Chapter three: The Masked Ball
Ron was fighting to stay awake during History of Magic. Not that this was unusual, but today, it was because of sleep deprivation. He hadn't slept at all the night before.
Hermione had slipped away from him during dinner yesterday after wishing him a happy birthday, with the homework excuse once again. Reluctantly, he'd let her go. It's not like he had any excuse to get her to stay, anyway.
She'd come back around nine, and was followed by Harry two or three minutes later. Ron tried not to notice this, but he couldn't. The fact that her pale pink lipstick was smudged didn't inspire much confidence, either. I can’t believe it, he thought gloomily to himself, She really is having an affair with Harry…after that whole door thing it’s obvious.
But how could she? After all I’ve done for her; after all we’ve been through together, she’s just going to cheat on me like I never existed? Like out relationship meant nothing to her? He thought angrily, And I thought her to love me back...she never felt anything more than a crush, or maybe even less than that, for all I know. The nerve she has…cuddling him and acting like he was dying…right in front of me. There she was…cheating on me, and toying with my feelings. She was leading me on! I just…I can’t believe it. And I was going to propose!
Oh, but I am. I’m going to make one last try, and I’m going to propose to her.
I’m going to regret it, though. I know she’s not going to say yes…it’s obvious. But there’s just some stupid part of me that wants her to say no. Like she’ll even feel guilty about it. Yeah right…I can just see her laughing about it with her new boyfriend…the famous Harry Potter.
Why would she want to marry me, anyway? I’m poor, nowhere near as smart as she is, and we fight too much. How could I have ever thought she’d marry me happily, willingly?
He thought of nothing but this during History of Magic and during lunch, ignoring Hermione's concerned looks and curious questions. He could tell she wasn’t feigning worry over him; you could see it in her eyes that she truly did care. And yet…however much of a blessing that might have been before, today it was no more than a curse.
"Ron? Are you okay?" She asked for the tenth time, stroking his cheek softly, "You seem so pale....and sleepy, actually. Did you stay up all night doing late homework again?" He stiffened at her touch. He wanted to just shout everything at her face, make her feel horrible. But he couldn’t. At least someone in this had to behave honorably.
Ron shrugged, pushing his food around the plate with his fork like a little boy who hadn’t gotten his way. He sighed and looked at Hermione. There really wasn’t any avoiding this, wasn’t there? He wouldn’t make her feel bad just yet, but he could just ask directly.
"I-I need to ask you something." He said, his voice trembling, "It's really important."
Hermione nodded, frowning slightly, "Go ahead."
"Would you ever...has Harry ever…has he done something to you?" It sounded more as an accusation than anything else, and as the words came out of his mouth, they sounded very stupid. What kind of a question was that?, he thought angrily, Harry hasn’t done anything to her!
But I can’t just ask if she’s having an affair with Harry. What a lovely conversation would that be! Oh, and I’d be right on my way to wooing her. Big time, He thought sarcastically, immediately bringing on another miserable thought: Not that I need to anymore, there’s no way she’ll marry me…
Hermione's eyes widened, "What? Of course not Ron.” She shook her head slightly, not taking his eyes off him, “Do you really think him capable of harming me? We’re…friends. You know that.” She added, trying to keep her voice steady and free of nervousness. She knew this to be over, really. If Ron was asking questions, it was because he already had an idea of what was really going on. But still, she lied. It made her feel disgusted with herself, really. What kind of a low person was she that she couldn’t even speak the truth about what she no longer felt? She was merely running away from things, only to have them catch up with her later on.
Ron shrugged, admiring vaguely her ability to lie to people. She actually looked at them in the eye, and acted all innocent. To someone who had asked the question out of mere curiosity, her response would have been enough and they would have been completely fooled. Her voice was firm and she hardly blinked at all when she spoke. Ron suddenly wished he didn’t know about her and Harry…perhaps that way, he would suffer less, "Just....just asking. I have a right to care for you, don’t I? He’s”well, both of you, really---have been acting strange and I…well, I just wanted to make sure.” He offered coolly as a way of explanation.
Hermione frowned at him. She had lost her apparent tranquility for a few moments, gaping at him with her mouth half open, apparently shocked and thinking of a good response. When she realized what she’d been doing, she cleared her throat and asked softly, "Ron..." she began, “Is something…?”
