Deal-Breaker [Ron Weasley]

3. A New Look

"That was a really good start with Dean. You guys are practically married," Ron teased as I took my seat next to him.

"Oh yes, and how far have you gotten?" I shot.

He raised his eyebrows and bit his lip knowingly, but didn't respond.

I elbowed him in the arm. "Who?" I demanded.

"You don't get to know," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, I still haven't talked to her. Just an idea, you know?"

"You saw me talking to Dean, you have to tell me," I pleaded.

"No," he snapped, grabbing his book and flipping through the pages in front of him. "Now pay attention. Don't get us in trouble again like yesterday."

I pursed my lips and got out my own textbook as Ron just grinned.

~

"So, what are you up to now?" I asked Ron after classes ended for the day. "Going to talk to that mystery girl?"

"Yeah," he sighed as we rounded the corner into the common room, spotting Hermione and Harry in the back area on the rug.

"Is she here?" I asked, glancing around at the other Gryffindor students that were studying and chatting with their friends.

Ron's face turned bright red. "Maybe..." he trailed off, shooting a quick look at a group of girls to our left.

There sat Padma and Parvati Patil with Lavender Brown. The three girls laughed together as Ron stared at them, surveying how he was going to go about his next move.

"So, which one?" I asked as Ron broke his gaze and turned back to face me.

"Lavender. I feel like she has a thing for me," he boasted confidently, sticking out his chest.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, rolling his shoulders back and circling his head to stretch his neck in preparation for going to talk to her. "Okay, I'm going in."

"Good luck!" I jeered, cheering mockingly as he walked over to them. I turned back to Harry and Hermione to watch the show with them.

"Merlin, who's he talking to now?" Harry asked exasperatedly, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Lavender," I sighed. "Apparently she 'has a thing' for him," I laughed, and the three of us reluctantly turned our heads to watch the scene go down.

We were too far that we were out of ear shot, but we could judge what was going on based on Ron's facial expressions. He stood nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted back. He looked hot trying to flirt. If what Ron said about Lavender was true, then she'd be all over him.

Their conversation ensued, Lavender laughing politely at whatever Ron had said. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Eventually, their chat ended, and Ron spun around on his heels with a big, goofy grin spread across his face.

"So?" I asked once he sat down on the couch next to me. "How'd it go?"

"Great if you ask me," he gloated, leaning back on the couch and putting his hands behind his head. "She totally has a thing for me."

"Did you ask her to the ball?" Hermione asked, sitting criss cross on the carpet.

"No, no. Just talked to her, that's all," Ron replied, still smiling like an idiot.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Just stuff," Ron shrugged, clearly very satisfied with himself,

"Are you going to ask her to the ball?" I asked. "You know, as a first step to the girlfriend thing."