the boys you could have gone with, you picked HIM tonight?" shouted back Ron, his face boiling.
"And why it's particularly him all of a sudden? It's not just him, isn't it? It's just ANYONE. ANYONE THAT ISN'T YOU!"
Ron was breathing hard. Hermione was turning red.
"And what exactly do you mean by that, Miss Perfect?"
"Oh come on, admit it Ron! You're just jealous!"
"Jealous? You're just a last resort! I just hate the point you're with Krum!"
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione, her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, her face screwed up in anger.
"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"
"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, not as a last resort!"[/i]
Hermione realised she had closed her eyes and leaned on Ron's shoulder, his arm around her.
"At least I asked you this time, and not as a last resort," whispered Ron, patting her hair.
"Did you - you plan it all out?" asked Hermione.
Ron raised his eyebrows a little and felt his voice crack. "Yeah.I knew you weren't the last resort this time, but the first one out of a crowd I'd pick." Ron rested his head against Hermione's. "But you seem more beautiful than you were at that Yule Ball."
Hermione smiled. "Do you think we should go inside?"
Ron looked into her brown eyes. They came apart looking into each other's eyes.
Hermione's eyes were warm and brown. They were so difficult to look at, thought Ron; they're just too beautiful and warm. Hermione loved Ron's blue eyes, so wild and magical.
Ron took her hand with his left hand, and his right held her chin.
"Yeah, let's go," he muttered. But they still sat there, not moving.
Ron was glad he stayed.
~*§*~
Harry was chatting to Cho, who seemed happier than she had been for days. Harry so far had stood up for her three times: the people around them got the idea and stopped bothering them.
Cho was sorry for what she did the years before, when she first dated him. She had come to realise Hermione was one of his best friends, and he couldn't blame her for thinking that way two years ago. Harry explained she knew her grief, as he experienced his at breakfast today.
"So, who's Ron's date then?" said Cho.
"I can guess," said Harry. "Anyways, how's it going with your job in Hogsmeade?"
"Well, as I told you this morning, I'm getting a bit of stress, but it seems my job improves, and I can visit here to help Hagrid sometimes. He's such a nice guy. Also I like visiting Firenze - Divination with him was good when I was here. But it's nice to be back at Hogwarts, in general."
"Oh, there he is, and just what I thought . . ."
Ron and Hermione was laughing, and holding hands.
"Hey, isn't that Ron and Hermione?" asked Cho.
"I had to guess she was his date. It has been so obvious . . .well, I was just mindlessly sitting in the dormitory, and his diary fell open, you know?" Harry grinned. "Don't say anything."
Cho giggled. "Look at them. Hermione looks like she's going to get drinks, and look how he stares at her."
Ron's blue eyes trailed across Hermione's dress robes, and smiled.
[i]I can't believe what a beautiful girl I have,[/i] he thought.
Ginny was smiling at a table at her brother's expression. She went back to talking to Neville, who was now grown up from the clumsy fourth year boy she went to the Yule Ball with. He was more handsome, with a less round face, and less chubby too. He was more of a gentleman, in Ginny's point of view. Braver in many other point of view.
"I'll go for some butterbeer," said Neville, after a long conversation. "See how Hermione is doing with Ron."
"I'll go talk to my brother, I should be back when you are," said Ginny. The two separated in their two different ways.
Ginny gave a small cough behind her brother. Her brother was still staring at Hermione's hair, of how elegant it was, and down to her dress robes. He took no notice.
"Ahem," said Ginny, imitating Professor Umbridge's voice. Ron jumped very suddenly, as if he was to expect a huge hairy spider - or of course his worst teacher ever back - behind him.
"Oh, it's you," he said softly. "Come to hear the old tale?"
"Spill," said Ginny, with an impatient look on her face.
"Well - I - err . . .kissed her?" The tips of Ron's ears reddened. "It was - err - long and - err - well good - err - well, that's about it."
Ginny smiled. "She liked your rose, didn't she?"
Ron gave a small nod. "We had the same feelings, so I very happy right now." He sat down on the nearest table, which Harry was on the next one. "Shame these tables are seated for only two." He raised his eyebrows at Harry, seeing his date. "If I go hyper tonight, blame my happiness." He glanced over to Hermione, who was talking to Neville. "Cause I'm drunk on love."
Harry remembered such an entry he had read a week before he was sitting there, talking to Cho.
~*§*~
[i]Dear Diary, (this is getting rather corny, so ignore this if you really want to)
Okay, I admit it. I am in love with Hermione. Like she'd feel the same for me. I have to always resist trying to catch her eye in class, or looking at her in a strange way. But there is a Valentine ball coming up - wait a minute. I have just had the most brilliant idea, my dear friend (god, I am turning into Hermione, I am calling a book a friend. Oh dear, she's rubbing off on me too much).
Write a poem and letter. Ask her to the ball and remain unknown. That way she will be my date. Aha, what brilliance you have Ron Weasley! Now, to write a poem. Not the old 'roses are red, violets are blue' thing. Hmm.
I wish there was an easier way. She seems to be the light of my dark, but yet the dark of my light sometimes. But it's because of me she is the dark sometimes. Cause of how I act. Cause of how terribly stupid I am. Cause I am such a loser compared to Harry. Harry's a great friend, and she deserves someone like him.
Oh well, I could try my best.
Ron[/i]
~*§*~
