What Would You Wish For?

‘Sinister matchmaking methods?” Ron set aside his book and gave her his full attention. “I never sent you on any missions.”



“No, but being able to hear people completely when they think they have privacy is something astonishing don’t you think?” She said, folding her legs under her as she faced him.



“I suppose.” He grinned. “So what did they say? I saw them look at me several times.”



“Yes well, they did. I’m afraid if I tried to paraphrase it would lose something.” She said. “Would you like to see?”



“I don’t have a pensive.” He said.



“You don’t need one.” She raised a hand to her temple and with a single finger, pulled a memory out slowly and touched her finger to Ron’s temple and he felt himself dragged into the memory. The room he was in shifted around as he found himself in his potions classroom.



He glanced around and saw himself brewing along with Harry and Hermione. To his right, Demona was sitting on the table closely watching Pansy and Millicent. It seemed strange to him, but as he watched his other self chopping and cutting, he could have sworn that Demona began watching them after he had begun brewing. He shook off the thought and slipped over and watched the girls.



“I don’t know Pansy, I mean it was just a smile, wasn’t it?” Millicent told her chopping her roots.



“I know but…well….listen in the storage room he got the jar down for me, and he never does that.” Pansy kept her hands busy with her own roots.



“Yes, but lately he’s really been pulled together. I mean he’s on top of his classes even without Granger, and I heard he had a row with her about it too.” Millicent glanced over at him briefly. “I heard he wants to turn himself into a gentleman.”



Ron lifted his eyebrows. Turn himself into a gentleman? Where had that come from? “Well, is that such a bad thing?” Pansy’s voice interrupted her thoughts.



“No, I suppose not.” Millicent checked Pansy’s notes then her own. “He is doing much better this year. Frankly I think he was relying on Granger far too much.”



“I agree.” Pansy told her. “I heard from Draco that he wants to get into Auror training. He must really want it.”



“He has the potential now.” Millicent looked up from the book. “Look at how quickly he found that answer before Granger did, and she seemed angry about it. It‘s about time someone put her in her place.”



Pansy looked over her shoulder briefly. “I don’t think he did it to put her in her place. He doesn’t seem the sort.”



“Well, I still think she was jealous. You could see it in her face. You know how she likes being the one to answer everything, and how she always has the answers.” Millicent thought for a moment. “You would think she would be proud of him.”



“I was thinking the same thing. Maybe he likes him and helping out with homework just might be the only way she can be near him.” Pansy took on a thoughtful look as stirred her cauldron. “Without being able to help him, maybe she’s afraid he wont be around her as much.”



“I was thinking the same thing. Now that he doesn’t need her, I wonder what she will do. Latch onto Longbottom maybe?” Millicent gave a chuckle as she looked at her notes.



Pansy looked up at Millicent. “I think she needs someone a bit more arrogant. Ron isn’t one who’s confident like her. Well, he didn’t used to be. But even thought now he is, he still isn’t one to brag or boast. She needs someone overly sure of himself.”



“Someone that gives her a challenge.” Millicent agreed. “Someone like Draco. He’d keep her jumping.” She gave a look to Pansy. “Why the sudden interest in Weasley?”



Ron took a step closer and listened as she spoke. “When I went to the storeroom and he helped with that jar, it seemed for a moment that he knew what I was thinking. That he was aware he was a man now and I liked what I saw.” Ron smiled and felt himself blush. She thought he was a man did she?



Pansy looked over at Ron and he watched as he saw himself give her that wink. She blushed and began flipping through her book. “He winked at me! He just winked at me!”



“He did not?” Millicent leaned closer. Together they both looked his way and when he gave them a bigger smile they both giggled and went on with their cauldrons. Demona vanished from the table and popped in beside Ron.



“I think she’s cute.” The memory carried them to the lavatory then back to class, where she took up her post again. This time Ron was able to see her the rest of the class. She had already been watching them, the slippery little shyster.



“He’s back.’ Pansy elbowed Millicent.



Millicent lifted her eyes and watched Ron continue his potion. “I never would have thought he was your type.”



“I like the gentlemanly type. Not the over active jokesters like Vince or Greg, and certainly not the vain spoiled type like Draco. Granted they are my friends and I love them both, but I couldn’t last a week with either one of them.”



“You could last with Weasley then?” Millicent asked, stirring again.



“He doesn’t seem the type to blame the loss of a chess game on his being distracted or off his game. He doesn’t seem the sort to play a joke and then blame me if my feelings get hurt. Greg is always doing that. He’s not the chauvinistic type or arrogant about his newfound success.” She changed a look in his direction. ‘He seems the fun sort, and would just enjoy a good time. He’s also not vain, and I can’t stand vanity.”



