Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, places, etc. etc. etc. Just the plotline.
(*A.N. Thanks to Monster Book of Monsters for coming up with ‘black, smelly goo!’*)
(*A.N. 2 This chapter is partially told in Hermione’s POV*)
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His stomach fluttering painfully, Ron gave the perfume bottle to Ginny so she could put it under her and Hermione’s tree in their room. He didn’t want to think about the perfume, or Hermione, or all the money he wasted on that stupid, black, smelly goo. He didn’t want to imagine how much Hermione would laugh at him for giving her such a stupid and meaningless present. Ron wanted just to crawl in a hole, and never show his face again. That’s how dumb he felt for spending more money than he ever had in his life on a girl. One thing kept him going. The fact that he loved that girl he spent so much money on. He lay on his bed, haunted by his thoughts until his tiredness carried him into an uneasy sleep.
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Hermione awoke the next morning sleepily, and it took her a few seconds to realize Ginny had poked her awake.
“What is it, Ginny, I was sleeping,” she muttered in an exhausted way.
“Oh, nothing, Fred and George just told me not to go downstairs. Percy sent back his jumper. No note, didn’t even ask how Dad was,” she sighed. “But, c’mon, it’s Christmas! Open your presents, go on, Hermione!”
Hermione, feeling less drowsy, got out of bed and tore open her presents. Her parents had sent her a Muggle book she had been dying to read, Pride and Prejudice. Harry had giving her a new book she also wanted, New Theory of Numerology. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave her the usual sweater and mince pies. Ginny laughed as Hermione opened some fudge and rock cakes from Hagrid; Hermione wasn’t all too sure if she would eat these. Tonks gave her some new hairclips that shined her name. Lupin and Sirius gave her a great Defense Against the Dark Arts book that had a lot of spells she could show Harry for the D.A. Ginny gave her a wand polishing kit. When she got to her last present, she caught of whiff of some ghastly, foul-smelling odor. She took of the ribbon and the perfume Ron got for her fell into her hand. She looked from the bottle, to Ginny, and back to the bottle, as if she expected it to be a joke. Hermione looked at the tag and saw it was from Ron. Anger welled up inside her. Did he always have to make fun of her? He couldn’t even get her a real present?
“Don’t you like it?” Ginny asked anxiously. “Ron went to a lot of trouble for that. I know, I was with him.”
The anger that had flared so fast in Hermione was extinguished. So Ron went to a lot of trouble for her? She looked warmly at the bottle of perfume; she noticed a small tag hanging, half-concealed, on one side.
“Hang on, what’s this?” Hermione asked Ginny, holding up the note.
“Dunno, Ron doesn’t seem the type to write a note along with a present,” Ginny shrugged. “But, c’mon, read it!”
Hermione opened the note and it read:
Dear Miss Hermione Granger,
Hello. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday. Your friend, Mr. Ronald Weasley came into my shop. He said you were special to him, and he wanted to get something special.
Now, I know this perfume smells like rotting eggs on the back of a hot car in summer, and looks like melted tar, but I assure you, it is special for two reasons.
Most of my perfumes are sweet, wonderful smelling. It is based on a description of the person. Mr. Weasley spent about thirty minutes giving me a description of you.
You may be wondering why this perfume smells and looks bad when all my others are good, if they are all based by description. Well, my perfume is also based on how much love the person has for the receiver of the perfume.
Most people only give me a small description and I give them a sweet, yet thin and almost meaningless perfume. In other words, they give me a teaspoon of love.
Mr. Weasley gave me an incredibly detailed description, so I had to give him a foul-smelling, strong scented perfume. Mr. Weasley gave me a cauldron full of love for you.
Mr. Weasley is something special. Keep him.
Wishing you the best,
Madam Miranda
Hermione looked at Ginny, thoroughly shocked. Ron…went to a lot of trouble….for her? Why had he wasted so much time on her?
“Ginny, did Harry get something like this? Not perfume, but something special?” Hermione asked.
“Not that I know of,” Ginny said.
Why had he gone to such lengths for me? Hermione wondered. Harry’s his best friend, but he didn’t get him anything special. Well, said a part of Hermione’s brain she tried to ignore, he might like you. He could have gotten you this to show his feelings. No, said the smartest part of Hermione, Ron’s too insensitive for that. Hmmm…still, this is a little unusual for him…I’ll ask him later…Without Harry around…
After writing a hasty note on a scrap of parchment, Hermione rushed downstairs to look for Ron; she met him and Harry on the way to the kitchens.
“Thanks for the book, Harry!” she said happily. “I’ve been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for ages! And that perfume is really unusual, Ron.” She waited on baited breath for an answer.
“No problem,” Ron said. Hermione scowled; he can’t even tell her a little more about this perfume? “Who’s that for, anyway?” he added.
“Kreacher,” Hermione said brightly.
As Hermione explained her plan about giving a quilt to Kreacher, she slipped the grubby piece of parchment in Ron’s hand when she was sure no one had seen her. Ron tried to look at her questioningly, but she had averted his gaze. He cautiously opened the piece of parchment.
` Ron,
Please meet me in the basement kitchen tonight around three. I don’t want to be overheard. I need to ask you a few questions about the perfume you gave me.
Love from,
Hermione
Ron gulped and followed Harry and Hermione on their way to give Kreacher his new quilt. He wondered if he would be laughed at, or would she just give it back to him. With his heart sinking out off his chest and landing somewhere near his feet, he listened and conversed half-heartedly with Harry and Hermione, dreading what would come later.
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(A/N: Yes, I said there would be 3 chapters, but I made it a little bit longer, so read, review, and I’ll have the next (and I think the last) chapter up soon!)