Chapter 3
Saturday dawned bright and clear, but by noon, it had turned foreboding.
"Dismal weather we're having." commented Ron from his favorite arm chair by the fire.
"Tell me about it. If it's like this for the match against Slytherin...well, let's just hope it isn't." said Harry from his spot on the couch, where he had his arm around Stacy. She was reading a book while leaning up against his chest. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and smiled at the picture the two of them made.
"So, Stacy, are you going to the dance Friday?" this was Ron's roundabout way of finding out what went on under the tree last night. He smirked.
She looked at Harry, he looked at her. "Well?" he asked her.
"You promise?" she replied.
"I swore by my Firebolt. I won't break it." Ron looked very surprised to hear this – Harry was very protective of his Firebolt since his Nimbus broke in 3rd year.
"Good, then yes, I am going to the dance-," she turned and looked at Harry, "with Harry."
Ron gaped at the two of them. I can't believe it, he thought to himself, Harry's really growing up. He's got a girlfriend, and here I am with only quidditch in my life. I'm boring! Oh well, I'll find some girl to be my girlfriend. But I need to get someone to go to the dance with me first. Let me see. . . .
Ron looked around the common room at the girls. Nope, nope, nope. He kept looking. Suddenly, his eyes registered on Hermione, who sat next to Harry. She was writing a Christmas letter to her parents since it was only a few weeks until Christmas. The way the firelight cast a glow on her brunette head made her look stunning. And the way that strands of her hair fell out of her tie and across her face. Ron finally understood what Fate had in store for him – Fate wanted him to go out with Hermione Granger.
It seemed weird, though. Since she was one of his best friends, how would he ask her out? But, if he didn't, he would look really stupid without a date for the dance.
Time to grit my teeth and just do it, thought Ron.
Ron walked over to Hermione. "Can I talk to you?" he asked quietly.
Thinking it was about something more mundane, she said, "Alright Ron, I'll help you with your Potions work. Oh." She shut up seeing his look and got up.
Ron led her over to an unoccupied corner and told her to sit, this might surprise her.
"What's this about Ron?" she asked tentatively, her voice shaking.
"You know that the dance is Friday?"
"Of course, everybody knows about that."
"Well...I was thinking..." he scuffed his foot. "I'll understand if you say no..." Now Hermione caught on to what he was saying; she looked at him with the weirdest expression in her eyes.
"Oh Ron. I was wondering if you would ever come ask me to the dance."
Now it was Ron's turn to gape. "What?! You....huh? You're confusing me." He sat down, clutching his head. She leaned over and patted his arm. "I've known that you like me for awhile now. Your flirting has gotten more and more noticeable since Halloween."
"I never!" Ron exclaimed.
"Yes you have. It's just taken this dance to bring it to your conscience attention. So, in answering your unspoken question," Ron nodded to that part. She smiled. Ron felt a blush creep up his neck. "Yes, I will go to the dance with you."
Ron slumped against the wall, weak with relief. "Thank you." he whispered to her.
"You are so welcome. To tell you the truth," Ron looked up. "To tell you the truth, I've liked you for about 2 weeks." Hermione got up and left the common room.
Now I have a lot to think about, Ron thought to himself. But first, sleep! And he walked up to his dormitory.
But for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. Images of Hermione touching his arm were vivid in his mind.
I can't deal with this now! he screamed inside his head. Ron got up, poured himself a glass of water, and dropped into bed after pulling the hangings shut. This time sleep claimed him.
The next few days passed in a blur, with only Quidditch for fun. Suddenly, before they were Friday was here. The day passed quite uneventfully, except for when Neville exploded his cauldron in Potions.
After dinner, Hermione and Stacy rushed back to the common room to start getting ready. Thankfully, no one was in the dormitory when they got up there, because Hermione needed to talk to Stacy. "So, will you tell me what you needed to tell Harry last week and why Ron looked at you two weird when Harry said he swore by his Firebolt." Hermione's eyes looked so much like a puppy's that she laughed outright.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. But," her voice got really dangerous, "you have to swear that you won't tell anybody."
