What Are You Trying To Say?

 

Summary: With Hallowe'en at Hogwarts, comes candy-grams. What happens when mayhem ensues, and Ron's seemingly flawless plan turns into a Hallowe'en nightmare? R/H if it's not already sunk in.

Category: The Great Hall.

Disclaimer: I in no way take claim for JK's brilliance. Although, I may claim them for lack of use if she doesn't get her butt in gear and finish OotP...

 

            "And so, we will be taking example from Gilderloy Lockhart, in sending anonymous messages to each other this year at Hallowe'en," said Dumbledore to the students in the Great Hall at breakfast on October the twenty first.

 

            Remembering the Valentine's day incident in his second year, Harry visibly cringed at the thought of a walking pumpkin with a harp, delivering love songs and candy.

 

            "Although, there will be no singing, as Gilderloy is sadly not here to persuade any dwarves to do so," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling, "Basically, these candy grams are a card to be filled out by the sender, and will be delivered to the adressee containing the candy of the sender's choice."

 

****

 

            Ever since Dumbledore's announcement, Ron had been trying to think of a way to pull off sending Hermione a candy-gram without looking like an idiot. It seemed impossible.

 

            'I've just got to grit my teeth and do it,' thought Ron, 'What's preventing me from sending candy to a friend anyway?'

 

            But Hermione wasn't just a friend. Ron knew it, he just didn't want to admit it.

 

            Charms, the last class of the day was almost over, and Ron had resolved to send it at dinner, when everyone would be in the Great Hall, so he could do it without being watched.

 

            The bell rang, signifying the end of class, and Ron quickly got up and hurried to the owlery. The class schedule that day included a late start, so dinner was right after class.

 

            "Ron, where are you off to?" asked Hermione concertedly.

 

            "Uh... uh, ahem-no where," he said would-be-casually, leaning his elbow up to the wall. But he miscalculated the distance, and stumbled. He got up, ears pink, and strode off toward the Great Hall, then turned on his heel, in the direction of the owlery.

 

            "What's with him?" Harry asked Hermione.

 

            "I. Don't. Know," said Hermione slowly, her brows furrowing.

 

            Smooth, Ron, very smooth... he thought to himself on his way to the owlery.

 

            There was no one there when he got there. Good sign. He walked over to the display, and picked up a piece of parchment.

 

            Dear Hermione,

I know I can be a big git a lot of the time, but it's for a reason...

Have you figured it out yet?

Love,

Ron

 

            Good, thought Ron, even though it had taken him a quarter of an hour to write. He put down the quill, and put the parchment in the slot. Instantly, a bat popped up from behind the box. It seemed very eager, and kept flying around in circles.

 

            Hmm, a bat version of Pig, mused Ron to himself. The bat was carrying another piece of parchment in his mouth. Curious, Ron cautiously removed it from the animal's teeth.

 

            Choose your candy:

___Fizzing Whizbees  ___Blood Lollies  ___Sugar Quills  ___Cockroach Clusters

 

            Instantly, Ron checked the line beside "Sugar Quills". After reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them back in First Year, Ron vowed never to touch Fizzing Whizbees ever again. Other than that, Sugar Quills appeared to be the only humanly edible thing on the list.

 

            The parchment poofed out of sight, and Ron could swear the bat had winked at him. The bat also flew out of sight, and Ron knew there was no going back now. He left the owlery.

 

            A sinister-looking jack-o-lantern hopped off the Owlery window, and into the room, with the bat Ron threw out the window's wing sticking out from the side of its lid. It grew long arms, and reached up inside its lid, and pulled out the wounded bat. It also pulled out a blood red quill from inside itself. On Ron's note, which was attached to the bat's leg, the jack-o-lantern crossed out "Hermione" and wrote, "Voldemort". The evil jack-o-lantern cackled insanely, hobbled back to the window-sill,  reattached the note to the bat's leg, and tossed it into the night. It then grew wings, and flew out the window.

 

            Gloomily, Ron walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room without eating dinner.

 

            He crawled through the portrait hole, and saw Harry and Hermione playing chess near the fire.

 

            "Where've you been, mate?" asked Harry.

 

            "No where," said Ron, "I think I'll go to bed."

 

            With questioning looks from Harry and Hermione, Ron walked up the boys staircase to bed.

 

******

 

            Not a day passed without Ron regretting the note he sent.

 

            'What if she laughs?' he thought anxiously, 'What if she just sits there and laughs?'

