Disclaimer: Yeah doesn't belong to us
A/N: Alright! This story was written by the following authors: Legofiance, EmeraldDragon4, MysteriousGal07, and Karne during our oh so boring chemistry class where we don't pay attention!!! ENJOY!!
Summary: Why do Ron and Hermione suspiciously keep referring to a Potions Essay that was never assigned? Well it's better than confessing their feelings…Or is it? R/Hr FLUFF!
Quick, something Witty
One red-haired boy gazed across the room at what seemingly appeared to be nothing. Nothing except a frizzy-haired girl and a pile of books hiding her from view. Nothing to everyone but Ron; to Ron it was everything. He sighed pathetically; once and for all accepting that he, Ronald Weasley, sixth Weasley child to be put in Gryffindor, was in fact, a coward. How hard would it be, he thought to himself, to simply tell her how he felt? It couldn't be that hard, you know, if he just ignored the fact that it was impossible. Some guys had that "debonair" factor, but not him; he was just a bumbling idiot that deserved no one as perfect as her. Not to mention there was Vicky.
"Ron?" This unpleasant train of thought was abruptly interrupted, but with quite a pleasant sound.
"Yeah?" he answered, suddenly very intent on tying his shoelaces.
"Have you seen my favorite sweater?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"How am I supposed to know what your favorite sweater is?" he shot back, picturing the blue sweater with the snowflake on the front and thinking about how nice her eyes looked when she wore it.
"Ron, why are you blushing?" Hermione asked, sighing in contentment at how cute he looked with that red bridge across his nose that led to the tips of his ears.
"No reason," Ron muttered blushing even more.
"Maybe I left my sweater in the library," she thought out loud, shivering with the cold.
"I'll get it!" Ron volunteered. "Umm…I need to go get a book on man-eating plants for Herbology," he added after receiving a weird look from Hermione.
"I'll come with you. There's no way you'll find it if you don't know what it looks like. Besides, I need a break from my Arithmancy homework."
Just then Harry walked up to his two best friends. "What's going on?"
"We were just going to get Hermione's sweater from the library!" Hmm, maybe he had sounded a little too excited.
"Oh," said Harry, looking sideways at Ron. "Have fun then. The two of you…ALONE." He stared pointedly at Ron, while Hermione gave Harry a strange look.
'What was wrong with Harry,' Ron wondered. 'Did he have a problem if he liked Hermione? Or maybe it was just too much testosterone. Yeah, testosterone, that's it.'
What Ron didn't know was that Harry was expecting a very special visitor. As Ron and Hermione stepped out of the portrait hold, Ginny walked in.
As a passing goodbye she waggled her fingers at Ron and Hermoine. "Byyyye," she sang.
Ron stopped mid-step.
"What are you up to Ginny?"
Ginny gave Ron an appraising look and turned her back without a word.
"Oi Ginny! I'm talking to you!"
"Come on Ron…it's time to go," Hermione said while gently pulling Ron by the hand out of the common room.
As the portrait shut behind them, Ron distinctly caught a glimpse of Harry leaning around Ginny, giving him a little wave. "Bye, Ron." The singsong words rang down the hallway.
"I don't want to know what's happening in there," Ron muttered under his breath.
"What'd you say, Ron?" Hermione asked as she lead the way to the library.
"I don't want my mate snogging my sister." He muttered.
"Oh no, don't worry Ron, she's going to be snogging Seamus."
"WHAT?! We're going back there right now!" Ron exclaimed as he turned to head back to the portrait hole.
"Ron! RON!" Hermione grabbed Ron's sleeve and turned him around sharply. "I was just joking! It really is Harry she'll be snogging…but doesn't that prospect sound a lot better now?"
"Yeah…" Ron grumbled defeated. "I just can't believe my sister is dating my best friend," said Ron incredulously. "Now he's going to spend all his time with her and leave us all by ourselves."
Ron blushed when he realized the connotation of his words. Then another thought struck him. 'Good lord, thank you Harry! Now I won't have to wait to make a move while you're spending a penny.'
Ron turned to say something to Hermione but she was staring off into space. 'Probably thinking about Vicky. That prat.
'She looks so bloody good when she's being pensive,' he thought. 'Why can't I look that good when I think? Wait, I don't think. 'Cept bout Hermione. I guess that's where all my brain power goes. Oh well, it's more interesting than Potions anyway. Well potions could be interesting if I sat next to Hermione…
At that moment he realized Hermione was giving him a rather weird look. He wondered what the problem was…was he literally drooling over her or something? His hand went quickly up to his mouth to check for possible wetness. Nope. Dry. Then he realized what the problem was. He'd been gazing at Hermione for at least a good ten minutes.
"Ron, why are you staring at me?" Hermione asked.
Ron gulped. He tried to talk, but there was no moisture in his mouth. Instead, his tongue made a weird clinking noise. This, added to the fact that his mouth was, at this point, opening and closing like a fish, froze Ron into a locked position. Hermione tapped his arm.
