108A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Disclaimer: Let's see… three kids? Nope. Husband? Nope. Enough money that I could probably do the backstroke in it? Nope. Okay guess I'm not JK Rowling.
Everyone was staring. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were walking to class on Halloween morning. Hermione had a smug look on her face and Ron was blushing more and more by the minute. Harry and Ginny were laughing manically. When they reached the dungeons everyone turned towards Ron and stared at his McGonagall attire.
'Mr. Weasley!' roared Snape. 'That costume is not appropriate. One hundred points from Gryffindor!' All of the Slytherins burst into laughter while the Gryffindors looked murderous.
Harry came up to Ron and put his hand on his shoulder. 'Hey mate, I can't let your little drag show ruin the Quidditch team's reputation. You're off the team.'
Ron shot up abruptly in bed. His breath was ragged and he was soaked in sweat. He had been having these nightmares all week. He thanked Merlin that Hermione hadn't suggested her idea to Ginny. Although she did manage to use it as blackmail whenever he had asked her for help on an essay.
He slowly cracked open his bed curtains. Moonlight was shining through the windows. 'It must be about midnight,' thought Ron. He glanced on the floor and saw a pile of bright orange robes. His Chudley Cannons costume. Comforted by the fact that in a few short hours he would be wearing Quidditch robes and not McGonagall's, Ron closed his curtains, laid back down and fell asleep.
Hermione awoke to someone jumping on her bed. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that it was Ginny. She groaned and glanced at her watch. It was six-thirty. In the morning!
"Giiiiiiinnnnny! It's too early!" Hermione rolled over and buried her head into her pillow.
"Hermione, come on. We have to get into our costumes." Hermione was wide awake. She stood up and ran to the door.
"Well are you coming or not?" Ginny just rolled her eyes at her friend and followed her to her own dorm. Hermione had given up asking Ginny about her costume early in the week. After about the hundredth time on Monday, Ginny had threatened Hermione with a very strong Bat Bogey Hex. They all had gone to Hogsmeade last weekend and gotten their costumes. Ginny had made sure that Hermione didn't see what was in her bags and as soon as she got back to the castle, had locked them in her trunk with a spell even Hermione couldn't get past.
When Ginny got to her dorm she found Hermione at the foot of her bed trying to pry open her trunk. Ginny laughed and walked over to her. She unlocked the trunk with a wave of her wand and opened it. Hermione lunged for the trunk, but Ginny pushed her away. She brought out two large bags and sat down on her bed with them. Hermione came over and sat across from her.
"Come on, let me see."
"Patience is a virtue Hermione." Ginny giggled as Hermione pouted. She'd never seen Hermione act like this. It was fun to watch her squirm. "Okay, well let me show you mine first."
Harry woke up to the sound of moaning. He sat up and reached over for his glasses. His watch said it was seven o'clock. He glanced around and saw that all of the other boys' beds were empty except for Ron's. 'Why is Ron moaning? Oh!' Harry laughed as a thought crossed his mind. 'He's probably having another dream about Hermione.'
Harry smirked to himself as he walked over to Ron's bed. He threw back the curtains but stopped when he saw Ron. He was soaked in sweat and tossing and turning. 'Either Hermione started to beat him up or he is having another nightmare about dressing up like McGonagall.' He decided the latter was probably right. Ron had been freaking out ever since Hermione had started to threaten him with the idea. But he had to hand it to Hermione; she had done an excellent job of blackmailing him this past week.
He decided to just leave Ron alone since he knew if he woke him now he would just be cranky, and a cranky Ron was never fun. He went back to his bed and started getting ready.
"Well what do you think?" Ginny asked as she twirled around in her angel costume. It was a long, white, silk dress that had off the shoulder straps and hung past her ankles. She also had two large, beautiful, sheer wings attached to her back and had bewitched a gold halo to float above her head. Her long, red hair was in loose curls, and she had white, shimmering eye shadow on her eyelids.
"You look beautiful Ginny," Hermione squealed. "Now can I please see my costume?" Hermione had dropped to her knees and was literally begging now. Ginny had insisted that they get her ready first so that she could focus completely on Hermione. More like to torture Hermione some more.
"Yes, now it is your turn to get ready," giggled Ginny.
Hermione got up and ran over to the bed. She reached for the bag but Ginny was quicker. She slowly opened the bag and took her time removing each piece of tissue paper that was at the top of the bag, and folding it up neatly.
"Bloody hell Ginny! Hurry up!"
Ginny gasped in mock surprise. "Hermione Jane Granger. Watch your mouth!"
"Please Ginny! Please, please, please, please, please, please-"
"Okay, okay." Ginny smirked as she held the bag upside down, allowing its contents to fall onto the bed.
Hermione choked on her breath and shrieked, "You have got to be kidding me!"
Ron woke up for a second time, this time to the sunlight that shone through his now open curtains. After his eyes had adjusted to the light he glanced at his watch. It was seven thirty. 'Well. Guess I'd better get up.' He thought, as he groggily got out of bed.
"Morning mate, Happy Halloween!" said Harry. He was already dressed and was finishing tying his shoes. He was dressed in muggle clothing. A short sleeve black t-shirt, with a denim jacket over top and faded jeans.
"Good Halloween, Happy Morning," Ron muttered. With his eyes still half closed he walked over to the bathroom.
Harry chuckled. "Hurry up and get ready mate. Remember we told the girls we'd meet them in the common room at eight."
