Ron had never been more unhappy. Two days of nothing but his summer homework… without Mandy. But, September first finally rolled around and Ron was happy to be going back to school.
[i] There are a lot of pretty girls at Hogwarts. I'm bound to find someone. [/i] He tried to convince himself.
That morning, Ron went to the platform with his mother and sister. It was the first time that he was going to school without Fred and George; he knew it wouldn't be the same without them.
"Over here, Ron!" He heard Harry shout.
"Hey." Ron said turning to Harry and Hermione.
"Let's go find seats," Hermione smiled pleasantly.
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron found an empty compartment at the back of the train. They settled in quietly. For once, they were silent and the only thing that was audible was the hooting of two happy owls and purring a big cat, curled at Hermione's feet.
The was a soft knock on the door.
The four of them looked up as the door slid open. It was Mandy. Ron's heart skipped a beat. She looked amazing, her hair was perfect and she seamed to be wearing make-up. Her thick, red, glossy lips twisted into an awkward smile as she said, "Hello."
"Hey, Mandy." Ginny beamed.
"Hi Ginny.. Harry.. Hermione... Ron."
"Hi." Ron stared, it seemed impossible to pull his eyes away from her.
"How're you doing?" She asked him.
"Okay, and you?" Ron asked.
"Fine."
"Good, good. Did you manage to finish your homework?"
"Oh, yeah, I did that on the train home."
"Oh."
Ron's ears were ringing with silence. He wished that he had something funny and witty to say, something to make Mandy laugh but, he didn't
"Are you going to stand there forever, or are you going to find a place to sit?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, you're right, I should get out of here and find somewhere to sit."
"No, that's not what I meant. I meant for you to sit here. With us, you know, your friends."
"Right. Sure, why not?"
Mandy tried to lift her trunk into the overhead compartment but she couldn't seem to manage. Ron jumped up.
"Here, let me help you."
He picked up the trunk with some difficulty and he tucked it away, overhead.
"Thanks."
"What did you have in there, a ton of bricks?" Ron smiled as he sat back down.
"No, silly! Just some books that I didn't get a chance to finish over the summer and some hair stuff..."
"How many books?" Ron asked.
"Twelve." She answered promptly.
"How many did you read over the summer?"
"Would you like to know the truth?"
"Of course."
"Only one. Then, I wrote one."
"You wrote a book?"
"Not a book really, it's only about ninety pages. I need to edit it but, I haven't gotten around to it."
"What's it about?"
"You." She mumbled.
"Really? Can I read it?"
"Sure, but only when I finish. I just need an editor."
"I'd be glad to help." Hermione winked.
"That'd be great. I'll give it to you at dinner tonight."
Most of the train ride was a quiet, comfortable atmosphere and if there was any conversation, it was between Ron and Mandy.
Mid after-noon, the witch came around with the trolley, with her usual, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
And for once, instead of, "I'm all set, thanks." Ron pulled out some money and bought half of the candy she had.
A short while later, they were visited by Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Heard you father actually has a job and a few coins to call his own, eh, Weasley?"
"If you can't stand my family, as you say you do, why do constantly know what going on with us?"
"The mudblood and the show off. What a perfect match." He said, ignoring Ron's beautiful comeback.
"Don't call her that." Harry through gritted teeth.
Draco laughed.
"And this." He said, turning to Mandy, "This is the most beautiful thing I've seen-"
"In seconds, right? I noticed you looking at your reflection in Harry's glasses." Ron laughed.
"You want to start something, Weasley?"
"No, not at all." Ron smiled.
"I can't believe that this creature belongs to Weasley. How did you attain such a fine thing?" Malfoy ran his fingers across Mandy's face. Mandy tried backing away but, seeing as how she was in the corner, she had no where to turn. Ron stood up, pushing Malfoy away.
"Don't touch her."
"Answer my question."
"First of all, Mandy is a girl- not an object but, a living, breathing human. Second, if you ever treat her as a trophy, I'll kill you. And lastly, she isn't mine. She's her own person. And she choses to be my friend. But, I promise you Draco. If you lay a single hand on her, I'll kill you."
"Is that a threat?"
"You tell me? Are you going to ever be a bother to my friend here?"
"I can do whatever I-!"
"Then, yes, it's a threat."
"I'm shaking with fear." Malfoy said and he, Crabbe and Goyle left the compartment.
"Crabbe and Goyle didn't say a word." Harry said.
"Yeah, they spend so much damn time listening to what Malfoy has to say. I suppose they've forgotten how to form words." Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, Ron." Mandy said, hugging him, "Thanks."
"No problem. It's what I'm here for."
The compartment went quiet again and the next thing Ron knew was that Mandy had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder. The smell of her hair was so intoxicating and tempting that it put Ron to sleep as well.
