Ron Weasley and the Green Flame Torch

Chapter Five: The Dance of the Blessed Virgin

"Hi, Ron," said Hermione, smiling brightly. "Can I come in?"

"What? Oh, yeah...sure." Ron flushed slightly and moved aside so that she could enter the house.

"Thanks," she said as Ron closed the door behind her. He faced her and thrust his hands into his pockets.

"So--er--didn't like Scotland?"

"No, it's not that," said Hermione, shaking her head and giving him an odd expression. "I got a letter from your mother, and was told to come back here--"

"Oh, Hermione!" said Mrs. Weasley, smiling as she approached the two of them. "It's so good to see you. I'm thrilled you were able to come."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, grinning. "So--er--what's going on?"

"Oh, right," said Mrs. Weasley, nodding. "Well, let's go into the sitting room and I'll explain everything."

Ron and Hermione nodded, and followed her into the next room, where Harry, Ginny, Fred and George were waiting patiently for the new arrival.

"Hermione!" cried Ginny and Harry, looking excited and surprised at the same time.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Scotland?" said Ginny.

"Well--yeah..."

"All of you sit down and everything will be explained," said Mrs. Weasley sweetly. They obeyed and sat down, waiting for her to speak.

"Earlier today, I remembered something that Dumbledore told me to do with Hermione, but I forgot when she was staying at St. Mungo's, so it has to be done now. I immediately owled Hermione and her parents in Scotland, and told her to come straight away. And as you can see, she did."

Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly at Hermione.

"Well, the reason Hermione is here is so that we can perform a protection ceremony for Muggles on her. It's called The Dance of the Blessed Virgin.

"The Dance of the Blessed Virgin is a very simple ceremony, but it has to be done at midnight and it has to be done perfectly, or else it will not be effective. As I said, this is strictly for protection purposes, which--in all hopes--will secure Hermione from any other harm from Death Eaters, You-Know-Who, etc."

"What does the ceremony include?" asked Hermione anxiously.

"Well, everyone attending the ceremony has to wear dress robes--"

Ron groaned.

"--And the Virgin has to wear a special dress--which I have for you, Hermione--and we will take some of your blood, and...well...it's complicated to explain, but it won't cause you any pain."

"Yeah, except for the taking of blood part," said Ron.

Mrs. Weasley glanced at him. "Right," she said, nodding. "But it's only a prick."

Ron raised his eyebrows, but didn't argue. He looked sideways at Hermione with a worried expression on his face.

"Any questions?" said Mrs. Weasley, gazing around the room. Hermione looked like she wanted to ask a question, but she didn't. "In that case," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "Let's get started."

~*~

"I can't believe," said Ron later that night through clenched teeth, "that I have to get dressed up to watch Hermione cut herself for protection."

"It won't be that bad," said Harry, pulling his dress robes over his head. "Your mum said it's a simple ceremony."

Ron snorted. "That's the same thing she said about sex."

Crack.

"Hey," said Fred, grinning, looking horribly interesting in his neon orange dress robes. "Like the threads? Got them this summer."

"Er--yes," Ron lied.

"They're very...interesting," said Harry, trying hard not to laugh.

"Yes they are," Fred said proudly. "A lot more interesting than your plain Jane's. You should see George's--"

Crack.

"AHH!" Ron screamed, gaping at George in horror. George's dress robes were made of what looked to Ron like a bright yellow snakeskin.

George grinned. "Hey...wonderful, aren't they?"

"Yeah...wonderful," choked Ron, blinking at his brothers.

"Er--do you think Mrs. Weasley will...allow that?" asked Harry uneasily. Ron exchanged glances with him and they both hoped she wouldn't.

"'Course she will," said George matter-of-factly. "She said to wear dress robes. These"--he motioned at his snakeskin--"are dress robes, and she better allow them 'cause we paid ten Galleons a piece for these babies."

"You paid ten Galleons for that?" said Ron incredulously, hoping they got their money's worth.

"Yes," said Fred and George, nodding.