"Listen, I'm off to Care of Magical Creatures. You have Arithmancy now, right?" Ron interrupted rudely. His mood hadn’t improved much, and he was on the verge of blabbering all he was thinking. Something about the way she’d looked at him when he’d offered her his ‘explanation’ for asking…it was as if she knew what the real question was. That made him more upset and angry. She knew the truth, but preferred to deceive him with lies?
"Yes." Hermione said in a small voice, nodding. She pecked his cheek softly and gave him a small wave. She could see the anger shining in his eyes. And yet, there was also disappointment; sadness. Hermione couldn’t bear to look at him while he had such an expression on his face. It made her feel incredibly guilty and cruel. How could she have lied to him?
"Right, well, see you later." Ron said, and strode out of the Great Hall, fists clenched and ears red. He took off in the direction of the Entrance Hall, but Hermione had a strong feeling he wasn’t going to attend care of Magical creatures. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes and willing her tears away, I knew this would happen. Only a few days have gone by and already this is falling apart, she thought nervously, Harry had better think up something...
Are you sure Harry’s the one that has to make a decision here? A small voice said in the back of her head.
Do you realize you just made things worse? Ron already knows what’s going on, and instead of just breaking up with him when you had the chance, you preferred to lie. Your parents would be ashamed.
Blinking, she processed this bit of information. My parents…oh God, what are they going to say when they find out? They’ll disown me, I swear they will. But it’s stupid; Harry’s not going to die at the hands of Voldemort. He can’t…after all the hope he’s given the Wizarding community, the hope that one day, he’ll vanquish the Dark Lord…he can’t just die. There’s so many people counting on him, he can’t give up.
And I’m going to be there by his side. I’ll help him and I won’t let him give up. His destiny is to defeat Voldemort. He has to succeed.
My parents will just have to respect my choice. I’m of age now. I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions without their help.
I just hope I’ve made the right one…
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Draco Malfoy strutted the Great Hall in a towering mood. He was still dumbfounded that he had actually let Harry Potter intimidate him the day before in Defense Against the Dark Arts. And the worst part was, everyone in Slytherin house knew about it by now. Pansy Parkinson had lost her temper with him while the seventh years worked on their homework together and, in her anger, decided it was a brilliant idea to let the whole Common Room find out about his little encounter with Dumbledore’s favorite little Gryffindor student. He’d hexed her as soon as the words left her mouth, but that hadn’t changed much. Everyone still saw him as a coward and a prat.
As soon as he saw the Slytherin table, he decided he wasn’t hungry at all. There was Pansy, Nott, Millicent, and all of the sixth years. They were huddled together, talking quietly and occasionally glancing up at the Staff Table to check that the teachers weren’t looking at them. He signaled Crabbe and Goyle to follow him as he turned and made his way back to the Entrance Hall. Hearing them both sigh audibly, Draco was on the verge of insulting and hexing them viciously when he saw Ron Weasley heading for the large doors of the Castle.
A large smile spread out in his face as he remembered what he knew about dear old Potty and the Mudblood Granger. He could just picture the oaf’s face when he informed him. It was stupid; he could just go and blackmail Potter, but something told him it was best to stay away from him now. It would do him no well to end up on the wrong side of Potter’s wand in front of witnesses”again. His father would have his head. He had already gotten a Howler for the Defense Against the dark Arts incident. Supposedly, he had diminished his family’s respect at Hogwarts and had failed to control his temper. His father once again reminded him that he should try to be more cunning and tactful about things, as the Dark Lord did not welcome those who had a tendency to let things slip.
So Malfoy set off towards Ron, who had dropped his bag near the door and was now sitting with his head resting on the wall behind him. He looked strained. Good, Malfoy thought, Let’s see if I can intimidate the stupid brute.
“Oy! Weasley!” Draco yelled about ten feet away from Ron, still walking towards him. Ron’s eyes opened and darted to find the person who’d called him. At the sight of Malfoy, he discreetly grasped for his wand in his robe pocket. Malfoy saw it, and whipped out his own wand as well. “Accio wand.” He muttered, and Ron’s wand came zooming towards him. “Let’s try and play nice, shall we, Weasley?” He said, smirking.
“I’m not the one that’s looking for a fight, Malfoy.” Ron spat, glaring at him. This was just what he needed: More people to come torment him, “Go away, will you? I’ve got better things to do.”
