A/N: Just so you know, Ron and Hermione, despite all their flaws, despite all their arguments, despite what J.K. Rowling had to go and say about them, are my favorite couple. They are my OTP. I wish things had worked out better between them both in the books and the movies, but at least they still ended up together. I would like to think that they matured and became a very happy couple and even better than what we got in the Cursed Child. ;p. I apologize in advance to anyone who is hurt/offended by this fanfic.
Title: Hermione's Invitation
Team: Tutshill Tornados
Position: Chaser 1
Reserve: no
OPTIONAL PROMPTS: "It's for the best/Yeah? Best for who?" lipstick, and topsy turvy.
The following excerpt in italics is from the Half-Blood Prince. I do not own Harry Potter:
"And this is another party just for Slughorn's favorites, is it?" [said Ron.]
"Just for the Slug Club, yes," said Hermione.
"'Slug Club," repeated Ron with a sneer worthy of Malfoy. "It's pathetic. Well, I hope you enjoy your party. Why don't you try hooking up with McLaggen, then Slughorn can make you King and Queen Slug—"
"We're allowed to bring guests," said Hermione, who for some reason had turned a bright, boiling scarlet, "and I was going to ask you to come, but if you think it's that stupid then I won't bother!"
(Now the story)
Ron's ears turned red. He winced, most likely not from the Snargaluff stump pod he just squashed with his hands. "You—were going to ask me?"
"Yeah…" said Hermione bitterly, a hard frown still on her face.
"I didn't know I'd be allowed to come…" he said, keeping his eyes locked on the gnarled tree stumps.
"Oh, come off it, Ron, you're being stupid," she said.
"Fine!" Ron yelled. Professor Sprout glared at Ron for his outburst. Hermione had clearly hit a nerve. Nevertheless, she avoided eye contact with him and kept to her work. Harry couldn't help but notice she looked anxious, and Ron appeared to be in a foul mood for the rest of the day.
On his way down to dinner from his dorm, Harry noticed Hermione peeking out of the girls' stairwell to spy on a disgruntled Ron. He was lazily turning through pages in a textbook, unable to study due to the thoughts that invaded his mind. Harry thought to say something to both of them, but the concerned look on Hermione's face when they made eye contact told him he might as well go ahead and go down to the Great Hall without them. He gave her a weak grin and gave Ron a quick, quiet acknowledgement before heading out through the portrait door.
Hermione sat quietly in the stairwell hoping no one would see her. She silently and slowly tiptoed up to the girls' dorm entrance after a couple of minutes, opened and shut the door and tried to pound her feet when she walked to make it seem like she had just come down from her dorm room.
Ron continued perusing the section on Snargaluff pod uses when he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey," said Hermione softly to him as she came up to his study table. Her voice had an heir of melancholy to it.
"Hey," said Ron, broken out of his daze.
"Mind if I join you?" she said, unusually shy for once.
"Not at all," he said quietly, beckoning to the chair across from him. Hermione took a seat but didn't pull any books out.
"Umm—I'm sorry about earlier today—" she said sadly. "I didn't mean to make you upset like that—"
Ron looked sheepish. "I'm sorry too. I think I overreacted."
They looked at each other briefly, not saying anything. Ron's ears turned pink again.
"No, I don't think you overreacted," answered Hermione. "I shouldn't have said that. You're just as smart and important as anyone in that stupid Slug Club."
Ron snorted.
"What?" said Hermione.
"You think I'm smart?" said Ron, almost wanting to laugh.
"Oh, don't be stu—I mean—of course I think you're smart!" said Hermione defensively.
Ron didn't look convinced. "Sure. Yeah."
Hermione huffed. "I do!" she said indignantly. "Oh, I wish I wasn't in this stupid club. I hate the whole thing. It's just a place for snobs and wannabe Slytherins."
"I wish you weren't in it either," mumbled Ron, looking down at his book now.
Hermione bit her lip but didn't say anything. Ron briefly glanced up at her and thought he saw her eyes looking slightly misty. He quickly looked back down at his book.
"Er, so are you going to be taking someone like McLaggen to that party, then?" Ron said awkwardly.
