Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Engagement	By : saritat9 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Ron/Hermione Views: 6588 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not making any money with this. No copyright infrigment intended.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
The Engagement

Chapter 6: The Preparations
The days before the double date went by fast for Hermione. She finally got Greyfeather, the Hippogriff off on the charges of assault and battery; a case very similar to what had happened between Draco Malfoy and Buckbeak back in their third year at Hogwarts. Due to this hard-earned triumph she had little time to think about the date until Friday morning when it finally dawned on her that she had nothing decent enough to wear. She had many nice work robes and sharp business suits (both with skirts and trousers) but nothing that would be suitable for an evening out in a fancy restaurant. Especially if Ron was to be present.

True, both Percy and Ronald had seen her on her worst days, but she wanted to look...nice. As nice as Christina.

Okay. Nicer than Christina, she grimaced at herself. She didn't like acting this irrational and petty, but there were times when she couldn't help herself. Times involving one Ronald Weasley.

It was nothing if not her own fault. In between Ron's many girlfriends and her intended-ness to Viktor, there had been plenty of chances to speak up, to say something, anything about her feelings. Even if she rarely got to see Ron alone. She could've asked or hinted at Harry to flee the scene. She could've casually asked Ron out for dinner and then spring the news when the right moment arrived. But no. She had never had the bollocks. As high up in the Ministry as she was, as successful at her job...with this she had no guts at all.

She tried to shake off the thoughts and unpleasant feelings, forcing herself to concentrate on the issue at hand. Too bad that Lady Chitterlie had no dresses; she would have to settle for Madame Malkin's or Gladrags.

After some more thinking, she decided to ask if Ginny was free to do some almost last minute shopping.

= = =

"How about this one?" Hermione inquired while Ginny studied her and the dress and hmmmd.

"I don't think that's quite...you." she finally offered.

Hermione turned to face the mirror again. The dress she was holding against herself was pale grey with an almost pearly sheen, but the colour -although very nice- was too fair for her and made her look washed out and drab.

"I think you're right. Oh dear," she fretted "I'm never going to find the right dress."

"We'll find one Hermione, don't sweat. We're in no hurry...uh Hermione. I've been wanting to talk to you about...well...I don't know if I should even ask- -"

"There's no need to be coy, Ginny. We're friends, aren't we? You can ask me anything. And, within reason I will answer."

"Alright, I'll just come right out and ask. It's about Percy. Are you sure?"

Ginny could see Hermione's apprehension on her face as she continued, "It's fine if you really like him. You do have a lot in common in a scholarly way...but he's so humourless. I'd go mad."

Hermione bought herself time to think by browsing through another rack of dresses. Ginny was starting to think the other woman wouldn't reply at all until she finally gave a deep sigh.

"I like him." Somehow it came out defensive.

A pause.

Ginny didn't want to rush or pressure her friend so she staid silent and pretended to examine the crocheted hemline of a pink dressrobe that would never suit her colours.

"I'm not sure if I like him enough...but it's not that serious between us yet."

"What about Ron?"

"Ron?!" Hermione flinched and raised her head to look up at Ginny who was still fiddling with the hem.

"Yes, how is he taking this? Have you two talked about it?"

"No. He seems fine with it. Why wouldn't he be? Of course he is! And Percy and I aren't serious yet." she repeated uncomfortably.

"I just thought it could be odd for him, his brother dating his...best friend."

Hermione snorted. "Why would it be odd, his sister already is?"

"Good point," Ginny had to admit, "But wasn't there something between you two at one time?"

"What? No! No. We are friends. Very good, very platonic, friends."

"But around the time he went out with Lavender? I always reckoned that..."

"Look, I don't want to talk about this. I'm telling you that Ronald and I have nothing between us except friendship. He has a girlfriend, I am currently seeing Percy. Maybe it'll work out between me and him, maybe not, but with Ron and me it's never going to happen. He doesn't even think of me that way!"

"He doesn't? Don't you?"

Hermione refused to answer the question that shouted entrapment.

"Let it go, Ginny. Either you help me find a proper dress right now or I'm going to Gladrags instead. Alone. Whatever the case may be, this topic of conversation is over."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, honest. Let's see...I think you should try something maroon or rust. How about this one?"
Hermione calmed down reasonably fast. Ginny was thankful that she was rarely one to hold grudges. The only exception was Ron, and that was another sign indicating their true feelings. No one could get her upset the way Ron did and Ginny had seen many times that it worked the same the other way around. During the Christmas holiday of her fifth and their sixth year, Ron had been too edgy and backward to even rise to the twins' attempts of making fun of him and "Lav Lav", but every time someone mentioned Hermione he either left the room or scoffed. Sometimes he even mumbled darkly.

As for Hermione...the lady doth protest too much and that made Ginny worry. She was sure that there had been something between Ron and Hermione and whatever it was; it seemed very mutual and rather current. Due to close age as well as similar tempers, Ron was Ginny's favourite brother. She doubted he would take Hermione's relationship to Percy lightly in longer term. But it was their problem, and their lives were the ones on the line. She had to let them sort it out for themselves.

But if their passion was close in magnitude to the passion she shared with Harry...it had to come out and rise to the top. And the sooner the better, for everyone involved. Percy was her brother as well, and she felt bad enough for Christina as it was.

