As the weeks passed after Dumbledore's announcement of the Halloween Spectacular, the entire student population of Hogwarts was anticipating the party in store for them. Hermione had booked two bands, Figaro and The Twilights, to perform and the Great Hall had been decorated to look like a haunted mansion. (The house poltergeists only added to the atmosphere.) When there was an hour left until the ball started, Hermione had just gotten out of the shower since she spent the better part of the afternoon getting last minute preparations taken care of.
"Hurry up Hermione, we're going to be late!" Ginny rushed into Hermione's room not expecting her to be in her bathrobes on her bed.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you dressed yet?"
"I-I still haven't got a gown to wear, I thought I would've found something by now but, oh Ginny!" she was crying now.
"Awwh Hermione," Ginny sat down on the bed next to the sobbing Prefect, "For being such a clever witch, I'm surprised you could have such a one track mind about this!"
Hermione sniffled, "What do you mean one track? What other tracks are there!"
"For starters, no one said you had to BUY a dress. Conjure up some fabric, transfigure your bed sheets, be creative!" Ginny giggled, "Merlin, it's usually you that gives us the hints." She gave Hermione one last pat on the back and walked towards the door.
"You better be down stairs tonight, on time and gorgeous. I don't want my brother to think he got stood up," Ginny and smiled and walked out the door.
Seven o'clock came around and Hogwarts was as festive as ever. Harry and Ron were just outside Gryffindor tower when Ginny came down and linked her arm into Harry's.
Her dress was emerald green and made of a light, flowing chiffon. The two thin straps laced multiple times across her back and went all the way down to the small of her back. The A-Line gown flared out at the bottom, ideal for spins while dancing, and had small shimmering rhinestones fade up from the hem. Ginny's hair contrasted most with dress; the vibrant red orange curls cascaded down her shoulders softening her appearance and giving her a more mature look–until Ron spoke.
"What's this?" Ron's eyes grew.
"What's what?"
"Don't act stupid, Gin. You know damn well what I'm talking about!"
"You're the one who is stupid, Ronald, if you can't tell Harry is my date tonight," Harry's cheeks turned a deep crimson.
"Look Ron, it's not really a big deal. Neither of us had anyone to go with and we-we didn't want to show up alone,"
Still unconvinced, Ron turned back towards Ginny with a new topic on mind.
"Where is Hermione?"
"Oh, well…Last I talked to her, she was having some personal issues but don't worry! She'll be down soon…I hope," Ginny wasn't sure if Hermione had gotten over her panic attack but before she could think any longer on it, the portrait opened.
If Ron thought he had seen Hermione at her best in fourth year, he was sorely mistaken. She stepped down into the hallway, unsure of herself until she saw her friends' jaws on the ground.
Her dress was gold, form fitting, and made of satin. The bodice was pinched and pleated in the bust and waist, giving Hermione a move curvy outline. There was a drape in the front and back of the dress that alluded the very sophistication she embodied. Most eye catching was the low scoop back and long train that added the right touch to the dress. Her hair was simple, a pony tail with a little pouf on top and loose curls out the back. The few strands that suck out framed her face, making her even more beautiful.
"So, it's okay then?" Ron, Ginny, and Harry snapped back into real-time and looked at their friend's unconfident expression.
"Wh-y-you…See, uh.."
"What my brother is trying to say is–" Ron interrupted Ginny, since he was Hermione's date it was his job to be the first to compliment her, right?
"What I'm trying to say, Hermione, is that you look bloody gorgeous in that dress. If you wore this dress fourth year with Krum, I would've gone mental," Ron blushed at what he had said.
I wasn't supposed to tell her everything that was in my head! Good one, Weasley.
Hermione on the other hand was blushing furiously at Ron's flattering remark. "Thank you, Ron, really. Uhm, are we ready to go?"
Harry and Ginny nodded and began walking, still in awe over Hermione's transformation but Ron stepped in front of her.
"You two go on, we'll catch up in a second,"
"What's going on, Ron is everything all right?" Hermione looked worried, her deep brown eyes were as big as saucers.
"Oh yeah, I just have something for you. Ginny told me muggles have this tradition thing with their balls. Here, just give me your left hand."
Unsure of what to do, she obeyed and saw that he pulled out a small box and inside it, he revealed a little bundle of tiny white and red roses.
"I guess they're called like, corsages or something, but I thought they were cool. Muggles use real flowers but I didn't want them to die so I made these from chocolate and charmed them so they wouldn't melt,"
Hermione was the speechless one now. "Ron, they're beautiful…Oh, this is so thoughtful of you!" she smiled as he slipped the corsage on her wrist.
"Come on now, let's get going before all the food is gone," Ron smiled at Hermione and stuck out his elbow to escort her to the Great Hall.
When the two couples walked into the "haunted mansion", the four massive house tables had been converted into smaller round tables of twelve. Nearly every decoration was in grey scale for the creepy, dingy, spider-webby effect. All the students complimented the prefects as they passed, thanking them for an amazing job well done.