Malfoy raised an eyebrow, “Weasley, do you think I enjoy being in your company?” He asked sarcastically, snorting, “I merely wanted to let you know something…” He said slowly.
“What?” Ron snapped, turning his head violently to look at Malfoy, who finally reached him and was now standing about two feet away from him.
“You know…it’s a real shame you spent all that money on a ring for Granger…” Malfoy whispered maliciously, bending over a little to meet Ron’s eyes, “The little twit won’t even accept it.”
The emotions playing on Ron’s face were very noticeable. At first, he looked back at Malfoy with a profoundly surprised expression on his face, even frowning a little. Then, his eyes seemed to drop and he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes on his wand, which was in Draco’s hand. And last, his frown became a scowl. He looked up at Malfoy again, glaring at him viciously. With a surprisingly quick movement, he summoned his wand and was up on his feet.
“What’s that supposed to mean, you git?” He spat, lowering his wand and looking at Malfoy suspiciously.
“She’s having an affair with Potter, idiot.” Malfoy snapped, narrowing his eyes, “Don’t tell me you didn’t know…”
Ron ‘s wand shot up to meet Draco’s, who had sensed danger and pointed it at him. Malfoy smirked, while Ron’s wand issued red sparks in his anger, “Get out of here, Malfoy, or”“
“Or what, Weasley? Potter may be a good dueler, but you’re no match for me.” Draco hissed, his eyes gleaming nastily.
“You sure about that?” Ron snarled, his anger intensifying at the mere mention of Harry. Just as he was about to jinx Malfoy, however, he caught sight of Hermione coming out of the Great Hall. She looks so beautiful, He thought, completely forgetting about Malfoy and the duel they were apparently going to start. He longed to hold her, to know she was his. She isn’t, he reminded himself. She doesn’t love me. She’s in love with Harry.
Malfoy took advantage of Ron’s distraction and pointed to his wand, “Relashio!” Ron’s wand shot out of his hand with such strength that as it zoomed out of his hand and hit the wall behind him, a few drops of blood shot up from Ron's hand. Ron yelled, opening his hand to look at it. There was a thin cut that extended throughout the palm of his hand, and was now oozing blood. Draco stepped back, pointing his wand again to Ron and yelled, “Wingardium Leviosa!” Ron was levitated up to the ceiling at high speed and slammed into it forcefully.
At this point, there was a wide circle around Malfoy and him, and frantic footsteps were being heard. One of those people turned out to be Hermione, who had heard them yelling. She pushed through the crowd into the front, looking up worriedly at Ron. As Malfoy lifted the levitation charm and left Ron to fall to the ground, she stepped forward and yelled fiercely, “Immobulus!” The spell froze Ron in mid air, and a few droplets of blood were frozen as well.
Draco turned around, surprised, and she took a step towards him and slapped him hard on the face.
“You disgusting prat! Whatever problems Ron has, it is none of your concerns.” She spat, her lips thin and her eyes looking at him with anything but pity.
Malfoy snorted, “D’you think I’m going to let you intimidate me? You’re nothing but a disgusting Mudblood, Granger.” He hissed, rubbing his cheek, which had Hermione’s fingers marked in a bright pink shade.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, keeping her voice dangerously steady, “I’d advise you not to insult me, Malfoy. You might just find that I can intimidate you better than Harry could ever do.” She warned him, twirling her wand between her fingers.
Malfoy stared at her fiercely for a few seconds, and took a few steps backwards. Then, he seemed to resign himself to losing, and he shoved through the crowd to head in the opposite direction. Hermione sighed and turned to the crowd, raising her eyebrows. Slowly, everyone went back to what they had been doing, throwing Hermione dark looks and muttering.
Hermione lowered Ron slowly and lifted the Freezing Charm she had casted before. Ron regained movement, panting and falling to his knees. “Ron…Jesus, what did that git do to you?” She muttered, checking his head, which was also bleeding slightly. Ron grimaced and shook his head, summoning his wand in a shaky voice and healing the cut on his hand. Hermione pointed his wand to the cut on his head and muttered, “Subsisto Minuo” The bleeding stopped abruptly, and Ron looked up at her, exhausted and in pain, but grateful all the same.