Ron stared at his brothers for a moment before shaking his head and turning to look at his reflection. He frowned at his hair, and tried to brush it out, but then he ended up looking like Malfoy, then he tried to ruffle it, but he remembered Hermione didn't like that, then he tried to do a mix between the two, but his hair just wilted, so he finally gave up and just left it as it was. When he turned around, he found that Fred and George had left, and Harry standing there, smirking at him.

"What?" said Ron defensively. "It's not my fault this stuff won't cooperate." He fingered his hair weakly.

Harry grinned and shook his head. "It's not your hair that I'm laughing at."

Ron frowned, and was about to speak when Mrs. Weasley called, "GET DOWN HERE YOU LOT!! IT'S NEARLY MIDNIGHT!!"

Harry and Ron left the room and went downstairs into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was standing by the door to the backyard, handing out ivy wreaths.

"What are these for?" Ron asked his mother as she handed him his own wreath.

"Wear them on your head," she said quickly.

"What?"

"You have to put them on your head!" she said sharply.

Ron stared at her dubiously. "I have to put a plant on my head?"

"Ron!" she said sternly. "Just do it, please! We're running out of time!"

"Fine," he muttered miserably, and chucked the ivy on his head. "Happy?"

"Severely," she said through clenched teeth.

Ron turned away from his mother, and followed Harry, who had put on his ivy as well, father into the backyard where he could see a rather small circle of long candles sticking out from the earth, surrounded by Professors Lupin and Dumbledore, and Bill.

Ron thought it was odd for Bill to be there, but didn't say anything about it until he finally reached the group.

"Hi Professors and Bill," he said, smiling.

"Hey Ron," said Bill, grinning.

Ron wanted to say: "What are you doing here?" but he didn't. He managed to keep his questions to himself as Dumbledore spoke to them.

"OKAY!!" came Mrs. Weasley's voice. "IT IS NOW.........FIVE TO MIDNIGHT!!! EVERYONE GET INTO POSITION!"

"Position?" said Ron, confused, but Bill just told him to stand somewhere around the circle of candles, so Ron and Harry stood next to each other, opposite Bill and Lupin.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore's loud voice, "to the Dance of the Blessed Virgin! Now, will our Virgin please show herself?"

Moments later, Hermione emerged from the doorway of the house. Ron held his breath.

She was dressed in a simple sleeveless white dress, complete with no shoes and no make up (naturally), and her hair was pulled up with the same type of ivy wreath that Ron was wearing, but the curls that had stubbornly left the ivy gracefully fell into her eyes, enhancing her face beautifully.

Ron looked around at Harry and he was both angry to see that he, too, was gaping at Hermione as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Ron couldn't blame him, though; he could barely believe it himself.

Hermione crossed the yard, and with a small smile at Harry and Ron, she entered the candle circle.

"We are all surrounding the Virgin," said Dumbledore, looking sideways at Ron, amused. "And we are all willing to protect the Virgin. So now, we will protect the Virgin. Will the protectors please step forward?"

Professor Lupin and Bill stepped into the circle, on either side of Hermione.

"State your name and your case."

"Remus Lupin, and I am the Virgin's old defense teacher," said Lupin very seriously, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Bill Weasley and I am the Virgin's new defense teacher," said Bill, putting a hand on Hermione's other shoulder.

Ron's jaw dropped. Bill was the new defense teacher? Hermione must have thought the same thing because she looked sideways at Bill with her eyebrows raised.

"Proceed."

"Hermione," said Lupin, taking a knife out of his pocket.

Ron cringed.

"I promise to keep you safe." Lupin poked his palm with the knife until a drop of blood appeared, and then he gently took Hermione's hand and poked her palm with the knife until blood appeared. "Your blood runs through my veins," he continued, covering Hermione's bloody palm with his. "You shall never fear."

He smiled gently, and then nodded at Bill.

"I promise to keep you safe." Bill poked his palm with his own knife, did the same to Hermione, and then joined their hands. "Your blood runs through my veins. You shall never fear."

Both Lupin and Bill did healing charms on their and Hermione's hands.

