"HOW WAS IT, THEN?" RON GRUMBLED, sliding into the seat next to where paris usually sat at the table. most of the gryffindors had already got used to seeing her sat there, and the teachers didn't notice much. however, today she was nowhere to be found.
"how was what?" hermione asked, putting down the daily prophet.
"your dinner party?" he frowned.
"pretty boring, actually. though i think harry enjoyed dessert." hermione grinned. "slughorn is having a christmas-do, you know? and we're supposed to bring someone."
"i expect you'll be bringing paris?" ron said, although he wasn't saying it rudely, more as a sincere question.
harry looked at hermione expectantly. the girls had been neglecting their feelings for eachother for too long, and he was desperate to get them together, for once and for all.
"well..." hermione begun.
"hermione!"
"let me finish. i was actually going to ask if you two could help me ask her to go with me."
"it's not that hard, hermione. you just ask." ron shrugged. "it's just a christmas party— it's not a big deal."
"shouldn't you be getting ready for your quidditch game?" hermione furrowed her eyebrows at him, looking back down at the newspaper.
"hermione, just ask her. she obviously won't say no." harry nodded.
"you don't know that for sure."
"i do know that she likes you. and you know it too. just get it over with."
"okay!" hermione huffed anxiously, fiddling with the necklace the previously-mentioned girl had gotten her last christmas. "i'll do it later— at the quidditch party."
"that's if we win." ron gulped.
"what's up with you?" paris asked, sliding in next to the boy. "yikes. look at the state of you."
"i'm resigning." he fussed, his cheeks flushed with nervousness. "after today's match— mclaggen can have my spot."
"suit yourself." harry shrugged. "juice?" he pushed a chalice across the table towards him.
"good luck today, ron." lavender came up next to the table. "hi, paris. thanks for earlier!" the girl smiled, before hurrying off, giggling.
"thanks for what?" hermione frowned.
"don't worry about it." paris dismissed, buttering some toast, although the girl did the exact opposite.
"hello everyone," luna greeted. "you look dreadful, ron." she turned to harry. "is that why you put something in his cup? is it a tonic?"
paris frowned, looking at harry, but hermione said what she was thinking first. "liquid luck..."
"is that allowed?" paris asked, half-grinning.
"no! it's not!" hermione snapped. "don't drink it, ron!" the boy ignored her, bringing the chalice to his lips and downing it. "you could be expelled for that."
"don't know what you're talking about." harry shrugged mischievously.
"come on, harry." ron grinned, standing up excitedly. "we've got a game to win!"
EVERYONE WAS GATHERED IN THE gryffindor common room, celebrating gryffindor's quidditch win against ravenclaw.
ron was stood in the middle of the circle, relishing in the cheers and chants of his name.
"ron! ron! ron! ron!"
"you really shouldn't have done it." hermione shook her head in disapproval.
"i know." harry shrugged, pulling the vial of liquid luck out of his pocket, all of the potion still inside.
"you didn't put it in?"
harry shook his head. "nope."
"ron only thought you did?"
"mhm." he hummed. "anyway, don't you have something you need to do?" he nodded over to paris, who was sat in the corner.
hermione nodded, taking a deep breath. "don't give me that look."
she started off towards the brunette, but stopped in her tracks when she saw lavender brown approaching her, whispering to her and laughing, before kissing her cheek and skipping away.
hermione gulped, a lump forming in her throat, and one by one, tears threatened to spill down her face. she spun around quickly, hurrying off out of the room.
"thank you again for helping me out, paris." lavender smiled happily.
"no problem, it's fine." paris nodded. "i'm sure ron will say yes! go talk to him!"
"go talk to hermione!" lavender urged. "tell me how it goes when you ask her." she whispered, before kissing paris on the cheek and bounding off towards ron.
paris nodded, taking a deep breath and standing up from the red sofa, heading into the direction where she had last saw hermione and harry, stood by the edge of the crowd.
but she was gone.
lara speaks everyone always makes lavender a villain why does no one like her lol