Disclaimer: All the characters that look familiar have been created by JK Rowling and have just been used to fit in a plot written by me. No songs used throughout the story are written by me. Any similarity of non-JKR characters and plot is purely coincidental. No money has been gained in writing of this fanfic and it is just for entertainment.

Chapter 6:Let the Dating Game Begin….and End!

Ron opened his eyes and had to shut them immediately as the sun was shining directly on his eyes. Then, he again opened his eyes slowly to find himself on a very grassy landscape. When the hell did I land up here, he thought.However, it was beautiful, whatever place it was. No traces of any grey, he could feel the silk of the grass under his feet. As he explored the place, he saw something like a lone figure standing……at the edge of the cliff? Ron panicked.Oh no, he thought.I have got to save that person. Thinking so, he ran to the person. The person was actually a woman. Not only that, she was gazing into infinity and from all the observation Ron had learnt in his Auror training, he could deduce that she did not intend to jump from the cliff at all. She was just so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even acknowledge Ron's presence.

Ron tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She started and whirled around. She had a very familiar air around her, but somehow Ron could not place her. Using courage that had sprung up from somewhere, he held her hand and tugged it as if to beckon her to him. She withdrew her hand and before he could question her, she pointed to the ground. Confused, he looked at the ground and saw a strange sight.

The woman was standing within a circular area bound by a gold ring. The area was covered with……a baby blanket? Apparently, she was unable to step out the baby blanket. Before Ron could ask the woman the meaning of all this, the whole atmosphere around him started echoing with a strange beeping noise.

Ron forgot about the woman and instantly covered his ears. But that did not do anything good. He could still hear it.

Beep! Beep!

"WHAT THE HELL!", Ron woke up, to find his cellphone beeping away to glory. Groaning, he answered it.

"Uh, Hello, Is that Ron?"

"Yes, this is Ron speaking."

"Ron! Hermione here."

"Hermione, aren't you on a vacation? Why in the blazes are you awake so early in the morning? Wait, on second thought, don't answer that. "

"Very funny, Ron. I just called to tell you that I have fixed up a date for you today evening. Don't worry, I'll pick you up. Be ready at five o'clock."

"Ok, See you."

"Now, what am I supposed to talk about with this girl- what's her name?"

"Rose Yardley. Oh, just have a casual chat. Talk about her likes, dislikes etc. Don't be nervous. Its not like you have never gone on a date."

"Yeah, I did. But it was not exactly with a new person. All that while I had dated- Anyway, where are we going?"

"Gloria Fleur(see A/N) Park. Here it is."

Hermione parked her car and both of them entered the park.

"Is that Miss Granger,"came a voice from their left.

"Yes, that's me. Rose Yardley? This is Ronald Weasley."

"Hello Ronald!"

Likes and dislikes, eh? I'll give you likes and dislikes. Just wait and watch!

Ron offered his hand and said,"Call me Ron. Rose, Nice to meet you. Hermione, Didn't you mention you had a call to make?"

Hermione was confused, but when she looked at Ron, she understood."Oh Yes! Please excuse me Rose. I just remembered that I have to make a very important call." With that, Hermione left them alone.

Hermione let out a huff of frustration. After all what she was doing to get Ron a suitable prospective bride, it was not working. The last date was a total disaster. Ron scared off Rose Yardley with some crap, which made her shout, "Oh Merlin! How could you introduce that crazy guy to me? Keeps claiming that I am his wife in the last birth. He is crazy!" To top all that, now she had Ginny laughing away to glory listening to all this.

"Well I am glad that my frustration is a very lucrative source of entertainment for you now", Hermione remarked sarcastically.

"No-"Ginny gasped for breath after laughing for such a long time-"I am sorry but I never knew that Ron was so creative with excuses. Reincarnation. Honestly, too good."

"Ha Ha very funny."

"Ok I'll tell you something. Next time take him to a place of his choice. And that means no gardens and parks."

With that Ginny left for her date with her fiance.

And Hermione had an idea.

"Ron, I have a surprise for you. I have fixed you a date."

"Oh yes, I am surprised."

"No that's not it. The place is the surprise. Be ready at 8 in the evening."

Ron had no chance to retort as Hermione had hung up. Fine. Get ready Weasley. Ron has was as much excited about the date as a lamb would be if it were told that it was going to be slaughtered soon.

Soon Ron found himself at the entrance of a discotheque, Rocking Rhythms, with a different looking Hermione("Just dressed for the occasion.").

"You arranged for a date here? Very Nice!"

"Thank you very much. Come here. I'll introduce you to your date."

They reached a table where a girl, who very strongly reminded Ron of Luna Lovegood, was seated.

"Sylvia Forrester?"

"Yes! Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, that's me. Sylvia, this is Ron Weasley."

"Oh, Weasley, you said? I have been dying to meet a Weasley. Aren't you Harry Potter's friend?"

Ron nodded his head. Clearly, he was surprised to know that even after 8 years since The War, he was as famous as Harry was. Not to mention he was pleased.

"Yes, I am. Why don't we sit down, please Sylvia, Hermione?"

"Oh, please call me Syly(read as 'silly')."

Syly. Oh great. Silly Syly. Now I know. Syly and Loony. What a pair of long-lost friends. Ron could swear that he saw a shadow of a smile on Hermione's face after Sylvia became Syly.

"Oh, and what do they call you when you are sane?" Ron muttered to himself.

There could have been nothing faster than the change of expression that took place on Hermione's face, from a smile to a death glare. Uh, Oh, Now I am dead. Congrats, Bigmouth Weasley.

"So, Ron, tell me something about yourself. What are you hobbies?",Syly said.

"Oh. My hobbies?",Ron said with a mock thoughtful expression on his face. "Looking for prospective brides."

