Chapter 2
Play Practice

(Rewind) "HERMIONE!" both Harry and Ron said together.

"What?" she asked.

"Ron isn't Romeo," said Harry, "Romeo is."

(Okay, Next Chapter) "Who," said Hermione, and Ron actually saw her eyes tear up.

Harry took a deep breath, "Malfoy!"

Then Hermione started to cry. No. More like weep hysterically. She collapsed on the couch. Ron went over to her and put a reassuring arm around his shoulder. He looked up and Harry and gave in a look that said, "what in the name of Honeydukes am I supposed next!"

Harry motioned for him to put her head in his lap.

After giving Harry a very, very mean scowl he laid Hermione down so that she was crying on his lap. Ron looked at him again asking what he should do.

Harry motioned for him to stroke her hair.

Ron looked at him weird. Then, as if Hermione might bite him if he did it too quickly took her hair and pulled it gently out of the braid and then began to stoke her hair. Ron heard Hermione gasp and was going to pull away but Harry shook his head no, so he continued. Hermione had stopped crying out loud but she was shaking and tears still were coming down her cheeks and soaking his pants.

"What am I going to do?" asked Hermione still weeping.

Ron looked up at Harry with the same question. He saw Harry mouth the words "Shh! It's okay!" Ron took a deep breath. But before he could say anything Harry got up and went to leave. He looked at Ron who mouthed, "Where in Gyffindor do you think you're going!"

Harry mouthed back, "To leave you two alone." When he said "you two" he pointed at Hermione then at him.

Ron wanted to punch Harry as he walked out the portrait hole. But his attentions were brought back to Hermione soon when she sniffled. He kept stroking her hair saying, "Shh! It's okay, Hermione!" and "Everything's going to be alright!"

After what seemed like forever (even though Ron didn't mind! I mean this is the kinda thing he dreamed about with Hermione. Being the one to comfort her rather than making her cry) she stop and when he looked down he saw that she had fallen asleep.

He was about to try and lift her head up when she snuggled closer to him and mumbled a Romeo and Juliet line in her sleep. He smiled and looked out the window at the dark night. He hadn't gotten Romeo. He was going to play Gregory, a man only in the first scene. But as long as Hermione didn't love Draco, which it was kinda obvious that she didn't, he would at least try to be civil about it.

He kept unconsciously stroking Hermione's hair until he too fell asleep.

~**********~

Hermione awoke the next morning with surprise. It had been the absolute best sleep she EVER had! When she tried to get up to stretch she felt something tighten around her waist. Hermione felt a pang of fear. She looked down at her waist and saw an arm wrapped around her protectively. She also felt a hand placed on top of her hair. She turned around slightly and saw Ron. He was sleeping and he looked so cute! Hermione noticed him mumbling incoherent things. She never wanted to leave. She snuggled up closer to him, with her hand still on his lap and she took in the scent of his shirt. He smelled like cinnamon. She soon fell asleep again in Ron's arms.

~**********~

Harry awoke in the boys' dormitories feeling groggy, he hadn't come back from the library for a while and he didn't remember anything after saying the password to open the portrait hole door. He looked around. It was Saturday and everyone else was up and eating breakfast. Then all of a sudden there was a red blur that burst through the door. At first Harry thought it was Ron until the red blur turned in to Ginny standing there out of breath. Harry's heart kinda skipped seeing her there in her nightdress.

"Harry," she said gasping for breath, "you have to come and see this!"

Harry looked at her questioningly before following her out of the dorm. She lead in down the staircase and Harry saw what had excited Ginny so. There in front of him was Ron and Hermione asleep. Ron with his arms wrapped around Hermione and Hermione with her head facing Ron's chest, still on his lap.

"What happened here?" asked Ginny quietly.

"I'm not sure," said Harry, "I left them when Ron was comforting Hermione about Draco being Romeo."

"EW!" said Ginny covering her mouth.

"Um, Ginny," said Harry slowly.

"Yes," said Ginny looking up at him with her gorgeous eyes.

