A/N: I mindlessly wrote this one day, so it's not very good. It's just a very short, very cute one-shot. I've had this idea for forever though. In any case, enjoy! Oh yeah, and a small note: I have NO idea how much things cost in the wizarding world. Just please, bear with me.
Ron: Sounded like a bunch of waffle to me
Hermione: There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Disclaimer: The world hates me. That's why I don't own Harry Potter. Evil politicians. Grrrrr....
One Important Waffle
By: Mizu FaiaIt was taunting him. The small bag stared back at Ron Weasley, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed, with an air of smugness. Grimly, Ron reached out and emptied the bag onto his bed. Several small bronze coins fell out, as well as some medium-sized silver coins. Only one large gold coin, tarnished from being kept so long tumbled out and landed with a clink on the pitiful pile of coins.
"I hate being poor," Ron said out loud, staring unhappily at his only money. Hermione's birthday is in FOUR days, and I haven't nearly got the money to buy her something nice.
Ron fell backwards and turned to his right. "What'd you get her?"
His best friend raised his green eyes from his book and turned slightly to his left. "Some candy and...thebookonancientunesshewanted" he mumbled under his breath quickly, dropping his eyes and averting Ron's gaze.
"Which must have cost a fortune," Ron state glumly.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair in an attempt to straighten it out; a habit that usually only occurred when he was nervous or felt guilty. "Almost three Galleons. I figured I'd get her the nice leather-bound version because well you know Hermione....she'll wear it out."
"Right."
Three Galleons? Are you MAD? With this money the only think I could afford is a worn copy of Hogwarts, a History. And even then it would have to be ancient.
"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Harry questioned.
Ron turned pink. "Well....because...well...um...er...you see...uh...ok...well..."
"Right," Harry interjected, raising his eyebrow in an amused fashion. "Still afraid of getting rejected?"
"It's Hermione," Ron mumbled, his ears now a lovely shade of scarlet. "I just...I don't know."
Harry rolled his eyes. "She fancies you too," he said bluntly.
Ron's face, if possible, had turned even redder. Diving under a pillow he mumbled something.
"What?"
Ron sat up, tossing his pillow to the side in exasperation. "I don't have the money to buy her anything nice," he moaned unhappily.
Harry snapped his book shut. "Look Ron, Hermione doesn't care for materialistic things. You ought to know that. Just show her that you care. Show her that you actually pay attention to anything she ever says. Even the smallest thing, Hermione will notice. It's Hermione."
Ron bit his lip and thought hard. Of course he always listened to Hermione, every single word she ever said. It was only sometimes that he was so hypnotized by her voice that he would zone out.
What's something cute yet cryptic that I can do for her to show her that I care? Ron thought desperately. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Harry, I need to go to the kitchen. Tonight."
Hermione's birthday arrived on a bright and cheery day, a day when the students had no classes. Ron sent his gift, small but meaningful, early in the morning so he knew that she had already received it. He nervously paced the room before leaving for breakfast. He was so distracted that he had walked into a wall and fell down before he realized what he had done. What was worse was Ron wasn't paying attention to the moving staircases and fell off one of them. Luckily, he landed on someone. Unfortunately, it was Pansy Parkinson who immediately shrieked loudly that Ron Weasley was molesting her. However, Professor Flitwick, who had seen the event, assured Ron that he was safe from detentions, calmed Pansy down, and made sure Harry, who was madly dashing down the staircases safely, knew that Ron was unharmed.
In other words, it was a rather difficult morning for Ron.
It took all of Harry's strength and agility as a Seeker to keep up with Ron, who was practically dashing through the waves of students all heading towards the Great Hall. Hermione, they were informed by a very smug- looking Lavender Brown in the Common Room, had already gone downstairs for breakfast.
However, when they reached the Great Hall and scanned the Gryffindor table, Hermione was nowhere to be found. Harry nervously cast a glance at Ron, who grasped onto Harry's robes and looked as if he was about to have a heart attack. "She's....not...here..." he whispered in a panicked voice.
"Ron, calm down," Harry hissed. As an afterthought he added, "And let go of my robes."
"But if she's not here..."
"Library," they said simultaneously.
As to be expected, once Harry and Ron entered the library, they noticed Hermione. Or rather, they noticed a huge, towering, thick book; but only one person would be crazy enough to read Potions, a History for Advanced Students for fun on a Sunday morning.
Hermione shut the book as soon as the boys sat down, sending up a mild storm of dust. "Thank you both so much for the presents. It was lovely, really and Ron, your mum gave me these wonderful chocolates and I believe they're homemade. It's all simply lovely," she exclaimed. "I'm awfully sorry for not meeting up with you this morning. Professor Snape has it as a summer reading list for those interested in Advanced Potions but it's really quite fascinating. Did you know that Cornelius Fudge actually had brilliant relatives? His great-great-great-great-great-great-great- cousin's father-in-law was the first to experiment with different herbs and plants in relation to how they were used in potions, isn't that simply amazing?" she paused for a breath and would have plowed on if Harry hadn't cut her off.
"Erm, that's fascinating, really, Hermione. Did you receive my present?"
Hermione's eyes, Ron noticed with extreme jealousy, had brightened. "Of course! Thank you so much for it!"
There was a short pause. "You've read it already, haven't you?" Harry asked.
Hermione looked apologetic. "I'm so sorry Harry, but it was still a good present," she said earnestly.
Harry waved his hand. "I figured you had already read it. After all, what book HAVEN'T you read? I'm sorry my gift wasn't very...unique," he stressed, shooting a glance at Ron, who turned red.
This time, Ron noted with satisfaction, Hermione's entire face lit up. "Ron, I have to admit your present was unique but absolutely PERFECT. I didn't know how on earth you knew I was going to skip breakfast today but it was so thoughtful of you to provide a lovely large waffle untainted by the sweat and labor of unpaid house-elves. I admit, it took a while to finish it but it was delicious!"
Ron stared at her in stunned silence. "Uh...you ate...all of it?"
"Of course!" Tilting her head, Hermione asked. "Why, was there some secret message with a secret password I had to decode by tapping my wand on the waffle?"
Ron banged his head against the table. "There...was...some...important...stuff...hidden...in...the...waffle...Hermione," he moaned. Standing up, he mumbled a quick, "I left something upstairs, I'll see you both later," and quickly left the library.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione, you're torturing him," he reproached.
Hermione giggled slightly. "Sorry Harry, but I can't help it! Honestly, the cryptic message in the waffle was cute, and I'm surprised and touched that he remembered that from Umbridge's Regime, but honestly, Ron has got to learn to actually be able to SAY these things to me." She shrugged. "I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl. I really do love him too though Harry. Honestly."
Harry sighed. "I know," he grumbled as he got up. "Just don't kill him, ok?"
Hermione smiled. "I won't. Have fun at Quidditch practice."
After Harry left, Hermione put down her book and took out a wrinkled piece of parchment. On it Ron had simply scrawled, "Look into a mirror. That's the girl I love."Smiling softly, Hermione gently folded it up and put it back into her pocket. "I love you too Ron," she whispered.
A/N: EEEEEE! I hope that was cuteness enough for you! I worked hard on this piece, really. And it actually took me a few days but it was easy to whip it up. Please, please plllllllllleeeeeeeaaaaasssssssseeeeee review. I don't care much about flames, whoever leaves one just gets horribly mocked in my next fic which is fun for me, hehe. Anyway yeah I wasn't quite sure how to do a couple...hook-up per se, but I thought that this fic was cute and I hope everyone agrees! Please send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588yahoo.com. Please and thank you!