CHAPTER SEVEN- SPEECH
Hermione tip-toed away from the girls' dorm quietly. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, and she wanted to read in the common room. When she approached the landing, she heard voices:
"Go about what?"
"Hermione, you imbecile!"
Her ears pricked. She looked carefully over the balcony and saw the backs of Harry and Ron's heads as they sat by the fire. Even though Hermione knew it was not right to eavesdrop, she had a feeling that she should stick around and listen.
"I don't know!" Harry said. "But try not to act insane anymore when you're near her. She thinks you're a nutter."
"She said that?" asked Ron, with a tone of hurt in his voice. "Maybe I should just let her be..."
"NO!" Harry exclaimed. "You can't hide it anymore. You said you were tired of being Ron Weasley, but Hermione doesn't even know how you really feel! All she saw was you running around, screaming at Neville, and trust me: It wasn't too impressive."
Hermione listened eagerly, only a little aware of what they were discussing.
"But what do I say?" asked Ron. " 'I'm sorry I'm a madman but I really fancy you'?"
Hermione's mouth dropped open. She was bewildered. Ron had just said that he fancied her, OUT LOUD!
"That could work," responded Harry. "But I think you can do much better. Of course, I'm no help at all in this area. Every time I think even THINK about talking to Cho, I feel like I've jumped into a bucket of ice water. So-eh.. Think about your brother, Bill. What do you think he would say to girls he likes?"
Ron looked miserable. "What Bill would say won't help my situation in the least! Think of him. He's cool! Now look at me. I'm a stupid third year git who can't even tell one of his best friends that he fancies her!" Ron punched a pillow with such vim and vigor that it could have been mistaken for Malfoy's face.
"Everything nice and special will lose its charm after it came out of my mouth!" Ron told Harry tragically.
Hermione felt awful as she watched, biting her lip.
Harry shook his head. "Stop it! Snap out of it! That was the stupidest thing for me to say. Who cares what Gilderoy Lockhart would say, even? What will Ron Weasley say?"
Ron sniffed loudly. "I derno..."
"Oh, come on! You've got to be thinking of something specific!"
"I was kind of working on a speech all night... Kind of," Ron admitted quickly.
Harry sighed. "Why didn't you say so? Wait, don't answer that. Just tell me what you'll say."
"It isn't very good, but here you go." Ron drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began, imagining Hermione before him.
"Hermione: Every day, since you told McGonnagal a fib about the Mountain Troll to save Harry and I, I've really fancied you. I thought I could be the first person in the world to tell you that I liked you, so when Neville got your attention today, I was angry. But I shouldn't have been. I mean, I should have felt angry, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you and Neville... And the rest of the school, besides Malfoy, but-" Harry grinned- " I just want you to know I've more than just a crush on you. I think you're smart and all that, but everyone does. What I like about you best is you're very nice and helpful, and pretty good- looking as well. So, just letting you know. Good bye." He even waved to the air.
Hermione felt like giggling with glee. Harry stared at Ron, unblinking.
"I sounded like a dumb git, didn't I?"
"No." Harry shook his head. "It was quite nice, as a matter of fact."
Ron sighed openly. "Well, I don't like it in the least. It's too.. Something."
"It's too Ron!" Harry shouted, banging his arm rest. "It's yours! All yours! Have a little faith in yourself!"
"The only problem is, I don't think I can tell her," Ron winced, turning pink.
Harry burst out laughing. "Oh grand," he declared sarcastically. "You think of this brilliant speech, and now, you can't even tell her?"
"She'll think I'm a twit, Harry," Ron snapped, biting his lip and trying hard not to chortle.
Harry rolled his emerald eyes to the ceiling. "She was nice to Neville wasn't she? She gave NEVILLE a kiss! Who knows what she'll give you if you tell her that good speech!"
The boys broke up laughing, as Hermione blushed in indignant pleasure.
"Yes, I suppose," Ron said uncertainly, pulling at the elastic on his pajama pants. He thought about it for a few minutes.
Then, he stood up. " I WILL! I'll tell her tomorrow!"
"There's a plan," Harry agreed, and promptly fell asleep in the arm chair.
Hermione, filled with happiness and excitement, walked back to the dorm room. Even though she had heard Ron's speech, she couldn't wait until tomorrow, when he'd tell her to her face.
