"What is it?" Ron asked with a sigh, expecting the worst.
"Well, please don't be upset, but... Hermione asked me out next weekend," Harry spilled, "At first she asked me out this weekend, but then I asked if you had already asked her and she said yes, and decided that next weekend we could go out instead. I'm really sorry, but understand that it's not my fault. She was the one who asked me."
Ron almost looked relieved, but Harry figured he was just so shocked he didn't know what facial expression he should have. "I need to talk to Hermione," Ron said. Ron walked out of the room and down the stairs. He couldn't hear if Ron was saying anything to Hermione because everyone in the common room was talking. He did, though, hear Hermione say, "Sure. Is something wrong?" Harry saw Ron and Hermione head up the stairs and Harry decided it would be better if Ron and Hermione talked without him there. He came out of the dormitory and started to head down the stairs. As he passed Hermione on the stairs, she gave him a confused glance, looking to Harry for answers. He pretended not to notice and continued down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor tower through Fat Lady.
Harry was starting to feel really bad about his date with Hermione. He didn't want Ron to be upset at Hermione about it, but they were a couple and had to sort out the situation on their own. But I'm in it too, Harry thought. I should help sort it out. If I hadn't accepted that date, then no one would be in this situation. But I like Hermione. I can't date her though, she's dating Ron. But maybe she doesn't like Ron. Why else would she ask me out? The thoughts kept bouncing around in Harry's head. He moved mechanically, not thinking about what he was doing. His mind was too preoccupied with the situation. He didn't even notice the day go by until Neville asked him what time it was.
Harry looked at his watch. "It's a quarter to nine," Harry answered, not really thinking about it.
"Thanks," Neville said and started to walk away.
Then it hit him. "Wait! Neville! What time did I say it was?" Harry asked worried.
"Uh, quarter to nine. Why?" Neville answered, confused.
"Can't talk right now. Got to go," Harry said as he ran down the hall towards his room. He had a date with Cho in 15 minutes and he didn't even know what he was going to wear yet! As soon as he got into his room he grabbed the first clean pair of pants he saw, a plaid shirt, and a towel, and ran into the bathroom. As he opened the door he heard a shriek. Oh bloody god, he thought. It was Hermione soaking in the tub. Harry looked away before he could see anything and started to close the door.
Then he heard Hermione say, "No, its okay, I was just startled. Come in."
Harry wondered why she had said that, considering she was naked in the tub, but he opened the door slowly and came in. He looked at his feet as not to see anything, even as much as he wanted to see her beautiful figure again.
"Uh... hi," said Harry unsure of what to say. He felt uncomfortable being in such an awkward situation and was embarrassed even though he didn't do anything.
"Hi Harry," said Hermione. "What was the hurry about?"
For some reason Harry didn't want to tell Hermione that he was going out with Cho. It seemed, somehow, like he was betraying her. But I'm not going out with her, Harry told himself. He wasn't very good at making up lies anyway and decided to tell Hermione the truth.
"I'm going to Hogsmede with Cho at 9:00," Harry answered still looking at his feet.
"Oh," said Hermione coldly.
Harry didn't like to see her disappointed in him so he explained the rest. "She asked me at the beginning of the week but I turned her down. Then when I found out you were going with Ron, I decided to see if she was still available because I didn't want to go alone."
Hermione seemed better satisfied with the answer. In fact, in her heart she was rejoicing that Harry had turned down Cho in hopes of going with her.
"So why are you here? I thought you were going out with Ron today," Harry asked, realizing that Hermione should've been at Hogsmede.
"Umm... well... Ron and I decided to just be friends. He told me you had told him about our date and he said that he was cheating on me too, and tried to hide it by being overprotective of me. I didn't believe it at first, but then when we finished talking I saw him go over and kiss Lavender Brown. So we never actually went to Hogsmede," Hermione explained.
"Oh," Harry said relieved that Ron wasn't angry at Hermione.
"Anyway, since it's seven to nine now, just take a shower while I'm in here. I don't mind," Hermione said. Harry was relieved and held a towel around himself to get undressed and into the shower. Fortunately the window on the shower was frosted, so Hermione couldn't really see anything.
Just as Harry had finished his shower he heard knocking at the door. He assumed it was Cho and said, "Come in. I'll just be a second." He dressed as quickly as he could while holding up the towel and ran a comb through his unruly ebony hair. It didn't do much, but at least he could say he tried. After that he opened the bathroom door just enough for him (as Hermione was still in the tub), and slipped through.
Cho was waiting for him in his room. She was wearing a slutty, low cut, short, black dress that was almost see-through. Her make up looked like it had taken hours to do and every strand of hair was in its proper place. Compared with Harry's just-out-of-the-shower look, it was like Beauty and the Beast. She looked great, but the sight of her didn't take his breath the way it would if he were someone else. He didn't care though; he just wanted to get the date over with.
"Hello Harry," Cho said in a seductive voice.
"Hi," Harry said, annoyed. This date would be bad enough if she were acting normal, never mind trying to seduce him the whole time.
"So, you ready to go?" Cho asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Harry murmured under his breath.
"Did you say something, Harry?" Cho asked in that same concerned-sounding voice she used on him before.
"Yah, just that I'm ready," Harry answered, irritated even more.
Harry heard a small giggle from the bathroom and he knew that Hermione had heard the conversation. Cho didn't appear to hear it and Harry was relieved. He didn't want her knowing that Hermione had been in the bathroom with him, because she could spread rumors about them that would ruin both of their reputations and could even get them expelled.
"Ok," Cho said in a tone that said she knew what Harry had really said. And Harry was glad about it too. He didn't want her thinking he liked her. That would just make things worse.
