Chapter 48 :

It had already been more than a week since The Dispute, and Ron still hadn't been able to apologize. His talk with Malfoy -may he rest in peace- had helped but not that much. He felt so silly too. Of course Hermione was a girl ! He wasn't blind ! And yet... She had always been a « bro with boobs » for him. It never came to him that he could be friend with a girl since girls had cooties.

But now that he knew he couldn't forget it. A bro being pretty and smart and cute and funny was still okay -was it really though?-, but now that Hermione was a girl everything settled into place like an cruel puzzle : he was crushing on her. Badly.

It's just that, he wasn't ready. At all. Going from the « girls have cooties » phase to the « I have a girl I like » phase was like jumping from being a babe straight into adulthood. It was way too violent and his brain couldn't process it. If only he could sit down and calmly discuss it with Hermione's Hair. It wouldn't have been able to answer but at least It was a good listener. Too bad It was on Hermione's head...

Still, Ron knew he had wronged her. More than anything he wanted to apologize, even if he was terrified. He hadn't be able to until now, but it was high time he made a move. He hadn't wanted to involve Harry in this mess, but it seemed he didn't have a choice anymore : if he made her wait any longer, Hermione would never forgive him. And then, forget about liking her as a girl, he would even lose her as a bro.


Days later, Draco was found with eyes dead and void, staring into the fireplace of the Slytherin's Common Room with an uncanny emptiness. The things he had seen. The things he had gone through. He had looked into the Abyss and the Abyss looked back. He had begged for mercy and the Abyss had- ! In the end he was glad to still be alive. So much evil intent, so many teeth... No wonder Perks had never been seen again : a smile had no right to be so terrifying, no matter how angry it was !

He would never be the same. Red and gold cursing him to the root of his hair... And the worst was that he knew Nott had been lenient with him in honor of their old friendship !

One thing was sure : he would never disrespect Harry Potter ever again. The Devil was too strong.


Harry had grown tired of being split between his two best friends. It was high time they reconciled so he could have peaceful Christmas holidays. The problem was that they were both irredeemably stubborn. He sighed in aggravation : it seemed he would have to intervene. Let's start with the reasonable -more like logical- one.

The young Potter wandered near the study desks in the Common Room to find Hermione. He saw her in the middle of a huge stack of colourful binders and files and sat by her side.

"Hey, 'Mionee !" He greeted.

"Ah ! Harry !" Flinched the girl, startled out of her organisation binging.

She had a strange panicky reaction when she realized it was him, going as far as hiding her papers under a gigantic encyclopaedia on how to lead a secret society. Harry raised a brow but didn't comment, thinking it was surely a girl thing.

"What will you do for your ball gown ?" He asked instead. "We don't have much time left before the Yule Ball."

"My parents will send me one and I'll adjust it with magic." She answered with a bright smile. "What will you do ? I know you hate dressing smartly."

"I sent money to Mrs Weasley so she could buy formal suits for Ron and I."

"Ron... ?" Scowled Hermione with a disapproving look.

Her face was a true wonder of Nature : a part longing, a part anger and three parts awkward. Harry felt his eye twitch. He was trying really hard to resist the urge to deadpan. His best friends were ridiculous. Still, he refrained his instincts and went for the clincher :

"Yeah..." He sighed sadly. "He's been a sorry sight ever since your dispute..."

"He was in the wrong !" Retorted Hermione, a little miffed.

"I know." Conceded the young Potter. "I'm not arguing about that. But he's really down lately, so I hope being pretty will help him feel better..."

His best friend gnawed her teeth, her Hair making knots in worry. She hesitated before asking softly :

"Is it that bad... ?"

Harry put on his most sorrowful face to answer. He knew it was The Moment.

"He refused a third serving at lunch and I had to finish his dessert..." He then said, his voice sounding heartbreaking.

When Hermione gasped and winced, he knew his job was done : at least one of them was now open for a conversation.

Now, to trick them into facing each other...


AN: Theo's revenge seems tame right now? That's because Draco doesn't yet know how much he's screwed! (aka the idea for the revenge came from all of you -and you somehow all aimed for the hair...?- so I took it slow and made it extra nasty MWAHAHA!)