"Thank you," said Dumbledore, and Bill and Lupin returned to their positions around the candle circle. "Now, will the friends of the Virgin please step forward?"

Ron looked at Harry. Were they supposed to go in the circle?

"Yes," said Dumbledore, as if he read Ron's mind. "I'm talking to you two."

Ron followed Harry nervously into the circle, and stood at Hermione's right, his heart hammering madly. He noticed that Hermione smelt of vanilla and strawberries. His ears started to burn, and he silently cursed himself.

"Kindly form a circle, and join hands."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione did as they were told, and held hands. Ron felt oddly self-conscious when Hermione took his hand. He could've sworn he felt a tiny jolt of something, but he ignored it. Her hands were so small and smooth and...nice-feeling. He was almost positive his were big and--because of his nervousness--extremely clammy.

"Repeat after me!" said Dumbledore in a carrying voice. "We are friends."

"We are friends," chorused Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"We shall keep each other safe and harmless."

"We shall keep each other safe and harmless."

"We shall learn to respect each other."

"We shall learn to respect each other."

"And our needs."

"And our needs."

"We shall learn to love each other."

Ron's gaze flickered to Hermione unintentionally. "We shall learn to love each other."

"Unconditionally and selflessly."

"Unconditionally and selflessly."

"That is all."

"That is all," said Ron, but immediately felt stupid because neither Harry nor Hermione had repeated that.

Dumbledore gave Ron an amused look, and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"No problem," Ron managed to choke out, his ears bright red.

"You may return to your positions."

Harry and Ron nodded, and Ron reluctantly let go of Hermione's hand to return back to his position.

"If the Virgin is ready," said Dumbledore, "the Dance will begin."

Hermione blushed slightly, but nodded and crossed her legs and began to bounce around the circle.

Ron glanced at Fred and George and was annoyed to see that they were grinning. He knew they wanted to laugh at her, but couldn't because of Mrs. Weasley. Sure, the sight of Hermione bouncing around a candle circle was a little funny, but it wasn't that funny. Ron found it more amusing than anything. Hermione, Miss Perfect, was bouncing around a circle, her brown curls unfurling from the ivy wreath around her head, and looking like she was torn between being embarrassed and being irritated.

When she had made her way around the whole circle, she stopped, swept some whisps of hair out of her eyes, trying to compose herself, but failing by leaning over, an arm around her ribs, with a painful expression on her flushed face.

Ron's heart thumped madly in his chest, and he automatically ran to her, catching her just before she hit the ground and putting her back to her feet.

"Hermione," he whispered, catching a whiff of vanilla and strawberry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said breathlessly, her hands on his chest. "Just...give me...a moment."

He nodded, looking down at her apprehensively. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said, her breathing turning back to normal. "I--it's just--the Healer said I shouldn't jump around much..."

"Oh, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley desperately. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..."

"It's not your fault, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, as Ron let go of her. "You're trying to protect me, so don't apologize."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, but looked at Ron, who was looking very worried, and glanced at Hermione with the same expression.

"The Dance of the Blessed Virgin is complete!" said Dumbledore, smiling slightly. "You are dismissed."

Everybody filed into the house, but Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed back in order to talk to Bill about his new "defense" position.

"Don't worry," he said after they cornered him, a grin playing at his lips. "I'm not your new teacher."

"But--why...you just said--"

"Dumbledore wanted me to be apart of the ceremony, so I agreed," Bill told them, with a slight shrug. "I'm not going to be your new teacher."

"Then who is?" asked Ron hopefully.

Bill shrugged. "I don't know."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all frowned in disappointment.

"Well--come on, you lot," said Bill, pointing towards the house. "Go on to bed...I know you're tired."

"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley called, "Can you come here for a moment?"

Hermione nodded, gave Harry and Ron a small smile, and walked into the house.

"Harry--er--could I have a minute with Ron..."

"Yeah, sure," Harry replied, shrugging, "I want to get out of these things, anyway." He fingered his dress robes uncomfortably. "See you later." He departed from Ron and Bill, and walked back into the house.

