Forever x Always

Saturday came too quickly for Hermione. She had avoided Harry and Ron all week.

After her last class, Potions, Hermione ran upstairs to her dormitory. It was only three o'clock, but she thought she needed all four hours until the ball to get ready. It was Ron, after all. A lot of other girls were rushing to their dormitories to get ready.

First, Hermione started to do her hair. She used the same stuff she used for he Yule Ball to smooth her hair down. This took about an hour. She didn't put her hair up, but left it down.

Next, she pulled on her new, pink silk dress robes. Hermione loved them very much except for one thing: the sleeves only went to about her elbows. She pulled out her wand and chanted "Enlongato." The sleeves then went to her wrists and covered up her scars.

Hermione opened her trunk and pulled out a small box. Inside was a pink rhinestone butterfly necklace, the exact shade of her dress robes. She clasped the necklace around her neck. There was also a silver anklet inside the box, which she attached around her ankle. Hermione borrowed small hoop earrings from Ginny which she also wore.

Hermione placed the box back into her trunk and pulled out another box, this time a shoebox. Hermione opened the shoebox and obtained an elegant pair of heels. They were silver with pink jewels matching her dress, and silver and pink ribbons that tied up the leg. She put on the shoes and then went to the mirror. The shoes make her a bit taller, which Hermione thought was good since Ron was so tall.

Hermione judged herself in the mirror. She didn't think she looked that bad, but the question was if Ron would think so.

"Damn, Hermione! Ron is going to flip!" exclaimed Ginny as she walked into the room, already finished preparing for the ball.

"I doubt it, he likes pretty girls," replied a dejected Hermione.

"Oh, he's not going to think you're pretty tonight," Ginny continued. "He's going to think you're hott!"

Hermione felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. Glancing back at the mirror, even she had to admit to herself that she at least looked halfway decent.

"The boys said they'd meet us downstairs at 6:30," Ginny explained, putting the finishing touches on herself. She had her hair in a green velvet headband matching her velvet green robes.

"Good, that gives me half an hour..." Hermione thought out loud.

"I thought you were finished," said Ginny.

"Oh, this is something else," Hermione replied, climbing into her bed and closing the curtains as Ginny went back to the bathroom.

Hermione reached into her pillow case and pulled out the familiar items. She rolled up her sleeve, grabbed a blade, and ripped it across her scar ridden skin. It wasn't as deep of a cut as usual, but a noticeable amount of blood crept through the skin.

Scar 56:

I'm so ugly. How could he ever like me? I wish I would just die!

Hermione retrieved her bloody towel and applied pressure to the cut. Since it wasn't deep, she didn't have to use her wristband. It stopped rather quickly.

Hermione cleaned herself up, but had to hurry and toss everything back into her pillow case because she heard Ginny call her.

"Hermione, it's 6:30. Let's go," she said.

Hermione climbed out of bed and followed Ginny out of the dormitory. They walked down the stairs and into the common room where various students were waiting for their dates.

"Ginny, you look great," called a voice near the fireplace. "Hermione...wow," the same voice said, and Hermione recognized it as Harry.

Ginny and Hermione made their way over to the fireplace and next to the boys. Hermione walked over to Ron, avoiding his eyes, but she could feel him looking at her.

"Her...mione," Ron started, but Hermione interrupted him.

"Please, Ron, don't," she said. "Can we go now?"

"Sure," Harry replied.

The four of them exited through the portrait hole and made their way to the Entrance Hall, where a large group of students were already waiting for the doors to the Great Hall to open. Harry noticed numerous boys glancing at Hermione.

"Hermione, it looks like you have a couple of admirers," Harry joked.

Hermione looked up, and at least ten boys instantly diverted their attention away from Hermione. Feeling a tad bit jealous, Ron put his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her close to him. Hermione couldn't help but lean against his shoulder, which make Harry grin.

The doors to the Great Hall swept open. The students started to file into the Great Hall. Hermione clung onto Ron's arm as they entered the room. The Great Hall was much more extravagantly decorated than the Yule Ball was. There were real pink and blue fairy lights all around the room. Each table was covered in pink and blue sparkles. The dance floor was a purple cloud from which blue and pink confetti fell. The confetti disappeared once it hit the floor or a person.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked over to a secluded table in the back. Ron and Hermione sat down, but Ginny dragged Harry out onto the dance floor.

