Hello to everyone who has stumbled across my fanfic. I've written fanfics before, but never for Harry Potter. I've read all the books and try to keep my story as accurate as I can. Please review, cuz if no one is enjoying this, I won't update. I do not own anything related to Harry Potter.

Nothing More Than Feelings

(takes place during year 5, in an alternate universe, where they don't have to worry about things like 'Voldemort', and can focus on their social lives! haha)

Chapter 1 - Denial

A lanky red-head stared at the wizard chess board, deep in thought, deliberating his next move. "Queen to B 6." he said with a satisfied smirk, folding his arms and relaxing back into his favorite squashy armchair.

His opponent ran a hand through his own black disheveled hair. His electric green eyes scanned over the pieces through his round glasses. After a moment, he bit his lip, in an attempt to hide the grin that was spreading across his face. "Check mate." he proclaimed victoriously, as his Knight smashed Ron's queen into pieces.

Ron pounded his fist on the table and groaned in defeat, making the rest of the Gryffindor common room look up at him, including Hermione, who was studying in her usual seat by the fire. Ron cowered into his chair from having so many pairs of eyes on him. "Sorry!" he whispered sheepishly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "But seriously Harry, I must be a really good teacher… that's like the 5th time you've beaten me this week."
"7th actually, but who's counting." Harry laughed softly as Ron glared at him.

A deep sigh echoed from across the room, behind a rather large text book. Hermione huffed, "If you boys studied half as much as you played that silly game…"

"We'd what… be know-it-alls like you? No thank you." said Ron bluntly.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at this. She was quite used to Ron's teasing by now. "I was just about to say, before I was so RUDELY interrupted," she directed a glare at Ron, "that we have a Hogsmeade visit next month, which happens to fall on Valentine's Day." She looked meaningfully back and forth between Ron and Harry. "I think that if either of you want a chance to go, you'd better finish your essay for Snape on 'Lobalug poison and its uses' by then." She ended this rant with a nod, then buried her face behind her massive 'Ancient Runes' text book.

Harry broke his gaze from Hermione's book to look back at Ron. "Valentine's Day!? Are you going to.. You know.. Ask anyone to go with you?" Harry bit his lip again and started zoning out, staring at the wall, thinking deeply about if there was anyone he would want to bring.

Ron shrugged and started fiddling with the broken chess pieces on the table. "Dunno," he replied. "I don't think she'd say yes."

Snapping out of his trance, Harry's eyes sparkled slightly at this news. "Really! Well who is she?! You've never said you fancied anyone."

At this point, half of the common room was staring intently at Ron again. Even Hermione gave her homework a break and peeked around her enormous text book to hear this bit of gossip. Ron felt his ears and the back of his neck burning crimson. "N..No one. Just some.. Uh.. Ravenclaw girl." he sputtered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he saw Hermione pout as she hid her face back behind her book. "I.. Don't really want to talk about it." He finished as he gazed over in Hermione's direction.

"Uh, alright then." Harry mumbled, noticing the longing in Ron's eyes as he gazed at Hermione. He smirked to himself, knowing exactly who Ron's mystery girl was, even if Ron wasn't ready to admit it himself. "I think I'm going to go up to bed." he said as he began to stand. "..you coming?"

"I.. In a minute." Ron coughed. Trying to find something worthy of staying in the common room to do, he began to clean up the chess pieces.

"Alright then, see you." He turned to head upstairs, saying goodnight to Hermione and Ginny on the way.

Ron pushed the chess set to the side of the table, then took a deep breath. He rose from his seat and walked over to Hermione. He stood there for a moment with his jaw hanging open, but found himself unable to form the words that he wanted to say… or any words at all for that matter.

Feeling his gaze on her, Hermione lowered her book to her lap and met his eyes. She managed to suppress a giggle, but couldn't help grinning at the ridiculous look on his face. "So, do you want to talk to me about this Ravenclaw girl?"

Ron sighed with defeat and flopped down in the chair across from her. He was suddenly very interested in the hearth rug, since he played with the tassels on it with his shoe instead of looking at her. "I dunno. I… don't think she'd go with me 'cause… I mean… she's really smart and well…" he just shrugged and glanced up at Hermione, then back down at his shoes, "..she probably thinks I'm a moron."

She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh before closing her book and putting it on the table next to her. "Ron, why do you act as though you have the intelligence of a flobberworm? You're not Merlin, but you're not a troll either." She grinned over at him. "It's your personality that will win her over. Trust me."

His eyes rolled back in his head at this. "You sound like my mother!" he groaned and covered his face with his hands. "People only say that to really ugly people!" he mumbled through his fingers.

Now it was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes. Slowly she stood up from her chair and walked over to him. She reached out and gently pealed his hands away from his face. "I never said I thought you were ugly Ron. And if I did, I'd be lying." She grinned down at him before turning back around to gather up her books.

A confident grin slowly began to form on Ron's face. Hermione didn't think he was ugly? She thought he was the opposite of ugly! "Um, Hermione? Did.. Anyone ask you to the next Hogsmeade visit?"

Her back still to him, she packed her books into her bag. "Yes actually, Viktor has arranged to meet me there. Why do you ask?"

Ron's heart sank, and his temper flared. "Oh, you're still seeing Vicky? Perhaps you should tell him to go to Quidditch practice instead…. His team lost their last 2 games, you know."

"Yes, I know Ron! You don't have to rub it in my face every time I mention his name!" she retorted in a huff. "And his name is VIKTOR. I don't know what it is you have against him all of a sudden. I thought he was your favorite Quidditch player!"

He rose from his chair and began heading for the staircase to the dormitories. "Not anymore." he grumbled as he passed her. On his way up the stairs, he mumbled to himself, "What I wouldn't give to be him. He has everything I want."

Finding Ron's behavior very odd, Hermione sat back down on her chair for a moment. "He couldn't possibly be jealous. What would he see in a mousy book-worm like….. Oh! No it couldn't be." For a moment, she played with the idea that the 'Ravenclaw girl' was just a clever cover-up. "Ron, clever?!" she giggled to herself. She thought about it a bit more, then dismissed the idea and stood up. "No, I couldn't be that lucky." Draping her extremely heavy bag of books over her shoulder, Hermione retreated up to her dormitory for the night, her mind replaying her conversation with Ron over and over again.