Wallflower

Ron drew in a deep breath as he waited for Ana. Truth be told, no matter how relaxed he felt around Ana, he could not calm down his nerves right now. He really liked Ana, and wanted to impress her, but at the same time, something was holding him back. He felt...

Guilty.

"Ready," Ana said, coming out of the stairwell. Ron let go his deep breath, along with his worries. She looked fantastic. Her dress was a deep maroon, more medieval style than modern, but still with a flair on it. He took her arm.

"Ready to leave, then?" he asked. Ana nodded.

"Of course, my dear duke," she said. They laughed, and continued down the stair to the Great Hall.

The decorations were magnificent. Obviously, the theme was ice, as there were sculptures everywhere. Ron spotted one that looked like a troll. Ana squinted at it.

"Must be one of Goyle's cousins," she said. Ron chuckled. Suddenly, Harry approached him. He was at the dance with Parvati, yet again. Although Harry swore he didn't like her, they seemed to be a pair at every event.

"Hullo Ron. 'lo, Ana," he said, slightly quieter the second time. Ana grinned.

"Evening, Harry," she began, when there was a collective gasp throughout the entire Hall. The two couples turned to the entrance, where upon, all of their mouths dropped open.

Hermione looked absolutely stunning. She wore a long black dress, and her hair was actually done up. But it wasn't Hermione everyone was gasping at. It was at who she was with.

Draco Malfoy.

The bastard was grinning in that cocky way of his as he and Hermione descended the stairs to the crowd. By now, everyone had gone back to their conversations. Except for Ron and Harry.

"Did she tell you..." Harry began. Ron shook his head. He looked at Ana, and smiled, shaking of the shock.

"Shall we dance?"

Hermione was dancing with Draco, but her mind was somewhere else.

"Did he notice? Did he look?" she asked. Draco chuckled.

"Both Weasley and Potter looked like they had just been Petrified. Trust me, Granger, it's working. Now, shut up and look like you're enjoying yourself."

They danced for most of the evening, always near Ron and Ana. Hermione wore a permanent 'happy' face all night, doing her best to make Ron jealous. Then, about halfway through the ball, Draco pulled her aside.

"Now, your turn to fill in the deal. Potter and Weasley are both sitting over in the corner, and I'm sure they're looking at us. Are you ready?" he asked. Hermione looked at Ron. He was sitting, laughing it up with Ana, as usual. She looked back at Draco.

"Yes," she said firmly. He pulled her close, and Hermione nearly lost her breath. She'd never been kissed before, and the butterflies in her stomach almost took over. Draco put his hands over her face, and pulled it toward him. Hermione closed her eyes, trying not to think of who she was kissing, when their lips touched.

Hermione had never had a kiss before, but this seemed like a good one. It didn't seem as horrible as Draco had described it when first offering.

Then, they broke away, and kept eye contact.

"Look at me, don't look at them, damnit," Draco said, holding her gaze. She nodded, then, following his lead, they left.

Ana followed where Ron and Harry were staring, and nearly died from shock. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were locked in a kiss. She turned to look at Ron. His eyes were hard as steel, but she could see a slight quiver on his left eye. She sighed.

As per usual, Ana's conscience overrode her selfishness. Parvati and Lavender had told her all about him and Hermione, and up until now, she had thought the girls were just jealous. Now she knew. She bit her lip, gulped, and grabbed his arm.

"I need to talk to you, Ron," she said. He followed her into a dark corner of the Hall. She knelt on the ground, and Ron followed suit. Ana took a deep breath.

"Go get her," she said. Ron looked confused.

"What?"

"Go get her. We both know that she likes you, and now I see. You like her Ron. Everyone told me you fancied her before I came. I didn't really believe them, I just thought they were all jealous, but you really like her. I think you two make a great couple. Besides, no one wants to see Malfoy get Hermione," she said. Ron looked at her.

"But, Ana, we have so much fun" he began. She nodded.

"I know, but did you ever think, that maybe, we'd be better off as friends? Please Ron, I know what she's going through. Just go," she said. Ron sighed, and nodded slowly. He leaned in, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered, and left. Ana sighed. The Wallflower virus had struck again.