Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowling's characters…duh.

…Can't Change The Past…

It wasn't his fault. Really, it wasn't. He had no control over what his body did, or how it reacted when she walked into the room with her perfect face and her perfect body. No, he was not to blame for this. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. The sleepless nights, the redness of his ears, even the countless minutes staring in the mirror. All of that could be sent back in her direction, because, of course, it was her fault.

I wonder if she went to Bulgaria. The stupid little know-it-all had refused to tell him..

That last thought popped his daydream and Ron Weasley frowned, shaking his head.

"You know Ron," Harry Potter said, poking his friend's forehead with the tip of his quill. "If you stopped daydreaming, maybe you'd actually get some homework done."

The red head glared at Harry, wiping off the pinprick of ink he had left on his face.

"As a matter of fact, I haven't missed one homework this year." Ron said proudly, scribbling his name on a new piece of parchment. The green eyed boy chuckled.

"It also helps that it's only the second day of school." Ron sighed and laid his head on the table of the Gryffindor common room.

The two fifth year boys continued to write their predictions for the first semester of Divination. Like the past two years, the two were constantly thinking of different and unique ways to kill the other off, although they weren't as loud about it as the following years. The cloud of You-Know-Who still lingered over Hogwarts.

"What were you thinking about, anyway?" Harry asked, already knowing his answer. Ron's ears burned pink as he drew a crooked line down the side of his parchment.

"Blimey Harry, you know bloody well what I was thinking about." The red head moaned, grabbing his cheeks. Harry laughed and nodded, writing down how he predicted Ron was going to be eaten by Neville's toad, Trevor…slowly, of course.

"Oh, right." Harry said, ready to laugh. "The thing you've been thinking about all summer? The thing that I told you about and you didn't quite get? The thing that has been obvious for the past five years? The thing that--" Ron slapped his hand over Harry's mouth.

"I get the point, now shut up and kill me again, this time, don't make it so corny." Ron laughed, still blushing furiously.

"Oh, don't tell me that crazy woman has given you guys homework already? Does she actually think you try, or is it just something that gives her a sick thrill?" The boys looked up to see the third member of their trio, Hermione Granger. She smiled softly at the boys and took a seat at the end of the table.

Harry kicked Ron's leg and the red head sent him a deathly stare.

"Yes yes, and it seems to be quite a horrid filled month, this month." Harry exclaimed, putting the back of his hand to his forehead in an attempt to be funny. But Hermione just rolled her eyes, and pulled out a pile of clean parchment.

"That's not funny anymore, Harry." She said softly, looking up at him slightly. Harry sighed and combed a hand through his hair.

"I know…but if anyone deserves the right to make jokes, I think I have it." He said, turning his attention back to his homework.

Ron sat silently at the table, continuing his crooked line around the border of the parchment for the third time. It had been very awkward for him to even be near the object of his affection this last summer, and because she didn't have a clue, he couldn't exactly avoid her without some questions.

"How about we predict my numerous deaths this month, Harry?" Ron said, trying to lighten the mood. "Whenever you get mad at me, just think of a nice painful way to dispose of me, hell you could probably become her best student if you did." He and Harry shared a small chuckle as Hermione stared at the two with cold eyes.

"Really, you two can not be serious for anything!" She cried, although her face did crack into a small smile.

"Hermione, you know you've had moments where you'd like to strangle me with my own scarf." Ron said, smirking slyly at her. "It's moments like that that you wish Divination was real."

Hermione rolled her eyes and started to write on her top sheet of parchment.

"You two little buggers just stop it, I need to write an essay for an important class." She scowled, lowering her head.

Harry and Ron shared a satisfied smile, their daily job of annoying Hermione was completed, and for the rest of the night they could write total bull on their homework.

It was past midnight when Ron awoke, from what, he didn't know. He rubbed his eyes, and his body told him that he would not be able to fall back asleep again. He groaned softly, listening to the snores of his roommates. Even Harry, who usual tossed around in his sleep all night, laid perfectly still, a small smile on his face.

Ron threw his legs over the side of his bed, stretching them out. He noticed for the first time this year that if he held him self the right way, he was able to touch Harry's bed with the very tips of his toes. The red head smiled, loving how extremely tall he was. It was especially noticeable when he towered over his rather short enemy, Draco Malfoy.

The sleep had already fallen out his eyes, so Ron decided to go down to the common room and finish up the homework he had forgotten about…well, had chosen not to do. By doing this, he wouldn't have to hurry his breakfast in the morning.

He slipped on his cloak, not bothering to find a t-shirt in the darkness of the room. Ron felt that his blue plaid pajama pants were sufficient, and he shuffled out of the dorm and down the stairs.

The fire of the common room was still burning, although it's embers were ready to die out at the smallest of breezes. Ron passed the fire and headed straight for the table he had left his books on, when he stopped abruptly. His eyes turned towards the couch in front of the fire, and realized that someone was sleeping on it.

"Geez." He said softly, rubbing his hair. Hermione slept quietly on the golden couch, her hair was tied up into a messy bun, and her pink nightgown draped to the ground. Ron noticed her shiver a little, and he immediately took off his cloak.

Softly, he placed it over her, making sure that it was definitely keeping her warm. He stared at her for a few moments, and then shivered, realizing that now he was going to freeze.

