I am a Girl!

Ron awoke early that morning, startled by the blast of an explosion echoing through Gryffindor Tower. Parvati and Lavender, equally shaken by the noise, opened their eyes in surprise, glancing around in confusion. Ron smiled with a blend of resignation and amusement as she sat up in bed, gathering her hair into a messy bun secured with a clip, which lent her an unexpectedly feminine touch.

"More of those noises again?" Parvati muttered, frowning and trying to pinpoint the source of the explosion.

Ron shrugged.

"Probably the twins. I’m used to a lot of that back at the Burrow," she said with an amused sigh.

"The Burrow?" Lavender asked, still a bit drowsy.

Ron grinned.

"It’s what we call my home. You know, like where rabbits and weasels live. There’s so many of us that it’s never quiet… explosions, pranks, chaos, you name it."

Lavender let out a soft chuckle, looking charmed.

"That actually sounds… lovely."

As the girls began getting ready to go down, their conversation turned to the day’s events, until Lavender suggested something unexpected.

"Say, Ron… have you given any thought to your dress for the Yule Ball? We’ve still got a month, but it’s never too soon to start planning, right?"

Ron laughed, a bit taken aback.

"I suppose I have something in mind. But the dress I’ve got… well, let’s just say it’s seen better days. It’s from when my mum was at Hogwarts, and it looks like it’s from another century."

Parvati and Lavender sighed exasperatedly at this.

"Wait, you have the dress here?" Parvati asked, her interest piqued.

Ron nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, Mum sent it over a while ago. She wanted me to wear it and, well… it’s not the worst thing, but it’s definitely not something anyone’s seen in this decade."

Lavender and Parvati exchanged a look of conspiracy.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Bring it here, Ron! We can give it some touches and make it more… modern, right, Parvati?" Lavender suggested.

Without hesitation, Ron went to her trunk and pulled out the dress. Parvati and Lavender studied it for a moment in silence, until Lavender raised an eyebrow and remarked:

"I think this is an antique… but nothing a few spells and some adjustments can’t fix."

The girls set to work, using transformation spells and following a few ideas from a fashion magazine Parvati had brought. Over the next two hours, they worked tirelessly, tweaking the design, changing the colour, and adding small details that transformed the dress into something elegant and updated.

Finally, after trying several styles, they stepped back to admire the result.

"It’s perfect!" Parvati exclaimed, grinning at the transformation.

Ron, her eyes shining, pulled them both into a tight hug.

"Oh, girls, I don’t know what I did to deserve you two. It’s incredible!"

Just then, a final loud noise from the corridor pulled them out of their bubble. Remembering the initial explosion, they decided to go down and see what had happened. On the stairs, they met Ginny, who was yawning as she descended, and upon reaching the entrance hall, they saw the twins being thoroughly scolded by a visibly annoyed Professor McGonagall.

Ron and Ginny exchanged a significant look and nodded. Both walked up to their brothers, putting on a stern face until Fred and George noticed them.

"It’s seven in the morning!" Ron chided, crossing her arms. "Really? What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any consideration for others?"

Ginny joined in, her expression equally severe:

"Yes, this isn’t the first time you’ve woken half the castle; what on earth were you doing?"

Fred and George shared a look of false innocence, but their attempts to defend themselves were futile. Ron and Ginny continued scolding them, cornering them in the corridor with sarcastic remarks and reproachful looks. Around them, a few other students who had also been woken up watched the scene with amusement, making the situation all the more embarrassing for the twins.

But as she was talking, Ron’s attention wandered. She looked up and saw Hermes leaning against the wall a bit further away, a faint smile of amusement on his face as he observed the spectacle, with Crookshanks curled up in his arms.

Something in his expression caught her eye. Perhaps it was the soft morning light filtering through the windows, or simply the sight of him in that relaxed, just-woken state. Whatever it was, Ron couldn’t help noticing how attractive he looked, with his tousled hair falling over his forehead and that gentle look illuminating his eyes.

Hermes looked up and, noticing her gaze, gave her a small, amused smile. Ron felt a slight warmth in her cheeks and quickly turned back to the twins, though she found it difficult to focus entirely. Ginny, always observant, gave her a knowing look but said nothing, simply continuing in her role as the annoyed sister.

"Seriously, boys, if you do this again, I don’t think even Mum could defend you this time," Ginny concluded with a mischievous smile, making the twins roll their eyes.

After a final sigh of resignation, Fred and George raised their hands in surrender.

"All right, all right," said Fred, with an ironic grin. "We promise to try, try, to keep things calm in the mornings… at least a little more."

George nodded, leaning toward Ron and Ginny.

"But no guarantees about the evenings, you know that."

Both girls laughed lightly and finally let them go, bringing their "intervention" to an end.

As the twins wandered off with their usual carefree attitude, Hermes approached Ron, still holding Crookshanks.

"Good job, ‘sergeant,’" he teased, giving a mock salute. "It seems the Weasley girls aren’t to be trifled with."

Ron shrugged, laughing.

"Someone has to keep them in line, or they’ll get away with everything," she replied, still a bit flushed as she looked at him.

He regarded her for a moment, as if contemplating his next words, then smiled.

"Well, at least all this was good for waking everyone up… and seeing you in such high spirits this early."

She felt her cheeks flush again, and, uncertain of what to say, she simply smiled back at him before Crookshanks wriggled out of Hermes’ arms and leapt to the floor, making them both chuckle softly.