"Oh yeah. Okay," Ron said, coming out of the bathroom.
"I'm going down to go wait for Ginny."
Through his sleepiness Ron managed to smirk and yell, "Whipped," to Harry as he walked out the door. Harry and Ginny had been dating since the middle of the past summer. Harry had come to the burrow two weeks before his birthday. He had refused to go to Grimmauld Place after what happened to Sirius, but Ginny had been the one to convince him, telling him that everyone would be safer. Once they were there Ginny wouldn't let him lock himself away in his room, and the two had finally given into their feelings for each other.
Ron lazily put on his costume, and looked down to double check that he hadn't put them on backwards. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. 'It's Halloween. We get to find out what Hermione's costume is!' With that thought, he slipped on his shoes, grabbed his bag and broom (to complete his costume) and headed for the Common room. Harry was sitting on a couch trying to finish the potions essay that was due today.
"Harry, you do realize that that essay is due in oh… one hour and forty two minutes?"
"Thank you Hermione," hissed Harry.
Ron laughed and sat down next to him on the couch. "Speaking of Hermione, did you get it out of Ginny what her costume is yet?" Harry had been trying to get Ginny to tell him what she planned on making Hermione wear. Although Ron did not like Harry's technique (a.k.a. very long late night snogging sessions) of getting this information out of Ginny, he turned the other way since it was for Hermione. But not even Harry's… persuasiveness… could get the information out of Ginny.
"Nope. Whatever it is, she isn't going to tell me. But we'll find out soon enough." Ron nodded and turned his focus to the girl's dormitories while Harry continued to work on his essay.
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Hermione muttered. She had been pacing the room for the past ten minutes while Ginny just sat and watched.
"Come on Hermione, we need to get you ready."
Hermione stopped and turned towards her friend. "What? I am not wearing THAT!" She pointed to the incredibly small genie costume lying on the bed.
"Oh yes you are." Ginny paused for dramatic effect and then added, "Just think of what Ron will say."
"W-what? Why would I care what Ron would say?" Hermione asked a furious blush rising up her neck.
"Oh come off it Hermy. We all know you are in love with him."
"No I'm not! And stop calling me Hermy!" Hermione shrieked. Her face now matched Ginny's hair perfectly.
"Yes you are… Herms… stop denying it." She got up and walked over to her friend. "Even if you won't admit it, I know you are," she picked up the costume and shoved it into Hermione's arms, "and this is your chance."
Hermione sighed. "Merlin help me I do love him."
Ginny beamed and started to do a small happy dance. "Finally!" She came back to Hermione and gave her a big hug. The two girls were giggling uncontrollably until Hermione broke the hug.
"I'm still not wearing the costume though," she said putting her hands on her hips.
"What? But what about Ron?"
"I don't care! I have double potions today with Slytherin. Just think of what could happen. Plus I would have to walk all around school like this. Ron isn't the only one who would see me in it."
"But Hermione, that's the point. We are going to scare Ron into finally telling you how he feels."
"What do you mean how he feels?"
"Are you blind? Ron loves you too! Everybody knows it."
"R-really?"
"Yes!" Ginny said exasperated.
"Okay! I'll do it."
"Really? Oh great!" Ginny enveloped Hermione in another hug. "But we have to hurry. We have to meet the boys in twenty minutes."
Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and started getting changed.
"Ugh… where are they?"
"Don't worry Ron. They've still got about five minutes." Harry had finished his essay and then joined Ron in staring at the girl's staircase. He knew Ginny had decided to be an angel, (which was still funny to him since Ginny was usually no angel) but he still hadn't seen her costume.
The common room was empty except for them and everyone was down in the Great Hall eating already. The boys sat in silence for a few minutes more, until they heard footsteps from the top of the stairs. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw her. She was beautiful and seemed to actually be glowing. He got up and met her at the bottom of the stairs. He leaned down and kissed her softly. When he pulled back he took her hand and spun her around so that he could see her properly.
"Ginny you look beautiful."
"Thank you," Ginny said, her cheeks turning a faint pink.
"Yeah Gin you look great," added Ron coming over to them, "but I thought you two were dressing as a couple. I don't get it."
"Well I am going as a muggle."
"Wow, very original Harry. Come up with that one all by yourself?" asked Ron, smirking.
"Haha. Anyway, and Ginny here is my guardian angel," he said taking her hand. As an afterthought he added, "Except that isn't really a costume. She really is my guardian angel."
"Oh, Harry," Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Harry put his hands on her hips and kissed her back.
After a few seconds Ron cleared his throat loudly. They broke apart but still stared into each other's eyes. "Ginny, where's Hermione?" He was dying to see what her costume was. 'Why isn't she down here yet?' he thought.
Ginny shook herself out of her thoughts and turned towards Ron. "Eagar are we, big brother?" she asked smirking.
Ron's ears turned bright red, clashing terribly with his orange robes. "I'm just curious."
"I know you are. I believe you both have waited long enough." She paused and cleared her throat. "Boys, may I present Miss Hermione Granger!"
Ron and Harry's heads turned to the 6th year girls' dormitory. A few seconds later the door slowly opened and Hermione came out.
A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to update. I hope to have the next chapter up sooner. But I'll only do that if you guys review. I know the Harry and Ginny stuff was a little corny but bear with me. I love the cheesy romance stuff. So…Hmmm. What will Ron's reaction be? I wonder. Review please!