"I was kinda wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend," said Harry, "we could go to play practices together you are Lady Montague and I am Montague, we could, um, walk together."

"Okay," she said smiling, and then she looked over at the sleeping Ron and Hermione and giggled. "Do you think we should wake them up?"

"Nah!" said Harry, "Its bad enough that all of Gryffindor knows, let them wake up on their own."

They walked out of the portrait hole hand in hand.

~**********~

Ron finally awoke.

He yawned. He still hadn't opened his eyes. As he started to remove his hands to stretch, he felt someone moan in complaint.

"What the-," started Ron and he opened his eyes for the first time. The light coming in through the windows blinded him for a moment. Then when his eyes adjusted, a shock met him. He wasn't in his room; he was in the common room. The heard someone moan in complaint again and looked down to see Hermione snuggling against his torso. He was starting to panic.

"If we have been like this all this time than everyone in Gryffindor must have seen us!" thought Ron in fright.

Then he felt Hermione stir.

"Ron?" she asked sleepily before dropping her head back on his lap.

"Hermione," he whispered. He pushed the air away from her face and put his face by her ear and again whispered, "Hermione."

Her eyelashes flickered open. Then she sat up quickly.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"About," said Ron looking around for the time then he spotted the large clock, "Geez! It's two thirty! We have play practice in a half an hour!"

Ron saw realization dawn on Hermione's face and she looked like she was going to cry again.

"Hermione!" said Ron giving her hand a squeeze. "It, it won't be that bad!"

"Yes! Ron! Yes it will!" she said and she stood up, "just imagine if you had to kiss him!"

"Hermione listen!" said Ron standing up, "just think of this as another mission and when your on a mission you see it though no matter what, because your strong. Now all you have to do is be strong. Besides its not like you like him or anything!"

"EEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!" said Hermione, "but thanks Ron, well I gotta get ready!"

Ron watched her run upstairs.

"Why now!" he thought to himself, "I have to fall for her now! Now that she has to go and kiss some bloke that I hate in front of me!"

He went up to the boys' dormitories and got ready.

~**********~

"Alright everyone!" said Snape in a low voice that echoed through the Great Hall, "settle down and we will begin the rehearsal.

"Great!" said Ron to Harry, "not only do I have to watch Draco kiss Hermione, but Snape gets to be the teacher that directs the whole thing!"

"Ron's got a crush," sang Harry, "Ron has a crush!"

"Now we will begin with "A Hall in Capulet's House!" everyone in that scene please rise and come up," Snape ordered.

A bunched of first years came up (they played servants), Ernie Macmillan who played Capulet, Hermione who played Juliet, Draco who played Romeo, and many others.

"Alright begin!" said Snape and he lead back in his chair to watch.

A first year stepped forward with his script.

"Where's Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shifts a trencher? He snapes, I mean scrapes, a trencher!" said the first year.

Another first year stepped forward.

"When good manners shall lie all in one or two men's hands and they unwashed too, 'tis a foul thing." He said.

They play continued with ease.

"Will you tell me that? His son was but a ward two years ago," said Ernie as Capulet.

Then Ron started to get uneasy as Draco stood there by the edge of the "stage" looking at Hermione dancing.

[To a Servingman, Crabbe] "What lady is that, which doth enrich the hand Of yonder knight?

Crabbe looked stunned, Draco had to whisper Crabbe lines to him before he said, "I know not, sir."

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night. Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, and, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night," said Draco poetically. Harry turned to see Pansy crying, see had gotten the part of Juliet Nurse.

Ron was cracking his knuckles as he watched Draco swoon over Hermione.

"It's not real!" he kept repeating in his head, "this isn't for real! This isn't for real!"

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand. This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss," said Draco to Hermione.

Ron wanted to scream.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss," said Hermione.

And now Ron wanted to cry.

"It's not real!" he thought to himself, "Stop beating yourself up about it!"

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair," said Draco.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," answered Hermione.

"Alright," said Snape, "that's enough of that! Lets go to 'Verona. A public place.'"