Ron watched him go, and then looked back at Bill, who was grinning at him.

"What?" he said, a little annoyed.

Bill draped an arm over his brother's shoulder. "Well, Ron, there comes a time in a man's life when he starts to mature..."

"Bill...I know...Dad told me all about sex when I was thirteen," Ron said.

"This isn't about sex, Ron," Bill told him seriously. "This is about girls.

"Girls are wonderful creatures. They're beautiful, talented, and a bloody good thing to be around, but they can be awful creatures as well. They can break your heart, they can be confusing, and they can be time consuming. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Ron shook his head. "Not unless you're trying to tell me to stay away from girls."

"No, I'm not trying to say that," said Bill, as they started to walk towards the house. "I just want you to be aware of something..."

Ron looked at him expectantly. "What are you getting at? 'Cause I'm tired, and I want to leave now."

Bill studied him beadily. "I have a proposition for you."

Ron groaned. "What's that?"

"I want you to pay more attention to your feelings, Ron."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Bill smiled, and clapped his back. "Ponder that for a while."

And Bill left Ron there, in the dark backyard, to ponder his feelings.

Chapter Six: A Day In Diagon Alley

Ron woke up the next morning to find himself alone in his room. He assumed Harry had gone down to breakfast.

He let out a groan as the morning sun hit his face, stinging his eyes and making him temporarily blind. He cursed under his breath, and flung the heavy blanket off of his body before tiredly putting his head in his hands.

Ron had spent two hours the previous night in the backyard of number twelve Grimmauld Place, pondering--as Bill told him to--his feelings. He was still hopelessly clueless as to just what his older, wiser brother was talking about, and he found himself becoming increasingly determined to find out. And after two hours of staring idly at the flickering candles from The Dance of the Blessed Virgin, he knew it had something to do with the Blessed Virgin herself, as most of his problems did. So there he stood, frozen to the spot for two hours, his lungs getting clouded with the heavy smoke of the flickering flames, trying to process what Bill was trying to tell him. Ron concluded that, because of the smoke, his brain became slower than usual, and he ended up going to bed, feeling vertiginous and confused.

He lifted his head from his hands, stood up, and walked out of the room and down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ron," said George, grinning. "Good look for you, that is."

"Excellent look, I'd say," Fred piped in, giving his little brother a smug look.

Ron glared at them, then flopped down into the chair next to Harry, pulling the plate of pancakes to himself.

"Oh, good morning, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley distractedly as she walked into the room. "Did you forget to brush your hair again?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head, then giving his hair a pat and realizing it was sticking up on ends. He gave a small shrug before digging into his breakfast again.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Well, just finish your breakfast quickly. We're going to Diagon Alley today to get your books."

"We are?" Ron asked in surprise. He hadn't been to Diagon Alley since the summer before his third year.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley answered, nodding. "Hermione's leaving tomorrow, so we ought to get you lot's books now."

"Hermione's here?" Ron asked, looking up from his plate of food, his hand unconsciously flying to his disheveled hair.

Fred and George sniggered.

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, ignoring Fred and George. "So, finish up. We're leaving in about an hour."

Ron nodded in reply.

"Err...I'm going to go up and get changed." Harry got up from the table--beet red in the face and clutching a slip of parchment--and raced up the stairs.

"What happened to him?" Ron asked, watching Harry's feet disappear from view.

Fred shrugged. "He got an owl a few minutes ago, and he's been antsy ever since."

"Oh." Ron nodded, and then started eating again.

"You better hurry up, Ron," George told him a few minutes later.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't," said George simply, "I just don't fancy having Mum yell at me because you're not ready to leave."

Ron rolled his eyes, but shoved the last bits of his breakfast into his mouth and went upstairs to his and Harry's room.

"Hey," he said, smiling at Harry as he entered the room. Harry had a look of utter bewilderment on his pale face. He looked down at the parchment in his hand, and gave a little squeal.

"What happened?" asked Ron urgently. "What's on that?"

Harry weakly lifted his hands to give Ron the piece of parchment before shaking his head, grabbing a pillow, and screaming into it.