[i] There are a lot of pretty girls at Hogwarts. I'm bound to find someone. [/i] He tried to convince himself.
That morning, Ron went to the platform with his mother and sister. It was the first time that he was going to school without Fred and George; he knew it wouldn't be the same without them.
"Over here, Ron!" He heard Harry shout.
"Hey." Ron said turning to Harry and Hermione.
"Let's go find seats," Hermione smiled pleasantly.
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron found an empty compartment at the back of the train. They settled in quietly. For once, they were silent and the only thing that was audible was the hooting of two happy owls and purring a big cat, curled at Hermione's feet.
The was a soft knock on the door.
The four of them looked up as the door slid open. It was Mandy. Ron's heart skipped a beat. She looked amazing, her hair was perfect and she seamed to be wearing make-up. Her thick, red, glossy lips twisted into an awkward smile as she said, "Hello."
"Hey, Mandy." Ginny beamed.
"Hi Ginny.. Harry.. Hermione... Ron."
"Hi." Ron stared, it seemed impossible to pull his eyes away from her.
"How're you doing?" She asked him.
"Okay, and you?" Ron asked.
"Fine."
"Good, good. Did you manage to finish your homework?"
"Oh, yeah, I did that on the train home."
"Oh."
Ron's ears were ringing with silence. He wished that he had something funny and witty to say, something to make Mandy laugh but, he didn't
"Are you going to stand there forever, or are you going to find a place to sit?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, you're right, I should get out of here and find somewhere to sit."
"No, that's not what I meant. I meant for you to sit here. With us, you know, your friends."
"Right. Sure, why not?"
Mandy tried to lift her trunk into the overhead compartment but she couldn't seem to manage. Ron jumped up.
"Here, let me help you."
He picked up the trunk with some difficulty and he tucked it away, overhead.
"Thanks."
"What did you have in there, a ton of bricks?" Ron smiled as he sat back down.
"No, silly! Just some books that I didn't get a chance to finish over the summer and some hair stuff..."
"How many books?" Ron asked.
"Twelve." She answered promptly.
"How many did you read over the summer?"
"Would you like to know the truth?"
"Of course."
"Only one. Then, I wrote one."
"You wrote a book?"
"Not a book really, it's only about ninety pages. I need to edit it but, I haven't gotten around to it."
"What's it about?"
"You." She mumbled.
"Really? Can I read it?"
"Sure, but only when I finish. I just need an editor."
"I'd be glad to help." Hermione winked.
"That'd be great. I'll give it to you at dinner tonight."
Most of the train ride was a quiet, comfortable atmosphere and if there was any conversation, it was between Ron and Mandy.
Mid after-noon, the witch came around with the trolley, with her usual, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"
And for once, instead of, "I'm all set, thanks." Ron pulled out some money and bought half of the candy she had.
A short while later, they were visited by Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Heard you father actually has a job and a few coins to call his own, eh, Weasley?"
"If you can't stand my family, as you say you do, why do constantly know what going on with us?"
"The mudblood and the show off. What a perfect match." He said, ignoring Ron's beautiful comeback.
"Don't call her that." Harry through gritted teeth.
Draco laughed.
"And this." He said, turning to Mandy, "This is the most beautiful thing I've seen-"
"In seconds, right? I noticed you looking at your reflection in Harry's glasses." Ron laughed.
"You want to start something, Weasley?"
"No, not at all." Ron smiled.
"I can't believe that this creature belongs to Weasley. How did you attain such a fine thing?" Malfoy ran his fingers across Mandy's face. Mandy tried backing away but, seeing as how she was in the corner, she had no where to turn. Ron stood up, pushing Malfoy away.
"Don't touch her."
"Answer my question."
"First of all, Mandy is a girl- not an object but, a living, breathing human. Second, if you ever treat her as a trophy, I'll kill you. And lastly, she isn't mine. She's her own person. And she choses to be my friend. But, I promise you Draco. If you lay a single hand on her, I'll kill you."
"Is that a threat?"
"You tell me? Are you going to ever be a bother to my friend here?"
"I can do whatever I-!"
"Then, yes, it's a threat."
"I'm shaking with fear." Malfoy said and he, Crabbe and Goyle left the compartment.
"Crabbe and Goyle didn't say a word." Harry said.
"Yeah, they spend so much damn time listening to what Malfoy has to say. I suppose they've forgotten how to form words." Hermione smiled.
"Thanks, Ron." Mandy said, hugging him, "Thanks."
"No problem. It's what I'm here for."
The compartment went quiet again and the next thing Ron knew was that Mandy had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder. The smell of her hair was so intoxicating and tempting that it put Ron to sleep as well.