CHAPTER FOUR – IN THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT

Professor Filtwick was trying to get everyone to be in silence, but as always, that was impossible. Hermione was the only one in the class who wasn't talking, but practicing the Incorcerous Spell on the little box Filtwick had given them.

As Hermione failed to do the spell for the third time, someone passed a book to her, which had a Post-It on it that said "Open me", and it was written with a handwriting she knew well. She frowned and flipped the pages of the book until she saw a little note.

"Meet me at the Common Room at 7:30 tonight."

Hermione looked at the note over and over again and then closed the book. She turned around and gave it back to Ron with a smile on her face. Then, she went back to work on the Incorcerous Spell, but didn't manage to do it. And when the bell rang and she still hadn't been able to do it, she was disappointed to realize this was the first time she hadn't succeeded in Charms.

The day went by and Hermione hadn't been able to concentrate on any single class. She knew it wasn't okay for her and Ron to go out, but still, she wanted so badly to do so. In the end, she decided that it would be good to go out with him just this once so she could tell him personally what she thought.

Deep down, Hermione knew she could just tell Ron anytime. But every time she thought of it, she said to herself, "I just can't let him down. Just this once."

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That night…

It was 6:30 already. Hermione took a shower and then she went to her wardrobe to get something for her 'date' with Ron. She decided to wear blue jeans and a very nice long-sleeved hot pink shirt her mother had given her for her Birthday. Hermione had absolutely no idea why she was so nervous "Just this once," she reminded herself. "It's just a casual date with a friend."

Hermione combed he hair and put some make-up on. Just a little, she didn't like to wear too much.

At 7:25 she came down the stairs and saw that Ron was sitting alone on his favorite armchair. She went straight to him and when she said hi, he almost jumped.

"Hermione… I… hi…" he stood up as quickly as possible, perhaps too quickly. "You look very nice."

Hermione smiled at him. She liked that he noticed small things. After all, she was only wearing jeans and a normal shirt… "Thanks."

"So um… should we go?" he asked awkwardly.

"Sure, let's go."

They climbed out of the portrait hole and suddenly Hermione realized she had no idea where they were going.

"So where are we going?" she asked Ron.

"You'll see," he answered and grinned.

When they had reached the seventh floor and they were standing in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, Hermione realized where they were going.

"Oh! The Room of Requirement!" she said excitedly. "I hadn't thought of this place in a very long time."

Ron grinned at her and started to walk and turn, walk and turn three times. From where she was standing, Hermione couldn't deny Ron looked very funny just walking, stopping, turning, and walking again, muttering something and with his eyes focused on the floor.

Suddenly, a door appeared out of nowhere. Hermione looked at Ron and smiled. He opened the door and indicated Hermione to enter.

When Hermione entered the room, she was shocked. On the middle on the room, there was a table for two, with a light pink tablecloth and with beautiful dishes and cups. On the middle of the table, there were three candles. The floor was made of grey stone, and what struck her most, was that all around the room, there were hundreds of daisies, Hermione's favorite flowers. It was all so beautiful.

Hermione turned to look at Ron and saw that he was looking at her with a big smile on her face.

"It's… beautiful. I… there are no words to describe this Ron," she said almost in a whisper.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

"Then I'm glad you love it," Ron said smiling. "Come on, let's sit down. I'm starving."

Hermione laughed at Ron's commentary and sat down, looking around her. When she looked down to her dish, she saw her favorite food in it: raviolis. She looked at Ron and saw that his plate had also been filled with food.

"Wow Ron. You really thought about every single detail," she said.

"Well, it was me who prepared the food so -"

"Sure it was," Hermione said laughing.

"Yeah, why not? Don't you think I can cook?" he grinned.

Hermione laughed even harder. And as they kept eating, they just joked about everything and Hermione totally forgot what she had been telling herself all day long.

When they finished eating, Ron stood up and smiled at Hermione, who had frowned at him.

"Stand up and close your eyes," he told her.

"What? Why?" she grinned and at the same time kept frowning.

"Just do it. Please," he made a grimace and Hermione laughed at him.

"Okay, okay. But if you jinx me or something…" she said as she stood up and kept laughing.

"I promise I won't," he smiled.

Hermione closed her eyes and wondered what Ron would do now.

After a minute or so, soft music started to fill the room and Ron told Hermione to open her eyes. She did so, and saw that the table had disappeared.

"Will you dance with me?" Ron asked her and lifted his hand on the air.

Hermione turned to look at him and smiled. "Of course I will," she said taking his hand.

Ron led her to the center of the room, where the table had been just minutes before. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her. "Oh what the hell…" she thought and put her arms around his neck.

Hermione let Ron guide her. Everything was so perfect, the flowers, the music. She looked at him in the eyes and felt something she'd never experienced before. She felt like she never wanted to stop dancing, like she wanted to be with Ron forever, she felt safe.

Hermione woke up from her fantasy and saw that Ron was looking deeply into her eyes. "No," she thought. "Oh my god, what am I doing?" Tears filled her eyes and she pushed Ron away.

"No Ron," she said, shaking her head. "We can't do this." She couldn't hide her tears anymore, nor did she care if Ron saw her crying. "It's just not right."

"Why isn't it Hermione? We're having a great time, aren't we?"

"It's not that," Hermione wiped some of her tears. "I have to go," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Before Ron could do anything to stop her, she had left the Room of Requirement.

When Ron woke up from his shock, he ran to the door and opened it. The corridor was empty. "Great," he thought. "What the hell's going on with her?"

A.N. – Hey! What do you think? Please review!