Ron lifted an eyebrow at his friend, but said nothing and read the parchment.

Dear Harry,

My family and I will be in Diagon Alley on Tuesday around noon. Will you be there? If so, owl me back and we can arrange to meet somewhere, say to get some ice cream?

I hope to see you soon.

Love,

Lisa

Ron smiled. Harry was going to go on a date--a real date--with a person who wasn't a complete psycho.

"Mate," said Ron, grinning. "This is great! You're going on a date...with a real girl! That's much better than I could do! Why aren't you happy?" he added, staring at Harry, who was rolling around on the bed, shaking his head.

"Noo," Harry moaned. "No, no, no..."

"What--"

"Hey," came Hermione's voice from the doorway. She smiled at Ron, and then turned to look at Harry, and her eyes went wide. "Harry...what's wrong?"

"Read the parchment!" was Harry's reply before shaking his head again, and rolling around on the bed.

Ron and Hermione exchanged bemused glances. Ron handed her the parchment, and waited to see her expression. After reading it quickly, she smiled.

"So you're going out with a girl?" she said, grinning knowingly.

"Yes." Harry shook his head again, and put his head in his hands.

"What's the problem?" Ron asked, almost annoyed. "Do you not want to go out with her or something?"

"What? No, no...I want to. Lisa's great--"

"Then what's the problem?" Ron was definitely annoyed now. Harry had the opportunity to go out on a real date with a girl. Didn't he realize how many guys wanted that?!

"Well...I just...I don't really...know what to do on a date," Harry admitted, turning bright red.

"So you and Lisa haven't officially gone anywhere together, alone?" Hermione asked slowly.

Harry shook his head.

"And you're afraid you're going to make a complete fool out of yourself?"

Harry nodded slowly.

Hermione smiled sympathetically at him. "It's alright, Harry. You know, girls really aren't that bad. I mean, you can talk to me, can't you?"

"Yeah, but you're different," Harry said miserably. "Lisa's a real girl."

Uh-oh, Ron thought, his eyes traveling to Hermione.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, sorry," Harry said, frowning slightly. "I didn't mean it to come out that way. It's just that, well, I mean...I know you're a girl and everything, but I don't see you as one--"

Hermione visibly tensed up.

"--But you are a girl, and a very pretty one at that--"

Ron was the one who tensed up that time.

"--It's just that Lisa...well...I mean...I wouldn't go out with you, Hermione."

Hermione uncrossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Harry, as if to urge him to go on.

"Because we're too good of friends, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize that for something not long-lasting," Harry continued, making it bluntly obvious that he was carefully picking his words.

Hermione's eyebrows went down. "Fine. So, you're scared?"

Harry nodded.

"Anything we can do to help?" The words were out of Ron's mouth before he could stop them. It was a reflex; Harry's in trouble, so try to help him. But this was one thing he wished he wouldn't have volunteered to help with for the next thing that drifted from Harry's mouth scared Ron down to his boxer shorts.

"Well," Harry said slowly, looking from Ron to Hermione. "Err...I was hoping you guys would come with me, you know as a double date, sort of."

"WHAT?!" both Ron and Hermione yelled, staring at Harry with mixes of anger, surprise, and apprehension.

"A double date?" Hermione shouted. "Harry, are you mad?"

"No, I'm just desperate." Harry sighed, looking pathetically miserable. "Please...I'll do anything."

Ron found himself being sucked in by Harry's pathetic-ness. He looked like he truthfully needed help, and Ron was more than willing to help his best mate. But a double date?

Oh, come on Weasley, he told himself; Harry'd do it for you.

"Alright," he found himself saying loudly. "We'll do it."

"We will?" Hermione asked him with wide eyes.

Ron glanced at her, and then nodded. "Yes, we will."

She looked from Harry to Ron, sighed, and then nodded.

Harry's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm going to go send Lisa a reply!" He beamed at the pair of them, and then joyfully ran out of the room.

"He's happy," said Hermione a few minutes later. "I don't think I've seen him smile for a year."

