"My bloody head can't take this anymore"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's constant complaining, after all he had been the one that had practically begged her to help him study for his finals. Harry was off practicing for a Quidditch tournament or something of the sorts, so she was all by herself trying to get some information into the redhead's brain. Right now, he was making her wish she had said no.

"Ronald, I swear on Merlin's beard that if you don't put more effort into understanding what I have been saying for the last two hours I will turn you into a frog."-she threw a murderous glare at him.

Ron frowned-"You cannot do that."-but there was a bit of doubt, and fear, on his voice.

"Of course I can, and do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I studied"- She gave him a knowing smile. -"Now, before I actually do it, can you please open your book to page 224..."

Two hours and an understandable amount of bickering later, Ron closed his book with a triumphant smile.-"Hermione! We did it! I can't believe this, you are amazing!"

She couldn't help but beam at the compliment and laugh at his childish joy.-"You better ace that test tomorrow then, because right now you have made me awfully sleepy."-she yawned-"And so you don't fall asleep while answering the exam, you should get some sleep too."-she stood up and gathered all her books and quills, just about to make her way to the girl's dormitory.

"Hermione, wait"

She turned to look at the boy, an eyebrow raised. To be honest, she was half expecting for him to ask her to explain something else for his exam. Instead, she found him with a sheepish grin and his arms stretched towards her, trying to offer her something.

She stepped closer to him, somewhat confused at seeing the chocolate box on his hands.

"It was Ginny's idea."-he explained, looking at his feet.-"You are always tutoring me for free, like this is junior school or something similar to that, and...I know I can be a burden, I am complete rubbish as a student. So here's your pay."-he looked at her, almost looking proud of himself.

She had to fight herself to not roll her eyes again, after all this was a rather uncommonly sweet gesture-"Ron, you are my friend, you don't need to pay me."-but still, she accepted the gift, her hands feeling rather clammy when she did.

They said their "good nights" and went to their respective bedrooms, but Hermione left with a fairly troubled feeling in her chest. Why was her heart suddenly beating so fast, and so uncommonly jumpy? She suspected it had something to do with the chocolate box, but she was unable to place her finger on what it was exactly. Maybe she was hungry? No, it had to be something else, since she knew she had felt a similar feeling when Ronald had called her "amazing". It could be amusement...but now that she thought about it, there was another and more logical explanation. But what was it exactly? Well, if it was that, it could only mean that she...

She stopped in front of her bed, her heart beating even faster as realization struck her. No, it could not be! Of all people, Ron? The same Ronald Weasley that would never shut up about food, or about how homework was going to kill him slowly? The same and annoying Ron that was always eating and talking at the same time, and who would get mad at her whenever she told him to please stop? The same person that for some reason laughs at every stupid little thing she says, even if it's actually not that funny, and that always makes her smile with his bad, idiotic jokes whenever she is feeling blue, or whose eyes shine brightly when he is talking about something he is excited or passionate about, or how he is unexpectedly brave sometimes, when he needs to be, and would then look at her and...

Oh no.

How had she not seen it before? Apparently her denial had been stronger than her.

Hermione was crushing on Ron, and she was crushing bad.