The next day, Harry pulled Ron to one side before breakfast.
"What's so important it can't wait 'til I've eaten?" Ron moaned, his stomach rumbling.
"You have your eye on someone for the dance, right?"
"Err, kinda."
"Well get the heck on and ask her."
"Harry, you don't understand! It's not that simple!" He whined.
"Yeah it is."
"Nooo… it's not someone you'd expect." Harry rolled his eyes.
"I know who it is." Ron's eyebrows flew up,
"What!? How?"
"Please, Ron, it's amazingly obvious. Dawn knows too. I can't believe Hermione hasn't realised." Ron was flushing bright pink.
"You don't think it's dumb?"
"No! I just didn't realise that you liked her that way. But if you do, I think it's great!" Ron smiled nervously,
"So… you think I should ask her?"
"Well, the amount of times you've hinted, I don't think she's gonna get it until you're straight with her. So yeah, ask her. Dawn and me will leave you alone after breakfast, ok?"
"You mean I have to ask her then?" Ron swallowed.
"Yes! I can't take you mumbling and blushing every time she speaks anymore!" Harry laughed.
"I do not." Ron grumbled, heading for the great hall.
At breakfast, Harry caught Dawns eye, and nodded towards the door. She nodded back. Towards the end, Dawn exclaimed,
"Oh, sh…oot! I forgot my books in the common room! Harry, would you come with me?" Harry nodded,
"Sure thing, see you guys down at Hagrid's?" he gave Ron a sharp kick under the table. Ron gasped, but said nothing.
Once they were alone, Ron took a deep breath, and dove right in.
"Hermione." He said.
"Uh-huh?" she replied, her nose still in the book she was reading. Ron sighed, and snatched it away. "Hey, what was that for, I was listening to you!"
"I just wanted your full attention for something."
Hermione frowned, noticing Ron's odd mood.
"What's up?"
"I just…I… Harry said I should… no. I… oh god… Hermione, would you go to the dance with me?" For a moment, Hermione didn't say anything, or change her expression at all. Then she slapped him.
"I can't believe you think I'm such a loser that I would go to the dance with you when you're only asking me 'cos Harry said you should!!"
"No, Hermione…"
She stormed out, and Ron had to grab his bag and run full speed to catch up. He skidded round in front of her in the entrance hall. "Hermione, listen!" she raised her hand in warning, "Please!" Ron exclaimed. She still didn't say anything, but she lowered her hand, and didn't run off. "Ok, what I was trying to say was that Harry didn't tell me to ask you. I wanted to ask you before, but I didn't know how, I tried loads of times… Harry and Dawn both figured it out, and Harry said I should get the heck on and ask you cos he couldn't take me whimping out one more time." Hermione looked about to cry,
"You… that was you trying to ask me?"
Ron nodded sheepishly. Hermione laughed shortly, "Oh, I guess I'm kinda slow then… but, you wanted to ask me to the dance?"
"Yep."
"So all this time you've been saying you had someone in mind… it was me?"
"Yep." Ron was vaguely maroon by this stage, not helped by the slap she'd delivered.
"So… you're serious?"
"Yes. Will you go to the Halloween ball with me?"
Hermione grinned,
"Ok. Yeah, that'd be great."
"Really!?" Ron grinned,
"Yeah. I'd love to… sorry about…" she indicated his cheek.
"S'ok." He said, still grinning inanely.
"So, er, Care of Magical creatures."
"Yeah. That way." Ron said dazedly, and turned round.
Harry and Dawn were sitting on the steps outside, chatting.
"I thought you left your books behind!" Hermione exclaimed. Dawn gave her a withering look. "Oh." Hermione murmured. The others laughed,
"You really are pretty slow Hermione!" Dawn giggled.
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A scream pierced the night.
"NO!" someone yelled… the same person who screamed. "I wont!"
"You will." Replied a sickly calm voice. The scene was not clear, and the onlooker could barely make out the face of the girl being flung across the small room. She was awfully pale, the pearly white of her skin punctuated by streaks of blood running from her lips and various cuts. "You will do as I have said, as the Dark Lord has commanded… You shall be granted access to great power… sit at his right hand… ravage the land…" the image was breaking up more, snippets of cold malicious voices all that reached her. Another wrenching scream, and Buffy sat bolt up right in bed, cold sweat dampening her skin. Her eyes were wide, and knowing that the dream was telling her of something happening either right now or in the near future, the only thought in her mind was, I have to get to her!
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That Saturday night was Halloween. The girls retreated to their room hours early, and Harry and Ron were left wondering what on Earth could possibly take that long. Thankfully, due to popular demand, they had been given permission to wear muggle clothes if they wanted, rather than the traditional dress-robes. In the dorm, the girls were getting rather giggly.
"Ooh, I wonder what he'll wear?" Dawn squealed.
"Who?" Pavarti exclaimed. She and the other fifth year girls were getting very annoyed that they had not yet figured out who was taking Dawn. Even Ron had kept his mouth shut, so Dawn was expecting plenty of dropped jaws, maybe even some fainting… who knows?
"You'll see." Dawn smiled. She reached into her trunk and removed the dress her sister had sent the moment she'd heard about the ball. Everyone gasped,
"Oh my god." Lavendar cried, "Who ever it is… he's gonna drop dead when he sees you in that!" Dawn grinned, laying the pink dress on the bed.
"It was my sister's prom dress."
"Wow." Pavarti sighed, "I'd love to have a proper prom like that. We have nothing that cool over here!"
"That's a point." Lavendar said, "You'll miss your senior prom, being here an' all." Dawn sighed. She had considered that. But here, there was Draco, so that was good. She shrugged,
"I'll survive." And grinned again.
NB: oooh, suspense!! ( I hope ) please review