"Yeah." Ron nodded in agreement. "That was why I--"

"I know." Hermione smiled at him. "That was good of you, Ron."

Ron's ear went red. "Yeah...well...you know...he is my best mate--" But he was interrupted when Hermione walked towards him, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek.

"You're my hero, Ron Weasley," she said, giving him a small smile before turning around and walking out of the room.

Ron watched her go, dazed from the feeling of her lips on his cheek. His eyes landed on her backside, and he watched the soft sway of her hips.

Hips?, he thought incredulously, Hermione has hips?!

Obviously.

Ron shook his head, disgusted with himself for having impure thoughts about his best friend. "I'm am in deep shit."

~*~

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all flooed to Diagon Alley, accompanied by Mrs. Weasley and Andy, Ron's cousin, an hour later. They got their schoolbooks and the necessary supplies, and even ran into Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas on their way into the Quidditch supply store, but their meeting was cut short when Harry anxiously tugged on Ron's robes and jerked his head towards something outside the store.

"What is it?" Ron asked him, searching for the thing Harry was looking for.

"It's Lisa," Harry said quietly, slowly turning red.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Honestly...just go out there and talk to her."

"Aren't you guys going to come with me?" Harry asked, once again looking miserable.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and then nodded.

"Yeah," Ron said. "I just have to tell Mum first...hold on."

Harry and Hermione nodded while Ron turned around and walked over to where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were standing by the bookshelf, arguing over Ginny's potential new broomstick.

"But Mum," she whined. "Ron got a new broomstick last year!"

"Ron is a prefect," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling fondly at Ron. "And you, Virginia, have not been made a prefect so you will not get a new broomstick."

"But Mum--"

"No buts!"

"Mum," Ron interjected quickly. "Harry, Hermione and I are about to go get some ice cream."

"You're about to go meet Harry's new girlfriend?" Mrs. Weasley asked, even though Ron had a feeling she already knew the answer.

He nodded. "Yes."

Mrs. Weasley studied him. "Alright. But I'm telling Andy to watch over you lot."

"Mum!"

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "I--it's not safe for you three to go around unaccompanied by an adult!"

"Andy isn't an adult!"

"He's as good as any adult!"

Ron sighed. "Fine. But he's not sitting with us."

"Fine." Mrs. Weasley gave Ron a small hug. "Have a good time, and stay safe, and don't do anything daft--"

"Mum, I'm getting ice cream, not jumping off a cliff," he said, forcing a laugh.

"Right," she said thickly. "Yes, I know...right..."

"Bye, Mum," he said. "We promise to be careful."

"Thank you."

Ron nodded, and walked back to the front of the store, where Harry and Hermione were waiting for him.

"Ready?" Harry asked, looking a little anxious.

"Yeah," said Ron, nodding. "But Andy's going to follow us."

"Why?" Harry scrunched up his face as the three of them exited the store, and walked onto Diagon Alley.

"Apparently, it's not safe to get ice cream anymore," said Ron sarcastically.

"But what's Andy going to do?" Harry said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I mean, he's--what--seventeen?"

"Well," Hermione said slowly, "he is training to be an Auror, and Dumbledore approves of him--"

Ron scowled. It angered him to hear Hermione defend his suave, Auror-training cousin whom of which he wasn't very friendly with. Why did she care, anyway? Could she...was it possible...did she fancy Andy? A hot panic poured over Ron, and his stomach involuntarily clenched.

'Course she fancies Andy, he thought miserably, He has it all. He's smart, sophisticated, and I'm a daft, tall kid with too many freckles.

"Ron?" Harry's voice called, snapping him out of his reverie.

"What?" he asked, his head popping up to find them already at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "What happened?"

"Oh, erm, we're here," Harry said nervously, his eyes scanning the tables. He smiled at something across the room, and nodded, whispering, "There's Lisa."

Ron looked across the room and his eyes fell on a pretty girl with curly, sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes sitting at a table for four, biting her bottom lip nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron saw Hermione poke Harry's back to get him to cross the room. Once Harry finally started to walk, Ron followed him and Hermione to where Lisa sat.