"I promise. Is this what Harry swore to?" she just had to ask.
"No, he swore to something else, you'll know soon enough." Stacy replied. "And when I'm done, you have to tell me what you and Ron were talking about that night. You know, when he took you to that corner and told you something."
"Ok, I'll tell you, but you have to go first."
"Alright, here goes." And she launched into the story of what she told Harry under the tree.
"And that's why he swore by his Firebolt." Stacy finished up.
"Wow," breathed Hermione. "I didn't realize, I mean, woah...."
"I know. And I'm glad he knows. He seems like a good guy." confided Stacy.
"He is. We've been friends since he and Ron saved me from a mountain troll in first year." she told Stacy.
"Holy crap!" Stacy said. "Now you have to tell me what you and Ron talked about."
Hermione walked over to her trunk and pulled out her dress robes, the stuff for her hair, and her make up. "Alright, here goes." she said, as she started to change clothes. "Well, he asked me if he could talk to me, and we went into the corner, cuz her didn't want to be overheard...." and Hermione started her story.
"Alright." said Stacy when Hermione was finished. "It's time to go get our dates and have fun. Are you ready?"
Hermione was finishing up her hair. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."
The two girls descended the staircase and the two friends that had been talking shut up when they saw the girls.
Hermione's light blue dress robe shimmered when she walked and her make up made her look about 18. Ron walked over to her and took her hand. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"Ready." And the two of them left through the portrait hole. Stacy was waiting to see Harry's reaction. "I don't know what to say Stacy." she grinned. "But, wow!" Wow! was right (at least for the guys). Stacy's hair was in little sections of curls, with one falling across her face. Her eye shadow accented her eyes, and her lavender dress robe slimmed her waist.
"You like?" she gave him a twirl.
"I do. Now, to the dance?"
"Let's go." and Harry took her hand and they walked down to the Great Hall.
Saturday dawned bright and clear, but by noon, it had turned foreboding.
"Dismal weather we're having." commented Ron from his favorite arm chair by the fire.
"Tell me about it. If it's like this for the match against Slytherin...well, let's just hope it isn't." said Harry from his spot on the couch, where he had his arm around Stacy. She was reading a book while leaning up against his chest. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and smiled at the picture the two of them made.
"So, Stacy, are you going to the dance Friday?" this was Ron's roundabout way of finding out what went on under the tree last night. He smirked.
She looked at Harry, he looked at her. "Well?" he asked her.
"You promise?" she replied.
"I swore by my Firebolt. I won't break it." Ron looked very surprised to hear this – Harry was very protective of his Firebolt since his Nimbus broke in 3rd year.
"Good, then yes, I am going to the dance-," she turned and looked at Harry, "with Harry."
Ron gaped at the two of them. I can't believe it, he thought to himself, Harry's really growing up. He's got a girlfriend, and here I am with only quidditch in my life. I'm boring! Oh well, I'll find some girl to be my girlfriend. But I need to get someone to go to the dance with me first. Let me see. . . .
Ron looked around the common room at the girls. Nope, nope, nope. He kept looking. Suddenly, his eyes registered on Hermione, who sat next to Harry. She was writing a Christmas letter to her parents since it was only a few weeks until Christmas. The way the firelight cast a glow on her brunette head made her look stunning. And the way that strands of her hair fell out of her tie and across her face. Ron finally understood what Fate had in store for him – Fate wanted him to go out with Hermione Granger.
It seemed weird, though. Since she was one of his best friends, how would he ask her out? But, if he didn't, he would look really stupid without a date for the dance.
Time to grit my teeth and just do it, thought Ron.
Ron walked over to Hermione. "Can I talk to you?" he asked quietly.
Thinking it was about something more mundane, she said, "Alright Ron, I'll help you with your Potions work. Oh." She shut up seeing his look and got up.
