Friends at Heart
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"What are you two doing back here anyway, I thought you had Quidditch try-outs." Hermione said curiously.
"It was cancelled." Ron said glumly looking over at Harry.
"Why'd you cancel try-outs Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Snape." They said in unison.
They walked together back to the common room while Harry and Ron explained that Snape had assigned most of every year a massive assignment and only 4 Gryffindors showed up for try-outs, one of which was Neville. They discussed the tactlessness of Snape and all Slytherins in particular, until they realized that dinnertime had rolled around.
They were all about to leave when Hermione remembered she had forgotten to let Crookshanks out. She told Harry and Ron to head on without her and ran back up the stairs to her dormitory. She came running down with Crookshanks in her arms and opened the portrait hole to leave when she heard a voice.
"Hermione? Can you wait a trice?" Ron's voice said from behind the couch. Hermione noticed the tuft of red hair at the top.
"Sure Ron." She said lowering Crookshanks to the ground. She closed the portrait hole and walked over to where Ron was sitting. She sat down in the chair adjacent to him and looked into his eyes.
"Listen Ron, I think I know what this is -"
"Hermione I've been wanting to tell you for some time now...I...I'm not sure entirely how to say this but...the only thing that I can say is that I like you Hermione."
"I like you too Ron." Hermione replied with a kind smile on her face. She didn't want this to be as awkward as Ron was making it.
"Well I guess what I mean is that I...I fancy...well, you."
Hermione stared into his eyes again and Ron stared right back. He looked like a small boy staring at his mother after he's done something wrong, waiting to be scolded. "Hermione I just wanted you to know that. Maybe you'd like to go with me to the Halloween dance and perhaps maybe...well."
"Sure Ron. I'll go with you." Hermione said sweetly. She wasn't sure that this was the right thing to do but she doubted that anyone else was going to ask her. She figured she might as well try it out and see how things work out. After all, he deserves a chance. She thought.
There were a few weeks before the dance and so they both decided to keep it secret before then. Harry of course seemed to just know, but he respected their privacy and kept his mouth shut.
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Snape opened his closet and pondered over his many sets of dark robes. All were the same except one. One was dark, deep green and had a silver lining. He had worn it only once, to a wedding. Lucius and Narcissa's wedding in fact. That was not a wedding he would chose to remember. Narcissa's heart did not belong to Lucius, but to another. That was done with now though.
He had all night to sit and so was spending time catching up on his marking and relaxing in front of the fireplace in his quarters. Snape finished marking the potion's papers from his third year classes and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Professor Flitwick was putting up decorations. Snape had forgotten it was Halloween in a few days. He supposed he would have to supervise the dance as he had every other year. Something he was not looking forward to doing. He never dressed up, as he saw this as childish and a waste of time and effort, just as the dance was.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring at the wall for over five minutes. He shook his head and headed inside.
He noticed the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He hadn't paid her much mind and neither had the students. After Umbridge they never knew what to expect of the new teachers and since every year there was a different teacher it wasn't any surprise. Snape had given up any hope of the position years ago and so it made no difference to him who she or he was. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed her before though. She was quite beautiful. Her hair reached almost to her bottom and was wonderfully as dark as the night sky. He smiled as she laughed; it was perfection. Snape shook his head, What am I thinking? I don't even know this woman. He became angry with not only himself but with her. He was confused and unsure of why these foreign thoughts had entered his mind. He decided that it was just a minor slip and that she was in fact very beautiful but most likely every male would have the same thoughts. He finished his meal in silence, not differing from the norm.
He realized later that night that he'd seen her before. He was determined to learn her name and decided that it would be his personal mission to discover where exactly he recognized her from.
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There was less than one week until the Halloween dance so Ron and Hermione decided to let Harry and Ginny know about them. Soon, most of the school knew and were congratulating them (especially Ron). With every kind word and smile from Ron, Hermione felt guilt slowly building inside of her. I don't even know how it's going to turn out. It could be wonderful. Hermione reassured herself. She forgot to think of the fact that this was her friend and that if things didn't go well she would be harming more than just a chance with a boy.
Hermione was almost as nervous as she was on the first day of school. Everybody was expecting them to end up together now. Hermione, even after all her self-reassurances knew that that could never happen. She would never end up with Ron in the long run. He just wasn't for her. Who was for her, Hermione had no idea.
Harry and Ginny were ecstatic. They of course were going together and each insisted on helping their friend look amazing.
Ginny had selected several costumes for Hermione to try out. They narrowed it down to three and had Lavender Brown assist with the final decision. The choices were; a sexy and sheer genie costume, 'jungle-girl', which was leopard print and skin tight, or an elegant but busty renaissance dress. They just could not decide.
Harry had selected a few for Ron himself. The best looking ones were a lion, a knight and a pirate. Neither Ron nor Harry was sure what Hermione was going to be so they couldn't match to her.
"Maybe we should wait for Hermione to decide. I'd hate to end up going as a pirate if she's going to be a pumpkin or something." Ron said as he changed from his pirate costume.
Harry sighed. "I don't know Ron, whatever you think."
"Yeah, I think it should wait. There's not much time left so you'll have to get Ginny to tell you as soon as they know."
"Sure Ron."