Maybe she needed streaks.
Hermione stared up at the common room wall, her attempts at studying long forgotten.
Instead, her thoughts were once again on him. The prat she had been stupid enough to fall
for.
It was impossible to figure out. One day he'd been Ron. Simple, impetuous, stubborn
Ron. One of her best friends. And suddenly, before she'd had time to become accustomed, he had turned into some sort of .....man.
Hermione had begun to notice certain attributes of Ron's. His body had filled out even as
his height had increased.
His hair, having once appeared as bright red to her, now seemed more like a luminous
hue of brown and copper.
His shoulders were suddenly broader, his voice richer, deeper. He walked with a quiet confidence that had not been there previously. It seemed to Hermione that Ron had finally found his place in the scheme of things, and was okay with it.
These days, one thing in particular that had Hermione biting her quill to still her sighs.
His stubble.
Hermione had always fancied men who had to shave regularly. Something about the look of a man with a five o'clock shadow.....
Which Ron now possessed.
She'd heard him remarking to Harry, "It's a bloody bother mate. If I forget to spell it away in the morning, I'll look halfway like Hagrid by sunset."
Hermione didn't think Ron could resemble Hagrid if he tried, but she had to admit she looked forward to the days (at least once a week) when Ron overslept and forgot to 'recindiate' his beard.
All in all, Ron was in line to replace his oldest brother as the sexiest Weasley male.
She hadn't been the only witch to notice, either.
She caught girls looking at both Ron and Harry all the time. They gave her looks too, but those were murderous expressions and accompanied by vicious whispers to their equally idiotic friends.
Of course, Hermione didn't give a twit what they thought of her or her relationship with
Ron and Harry.
She just wished she knew what she thought of their relationship.
Lately, things had been....changing. She had noticed Harry finally noticing Ginny over the summer (thanks in no small part to the bikini Hermione had bought her), and his efforts to get to know her better had been well received.
Fred and George had actually begun enacting the business plan they had created to prove to their Mum how serious they were about their joke shop. Mrs. Weasley, in turn, had eventually given them her blessing, provided that they finish up at Hogwarts first.
Percy and the Ministry were a perfect pair, and he was actively searching for his own flat in order to become more independent. Hermione took that to mean he and Penelope wanted to be able to spend the night together without having to sneak back into their respective houses at 5 in the morning(luckily for Percy, Hermione had been the only one up and had promised to keep quiet about his, uhhh.... nocturnal activities). Apparently, Percy had some Weasley in him after all.
Hermione herself had come to a startling revelation. During the summer with her parents, before she had left for the Burrow, she had been sitting in the kitchen chatting with her Mum.
As Mrs. Granger had chatted, Hermione's thoughts drifted. It's so nice to be back here, but I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts.
Hermione suddenly realized the truth behind her thoughts. Over the past few years, she had come to think of Hogwarts as her home, while her parent's house was just a nice place to visit. The Burrow, of course, remained her favorite place besides Hogwarts.
Besides the obvious reason (RON), Hermione had come to find a peace of mind at the Burrow she would never have guessed was there. The old ramshackle house was filled with love and laughter, bickering and camaraderie, traits Hermione's own single child home had lacked.
Mrs. Weasley was positively wonderful, and seemed to know much more about Hermione's feelings for Ron than she ever let on to anyone besides Hermione herself.
Mrs. Weasley's advice still rang in her ears. "Be patient, dearie. Men are horrendously slow- witted. Weasley men more so than the others. Just keep on as you have, and I'm sure it will all work out in the end."
Hermione wasn't so sure. Which brought her back to her current dilemma.
Hermione knew she wasn't exactly ugly. She had finally filled out a bit over the summer, and was relieved that her front now had a bit of a slope rather than being straight as an ironing board. Her teeth, thanks to their fourth year shrinking, gleamed a pearly white, surrounded by full pink lips. She had recently come to appreciate the little dimple in her cheek; it seemed to give her face some character.
Her hair, however, had been one part of her that had stubbornly refused to change. Still brown, still full and bushy, still impossible to manage. When wet, it was became lightly curled, and a great deal less full. Hermione half wished she could conjure up a rain cloud above her to keep her hair at that consistency.
All in all, Hermione figured that if she kept up with Sleakeazy's Hair Potion, and streaked her hair blond, she just might have a shot at making Ron notice her.