"No, not him," said Hermione quickly, "But I kind of have to take someone—I mean if you want to—I mean I know you really hate all of it—I don't blame you, really—"
"If I want to… do what?" asked Ron hesitantly.
"You know—to go to the party—with me?" said Hermione, unable to hide the embarrassing blush that was forming in her cheeks.
"I mean—well—yeah—I'd like to go with you if—you know—it's you I'm going with," said Ron, finding it hard to swallow all of a sudden.
"Really?" said Hermione hopefully.
"Yeah, really," said Ron.
"Well—I really want you to go with me, if that's okay," said Hermione.
"Yeah," said Ron quietly. "It's definitely okay with me."
"Good," said Hermione. "Well—er—well I'm off to the Great Hall for some tea. D'you want to join me?"
"I'm not that hungry, actually," said Ron, looking suddenly sheepish again. "And I need to finish this chapter on Snargaluff pod uses. But thanks though."
Hermione thought this to be an unexpected response, but she bid him farewell and made her way through the Gryffindor portrait door, a little confused.
As soon as Hermione left, Ron did a small fist pump in excitement. However, he had a nagging feeling that things wouldn't go as smoothly as they should. They never did when it came to Hermione.
Later that night, Harry came into the dorm room after Ron had decided to go to bed early.
"Heard you're going with Hermione to Slughorn's party," said Harry beaming at him. "That's great!"
"Er, yeah!" said Ron, trying to hide his concern. Harry thought he noticed something off but decided not to comment.
A few days passed, and Ron and Hermione mostly acted the same except they caught themselves glancing at each other more often in class than normal. Ron couldn't read Hermione's expression sometimes, though, as if she might feel uncertain about asking him to the party now. He couldn't help but think that Hermione must've felt sorry for him and that the whole thing was some ploy to reignite a fracturing friendship or something. "Maybe Harry put her up to it? That would be like him to do something like that," he thought to himself.
When it was time for dinner, Harry and Ron left their dorms to go down, but Ginny interrupted their conversation before they stepped out of the portrait door.
"Hem hem," coughed Ginny in a "don't-mind-if-I-butt-in-the-conversation way."
"Can I speak to you for a moment?" said Ginny with a voice that told Ron she was going to reprimand him for something.
"Yeah, 'suppose," said Ron shortly. "See you at dinner, Harry." Harry left, acting totally nonchalant.
"What's up with you and Hermione?" she said.
"What?" asked Ron.
"Don't play dumb with me," said Ginny. "You're going with her to Slughorn's party, and we all know it."
"So?" said Ron irritably.
"Sooo…I've heard that she's getting mixed signals from you. First, you say yes to going to her party and then you almost say nothing at all to her for the next three days? She says she doesn't know what to think."
"How do you know so much about my private life?" said Ron, disturbed at her revelations.
"Because she's the one talking to me. Duh," said Ginny, rolling her eyes.
"So—what do you want me to do?" asked Ron.
"Do something! Anything! But don't leave her hanging! Everyone knows that if you're not going as friends, then you're going as more than friends. Everyone who's going is bringing a romantic date, so…you know…aren't you kind of interested in her?"
"What's it to you?" said Ron, blushing, knowing he was more than just "kind of interested in her."
"You're going to screw this up, I just know it," said Ginny, turning around on the spot and running her hands through her hair in very similar fashion to her brother. "But I don't want to see that happen."
"Can you just leave me alone?" said Ron. "I'm not helpless."
"Oh, please, you've got to be kidding me," said Ginny. "You're the least experienced of all of us. I know some second and third years who've had more dating experience than you. Heck, even Hermione eventually had Victor Krum…"
"Yeah? So?" said Ron, now breathing more heavily, reaching for his wand inside his cloak. This was the wrong thing for Ginny to say. "It—it was just one night at that stupid ball."
"Oh, it was more than just one night," said Ginny. "Aren't they still pen pals? And they snogged too. I bet you didn't know that."
"So?" said Ron indignantly, who's eye winced at the thought. His whole face was becoming red with anger and embarrassment.
"So just.."
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" yelled Ron impatiently. He stormed up to his dorm room, wanting so bad to hit Ginny with a stunning spell.
"I'm not done with you yet!" said Ginny, following behind him like a nagging duck.
"Yes, you are!" he said, slamming the door behind him.
