A Rose By Any Other Name.
By Kes.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, get over it. I have. Just about... :-D
"It's the last week before the holidays! I can't believe how happy I am!" Ron was practically floating in mid air as he said this, whilst munching on some toast in the Great Hall.
"But we're staying here...so it doesn't matter." Ginny stared at her brother blankly.
"Well yeah, but I mean its Christmas so no matter where you are, you're always gonna be happy, right?" He seemed determined.
A hush fell over the Hall as Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat.
"As you all know, we have been planning a surprise for you all. It was the idea of our Head Student team, Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom, as the dance during the Triwizard tournament seemed so popular. Therefore, we shall be conducting a Christmas Ball on Christmas day since so many of you are staying.
"The ball shall be held here, in the Great Hall, which will be out of bounds after Christmas lunch so that we can prepare the dance area. The ball shall start at about 7.30. All students are welcome. However, teachers have the right to punish students by not allowing them to attend."
There was a collective gasp and murmuring amongst the students and Severus felt the eyes of all of them look fleetingly at him with worried expressions.
"Dates are not necessary, especially amongst the younger years as we feel that eleven is a little too young to be pursuing fellow students." His eyes glinted.
The first and second years looked annoyed, but Hermione saw the logic in Professor Dumbledore's statement.
"Oi, Gin." Harry called, once Professor Dumbledore had sat back down.
"Yeah..." Not looking at him, but at her friend Emily, a fellow Gryffindor.
"Wanna go with me?"
She looked at him briefly, "Yeah alright."
Harry grinned.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Always the romantic..." she laughed.
"Well she's my girlfriend isn't she? I don't need to be all gushy now...well, maybe occasionally. Anyway, who do you want to go with?"
Hermione sighed. "You know who I want to go with Harry..." She cast a glance at Severus from her seat and saw him look at her, feeling her eyes upon him. She smiled slightly, and he nodded. They both knew that they would be unable to dance together unless she wanted to be expelled and for him to get fired. "But I can't. 'Improper conduct' and all that..."
"Well, Ron hasn't asked anyone yet. Don't tell him I told you this otherwise he'll kill me, but I think he wants to go with you, but he suspects that you're going out with someone, he keeps asking me who I think it is! I just say it's probably some guy in Ravenclaw, and now he's giving them all the evil eye. I thought you were going to tell him, Mione."
"I will, honestly."
"You said that at Halloween!"
Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, yes, I suppose that's true. I just don't know how to tell him. I mean, if I agree to go with him, I'll have to let him know that I'm not interested in him in that way, and I'll have to tell him why and for God's sake, it's Christmas!"
"I know Herm, I understand, really I do. But, well...look, I'll tell you what. Me and Ginny will be there when you tell him, okay? Try and calm him down a bit. Tell Sna-Severus that he'll have to keep on his guard. I don't care what evil organisation he used to be in, Ron can be very good with paralysis hexes when he wants to be..."
She smiled nervously. "But won't that make him angrier? That you two knew before him?"
"He'll find out somehow, people always do. It's just one of those things, but he'll be seriously pissed off later on if he finds out that you didn't tell him in the first place that we knew."
"Yeah I suppose..."
"Ron."
"Yeah?" He looked up from his charms essay. "Look you guys, I'm doing my homework early. And voluntarily. Hermione hasn't even started it yet!" He put down his quill and began to eat a chocolate frog after stopping it from hopping away to freedom.
"That's because I've already done it Ron..." She smiled nervously. "Anyway...I er, wanted to talk to you about er...me and my sort of boyfriend." She babbled, not looking him in the eye.
Ron rose in his seat, his interest peaked. "Who is it?" He asked in a deceptively calm voice, the essay now forgotten. Hermione, glad that it was snowing outside and thus hardly anyone around, began to think how to approach the subject.
Oh fuck it, just say it... She braced herself.
"Severus Snape." She closed her eyes, heart beating a mile a minute and her hand defensively holding a tight grip on her wand.
Ron laughed.
"Yeah right, what would you see in that greasy old git, Mione?" He laughed and shook his head. Until he saw Hermione's face.
