Melody wasted no time warming up to the boys of Hogwarts. Daily, boys asked her to join them for moonlight stoles and dips in the lake. Melody always refused, informing them that she was still new and knew very few of them. Soon, they asked her less frequently, and Melody began to feel at home. She was later informed that Harry and Ron had told the boys to back off.
Harry and Ron soon became older-brother figures for Melody. When they walked with her, they glared at boys that stared at her and warned them to leave her alone. Everywhere she went, she was ensured comfort as long as Hermione, Ron or Harry were there. The trio soon became a quartet, and Melody couldn’t have been happier.
Many nights, the four snuck down to the prefect bathroom to relax and chat. Soon it became a weekly occurrence. One particular night, Harry and Hermione couldn’t go, leaving Ron and Melody alone together. They secretly slid through the hallways and into the bathroom.
Once inside, they both changed into their bathing suits, of course in separate stalls, and reappeared ready to swim. Melody’s toned body was a bit too much for Ron, and he struggled to keep from looking at her.
After filling the bath, Melody jumped in and beckoned for Ron to follow. He eventually did, and they slowly slinked through the water in silence. When both had surfaced, they were leaning on opposite sides of the bath. They caught each other’s eye and within seconds Melody was swimming to the other side.
When she reached him, he grabbed her waist under the water and pulled her closer to him. Ron’s hand on her waist was nervously looking for the right place to lie. Melody giggled and put her arms around his neck.
The kiss was perfect. Ron lost all self-consciousness and wrapped his arms around Melody. Melody tousled his dripping hair and they remained there for many moments. When Melody pulled out of the kiss, Ron’s expression once again took on the red tone.
“Erm … Melody, would you … I mean, do you want to be my girlfriend?” Ron asked as she lay in his arms.
Melody faced him and kissed him gently on the cheek.
“I think that answers that,” she said before they both got out of the pool and changed back into their robes.
They held hands as they snuck back up to the common room. After rounding a particularly sharp corner, Melody was swung around, and Ron snatched her up in his arms and kissed her forehead. Melody giggled and they ran off to the Gryffindor tower.
Before passing through the portrait hole, Ron passionately kissed Melody and held her close.
“I’ll tell Harry and 'Mione,” Ron said sweetly as he looked down at her.
Melody smiled up at him and kissed his cheek before they stepped through the portrait hole.
*****
The next morning, Melody hurried down the dormitory stairs to find Ron waiting by the fire for her. His face brightened at the sight of her and she quickened her pace.
Melody had never felt such strong feelings for anyone in such a short time. Ron was everything she ever wanted or needed. She smiled to herself as she fell into his open arms.
“Did you tell them?”
“I told Harry, but Hermione had already gone to bed when we got back,” Ron said as he scanned the room for her.
She soon appeared from the dormitory stairs and stopped abruptly when she saw Ron and Melody sharing a quick kiss. When Ron saw her, he pulled Melody to his side and gestured for Hermione to come over.
Slowly, but surely, she did, and Ron explained what was going on. She smiled, but Melody sensed something was wrong. She brushed it off and once again took Ron’s hand as they walked to breakfast.
Melody and Ron shocked the entire school when they entered the Great Hall holding hands. Most of all, they shocked Malfoy. He rose from where he sat and snarled at Crabbe and Goyle to come along. The three rounded their table and approached Melody.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Weasley can’t be paying you, so you must be doing this out of pity,” Malfoy snarled as Ron reached for his wand.
Just then, Harry had entered the Great Hall. He saw Malfoy and knew there was trouble afoot. Hurrying to where Malfoy stood, Harry saw Ron point his wand at Malfoy’s chest.
“Ron, no!” Harry yelled.
Ron lowered his wand and Melody told him to sit down again.
“Is there a problem here, Malfoy?” Harry asked Malfoy.
“Only you,” Draco said as he turned on his heels and returned to his table.
Harry took a seat next to Hermione across from Ron.
“Ron, you know better than that. We can’t mess around anymore!” Harry said urgently.
“I know, mate, but you didn’t hear what he said,” Ron said, looking at his plate.
“No matter how bad it was, it’s not worth getting his father more mad at you.”
Melody knew what they were talking about. Her cousin Tonks filled her in weekly about the Order. Melody found this the best time to fill the boys and Hermione in on this little secret.
“Yeah Ron, you don’t want a visit from Moody and Lupin,” she said as she tried to make him look at her.
The three sat stunned at her knowledge of the members of the Order.
“You know about the Order?” Hermione asked quietly, having just dropped her fork.
Melody nodded, “My cousin, Tonks, tells me all about it.”
“Fantastic! We can talk about it around you, then,” Ron said forgetting about the almost-fight.
Hermione muttered something under her breath, but Melody didn’t even want to know.
“My parents worked for the Order in France. My father led search parties,” Melody said ignoring Hermione’s comment.
“Really, Dumbledore told me about some people who were working in other countries,” Harry said as he took a bite of bacon.
Ron placed his arm around Melody’s waist and she leaned on him. Hermione looked up from her food and threw her fork down. She was about to say something, but instead she stood and ran out of the hall.
Harry, Ron and Melody looked at each other until Ron rose to go after her.
“I think this has something to do with me. I better go,” he said as he turned to leave.
“See you in Transfigurations,” Melody said.
He nodded and then hurried out of the room to find Hermione. Harry began to eat and avoided looking at Melody.
“You know what is going on, don’t you?” Melody said when she finally caught his attention.
Harry half-nodded and began to gather his school bags.
“Harry, tell me.”
“Hermione wouldn’t like it if I told you. Ron will,” he said as he got up and left.
Melody sat for a few moments before Seamus came up and sat very close to her.
“So, when this whole thing with Ron is over, you just know I’ll be waiting,” he said as he winked repeatedly.
“OK, Seamus, I’ll try to remember that,” Melody said before quickly gathering her things and departing from the Great Hall.
*****
Melody sat anxiously before Transfigurations. Ron would come back any moment and he would explain the Hermione situation. She nearly died saving his seat next to her, but eventually he came and sat in it.
“Is everything OK?” she asked as he pulled out his book.
“No. Hermione is a little jealous … of you,” he said, a little shocked with the entire concept.
Melody frowned, “She likes you?”
“That is what I understood.”
“Oh no. My first friend here already hates me over a boy.”
Ron kissed her forehead, and McGonagall began class. Melody paid no attention to the lesson. She was too disheartened by Hermione's reaction to Ron's and her relationship. If only she had known.
After class, Ron took her hand and they went to lunch.
*****
Ron and Melody spent every evening together for a month and then one night, Ron and Melody went for a walk along the lake. They talked while the moonlight flattered Melody’s features. When they reached a large willow, they sat below it and cuddled.
They sat in peace for over an hour when they heard a noise on the other side of the tree. Melody and Ron both rose, but Ron put himself in front of Melody. She shook with fear and Ron slowly pulled his wand from his pocket.
“Who goes there?” he asked fearfully.
They sat for a moment and a figure rounded the tree trunk.