This story is dedicated to Mina Yu.
Another year at Hogwarts was beginning. For Ron, the summer had been a dull one. Harry and Hermione hadn't even come to stay with him, which had put a definite damper on things. The idea of being back at Hogwarts and seeing them again filled him with a kind of hope he had never felt before, as if a gigantic helium balloon were swelling inside his stomach, making him float through the air, yet he knew the tiniest pinprick would send him hurtling to earth with such speed that he would be lucky to survive.
His mother said to him quietly, "Go on now, dear. Go through the barrier first, and I'll follow through with Ginny." Ron looked at the plump red-headed woman affectionately, and walked casually through the barrier between Platforms 9 & 10, hauling with him a large trunk and owl cage. Time had passed since he had taken it at a run, being too scared to walk right into a wall. Now it was quite normal, all part of his routine.
The first thing he noticed once standing in front of the banner proclaiming that he was at Platform 9 & 3/4 was Hermione battling fiercely with her trunk, which was stubbornly refusing to move up the stairs and onto the train. The feelings he'd been struggling with since the Yule Ball in his fourth year, when Hermione came on the arm of an International Quidditch player, reached an all time high as he watched her struggle with the heavy trunk. He rushed over to help her out, carrying his own trunk as easily as if it had been a pillow.
"Hi, Hermione," he said breathlessly, dropping his trunk on his foot. He started to let out a yelp of pain, but closed his mouth quickly. He didn't want Hermione to think he was weak. "Needs some help?" he asked kindly.
"Oh could you, Ron?" she said thankfully, as she kissed him on the cheek. For some reason this made his ears turn bright red, even though this was a usual form of greeting. Hermione seemed not to notice, she just stood there and looked grateful, as he hauled her trunk up the stairs, then stooped down and grabbed his own, lifting it up and placing it beside Hermione's. "Thanks a lot, Ron. I never would have gotten that up there," she said truthfully. Ron blushed. Why was he acting like this! He felt furious with himself. Hermione and him were just friends, that was all.
Hermione couldn't believe herself. Instead of thinking Ron was being annoying or arrogant or stupid, she found herself thinking that he was kind, thoughtful, maybe a little confused about girls, and about some other things. But it didn't annoy her. She felt that it was cute, even sweet. Ron himself was certainly cute, at least to her. He was as freckled as ever, very tall, but not gangly anymore, instead he was well built and even a little muscular. Hermione didn't really care about looks, but other girls did, and he was okay by there standards, not handsome like Dean Thomas, or gorgeous like George Hanes, but sort of cute. And, Hermione thought excitedly, it seems like he's interested in me!
They found a compartment and Ron stepped in, taking a seat at the end by the window. Hermione guessed that he liked her and sat next to him. He looked surprised but pleased, and Hermione beamed at him. He grinned at her, and any girl who saw that grin would have been won over. He nervously put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
It was at this exact moment that Harry Potter slid open the compartment door to gape at them in shock.
Another year at Hogwarts was beginning. For Ron, the summer had been a dull one. Harry and Hermione hadn't even come to stay with him, which had put a definite damper on things. The idea of being back at Hogwarts and seeing them again filled him with a kind of hope he had never felt before, as if a gigantic helium balloon were swelling inside his stomach, making him float through the air, yet he knew the tiniest pinprick would send him hurtling to earth with such speed that he would be lucky to survive.
His mother said to him quietly, "Go on now, dear. Go through the barrier first, and I'll follow through with Ginny." Ron looked at the plump red-headed woman affectionately, and walked casually through the barrier between Platforms 9 & 10, hauling with him a large trunk and owl cage. Time had passed since he had taken it at a run, being too scared to walk right into a wall. Now it was quite normal, all part of his routine.
The first thing he noticed once standing in front of the banner proclaiming that he was at Platform 9 & 3/4 was Hermione battling fiercely with her trunk, which was stubbornly refusing to move up the stairs and onto the train. The feelings he'd been struggling with since the Yule Ball in his fourth year, when Hermione came on the arm of an International Quidditch player, reached an all time high as he watched her struggle with the heavy trunk. He rushed over to help her out, carrying his own trunk as easily as if it had been a pillow.
"Hi, Hermione," he said breathlessly, dropping his trunk on his foot. He started to let out a yelp of pain, but closed his mouth quickly. He didn't want Hermione to think he was weak. "Needs some help?" he asked kindly.
"Oh could you, Ron?" she said thankfully, as she kissed him on the cheek. For some reason this made his ears turn bright red, even though this was a usual form of greeting. Hermione seemed not to notice, she just stood there and looked grateful, as he hauled her trunk up the stairs, then stooped down and grabbed his own, lifting it up and placing it beside Hermione's. "Thanks a lot, Ron. I never would have gotten that up there," she said truthfully. Ron blushed. Why was he acting like this! He felt furious with himself. Hermione and him were just friends, that was all.
Hermione couldn't believe herself. Instead of thinking Ron was being annoying or arrogant or stupid, she found herself thinking that he was kind, thoughtful, maybe a little confused about girls, and about some other things. But it didn't annoy her. She felt that it was cute, even sweet. Ron himself was certainly cute, at least to her. He was as freckled as ever, very tall, but not gangly anymore, instead he was well built and even a little muscular. Hermione didn't really care about looks, but other girls did, and he was okay by there standards, not handsome like Dean Thomas, or gorgeous like George Hanes, but sort of cute. And, Hermione thought excitedly, it seems like he's interested in me!
They found a compartment and Ron stepped in, taking a seat at the end by the window. Hermione guessed that he liked her and sat next to him. He looked surprised but pleased, and Hermione beamed at him. He grinned at her, and any girl who saw that grin would have been won over. He nervously put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
It was at this exact moment that Harry Potter slid open the compartment door to gape at them in shock.