"Well, please don't be upset, but... Hermione asked me out next weekend," Harry spilled, "At first she asked me out this weekend, but then I asked if you had already asked her and she said yes, and decided that next weekend we could go out instead. I'm really sorry, but understand that it's not my fault. She was the one who asked me."
Ron almost looked relieved, but Harry figured he was just so shocked he didn't know what facial expression he should have. "I need to talk to Hermione," Ron said. Ron walked out of the room and down the stairs. He couldn't hear if Ron was saying anything to Hermione because everyone in the common room was talking. He did, though, hear Hermione say, "Sure. Is something wrong?" Harry saw Ron and Hermione head up the stairs and Harry decided it would be better if Ron and Hermione talked without him there. He came out of the dormitory and started to head down the stairs. As he passed Hermione on the stairs, she gave him a confused glance, looking to Harry for answers. He pretended not to notice and continued down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor tower through Fat Lady.
Harry was starting to feel really bad about his date with Hermione. He didn't want Ron to be upset at Hermione about it, but they were a couple and had to sort out the situation on their own. But I'm in it too, Harry thought. I should help sort it out. If I hadn't accepted that date, then no one would be in this situation. But I like Hermione. I can't date her though, she's dating Ron. But maybe she doesn't like Ron. Why else would she ask me out? The thoughts kept bouncing around in Harry's head. He moved mechanically, not thinking about what he was doing. His mind was too preoccupied with the situation. He didn't even notice the day go by until Neville asked him what time it was.
Harry looked at his watch. "It's a quarter to nine," Harry answered, not really thinking about it.
"Thanks," Neville said and started to walk away.
Then it hit him. "Wait! Neville! What time did I say it was?" Harry asked worried.
"Uh, quarter to nine. Why?" Neville answered, confused.
"Can't talk right now. Got to go," Harry said as he ran down the hall towards his room. He had a date with Cho in 15 minutes and he didn't even know what he was going to wear yet! As soon as he got into his room he grabbed the first clean pair of pants he saw, a plaid shirt, and a towel, and ran into the bathroom. As he opened the door he heard a shriek. Oh bloody god, he thought. It was Hermione soaking in the tub. Harry looked away before he could see anything and started to close the door.
Then he heard Hermione say, "No, its okay, I was just startled. Come in."
Harry wondered why she had said that, considering she was naked in the tub, but he opened the door slowly and came in. He looked at his feet as not to see anything, even as much as he wanted to see her beautiful figure again.
"Uh... hi," said Harry unsure of what to say. He felt uncomfortable being in such an awkward situation and was embarrassed even though he didn't do anything.
"Hi Harry," said Hermione. "What was the hurry about?"
For some reason Harry didn't want to tell Hermione that he was going out with Cho. It seemed, somehow, like he was betraying her. But I'm not going out with her, Harry told himself. He wasn't very good at making up lies anyway and decided to tell Hermione the truth.
"I'm going to Hogsmede with Cho at 9:00," Harry answered still looking at his feet.
"Oh," said Hermione coldly.
Harry didn't like to see her disappointed in him so he explained the rest. "She asked me at the beginning of the week but I turned her down. Then when I found out you were going with Ron, I decided to see if she was still available because I didn't want to go alone."
Hermione seemed better satisfied with the answer. In fact, in her heart she was rejoicing that Harry had turned down Cho in hopes of going with her.
"So why are you here? I thought you were going out with Ron today," Harry asked, realizing that Hermione should've been at Hogsmede.
"Umm... well... Ron and I decided to just be friends. He told me you had told him about our date and he said that he was cheating on me too, and tried to hide it by being overprotective of me. I didn't believe it at first, but then when we finished talking I saw him go over and kiss Lavender Brown. So we never actually went to Hogsmede," Hermione explained.
"Oh," Harry said relieved that Ron wasn't angry at Hermione.
"Anyway, since it's seven to nine now, just take a shower while I'm in here. I don't mind," Hermione said. Harry was relieved and held a towel around himself to get undressed and into the shower. Fortunately the window on the shower was frosted, so Hermione couldn't really see anything.
Just as Harry had finished his shower he heard knocking at the door. He assumed it was Cho and said, "Come in. I'll just be a second." He dressed as quickly as he could while holding up the towel and ran a comb through his unruly ebony hair. It didn't do much, but at least he could say he tried. After that he opened the bathroom door just enough for him (as Hermione was still in the tub), and slipped through.
Cho was waiting for him in his room. She was wearing a slutty, low cut, short, black dress that was almost see-through. Her make up looked like it had taken hours to do and every strand of hair was in its proper place. Compared with Harry's just-out-of-the-shower look, it was like Beauty and the Beast. She looked great, but the sight of her didn't take his breath the way it would if he were someone else. He didn't care though; he just wanted to get the date over with.
"Hello Harry," Cho said in a seductive voice.
"Hi," Harry said, annoyed. This date would be bad enough if she were acting normal, never mind trying to seduce him the whole time.
"So, you ready to go?" Cho asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Harry murmured under his breath.
"Did you say something, Harry?" Cho asked in that same concerned-sounding voice she used on him before.
"Yah, just that I'm ready," Harry answered, irritated even more.
Harry heard a small giggle from the bathroom and he knew that Hermione had heard the conversation. Cho didn't appear to hear it and Harry was relieved. He didn't want her knowing that Hermione had been in the bathroom with him, because she could spread rumors about them that would ruin both of their reputations and could even get them expelled.
"Ok," Cho said in a tone that said she knew what Harry had really said. And Harry was glad about it too. He didn't want her thinking he liked her. That would just make things worse.