Of course, not being part Veela, Hermione wasn't sure even that would do any good.
Yes, she still held a grudge. It just wasn't fair. No girl had the right to be that beautiful.
Hermione recalled the way Ron had stared at Fleur. It had made her stomach twist violently, and she had seriously considered hexing Fleur out the nearest door, which was probably the most violent thought she'd had about anyone (excluding Draco Malfoy, of course, and Ron when he pissed her off).
The door opened with a bang, and some of the fourth and fifth year Gryffindors entered the Common Room, chattering loudly. Hermione bewilderedly checked the wall clock, realizing that an hour had passed and she'd barely gotten through half of her O.W. L study materials for that day.
Ron, Harry and Ginny started over towards Hermione.
She sighed in resignation, closed her book with a flourish, then greeted her friends with a smile.
"Hey Mione," Ron said softly. He brought forth a brown bag he'd been holding behind his back.
"We figured you'd be studying way too much to notice it was dinner time, so we brought you back some." Ron placed the bag in front of Hermione, then stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robe. His face was suspiciously red.
Hermione grinned widely at Ron, then smiled at Harry and Ginny in turn.
"Thanks, guys, that was really sweet of you."
Ginny glanced at Ron, then said casually to Hermione, "Oh, don't thank us. It was all Ron's idea. He was worried you weren't eating enough."
Ron flushed a deeper red, if possible, and began to sputter.
Ginny smiled at him angelically, then gave Ron a broad wink Hermione was sure she wasn't supposed to see.
Ron looked quickly from Ginny to Hermione, then to Harry.
He looked a bit...panicked? Muttering something about a Potions essay, Ron quickly left in the direction of the boys' dormitory. Harry, practically shaking with the need to laugh, quickly followed Ron.
For the first time, Hermione seriously entertained the possibility that Ron could actually like her.
She was a logical, rational individual. She knew that, from the way they were all acting, if Ron did like her, Harry and Ginny probably knew.
Harry would never ever betray Ron, just as she was sure Harry would never betray her confidence.
Ginny, however, was another story.
"Gin, can we talk?"
Hermione stared up at the common room wall, her attempts at studying long forgotten.
Instead, her thoughts were once again on him. The prat she had been stupid enough to fall
for.
It was impossible to figure out. One day he'd been Ron. Simple, impetuous, stubborn
Ron. One of her best friends. And suddenly, before she'd had time to become accustomed, he had turned into some sort of .....man.
Hermione had begun to notice certain attributes of Ron's. His body had filled out even as
his height had increased.
His hair, having once appeared as bright red to her, now seemed more like a luminous
hue of brown and copper.
His shoulders were suddenly broader, his voice richer, deeper. He walked with a quiet confidence that had not been there previously. It seemed to Hermione that Ron had finally found his place in the scheme of things, and was okay with it.
These days, one thing in particular that had Hermione biting her quill to still her sighs.
His stubble.
Hermione had always fancied men who had to shave regularly. Something about the look of a man with a five o'clock shadow.....
Which Ron now possessed.
She'd heard him remarking to Harry, "It's a bloody bother mate. If I forget to spell it away in the morning, I'll look halfway like Hagrid by sunset."
Hermione didn't think Ron could resemble Hagrid if he tried, but she had to admit she looked forward to the days (at least once a week) when Ron overslept and forgot to 'recindiate' his beard.
All in all, Ron was in line to replace his oldest brother as the sexiest Weasley male.
She hadn't been the only witch to notice, either.
She caught girls looking at both Ron and Harry all the time. They gave her looks too, but those were murderous expressions and accompanied by vicious whispers to their equally idiotic friends.
Of course, Hermione didn't give a twit what they thought of her or her relationship with
Ron and Harry.
She just wished she knew what she thought of their relationship.
Lately, things had been....changing. She had noticed Harry finally noticing Ginny over the summer (thanks in no small part to the bikini Hermione had bought her), and his efforts to get to know her better had been well received.
Fred and George had actually begun enacting the business plan they had created to prove to their Mum how serious they were about their joke shop. Mrs. Weasley, in turn, had eventually given them her blessing, provided that they finish up at Hogwarts first.