“Thank You.” He said, smiling, “You saved my life, you know? And Malfoy absolutely cowered at that last threat you made…”
“You’re welcome. I…I don’t like to see people getting hurt.” Hermione said, helping him up, "Especially my friends."
Ron frowned at that 'friends' comment, wondering if it could possibly be a hint. Then, with a painful twinge of his head, he brushed his worries away. Right now, he wanted to enjoy her company, even in the current circumstances.
Hermione helped him up and grabbed his hand, "You should go to Madam Pomfrey...just in case." She said in a low, kind voice. Ron nodded, and as they set off into the Grand Staircase, a shrill voice behind them yelled, "Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger! Get down here this instant!" Turning, they saw it was Professor McGonagall, looking very grim and furious.
They hastened towards her, Hermione in front, looking as if she would faint at any moment, "Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, I cannot even describe how ashamed I am of you." McGonagall began in a hollow tone, waving a finger at them, "How dare you create such a scandal in the Entrance Hall! In front of so many people, too--"
"Professor, Malfoy started it!" Ron protested in a hoarse voice, "I was on my way to Care of Magical Creatures, and the--well, he comes up to me and starts an argument! I never meant to start a duel, Professor, I swear!"
Hermione nodded, "It's true, pProfessor, look at the state of him! He had a very nasty cut on his hand, and Malfoy levitated him to the cealing and he got hit on the head. I healed both cuts, but he is still looking dreadful..." She managed to say it all in a calm voice, hardly blinking and never taking her eyes off the elderly witch.
Professor McGonagall shook her head, "However true that may be--and I know it is, many have told me the same--you were still breaking the rules for dueling, Weasley. And you, Miss Granger, by interfering." At Hermione's indignant look, she added, "Yes, you were merely helping, and even if you did end the duel, you were still involved."
"Therefore, I am assigning you all detentions. And yes, that includes Mr. Malfoy." She said, "You are to report to my classroom Sunday afternoon and I shall instruct you on what to do there. I am also deducting 20 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin."
"But Professor--!"
"That is my final word, Weasley. I shall be expecting you both Sunday afternoon. I would also adise you to head to the Hospital Wing, Wealey. Madam Pomfrey should have a look at you." She added curtly, nodding once and heading off in the direction of the Dungeons, no doubt to go looking for Malfoy.
"C'mon." Hermione muttered with a small smile, and they walked up the Grand Staircase, Hermione watching him closely as he walked and helping him occasionally.
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Harry woke up with his head spinning the next day. Today was the Masked Ball, and he had everything planned out. He'd ordered an authentic sapphire ring by Owl Delivery on the night when he and Hermione had first spoken in the Library. It seemed a little overeager to order her engagement ring after their relationship had only begun to blossom, but something made him feel sure that she would say yes. It hadn't come cheap, either, but he didn't mind. He'd empty his Gringott's vault just for Hermione. He would whisk her off near ten o'clock, or maybe earlier, they'd talk for a while, maybe kiss a bit, and then, near midnight, he'd propose. It was all very much like a romantic Muggle movie.
He got dressed quickly and hurried downstairs. He leaned on the Common Room window, smiling as he looked around the grounds and the Forbidden Forest. It was so hard to believe he was really going to propose to Hermione…almost impossible. But really, he couldn’t keep all this bottled up any longer. He was aching to hold her tightly, and to tell her just how much he loved her, and both of those were things he would never be able to do in peace if her love rested with Ron. He wanted to be sure of their love; to feel the love she felt for him…if she truly did feel anything, of course.
She does, Harry thought after a small pause, brushing his other thought away, if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have kissed me, or even agreed to meet. She’s an honorable and faithful person, of that I’m sure. As he smiled at this beautiful thought, the portrait of the Fat lady swung open, revealing Hermione. She looked windswept and tired, yet nevertheless happy to see him.
"Harry, we seriously need to talk." She said briskly. She sounded rushed and her cheeks were very pink, as if she’d been running around the castle, "Here, I brought you some toast." She added distractedly, handing him a small stack of toast wrapped in some napkins.
Harry took the toast in his hand and nodded, "Err, thanks...what's wrong?" Harry asked curiously, brushing a strand of hair from her face softly. She seemed to relax considerably at his touch, lowering her voice and sighing.