Ron slouched up to his room and hit the bed. He immediately began sobbing. He had never felt more topsy-turvy in his life. How could he have not known that Hermione had snogged Krum? Of course, she did. What did I expect? I knew she liked him from the start. How could I be so stupid? I'm just as stupid as Hermione thinks I am. What does he have that I don't? Good looks, of course, money and power, of course, Quidditch skills that are unmatched. Everything I can't be is everything she likes about him. I guarantee it. Why didn't I see it before?
A few more days passed, and Ron had become colder with Hermione, even volunteering to work with Seamus or Neville or even Lavender Brown on a few partner assignments in their classes rather than partner up with her.
To make matters worse, Hermione had indeed received another letter from Victor Krum, the first one since the summer holidays. Apparently, he had been poisoned by a fellow Bulgarian national competitor desiring to be the new seeker, and the poisoning was so bad that he nearly died and needed to be transferred to St. Mungo's in London for more thorough treatment.
"Oh my gosh," said Hermione when she read the letter to herself. She made her way to the common room and found Harry studying.
"Victor Krum has been poisoned," said Hermione to Harry somberly.
"WHAT?" said Harry, slamming his book shut and standing up. "When? How? Is he still alive?"
Hermione explained everything to him.
"You should go to see him in St. Mungo's!" said Harry.
"I know! I know! I want to, but I don't think I can in the middle of the school year—"
"Yes, you can—" said an eerily quiet voice that sounded familiar.
"Ron!" said Hermione, who briefly looked excited at his presence, but her smile was quickly wiped off when she saw his expression.
"Just write for special permission and Dumbledore will approve you and they'll have a portkey made for you to go on a Saturday or Sunday. That's how it usually works," said Ron in a forced calm. "You shouldn't keep Krum waiting. You should go this weekend, in fact."
"Er—you think so?" said Hermione, a little confused at his temperament.
"Oh yeah, sure," said Ron, still keeping his voice a little quiet. His heavy breathing, however, gave Hermione the impression that he was anything but alright. Ron had looked at Hermione's lips and noticed she had put on a new kind of lipstick, making him even more jealous of what Krum would do her once she got to St. Mungo's. He could've never guessed that Hermione had tried new lipstick on because Ginny had told her that Ron would probably like it.
"You should go as soon as you can," continued Ron. "And, while you're at it, if he proposes to you, you should say yes and snog him right there in his hospital bed where the whole staff at St. Mungo's can see."
Hermione looked bewildered and hurt, but she also blushed. Her breathing became heavy as well. "Er, Harry, um—don't you have somewhere you have—"
"Have to be? Yeah, I do," said Harry quickly, avoiding eye contact with Ron. He knew this would get ugly, but how ugly he didn't want to think about. It made him so sad seeing his two best friends act like this, but now was not the time to intervene. "Er, see you guys later," he said, and he vamoosed out of there.
"That comment was way out of line, Ron," said Hermione.
"Was it now?" said Ron. "But leading me on by inviting me to Slughorn's party and not telling me about this ongoing secret love affair you've had with Krum for the last two years is somehow not out of line?"
"Ron! No! What are you talking about?!" said Hermione indignantly, her face becoming red.
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" said Ron, raising his voice now. A few others in the common room looked at them. Hermione murmured the muffliato spell quickly to not draw much attention.
"I suppose I should be grateful for that," said Ron in a huff concerning the spell. "Using the Prince's spells when you condemn him all the time. Such a hypocrite."
Hermione stashed her wand away. "What are you talking about?!" she began yelling back at him, feeling tears threaten her eyes.
"You snogged Krum! I bet you loved it too, didn't you?! And you never told me, but you told Ginny?! And you still had the nerve to ask me to that bloody Slug Club party after all you've probably done with him! I can't believe you!"
"Ron that was years ago!" said Hermione. "And I really, really want you to come to the party with me! What's so bad about that?!"
"It's bad because you still have feelings for Krum!"
"No, I don't!" yelled Hermione.
"Then look me in the eyes right now and tell me you don't love him!" said Ron impatiently. Hermione looked into his eyes, but hesitated, sobbing slightly now. "I mean, I don't looove him, but I…"
"See?! I knew it!" There's always a but after statements like that! Whenever you kiss someone, it's never the same afterwards," said Ron, who looked to be on the verge of angry tears himself. "I see the way you smirk when you exchange letters with him. And I hate it, Hermione. I hate it!"
