An Odd Match

An Odd Match
Chapter One

"Ron, I need your advice." Hermione blurted out breaking the silence in the Gryffidor common room.

"Oh gosh, yes I think you should go to the library, so why don't you just go?" Ron replied jokingly.

"No, no, this is serious. Please, I need to talk to you." She sounded very worried, so Ron followed her out into the corridor.

"What's wrong?" he asked soothingly.

"Well, I think, I don't know exactly how to say this...." She started to become antsy and her eyes kept shifting back and forth.

"Just spit it out, I can help you."

"Well, I'm in love with Harry!" she yelled. Ron almost laughed thinking it was a joke, but then saw the seriousness in her eyes. His jaw dropped and just stared in disbelief.

"How long?" He immediately asked.

"I don't know, but you mustn't tell anyone!" She yelped. Her voice crackled a bit, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"But you've got to tell Harry you know."

"I know, that's why I need your advice. What exactly should I say?" she asked.

"Well, you sure as hell better not blurt it out to him as you did to me!" He joked.

"RON! I'm serious, what am I going to do? I honestly think I love him, but I don't want to be hurt. I doubt he feels the same for me, since he and Cho have been spending a lot more time together than ever before, but I must tell him somehow!" Hermione stopped abruptly as some Gryffidor first years walked by and giggled at the two of them. Ron blushed, but Hermione was too pre-occupied to think of anything else but Harry.

"Well, maybe you should just come right out and say 'hey, you, know, I like you' and see what happens." Ron said innocently.

"Oh come one, you can't actually expect me to do that!" Hermione asked with a piercing stare.

"I don't know then." Ron answered timidly. Hermione, flustered and frustrated, walked away without saying anything. Ron thought about telling Harry so he might be prepared, but then thought it would be too much fun to see it when Harry finds out.

At breakfast in the dinning hall, Hermione barely spoke to Ron, but desperately tried flirting with Harry. It was absolutely pathetic the way she was throwing herself at him, and what made matters even worse was that he hadn't the slightest clue of what was going on. All Ron could do was sit back and laugh. She isn't half bad looking, but a little too bossy. It would be nice to see her naked since she has been filling out nicely, but I guess Harry will get all the fun, as usual, Ron thought to himself. Look at her; she's going about it all wrong. But then again, I know I wouldn't be as dense as Harry. How can he be so blind?

"So, Harry, how have you been?" Hermione asked. She batted her eyelashes.

"Just fine I guess, and yourself?" he replied politely.

"Oh I've been great, thanks for asking. You're so sweet Harry! You're always so thoughtful." Harry smiled blankly at her as he stuffed his face a little more. Hermione was smiling, but then turned to Ron who was silently laughing. She made a frustrated look and turned back toward Harry.

"So, Harry, I hear that there is supposed to be a big party down at Diagon Alley, a new broom shop is having a grand opening sale on Saturday. Would you like to go with me?" She sat up and slowly moved her body closer to his by raising up above the other side of the table.

"Oh, sorry, but I already have plans. Actually, Cho and I are going to go to that together. You should come along with us, it would be great fun!" He said sheepishly. He grinned, but then stopped as he saw the look of misery spread across Hermione's face. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, of course. But I just remembered, I can't go on Saturday with you and Cho, I completely forgot while I was asking you!" she said, trying to appear happy.

"Oh really? What are you doing?"

"I'm, er, uh, I... I just ... I have plans with Ron already." Hermione exclaimed, looking at Ron and grinning. "Right Ron? We're actually going to, uh, got to that party together, but then leave early. Right Ron?" she kept raising her eyebrows for him to play along.

"Oh, yeah of course." Ron replied, smirking a bit at how bad of a liar Hermione was.

"Why won't you be staying the whole time?" Harry asked, interested now.

"Well, I'm going to help Ron get ready for his O.W.L.s, especially the one on Potions." Then her voice got lower, "Just between you and me, he is really trailing in that class."

"Oh, sounds like a good idea. I hope you two have loads of fun, but I have to go now." Harry gave a nod and then left the table.

"HERMIONE! You should really warn me before you set us up on a date, I almost spit my food out at ya!" Ron screamed playfully.

"Please don't tell Harry you didn't know! Just, just pretend it's real. And besides, it's not a REAL date, because I'm taking you and your not taking me." She stated very matter of factly. "I'll see you later then, remember, the thing on Saturday starts around6, so be sure to pick me up, okay?" She smiled.

"Alright." Ron replied with a humongous smile on his face. "Later baby! What, no kiss?" Instead of a kiss, he got a playful smack on the face as she walked away. What a girl.... He repeated to himself.

On Saturday, Ron went to Hermione's room door as promised. He put on a pair of slacks and a nice shirt underneath his best robe, which wasn't exactly the greatest sigh in the world. As he knocked on the door, he didn't expect much. She came to the door in a towel, and instructed him to come right in. Taken back by her loss of clothes, he grinned and stepped inside.

"Ron, hand me that bag on the table, will ya?" She yelled from the bathroom. As instructed, Ron gave her the bag filled with all sorts of make up and girly things, and Ron didn't dare ask what they all were.

"So, what exactly is this thing we're going to anyways?" He asked as he fiddled with things on her dresser. Little non-moving Muggle pictures of he supposed her parents, and little toy horses and such were a fascination to him.

"Oh yes, that. I saw a flyer the other day, probably about a week ago saying that Diagon Alley was getting a new brook shop! I thought Harry would love that since he is the star quidditch player for out house, but he has other plans." She sounded a bit disappointed.

"Hey, don't sound to down, you do got me you know." He laughed. She opened the door a crack, and gave a cute little smile then went back into the bathroom. The other girls were gone, since the party had already started. It was 7:30, but Hermione said she wanted to make an entrance, and all Ron thought was that they were going to miss it.

Ron, tired of talking to through the door, moved a little closer to the opening, and smiled hugely at what he saw. Hermione was in a pair of jeans and a bra, putting lotion on her shoulders and neck. Ron suddenly felt very aroused, but put the notion out of his head.

"Like what you see?" Hermione yelled, startling the gazing Ron.

"Sorry, I was, uh, just, well... sorry." He stammered. But Hermione didn't mind. She thought of him as a brother, and besides, he couldn't see much you couldn't see in a bathing suite anyway. Right?

She slipped a t-shirt over her head, and again Ron felt a sensation run through his body, and began to feel himself, as you may say, 'popping up to say hello.' He quickly turned around and tried to think of other thoughts. The feeling went away, but he still had that little reminder, but Hermione stepped out of the bathroom. He put his robe in front of him, but it still couldn't hide it.

"Well, I guess your happy to see me." She said jokingly. Ron flushed a bright red as Hermione went and grabbed her purse and put on her robe. As they reached the door, they walked out arm and arm, ready for the party.