Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

I can see what's happening,

Hermione shook her head sadly as she watched Ron sitting on a bench by the lake alone. She was waiting for Harry--they had a walk planned--but Ron looked rather depressed. She hoped he didn't have a crush on her--that could make things awkward.

Harry came over and tapped her on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She turned and gave him a smile. "Oh, it's just Ron. He looks rather...depressed...and I was thinking maybe he had a--"

"Oh, poor Ron," said Harry, clearly not hearing anything past "depressed". "He must be feeling left out...I mean, we're his best friends, and we are kind of abandoning him."

"Oh," said Hermione, feeling a little foolish. Of course that was it. Harry was right, Ron was one of her best friends, and she didn't even know when he was feeling left out.

And they don't have a clue.

As the two watched, a young girl with cinnamon-coloured hair in a wavy ponytail down her back came over to Ron. She looked at him for a minute--then pushed him into the lake!

Hermione's jaw dropped as Harry began chuckling. "I don't think we have to worry about Ron anymore," he said, taking Hermione's arm. "I don't think he's left out anymore. Shall we?"

They'll fall in love

The girl pushed Ron into the freezing lake twice more before he got the message. A slow smile crept across his face and he simply waited.

This time, when the girl came around to push Ron in, he grabbed her arms and flipped her in instead! The girl came up sputtering and Ron roared with laughter. He held out his hand and pulled her out of the lake.

"Good one," she said, brushing her dripping bangs out of her eyes.

"You, too," said Ron with a grin. "I'm Ron Weasley, by the way."

The girl laughed. "I can't believe we haven't even introduced ourselves yet. I'm Blaise. Blaise Zabini. Nice to meet you, Ron."

Ron laughed too. "Hey, Blaise..." He gestured to the lake. "You want to take a walk?"

"Sure!" said Blaise, grinning, and the two set off just as Harry and Hermione returned to the spot where they had been moments before.

and here's the bottom line:

Our trio's down to two.

Hermione watched in amazement. "What has got into him?"

"Twitterpaited," said Harry with a sad smile.

"Twitter-what?" asked Hermione, confused.

"Twitterpaited! Haven't you ever seen Bambi?" Harry grinned at Hermione. "It's the effect spring has on boy and girl animals. They're twitterpaited."

"It's not spring, Harry," Hermione reminded him.

Harry sighed. " What I mean, Hermione, is that I think Ron and that girl are in love."

"Oh," said Hermione.

The sweet caress of twilight,

The sun was rapidly setting, the last of its diamond sparkling across the lake. Blaise slipped her hand into Ron's. "It's really beautiful out here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "I've never seen the lake at sunset before. Two of my friends are always coming around here at sunset, though...they said it was spectacular."

"They were right," said Blaise softly.

There's magic everywhere,

Behind the couple, Hogwarts was alive with light. Professor Flitwick was visible in the window charming decorations around his room. Christmas was fast approaching, but as yet it was surprisingly warm. Despite that, students often spent days inside, playing chess or Gobstones or such. Ron had simply felt that he couldn't take the inside anymore and gone to sit by the lake. Now he was glad he had.

And with all this romantic atmosphere

Disaster's in the air.

Harry peered at the girl across the grounds. "Hermione!" he said suddenly. "That girl--I've seen her before!"

"You have?" said Hermione, looking up at him. "Where?"

"I never thought about her before, not really, but she's in our year. I see her in Potions all the time. She's a Slytherin."

Hermione gaped. "That could be a disaster, you know that? Traditionally there's a lot of rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Do you know what'll happen to Ron--and that girl--if word gets out they're in love?" She didn't even give him a chance to guess before hurrying on. "They'll be shunned--rejected--possibly hurt. Harry, we've got to stop them!"

Harry grabbed her arm. "No, Hermione," he said gently. "Let them be. They're allowed."

Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings.

Harry smiled down at Hermione and nodded around the lake. "Lots of couples out here tonight."

Sure enough, Ron and the girl were lying on their backs, staring up at the stars. Across the lake from them, Seamus and Lavender were sitting with their feet in the water on a rock, talking. Parvati and Dean were sitting in the branches of a spreading oak with thick branches hanging over the water. Ron and the Slytherin girl weren't the only inter-house couple out there that evening. A Ravenclaw girl named Lisa Turpin and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff were sitting on a stone bench close to the water's edge. Colin and Ginny were sprawled beneath a willow, Colin lying down and Ginny sitting with her knees drawn up, just talking.

The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things.

Blaise breathed peacefully. "It's such a clear night," she said. "You can see all the stars so perfectly." She pointed to a bright star shining. "There's Sirius, the Dog Star."

"Oh, that's my favourite," said Ron.

