Sweaty palms
Let's just imagine that Harry, Ron and Hermione are now in their seventh year. It could be their sixth year. I don't know, you choose, which one do you think is the prettiest? Ok, that will do. We all know the deal: the war is on. But let us not talk about war. Let us talk about happier times, when the professors and the headmaster of Hogwarts decided to cheer up the students a bit, to raise their spirits, to give them a way to enjoy themselves... or maybe they were just looking for excuses to arrange a merry making, a hullabaloo. One way or another, the students found themselves facing an announcement of yet another Yule Ball to be held at Hogwarts.
"Another ball?!", said Ron, disbelievingly. "So many things they could be worrying about but no, they have to go and throw a party, like there's anything to celebrate!". Harry was on his side, looking gloomy, and nodding to Ron's commentary, which seemed pretty much to voice what he was thinking.
"Yeah", said Hermione, half agreeing with Ron, "but maybe", she pondered, "maybe it's not such a bad idea, maybe it could end up being a moral boost or a way to unite everybody, to tighten our bonds".
"In a dance?", Ron snorted, pouring himself some pumpkin juice. Hermione was about to reply when she was interrupted by Ginny's arrival.
"Did you see the board? We're having another ball!", she seemed rather excited and soon noticed Ron's and Harry's I-don't-like-that-at-all stare and Hermione's blank one. "Not interested, are you? Ah, well. It's probably because of the failure of your last ball".
"Hey, it was not- er... nevermind", Harry soon realised that Ginny actually had a point. Ron simply muttered something to his spoon of porridge.
"Thought so. I think it's going to be great. We all could do with some worry-free times".
And the conversation about the Yule Ball went on and on, with a talkative Ginny, a thoughtful Hermione, Ron thinking that all was stupid and Harry thinking that he had better things to think about. Harry, lately, had been behaving very strangely lately. One day he would be very chatty, and the other he would be very chatty, but to himself. This was one of the days and, quite frankly, the ball didn't interest him much then. Neither did it interest Ron, who was, in fact, nervous with the idea of having to face another ball.
As the day passed, the castle started to burst with the student's excitement about the upcoming ball and that was practically all they talked about. By lunch, words like "dress robes", "date" and "make up" could be easily heard, even if you had your ears protected against mandragoras. Apparently, instead of starting to annoy, all this commotion was starting to make Harry and Ron a bit more interested in the ball. But, of course, they hid it well.
"I just don't get what's all the fuss about", Ron said in the boys dorm, when they were all getting ready to go to bed.
"It's the ball, Ron!", Dean replied, with is-it-not-obvious look.
"Yeah, but why", Harry asked, throwing himself in the bed.
"Well, let me explain to you, mates", Seamus stood up and had a certain air of teacher. "It's easy enough, if you pay attention. Well- ouch!" a pillow hit him right in the face, thrown by Ron. "If you don't let me explain", he threw the pillow back, "how will you-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it" the pillow-sender replied.
"I think I'm going to ask Ginny, she might go with me again" Neville said quite suddenly, attracting everybody's attention, which made him turn a bit red and add "It was just a thought".
"We've just found out about the ball and you're already thinking who your date is going to be?" asked Harry. Neville's comment had got his attention for one reason or another.
"You've got to, mate. Otherwise, all the good ones will be taken", Dean replied causing Ron to grin inwardly, for that answer had reminded him what he had once said and the confusion it started. But then, something sunk in.
"Oy, you're asking my sister? What are you planning to do with her? And you, you were her boyfriend are you going to allow this?" he turned to Dean.
"You said it well. I was her boyfriend, we're only friends now. The thing didn't really work. She's free to go with whoever she wants. I know I'm going with somebody else." He said that and grinned. Seamus asked "who?" but didn't get an answer because Ron went a bit mad and said that anyone who would as much as think of asking his sister to the ball would have to contact him first so that he could decide whether or not this person was worth of even asking and so on and son forth, which lead to various jokes from all the other boys until they finally fell asleep.
When the new day came, Harry woke up on his chatty-to-the-world mood. Down he went for breakfast with Ron and Hermione and there they found Neville, who had a stupid grin plastered on his face. Ron thought that he probably had already asked Ginny and that he, Ron, might us well just deal with it and so he greeted Neville.
"Hey, Neville. About yesterday... look... ", yes, Ronald Weasley was trying to apologise for his behaviour. "I... you know.... It's not like... yesterday..." yes, it was very difficult for him to do so.