"Shall we head down for breakfast?" Ginny suggested, throwing Ron a significant glance after seeing the exchange between her and Hermes.

Ron, grateful for the change of subject, nodded quickly.

"Yes, let’s go."

With that small exchange and without further interference from the twins, they made their way together to the Great Hall, ready to start the day.

Upon arriving in the Great Hall, the scene was quite relaxed. It was the weekend, meaning many students were still dressed in their pyjamas. Most of them were settled comfortably at the tables, ready to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Ron glanced around and smiled, noticing a few classmates in t-shirts representing their favourite Quidditch teams paired with checked trousers. Some girls, too, were adorned in elegant silk robes.

She couldn’t help but feel a slight flush in her cheeks. Perhaps she ought to buy herself a new pyjama set, especially considering that hers consisted of a pair of comfortable trousers that had once belonged to Percy, paired with a knitted jumper from her mum that was just slightly oversized (Molly had made sure it was big enough – Ron tended to grow quickly), all in Gryffindor colours. Simple though it was, she felt rather at ease in the outfit.

As she made her way to the Weasley table, she noticed a few boys – Seamus Finnigan, in particular, who was Hermes and Harry's dormmate – watching her with some interest. Seamus regarded her with a mixture of astonishment and curiosity, his eyes trailing from her face to her jumper, clearly taken aback by this subtle change in Ron.

Ron felt a little self-conscious under his gaze, especially as she wasn’t used to being the centre of attention, even in such a casual setting. What surprised her most, though, was how fascinated Seamus seemed by her, as though he were trying to reconcile the mischievous Ron he knew with this slightly more feminine version before him.

Noticing Seamus’s gaze, Hermes approached Ron with a mildly annoyed expression.

“Would you mind giving her some space?” he said to Seamus, his tone laced with a hint of jealousy. “I don’t think you’ve got permission to be staring like that.”

Seamus, surprised by Hermes’s sudden defensiveness, raised his hands in surrender.

“I was only looking, no need to get all… possessive,” he replied, slightly baffled.

Fred and George, who had been observing the situation from the start, seized the opportunity to jump in.

“That’s right, mate. We wouldn’t want our sister to feel uncomfortable with any improper looks,” said Fred, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Exactly, you wouldn’t want to be our next experiment,” added George, making a gesture as though he were mounting a broomstick.

Feeling that the moment was becoming a bit too dramatic, Ron raised her hands.

“Guys, seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m not in any danger or anything. Seamus is only… looking at me.”

Hermes frowned but eventually relented, though his gaze remained fixed on Seamus, as though he were waiting for him to make a wrong move.

“Fine, but don’t let him stare at you like that again,” Hermes muttered, crossing his arms with a protective air.

Seamus shrugged, still a little dazed, but with a small smile. It was clear he hadn’t meant anything by it, just that he was surprised by Ron’s new look.

“All right, Ron. I just didn’t expect to see you… like this. You actually look… like a girl,” he said with a friendly tone that put her a bit more at ease.

Ron gave a nervous laugh, grateful that Seamus wasn’t trying to make things uncomfortable.

“Thanks, I suppose. It’s just that… I’m trying new things... I am a girl, after all,” she replied with a shy smile.

The conversation soon drifted to other topics, and the atmosphere relaxed. Ron felt relieved, enjoying the company of her friends and the lively chatter surrounding breakfast.

As everyone at the table immersed themselves in conversation and laughter, Harry and Hermes couldn’t help but notice a subtle yet significant change in Ron. Although she still served herself generous portions, her eating habits were different. She was no longer wolfing down her breakfast in big bites or talking with her mouth full as she used to, but rather ate calmly, chewing slowly and staying focused on the conversation without choking. This change didn’t go unnoticed.

Harry furrowed his brow, watching her with a hint of concern.

“Ron, are you alright?” he asked, in the tone of someone fearing something strange was afoot.

Ron looked at him, puzzled, and after carefully swallowing, replied:

“Yes, why do you ask?”

Hermes, who had also been observing her behaviour, narrowed his eyes, trying to fathom the reason behind this change. Something about it unsettled him; the Ron he knew had never had a problem speaking with her mouth full or devouring her food as if each meal were a competition. He wasn’t sure whether to feel proud of this new habit or a bit nostalgic.

Ron noticed the two of them watching her and gave a small laugh, shrugging her shoulders.

“What’s wrong with you two? I’m just… trying something different,” she said, taking a bite of buttered bread, this time more slowly.

Hermes attempted a smile, though he couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic. This change, however minor, was another sign that Ron was determined to explore and redefine herself. A part of him feared that in the process, the carefree and unfiltered Ron he had always known might eventually disappear.

“Well… as long as you don’t start worrying about how much you’re eating, we’re fine,” Hermes joked, trying to sound relaxed as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

Ron looked at him, amused, giving him a light punch on the arm.

“Please, don’t exaggerate. I’ll always have room for another plate, alright?”

The comment elicited laughter from the three of them, and the atmosphere returned to its usual lightheartedness. The twins and Ginny, although they hadn’t noticed the change in Ron’s manners, joined in the moment, and the conversation resumed with the usual liveliness of Gryffindor breakfasts.

Still, Harry and Hermes exchanged a glance, sharing the same thought. Perhaps Ron’s changes went beyond her appearance, and while they’d miss the Ron they’d always known, they both understood they’d always support her in whatever she decided to become.