Everybody knew what happened between Ron and I during the next few days, considering the fact that any romance at Hogwarts was interesting. Everybody we knew was happy for us— everybody except for Hermione. She deliberately refused to talk to him. Whenever he would walk into a room that she was in, she would get up and walk out. Ron would be totally confused and rush after her to get her to tell him what was wrong, but he never got anywhere. I had my own thoughts about Hermione.
“Ron,” I said after we had been going out for a week. We were walking to Transfiguration, hand in hand.
“Yeah?”
I hesitated. What if he got really angry? He was best friends with Hermione. I took a chance anyway.
“Do you think Hermione’s jealous?”
“Yes.”
I was totally surprised.
“What? Why?”
“Well, I’ve always been jealous when she talks to guys and she’s always been jealous when I talk to girls. It’s always been that way.”
“Oh… are you still jealous when she talks to other guys?”
Ron stopped just before we went into the room. He looked at me in the eyes and kissed me.
“Of course not.”
I smiled.
We went inside and sat by Harry and Hermione. Hermione instantly moved on Harry’s other side. Ron sighed, and we sat down.
A few hours later we were eating dinner, but Hermione was nowhere to be found. Ginny came over by us and Harry eagerly scooted over to make room for her, but she went back to where she was sitting, accompanied by Colin. Harry scowled.
“They’re not going out, you know,” I told him.
“So you can still ask her,” Ron added.
“I don’t like her,” Harry shot.
Everybody else rolled their eyes.
“Right,” said Ron.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I swallowed and opened my mouth to argue. “It’s just so obvious— you’re completely into her.”
“No I’m not!”
“Yes you are, everybody can tell! Just go over there and ask her!”
“In front of Colin?”
“No, that would be really stupid. Do it later! I know she still likes you.”
Harry’s face lightened up. “She does?”
I nodded.
Just as I did that, Ginny came by us again. Harry immediately sat up and thrust out his chest. I almost burst out laughing.
“Do you guys have any more of that cake? Colin ate all of ours and nobody else got to taste it,” she said, eyeing the pieces left on the tray.
“Sure! Take it all!” Harry exclaimed, giving her the entire tray with an unnecessary grin on his face.
“Thanks…” she replied, looking curiously at Harry. Her eyes then opened wide, and she blushed until her ears turned a bright pink. “Bye,” she said quickly, and walked away.
Ron and I turned back to Harry, but he had already shrunk into his robes. The only visible part of him was his forehead, which had turned beet red.
“I think Ginny learned something today,” I teased him.
Harry replied in a muffled tone. “Shut up.”
I was changing into fancy robes a few days later— I was getting ready for the dance. They were dark purple, outlined with silver. My hair was curled and put up, with a few strands falling on my face. I looked great. Parvati had on almost the same thing as me, except for a dark magenta outfit. She was ready before me and was so excited that she left without me and went down to the Great Hall, where the dance was taking place.
I was putting my makeup on when Hermione walked in our dormitory. Her face was tearstained.
“Oh— sorry,” she said hastily, and made to leave. I grabbed her arm and forced her to sit down on her bed.
“What’s up?”
Hermione looked into my eyes and completely broke down.
“I— I— I can’t tell you!”
“Yes you can, Hermione, you can tell me anything!” I said, patting her back.
She shook her head.
“Come now, why don’t you get ready?” I got up and picked up her robes that were on the floor. I laid them on the bed and smoothed them out. “Dark blue looks so pretty on you.”
“I’m not going.”
I blinked. “Of course you’re coming, don’t be stupid.”
She shook her head again.
“Why not?!”
Hermione sighed. “Look, I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“Hermione, the only way you can feel better is to come and dance your ass off tonight.”
She almost glared at me.
“Fine, keep your ass on, I was just trying to help.”
There was a second of silence. Hermione then got up and took her robes to her bed.
“Are you coming?” I asked.
She smiled and nodded.
I grinned. “Good.”
Since I was all ready, with my hair up in its curls and my makeup perfect, I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked out to Ron.