"Really?" asked Blaise, smiling. "That's my favourite too. It reminds me of my uncle."

Ron rolled over on his side. "Your uncle?"

Blaise nodded, turning over to look at him. "He was in Azkaban for about twelve years, but then he broke out." She stared back at the sky. "I know he was innocent. I know he didn't kill all those people, and I know he didn't betray the Potters. He's just not that kind of a man. He was always so sweet."

So many things to tell her,

It hit Ron like the proverbial ton of bricks. Blaise's uncle was Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, the man who had been wrongly imprisoned for Peter Pettigrew's crime. He opened his mouth to tell her the truth--that Sirius Black really was innocent, that he had seen him, that he knew who really had done it--but then realised that he couldn't.

But how to make her see

The truth about my past?

How could he tell her that? She might think he was making it up to impress her, that he really knew nothing at all. Besides, it might land Harry in trouble--as well as him and Hermione. She could be a spy sent to get him in trouble. Had he interpreted her pushing wrong?

Impossible!

She'd turn away from me.

He liked Blaise so much; he didn't want her to decide he was a creep and leave. He also didn't really want to know if she was a spy. So he kept silent.

He's holding back, he's hiding,

But what, I can't decide.

Blaise frowned at him. "Ron, are you hiding something?"

"Who, me?" asked Ron, startled.

"No, some other Ron," replied Blaise sarcastically.

"N--no," stammered Ron.

Blaise stared at him, then returned her gaze to the sky. She knew he was faking, knew he was hiding something, but why couldn't he tell her? She stared at the star. It was probably none of her business anyway.

Why won't he be the king I know he is,

The king I see inside?

Blaise sighed. "I just wish my uncle would come forward and tell the truth."

"No one would believe him," said Ron before he could stop himself. "Not without the real culprit."

"Yeah, but still, he could try," said Blaise. "And it's not like he's a cowardly Slytherin, like me. I don't even want to be a Slytherin, but the Sorting Hat didn't give me a choice. My uncle's a Gryffindor--well, he was. And he'd never betray the Potters. James Potter was his best friend."

"So--so who do you think did betray them, if your uncle didn't?" asked Ron, fighting down the urge to tell her.

Blaise thought for a minute. Finally, she replied, "The only one I can think of that would conceivably do that is this other kid that tagged along with my uncle and James Potter and Professor Lupin--they were all friends. His name was Peter Pettigrew. I don't remember him much, but what I do remember didn't give me a favourable impression. Thankfully, he's dead, or at least he's supposed to be." She leaned in. "It's my belief he's hiding out somewhere. Maybe he's already gone back to You-Know-Who. I heard a lot of supporters are doing that since he came back."

She leaned back and sighed. "My parents are Death Eaters too. I'm considering turning them in, but the Minister of Magic might turn me in too."

Can you feel the love tonight?

Ron sighed and stretched. "Blaise, I--I've never fallen in love before," he admitted. "I don't know how this is supposed to work."

"Me, either," confessed Blaise. "I figure we can just play it by ear--you know, do what comes naturally."

Something Blaise had said earlier came back to Ron very suddenly. "You're a Slytherin?

Blaise nodded regretfully. "I'd rather be a Gryffindor like my uncle was, but I couldn't. What house are you in? I know you're not a Slytherin."

"Erm--I'm a Gryffindor," replied Ron.

Blaise grinned. "Cool!"

"You--er--you don't think anyone will give us any problems, do you?" asked Ron hesitantly.

"Nah," said Blaise.

The peace the evening brings.

The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things.

Blaise indicated the other couples surrounding the lake. Draco Malfoy had just joined them, accompanied by Erin Sullivan, who was a Gryffindor first year. "First of all, if Draco Malfoy is dating Erin Sullivan, who is Muggle-born as well as a Gryffindor, we've got nothing to worry about. Second of all, I think everyone is too busy to notice anyway."

Can you feel the love tonight?

You needn't look too far.

Stealing through the night's uncertainties,

Love is where they are.

Hermione and Harry smiled as they watched their classmates and friends "twitterpaited". They turned to each other. Hermione found herself swept into Harry's arms...they drew closer...they shared a kiss.

By coincidence, Draco and Erin did the same thing when Harry and Hermione were done. Colin and Ginny, Lisa and Ernie, Parvati and Dean, and Seamus and Lavender followed them.

Ron and Blaise smiled uncertainly at each other. "You know," said Ron finally, "everyone else is doing it. We might as well."

"Wh-what? Oh...right..." said Blaise.

They moved in...

And kissed. One, singular, unique, perfect, five-minute kiss.

Can you feel the love tonight?

It is where we are.

It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer

That we've got this far.

Can you feel the love tonight?

I was led to rest.

It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best.