Left Feet

I've never seen you

Looking so lovely

As you did tonight

I've never seen

You shine so bright

Red had always been a part of his life, in one way or another. If someone mentioned the Weasleys, the first thing that sprung to mind was red. He was immediately identifiable from a distance: a Weasley kid, his father's son, one of the gang. Snap. Red.

But tonight, red was taking on a whole new meaning. It ceased to drag along with it what Ron liked to call coattail recognition; it didn't represent a loss of individuality. It was elegance, it was loveliness, it was laughter and warmth, it was passion. It was desire within his grasp; it was untouchable. It was also crowded.

I've never seen so many men

Ask you if you wanted to dance

They're looking

For a little romance

Given half a chance

It was a radiance sprung from plainness, it was familiarity in a new form. It was mystery, and it was, quite suddenly, realisation.

And I've never seen

That dress you're wearing

Or the highlights in your hair

That catch your eyes

I have been blind

It was, of course, Hermione's new dress.

He couldn't take his eyes off her. The only other time he'd seen her all dressed up was at the Yule Ball - that time he hadn't acted on it; he'd been upset at her for going with Krum, and he'd been confused by what he'd felt. So, back in the common room, instead of telling her how wonderful she'd looked, like he had intended, he'd been silent. Then when she asked him why he was staring at her, he flipped and shouted at her. Maybe if she shouted back, he'd thought, maybe then she would stop looking so pretty and lovely and different from the girl who was his best friend, and then he would stop thinking about her in a way that made him very, very uncomfortable. But she didn't stop, so neither did he.

But now Ron Weasley was older. By a few months, yes, but older all the same. Now Ron Weasley had cool, he had guts, and a backbone, and courage, and a catless tongue, and three glasses of alcoholic punch snaking their wonderfully evil way through his digestive system. Now Ron Weasley was a man. A man on a mission.

By God, thought Ron Weasley the Man, I'll do it!

And he put his drink down on the table, stood up, took a step forward and tripped.

He felt his foot connect with something hard, he heard a crash, and an exclamation, but as he looked up, he found he couldn't pay attention; he found he didn't care if the ceiling came crashing down on his head. Hermione, his Hermione in that red dress, had pushed past her admiring throng, and was running towards him.

"Ron!"

She was kneeling beside him on the ground. He watched her feet. They were very white against the maroon carpet, and very dainty in silver slippers.

"Ron?" She sounded a little suspicious. "Ron, are you OK?"

He let his eyes travel slowly upward on the pretense of it being painful to move his neck. He smiled grimly at her, careful to adjust the grimness for maximum appeal to both her sympathy and feminine affection at his bravery.

"Yeah," he managed, "I tripped."

"On what?"

Ron looked around. There was nothing funny sticking out of the ground. Then he noticed his right foot was trapped under his left.

"My -left foot."

Plan Suave had just blown itself to hell. He grimaced. She mistook the reason, and leaned down close to him. Trying to feel for where it hurt. Trying to help him up.

"Which one?"

He looked at her, unsure of her mood. She was smiling at him. He grinned back - and, Ron was to tell their children later, they had Their First Moment.

Cheek to cheek

There's nobody here

Just you and me

It's where I wanna be

But I hardly know

This beauty by my side

I'll never forget

The way you look tonight

"Do you want to dance?" Ron burst out, as soon as they were upright again. Then he turned bright red. To his relief, however, Hermione didn't look horrified, and she didn't push him away. Best of all, she didn't giggle.

"Of course."

She smiled at him - shyly - and put her arm in his. Ron led her through a narrow path in the crowd, holding her hand in his. He felt like he was leading the queen to her coronation.

There wasn't really a dance floor - everyone was just spread out all over the Great Hall, talking, eating, dancing. Ron led her to the middle, and carefully placed his hand on her waist. He trembled. Then he took her hand in his other one, and -

I've never seen you looking

So gorgeous as you do tonight

I've never seen you shine

So bright you were amazing

I've never seen so many people

Want to be there by your side

And when you turned to me

And smiled it took my breath away

"Ron, honestly, we're never going to get any dancing done if you're going to stand so far away."

Her hand on his shoulder slipped a little as she stepped closer. Ron swallowed. He was a little taller than her, and she fit the curve of his arm perfectly as they danced. He looked down at her. She looked dreamy; her eyelids half-closed, her lips slightly apart, open just enough to let in a tiny breath of air - and expel it on his neck. He shivered.

And I have never had

Such a feeling

Such a feeling

Of complete and utter love

As I do tonight

"Ron?"

"Hmm?"

"You're...er..."

"Yes?"

"Cutting off the circulation to my hand."

"Oh. Oh, right. Sorry."

He jerked his hand away from hers as if it burned. She laughed and put both her arms around his neck. Then she closed the remaining distance between their bodies, and rested her head against his shoulder. He stiffened for a second, then warily placed his hand back on her waist. She made no protest. He let his eyes drift shut. His hands travelled up and stopped when they were comfortably positioned, low on her back. She murmured his name into the material of his shirt. He smiled.

The lady in red

Is dancing with me

Cheek to cheek

There's nobody here

There's nobody here

It's just you and me

It's where I want to be

Ron lifted her chin with his hand.

"Hermione?"

She didn't open her eyes.

"Hmmm?"

"Hermione..."

"Oh, Ron..."

"You're cutting off my air supply."

Her eyes flew open. His were laughing. She pinched his shoulder in indignation, and tried to pull away. He wouldn't let her. Then Ron tightened his arms around her, and she stopped struggling. She watched, wide-eyed, as he lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her. And kissed her.

His lady in red. His Hermione.

I'll never forget

The way you look tonight

I never will forget

The way you look tonight