Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter I just like to pretend that I do.

No More Mistakes

By spikescrypt

Hermione Granger was sitting beside the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Silently she watched as the flames flickered and couldn't help feeling much the same as that fire, as though there was a spark inside of her waiting to be ignited.

There had been countless fights, terrifying adventures, and perilous dangers but somehow they had survived it all. And yet she couldn't help but feel a deep hole inside of her that was yet to be filled. She had accomplished much that was true, yet there were still things that were left unsaid. There was still that hope inside of her that he too had these secret desires and that one-day he would feel ready to share them with her. She very much hoped that the time would come soon when he would finally be ready to move forward and offer her what she so desperately wanted.

As if he had read her mind suddenly he was there next to her.

"It's late you should get some rest."

He never could stop taking care of her and that was just fine with her.

"In a minute Ron, I was just thinking."

He playfully rolled his eyes at her. "Your always thinking."

"Yes well you should try it some time."

Not wanting to fight, Hermione stood up and started for the girl's dorm.

"I have you know."

She turned startled. "Have what?"

"I have been thinking. Actually I've been thinking a lot lately."

"Oh about what?" She was definitely intrigued.

"About all the mistakes I've made especially the one's concerning you."

Flashes went through her mind of him teasing her, of him red-faced and yelling angrily, of him snogging a girl that wasn't her.

"I don't want to keep making those same mistakes Hermione."

"Neither do I, but it's practically been second nature to us. How do we stop making mistakes?"

This was not an answer that a textbook could give her this was something they needed to work out on their own.

"Well I reckon that we have to take it one day at a time. I can try to control my temper more and try not to row as much with you.

She nodded gratefully, there was no way that they would stop fighting completely it was just part of their friendship. But they could both work on being more respectful towards one another and not say anything in anger just to see the other person get hurt.

"I think perhaps we both need to be more understanding of each other's feelings from now on," she said.

"Agreed."

"I really am sorry about everything I did Hermione. Especially about the whole Lavender thing."

"It did feel horrible at the time but I'm ready to move past all that. I've accepted that you had the right to fancy any one you wanted and it wasn't for me to judge."

"What are you talking about? I didn't fancy Lavender."

"Well of course you did Ronald! You dated her for Merlin's sake."

"Yes well I never actually fancied her. I mean she was pretty and all but mostly I dated her cause she was willing and cause she thought I was cute and because you and Harry had experience and I was the only one who didn't…."

"What do you mean I have experience?" Angrily Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared daggers at him.

Ron sputtered incoherently for a minute. "I didn't mean it to sound as though you're a scarlet woman or anything…."

He gulped realizing too late that he should never have brought those two words into the conversation.

Quickly he carried on before she had a chance to start shouting at him. "It's just that you snogged Krum so you…."

"What! How dare you I've certainly never snogged Viktor."

"Yes you have Hermione," he said confused.

"No Ronald I have not."

"Really it's okay Ginny told me all about it and I…"

"Ginny! Ginny told you that I had snogged Viktor? Well wait till I get a hold of her. If she thinks her Bat-Bogey Hex is dangerous she hasn't seen anything yet. If she thinks she can just make up lies about me and get away with it then I…"

"Wait so you mean you never snogged Vicky?" He asked confused interrupting her angry rant.

"I told you that we were only friends and I meant it. Viktor might have had a romantic interest in me but I made it quite clear to him that I only felt friendship."

"So you've never kissed Krum. But surely there was someone else."

"Like who? Malfoy? Filch? Or perhaps the giant squid?

"Merlin no! Of course not, but there are plenty of blokes who fancied you."

"Well I doubt that immensely, but even so I did not fancy them. So to answer your question no there was no one else. I've never actually had a real kiss, I suppose you find that funny?"

"No Hermione of course I don't. I just well…god I've been so stupid. All this time wasted and you could have been…" He broke off embarrassed.

"Go on I could have been what?"

"You could have been the one I was kissing."

Hermione blinked not sure that she had heard him right. Did he really just say that? Did this mean that he wanted to kiss her? Oh please let it mean he wanted to kiss her.

"Me? You mean you would have wanted to kiss me?"

"Merlin yes, I've wanted to kiss you for ages I just never figured you could fancy me when you could be with someone like Krum."

"I never fancied Viktor. I couldn't fancy him even if I tried because I already fancied someone else." She stared directly into his eyes holding his gaze. There was no way he was going to think she meant any one else. She would show him that he was the one; he was the one she had loved before she even knew what love meant.

"It's always been you Ron. Even when we were being awful to each other you still meant more to me then anyone ever could. I've loved you forever and I always will."

For his part Ron was completely flabbergasted. He did not even know for sure that Hermione fancied him, and here she was confirming that she did not only fancy him but that she loved him. He did not know what to say, he was never good at words like Hermione was. But then he realized that he didn't need to say anything.

Before he lost his nerve Ron pulled Hermione to him so that her body was flush against him and crushed their lips together in a forceful kiss.

Hermione was used to Ron acting and thinking later and this was definitely one time that she did not mind.

Ron was used to Hermione being a fast learner and this was definitely one time that he did not mind.

Tongues dueled together and hands roamed previously unfamiliar curves. It was some time before they both separated breathing hard as though they had run a mile.

"Well that was different," Ron joked.

"Yes quite, I rather prefer it don't you?"

"Oh hell yes it beats watching you stomp off in a huff any day. Now if I want to shut you up all I need to do is kiss you."

Hermione chuckled amused she had no problem with that. In fact he might need to shut her up more often, and she told him so.

"You might need to shut me up more often."

"Well then I better start practicing now then shall I?" And then they were kissing again and Hermione was surprised that it was both passionate and tender. Silently she thanked Lavender for helping him with his kissing skills, though she would never say so out loud.

When they pulled away, chests heaving and faces beaming Ron took his new girlfriend by the hand and escorted her to the foot of the stairs that would lead her up to her dorm.

"It's late you need your sleep," he told her.

Hermione chuckled remembering only moments before when she so affectionately thought about how Ron always took care of her. She was delighted in the fact that now he probably would never stop trying to take care of her. And that was just fine with her.