"Sorry?"

"Oh yes, I come here whenever I have time. Look at a few pretty faces and then go back to work. Pretty entertaining you know."

Hermione gave an apologetic look to Syly and said, "Oh he is just joking, Syly. I am sure he doesn't mean it. Do you, Ron?"

Ron winced at the kick he had just received from Hermione under the table. Gasping, he said, "Of course not. I was just joking. Seriously."

Suddenly, Syly stiffened and muttered an "Oh No!", as she saw something behind Ron. And to Ron's horror and no reason whatsoever, she started sobbing and saying, "Oh I am sorry Ron. But I cannot see you anymore. No I cannot do this."

Alarmed as both Ron and Hermione were with this situation, Ron felt relief seep in. Sylvia was a nice girl, but she was not his type. Well then who is your type? That woman in your dream? Well maybe.­ Before Ron could think of anything else, he said, "Oh thank you Syly! You know what, Even I don't think we should see each other anymore. I don't think it will-"

"Ron! Stop it! Don't you see you have made Sylvia upset. How can you carry on like this? Honestly, don't you have any respect for other people's feelings? You better keep your mouth shut now. I am going to talk to Sylvia."

"Sylvia?" Hermione turned to where Sylvia was sitting, but she was not to be seen. "Where are you?"

"I am here. Under the table,"Sylvia replied, sniffing.

Hermione too crouched under the table and started comforting Sylvia, "I am sorry Sylvia. I apologise to you, Ron shouldn't have said those things to you. That was pretty insensitive of him. Ron, please say something."

By now, Ron too was crouched under the table, completely aware of what a scene this must be looking like.

"Hermione is right, Sylvia. That was pretty rude thing for me to say. I am truly sorry."

"Oh, it's not you, Ron. I just saw my boyfriend there-No, ex-boyfriend- behind you. You see, I really love him a lot and we had a pretty steady relationship for an year, but two weeks back, we had a fight and he said something like 'Get lost. I can find many girls like you and better than you.' I got angry and said the same thing back to him. But you know, I really love him a lot and I miss him."

"Well then maybe you should talk to him," Hermione suggested.

"No, he won't talk to me. We haven't spoken to each other since that fight. Besides, I didn't start the fight."

"But, you did let it get better of you, didn't you? Look Sylvia, maybe I don't have any right to say so, but I think that when you love someone, it is ok to swallow some pride to get him back. Maybe he misses you too, but doesn't want to talk to you about it, be it because of shame or pride. If you go on like this, you may lose him. What do you think?"

"I agree but, I don't know how to start it."

"Don't worry about that. Ron and I will do something. Meanwhile, why don't you go and freshen up a bit?"

All this while, Ron had been carefully observing and listening to the dialogue between Hermione and Sylvia. No doubt, he was impressed by what Hermione has been advising, but he was carefully observing Hermione's face. When did she get so beautiful? Git, she was always beautiful. Oh, no what am I thinking?

Tumhe aaj maine jo dekha

Chamka hai kismet ka tara

Badlee naseeb ki rekha

(When I see you today

the star of my destiny is shining brightly

the lines of fate have changed)

Sitting in a crouched position and lost in thoughts, Ron was jerked back to reality , when he heard his name in the conversation. He quickly snapped at himself just in time to face Hermione.

"We are going to do something about this. I have an idea."

Surprise, Surprise!

"You try getting close to Sylvia and I will try getting close to her boyfriend- what did she say his name was? Oh yes, Robert- we'll get him to feel jealous about the fact that Sylvia has moved on.Ok?"

Ron did not like the idea much, but after a few protests when Hermione refused to budge from her plan, he gave in.

"Wow! That was so romantic,"Hermione said as she and Ron walked out of the discotheque. They were talking about how they had managed to get Robert and Sylvis together.

"Yeah, it was," Ron agreed absently.

Although, the whole episode was romantic, Ron was not referring to it. In his mind, before he could help it and snap out of it, he was fantasizing how it would have been if, instead of Robert ,who had finally succumbed to jealousy, wrenched Sylvia out of Ron's grasp and given her a passionate kiss, it would have been him doing it to Hermione. When they finally broke away, Sylvia was blushing. If that was too much, then Robert's impromptu but utterly (and sickeningly, according to Ron) sweet marriage proposal on the dance floor just….well just floored everyone.

It was this fantasy that made him unconsciously sigh out aloud(without meaning it), noticing which Hermione asked, "Anything wrong, Ron? You look tired."

"Erm…nothing. I am just tired of all that dancing and stuff. Have not done it for ages. Shall we go home?"

"Ok, lets go home."

It was pretty late when Ron reached home and although, how much ever he had lied about being tired, to Hermione, he could not deny the fatigue that overtook him.

That night he had the same dream he had had few nights back. The same place, the same cliff, the same woman in the same gold-outlined baby blanket. But unlike last time when the woman had the scarf on her head, this time he could see her hair. It was chestnut brown. Very familiar air here. As he pulled her to him, he saw her eyes. Brown. Then he saw her face. Ron felt thrill, anxiety and excitement at the same time as he recognised the face he had long realised as his soulmate and the love of his life.

It was Hermione.

Chhookar mere mann ko

kiya tumne kyaa ishaara

badla ye mausam

lage pyaara jag saara

(Touching my mind/heartthis way

what is the signal you have sent to me

the whole season has changed

and the whole world looks lovely)

A/N: Was this chapter too long? If so, I am sorry. But I had planned to intended to ended this chapter this way, but the plot-building took a lot of time and space.

The song at the end of this chapter is a famous Hindi song sung by the most beloved Kishore Kumar. The closest meaning is given there. Note that the words in the square bracket are not in the song but give the translation a meaning.