Ron was thinking in the library, hoping to come up with a plan. He needed to get Hermione's attention! He craved it, the knowledge that she was looking at him and he knew it. Ron loved her, and if she was looking at him…well, it just fed his imagination that she liked him back.

Of course, Ron knew that of course Hermione didn't like him. How could she? She was…well, she was perfect, perfect in every way, and he was just…Ron.

Enough said.

It all really started when…

oooooooooo

"RON, what are you doing? You should be studying for that Potions exam! I even wrote it down in your planner, and you still don't seem to realize it's tomorrow!" Hermione marched into the library where she met a balancing Ron who was trying to juggle. Ron glanced at her briefly, smiled a bit (or was it a smirk?) and then returned to his act.

"Hey, 'Mione. Nice to see you too."

Hermione sighed, but she knew she couldn't resist the redhead's charm. Did he even realize just how charming he was? Probably not, being Ron. Harry, Fred, George, and Ginny amusedly watched Ron, occasionally cheering him on.

"What are you even doing, though?" Hermione inquired.

Harry jumped in. "You see, Hermione, we were playing Truth or Dare when—"

Hermione couldn't help laughing. "Oh no, Harry, don't tell me that you taught them Truth or Dare. That's a Muggle girls game!"

Harry blushed. "We were bored…"

"All right then, what happened after?"

Harry, glad to be let off the hook so easily, hurriedly explained what occurred next. "Well, Ron's turn came first and so he chose dare. I dared him to stand on the table, then Fred dared him to stand on one foot AND bounce on the table, and then George dared him to juggle three bananas."

"And…?" Hermione inquired.

"What?" Ron said. He had stopped doing his three dares and had sat down on top of the table.

"Well, can you do it?" A small smile began to crawl across Hermione's face. Ron blushed, and then stood up.

"Give me those bananas, George!" Ron said.

George theatrically gave them to him.

Ron began to bounce gently on the table, his left leg up—so far so good. But then the juggling…Ron began to toss up the bananas, as they flew up in the air only to land on Ron's other hand, then thrown again. He was actually doing it! Hermione was surprised; she had had no idea that Ron could juggle. Even juggle bananas while standing on one leg and bouncing on top of a table.

"Can I stop now?" Ron asked, his eyes still on the bananas.

"Sure!" Harry said, chuckling a bit. Fred and George also nodded their heads in content, pleased with their brother's amusing success.

"Okay…" Ron murmured, more to himself than to them. The five spectators applauded for him.

"Um…" Ron said, frowning a bit. "How do I stop?"

Fred and George broke out in laughter. Fred recovered. George did not.

"You just stop, little brother! You catch them in your hands and you're done!" Then Fred went back to laughing, and the girls joined them.

"Okay…" Ron said again, doubting greatly he would be able to do it without dropping one. Suddenly Ginny spoke.

"I didn't dare you before, so now I dare you to catch one banana in your mouth when you stop!"

Fred and George doubled over.

Hermione's watching…I can't mess up! Ron thought desperately.

He tossed one banana high in the air and retained a grasp on the other two, one banana in each hand. Everyone fell silent.

Ron threw his head back, but then his balance shifted and he felt himself losing his balance. The banana fell right into his mouth, and Ron sank his teeth into it so it wouldn't fall.

Yes!

But then…

Ron began to hop around the table wildly.

"What's he doing?" Asked a puzzled Ginny. Harry grinned, but only out of amusement. He too didn't know.

Hermione did. "He's lost his balance!" She giggled uncontrollably. "He's lost his balance and he's trying to get it back!"

But she spoke too loud…

"RONALD WEASLEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON TOP OF MY TABLE!" Screeched the librarian. Ron was shocked by the voice that was so close behind him. Surprised, he fell backwards over the table, over the chairs, but not quite over the voice.

"AHHH!" She screamed as she fell onto the floor, Ron on top of her.

"Oh…I'm sorry…uh…" Ron mumbled. Fred, George, Ginny, and Hermione and Harry were on the floor too, but only because their laughter had consumed them.

"OUT! NOW!"

And they went.

But later, up in his room, Ron could still feel the warm feeling in his heart that spread to his whole body that came from the knowledge that Hermione Granger was looking at him and laughing.

oooooooooo

And so know, Ron was at the same table where he had been juggling, as if knowing that Hermione had sat there was enough to console him.

Ron was going to think of ways to get Hermione Granger's attention.