Chapter 11: Asking Out The Girl
Ron scheduled two more Quidditch practices that week, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday; he seemed quite determined to win the first match against Slytherin.
“Malfoy’s been looking down on me since I arrived at this school,” Ron said as he, Harry, and Ginny headed down to the Quidditch pitch Wednesday evening. “We need to win this game, or it’ll give him more to hold over my head.”
“Stop worrying about Malfoy, Ron, he’s not worth it,” Ginny sighed with exasperation.
“So are you saying it’s alright if we lose this game?”
“Of course not! Not when half the players have parents who break out of Azkaban and run around with You-Know-Who in their spare time...”
“That’s what I thought.”
They entered the changing room, where Katie and Euan were waiting.
“Where are Kirke and Sloper?” Ron asked.
“They said they’d be a bit late; they’re with Professor Flitwick, doing extra Charms work “ apparently they keep Banishing him out his classroom door...”
“Well maybe they should brighten up a bit so they can dedicate their time to more important things...”
“Like Quidditch?” Katie asked her eyebrows raised.
“Of course, Quidditch,” Ron replied as if Katie’s question was absurd. What else, after all, could be more important?
Katie walked over to Harry and dropped her voice to a whisper.
“I’m starting to think Wood put a curse on the Captain’s badge,” she said grinning.
“I think you’re right,” Harry laughed.
Ron worked them hard for three hours, until it was time for dinner. Harry was starting to think that maybe Ron was too good a captain. He must have made him chase the Snitch at least 50 times, and his arms were aching (“Stretch your arm Harry, every second counts! Imagine Malfoy’s right behind you!”) The team walked back up to the castle, exhausted.
“Well that was a good practice,” Ron said as they reached the Entrance Hall, sounding as though he was commenting on a lovely walk through the park. “Same time tomorrow everyone.”
Upon entering the Great Hall Ron, Harry, and Ginny sat down with Dean, Seamus, Parvati, Lavender, and Neville.
“How was Quidditch practice?” Hermione asked.
“Excellent,” Ron replied.
“Exhausting,” said Ginny and Harry together.
“I don’t know what you’re complaining about Harry, you seem to enjoy it,” Ron said casually; Harry saw him fight a grin back.
“Yeah, Ron “ but I don’t think that has anything to do with the Quidditch,” Ginny teased.
“What do you mean?” Hermione asked.
Ginny and Ron looked at each other, grinning.
“Nothing,” Ron said. “I just think Harry has other motivation, these days.”
“I don’t know what either of you are talking about,” Harry said, checking to make sure Katie was well out of earshot.
“Katie’s a very good Chaser, isn’t she?” Ginny commented, as though changing the subject.
“I’d have to agree,” said Ron. “I think Harry would too, the way he watches her every move at practice.”
“I do not!” Harry protested.
The rest of the group had caught on to Ginny and Ron’s game.
“Harry,” Seamus leaned over. “Do you fancy Katie?”
“Katie?” Parvati giggled. “Katie Bell?”
“Harry must have a thing for Quidditch players,” Lavender joined in. “First Cho, now Katie “ Dean you better watch out or he’ll be after Ginny next.”
“Stop it...” said Harry.
“Before we jump to conclusions, I think we should give Harry a chance to answer...” Hermione said, always playing the voice of reason. She looked to him, earnestly, “Harry, do you like Katie?”
“This is stupid. I don’t fancy Katie...”
Harry felt his cheeks burning, he stood up.
“I’m leaving, I have a Potions essay to do.”
And with that he turned a left for the Gryffindor common room.
Harry was sitting in an armchair across from the fireplace when all the Gryffindors were arriving back from dinner. He saw Katie enter with a few of her seventh-year friends, and he quickly looked back down to his Potions essay. Hermione and Ginny passed him, saying good night as they walked up to their dormitory. Ron came over and sat next to him.
“I’m sorry about dinner, mate “ I didn’t want to upset you.”
“How would you like it if I made a laugh of you fancying Hermione, in front of everyone?”
“I’d be mad. Look, I’m sorry...”
“It’s alright. It’s just “ I don’t know. I think I do fancy Katie.”
“Well I know that.”
Harry was stunned.
“C’mon mate. The last time I saw you look at someone like that was with Cho “ before everything that happened with you two, of course.”
Harry let out a deep breath.
“Look speaking of girls... The Hogsmeade trip Friday... I was thinking I might stay out of your way. You know “ leave you and Hermione alone.”
Ron looked as though Harry had just threatened to leave him alone in the Forbidden Forest with Aragog and his family.
“No. You can’t “ I can’t. Hermione and me alone?”
“It’s not as if the two of you have never been alone before, you’ve even gone to Hogsmeade without me..”
“But that was before, this is now.”
Harry grinned.
“Ron, you’re going to have to face this head on eventually. I know I’m not an expert on girls, but I don’t think they’re very patient “ they don’t like to be ‘strung along’. Look, I’ll make a deal with you: you ask Hermione to Hogsmeade with you, and if she says yes “ I’ll stay out of your way.”