Ron led her over to an unoccupied corner and told her to sit, this might surprise her.
"What's this about Ron?" she asked tentatively, her voice shaking.
"You know that the dance is Friday?"
"Of course, everybody knows about that."
"Well...I was thinking..." he scuffed his foot. "I'll understand if you say no..." Now Hermione caught on to what he was saying; she looked at him with the weirdest expression in her eyes.
"Oh Ron. I was wondering if you would ever come ask me to the dance."
Now it was Ron's turn to gape. "What?! You....huh? You're confusing me." He sat down, clutching his head. She leaned over and patted his arm. "I've known that you like me for awhile now. Your flirting has gotten more and more noticeable since Halloween."
"I never!" Ron exclaimed.
"Yes you have. It's just taken this dance to bring it to your conscience attention. So, in answering your unspoken question," Ron nodded to that part. She smiled. Ron felt a blush creep up his neck. "Yes, I will go to the dance with you."
Ron slumped against the wall, weak with relief. "Thank you." he whispered to her.
"You are so welcome. To tell you the truth," Ron looked up. "To tell you the truth, I've liked you for about 2 weeks." Hermione got up and left the common room.
Now I have a lot to think about, Ron thought to himself. But first, sleep! And he walked up to his dormitory.
But for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. Images of Hermione touching his arm were vivid in his mind.
I can't deal with this now! he screamed inside his head. Ron got up, poured himself a glass of water, and dropped into bed after pulling the hangings shut. This time sleep claimed him.
The next few days passed in a blur, with only Quidditch for fun. Suddenly, before they were Friday was here. The day passed quite uneventfully, except for when Neville exploded his cauldron in Potions.
After dinner, Hermione and Stacy rushed back to the common room to start getting ready. Thankfully, no one was in the dormitory when they got up there, because Hermione needed to talk to Stacy. "So, will you tell me what you needed to tell Harry last week and why Ron looked at you two weird when Harry said he swore by his Firebolt." Hermione's eyes looked so much like a puppy's that she laughed outright.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. But," her voice got really dangerous, "you have to swear that you won't tell anybody."
"I promise. Is this what Harry swore to?" she just had to ask.
"No, he swore to something else, you'll know soon enough." Stacy replied. "And when I'm done, you have to tell me what you and Ron were talking about that night. You know, when he took you to that corner and told you something."
"Ok, I'll tell you, but you have to go first."
"Alright, here goes." And she launched into the story of what she told Harry under the tree.
"And that's why he swore by his Firebolt." Stacy finished up.
"Wow," breathed Hermione. "I didn't realize, I mean, woah...."
"I know. And I'm glad he knows. He seems like a good guy." confided Stacy.
"He is. We've been friends since he and Ron saved me from a mountain troll in first year." she told Stacy.
"Holy crap!" Stacy said. "Now you have to tell me what you and Ron talked about."
Hermione walked over to her trunk and pulled out her dress robes, the stuff for her hair, and her make up. "Alright, here goes." she said, as she started to change clothes. "Well, he asked me if he could talk to me, and we went into the corner, cuz her didn't want to be overheard...." and Hermione started her story.
"Alright." said Stacy when Hermione was finished. "It's time to go get our dates and have fun. Are you ready?"
Hermione was finishing up her hair. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."
The two girls descended the staircase and the two friends that had been talking shut up when they saw the girls.
Hermione's light blue dress robe shimmered when she walked and her make up made her look about 18. Ron walked over to her and took her hand. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"Ready." And the two of them left through the portrait hole. Stacy was waiting to see Harry's reaction. "I don't know what to say Stacy." she grinned. "But, wow!" Wow! was right (at least for the guys). Stacy's hair was in little sections of curls, with one falling across her face. Her eye shadow accented her eyes, and her lavender dress robe slimmed her waist.
"You like?" she gave him a twirl.
"I do. Now, to the dance?"
"Let's go." and Harry took her hand and they walked down to the Great Hall.