Harry and Ron, with their dates, sat at that table that was occupied by Neville and Luna, Lavender and Dean, Parvati and Seamus, and Padma and Ernie. Everyone who hadn't seen Hermione when she walked out of the common room gave her the same reaction as Ron and Harry earlier. There were compliments left and right and all Ron cared about was his surroundings. Hermione had nearly put the whole night together single handedly and she did a terrific job.
"Holy hell, 'Mione, this is bloody brilliant! I can't believe you did all this!"
Hermione blushed and bowed her head, "Well, it wasn't all me. Though some of the prefects didn't do their share and I had to pick up the slack. But yes, I think it came out rather nicely. Just wait until dinner, I thought of you while planning it," she grinned at him, feeling that tonight would be as magical metaphorically as their blood was real.
Sure enough when the dinner plates showed up, everyone in the Great Hall exclaimed in delight at the treats before them. Bowls of chicken appeared with Italian beef in broth and bread for sandwiches. The mashed potatoes were thick and there were three different gravies to choose from. The rolls were still warm and the cinnamon butter was just churned.
Ron filled his eyes first when loading up his plate, as did everyone else. All the food was just so good so that by the end of dinner, everyone was ready to be rolled out and go to bed. Just as the dinner plates disappeared, hollowed out pumpkins filled with candy took their place. Handfuls were being taken; Bertie Bott's, Drooble's Best, Canary Creams, Fizzing Whizbees, chocolate frogs, and pumpkin pasties were just a fraction of what the pumpkins held. Everyone's eyes lit up as they called dibs on their favorite treat and began dancing to the first band that was playing, Figaro.
Hermione had just returned to the ground after eating her fizzing whizbee when Ron got her attention as she turned around and spoke.
"Come on, fancy a dance with your best mate?" Best mate. Hermione frowned slightly but recovered quickly by extending her hand to his and he lead them onto the floor.
A fast paced song was playing and the dance floor was crowded. Everyone was pressed against each other's bodies, jumping around and such. Hermione even shortened the length of her dress so the train wouldn't get stepped on.
Ron leaned into her ear because the music was so loud.
"Are you having fun?"
"What! Oh, yes, loads!" Hermione shouted back.
"You sure, because we can stop, I understand if I'm a bad dancer…"
Hermione quickly turned around, grabbed his shoulders, and danced facing him moving her hips side to side.
"Nonsense, you're just trying too hard. Close your eyes and listen to the rhythm of the music, feel your body move by itself, you'll get the hang of it," she smiled at him, they were even closer now.
He did as she said and no sooner were they moving against each other, their hips gyrating to the beat of the music. The drawn out guitar solos and vocals intensified during the chorus bringing the two together until there was no light shining between them while they danced the night away and forgot all about classes and Harry and Voldemort and anything else in the world that didn't pertain to them.
"Come on, now, it's nearly 1 am! You students need to get to your dormitories at once. You may continue your celebrations there, but until then, the Great Hall must be emptied," Professor McGonagall was busy herding out the last of the students when Harry and Ginny were finally pulled from the dance floor long after The Twilights had finished their set.
"Ron, Harry…are you two…..yargh- ready to go yet?" Hermione stifled a yawn while gathering her purse. Ginny was already waiting for them by the entrance.
"Yeah, 'Mione, we're coming," Ron turned back towards Harry.
"Listen, mate. You told Ginny right?" Harry nodded, "Well then, I'll to talk to her in the common room. I think everyone is mostly exhausted," Harry acknowledged him again and turned to Hermione.
"Hey, I think I can trust Ron to escort you back to the tower, right? I'm walking Ginny up now; she's feeling a bit sick from all the sugar,"
"Oh, okay then, I'll check on her when I before I go to my dorm then. G'night, Harry!" Hermione waved and turned back to Ron who was collecting whatever was last of the candy.
"And you! Oh, I had such a wonderful time tonight!"
"Really?" Ron looked surprised, he didn't think she enjoyed his company that much.
"Of course! Honestly, I thought you were going to be dancer with three left feet, but you really did surprise me," Hermione grinned as they began walking back to Gryffindor Tower side by side.
Most of the way there, they recalled the wildest parts of the night, one of which included Seamus stage diving on top of Professor Trelawney. "Crazy Irish, that one" was the comment going around. When they reached the Fat Lady, Hermione turned towards Ron and after a moment of silence, embraced him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Ron, for a wonderful evening. Really, I don't think it could get any better," Hermione never thought Ron's arms could feel this good. All night she had looked for excuses to touch him and this was the culmination of all of them. He was so warm and soft, yet firm. He smelled like his cologne with the musky scent of sweat. She sighed heavily and melted into his broad chest, reveling in each moment, when he wrapped his arms across her back and pulled her into him.