Ron looked appalled.
“How is that a deal?”
“Just trust me...”
“But “ ”
“Trust me.”
Ron heaved a deep sigh.
“Alright. I’ll do it, I’ll ask her.”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning!?”
“Tomorrow’s Thursday “ Hogsmeade is Friday. It’s not like you have all the time in the world...”
“Well there’ll be other Hogsmeade visits.”
“Ron...”
“Okay...I’ll do it tomorrow morning.”
“Good, then it’s set. Well I have to finish this essay... so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Alright, mate. Good night.”
Ron turned and went upstairs. Harry looked over to the corner where Katie and her friends were still talking and laughing. A thought entered his mind...
No, thought Harry. It’s crazy “ I can’t.
What are you so afraid of? A voice in the back of his mind said. It’s not like you’ve never done it before. Go on, do it.
Harry took a deep breath, stood up and walked over to the corner of the room where Katie was sitting with her friends.
“Katie, can I talk to you for a minute?”
She looked up at him, smiling.
“Sure,” she stood up, and followed Harry away from her group of friends. “What’s up?”
“Er... I was just wondering “ There’s a Hogsmeade visit Friday, and I was thinking that maybe, if you didn’t have plans of course, you’d like to come with me... to Hogsmeade that is.
Katie grinned at him.
“Like, just the two of us “ together, on a date?”
Smiling, Harry thought, smiling is a good sign.
“Yeah...”
“You’re not pulling my leg are you, Harry?”
“No of course not.”
“Sure. I’d love to.”
“So then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at Quidditch practice. We can make plans afterwards about when to meet...”
“Alright,” Katie said, grinning more broadly now.
“Okay then, good night.”
“Good night.
She turned and walked back to her friends. Harry went over to the armchair where he had left his essay, picked it up and went upstairs, still amazed at what had just happened. He opened the door to his bedroom and looked in. Ron was already asleep.
I’ll tell him in the morning, Harry thought.
He changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed, and before he knew it he was dreaming of flying through Hogsmeade on his Firebolt, Katie flying next to him, while Malfoy and Voldemort ran behind them, being chased by Hagrid and his little brother, Grawp.
The next morning, Harry awoke in good spirits. He looked up to see Ron pacing the length of the room, muttering under his breath.
“Hey, Hermione “ want to go to Hogsmeade with me? No, no... Hermione, I was just wondering if you and I could go to Hogsmeade together, just the two of us? That won’t do either...” he stopped and stood up very straight. “Hermione, I was wondering if I could have the pleasure of your company tomorrow ... argh! What’s wrong with me?”
He looked up and saw Harry watching him; his ears turned pink.
“Just ask her, Ron,” Harry said as he stood up and pulled on his robes. They went down to breakfast together. They found Hermione reviewing her Arithmancy essay. She was alone. Harry nudged Ron.
“Go ahead, I’ll wait over here.”
Ron looked slightly green, but he nodded and walked over to Hermione and sat next to her.
“Hi, Hermione.”
She looked up from her essay.
“Good morning, Ron.”
“Um... I was thinking about the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow... and I just thought that, you know if you want, maybe we could go together. I mean I know we would be going together anyway, probably... but just us. Together. Like...”
“A date...?”
“Umm...yeah. Like a date.”
Ron looked as though he were about to start throwing up slugs any second now.
“Oh, Ron “ Of course! I’ve been hoping you’d ask!”
Ron looked amazed at his luck.
“Really?”
“Really,” Hermione blushed.
“Well then... that settles it. We’ll be going to Hogwarts... I mean Hogsmeade. Just you and me. On a date. Okay then,” he turned to Harry, and signaled that it was alright to come over. Harry walked to the table and sat down next to the two of them.
“Harry,” Hermione said, wearing a huge smile. “Ron just asked me to Hogsmeade tomorrow, you don’t mind do you? If it’s just me and him?”
She of course knew that Harry would not mind, since they had already discussed it earlier that week.
“That’s fine. It’s actually perfect, as I’m going with Katie anyway.”
Their jaws dropped in surprise.
“You’re going with Katie...?”
“Yeah. I asked her last night “ after both of you had gone to bed. I hadn’t planned on it “ I just saw her sitting there and I decided to ask her. And she said yes.”
“That’s fantastic, mate.”
Ron gave him a pat on the back, he seemed proud.
Ron and Hermione spent the rest of breakfast acting in a manner quite similar to Ginny and Dean, while Harry talked to Seamus and Neville. When Katie came down to breakfast, she smiled and said good morning more shyly than usual. Harry felt the funny feeling in his stomach that he used to experience when Cho said hello to him; and he couldn’t help but look forward to later that evening when he would see Katie at Quidditch practice “ even if Ron made him chase the Snitch until his Firebolt wouldn’t fly anymore.