"We can't talk here. Someone might listen in." She explained, cupping his hand in hers and giving him an apologetic look. He leaned and kissed her lips softly, hoping to see her face as it lit up in a loving smile. He set down the stack of toast and put his hand on her waist, pulling her slowly towards him, but she pulled away from his grasp, shaking her head, “Harry, I’m serious. We need to talk now.” She said, looking strained.
"Oh.” Harry replied in a low voice. He scratched his head, disappointed that he hadn’t made her happier, “Shall we go for a walk outside, then?" Harry asked with a frown. She probably wanted to talk about Ron, he assumed, as that was the only subject that might cause them problems if someone heard and made her become so upset and nervous.
"Yes, yes, perfect." Hermione said, nodding and leading him brusquely towards the door, pulling his hand to move him faster.
They walked in complete silence until they were outside on the Castle Grounds. They walked along the dry-looking lawn, moving in the direction of the lake. There was a nice willow tree there, tall and big, which offered a nice shade. When they reached it, they sat down by the lake’s waters and Hermione dipped her feet inside, staring at the horizon. Harry followed her gaze, completely entrance as well. The wind blew in their faces and the sun was as fierce as ever, but the view of Hogwarts Lake was as captivating as ever.
"So? What is it that you needed to talk about?” Harry asked calmly.
"Ron." Hermione said, leaning back and laying in the grass. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t worked it out by now. Maybe he was just…slow in the morning. However slow he may be, though, she didn’t feel quite up to explaining. The words seemed to be jammed up in her throat, and she didn’t know how to explain.
"Oh," Harry said simply, raising his eyebrows lightly and nodding, as if she’d simply commented on an interesting sentence in a book she was reading.
"What do you mean by 'oh'?" Hermione demanded, rising slowly and crossing her arms at her chest. Both were obvious signs of the young lady getting ready for a discussion, but Harry paid no attention. She was being very unreasonable and acting quite feisty.
"Well, I had supposed you wanted to talk about Ron, so…when I said ‘oh’ it meant that it wasn’t a big surprise for me.” Harry said, grinning and shrugging. What was the big deal? Why was she so ticked off over nothing?
"Harry! What are we going to do?" Hermione said, throwing her arms up in the air, “Don’t play dumb, please, Harry. We can’t just sit around and wait for everything to come crashing down on us!” She was very annoyed now. How could she get it into his thick skull that they were in a very deep mess that needed getting out of?
"What do you mean?"
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation and grabbed Harry’s hands. This did no good at all, as Harry was now distracted by her soft touch and didn’t really care about Ron. When Hermione spoke, it was on a forced, would-be-calm voice, "Harry, he knows about us. I swear he does. We had the most unusual conversation yesterday; I just can't ignore it. And then I saw him in an argument with Malfoy…"
Harry frowned, blinking, “Malfoy? He must’ve told Ron about us. No wonder…” Hermione nodded feebly, gazing absentmindedly at Harry’s hands, as If she were deep in thought. Harry bit his lip, "In that case, I'd say the question's more along the lines of, what are you going to do?" Harry said quietly after thinking the situation through. It caused him a great deal of concentration, though. Her hands were so soft…
"You don’t expect me to choose, do you?” Hermione asked indignantly. A small part of her knew she had to. This had only gone on for a few days, yes, but she was still doing considerable damage to all three of them.
"You have to. Eventually one of us, if not all of us, will get sick of this whole situation." Harry said, trying to choose his words carefully. Hermione was already riled up for an argument, and one bad choice of words could foil everything “And…well, it’s not healthy, anyway. This meeting secretly thing. It causes too much stress, Hermione.” Harry muttered, "If he's suspicious...he'll find out somehow. It's better if you just choose." He scratched his head, not daring to meet her eyes.
"I...I can't." Hermione said, looking at the grass and letting go of Harry. She was near tears now. She truly loved Harry more than she loved Ron, but she didn’t have the heart to tell Ron the truth. He’d be devastated, and she would be ashamed to no end. Cheating on him was such a lousy and disgraceful thing to do…she wouldn’t live with herself if he were to find out.
"You have to." Harry said to her. He sensed her anguish, but it really was the only way to go. He would probably curse himself for betraying his best friend, but his love for Hermione surpassed anything else in the world. She truly meant everything to him, "And I just want you to know,"--He gulped, hoping he wouldn't lose her again--"that I respect whatever choice you make."
