Disclaimer: NOT MINE! Anything you recognize isn't mine. No matter how much I wish it was.

Author's Notes: I wrote this for the Madam Puddifoot's challenge #2, and it won! Please R & R, and if you wanna flame go right ahead. I've got painkillers handy. Fluffly. Warning: Possible cavities. I am not responsible. runs

Shut Up and Kiss Me

"It would look better purple."
"You really think so?" asked Hermione, twisting around to look at her back in the long mirror.

Ginny critically eyed Hermione's pink dress robes. "Yep... brings out your eyes better."

Ginny casually flicked her wand and turned Hermione's dress robes a pale lavender.

"Now, for your hair..."

Ron couldn't help but fidget. The ball was starting in five munites and Hermione wasn't ready yet? Girls. He'd been waiting with Harry for over a half hour. He exchanged an exasperated look with Harry and rolled his eyes. Ron was tired of waiting.

He stood up and marched toward the girls' staircase. But before he had gone more than three steps up the staircase, he heard an awful klaxon-like sound and found himself slipping clumsily to the bottom of the stairs. He heard Harry laughing and,slightly dazed, stood up.

"What the bloody-" Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione had slid nearly down the stone slide onto the carpet at his feet.

"Was that you, Ron?" she asked, laughing slightly. Ron mumbled something incoherent and helped her to her feet.

Much to his relief, Ginny zoomed down the slide much less gracefully than Hermione.

"I wish you boys would try to get into our dorm more often," she teased, eyes twinkling.

Harry stood up. "All right then, let's go," he said impatiently. And so they trooped cheerfully out of the common room, eager to get down to the dance.

As the group entered the Great Hall, they saw quite a few of the students from the fifth, sixth, and seventh years. Hermione also noted that this year, instead of the Weird Sisters, there was an old-looking piano set up by the staff table, which she presumed was for the musical entertainment. The idea pleased her, because she had always been partial to classical music.

As neither she nor Ginny had dates, they both made a beeline for the punch bowl. After getting some punch, which tasted pleasantly fruity, they sat at a table off to the side of the dance floor and chatted while listening to the music and watching the dancers.

Hermione didn't really think that anyone would ask her to dance. No matter how gorgeous Ginny told her she was, she didn't quite believe it. But she didn't mind too much. This was her night to enjoy herself, not to agonize over Ron. And she was determined to have fun.

The next song was a faster one. Ginny stood up.

"Come on, let's dance!"

Hermione looked at her, puzzled. "With who?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "We don't need guys to dance. Come on!"

And so Hermione found herself dancing. It felt kind of awkward, she decided. She thought she probably looked funny; she didn't know how to move and her movements felt choppy and out of rhythm. Embarrassed, she turned to go back to the table, but bumped into Ron, who seemed to be steeling himself for something unpleasant. Hermione wondered what.

Ron turned red. "Er... hi."

Hermione was feeling more awkward than ever. "Hi.." she said uncertainly.

Ron gestured slightly. "Do you... I mean, do you want to.."

Alarms were going off in Hermione's head. Was he about to say what she thought he was about to say? No, of course he wasn't. She was delusional.

"Do you want to dance?"

Hermione just about died. She couldn't believe her ears. A feeling like she'd been plunged into cold water enveloped her. Was this really happening, or was she hallucinating?

She didn't know what to say, but she opened her mouth to say something anyway; she didn't know what but she had to say something.

"I-If you don't want to, I mean, that's okay," Ron stuttered.

Suddenly Hermione felt bad. Ron was obviously quite flustered and she couldn't help but feel bad for him. She'd never asked anyone to dance but she imagined it would take a lot of courage.

"Uh... sure," she murmured.

In response, Ron moved jerkily forward and hesitantly took her by the hand. They started to dance, and Hermione put it out of her mind that the was stepping on her feet and simply reveled in dancing with Ron.

The song seemed to last forever, maybe because Hermione was cherishing every second of it.

"Isn't it cute, Hermione and Ron were dancing!" giggled Ginny from in front of them. Harry laughed along with her. "About time," she heard him say.

Heat crept up Hermione's neck, and she averted her eyes from Ron, who she could see was beet red.

Pretending she hadn't heard them, Hermione asked, "Er...would you like to dance again?" to fill up the nasty silence.

They danced for several more songs, which Hermione thoroughly enjoyed. She had never, in her wildest dreams, thought that she would be dancing with Ron, of all people. She was loving every minute of it.

She sipped her punch and chatted with Ron as composedly as she could.

"Er... Hermione?" said Ron nervously.

She was just as apprehensive as he was. "What?"

"Well I... I.. I think I love you. Ever since like first year, when you were being so awful about that feather thing and-"

"Ron," Hermione interrupted him. "Shut up."

Ron looked rather like a fish, with the way he was gaping at her.

"And kiss me," she finished, smiling.

Ron looked incredulous, as though he couldn't believe his ears.

"You really want me to... are you serious?"

Hermione nodded, looking him square in the eye. The next thing she knew, their lips had met in a kiss, and sparks were flying in front of her eyes.