"I guess what Ron is trying to say, Neville, is that he is sorry for his childish behaviour yesterday and that Ginny is big enough to make her own decisions, right?" Hermione said, giving Ron a fulminating glance. Harry had told her all about Ron's reaction and she had already told Ron off.
"Yeah..." Ron nodded. "That's it".
Then Neville, as though waking up from a dream, said "huh? Sorry, were you talking to me?" to which the trio exchanged glances.
"Positive. Ron was apologising for yesterday. What are you so happy about anyway?" Harry replied as he served himself.
"Oh, that's not a problem, Ron. I know you probably wanted someone better to ask her anyway" and he shot a furtive glance towards Harry.
"No, Neville, you're a great guy, just as good as anyway. Ron was just being stupid. As usual", Hermione said to Ron's displeasure. But he decided to ignore that.
"I was just trying to protect my little sister!", ok, he didn't really ignore it. "But you didn't answer Harry. Why are you so happy?"
Neville blushed and replied in a whisper that could be barely heard. "I said Luna asked me to go with her"
Harry was truly happy with the reply. "Way to go, Neville. Cheers!" Neville turned a darker shade of red.
Only a few days had passed and all around the castle could be seen people being asked and doing the asking, and cards were sent all around. When Ginny found out what had happened in the boy's dorm, she made Ron feel so bad that he apologised not only for Neville, but to all the other boys who was there, what logically lead to a lot more jokes. After that it all went back to normal, which leads us to a Divination class, which, obviously, Hermione doesn't attend to and, for some reason, neither Harry nor Ron dropped.
"So, are you going to this thing?", Ron whispered to Harry.
"What thing?"
"The International Fishing Contest. The ball, of course".
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I will. Everybody's going, we may actually have some good time for a change"
"That's what Ginny said"
"Yeah, I'm leaning towards that way"
They fell in silence for professor Trelawney, who was sharing the class with Firenzi, had just reached their table. She only gave them a quick look and went back to the front of the class.
"Freaky bat", Ron muttered as he watched her walk away. "Who are you going with, then?"
Harry shrugged once again. "I didn't give it much thought. But I'm thinking of asking Hermione."
"Oh" could be heard coming from Ron.
"Not as a date, or anything" Harry hurried to add. "Just as friends".
"Hm" came from the other side of the table.
"Or maybe, I don't know... I could go with your sister, as friends, and you could go with Hermione, as friends" Harry said carefully.
"Yeah", it was as though Ron was trying not to sound excited about the idea. "We... we could do that."
"Yeah, if they're not taken"
"Why, who do you know was going to ask them?"
"Nobo-"
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," professor Trelawney cut in, "would you care to come to the front and explain to the class your discoveries so far?".
No, they didn't want to share their discoveries so far, because they had none, unless that conversation could actually count for something. For that reason, the professor gave them extra homework and that was what they had been working on for the last half hour in the common room. Then, from the hole of the portrait, emerged Hermione and Ginny. They sat on chairs facing the boys.
"Having fun?" Ginny asked, leaning forward to read what Ron was writing.
"Loads", he answered.
"You misspelled perfidiousness... right here." Hermione pointed so that Ron could correct his mistake. "So, I was telling Ginny that I was considering not going to ball, but then she convinced me that I could have some good time there. And", she turned Harry, "since you haven't asked anyone, I thought that maybe we could go together, as friends".
Ron abruptly stopped his fight with the word perfidiousness, dropped his quill and blurted out "I was going ask you!"
The reactions to that statement were: a frown from Harry, who was taken aback due to the question and to Ron's outburst, a "what" with a perplex look from Hermione and a "Ronny!" with a mischievous grin from Ginny.
"I- I- I mean... we... Harry and I... I can't go to the ball with my own sister!"
"Whoa, I'm taken", Ginny said, raising her arms.
"Who asked you?" Harry asked interestedly.
"Am I missing something here?" Hermione was very confused.
"A boy from my year"
"I meant... we thought that maybe..."
"Do I know him?"
"Maybe what, Ron? Maybe you just now realised that I'm a girl? Again?"
"No, Hermione, it's not that, I know you're a girl, but I- we thought..."
"Stephen Tate"
"Nope, never heard of him", which was a bit of a lie, Harry knew who that was. Ginny made a sign for him to be silence and pointed to Ron and Hermione.
"Thought what, Ron? That maybe nobody was going to ask me?!"
