Making My Move
By BluJae
Disclaimer: Characters and setting belong to J.K. Rowling. Plot was inspired by the Filipino song "Tameme," meaning "Shy," by Jolina Magdangal and the Filipino movie this song appeared in, "Flames."
Chapter 1: Everyone Knows
He's looking at me again. My back is turned to him, but I can still feel the gaze of his wonderfully blue eyes. As Professor McGonagall turned to write something on the chalk board, I turned in my chair to face him and mouthed, "What?"
At first, those beautiful eyes went wide with shock. I didn't think he'd expected me to turn as I did, being in class and all. A second later, he seemed to have gotten over his shock and shook his head, making his scarlet hair bounce and shine in the sunlight that flowed through the windows. Then he slowly turned his gaze away from me and down towards the parchment on his desk (which was blank, I noticed).
Knowing that he wasn't going to look back up at me any time soon and that Professor McGonagall can turn from writing on the board at any second, I turned around and faced the front of the class once again.
It was always like this. I know I've given him plenty of hints. And there was that one time after the Yule Ball last year where I made that big slip that Parvati and Lavender still quoted. "Ask me before someone else does and not as a last resort."
I know he likes me. And I know that he knows that I like him. He's just so…so annoyingly shy, which is really weird since Ronald Weasley is hardly ever shy. Either that, or maybe he doesn't think I like him. Maybe he still has doubts. What did he want me to do, blurt it out? Spell it out for him, even?
The rest of the class passed with Ron still looking at the back of my head. Finally, the hour came to an end and Professor McGonagall dismissed us. Good, I thought, now I could ask Ron what his problem is. A huge part of me hoped that when I did ask, he'll finally admit it. Then we'll be together, and hold hands in the corridor, and kiss in the common room, and he'd hug me when I'm cold—
"We'll see you later, Hermione," Ron said, getting ready to walk away, Harry by his side.
I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I wasn't able to get up off my chair fast enough to corner him. But he wasn't gone yet.
"What? Now? Where are you two going?" I asked in quick successions while getting up.
They both turned to me with curious looks on their faces.
"Don't you remember, Hermione," Harry began, "we told you this morning that Alicia wanted the team to meet after our last classes? Something about some new plays for the game in three weeks."
"Oh," I said quietly as I tries to recall this morning's event. Yup, they did tell me that. "Oh, right," I said sheepishly. "Guess I forgot."
"You all right?" Ron sounded concerned. I love when Ron was concerned about me. He makes me feel all happy and important whenever he asks questions like that. It's a wonderful feeling to have someone care about you. At that moment, "all right" was not enough to describe how incredible I felt. But I wasn't going to say that to him. No way am I going to give in first.
"Yeah. I'm fine," I tell him. I know I'm being old fashion. But that's how I am. It's how I was taught growing up. The guy has to make the first move. Didn't Victor? Then again, Victor didn't have that same low self-esteem problem that Ron had. Didn't Ron know that he needn't be anything else? That I like him for him? That everything he is is perfect in every way? Well, to me anyways.
"Okay then," Ron suddenly said, successfully breaking my thoughts. "We'll see you later." Ron and Harry turned to go, but before they reached the door, they turned in my direction and shot me a glance. They're worried about me.
How lovely. The guy that I like and the guy who's the closest thing I'll ever have to a brother cared about me. I feel grand. I feel wonderful. I feel like the queen of all the wizarding world. I feel like I could fly. I feel like—
"Uh, Hermione?" I turned around and see Parvati and Lavender there. I blushed and they giggled. I guess the happiness showed on my face. Am I that obvious to everyone?
"Yes?" I asked them.
"Why do you put yourself through this?" Lavender questioned with a smile. She exchanged a look with Parvati and they both made they're way towards me to help with my books.
Together, we made our way back to the Gryffindor common room.
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