Hermione had her nose in a book, it wasn't long before the end of year exams for their sixth year and she was nervous as ever. She couldn't believe that Ron and Harry weren't even revising; it was only eight weeks away from the exams.
No one else was in the Gryffindor common room so she took this as her chance to spread all of her books across the floor. Transfiguration was the order of the evening and there were various objects changing their form on the floor.
"Hermione, what are you doing down here at one in the morning?" Harry said as he walked down the stairs from the dorms with Ron following close behind.
"I can ask you the same question." Hermione became slightly defensive.
"Well we left you down here when we went to our dorm; and we just wanted to check that you hadn't gone insane and had gone to bed." Ron sat on the chair next to the fire. "But clearly you have gone insane. You do know the exams aren't for ages."
"Thank you Ronald, I am perfectly sane and for your information the exams are only eight weeks away. That is not ages in fact it is scarily close, but if you want to fail that is your prerogative."
"Well I'm going back to bed, as we have quidditch tomorrow and I want to be well rested for it." Harry made for the stairs to the boys dormitory. "Are you coming Ron?" He stopped at the bottom of the stairs when he realised Ron was still sitting in the chair.
"Oh right, actually I'll be up in a minute. I'm just going to stay here for a bit." Harry decided not to wait any longer and went to bed.
"Come on Hermione, I'm sure you are well past the normal levels of revision at this stage." Ron returned his focus to Hermione. Hermione had been his best friend since first year even if it was against his better judgement, but since fourth year and the Yule Ball he had felt more for her.
"Just this one more book and then I'll be done. Don't worry about me you can go to bed, you need to be rested for quidditch tomorrow." Hermione placed a rather large looking book on her lap and began to read it.
"I am not going to bed until you do, otherwise you will stay up all night and stress yourself out. I don't know why you need to do all of this revision anyway you are the smartest witch in the school. You know all of the stuff in those books."Ron pointed to the pile sat next to her.
"Thank you Ron, but if I don't read these then I will most definitely fail."
"Come on Hermione, I'm sure you need a break at least." Ron moved to the small space on the floor next to Hermione that did not have books placed on it. "Let's just go for a walk, and you can get some fresh air and all that information will sink in much better."
"I couldn't possibly, its way past curfew what would happen if we got caught?"
"I'm going to go and get Harry's invisibility cloak and you are coming for a walk with me. I can't have you cooped up here with these books any longer even your big brain can't cope." Ron vanished upstairs and returned moments later with the cloak tucked under his arm.
"Ron, I don't think we should do this we can still get caught; even with the invisibility cloak on you know."
"Hermione, don't worry; sometimes you just need to let loose and break the rules."
"I've broken rules before. What about last year with the DA?" Hermione looked towards Ron triumphantly.
"That's different, you broke the rules then because we had to, Umbridge gave us no choice. Sometimes you should break rules 'cause you want to." Ron grabbed Hermione by the hand, placed the invisibility cloak over the pair of them and walked out through the portrait hole.
Hermione gripped Ron's hand harder as they walked through the corridors of Hogwarts and out to the grounds.
"Ron, do you remember what happened the last time we were caught out after curfew?" Hermione straightened her hair once Ron took the cloak off them.
"Come on lets go down to the lake, it looks great at night."
"How do you know that?" Hermione ran after Ron who was striding across the grounds.
"I come down here most nights when everybody's gone to bed. It helps me to think and it's just nice to be on your own especially when you have as big a family as mine." Ron sat on a flat piece of grass looking out to the lake.
"Why did you bring me here Ron? You could have just sat with me in the common room in you didn't want me to do any more revision." Hermione sat down close to Ron.
"I need to talk to you about something."
"What do you have to tell me here that you can't tell me in the castle?"
"I didn't want to be interrupted, plus it means you can walk away if you need to."
"Erm ok this doesn't sound good." Hermione looked worried about what Ron would say next.
"Don't worry you'll like what I'm going to say, well at least I hope so. You see the thing is... you know we are best friends and we do argue all the time... but you see what I'm trying to say is that I like you Hermione." Ron's cheeks began to match his hair the more her tried to talk.
"I like you too Ron."
"No Hermione I really like you, as in I like you in a way that a friend shouldn't." It was Hermione's turn to blush now. "You don't have to say anything, I just needed you to know. It's ok if you don't like me in that way, I mean I didn't expect..."
"Ron, stop talking." Hermione said abruptly.
"Sorry." Ron looked down towards his shoes.
"Don't be sorry Ron, I did say to you that I like you and I meant it." Ron turned to face Hermione again who was smiling.
"Oh right I thought you meant in a friends sort of way, which obviously I know because we're friends and..." Hermione decided to stop Ron from talking the only way she could think of which was to kiss him hard on the lips. She was so pleased to discover that he felt the same way as she did. Ron slowly put his arm around her to pull her in closer.
"Ehm" A voice suddenly came from behind them. Ron and Hermione broke apart to discover that their head of house Professor McGonagall was looking over them.
"First of all, neither of you should be out here after dark; nor do I agree to students acting like that towards each other. Fifty points from Gryffindor each and detention tomorrow, in my office after dinner. Now get to your dorms before I change my mind." Ron picked up the invisibility cloak and grabbed hold of Hermione's hand before he ran as quickly as his legs would take him; back to the common room.
"I'm so sorry I got you detention Hermione." They were both panting after the run from the lake.
"It was worth it." She pulled Ron in for another long kiss.