"Hi, Lisa," Harry said shakily as the three of them approached the table.

"Hi, Harry," she replied, a little breathlessly, as they took their seats; Ron sitting next to Hermione, and Lisa and Harry sitting next to each other.

"Err--this is Ron and Hermione," Harry introduced them.

Lisa smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," Ron and Hermione replied in unison, grinning.

"So, Lisa...how many O.W.L's did you get?" Hermione asked in a weak attempt to break through the tension of the little group.

Ron inwardly groaned. That was not a way to make friends.

"Oh," Lisa said, looking a bit taken aback at Hermione's forwardness. "Well, umm...let's see here...I got an O in Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Charms and an E in Potions, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and an A in History of Magic."

"Oh," said Hermione, nodding. "That's very good. Seven."

"Yeah." Lisa nodded awkwardly. "How many did you get?"

Hermione had the grace to blush. "I got ten," she said, trying to stay modest.

Lisa's eyes bulged sighed. "Wow...that's...wow."

Hermione laughed nervously. "Err...thanks."

"How many did you get, Harry?" Lisa asked him.

"Seven," Harry replied before taking a taste of his sundae.

Lisa smiled. "The magic number."

Ron's heart started beating loudly in his ears. He felt as if he was intruding on Harry's date, and he really didn't want to. This was Harry's time to be alone with his "girlfriend" and Ron felt that he shouldn't be there, regardless of what Harry might have been thinking. He caught Hermione's eye, and he knew she felt the exact same way.

For the next ten minutes, the quartet discussed grades, possible Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and wishes for the year. This uninteresting palaver was boring Ron, and he prayed for a way out.

"Oh!" Hermione finally squealed, her hands on her face. "I just remembered!"

"Remembered what?" Ron asked her quickly.

"The thing!" she said dramatically. "The thing for Crookshanks. Remember, Ron? I told you about it in St. Mungo's! We have to go get it for Crookshanks!"

"The thing?" said Ron dubiously. "What thing?"

Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "The thing!" she slowly, her eyes quickly darting to Harry and Lisa, "for Crookshanks...that only you and I can get because he's...erm...partial to red heads and people with bushy hair! Yes! That's it!"

"What?" Harry interjected loudly. "What are you two talking about?"

"Harry," Hermione said consolingly. "We're sorry...but we have to go, and get something for Crookshanks."

"We'll go with you--"

"NO!" said Ron loudly. "No...no...because the store owner is very suspicious of anyone he doesn't know, and he knows me and Hermione."

"Oh," Harry said slowly, eyebrows raised. "Right."

"Yes," Ron said as he and Hermione got up from their seats. "So, we're going now, and we'll catch up with you later, Harry. It was nice meeting you, Lisa...see you at school!"

"Yes, same to you too!" Lisa said, smiling, and waving at Ron and Hermione as they walked away from the table.

"Bye!" they called, practically running out of the ice cream parlor. Once they were back on the streets of Diagon Alley, Ron hugged Hermione, and twirled her around.

"Thank you!" he cried. "You're brilliant! I thought I was about to die in there!"

"You're welcome," she replied breathlessly as he stood her on her feet. "I just didn't feel right there, you know? I mean...that's Harry's date--"

"I know," Ron said, nodding. "I felt the exact same way."

"Yeah," Hermione said while they started to walk. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Er...let's go back to the Quidditch supply store to look for my mum and Ginny," said Ron, without thinking. He replayed his words in his mind, and mentally kicked himself.

"Right," said Hermione, biting her lip. "Yes...we should do that...well, come on, then."

Ron nodded and followed Hermione down the street without another word. He thought himself very cowardly for just suggesting they meet his mother and sister. He missed the perfect opportunity to be alone with Hermione.

Git, he scolded himself, shaking his head automatically.

"AHHHHHH!!!!" a piercing scream rippled through Diagon Alley, freezing everything within it's path. "RUN!!!! DEATH EATERS!!!!!"

Ron's body itched with panic, but he rushed to Hermione, grabbed her hand, and ran.