Written for Kaia (free from heartache) on the Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2013.
Hermione doesn't want to fancy him. Hell, she doesn't even want to like him. He's her complete opposite and if she didn't like him so much, she's sure she'd despise him.
He's messy. He's rude. He has no table manners whatsoever. He's idiotic and brash more often than not and happily ignorant. He's unbelievably insensitive. He hasn't got the faintest idea how to talk to girls and, for goodness sake, he didn't even acknowledge that she was a girl until he'd needed to find one.
He's everything she hates in a person and yet she still can't bring herself to throw their friendship out the door. Admittedly, their mutual friendship with Harry might have something to do with that, but she (very reluctantly) admits that if Harry were to disappear overnight, the two of them would probably stay friends.
It's just... he infuriates her. His attitude. His personality. The way he holds himself. Everything about him makes her want hurl various pieces of décor through a window.
Actually, the most infuriating part about the whole thing is that she does like him. She likes him. She likes him a lot, even. Sweet Merlin, she actually fancies him. It's horrifying to admit and she'd never say it out loud, but she's absolutely crazy about him. It's embarrassing, really.
It's not as if she doesn't try not to fancy him. She constantly reminds himself why she shouldn't. His despicable mannerisms aside, she tells herself that he'd never fancy her anyway. He's much too preoccupied with busty blondes and manicured nails. And even he did fancy her, they'd be the world's most argumentative couple. They'd never last. She'd yell at him and he'd yell at her. They'd break up, it would be awful and it would ruin everything, her dignity, her self-pride and their friendship included.
Ron, in typical fashion, simply isn't playing along with her bid to end this silly crush. He has moments that Hermione just cannot ignore.
He's loyal. Although he doesn't show it, it's unbelievably obvious to see that he's always just as worried about Harry as she is. He'd do anything to ensure Harry's safety. And he'd never do anything to harm his family. Plus, his house pride speaks volumes. She likes to think that his loyalty extends to her too.
He's hilarious. She knows he doesn't think so because he's not prankster-funny like his brothers, but he makes her laugh and she couldn't ask for anything more.
He's modest too, though she's got a feeling that has nothing to do with genuinely being modest and more to do with the fact that he genuinely thinks he's rubbish at everything, which is ridiculous because he's really quite brilliant.
His family, Hermione thinks, is partly responsible for his uncanny ability to drive Hermione mad (in both the good and bad sense of the word).
It's wonderful to see him with Ginny. He acts like he doesn't care about her and that she's just his annoying little sister, but he loves her. He glares at the boys she dates and threatens them in corridors, despite being one of the least threatening people she's ever met.
He's awful when it comes to Percy, not that he talks about him much these days. He's so intent on not becoming Percy; it's endearing, really. His determination to never let his family down is one of his most attractive qualities, Hermione thinks.
The best thing is seeing him with Fred and George. They're endlessly teasing him and he blushes like a girl. It's entertaining and the stories they tell make Hermione feel like she's known him forever. With the twins, she finds out all the little things about Ron that he'd never tell her, like that he had a teddy bear when he was five and that he'd cried when George charmed it Slytherin green.
He's cheeky with his mother and always trying to act older than he is. He jokes with his father, but these days he almost acts wary around him. Hermione supposes that that's just what happens when someone almost dies.
It really isn't fair. How is it that he can be so irritating but unnervingly fascinating all at the same time?
Hermione's a clever girl. She knows that no matter how unfair the situation is, it's probably not going to change any time soon. She's too far gone for that.
So, she waits. She waits for his less than charming qualities to subside. She waits as she tries her hardest to accept all of him...not just the parts of him she likes. She waits for him to get tired of snogging airheads and she waits for him to realise that she and Harry never had nor would they ever be a thing. She waits for him to grow up a little. And then she kisses him because she's tired of waiting and, quite frankly, she's not sure if they're going to see the light of day.
He kisses her back, thank goodness.
They pull away from each other and she laughs. He laughs too because they've both always known...they've just never been brave enough to put it all on the line and go for it. A moment later, she giggles again.
She doesn't have to wait anymore.