Hermione shook her head and gazed into his eyes, "Harry, don't lie to me." She gave a hollow laugh, “Just as I can’t live without you, you can’t without me. Otherwise, this whole affair wouldn’t have ever happened. And you know it.”
Harry ran a hand through his hair. She really was very smart. He wondered if it was that obvious, or if she’d mastered Legilimency so quickly, "Are we still on for the dance?" He mumbled, trying to change the subject.
"I suppose.” She said, staring at the blades of grass as if she were speaking to them instead of him. It was really a terrible situation to be in. She had so much to worry about. Her dignity, her parents, her love…it was too much. She felt like she could explode any moment now.
“I have to go talk to Ron as well. He asked me to help him with his Potion’s essay.” She took a step closer to him and gave him a long hug. They both relaxed momentarily, forgetting all of their troubles and problems. Everything jut seemed to fix itself when they were together. Harry caught her lips and kissed her softly, wondering why they couldn’t be like this…so happy and peaceful, everyday. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he knew she longed for the same.
Abruptly, though, she tore herself away from him and shook her head, “I’m sorry…this just seems wrong….” She whispered shakily, “I feel guilty, doing this while Ron still thinks I love him. It’s not right…I’m sorry…I have to go, Harry.” Her voice sounded as if she was near tears, and so Harry didn’t object. He let go of her slowly and nodded. She gave him a small wave and turned towards the castle. Harry nodded again, unable to speak, and watched her walk away towards the castle.
She feels guilty? Could that possible mean she has feelings for him?, Harry thought, No…maybe she just cares for him. She’s known him for seven years now; it’s perfectly understandable that she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings.
Harry walked towards the lake and sat by the water. But would she rather marry Ron than me? I wonder...if they married, would they be happier and better off than if we married? I mean, they’ll have trouble with money, sure, but maybe they’ll be more harmonious together. Maybe they’ll manage and live happier than if we married.
Would Ron be a better husband to her, though?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione couldn't help grinning as she brushed her hair for the dance. Despite all the things she had to worry about, she felt rather giddy. She applied the same hair potion she used in her fourth year, and it looked exactly like it did for the Yule Ball, if not better. She had white satin robes and was wearing some small golden earrings with a matching necklace. She traced her mouth with a pale pink lipstick, as always, and applied a thin coat of mascara. Taking one last look in the mirror, she smiled. Tonight was bound to be an interesting night indeed.
"Wow...Hermione...." Said a voice behind her as she searched for her wand in her trunk, whose contains were thrown in a heap all over her bed. There was no real need for a wand, but it was always useful to have it handy.
Hermione turned and smiled. He looked quite nice, really. Despite the frayed ends of his robes, they made him look…handsome. She grinned at the thought, "How did you get up here?” She asked Ron curiously, eyeing him concernedly, as if expecting to find a rope behind his back.
Ron was also feeling rather hopeful, despite what malfy had said and all that had happened. He was feeling quite excited about the Ball. Perhaps he would have good luck today after all, “I levitated myself.” He said proudly, toying with his wand, “We should get going, you know.” He added, touching her hair, which was especially soft due to the potion she’d applied. It was almost as if he were touching silk…
“Of course, we don’t want to be too late.” Hermione said, getting up.
"God forbid you be late to anything, eh?" He said, smiling. She grinned and took his hand delicately, while he caressed her cheek. For a moment, she buried her face in his hand, wondering why she couldn’t love him like she loved Harry. It would have been so much easier, she thought, to be in love with Ron. He clearly loves me back, and I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. But she pushed that selfish thought away, reassuring herself that true love was definitely worth all the trouble; every obstacle and every argument was merely another step towards never-ending love.
Five minutes later or so after Ron and Hermione left, Harry came out of the boy's dormitories. He was smiling widely, and carried a bouquet of roses in his hand. He looked very handsome in dark green cotton robes and his hair combed a bit more than usual. He was bound to catch at least one girl’s attention, and he very well knew who that girl might be.
But Ginny Weasley also noticed. When the redheaded young lady caught sight of him descending the boy’s staircase, she had had to take a deep breath to resist the urge to call his name. She was wearing lavender robes with golden borders on her sleeves and neckline. Her mother had worked especially hard to get the money to buy her those particular robes. She knew Ginny wanted to impress Harry, and so did her best to make sure her daughter looked beautiful. She was the youngest, and the only girl in the family besides her, after all. She deserved a little treat once in a while.