 

            Finally, Hallowe'en morning arrived, and Ron wished to stay in his dormitory all day. Harry reminded him that that wasn't possible.

 

            Begrudgingly, Ron got dressed, and went downstairs to breakfast.

 

            The day passed slowly, but not slowly enough for Ron's liking. The candy-gram could arrive at any time, and Ron feared it would happen in Potions' class.

 

            When the bell rang, signifying the end of Snape's class, Ron began to breathe again.

 

            "Honestly, Ron, what did you eat for breakfast this morning?" asked Hermione.

 

            "Umm, cereal, why?" he answered.

 

            "Because you look like you might be sick," said Harry.

 

            "Oh let me alone, I'll be fine," said Ron indignantly.

 

            Hermione and Harry exchanged worried glances as they made their way back to the Common Room.

 

            When it was time for dinner, Ron was positively green.

 

            "Are you sure you're all right?" asked Hermione, putting a hand on Ron's arm.

 

            "Yes, I'm fine, can we go now?" he snapped.

 

            Hermione narrowed her eyes, gave Ron an appraising sort of look, and said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were scared of something."

 

            "Oh, bloody hell, Hermione, would you leave me alone!?" said Ron, tearing his arm away from Hermione's grasp.

 

            Harry was chuckling softly, as he pushed the portrait hole open to let his friends through.

 

            Ron barely ate a thing through the Feast, and half way through, a swarm of bats exploded into the Great Hall.

 

            'This is it,' thought Ron. But nothing came. As the bats flew around, delivering candy and cards, not one bat came near Hermione.

 

            'What the h'-

 

            But Ron's thoughts were interrupted by the doors to the Great Hall flinging open.

 

            Voldemort was in Hogwarts Castle.

 

            "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" he yelled, a piece of parchment in his hand, "AND WHO IS RON?"

 

            Ron almost fainted.  Slowly he stood up and raised his hand.

 

            "What do you think you're playing at, boy?" he said as he walked briskly toward the Gryffindor table, "It takes more than Sugar Quills to win over Lord Voldemort!"

 

            If that morning was anything to go by, Ron turned ten shades greener.

 

            "I want CARNAGE!" Voldemort said, "Potter's head on a plate would've been nice... But no one understands me..."

 

            "Umm... I didn't send you anything," said Ron quietly.

 

            "No?" said Voldemort, surprised, "Then where did this come from?"

 

            He handed Ron the parchment he had been clutching.

 

            Hand shaking a little, Ron read it. It was the note he had written for Hermione.

 

            "Thats where that went," he said, astonished, "But how did you get it?"

 

            "A little bat gave it to me," said Voldemort, "But if you think you can play with Lord Voldemort, you're wrong!"

 

            "I wasn't trying to play with you... I didn't address this to you, it was for Hermione," said Ron.

 

            "Oh," said Voldemort, looking a little hurt, "That's it! You're on my list!" he cried. He looked around, a little teary, and began to storm off. His foot landed in the bucket Filch had recently been using to mop the floor. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn't go. Finally, Voldemort gave up and clunked through the Hall. He went through the doors, and let them close behind him.

 

            There was quiet for a minute, then cursing and crashing was heard from outside the door. Apparently, Voldemort had fallen down the stairs.

 

            "Well..." said Dumbledore shakily after a few seconds, "That was a little unexpected."

 

            The rest of the feast was eaten in silence.

 

*******

 

            Afterward, Harry Ron and Hermione were the only ones left sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, when Hermione suddenly perked up, and said, "Ron, did you really send me a candy-gram?"

 

            "Yeah," mumbled Ron, going a little pink.

 

            "I think I'll go to bed," said Harry, "Don't you two stay down here too long..." with a wink at the pair of them, Harry ascended the staircase to the boys dormitories.

 

            "Look, Hermione, I sent you that candy-gram because I was trying to tell you something..." said Ron, avoiding Hermione's eyes.

 

            "Yes..." encouraged Hermione.

 

            "Well, what I meant by it was really--well lets just say that considering you're intelligence, you should have figured it out by now..." he said quietly.

 

            Hermione cocked her head a little.

 

            "Ron, what are you trying to say?" she said, smiling.

 

            Ron did the only thing he thought could express what he was trying to say.

 

            He kissed her.

 

            Outside the Common Room window, the sinister jack-o-lantern, was looking dejected. What started out as the perfect Hallowe'en prank, had ended as the perfect Hallowe'en push.

 

A/N; How's that for scary Voldemort? huh?