Diamonds And Rubies

Chapter 10: The Halloween Ball

I tried to stop my feelings

but I can't get enough

girl I crave for your love

don't stop this fantasy

let me know that you can be with me

please relieve this agony

you could never ever find another

lover who could love you like

I could

and you would never ever need another

if you let me love you

-Tyrese Do You Need

Ron was in his dorm on Halloween, preparing himself for the ball that was to start in a couple of hours. He kept thinking back to how weird but yet how normal it was being around Hermione, Ginny, and Malfoy a couple of days ago in Hogsmeade, as well as his encounter with Harry.

*FLASHBACK*

Ginny, Draco, Hermione, and a very cautious Ron went to Hogsmeade to get their costumes. Ron found it weird that Draco had actually paid for Ginny's costume but he decided to stay quiet about it, determined to observe without anyone else knowing. Besides, he had much more on his mind.

Hermione and Ron had agreed to go as founders Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor. They had found the perfect costumes for themselves, and on the way to Three Broomsticks, he had passed by the jewelry stone and had seen a necklace in the window that he felt would look wonderful on Hermione.

He told the others to go ahead of him, claiming to has forgotten something at the costume store. When they were out of sight he went into the jewelry store to inquire about the necklace.

The man in the store allowed him to look at it closer. It was silver with what looked like a very expensive diamond on the charm. 'Too expensive now' thought Ron 'but maybe by Christmas, saving up allowance and bugging Fred and George, I could possibly get it'.

He memorized the amount and asked was there any way that it could possibly be set aside for him. The kind man allowed it. He left the store pretty happy and ran into Harry, walking with Seamus and Dean. Harry had been avoiding his best friends for a few days now, and Ron was pretty pissed about it.

Ron grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him into a nearby alley. "Ron what the bloody hell!" Harry yelled.

"I should ask the same of you mate! What in the bloody fuck are you doing taking some other girl to the ball?! Is something wrong with my damn sister all of a sudden?!" said Ron, fists clenched.

Harry glared at his friend. "It isn't that, Ron. She and I have been going through a lot. Last argument we had, it seemed as if she didn't want to go anymore, so I agreed to go with Susan as friends. I couldn't very well go by myself."

"You could have at least made up with her and talked about it, Harry. You're being bloody stupid. And even though you're my best mate, at the end of the day, I have to defend my sister." scolded Ron.

Harry nodded. "I understand that. I wouldn't expect different. Look, maybe she and I can talk at the ball or afterwards. Every time I've tried to talk to her since Susan, she hasn't wanted to hear anything I've had to say. So Imma just give her the time to cool off, okay?"

Ron nodded. "Just stop hurting my sister Harry. I can't keep sitting here watching her be pissed over you."

"Noted. I'll fix things soon Ron, I promise." said Harry, as they shook hands and then went their separate ways.