Challenges of Character

Chapter One

Roaming Eyes Will Wander

"Oh, man…did you see her?"

Harry's head snapped up quickly. "Huh? See who?"

Ron rolled his eyes and pointed across the street. "Her, that's who."

Hermione's gaze unconsciously followed Harry's across the street where each met the same girl with quite different reactions.

While Hermione was accumulating six different ways to reprimand Ron for his disgusting observation of such a…skimpily dressed slag, Harry was leaning out of his seat to follow the girl as she left his line of vision.

Ron looked at Harry expectantly and was met with a simple, "Oh. Yeah, I…ahem, see her."

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione scoffed, "do not tell me that you are impressed by her. I would expect this sort of reaction from Ron--"

"Hey!" Ron interrupted indigently, "just what is that supposed to mean?"

Hermione sighed as if weighed down by the upcoming explanation. "It doesn't mean anything necessarily bad, Ron. It's just…well; you seem to be more susceptible to the charms of the female persuasion than Harry."

"I'll have you know that I'm not subjectible to anything," Ron clarified loudly.

Hermione flinched noticeably. "Susceptible, Ron. The word is susceptible. Sujectible isn't even a word…"

Harry looked at each of them for a moment as if unsure how to take in the conversation. He finally decided that in some form Hermione was insulting him and his masculinity. "I'm perfectly susceptible to charms of the female persuasion, thank you very much."

"Obviously," Hermione responded dryly. "Are we done here? I have some homework that I need to do."

"Homework?" Ron voiced, "it's Saturday, Hermione. Do you understand the concept of a Saturday night? I suppose not, as you want to spend it doing homework of all things…it is a Hogsmeade weekend, leave homework for Sunday night. And late Sunday night at that."

Hermione stood up from her chair and gave Ron a good long glare. "Just because some of us are responsible and do not wish to indulge of the insolence and barbaric rituals of adolescence, that does not mean that we are unaware of them."

Ron looked around mockingly. "We? Got a mouse in your pocket, Hermione? Because I only see you. Come on, Harry, back me up here, tell Hermione to stop being such a prude and have fun for once."

Before Harry could get a word out, Hermione's temper had already risen. "Prude? You don't honestly agree with him, do you Harry?"

"Well--"

"Course he does! We were just sitting here having a good friendly time and you had to go off and start giving out lectures that no one wants to hear! Isn't that right, Harry?"

Harry looked alarmed. "I never said--"

"I am hardly lecturing you! Just because I don't want to sit here while you ogle girls--"

"I wasn't ogling! Are Harry and I not allowed to appreciate natural beauty when we see it?"

Harry, finally fed up with words being put into his mouth, slammed his butterbeer down on the table. "I didn't bloody say anything!"

Hermione, still seething, looked at Harry expectantly. "Come on, Harry, let's go back to the school while Ron 'appreciates' all this natural magically enhanced beauty."

Ron groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Oh, come off it, Hermione. 'sides, Harry here is perfectly fine where he is, aren't cha, mate?"

Both turned to Harry. "Well?"

Harry stood up uneasily. "Both of you have…issues. I'm going to go to the Quidditch shop. Alone."

Harry exited the restaurant, leaving his two friends alone in the proverbial stirring pot of animosity. Ron made a gesture towards the door, "Well, Hermione? Homework awaits, you know."

"You are incorrigible," Hermione spat as she followed Harry's actions.

Ron gulped down the rest of his butterbeer. "You're incurable," he muttered to Hermione's retreating figure.

After taking a moment to realize his solitude, and the utter potential boring nature of said solitude, Ron jogged out the door to catch up with Hermione. "Wait," he called out, "Hermione, hold up!"

Hermione whipped around, anger still evident in her features. "What, did you think of another name you wanted to call me?"

Ron stood in contemplation for a moment, "No, can't think of anything else. I actually just wanted to…ahem, apologize."

"Apologize?" she repeated. "Well, that is…unexpected." Ron shrugged at the same time that Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Tell me, Ron, what exactly are you apologizing for?"

Ron looked up in immediate surprise. "Uh, well…you know, about how I, uh, mocked your homework obsession?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "This is what I am talking about, Ron. You don't even know why I got mad in the first place."

"That isn't true, I do too know."

"So what is it then?"

"You were mad because I pronounced a word wrong."

"No," she sighed in exasperation. "Just forget it, Ron. You're forgiven, even if you don't know why or what for. I'm just not in the mood to do this anymore."

"No," Ron objected quickly, "tell me. Please, Hermione, I want to know why you're mad. Really."

"Alright," she relented, "it's because you are incapable of seeing past seeing."

"Incapable of seeing past seeing," he repeated wonderingly. "That would be interesting if I had any clue what it meant."

"It means that you are shallow, Ron!"

"Shallow?"

"Yes, shallow."

"Nah," he laughed off, "I am not even shallow; I went out with Claire Daniels, didn't I?"

"You see, Ron," Hermione responded as she poked a finger at him, "that is what I am talking about. Yes, you went out with her, but you are viewing her as some sort of charity case or something just because she isn't your version of beautiful. Furthermore, you went on only the one date with her, and that was because her brother threatened you into it."

"Well, if I am shallow than you are shallow."

"How so?"

"Does the name Lockhart ring any bells? Oh, wait, you only liked him for his intelligence, right? Too bad he doesn't have any."

Hermione's mouth dropped open, "That was in second year! Time to move on, don't you think? I, unlike you, have gotten past the stage of beauty obsession. I look for intelligence, depth, and good character in my potential dates, thank you."

"Oh, yeah," he said before he could stop himself, "so that explains why you have so many dates then, doesn't it?"

"You are so immature, Ron."

"And you are so self-righteous, Hermione."

"Please, you couldn't even go on one date of your own accord with a girl that you didn't deem beautiful--"

"And you are so holier-than-thou that you couldn't go on a date with someone who is beautiful."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I would not deny someone a chance just because they happened to be good looking. However, that is the only quality in which you look for."

"Is that a challenge, Hermione?"

"What? No, where did you get that?"

Ron regarded her contemplatively for a moment. "I am going to prove you wrong. I'm going to go out with a girl for reasons other than looks, how about them apples, Hermione?"

"What apples? Ron, you are being ridiculous."

"No," he continued as if he didn't hear her, "I am going to go out with someone that you approve of. Someone that is smart, and…deep."

"What point would that prove?"

"That pretty people make better dates."

Her mouth fell open, "This is…just silly."

He shrugged. "Whatever. Are you in or out?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes in thought. "In."