Percy and the Ministry were a perfect pair, and he was actively searching for his own flat in order to become more independent. Hermione took that to mean he and Penelope wanted to be able to spend the night together without having to sneak back into their respective houses at 5 in the morning(luckily for Percy, Hermione had been the only one up and had promised to keep quiet about his, uhhh.... nocturnal activities). Apparently, Percy had some Weasley in him after all.
Hermione herself had come to a startling revelation. During the summer with her parents, before she had left for the Burrow, she had been sitting in the kitchen chatting with her Mum.
As Mrs. Granger had chatted, Hermione's thoughts drifted. It's so nice to be back here, but I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts.
Hermione suddenly realized the truth behind her thoughts. Over the past few years, she had come to think of Hogwarts as her home, while her parent's house was just a nice place to visit. The Burrow, of course, remained her favorite place besides Hogwarts.
Besides the obvious reason (RON), Hermione had come to find a peace of mind at the Burrow she would never have guessed was there. The old ramshackle house was filled with love and laughter, bickering and camaraderie, traits Hermione's own single child home had lacked.
Mrs. Weasley was positively wonderful, and seemed to know much more about Hermione's feelings for Ron than she ever let on to anyone besides Hermione herself.
Mrs. Weasley's advice still rang in her ears. "Be patient, dearie. Men are horrendously slow- witted. Weasley men more so than the others. Just keep on as you have, and I'm sure it will all work out in the end."
Hermione wasn't so sure. Which brought her back to her current dilemma.
Hermione knew she wasn't exactly ugly. She had finally filled out a bit over the summer, and was relieved that her front now had a bit of a slope rather than being straight as an ironing board. Her teeth, thanks to their fourth year shrinking, gleamed a pearly white, surrounded by full pink lips. She had recently come to appreciate the little dimple in her cheek; it seemed to give her face some character.
Her hair, however, had been one part of her that had stubbornly refused to change. Still brown, still full and bushy, still impossible to manage. When wet, it was became lightly curled, and a great deal less full. Hermione half wished she could conjure up a rain cloud above her to keep her hair at that consistency.
All in all, Hermione figured that if she kept up with Sleakeazy's Hair Potion, and streaked her hair blond, she just might have a shot at making Ron notice her.
Of course, not being part Veela, Hermione wasn't sure even that would do any good.
Yes, she still held a grudge. It just wasn't fair. No girl had the right to be that beautiful.
Hermione recalled the way Ron had stared at Fleur. It had made her stomach twist violently, and she had seriously considered hexing Fleur out the nearest door, which was probably the most violent thought she'd had about anyone (excluding Draco Malfoy, of course, and Ron when he pissed her off).
The door opened with a bang, and some of the fourth and fifth year Gryffindors entered the Common Room, chattering loudly. Hermione bewilderedly checked the wall clock, realizing that an hour had passed and she'd barely gotten through half of her O.W. L study materials for that day.
Ron, Harry and Ginny started over towards Hermione.
She sighed in resignation, closed her book with a flourish, then greeted her friends with a smile.
"Hey Mione," Ron said softly. He brought forth a brown bag he'd been holding behind his back.
"We figured you'd be studying way too much to notice it was dinner time, so we brought you back some." Ron placed the bag in front of Hermione, then stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robe. His face was suspiciously red.
Hermione grinned widely at Ron, then smiled at Harry and Ginny in turn.
"Thanks, guys, that was really sweet of you."
Ginny glanced at Ron, then said casually to Hermione, "Oh, don't thank us. It was all Ron's idea. He was worried you weren't eating enough."
Ron flushed a deeper red, if possible, and began to sputter.
Ginny smiled at him angelically, then gave Ron a broad wink Hermione was sure she wasn't supposed to see.
Ron looked quickly from Ginny to Hermione, then to Harry.
He looked a bit...panicked? Muttering something about a Potions essay, Ron quickly left in the direction of the boys' dormitory. Harry, practically shaking with the need to laugh, quickly followed Ron.
For the first time, Hermione seriously entertained the possibility that Ron could actually like her.
She was a logical, rational individual. She knew that, from the way they were all acting, if Ron did like her, Harry and Ginny probably knew.
Harry would never ever betray Ron, just as she was sure Harry would never betray her confidence.
Ginny, however, was another story.
"Gin, can we talk?"