"Harry!" Ginny called, unable to shut herself up long enough to think of something interesting to say.
Harry waved and strode towards her. He had an odd spring in his step and he looked very happy. As she saw his face up close, Ginny wondered why he was so cheerful. "Hey, Ginny." Harry said, grinning.
“Quite happy, now, are we?” Ginny said, feeling stupid. But really, she couldn’t think of anything besides the roses in his hand. Who the heck are those for?
”Let’s just say tonight is bound to be promising.” Harry said, not catching her apparent nervousness or curiosity.
Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll just ask. "Who're the roses for?" Ginny asked offhandedly, as if it she had just noticed them in his hand and didn’t really care about his answer.
"My date." Harry said in a would-be-casual voice. It wasn’t convenient for her to know exactly who, obviously. I should probably leave now, he thought, she’s bound to ask.
Bingo. Sort of, Ginny thought, He’s clearly not going with me, so why should I care? “Oh…” Ginny whispered, unable to keep the disappointment off her voice. She knew they weren’t for her, but realizing hat he had a date made her feel insignificant, “Err…Harry? Who…who is it?” She blurted out.
"I”I…that’s a surprise.” He said lamely, hoping she’d believe that. But judging by the look she was giving him, she too knew that was merely a cover to hide the truth. Harry sighed, “I can’t say, Ginny, I’m sorry." He said in a low voice, giving her an apologetic look and shrugging.
”Well, can I ask you something else? Something you know to be true and can’t deny?” Ginny begged softly, grabbing his free hand tightly. She was taken aback by her own braveness and as she realized what she’d done, a chill ran through her spine. She had a sudden impulse to grin, but held it back. She would look immensely stupid if she suddenly started grinning manically.
Harry sighed. It would be impossible to get to the Great Hall if he said no, so he nodded as a signal for her to continue. The corners of her mouth were twitching slightly, as if she were fighting an impulse to smile. What in the world was so funny? He asked himself, frowning. As she noticed the look on his face, she gave him a small nod as well and whispered, “Are you and Hermione…um…you know…” Her voice trailed off, and she gave him a hopeful look, as if to ask him whether he’d caught the message.
He had. Harry opened his mouth once or twice, but just couldn’t get the words out. He was finally going to admit it to someone, someone he knew to be trustworthy, at least. But still, there was something that didn’t seem right. Would Hermione want Ginny to know? Would she feel comfortable knowing that someone was aware of their secret?
Sorry, Hermione, “Yes.” Harry said, nodding slowly and observing her closely to note her reaction. Hers might be similar to those of everyone else when they figured it out. Of course, he immediately found that ridiculous. She fancied him. Her reaction would be entirely too different to that of everyone else.
It still came as a bit of a shock to him when he saw it, though. He could have sworn he saw a single tear escape from little Ginny’s eyelashes, but she sneezed just as he went to take a closer look, and when she looked at him again, her eyes were clear of any tears whatsoever.
“I won’t tell, don’t worry.” She said in a harder voice than he would have expected.
He smiled full out despite of her tone, “Thanks, Ginny. Really, it means a lot.” He held her hands and squeezed them gently.
She nodded, hesitating for a second, then standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek softly, “No problem.”
She whispered, blushing furiously, “Have fun, Harry.”
Harry stood quite baffled, gaping at her for a few moments. When he finally returned to his senses, she was looking at him with a brilliant smile on her face from across the room through the portrait hole, accompanied by Dean Thomas.
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The Great Hall was decorated majestically. There were chandeliers floating above tables for two, and all the silverware and plates were golden. The four House Banners hung from the ceiling, which was, as always, reflecting the weather outside. The sky was a beautiful pale blue, clear of any clouds, and it was filled with stars.
Harry spent most of the dance sitting in his table, talking with the people who sat down from time to time, and politely declining a few offers to dance. Mainly, though, he gazed at Hermione as she danced with Ron. She seems happy, he thought, I wonder if she feels that way when she's with me?
He was losing hopes that she'd leave Ron to spend some time with him, too. He spent hours waiting for her, and she didn't come. Near nine thirty, he noticed Ron had taken her for a walk outside, and she came back very flushed and Ron looked sullen and depressed, but nothing more than that.