Ron and Hermione sat at the table for quite some time. Each of them would quickly glance at the other and dart their eyes back to the table. Soon enough, "My Immortal" by Evanescence played throughout the room. Hermione's eyes instantly shot up. Ron figured that meant Hermione liked that song.

"Uh, do you want to dance?" Ron slowly asked.

"Hermione looked Ron in the eye for the first time since they sat down. "Sure," she shyly replied.

Ron took Hermione by the hand and led her to a darker spot near the back end of the dance floor. Arms slightly shaking, Ron placed his on Hermione's slender waist. Hermione slowly put her arms around Ron's shoulders.

Harry saw the pair walk on to the dance floor and smiled to himself. Good one, Ron, he thought.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" Ron asked.

"Anything," Hermione replied.

"How do you feel about me?" said Ron, as if he were avoiding the question.

"Honestly?" Hermione reluctantly asked.

"Yeah, honestly," nodded Ron.

"You mean it's not obvious?" said Hermione.

"What's obvious?" asked Ron.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to answer. All she could do was stare into Ron's blue eyes. She could feel tears well up in her own eyes. The next thing Hermione saw shocked her, surprised her, and made her feel special. Ron was leaning in to kiss her, but she got scared and ran away from Ron, off the dance floor, and outside into the fairy grotto.

Harry, who saw the whole thing, excused himself from Ginny and went over to Ron.

"Go after her," Harry whispered to Ron.

"No. I was right. I told you she didn't like me," Ron sadly replied.

"Yes, she does, Ron. She tears herself apart inside over you. She thinks you don't notice her. She thinks you'd rather date your sister than her. I'm pretty much her best friend besides Ginny. She tells me things, Ron. Go after her. Now," Harry commanded.

"Fine, I will, but don't feel dumb when she hates me!" Ron yelled as he stormed off after Hermione.

Ron found Hermione laying near the waterfall in a bed of blue fairies.

Ron knelt down next to her. "Hermione, seriously, what's up with you?" asked Ron.

Hermione suddenly sat up. "Nothing," she snapped back, standing up.

Hermione began to storm away, but Ron grabbed her left wrist to stop her from leaving. Hermione winced in pain from the slight sting.

"Are you okay?" asked the concerned Ron, letting go of her wrist.

Hermione stopped and turned to face Ron. "See for yourself," she insisted, pulling up the left sleeve of her dress robes.

Ron picked up her arm and looked at it. He looked at the top of her arm, not the bottom of her wrist. "What about your arm?" he stupidly asked.

"Forget it!" screamed Hermione. "If you aren't smart enough to figure out that I cut myself, then why should I bother liking you?"

Ron stood there for a moment without saying anything. He just stared at Hermione. After about a minute, he came to his senses. "You cut yourself? But Hermione, you're per--Wait, you do like me?"

Hermione couldn't help but burst out into great sobs and tears. "Yes, Ron. I really, really do." She walked up to Ron, kissed his cheek, and ran up to her dormitory.

Ron was just...Ron. He didn't move, but just stood there, staring off into space with a stupid grin on his face.

Harry had seen Hermione run off, so he went to check on Ron. Harry cracked up at the sight of Ron.

"Ron...Earth to Ron," Harry said as he waved and snapped his fingers in front of Ron's face. "Hey, look! The Chudley Cannon cheerleaders are streaking!" No reaction from Ron. "Ginny and Parvati are making out!" Still no reaction. "Hermione's back!"

"Where? Oh, no, are my ears red? Is my hair a mess?" rambled Ron, thinking that Hermione was near.

"You are such a chick!" laughed Harry. "She's not really here, but I saw her run off. Did you piss her off?"

"I thought so at first. She said something about her arm and then--" started Ron, but Harry cut in.

"She told you she cuts herself?" Harry freaked out.

"--And then she said she liked me and she kissed me! Right there!" Ron excited said, pointing to his face.

Harry put his hands on Ron's shoulders and started to shake him. "Yeah? Good for you, but it will never happen again if she keeps the cutting habit up!"

"I can get her to stop!" said Ron, putting his hands on his hips as if he were a superhero.

"I'm serious, Ron! Let's go talk to her before it's too late!"