Hello there! Nother update for you, I really did mean to get to the actual nitty gritty about the ball, this was just supposed to be the start of the chapter, however, I seem to have waffled on a bit more than I thought I was! Never mind. The ball is next! lol.

Enjoy (and review)

Sarah ;)


Chapter 19

Hermione surveyed herself in her full-length mirror, turning round to see as much of herself as was physically possible without permanently damaging her neck. She had just put her robes on after doing her hair and make-up and was making a judgement on the final effect. Her hair was hanging down her back in loose curls with half of it pulled back into a ponytail.

It was normally easy to tell how enthusiastic Hermione was about a party or a ball by the style of her hair; the more extravagant the style, the more she was looking forward to the event. So the fact that tonight she had only managed a half ponytail was very telling. She still looked pretty and no one would make the connection except for her…and probably Ginny.

'Hermione,' Harry called, walking across the landing towards Hermione's bedroom, 'do you think I should try controlling my hair with this?'

He held out a tub of Sleekeazy's Stubborn Hair Tamer, the contents of which looked similar to muggle hair gel, however this stuff was solid until warmed through. He looked up at Hermione and smiled.

'You look beautiful Hermione, I'm really glad you decided to go.'

Hermione smiled, her nervousness about the coming night showing through.

'What's wrong H? You've not changed your mind have you? You are still going?'

'I didn't spend a fortune on new dress robes for nothing Harry. Don't worry, I'm still going.'

'Then why the not-so-convincing smile?'

'I dunno, I guess I'm just nervous and a bit upset that Ron's not here getting ready too. He should be, but he isn't'

'I know he should, but he'd want you to go and enjoy yourself.'

'Yeah, it's just hard. After everything that we went through he deserves to be living a normal life, playing Quidditch, going to work, going to balls and having a life. But he isn't.'

Harry took a deep breath wondering whether to tell Hermione what was going through his mind. He hadn't told her this before; he didn't want to upset her, bringing Ron back into her thoughts. But he was always going to be there regardless of what anyone said to her, and he knew she'd find it comforting before tonight. He decided to tell her.

'Hermione, you remember the night before the final battle when Ron gave you your ring?'

Hermione looked at her hand and smiled.

'How could I forget?' she said quietly.

'Well a couple of hours before he gave it to you, we disappeared for a bit.'

Hermione thought for a second before remembering seeing them arrive in the kitchen. She hadn't seen them for at least half an hour, but then again, she had been helping Molly make the dinner.

'Before dinner that night?' she asked, 'you both came in looking weird but refused to tell me why.'

'Yeah, that was it. Well Ron and me had been talking. He asked me if he could have a word and I was quite relieved actually as I'd wanted to do the same. I had some things I wanted to say and ask him so we went to Ron's room and talked. He made me promise him something. He made me promise to look after you if anything happened to him. He wanted me to make sure you got on with your life if he died, and he said I had to give you a kick up the arse if you didn't.'

This raised a smile from Hermione, he mirrored the action.

'Look, I know it's not really the same, 'cause he didn't die that night, but he was still taken from us, and until he drags his lazy arse out of bed it'll be just as hard. But if he could see you now, he'd tell you how proud of you he was and how he'd want you to enjoy yourself at every opportunity because we didn't fight to save our way of life for nothing.

'So tonight we are going to go to this ball, grit our teeth through the formal dancing, and any thank you speeches that may include our names, drink a little too much, but not enough to give us a rough time tomorrow and then dance like hell when the proper music finally gets played. Ok?'

Hermione laughed.

'Yeah, ok.'

'Good.'

'Thanks Harry.'

'What for?'

'For telling me what Ron had asked you to do. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you and Ginny. I forget that you two get as upset as I do over what happened to him.'

'Well, when Ginny's upset I remind her of what Ron made me promise to do, which was t-'

'You don't have to tell me that Harry, Ron said those things for Ginny, not me.'

'Well he meant them for you too.'

'Well in that case save them for another day. Harry, I promise you I'll try and do what Ron said but there will be the odd day when I just want to hide away and be sad.'

'I know, we all do it. There has to be a balance between happiness and sadness.'

'Exactly.'

'So what should I do about this?'

He pointed to his hair and brought the small tub up to Hermione's eye line.

'Harry, do you honestly think there is anything in the world that could tame your hair?'

'Probably not, no.'

'And to be fair, people wouldn't recognise you without your hair sticking up at every angle.'

'That's true, but still…'

'Look, how about a compromise. Do you still have that muggle hair gel that you foolishly thought would work?'

Harry screwed up his face in concentration, trying to remember which drawer he unceremoniously stuffed it into out of frustration.

'Yeah, I think so.'

'Well why don't you put a bit, and only a bit onto your hands and run it through your hair. That way it will at least look like you styled it that way, even thought you haven't really!'

Harry grinned.

'I think I might just do that. Cheers H!'

'You're welcome Saviour Boy!'

Harry left to do his hair, his maroon robes swishing out of sight as he walked into his bedroom'

Hermione turned to look at herself in the mirror once more and this time with a smile on her face. She picked her wand off her bed and in one fluid motion put her hair into her favourite style for formal events. She looked down at her ring and twirled it around on her finger.

'I'll do enough dancing for the both of us Ron. I love you. Sweet dreams.'