Brace yourselves this is the longest chapter.
Chapter 9 The other ball
Hermione opened her eyes, blurry images started to become clearer each second, she was laying comfortably on soft warm grass, little lights twirled around her, she started incorporating herself, and saw she was surrounded by dozens fireflies lighting the patch of forest beautifully, the lake dazzled at a short distance, she couldn't help but gasp, it really was a magical sight.
"Like the view?" She turned and found Ron crouching a short distance behind her as if to see her better.
"Ron! But how?" she looked around, "It's winter!"
"You'll have to thank Anna for that, some sort of advanced greenhouse charm, nice little place, gave it a nice camouflage too, looks all covered in snow from outside."
Hermione walked over to the edges stretched out a hand and found it hit something like a glass wall.
"This is amazing...but THE BALL! How long was I out? Victor must be looking for me, oh God! Her eyes were big with shock and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Ron stood up cupped her cheek in his hand and simply said "Relax everything's been taken care off" he smiled gently, and suddenly, without her expecting it, he hugged her tightly. Hermione gasped but then felt so captivated by his scent and warmth that she relaxed into his arms. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered "Thanks for choosing me" she could feel intense heat emanating from his whole face and knew he was probably blushing as furiously as she was at that moment. He parted slightly from her pulled out his wand and pointed to what Hermione thought as the strangest looking phonograph she had ever seen, it had something like a flesh color cable sticking out that continued out of the greenhouse toward the snow covered forest. He muttered some spell and the sound from the ball filled the room, around them the fireflies seemed to follow the music and Hermione felt her hand being taken in his while his other hand took her waist.
"Care to dance?" he smiled.
"Love to" she answered.
They danced and danced smiling commenting on the night's events.
"So how did you get me out here without every one noticing? Last thing I remember I was in the girl's bathroom"
"Well it was quite a challenge, according to what Anna told me the bathroom was full of girls everywhere, so once you were out…he then apologized for the crudeness of putting sleeping powder in the second envelope…well once you were asleep, Anna had to make a toilet regurgitate to make the other girls flee for their lives, she put an out of order sign and cleaned up before I got there with the invisibility cloak, she put a spell on your dress so it would hold you up and move so all three of us sneaked away under the cloak toward this place"
"So she knows about the cloak now?" Hermione pulled up an eyebrow.
"Oh Mione, she knows about lots more things, she's a Seer, she was the one who told Fred and George how to use the Marauders Map" Anna had confessed this to him once she saw how surprised he was she knew about Harry's cloak.
"A Seer, oh Ron don't tell me you believe in that sort of nonsense?" she looked skeptically at him.
"Well then, then how did she know you would open the letter?" he smiled at her.
Hermione blushed "well…I don't know…she risked it…I mean…she couldn't know for certain…" she mumbled.
"She did" he smiled and continued dancing with her. Hermione continued pondering.
"And what did you do with Victor?" Slightly fearing he was knocked out cold somewhere in a broom closet.
Ron smiled "Don't worry about him, he must be perfectly happy, he's dancing with you after all"
"WHAT?" Hermione backed away, she thought for a moment the Ron had been Victor all along and the pit of her stomach sank, but then he knew too much about her, he couldn't be, that meant…
"She polyjuiced me?" Hermione asked uncertainty in her voice.
Ron offered his hand again to dance as he said "Not exactly, remember they already take some human transfiguration in 7th year" Hermione took his hand again and danced.
"So she transfigured into me? That's really advanced magic! And my dress?"
"She mimicked it to hers once you were here" they both smiled and danced some more.
"Ron do you mind if I take off these shoes my feet are killing me" she looked pleadingly.
"Oh yes, sorry love, she bewitched them too, you see she's an inch taller than you so she made them grow" he stood down and helped her take them off.
Hermione was in awe, "You called me love" Ron looked up somewhat horrorstruck, it had just slipped out, he blushed furiously again, he look down at her feet again and said "I'm sorry"
Hermione crouched down to his eye level and placed a hand on his cheek "Don't be, I liked it" she too was blushing. He placed his hand on hers and with his other hand held her chin gently, they looked into each others eyes and both leaned in, they closed their eyes just as they felt the surge from their lips touching, they kissed.
It could have been hours, days even, for all they knew they were in bliss, they didn't even notice the band say the last songs were about to play, they did notice though a coughing sound coming from what seamed to be the entrance to their magical greenhouse, they looked around there standing in the door was Anna back to her normal state again, looking to the sky above trying to give them privacy as she coughed. They both stood up quickly blushing.
"Sorry to interrupt guys, really, but the dance about to end, we have to go back" she looked almost sorry as she said this.