"Ron?"
"Sorry," he finally managed to say. He searched desperately through his mind for an excuse for staring at her. "I…uh…it's just…umm…"
"What Ron?" asked Hermione. He couldn't tell if she was angry or amused.
"I was…er…um…wondering…if you…" An idea flashed through his mind. 'No. It would never work. She'd kill me.' He continued to stutter. 'I need to say something!' He panicked. "…could help me with my Potions essay!" 'Hmm…that may have sounded a little forced. Oh well. At least I said something'
"Um…Ron, are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah Hermione, why?"
"Because at the moment, we don't have a Potions essay due."
'Bloody hell!' thought Ron. 'That's a first. That slimey git just had to slack of now didn't he?
"Oh darn," he said out loud.
"You want to have a potions essay due?" asked Hermione, laughing. He couldn't help but notice the way all her features seem to glow.
Ron blushed, and thought bad things about Snape. He thought fast. What did he have due? Charms…done. Defense Against the Dark Arts…done. Why for the first time in the whole history of Ronald Weasley did he have to done all his homework? He really did have wonderful timing.
"I didn't mean Potions…I meant…" Ron racked his brain. He must have missed something. Think, Ron! Think!
"…Potions?" Hermione gave him another one of those funny looks.
"Ron…" said Hermione, suspiciously, "I think you need to go see Madame Pomfrey…" you look a little red to. Maybe you have a fever."
She reached up and felt his head with the back of her hand. If he had been red before, it was nothing compared to now.
'Physical contact! Not good for the blushing facor!'
"No, I'm fine Hermione. Really."
Hermione (reluctantly...Ron hoped) took her hand away from Ron's forehead.
"I don't think so Ron. At least you need to get some rest. We can get my sweater later." Her attitude changed, and all at once she was down to earth, bossy Hermione again. Before he knew it, he was lying on the couch in the common room, with a thick blanket.
Ron noticed that Harry and Ginny were suspiciously absent. He quickly squashed this thought. It was best not to know some things.
Hermione settled back into her chair on the far said of the room, re-reading "Hogwarts, A History" for what Ron thought must be about the zillionth time.
'This isn't so bad,' he thought to himself. Hoping he sounded realistic, he started to cough fitfully.
"Ron. Stop it. I know you're not really coughing." Ron stopped. He sat up and looked at Hermione.
"So what's so interesting in that book?" She turned the book over and stared at the cover for a second. She shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess I just like to know why everything is here." He looked at her. 'What?'
"What do you mean?"
"Well," she looked thoughtful (as usual), "did you know that the tapestries on the wall are the actual Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. The Muggles think the real ones are in a museum in France.
"So?"
"So! These are very famous!"
"Really?" Ron's interest was piqued. "Why?"
"Here look for yourself." She stretched out her arm to hand him the book. Ron reached out and grabbed the book. At this point he thought it would be a good idea to 'cough' again. Except halfway through the cough stopped being fake. It was real now, and worse, Ron couldn't stop. At this point, he was hacking into his hand and gasping for breath.
Hermione rushed over to the couch, where Ron was now crouched over. "Ron! Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright?" he responded between spasms of coughs. Then he stopped to consider his own question. He was lying on a couch with the girl he'd been in love with for, like ever.
Ron abruptly stopped coughing when he felt Hermione's hand softly rubbing his back. 'What do I do?' thought Ron. "Erm…thanks Hermione."
Hermione started to respond, but all that came out was a yawn. "Hermione, you should really get some sleep. You've been working yourself way to hard lately."
"No Ron," Hermione said with another yawn, "I'm fine really." Ron gathered all his supposed Gryffindor courage and quickly placed his arm around Hermione.
"Hermione, just take a little rest. I'll wake you up in an hour or so." Ron could have sworn he saw a flicker of contentment spark in Hermione's eyes when he had placed his arm around her, and to his surprise she snuggled into his side. Ron tensed but slowly relaxed. She lay there for several minutes before picking up her head.
Ron looked down. "What are you doing?" His mind was screaming at him. 'Is she going to leave???? She can't leave!!!!'
"I shouldn't be taking a nap."
"Why not?" Ron then decided that it was best not to talk as his voice was coming out unnaturally high. There was a chance he might sound just a little too panicked. He really didn't want another one of those looks. Not right now, anyway. "You need more sleep."
She smiled at him indulgently. "No, I'm fine. Don't' worry."
"It's my job to worry. What else does a best friend do?"
Hermione snuggled back into his side and mumbled something.
"What?"
"You always do care about your friends and family. That's what I love about you." Ron froze, and Hermione abruptly lifted up her head.
Ron stopped the comforting path this hand had unconsciously been making up and down Hermione's arm. 'WHAT had she just said? Did she say that she LOVED him?'
Ron's inner-self did a happy dance.