"I'm glad," he whispered, "Quite the improvement from fourth year," he smiled as she giggled next to his ear and he pulled away. "Come on, let's change and meet in the common room, I've still got me some energy,"
Ten minutes later, Hermione came down from her prefect dorm in a small zip-up jumper and flannel pants and sat on the couch in front of the fire next to Ron. It had started to rain sleet pretty hard, so the fire was the only source of heat in the room. Thankfully, the few students that were still up were elsewhere in the room.
"Forgive me for being cheesy, Ms. Granger, but tonight's Spectacular was spectacular," Ron laughed with Hermione at his poor joke. God, she just glows in the light…
"Well I'm glad to hear everyone enjoyed themselves. In that case, allt he stress and running mad was worth it. I had a great time, for sure…except, of course, when Ernie stepped on my foot," Hermione tucked her feet beneath her.
"Yeah…" Ron took a deep breath as he reached in his pajama pocket and pulled out a small black box, unlabeled. It's now or never Weasley…now or never.
He felt his entire body stiffen up as looked at her. She was still gorgeous after the crazy night. Her eyes caught glimpse of the tiny box and widened as she let out the tiniest of gasps.
"Ron–"
"I'm sorry, but…I have one more thing for you tonight. As a thank you, not just for tonight, but for everything you've ever done for me," he couldn't ruin this moment. The last thing Ron wanted was to say something stupid and get Hermione all ticked off, "Thank you for the homework help, thank you for putting up with me, thank you for dealing with my bullshit. And for my language choice," she smiled at him with glassy eyes as he handed her the box.
"This is for you, you truly deserve it for, well, being so brilliant with everything you do."
When she saw the contents of the box, her mouth opened a bit more. Inside was a sterling silver chain necklace with a solid heart as the charm.
"Oh, Ron, it's gorgeous! I…oh thank you so much! Please, will you put it on?" Hermione was all grins.
"Of course I will," Ron was relieved she liked it. Jewelry shopping was a pain. As he fumbled with the clasp, Hermione felt his knuckles brush against the back of her neck, sending a shiver own her spine. When she looked down, she realized the heart was bewitched to change color and match whatever top the wearer had on.
Ron's heart was racing. He finally came to terms with his feelings towards Hermione in fourth year when he thought he'd lost her to Viktor Krum. Now was his chance to finally bring them together and was nervous as hell. That night had done wonders for his feelings towards her. She put something together practically straight from her imagination and it turned out great. She was a brilliant dancer and had even complimented him sincerely on his moves! Hermione was perfect to him in every way because she was everything he wasn't and she possessed few of the qualities he had. Any outsider would say the two would never get along, that they were like water and oil, and Oh, the fighting! But through it all, it still made sense to him. What she had, she shared and vice versa. Apart they were nothing but together they were one. It was that thought that had never escaped his mind since fourth year after he learned his lesson to never let another guy get between he and Hermione.
"Uhm, 'Mione…"
"Yes Ron?" she was still examining her necklace.
"D-Do you erm, knowhowIfeelboutyou?" any skin showing on Ron Weasley at the moment turned cherry red.
"Slow down, I can't understand you!" of course she'd scold him while he bares his feelings for her. Only Hermione would do that.
"Well, well do you know how much I care for you? Because I do, a lot," he paused a second, gauging her reaction, "Like, as in more than one of my best mates…" his breathing was heavy, he was so nervous. He hadn't even turned away from the fire that consumed the firewood slowly.
"Oh, Ron…really? Because, well, because I've kind of felt the same way. I mean," now it was her turn to turn pink, "I never thought I would fancy you this way either," she giggled now, her eyes brimming with tears.
Ron faced her. "You mean, you really do like me? Like me, like me?" she nodded and let out a little laugh. "You know, at first I thought it was just jealousy or hormones, but then I realized that a combination of the two actually is the real thing, liking a girl I mean. Well anyway," he decided to move on before he'd start babbling and kill the moment, "I was wondering that since we feel this way for each other if uh, you maybe wanna go with me?" There. He had said it. The rest of it was left up to the Fates and Hermione.
She sat that there, her necklace in hand, and gazed into Ron's blue eyes that illuminated in the fire light. Before she knew what she was doing, she crawled a few steps forward and was mere millimeters from his face.
"I would love nothing more than to go with you, Ron Weasley," Seconds later, she was leaning against him in a deep kiss that made her head spin. His lips were so soft and warm as they pressed against hers. Hermione brought her hands up to his neck as he cupped her face in his and their breaths quickened. She was the one to pull away and look him the eye. Both of them were flushed with their lips swollen. It had been a wonderful night all 'round, some might even say the Halloween magic made the night a spectacular one neither of the two love birds would ever forget.
The next morning, Harry left his dorm and realized Ron's bed still made. When he rushed downstairs thinking something had happened, he saw Ron cradling Hermione in his arms under a blanket on the enormous sofa, still asleep and next to the dying fire.