"Why—do you hate it so much?!" said Hermione, barely able to get it out from sobbing now. Her lack of rejection at his previous statements made Ron even more mad.
"BECAUSE—BECAUSE HE'S—ugh! Forget it! If I need to explain it to you then, just forget it. Just forget the whole thing. I thought you were supposed to be smart, Hermione."
Apparently, this ticked Hermione off pretty badly. "F-F-FINE!" she yelled back with a voice that truly made Ron fear that what he had said was wrong. Hermione gained some composure to yell at him. "DON'T GO WITH ME TO THE STUPID PARTY THEN! SEE IF I CARE?! I DON'T REALLY CARE! WHY WOULD I CARE?! IT'S JUST A DUMB PARTY! AND I'M JUST A DUMB GIRL, APPARENTLY! AND WHAT DO DUMB GIRLS DO?! THEY ASK THE ONES THEY CARE ABOUT TO GO TO THE DUMB PARTY WITH THEM! BUT THAT WAS A DUMB THING TO THINK! FINE! I'M GOING TO VISIT VICTOR KRUM AND YOU'RE NOT INVITED! IN FACT, DON'T BOTHER ASKING ME HOW IT WENT WHEN I RETURN BECAUSE MAYBE I WON'T WANT TO TELL YOU!"
Ron was thankful for the muffliato charm because the few other Gryffindors in the room were ignoring them somewhat, even though he was sure they could hear Hermione's shrill yelling coming through the charm. Seeing the red lipstick on her lips made Ron angry again, however.
"SO THIS IS IT THEN HUH? JUST GO OFF TO BLOODY BULGARIA THEN AND MARRY THE BLOODY MAN! SEE IF I CARE! DON'T BE SURPRISED IF HE LEAVES YOU TOO THOUGH BECAUSE YOU'RE SENDING HIM MIXED SIGNALS. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO! CLASSIC HERMIONE GRANGER! YOU ALWAYS LEAD ME ON AND SEND ME MIXED SIGNALS! FINE! I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN EITHER! DON'T BOTHER ASKING ME TO COME TO ANY MORE BLOODY PARTIES!"
"FINE! I WON'T!" said Hermione, who's expression was wild. Both individuals had broken out in a sweat from yelling and had begun to wear out their throats. "I'M GOING TO LEAVE TO GO TO DUMBLEDORE RIGHT NOW AND GET A PERMISSION SLIP FOR ST. MUNGO'S! HAPPY NOW?!"
"YEAH!"said Ron just to be argumentative. "DON'T KEEP KRUMMY-BOY WAITING!"
Hermione stormed off in total rage and left the common room to go out onto the castle grounds. Truthfully, she needed somewhere where she could cry a river, but she was almost too angry to even keep crying at the moment.
Ron felt like someone had performed acupuncture on his heart and stabbed it. His dreams of ever being with Hermione seemed totally shattered now. But at the moment, he didn't care. Thoughts of rage and betrayal flooded his mind as he pictured Hermione smiling as she snogged Krum in fourth year.
Arriving up to the bedroom, Harry noticed Ron's eyes were puffy, and did not greet him when he entered the sixth-year-boys' dorm room.
"Guess you're not going with Hermione to the party, huh?" said Harry, who Ron determined must've found something had happened between them.
"No, I'm never speaking to her again if I can help it, honestly," said Ron immaturely.
"Really?" said Harry, almost sarcastically.
"Yeah, it's for the best," said Ron. Harry could've sworn he saw fresh tears swimming in Ron's eyes.
"Yeah?" said Harry, not really in agreement. "Best for who?"
Ron didn't have a good answer. He wanted Hermione's love, but at the same time he wished he had never met her. It was a bad combination welling up in his heart.
In the girls' sixth year dorm, Hermione had been acting rather distant from Lavender and Parvati. She also had unexpectedly pulled out an old moving picture of her and Victor Krum at the Ball and set it on her bedside desk, tears in her eyes as she looked at the picture and also thought of Ron.
This was not going to be easy.