= = =

Ron was on pins and needles about the date. Or more truthfully, he was on pins and needles about finally seeing Hermione on a date. Even if it wasn't with him, exactly.

Actually witnessing Hermione being datesy with someone else and someone else kissing her was a whole different thing than all those times imagining what she did with Viktor Krum and whatever Viktor Krum used to do to her. Not that he ever really wanted to think about that as it brought down indescribable pain, but he couldn't exactly help himself there.

He had spent hours late at night with the picture of Krum shagging Hermione into the mattress stuck in his head. He had pictured what Krum would say (which was usually what Ron himself would have said if it was him shagging her) and then how she would respond, either verbally or not. Both responses, as imagined as they had been had made him feel equally miserable; Hermione perhaps stroking or kissing or sucking Krum...or talking dirty to him.

That would probably make Ron lose his mind! The rare times he had heard Hermione speak in expletives had made the hairs on his neck stand out and his cock harden so that he'd had to hide his crotch behind a desk or under a pillow - not that she'd probably notice his bits but he would have died if she did. If simply hearing her curse had affected him so, what would it actually do to him if she said some of the things he imagined her saying to the Bulgarian seeker. Fuck me. Fuck me harder. Give me all you've got you tosser.

Ron half grimaced, half chuckled to himself. So what if "tosser" wasn't the most common term of endearment? It got him wild, didn't it? And she would call him something sweeter afterwards, when she would be lying down all sweaty, glowing and grateful.

Oh bugger, not again. He had no time for his swelling privates now. Down!

One certain thought was able to sober up his thoughts as quickly as a cold shower though. She was too good. Too good for that Bulgarian berk that had ditched her or his grouchy brother or most of all him!

There was no way, no how that he could ever allow himself to forget how badly he had failed her. First he had acted like a humongous git and abandoned her with Harry in a jealous rage. He had been convinced of the whispers, the knowing glances and even the way Harry had conveniently broken it off with Ginny. It had all made horrible sense in his head, proving to him without a shadow of a doubt what he had feared for years. The picture he saw was gruesome; Harry and Hermione wanted eagerly to get rid of him to be able to finally be alone together and fuck like rabid bunnies.

The locket whispered terrible things to him and for some still unknown reason he seemed to have been more susceptible to it than the others. During the short moments when the Horcrux was off his neck everything had seemed better, subtler, almost normal again. Still, he had had his doubts. Why would a brilliant, beautiful witch like Hermione want a poor sod like him when he had Harry bleeding Potter to choose from. And of course she had; in his Horcrux-manipulated, twisted mind Ginny was of no consequence to Harry. That was why he got so furious when Harry didn't seem to care enough of his sister and her apparent struggles back at Hogwarts. He was ashamed of it now.

His leaving had nearly gotten Harry and Hermione killed at Godric's Hollow. He doubted he could have survived if they had died. If she had died. And later, as if his cowardly departure hadn't been enough, he had been forced to listen to how the girl he loved screamed and whimpered horribly, unable to do anything at all. Even that hadn't been the worst part; unbelievably so. As young as he had been, Ron hadn't been na�ve to the point of stupidity. For the whole time it was happening, he had been all too aware of what Fenrir Greyback's plans for Hermione had been. The looming, likely threat of her brutal rape and near inevitable death had pulsated in his chest and throbbed behind his temples like a physical, incapacitating pain. He had been useless as a sack of dung. All the dangerous adventures he had been through with his two best friends had taught him nothing about detaching himself at the moment of crisis and thinking calmly. Thank Merlin Harry had been able to do that.
Maybe subconsciously, he reflected, one of the main reasons he wanted to trade Quidditch for law enforcement was that with a tough enough crash course, reintegration into the MLE...and all of his best effort, maybe next time (if there ever was one) he would do better. And he could make Hermione proud.

= = =

Christina charmed her hair into springy corkscrew curls and examined herself carefully in Ron's enchanted mirror. Ron had no patience or interest in female ablutions so he gave her enough peace to work her magic. Perhaps sadly, the charms she was best at were cosmetic.

"What a pretty crumpet!" exclaimed the mirror, "A man could go blind from the mere presence of such dazzling beauty."

Christina smiled, but didn't reply. Instead she did a little spin as the mirror ooohd and aahd appreciatively. Then she put on the last touches in the forms of pale pink lipstick and pearl earrings.
Ron was already waiting for her in the front room, wearing dark grey dressrobes and a maroon tie. He had taken time to comb out his hair that was getting long again and putting on some aftershave. The fact that one of the top notes was fresh grass was merely a coincidence.

"Ron...honestly...how do I look?" Christina asked demurely, smoothing down invisible creases in her long and slinky blue dress that made a rather nice contrast next to her blonde hair, even if she thought so herself. For once Ronald seemed to agree. He whistled and told her she looked divine, and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Christina purred in delight and kissed him back full on the lips.

"Thank you darling. I could kiss you all over, all night, but we better dash or we'll be late."

= = =

Percy straightened his tie in front of the bedroom mirror. Next, he polished his glasses and reapplied the cleanliness charm on them. His red hair had grown a tad too long so he had had to slick it down to make it look as nice and tidy as he liked.

Percy looked at the time.

It paid to be punctual. He had exactly one minute and thirty seconds to apparate to Hermione's. From there they would Side-Along-Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron where Ronald and Christina would be waiting.
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Engagement