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“Is that him?”
Miss Hermione Granger turned her head, taking in the sudden excitement and giggling of the other debutants around her. She stared in the same direction as the other girls, but her shorter stature and refusal to wear heeled shoes made it next to impossible to see over the other heads of those around her.
“He’s so handsome,” said one of the other girls, Miss Lavender Brown, and Hermione sighed to herself as she tried to push through the crowd of girls and their mamas.
She made her way to the front of the crowd, only seeing the Weasley family, who were hosting the ball they were at tonight. The eldest Weasley son had gone off and married a French debutant with a large dowery; while the second son had refused marriage and deflected to the church; the third son had married the prized debutant of the season upon her coming out; while the twins had both found brides out in the country and only now returned to London to care of their businesses; and then their was the only Weasley daughter, who married their close family friend, Viscount Potter.
Hermione had known there was another son, but she hadn’t heard anything about him, other than he was the closest friend of Lord Potter, having introduced him to his younger sister.
“He’s very tall,” said one of the other girls behind her, and Hermione bit her lip as she eyed the last Weasley brother.
He was technically the second son in terms of inheritance, with his oldest brother taking over his wife’s family line and the twins both deflecting out to the countryside most of the year. The third son had taken over the family’s finances and with the other brother’s deflections, that made the youngest son second in line for his family.
Especially as the Lord Weasley only had daughters in the last few years.
“I wonder who he’ll dance with first?” said one of the Patil twins from beside Hermione, and she glanced at her and then around the room. “I hope he is a good dancer.”
Hermione hoped that he could hold a proper conversation for longer than a few minutes. She was growing tired of these brain dead ‘gentlemen’ who only seemed to keep up a conversation about one or maybe two interesting topics before falling off the carriage.
“Hermione, you should go first,” said Lavender from behind her, and Hermione rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to be the baby pigmy puff of the group.
“I’m good,” said Hermione, and she walked away from the other debutants as the gentlemen started to descend on them. She had a different plan, different idea of how she wanted to spend her evening.
She grabbed a glass of lemonade, then under the guise of looking for the powder room, she slipped out of the large ballroom and down the hallway away from the entrance. She had learned a long time ago the best ways to go unnoticed in the noise of a ballroom, how to slip out and escape.
She found the library easily, and had a book open in her hands, the moonlight shining in the perfect light to read by.
“I see I’m not the only one in need of an escape,” said a voice, and Hermione squeaked and dropped her book, “no need to be scared, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Hermione bent down to grab her book, the same time that he did, their heads colliding.
“Ow, fuck,” he cursed, straightening up and rubbing his forehead. “Damnit sorry again.”
Hermione giggled to herself as he handed her the book and smiled at her, rubbing a spot on his forehead. “Oh, I know who you are.”
She blushed now, taking in the sight of the youngest Weasley son, he was handsome, and tall, the other girls had been right about that. He had perfectly blue eyes, and red hair like firelight, he was pale too with more freckles than she could ever imagine counting, but it seemed to add to his charm, along with the dimples in his smile.
“Ron Weasley, sixth son,” he said, offering her his hand, “and you’re Miss Hermione Granger, my sisters Audrey and Ginny have told me about you.”
“Really?” asked Hermione, raising a single eyebrow, and he smiled just a little bigger.
“They told me that you’d rather have your head in a book than be on the dance floor, and that you have many ideas of how to farm better and also treat house elves and other creatures much better than…well I won’t talk ill of the others out there,” said Ron, and Hermione blushed again, she had never had anyone be so…so interested in her and her thoughts.
“I’m sorry I haven’t heard much about you Lord Weasley,” said Hermione and he snorted, sounding completely ungentlemanly. “But you did get one thing wrong, I do love to dance, I just haven’t found a partner worth my time out there.”
“Well then,” said Ron, offering his hand to her once more, “I’ve always liked a challenge Miss Granger, and please, call me Ron.”
“Then please call me Hermione.”
She didn’t know then, as she stood up and he pulled her into his arms for a waltz to no music, that less than a year later she would be holding their first daughter and dancing with her in another library, while Ron laughed and watched them.
Head over broomstick in love.