The Sun, Moon & Stars

85. Proposal Anxiety

"I just meant..." Ron fumbled, "You could go with me."

Ophelia bit her lip in anticipation of her response.

"No, I can't." She replied shortly, making her heart drop.

"What? Yes you can! You aren't going with anyone." Ron stammered.

"And just how would you know that?" She questioned, eyebrows raised.

"I just do." Ron chose to answer with, which Ophelia immediately knew was not the correct way to respond based off of her reaction.

She stood up abruptly, furiously packing her things away, "Just because it's taken you three and a half years to notice, doesn't mean that everybody else was unaware I'm a girl."

"And for the record, I am going with somebody. I've already been asked, Ronald." She snapped, slinging her bag over her shoulder before handing her book to Snape, and storming out of the library.

That was news to Ophelia. Hermione hadn't mentioned anything about already having a date, but she would inquire about that at a later time, she decided, as she turned to Ron.

"Good one." Ophelia muttered, shaking her head.

"What did I do?"

"You're a girl? You're a girl? That's your amazing pick-up line?" She huffed.

"Well, she is!" Ron sighed angrily, "And she's lying, she hadn't been asked!"

"You're real charming, Ron." Ophelia snapped, "How would you know if she's been asked or not? And why does that surprise you so much? She's smart, she's beautiful, and she's undeserving of a date that chooses her as a last resort!"

Ron fumed, "Well what about you, then?"

"What about me?" Ophelia hissed, suddenly feeling very offended at his tone.

"Will you go with me?"

"That's your attempt at sweeping me off my feet?"

"I just need somebody to go with!" He argued.

"No." Ophelia snapped, "I will not go with you."

"But you don't have a date!"

"How would you know?"

"You don't! And you're our friend! You're supposed to help us out." Ron frowned, and Harry just had his head in his hands, not wanting to jump into this delightful conversation.

Ophelia stood up, collecting her own things now, "I will go to the ball with Harry, as friends, if he can't find a date."

"What about me?"

"Harry is required to have a partner. You — on the other hand — are not." She said shortly, briefly noticing the grateful look Harry gave her, "And quite frankly, you deserve to go alone. You've been picky and rude from the start, and not asking people because their noses aren't centred? You're a good person, Ron. You would have gotten a date if you didn't have such high and unrealistic standards."

She turned to leave, "I'll see you both later."

Harry merely waved as she went, and Ron turned back to his homework, fuming, as Snape slapped them both on the face with a book.