Near eleven thirty, when he'd already lost any hopes of her coming, she sat down beside him. "Hey." She said, grinning. Her cheeks were very pink and she looked rather worn-out.
"Having fun?" Harry asked coldly. He wasn’t going to act like he hadn’t noticed anything. He loved her, but that was no reason for him to hide it when he was upset, or in this case, mad about something.
"Yes, actually." Hermione said, ignoring the hardness in his voice. If he was angry, he had two things to worry about. Being angry and forgetting about being angry, "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier; Ron just wouldn't let go of me!" She added that last bit to irritate him further.
"Oh, that must've been terrible." Harry said sarcastically, ignoring the soft touch of her hand on his. It was rather hard, though. He had a sudden urge to kiss it.
"In a way," She said, lifting her mask a bit with her free hand, "If it had been you it would have been even better." She said, lifting his mask and giving him a quick kiss.
Harry stared at her. What the…? One second, she’s working on annoying me more, and the other, she’s kissing me like nothing’s happened? He thought, puzzled, "Hermione…are you feeling alright? You haven’t eaten anything odd, have you?" He asked stupidly, more to distract himself than anything else.
"No, I only had one of those vampire candies Honeydukes shipped over here with the rest of the food." Hermione said sardonically, with a light smile on her face.
"Oh, you should’ve tried the Cockroach Clusters. They taste much better." He said, grinning, "You want to go for a walk outside?" He added, on a low voice. Hermione nodded, “Sure.”
“Wait. Where did you leave Ron?” Harry asked distractedly as he got up. He glanced around, craning his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes, “Relax, Harry. He was dancing with Luna Lovegood when I left.” She snorted, “The girl kept staring at him as he danced with me, and he got tired of it, so he asked her to dance.” Harry laughed and motioned for her to come with him towards the door.
They walked outside around the grounds, which had been decorated for the event. Rosebushes had grown out of nowhere and there was a very large fountain placed on the middle of a courtyard. They headed for one of the benches behind the bushes, which was covered in flower petals. Harry's hand trembled in his robe's pocket. This is it. It's now or never....
He asked her to sit down politely, and sat down beside her. He took a deep breath and turned to her. Her eyes shone in the moonlight and the wind was blowing her hair slightly, making her an entrancing sight. Harry smiled and said, "Hermione, I've already told you how special you are to me....I'd like to explain to you just how much, but I can't. There are no words to describe it. I can't live without you...you're what makes me love my life despite of all the bad things that have happened. That's why...I want to ask you something very important."
He paused, to look at her reaction. She was fumbling with her hands, gazing at him with a smile on her face. She was blushing slightly as well and she looked a bit nervous.
He dropped to his knees and took her hand into his. Oh, God, she probably thinks I’m really stupid for being so corny, Harry thought nervously.
"Hermione, will you marry me?"
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. Hermione's head began spinning in a matter of seconds, and her heart started beating frantically. Abruptly, though, her smile faltered. Ron, she thought. She was suddenly filled with an immense guilt, remembering his question, and asking herself if she had done the right thing.
Would I be happier with Harry?, she asked herself, Would I be better off with him than with Ron?
Yes. I don't really love Ron as much as Harry, and if I married him rather than Harry, I would never stop wondering....I would never stop asking myself, why I didn't say yes to Harry.
She blinked, and rather reluctantly, forgot all about Ron, smiling her most beautiful smile, "Yes! Of course, Harry!" She said, and leaned forward to kiss him. To feel him close, and know, that she wouldn't have to wonder more if their love was true.
Suddenly, a cold, miserable voice spoke from behind the bushes, "Is this why you said no?"
Ron Weasley emerged from behind the bushes, his eyes full of pain and rage.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. =) It may seem a bit rough in some parts, as I wasn't feeling my best when writing it, but I hope it's not terribly bad...
Thank you all so much for your reviews! Reading them made me smile and gave me a sudden urge to hurry up and finish this extremely long chapter. You guys don't know how much your kind words mean to me; thank you all so much!
Please, read and review! I like to know what my readers think and a good review gives me the enthusiasm to keep going. Also, I answer your reviews, so feel free to ask me questions or whatever, and I will answer.
Happy Holidays! =)