"Oh. My. God. You're fucking Snape?! That's disgusting!"
"No I am not Ronald Weasley! He's my boyfriend...sort of...'boyfriend' doesn't really sound right with him..."
"You said it...how could you Mione? I thought you liked me? I thought you were my friend!" He was up and shouting now, his face as red as his hair, the freckles disappeared. Hermione slapped him, then backed away, shocked at her own daring.
Harry stood up suddenly but managed to keep a calm-sounding voice. "This isn't about you Ron, this is about Hermione. She's allowed to make her own choices."
Ron looked at Harry, surprised, as he'd totally forgotten that he was there. Ron looked darkly at Hermione. "How long has he known?"
"They've known for a while..."
" 'They' ?"
Ginny waved nervously at her brother, consciously keeping a little behind Harry.
"Well this is just great isn't it?" Ron flopped down into his chair. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
Hermione laughed slightly. "You've basically accused me of being a slag, you looked as though you were going to kill me, I had to slap you, and you think this is all about some sort of revenge on you, and you have the audacity to ask me why the hell I haven't told you before?! Ronald Weasley, you are so immature sometimes I can't even begin to comprehend you..." Her anger seemed to dissipate during her speech, so she was now calm.
Ron stared blankly. "But Snape? You chose him over someone your own age?"
"By that comment I'm assuming you mean 'why not me'?"
Ron blushed slightly, his face having almost returned to its normal colour. "Well, yeah."
"Ron, I like you as a friend. I really like you. You're funny, smart - don't give me that look - you're good at Quidditch, and although you do have one hell of a temper, you try to use it for good instead of evil..." She grinned, starting to relax.
"But, why him?" Ron looked puzzled.
"I don't really know...he was there for me, he understands what I went through and all that, he's intelligent, he's funny - honest - he's kind, well, to me anyway. I like him."
Ron sighed. "Well. I dunno...it all sounds dodgy to me. I mean, what if the other teachers found out? I mean, he'd be fired and all that...and what if he, you know, tried to take advantage of you?" His blush was rising up his cheeks.
"He won't get fired, hopefully. Dumbledore knows, as does Professor McGonagall... they're sort of okay about it, but one step out of line and that's it..."
Ron looked at Hermione, and saw that she looked upset. The prospect of a practically-immanent end to her relationship made Ron realise that she really did care about Severus.
"And what if Snape tries to take advantage of you? You do realise I'd have to do something..."
"Severus would never do anything to hurt me. I know because...well, I just know. Okay? And I appreciate the fact that you care about me, as I care about you, but you've got to let me fight my own battles."
"Me too." Ginny piped up, thinking that this was as good a time as any to try and get her over-protective brother off her back. Harry elbowed her in the ribs and said "Well I reckon we'd better get out of your way..." He and Ginny headed up to their respective rooms under the watchful eye of Ron.
"I know you can look after yourself...look, anyway, I know this sounds random, but I'm assuming that you can't go to the ball with Sna-Severus" He shuddered. "Give me a while on the 'Severus' front, will you?"
"Well I manage it when I call out his name in the black of the night..." She raised an eyebrow and laughed as Ron's pace began to pale.
"That's not an image I need in my head, but thanks anyway..." He grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, do you want to go to the ball together? As friends?"
Hermione smiled. "I'd love to! Thanks Ron...you're a great mate..." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, failing to notice Ron close his eyes briefly as she touched him.
She got up. "Well, I guess I'd better go to bed. I need my beauty sleep! Everything's okay then, yeah? You won't go challenging Severus to a duel or anything will you?"
Ron smiled a little. "Not unless you want me to, love." Hermione pretended to ignore the last part.
"Night."
"Night."
Ron stayed in his seat long after Hermione had gone to bed, considering what had just occurred. Still not sure about Hermione dating their potions professor, he decided to try and let Hermione live her own life, although a small part of him was hoping for the moment she would come running into his arms. But he knew that was never going to happen.
He was not happy with the prospect of having to socialise with Mr and Mrs Snape in the future, if that ever came about. I love her...why do I always fall for the wrong ones? First Fleur and now Mione...