Ron got up. Gregory was in this scene. Ron looked around. Neville got up, he played Sampson. Dean got up as well and walked onto the stage, played Abraham. So did Seamus he played Benvolio.

"Okay!" said Snape, "start!"

"Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals," said Neville nervously.

"No, for then we should be colliers," said Ron in his best actor's voice.

"I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw," said Neville still shaking, but getting better.

"Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar," said Ron who looked over at Snape.

He was speaking in hushed voices with Draco and Snape was, LAUGHING!

"I strike quickly, being moved," said Neville.

"But thou art not quickly moved to strike," said Ron not really playing attention any more. He knew his lines perfectly already. He had memorized them while Draco and Hermione were on stage.

"A dog of the house of Montague moves me," said Neville looking at Ron trying to make eye contact with him, Ron knew that made him less nervous.

"To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away," said Ron, making eye contact with Neville so he would not be as nervous.

"A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's," said Neville, who now that he had somewhere to look besides the crowd, was doing great!

"That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall," said Ron pretending to be acting better than Neville.

"True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall," said Neville.

Some of the girls looked angry at the line, not at Neville, but at Shakespeare for writing that women are the weaker race.

"The quarrel is between our masters and us their men," said Ron eyeing Neville, the next line as a long on and Ron wasn't sure whether Neville would remember it all.

"'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads," said Neville, Ron was proud of Neville for remembering.

"The heads of the maids?" asked Ron.

"Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt," said Neville wavering a bit.

"They must take it in sense that feel it," said Ron.

"Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and 'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh," said Neville, who looked like he didn't know what that line meant at all.

"'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! here comes two of the house of the Montagues," said Ron who was still looking at Snape and Draco though the corner of his eye.

"My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee," said Neville drawing out his fake blade and turning toward the "audience".

"How! Turn thy back and run?" asked Ron.

"Fear me not," said Neville turning back to look at Ron.

"No, marry; I fear thee!" said Ron drawing his own blade.

"Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin," said Neville and he turned back to the students.

"I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list," said Ron, he saw Hermione sitting there gazing at him, it made him blush.

"Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it," said Neville.

Dean walked on.

"Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" asked Dean.

The part of the act continued Seamus did a good job and everyone got there lines right.

"That's enough," said Snape, who had finished his conversation with Draco, "enough practice for today you all may leave.

"Great job Neville!" said Ron picking up Neville's sword.

"Thanks, Ron," said Neville, "you were great too!"

"Ron!" said Hermione; she ran up to him, "you did wonderful!"

She gave him a hug.

"I have to go, Snape wants an extra practice just me and Draco to do the balcony scene in his office," said Hermione, "gotta go."

"Hermione!" said Ron, "if anything happens that is not in the script you tell me!"

"Ron! Stop worrying, you sound like my mother!" said Hermione, and she turned and walked out of the Great Hall with Snape and Draco.

"So how long have you and Hermione been together?" asked Neville.

"What," said Ron kinda spaced out watching Hermione leave, the he heard what Neville said. "What! No! We're not together at all! What would make you think that?"

"The fact that last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to come through, you know, Mrs. Grery thought you two had an early marriage," said Neville, "she asked me, I said no."

"Well Mrs. Grery should have minded her own business I think," said Ron.

"I know!" said Neville, "well gotta go, I told me Gran I would write her right after play practice was over, she's thrilled that I'm in the play! Bye!"

"Bye!" shouted Ron as Neville ran out of the Great Hall.

Harry walked over.

"So how do you think it went?" asked Harry.

"Okay!" said Ron, "but I think something funny is happening. I saw Snape a Draco talking and laughing about something and then Hermione comes over and tells that Snape wants another practice for just Draco and her in his office! What's up with that!"

"You're right," said Harry, "but you know what the strangest thing is?"

"What?" asked Ron.

"The fact that you haven't told Hermione how you feel," sang Harry.

"Oh! Shove off!" said Ron and they walked out laughing!

~**********~

Sorry that was a pretty boring chapter but it gets better! Don't worry!
Next chapter, what happens at the practice between Draco and Hermione?