“There is nothing wrong with a man taking pride in his appearance.” Millicent countered. She was smiling so she was only teasing.



“There is a problem though, when a man takes longer on his hair then most girls in his house.” Pansy joined in her chuckle. “Besides, that tosseled look is nice. He’s not afraid to laugh at himself, and he’s soft spoken, he’s not a shouter. I detest shouting, it makes men seem like a caveman.”



“You know, if you like a soft spoken man, Weasley just may be the one for you. He’s not weak. He’s the tallest one in Gryffindor house aside from Longbottom there, and anyone can tell he isn’t puny.” Millicent looked over quickly.



“You notice that because you like tall men.” Pansy countered.



“Fair enough, but even you have to admit that you noticed his body.” Millicent took in her blush. “I see you have.”



“Well, he was standing close to me in the closet.” Pansy admitted.



Millicent gave a small laugh. “He has grown up over the years. And I admit, his ambition is obvious. So many people have noted it.”



“He has turned into a man alright.” Pansy lifted her eyes again and caught Ron’s, but she averted them too fast for him to respond.



“Why don’t you have a go at him. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you chatting him up.” Millicent teased her.



“What man doesn’t like that kind of attention from a woman?” She checked her notes again, then looked up and watched Ron putting a sample in a vial. “He seems worth the effort though.” She said quietly, after Millicent had took her own vial to turn in.



She began packing up her book bag and Ron was pulled from the memory.



“You were watching them the whole time?” He asked her.



Demona grinned. “Yes, I saw the assistance in the storage closet and the looks back and forth. I figured it couldn’t hurt.”



“Is she serious?” Ron asked, relaxing against the headboard.



“About what she said? Of course she was.” Demona told him.



“How can you tell?” He asked.



“Ron, girls talk differently when there are no men around. Or when they think they aren’t being spied on.” She gave him a wink.



“So she really thinks of me that way?” He looked her in the eye.



“Yes. They are getting older and becoming women. The time for crushes and chasing after the most popular boy is over. They are thinking of men now, not boys.” She moved closer. “You have become a man now and they see it.”



“So they are husband hunting?” He chuckled.



“In a matter of speaking yes, they are.” She told him. “They are seeing men with partnerships in mind. Who will treat them honorably. Who will be a good provider. Who has actually matured. These are things that Pansy is looking for, and she sees them in you. Although from the sounds of things, if she can compare you to how you were a few years ago, then she has been watching you for some time.”



“What?” Ron was shocked. “She was not.”



“I think she was.” Demona moved closer and reclined next to him. “Face it Ron, you have become marriage material.”



Ron thought carefully. So Pansy considered him marry-able did she? He didn’t know why but for some reason it made him feel good. She saw something in him that he didn’t see. Hearing her opinions of him was flattering and it made him look closer at her.



Maybe it was pride in himself and this new understanding of the female gender that made him think without blushing. Maybe it was the ease and comfort he found himself in around Demona. He didn’t know what it was that made him think this way, but he thought maybe Pansy was a girl he would do well with.



“Ron, how many girlfriends have you had?” Demona asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.



“Two I suppose.” He answered.



“You suppose?” She asked looking at him. “What do you mean?”



“Well, I dated Lavender for about three months last year, but we didn’t have much in common. We enjoyed snogging, there was no question but other than that we had nothing to talk about.” He told her, letting out a sigh.



“You didn’t feel anything for her then?” Demona asked.



“No, not emotionally. I mean, it got frustrating toward the end. All we did was snog and it seemed pointless.” He laced his fingers over his belt buckle. “Sara on the other hand, I’m not sure how to classify her.”



“Where did you meet her?” Demona shifted so she was facing him.



“In the muggle world. Hermione got me and Harry jobs this past summer at this market she was working at. It gave us two months of money to play around with and a chance to keep boredom at bay. She was a girl who went there all the time. I met her a few times after work and on a few of my days off. There was a lot of snogging and she was fun to be around, but went it came time for me to stop working and get ready to return to school, she wasn’t too put off about it. She didn’t’ even offer to write or keep in touch so nothing came of it.”



“Are you sad?” She asked.



“No, she was fun, but like I said, I don’t know how to classify her.” Ron turned his head and looked at her. “What would you call it.”



“A summer romance.” She said instantly.



“Yeah.” He looked back at the wall again. “Me too.”



Demona knew he was thinking about Pansy, not Sara or even Lavender. She kissed his cheek and vanished out, letting him be alone with his thoughts.