"Look, Hermione, you're taking it the wrong way"
"Then you thought that I'd be waiting around for you to ask me?! I've got news for you Ron: I'm not your waiting for you, I'm not your last resort, as I told you the last time there was a ball!", she was already standing up and yelling. Suddenly, she turned to Harry "Are you going with me or not?!".
"Sure", like he would answer anything that could possibly displease her at that moment.
"Good!" and she stormed to her dormitory.
Ron threw his homework out of the table. "She got it all wrong", he crossed his arms and scowled. "It's much easier for Harry to get a date and she goes and asks him!"
"I never knew it was easy for me to get a date."
"Please, you're the Boy-Who-Lived, I'm just the sidekick with way too many freckles and that only owns a robe because his brothers gave to him!" and with that he went to his dormitory.
"Well, that was a happy meeting", Ginny said with an amused air.
"You really thought that was funny?"
"A bit, yeah. But I have the slight suspicion that Ron could have asked Hermione in a much better way".
"I thought that he handled it quite well", Harry said and they started laughing.
The other day, they didn't see Hermione anywhere, except when they were having classes together. Harry was already wondering what was he to do to help fix this when Hermione showed up in the common room and sat near him and opposite to Ron, who kept watching her.
"Listen, Harry, I'm sorry about yesterday. You don't have to go with me to... you probably want to ask someone different and.."
"Don't worry, Hermione, I'd gladly go with", Ron gave a cough and they looked at him.
"Yeah, I'd just like to apologise for not handling the situation very well".
Hermione was quite surprise to see Ron apologising directly to her and not stuttering. Then she smiled and recognised that she had too, overreacted a bit.
"Have you asked anyone yet?" she asked.
"No", Ron replied. "I got a no from you just yesterday, do you think I'm that kind of guy?" he answered joking and she blushed.
"Well, you see, I was – er – taken aback by.. er... that.. and... I had already asked Harry because I thought he... wouldn't want to go and... yeah".
"Really? Because of me?! In that case, it can be undone" Harry said.
"You really don't want to go with me, do you?" Hermione asked, suspicious.
"It's not that, Hermione. I'd be more than happy to. It's that... since... you're two are getting along very well now, I could... I dunno... get up and ask someone.", Lavender had just walked into the common room. "Like Lavender" he nodded towards her.
"Do you want to go with Lavender?" Hermione asked, still suspicious. Ron was looking from one to the other, waiting for the decision.
Harry thought a bit. "Not really, not. But it wouldn't be so bad"
"If you don't want to go with her, Harry, you don't have to."
"Or", Harry said, as he felt his genius working, "we could all three go together". Ron frowned but Hermione gave it a thought.
"I suppose... this could work", she said. They looked at Ron.
"I- uh- all right", he said with a defeated air. "but the first dance is mine!"
"You don't dance" Harry said.
"But it's mine."
"Then you have to dance"
"Who has to dance?" Ginny once again appeared to talk to them.
"Ron"
"Ron doesn't dance."
"I can dance. I only have to want to dance."
"Who are you dancing with?"
"Hermione"
"Yeah, me."
"Oh, you're going together?"
"We three are going together"
"You three?"
"Yup."
"That's new. A couple of three."
"Yeah, we like to innovate."
"Are you two going to dance together too?" she pointed to Ron and Harry and both said "no" to that.
"Oh, I thought you were. So this means Hermione gets to dance with both of you?"
"Yeah", Harry answered. "But Ron doesn't dance"
"Neither do you, Harry"
"You know, I was about to say "way to go, Hermione, going to the ball with two boys", but the way they are, I suppose it's the same as going to the ball alone".
"But at least I'll have great photos", Hermione replied, smiling, knowing that maybe she really wasn't going to dance with them but a good time was certainly come.
And come it did. The day of the Yule Ball. Everybody was starting to get down to the Great Hall but, prior to that, they were meeting at the common room, which caused a great commotion there. Our beloved boys, Ron and Harry, were just finishing dressing. Dean got ready before they did and shook Harry's hand.
"Good luck there, mate". Harry frowned, but thanked him anyway. Then Dean shook Ron's hand saying the same thing, but then added.
"Your hands are all sweaty" and wiped his own on his dress robe.
Ron scowled and wiped his hands on his robes. "OH, Dean... who are you going with?"
"Susan Bones". He smiled and left.
Harry looked at his reflection. He was wearing the exact same robes he had worn the last ball. He thought that nobody would notice.
"I'm ready", he turned to Ron, who was wearing the robes his twin brothers had given him.
"Shall we go down, then? I wonder if the girls are ready."
