A/N: Well, here it is, my final entry for Penelope Fiction's competition. It is my first (completed) attempt at a Ron/Hermione story. So, anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer:I do not own, blah, blah, blah.
He was addicted. That was the truth of it, although he didn't want to admit it. He was addicted to fighting with her, to beating her at wizard's chess, to her know-it-all attitude.
He had first noticed this problem during his fourth year. That had been a dark year, although not as dark as fifth year. And while he had been sulking, thinking Harry didn't trust him, at least Hermione had been there some of the time. After the Krum incident, though, while she was angry at him, she was so polite. It was annoying, and he couldn't stand it. And he couldn't get out of his head the image of her in her dress, the perfect shade of blue, with her hair tamed into a style that was so completely opposite of what was normal he almost didn't like it, although it was very lovely. But the entire situation was torture.
He'd tried to deny it, but it was no use. His addiction grew steadily worse. Fifth year didn't help, either. They didn't fight so much anymore. It seemed pointless, considering everything that was going on. Umbridge was too horrid for her to be angry at anyone else, and the DA required everyone to trust each other. They could not afford to fight each other. Her eyes flashed now with anger, not at him, but at Umbridge and everyone else that didn't believe Harry and caused them all so much trouble.
Sixth year was awful. Just when she seemed to return his feelings, that encounter with Ginny caused him to become far more jealous than he would have anticipated. And dating Lavender was the worst mistake he'd ever made. Not only had he used a very nice—if a bit possessive—girl, but all the ground he'd gained with Hermione was lost in the instant he allowed Lavender to kiss him in the common room. And after all that time giving strength to his addiction, the sudden loss of communication with her nearly killed him, although at least the relationship did seem to make her jealous. He was happier than anyone could know after he was poisoned and Lavender broke it off, because that meant he got Hermione back.
The truth was, dating Lavender wasn't the worst mistake of his life. Leaving Hermione in the woods like he had was the worst. Seeing her tears running down her face and hearing her calling after him as she had made him feel as if his heart were being torn out, but he wasn't thinking clearly at the time. There wasn't a second that he was away from her that she wasn't on his mind. As soon as he couldn't hear her anymore he remembered the day they first met on the train to Hogwarts, and memories kept flooding back to him. And that could have been why he was distracted enough to get caught. And he couldn't stop thinking about her, not for the longest time. Not until he went back. And even her hitting him wasn't terrible, because he finally saw her again. And, as pathetic as it was, she was touching him, and that in and of itself was like a drug that he'd been without for weeks. And then, a few weeks later, when she'd kissed him during the battle...there weren't even words for it. All the times that he had imagined it didn't even come close to how amazing that first kiss was.
Yes, there was no other way to say it. He was addicted to her. And he enjoyed every minute of it.
A/N: That's all folks. Read and Review!