"You go on ahead" Ron told Hermione, we don't want Victor to suspect now do we" he said with a mischievous look on his face. Hermione threw a stern look at him and laughed she started walking towards the door when Anna stopped her and said to her ear "I'm really sorry, Victor tried to kiss you but I couldn't bear it, he may be a little upset about it" Hermione looked up at her and smiled "Don't worry, I would of done the same thing" she looked back at Ron and blushed, she then headed back to the great hall.
"Well let's be off then" said Anna waiving her wand and disappearing the whole green house, the fireflies and the phonograph "Had a good time?" she looked at Ron he hadn't move all along this time, he just smiled and said "The best" Anna smiled she looked back at Hogwarts "Upps almost forgot she waved her wand again and the flesh like string curled up in her hands like a ball of yarn, she handed it to Ron and said while walking back to the great hall "Tell your brothers it works like a charm" Ron looked down at it "This is Fred and George's?"
"Yeah" beamed Anna.
"Didn't they ask you what you were gonna use it for?" He asked slightly terrified.
"No, once I told them I was a Seer, they didn't believe me at first, but when I told them that in less than two years they would have the highest ranking joke shop in Diagon Alley called I believe Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, they seamed so impressed and happy about it that they didn't ask questions" she smiled.
The great hall was still packed, Ron could see Harry still happily dancing with Parvati and made a mental note to reverse his spell once the ball was over, he looked around some more, he saw his sister dancing with Neville she looked somewhat sad about something, he assumed it was because she would have preferred to go with Harry, he knew she fancied him ever since she met him. Short distance from him was Hermione dancing with a slightly glum looking Krum, he smiled to himself thinking how much glummer he'd look if he knew she had been with him all night. Anna pulled him out of his trance "Why does your sister look sad?"
Ron looked back at her "I assume it's because she fancies Harry" Anna looked at him and a smiled appeared on her face "Wait here". She ran towards the stage and signaled the bass player from the weird sisters, he seamed to notice Anna and leaned down to hear her, he nodded and she headed back towards Ron, who now saw how the bass player told the lead singer something.
"What did you tell him?" Ron seamed surprised as the beat of the song suddenly change to a snappier beat.
"I called in a favor; the bass player is one my brother's old roommates"
"Blimey. You have brothers? Now it all makes sense" He looked down at her and smiled.
"Just follow me" she winked.
The song was upbeat and Anna had been pulling Ron towards different directions pushing people as she danced, during a particularly fast part, the singer instructed to change partners, to Ron's surprise Hermione came to his arms, she was standing right beside them, Anna went with Krum, Ginny ended up with Harry which apparently lighted up both their faces, Parvati went to Neville not very happy about it, but the funniest pairs were undoubtedly Draco and a girl with her nose slightly askew covered in acne, Pansy and Colin Creevey, Hagrid and McGonagall and Dumbledore with madam Maxime.
"How did…?" Hermione smiled the Ron as they danced together once more.
"I don't know" he answered honestly smiling too.
"Ginny you look great" Harry beamed at her.
"Thanks Harry you too" Ginny blushed just like only a Weasley could.
"Mmm you smell just like Ermyownninny" exclaimed Krum to a somewhat making all her efforts not to laugh Anna.
"Really? I had no idea" Anna tried to sound surprised.
"Arre you katching a kold? You sound just like Ermyownninny did a while aggo"
"Um yeah must be a frog in my throat" Anna tried to sound raspy and held her throat with her hand. Overhearing in the back how Ron and Hermione were trying their best not to laugh out loud.
The song ended and everyone returned to their partners, the band announced they were leaving now and they would play a song for all the lovers out there. They might as well said dementors were coming, the whole placed cleared out for the exception of a few number of people.
"Well guess will be going then" Said Anna as she saw Hermione saying good night to Krum and leaving towards the tower.
"Wait I owe you this song at least" Said Ron holding her back "Please"
She looked back at him and smiled taking his hand.
"So...what are you doing after you graduate? You could tell he had a difficulty making small talk.
"I think I'll become a healer, I really like this whole caring for other business"
"I think you'll be great at that" he smiled, they danced some more..."Anna, I really don't know how to thank you for all you did for us"
She looked at him "Just promise me to look after that girl, she really is special"
"I promise" he smiled blushing..."Anna I hope you find someone who knows how special you are too"
"I already did" she smiled, leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose.
He hugged her and whispered at her ear "I wish you the best"
She smiled and a tear fell down her cheek; maybe as a healer she'd find the cure to broken heart.
Sniff, sniff, wanna know what happened next? Keep reading wink