And they went down to the common room and were amazed to see how many people had decided to go to the ball. They saw Neville run past them saying something about being late and spilled pumpkin juice. They looked around but couldn't find Hermione. And then they saw Ginny.
"Hey, Gin"
"Hey, Ron. Harry"
"You ... look beautiful", Harry said with a certain difficulty.
"Thank you." She gave him a genuine smile. "If you two are looking for Hermione, she's coming down the stairs right now. I've got to go" and she run off to meet the young Tate.
The boys turned at the same time. They Hermione's every step till she met then. They had surprised looks, only that Ron's was more of a mesmerized one. Harry greeted her as soon as she was within earshot.
"Good evening, young lady. You look beautiful tonight".
"Thank you. You too"
"Whoa" was all Ron managed.
"Whoa to you too, I suppose".
They stood there for a few extra seconds and Harry decided to lead the situation.
"Shall we?" and he offered her his arm.
"Thank you" she accepted it. Ron did the same and they went to the Great Hall.
The Great Hall had an exquisite decoration, which I am not going to describe simply because I have no idea how an exquisite decoration would be, so busy yourselves for a few minutes picturing your favourite decoration style. First they had dinner, which was exactly like last Yule Ball, choosing from a varied menu. And then the ball itself was opened, only that the first dance was a special number performed by the ghosts. And then, the dance floor was opened to all.
"Well, it's the first dance, Ron, and it's yours", Harry said, leaning back in his chair.
Ron looked about to puke. "Thanks for the reminder", he stood up and offered Hermione his hand. "Er... Shall we?"
Hermione looked at Harry, who gave her the thumbs up, and took Ron's hand. "Oh, your hand is a bit sweaty"
"Oh, sorry" Ron said while wiping, once again, his hand on his robes.
"No, don't, it's ok", Hermione said, smiling, and they headed for the dance floor.
Clumsily, they started dancing, and Ron stepped on Hermione's foot a few times. When the song was over, they were a bit relieved and went back to the table. Ron sat down but Harry had got up and said to Hermione that now was his time to dance with her. Of course, he didn't know how, but he wasn't nearly as nervous as Ron was, didn't step on Hermione's foot and found it much easier to simply copy what everyone else was doing. When they got back to their table, they didn't find Ron.
"Where did he go?", Harry asked, looking around. "Oh, there he is"
Ron had gone get everybody something to drink, which they took with appreciation. They stood there, sitting, looking at each other, making occasional remarks. It was starting to feel odd.
"Look, you two can dance again", Harry said.
"No, it's you ok, you don't have to stay here because of me, you two can go dancing", Ron said.
"No, really, you two can dance at least one song", Hermione said, and they stared at her as though she was a freak. "Hey, I was only joking!"
"Hermione!", Ginny and Stephen showed up. "Let's dance" and, without another word, she took Hermione with her.
"Well, at least she got to dance"
"I thought you didn't want to dance"
"Yeah, yeah"
And, just like last Yule Ball, they stood there, watching everybody else dance and have a good time. Hermione was really enjoying herself, and everytime she felt like she should go back to her table, somebody else took her to dance, or it was a really good music and she didn't want to miss it. Ron watched her dance and started feeling something odd when someone danced with her. Even if she was just jumping up and down with Ginny. Sometimes the thought that he should go there and jump too crossed his mind, but he dismissed it as soon as it showed up.
Even though Harry was just watching everybody else too, he felt differently then he had last time. This time he felt a bit happy that people were actually having fun. He looked at the smiling and flushed faces and couldn't help but smile a bit too. And then he saw Hermione's joy. And with Hermione, Ginny. She watched her. And sometimes, just sometimes, he wished he knew how to dance too.
Hermione went back to the table and looked like she had just ran a mile. She kept fanning herself with her hand. Harry and Ron were both watching her, the first one looking amused, the latter, troubled.
"It's hot in here", Hermione said, still fanning.
"I wonder why", Harry smiled. "Help yourself", he said as she grabbed his drink.
Ron suddenly stood up and said that he was going for a walk.
"I'm going with you", Harry said.
"Me too... I need some air", Hermione joined in. Ron didn't know what to do, he didn't really want company in his walk, he wanted to think, but he couldn't turn back now. And so the three of them went for a walk in the grounds. Hermione was telling them just how fun it had been all the dancing, and that they should dance too, it was really easy. Ron was a bit behind. They stopped at between bushes to sit at a bench. Harry and Hermione sat there, but Ron was staring at them with a look of concentration. He stood at the only entrance they had seen, since the bushes had covered most of the place they were. Then, Hermione noticed that there was something wrong with Ron.