Hermione tip-toed away from the girls' dorm quietly. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, and she wanted to read in the common room. When she approached the landing, she heard voices:
"Go about what?"
"Hermione, you imbecile!"
Her ears pricked. She looked carefully over the balcony and saw the backs of Harry and Ron's heads as they sat by the fire. Even though Hermione knew it was not right to eavesdrop, she had a feeling that she should stick around and listen.
"I don't know!" Harry said. "But try not to act insane anymore when you're near her. She thinks you're a nutter."
"She said that?" asked Ron, with a tone of hurt in his voice. "Maybe I should just let her be..."
"NO!" Harry exclaimed. "You can't hide it anymore. You said you were tired of being Ron Weasley, but Hermione doesn't even know how you really feel! All she saw was you running around, screaming at Neville, and trust me: It wasn't too impressive."
Hermione listened eagerly, only a little aware of what they were discussing.
"But what do I say?" asked Ron. " 'I'm sorry I'm a madman but I really fancy you'?"
Hermione's mouth dropped open. She was bewildered. Ron had just said that he fancied her, OUT LOUD!
"That could work," responded Harry. "But I think you can do much better. Of course, I'm no help at all in this area. Every time I think even THINK about talking to Cho, I feel like I've jumped into a bucket of ice water. So-eh.. Think about your brother, Bill. What do you think he would say to girls he likes?"
Ron looked miserable. "What Bill would say won't help my situation in the least! Think of him. He's cool! Now look at me. I'm a stupid third year git who can't even tell one of his best friends that he fancies her!" Ron punched a pillow with such vim and vigor that it could have been mistaken for Malfoy's face.
"Everything nice and special will lose its charm after it came out of my mouth!" Ron told Harry tragically.
Hermione felt awful as she watched, biting her lip.
Harry shook his head. "Stop it! Snap out of it! That was the stupidest thing for me to say. Who cares what Gilderoy Lockhart would say, even? What will Ron Weasley say?"
Ron sniffed loudly. "I derno..."
"Oh, come on! You've got to be thinking of something specific!"
"I was kind of working on a speech all night... Kind of," Ron admitted quickly.
Harry sighed. "Why didn't you say so? Wait, don't answer that. Just tell me what you'll say."
"It isn't very good, but here you go." Ron drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began, imagining Hermione before him.
"Hermione: Every day, since you told McGonnagal a fib about the Mountain Troll to save Harry and I, I've really fancied you. I thought I could be the first person in the world to tell you that I liked you, so when Neville got your attention today, I was angry. But I shouldn't have been. I mean, I should have felt angry, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you and Neville... And the rest of the school, besides Malfoy, but-" Harry grinned- " I just want you to know I've more than just a crush on you. I think you're smart and all that, but everyone does. What I like about you best is you're very nice and helpful, and pretty good- looking as well. So, just letting you know. Good bye." He even waved to the air.
Hermione felt like giggling with glee. Harry stared at Ron, unblinking.
"I sounded like a dumb git, didn't I?"
"No." Harry shook his head. "It was quite nice, as a matter of fact."
Ron sighed openly. "Well, I don't like it in the least. It's too.. Something."
"It's too Ron!" Harry shouted, banging his arm rest. "It's yours! All yours! Have a little faith in yourself!"
"The only problem is, I don't think I can tell her," Ron winced, turning pink.
Harry burst out laughing. "Oh grand," he declared sarcastically. "You think of this brilliant speech, and now, you can't even tell her?"
"She'll think I'm a twit, Harry," Ron snapped, biting his lip and trying hard not to chortle.
Harry rolled his emerald eyes to the ceiling. "She was nice to Neville wasn't she? She gave NEVILLE a kiss! Who knows what she'll give you if you tell her that good speech!"
The boys broke up laughing, as Hermione blushed in indignant pleasure.
"Yes, I suppose," Ron said uncertainly, pulling at the elastic on his pajama pants. He thought about it for a few minutes.
Then, he stood up. " I WILL! I'll tell her tomorrow!"
"There's a plan," Harry agreed, and promptly fell asleep in the arm chair.
Hermione, filled with happiness and excitement, walked back to the dorm room. Even though she had heard Ron's speech, she couldn't wait until tomorrow, when he'd tell her to her face.
