Moira | Harry Potter

Chapter Eighteen

Story: Moira
Chapter Eighteen: Experimenting Dishes

The day of the second task was weeks away and the tension was building up among the competing schools. As promised to Hermione, Ginny told Alarie about the second task. Although suspicious at the start, Alarie believed her and even thanked her.

It was a Sunday afternoon so Neville and Luna was picnicking on the Hogwarts grounds. Draco and Astoria were in the Slytherin common room, probably snogging each other's faces off. Harry and Ginny were in the library doing Merlin knows what leaving only Ron and Hermione alone at the Gryffindor common room.

"This room is much warmer than ours at Durmstrang," Ron complimented, looking around. They were sitting in front of the fireplace. Hermione smiled at him then went back to her book Defense Against the Darkest Arts. Her eyes were glancing through the pages but her brain wasn't processing the information. Ron seemed to prove a great distraction to her.

"Your house is?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Basilisk. Known for cunning, I know but blimey, I wanted to be with Harry!"

"Harry's godfather is your father, right?" Hermione asked. She looked up to see Ron nod. "Then, Harry's parents were close to your dad. Don't they know about your. . . well, mum?"

A look of apprehension dawned on his freckled face. "They might have but they are not here."

"They left Harry? Why? Where are they?" she probed.

"They died. Dad said that they were infected by some muggle disease. Master saved Harry from the disease when he was a baby so he partially raised Harry. Unfortunately, Master couldn't save his parents," Ron answered, looking down. Hermione took his nearest hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I probed too far."

Ron smiled weakly at her before looking around as if searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked.

"Just a sandwich," Ron answered, causing Hermione to chuckle lightly. Ron grinned in response. "Y'know Hermione, I really did enjoy going to the ball with you."

"I did too, Ron."

"So. . . can you become a new dish for me to experiment on?"

"What?"

"Look, there's this new dish Uncle Regulus makes and you don't know how it tastes," Ron explained carefully. Hermione nodded looking confused. "So you take a spoon and gulp it down. If it tastes good, it becomes your favourite or else you throw it away. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"There you go, that's what I want," Ron said, looking triumphant for explaining an otherwise unexplainable thing.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, looking utterly confused. Ron frowned.

"I was asking along the lines of 'will you go out with me?' in a different manner, Hermione."

"Oh!" Hermione gasped.

"I mean. . . if the case becomes like the food you don't like, no hard feelings, gurl."

"Oh! Oh no. I mean yes. Yes, Ron. I'll go out with you and ah – try you as the dish," Hermione answered with a blush. Ron grinned widely and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"That's ruddy brilliant! Whatcha say for the next Bogusmeade trip?"

"Bogu – oh! It's Hogsmeade," Hermione corrected. Ron shrugged. "Yeah, it sounds nice to me."