Enchanted ~ A Hermione x Draco fanfic

Ron

Why are girls so goddamn bitchy, thought Ron boredly as he watched Pansy Parkinson gossip excitedly with her newfound friend, Astoria. No doubt it was about hermione, who despite it all, had finally caught up on the homework she hadn't been doing.

Soon enough the DA meetings were back on, the snow causing a perfect excuse for them.

'Will you be coming to the next Hogsmead weekend?' Ron asked Hermione one night, using the Hogsmead weekends as cover despite the fact they were alone.

'Of course.' Hermione mumbled from the inside of a textbook. 'There's a spell I want to practice on Astoria.'

Ron's eyes widened worriedly, and he opened his mouth to argue this idea when Hermione cut him off. 'Just kidding.'

'Oh!' Ron hadn't heard Hermione make a joke in weeks, and reacted rather slowly to it. But after she'd said it, he couldn't help but not believe her. 'Are you sure?'

'She's not worth it.' Hermione sighed.

'I know, I just thought-'

'That a breakup has knocked all sense out of me? Ronald, I'm fine.' Hermione said sharply.

'C-can you not call me Ronald, it's just that's what my mum calls me when I've done something wrong...' Ron asked softly, waiting for the verbal attack that would follow.

But none did. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled from beneath her hair, which swept idly across her face as she leant forward to complete some homework. Ron tried to resist the urge to tuck the loose hair behind her ears, but badly, as seconds later his hands got the better of him.

'What are you-' she started, but her voice faded into nothingness with a mixture of shock and contentment. Her cheeks went a light pink. Ron tucked back a lock of the chocolate-brown hair with shaky fingers. Hermione was utterly still.

'Sorry- it was getting on my nerves.' Ron spluttered. He pulled his hands back quickly, as if he'd done some great offence.

'I don't mind.' Hermione said nervously, her emotions getting the better of her for a moment. Whatever she was feeling, it was a hell of a lot better than the gut-wrenching feeling of Draco with Astoria. It was tingly, like a sparkler on Bonfire night, or a 1st year's wand when they didn't know how to control it. Small and seemingly harmless until forgotten.
'Ron-' she quivered. How could she say it? What could she say that wouldn't sound abrupt and meaningless to him? Kiss me?

Before she could splutter the first word, Ron had taken the bait.

They leaned in. The buzz of the kiss surrounded them both so that it was almost audible, each of them waiting for each other.

Until Neville Longbottom burst through the portrait hole.

Ron and Hermione had never moved quicker.

'And that's how you calculate Venus' position in the sky according to your chart.' Hermione said convincingly, shoving her own planets chart into Ron's jelly-like fingers. 'Hi, Neville.'

'Of course, I get it now. Hey Neville.' Ron added not-so convincingly.

Neville saw nothing at fault and went to sit by the fire. 'Hello.' he sighed.

And without a single word to each other about the almost-kiss, Ron and Hermione went to bed almost five minutes apart, each awkwardly saying goodnight.

*~*~*

'Where have you been?! We were supposed to be finding out who's been sneaking around with Draco!' Pansy barked at Astoria, who had just appeared by the dungeon steps.

'I got kept behind by Flitwick.' Astoria lied impressively. 'I forgot to tidy away my lamp so he made me tidy away Seamus' broken bulbs. It took forever, sorry.'

Pansy took in the story with crossed arms, but unfolded them towards the end. 'Flitwick is such a rubbish teacher, isn't he?! He kept me behind last week for calling Granger a mudblood. I mean, it's only the truth!'

Astoria nodded. 'We can look around for Draco's new girlfriend tomorrow.'
Little did Pansy know, Draco would be in Hogsmead meeting his mother tomorrow, and nowhere near Astoria herself.

'That's great. I have some good news, too.'

'Great, go on, spill!' Astoria tried to refrain her anxiousness.

'Well, you know how friendly my parents are with the Black family? Or, what's left of the better ones.' Astoria nodded in reply, and Pansy continued. 'I was writing to my mother a day or two ago, asking for a favour from an old friend of the family's. she replied yesterday, and this morning I found out something.'

'What did you find out?' Astoria asked.

'She arranged with me to speak to Phineas Nigellus Black, yes, you know, an old headmaster of Hogwarts. And it was him who told me something very interesting...

'Apparently, as he was going from painting to painting around Hogwarts, he came across your sister having an argument with a certain someone.'

Astoria gulped loudly. 'What- what about? With who?'

'Oh, little Daphne was, lets just say, curious about who her sister was sneaking off with.'

'Pansy, I-' Astoria pleaded, but was cut off sharply.

'She demanded that the ghost of Slytherin, our own Bloody Baron, tell her where Astoria Greengrass kept going. Of course, the Baron wasn't easily ordered, and called Filch on her, seeing as though it was past curfew for students. You're very lucky he didn't tell on you, too. What I want to know is where exactly were you?'

Astoria trembled, but replied calmly, 'I wasn't sneaking off with Draco, if that's what you think. My sister gets very paranoid sometimes, but I had to sneak out... To get something from Snape's potion stores.' She improvised, but struggled to come up with what exactly she was stealing.

And Pansy wanted to know exactly that. 'Come on, spit it out!'

Then Astoria had the perfect idea. 'I was going to make it a surprise, for Christmas.' Astoria smirked. 'I've been collecting a truth serum. Little amounts each week, so Snape will think there's just a leak in the bottle. Once I had enough I thought we could use it to find out who Draco's meeting with.' Astoria smiled at her own excuse.

Pansy was speechless. 'You really are the most devious person I've ever met. It's perfect!' She squealed.

*~*~*~*

A/N ~ sorry I've been so long updating, I don't have much of an excuse, except I'm lazy and have a cold at the moment. *lame excuse* but anyway, I really hope you enjoy what I've written, despite the clicheness (is that a word?) and if you like it, feel free to vote, comment and/or add to your reading list!
Love ya!

~Anna the tetrahydrocannabinol. (I have no idea what it means but it has anna in it, so yeah)