'Wait!' The dance stopped. 'What did this mean? What should he do? Hermione was good at problem solving not him!'
Ron's mental breakdown was interrupted when he felt a sudden movement underneath his arm. When Ron looked up Hermione was hurriedly scurrying towards the girl's dormitory steps. Ron swiftly stood up.
"What are you doing Hermione?"
Hermione stopped scurrying. "Umm…I have to…uhh…do…that Potions essay!" Hermione replied with triumph.
'What?' Ron thought. 'He had tried that line before, and it definitely hadn't worked!'
Ron's arm quickly shot out, grabbing Hermione's arm and stopping her dead in her tracks.
"No, 'Mione. Really, what are you running off for?"
'This could be my chance!' Ron thought in triumph. 'Maybe she'll say something, and I'll never have to! You know, a chap can dream.' And right now he was spending more time dreaming about Hermione anyway.
"Nothing Ron, I'm just going up to bed."
'Trash that idea…Alright Weasley…this is your time, just take a deep breathe, go in there and do it. And try not to throw up…that would definitely hinder any kissing that might occur. Suddenly Ron burst out with "Hermione! I've got something to ask you!"
Hermione cringed, "Um, Ron…there's no need to shout. I'm right here."
"Oh, right. Well…earlier, when we were…um, on the couch you…er…said something that sparked my interest."
"Ron--" Hermione started but Ron cut her off.
"Stop 'Mione! Geesh, here I am trying to tell you how much I bloody love you and all you can manage to do is interrupt---"
Ron stopped his ramblingly abruptly when he realized just what he was saying. Hermione took over.
"That's NOT all I can do, Ron! I was actually planning on--" Then Hermione realized exactly what Ron had said to her. "Wait, what did you say?"
Ron wondered what he could have said that would have stopped Hermione's ranting. 'What did I say? Did I call her something stupid? Did I make her angry? Dear Lord, what did I do?' Ron was fully poised to panic.
"Did you say you were trying to tell me that you…LOVE…me?"
'Oh so, she had heard him say that.' The panic hit fully. Unfortunately, so did the really high voice.
"Did I say that?"
Hermione nodded slowly.
"Did you meant it?"
'Oh God. What should he say? Should he tell her the truth? What would her reaction be? If he did tell her the truth, would it be really awkward between them now? Did she feel the same way? What if she didn't? WHY WAS SHE NOT GIVING HIM A SIGN?! I NEED A SIGN!'
Directly after thinking this, Hermione gave him a sign. A rather large sign. Enormous really. She leaned over and kissed him. Ron's mind screamed for several minutes before it finally reminded itself that HERMIONE WAS KISSING HIM. Ron's mind promptly shut down.
Hermione slowly pulled away. Ron used the entirety of his will power not to follow her.
"So, are you going to answer my question Ron?" Hermione asked with a slight smile playing across her features
'Question?' He didn't remember any question. Actually he didn't remember anything except that Hermione had just been KISSING him. But he better figure it out so more kissing could ensue. He was defiantly a fan of the kissing. Especially Hermione. Not that he had any other experience…
Ron attempted to reign in his imagination. He cleared his throat and returned his mind to the question at hand.
"What question?"
"Did you really mean it? You know when you said you…loved me?"
"I thought we had clarified that with…you know…the whole kissing thing." (Which he was eager to get back to…)
"Well you see…" Hermione started.
'Uh oh!' Ron thought. 'She's going into High Hermione Drive…which means I'm in for a long speech…I wonder if she would take offense if I sat down…
' I should probably listen to what she's saying' Ron thought, and drifted back to reality.
"…I initiated the kiss, which confirms my feelings for you…" Ron smiled. "…But you, the kissee, just received the kiss without objection, which could mean, you do, in fact, love me, or you were just up for a good snog."
The smile grew as an idea formed in Ron's mind.
"Well if that's what you think…" Ron moved closer to Hermione again and kissed her. After a few moments he pulled away as to not lose himself in the kiss and forget the rare witty come back he was about to use.
"So…in this case you would be the 'kissee,' would you not?" Ron asked Hermione in a slightly mocking tone.
"I guess I would," Hermione answered, smiling and trying to suppress a giggle.
'Hermione is giggling?' Ron thought. 'She must really like me.' Suddenly he felt like he wanted to giggle too. With every ounce of control in his body, he fought the giggle. 'Quick Ron. Think of something else! Be suave!"
"So…according to your "theory" I would, in fact, be madly in love with you."
Hermione smiled happily. "That would work."
"And…you would, in fact, be madly in love with me."
"So…we're both madly in love."
Ron paused.
'Quick something witty."
"In theory."
'I'm on a streak!"
"So…" Hermione started, "are you saying we need to confirm this theory?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying Hermione."
And with that, Hermione and Ron BOTH leaned forward and kissed EACHOTHER. Confirming Hermione's theory that, in fact, the "kisser" is always most definitely in love with the "kissee."