-
#15 - perfect blue
Blue in the Face
- in which we learn that making bets with Ravenclaws is not a good idea -
-
Pansy stared at the sight in front of her. And blinked. And then, she stared some more.
"Ron, that is you, isn't it?" she finally ventured.
The person in front of her sighed. "Yes, it's me."
"Well, if you don't mind me asking... Ron, where is your head?"
Ron seemed to grit his teeth - she couldn't be sure, though, as he was only visible from the neck down.
"I'm wearing a Headless Hat," he told her, sounding rather tense.
"Right, of course. You wouldn't have any objections to telling me why, exactly, you're wearing one of those?"
"Well, I lost this bet... So I have to wear this until midnight tonight. Are you telling me you didn't notice at all during the day? I was pretty good at staying out of sight, in that case."
Pansy shrugged. "I have other things to think about than you, Weasley. You're not that interesting." She stared at him some more, trying to figure out where exactly his eyes were. "There's no one else around than me now. Why don't you just take it off?"
"I tried. Wasn't a good idea. Trust me on this one."
Pansy frowned. "What happened?"
Ron went quiet for a while, and then held out his hands and drew off one of the gloves. She hadn't noticed he was wearing any before now.
His hand was blue.
"Turns out she put a hex on the hat."
Pansy stared at the hand in fascination. And then burst out laughing hysterically.
Ron crossed his arms over his chest, and despite his current headless situation, Pansy was quite certain he was was giving her an indignant look.
"But the damage is done, why can't you take the thing off now?" she finally managed after calming down a little.
"Every time I take the hat off, it adds another day to how long I'm going to stay blue. I'd rather have that end at midnight too," he explained mournfully.
This, of course, caused Pansy to burst out laughing again.
"Why was I stupid enough to go making a bet with a Ravenclaw anyway?" Ron continued. "Especially a completely insane one who does a perfect colour-changing spell."
"Who was that?" Pansy managed between giggles.
"Luna Lovegood."
"Oh. She's insane? I thought she was one of your friends?"
"Of course we're friends. Doesn't change the fact that she's nuts though."
Pansy shook her head, still giggling. "This is too great. You're blue..."
"It's for Ravenclaw," Ron interrupted, sounding rather sarcastic.
"...And headless too! You and that Gryffindor ghost could form a club!"
"Oh, not you too! Seamus and Dean have been calling me Nearly Headless Ron all day, and Nick's been giving me these really hurt looks and muttering something about fake headlessness and no headless pride every time I've seen him."
Pansy reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "Poor you. I feel for you. Really I do."
"I'm sure," Ron muttered.
She snorted and leaned forward to give him a kiss, and Ron leaned forward to meet her. She soon broke the kiss, though, looking thoughtfully at where she guessed his eyes should be. "Hmm," she commented. "This is a little too weird. I think this'll have to wait until you're head is more... visible."
Ron sighed. "Of course."
It wasn't until she was back in her dorm and was laughing about the story with the other girls of her year, whom she had obviously dutifully spread the story to as soon as she got back, that Pansy realised she hadn't even asked what the bet had been about in the first place.