"Bloody hell." He mumbled, pulling a chair out and his wand. "Lumos." He barely whispered. A sufficient light came out of the tip of his wand, and he placed it next to the parchment in front of him. Ron dipped his quill and began writing, not noticing that his friend had stirred slightly.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she gazed into the slowly burning fire. She wiped at her eyes, wondering when a fireplace had been installed in the girl's dormitory. When she realized that a fireplace had never been installed, she stretched out her arms, immediately knowing what was going on. She looked at the cloak that was draped over her, quickly noticing that it wasn't hers. It was way too large.

At that moment, Hermione noticed the other figure in the room. He sat at the table, staring intensely at the parchment he was writing on. His quill scribbled quickly, and Hermione knew exactly what that parchment was going to look like in the morning: wrinkled, and clearly rushed through. She coughed, causing Ron to turn around quickly.

His face flushed as he saw her sitting on the couch, smiling at him nonetheless.

"Hey." She whispered, tightening his cloak around her body. Ron smiled softly at her simply gesture and sighed.

"Hey, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He apologized, putting down his quill. Hermione shook her head.

"No…I shouldn't be down here anyway…" She mumbled, looking into the fire. Ron shifted in his chair so that his whole body was facing her.

"Yeah…why are you down here?" He asked. Hermione turned to him, and quickly blushed, realizing that he had no shirt on. When did Ron grow those muscles?

"I couldn't sleep, I was thinking too much…I didn't want to wake the others." Her voice cracked as she looked down at her fingernails. Ron immediately grew concerned, and he joined her on the couch.

"Wake the others?" He repeated, trying to look into her eyes. Hermione sighed and brushed away the wetness in her eyes that was forming rather quickly.

"I was thinking about the homework you guys were doing, all those stupid predictions about you two dying…it scared me, Ron." A single tear fell down her cheek. "All those memories of the past four years raced through my mind, and how worried and scared I was. I don't know if I can take anymore of that, I love you guys too much to lose you now." She began to cry now, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

Ron immediately put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a sideways hug.

"Oh, Hermione, don't worry yourself, it's nothing to fret about." He said in a smoothing voice. But she shook her head, wiping her tears away with her hands.

"Ron, as first years, first years, I had to watch you be thrown from a giant chess piece and be knocked unconscious! Do you know how terrified I was? I thought you were surely going to die, I was sure that Harry was not going to come back, I was sure that I had lost both of you." Her sobs became more rapid, and Ron just wrapped his other arm around her, bringing her closer. She cried onto his chest, the tears streaking down to his bare stomach.

"But you didn't, you little know-it-all." He said softly, trying to get her to laugh. He heard a chuckle through her sniffles. "We're both still here, nothing can change the past...but we can help shape the future."

"You sound like some corny poster I saw once in grade school." Hermione choked out, laughing softly. Ron smiled and looked down into her face. Hermione smiled softly, and then remembered she was crying in front of him. "Oh, goodness, I must look like a raccoon." She said, rubbing her eyes.

Ron smiled softly, tilting her head up and examining her face. Hermione waited anxiously for his next words, sniffling like mad. The red around her eyes formed what looked like a mask.

"Well…yes, you do, in a way." He said softly. She began to pout, but he smiled. "But a very cute raccoon."

Hermione's eyes widened softly, and she felt her face flush. The red in Ron's ears shot through his face and down his neck.

"Oh, but you know you love it." She said softly. Ron nodded softly, and with that, he leaned towards her and gave her a small kiss on the lips. When they parted, she stared at him in shock. His face flushed red,

"I'm sorry, oh, I didn't mean--" He stuttered. Hermione put up a single finger to silence the red headed boy.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered slowly, sliding her finger down to his chin and onto his chest. Ron's entire body tingled as she tickled his stomach.

"I…I don't know, really." Ron stuttered, staring down at Hermione's finger. "It just felt like the right thing to do…I'm sorry."

Hermione smiled softly and looked down at her feet, taking her finger off of Ron's chest.

"It did feel right, didn't it?" She said softly. Ron leaned back into the couch and stared at her hands. They were intertwined with each other, moving nervously around.

"I thought so." He whispered, looking away and towards the homework he was sure he wasn't going to finish. "I guess I'll go, if that's all you have to say." He stood up, stretching softly, and Hermione couldn't help but peek over.

"I don't know what else to say." She mumbled, pulling his cloak tightly around her. Ron stood over her, smiling softly as she wrapped herself up in the cloak. Hermione looked up at him, grinning as well. "I just need to think…again." She giggled softly, blushing.

"That's a first." The two laughed softly again, and Ron just sighed. "As long as you don't hate me, it's fine." Ron said, ruffling her hair.

Hermione nodded, grabbing his hand before it left her head. Ron's face flushed as she kissed his hand, and then let it go.

"I could never hate you." She said, throwing the hood of his cloak over her head, giggling. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to think."

Ron nodded, passing her and starting up the stairs.

"Ron?" He heard her call. Pausing for a brief moment, Ron turned around, and staring into her wide brown eyes.

"Yeah?"

Hermione smiled slyly, and turned back to the fire, letting the cloak fall off of her head, exposing her bushy brown hair.

"I didn't go to Bulgaria." She barely whispered.

Ron felt his ears burn, and he smiled, knowing that he was going to sleep very well tonight.

Sqeeeeeeeee, I love Ron and Hermione! :) yaaaay, lol

Thanks for reading my story! You can review…if you like.