"Ron, what's wrong?" she sad, jumping up. Harry followed suit.
"My hands are cold" he answered in a weird tone.
"Oh", Hermione said and looked at Harry, who shrugged. Ron then looked at Hermione, straight into her eyes and said again.
"My hands are cold. Because of you".
"Oh... what?" Hermione asked, not quite understanding it. Harry, on the other hand, had a surprised look and gave one step back. If Ron was going to tell anything of that kind to Hermione, he didn't want to be there. But there was nowhere to run. Ron was blocking the way out and he didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon. As a solution, Harry turned his back to them and started staring at the grass.
"You, Hermione, you"
"Ron, I don't underst-"
"At the dorm", he interrupted her, "Dean said my hands were sweaty. But that made sense I was sweating a bit. But then... then you came down the stairs, Hermione. And my hands started to get a bit cold. Because of you."
Hermione was open-mouthed. Harry was trying to find a way to run.
"You were so beautiful and I was going to the ball with you. That's why they got cold. And then, I watched you dance. With those people and I kept thinking how good it would be to be one of them. I saw you with this whole new light. This beautiful Hermione. And my hands just grew colder. And you came back to the table. And it became unbearable. My best friend was sitting there and my hands were cold and I was trembling because of her."
They looked at each other. Harry kept looking at the grass but then lifted his head a bit so that he could peek. He knew there was a kiss coming. He would bet his life on it. Good thing he didn't, though.
"No", Hermione was shaking her head. "No, no, no" Ron was surprised. "No, Ron, no. I can't... I won't..." and she tried to pass by him to go back inside the castle. He didn't block her.
"Please, Hermione"
"No, Ron, no. You don't have the right to come and tell me these things. I won't give in to some physical attraction you all of the sudden feel. Do you know why? Because this", and she ran her hand through her face, "is only make up. And this", she messed her hair, "is only a spell. Tomorrow I'll wake up being plain, regular Hermione and you'll have no feelings for me anymore, Ron. I can't, I can't take this. I can't let this happen. Because for me this is not just a one night thing. I want you to realise how beautiful a relationship we have, how rare it is to find something like this. I can't, I won't settle for less!" And she started leaving.
"Hermione, don't go, I"
"I have to, Ron" and she started running.
Ron seemed lost. Harry looked at Hermione, now half running, half walking fast, and at Ron, who was standing there. Then, he said to Ron, "what are you waiting for? GO!". And Ron ran as quickly as possible, leaving Harry alone, but catching up with Hermione.
"Hermione, wait", he said, holding her arm.
"No, Ron, let me go"
"Listen to me" he begged, and she stopped and did listen to him. He let go of her arm. "I told you, my hands got cold because of you. When I saw you coming down the stairs it was the best vision ever. I saw you dancing, and a new light was upon you."
"Ron..."
"No, wait. I saw you all dressed up and something struck me. You were beautiful" Hermione didn't like how this was going so once more she turned her back but Ron grabbed her arm. "I didn't finish. What struck me was how much you dedicated yourself to getting ready, how much you were beautiful, but how much more I like plain, regular Hermione. Because for me, there's nothing plain and regular about you."
Hermione felt her legs start trembling. She was looking into Ron's eyes and saw that he was telling her the truth, that that was not a joke, and yet she couldn't believe he was telling her that.
"You are special in every single way, Hermione. When you're determined to fight for the things you believe in, when you help me and Harry, when you wake up on those days that simply have no patience, even if is to say good morning, even when you're fighting with, you have this look that dismantles me. When you wake up and your hair is a confusion, I love that. When you wake up and you're at the Burrow and I see you the whole day. To me, you are perfect in every way. And you with all this make up and stuff, it's another way in which you are perfect. When you are concentrated watching classes, I'm concentrated, watching you. I always knew, Hermione, you were special. But I could never have said that before because you are too special and I was afraid. And tonight something else struck me tonight and it was how easily I could lose you. All those boys looking at you... I was jealous. And if I didn't do anything soon, I'd regret it always, as I do now that I haven't told you before."
Ron took a deep breath. He had finally said everything he wanted. He had told her. Now he waited for her reaction.
"Ron... I... I" Hermione started, but then she felt like all the right words had already been said.
Love is immense and fits in the brief moment of a kiss.
A/N: No, don't get up yet. Review. I know you want to. Come on. Leave me a review, please?