Title: Kisses in the Rain

Summary: A traditional Yule ball fight scene. Big argument between R + Hr. How do they get together? Read to find out. I just made this little ficlet up when I was bored, and it's been on my computer for about a year now… I just found it so I decided to upload it, so please R+R!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Characters and world are not mine, only the plot. Everything else is J. K. Rowling's…duh.

One-shot

"Ron, you've spoiled EVERYTHING!!!! What is WRONG with you??? Why don't you just leave me ALONE?" Hermione screamed.

The Christmas ball for all 6th and 7th years was turning out to be a complete failure for both Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron had, once again like past times, ruined Hermione's night by yelling at her date, Lucas, a fellow 7th year Ravenclaw. In a rage, Hermione had rounded on Ron, screamed at him, and had stormed away in tears back to the girl's dormitories.

"Why does this always seem to happen to me?" asked Ron to his best friend, Harry Potter.

"This once, I'm taking Hermione's side, mate. You really should stop bothering her and her dates when they go anywhere. This has happened way too many times before."

"But-"

"Ron!" came an angry girl's voice from the other side of the Great Hall. Ron turned around to see his younger sister and Harry's date, Ginny Weasley, walking towards them with a very fierce look on her face. "Ron, WHY was Hermione leaving the ballroom in tears? PLEASE don't tell me that you had something to do with it AGAIN! Why do you bother her so much? If you like her, then just tell her!!"

"I do not-"

"Oh, don't even try to deny it, Ron, it is OBVIOUS that you do. Why didn't you ask her to the ball yourself if you didn't want her going with another guy? I'm warning you, if you don't make up with her soon, then it'll be over between you two for good. You guys won't even talk to each other anymore. Come, Harry, lets go get some punch." Ginny walked away, pulling Harry by the hand, while Ron stood there, at a loss for words.

2 months had passed since the Christmas ball, and Ron had still not worked up the nerve to confront Hermione in fear that she would blow up at him.

"It's raining outside," said Harry drearily. "Snape is such an asshole, assigning us this huge project only 4 days before it's due."

"Yeah…" said Ron.

Abruptly, Harry said, "This is all your bloody fault, Ron."

"What? No it isn't!"

"Yeah, it is… if you hadn't gotten in this stupid fight with Hermione, then she would let me borrow her notes, and we would have been done with this freaking essay. But no, I don't get help, because if I get help, she knows that I'm gonna tell you the answers!"

"And that makes it MY fault?" Ron retorted.

"Yeah, it is! For god damn's sake, just APOLOGIZE!"

Ron came out of the Gryffindor common room, muttering stuff about how stupid it was to be blaming this whole row on him. He was about to go outside when he noticed that he had no raincoat and that his wand was upstairs. Oh, what the hell. He trudged outside, wincing when he felt the hard, cold rain on his back. He saw a faint outline of someone else walking slowly but happily in the rain, as if they were enjoying getting soaked. He squinted… saw long, limp brown hair… chocolate colored eyes…the same familiar smile… oh shit, it's Hermione… Ron saw Hermione squint at him.

Realization hitting her, the smile on her face faded slowly, to be replaced with a look of determination to avoid Ron at all costs. She started to take quicker strides when-

This is it, thought Ron. He reached out and caught Hermione's arm as she was walking past him. "Can we talk?"

Hermione gave Ron a cold look, as she said, "No Ronald, I don't even feel like looking at you right now, so just leave me alone and go away."

Ouch, that hurt. "OK. OK, I realize that I've made a big mistake in yelling at the guys you're with, and I wont do it again. Sorry. That do?"

"NO, Ron, it doesn't. Ron, you just don't understand, do you? If this were the first time that you had done this and the first time this was happening, then I would forgive you. But that doesn't work anymore, Ron. You may not notice, but this has happened more times than I can count. I'm sick and tired of it. I am NOT putting up with this anymore."

"Wait-"

"Just answer one question – why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you get so angry? Ever since our fourth year, you've gotten angry – why?"

"No reason…" mumbled Ron, the tips of his ears turning visibly red, even in the thick rain.

"The there is no reason for me to be wasting my time with you right now." She spared Ron one last withering look and started to head off into the castle.

"NO – there is, I – I just don't want to tell you…" Suddenly, Ron felt Hermione's hands grip his arms. Looking up, even through the rain, he could tell that Hermione's eyes were tearing up fast and were threatening to spill over.

"See, Ron? What's happened? We used to tell each other everything! We used to be open with each other. But now," she let out a sob "now, we don't even talk to each other anymore. We used to be best friends, Ron! Why has it changed like this? Why don't you trust me anymore?"

Ron slowly put his arms around Hermione and hugged her tight. He couldn't bear to see her like this. She stiffened against his embrace for a moment, and was about to push away, but then relaxed in his arms and began to cry weakly into Ron's shoulder. After a minute, she looked up at Ron and said quietly, "Ron, tell me. Please tell me. I want to know. You can tell me anything, you know that… please… " She put her hands on Ron's shoulders and shook them gently. "Come on, Ron…"

Subconsciously, without realizing that he was doing it, Ron leaned down and pulled Hermione's face to his and kissed her full on the lips. He heard Hermione let out a little gasp and immediately thought, oh, my god, I just kissed Hermione on the lips! Oh, damn, she probably doesn't even like me like that; she- his thoughts were interrupted when Hermione started to kiss him back.

Hermione opened her mouth under his, allowing him to deepen the kiss and felt him tighten his grip around her waist. Her arms traveled up his neck and she ran her hands up and down his spine, as he entwined one of his hands in her limp, sodden hair. She felt him shudder and pull her closer to him, closing any remaining gap in between their bodies. Both of them let out moans in unison, and they both finally surfaced for air.

Ron licked his lips, tasting Hermione's salty tears on them. He looked at Hermione, taking in her eyes, her rosy cheeks, her lips red and puffy from the kiss, and his fingers still twirled in her hair, and said, "Do you still want to know the answer to your question, or…?"

"No, I think I have a pretty good idea why, but I still have one question…"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"You didn't just ask me that, did you?"

"I'm serious, Ron!"

"Because you were always off with one boy or the other, I thought…"

"Thought what, Ron?"

"Thought that you would rather be with one of then than with me, that why I never bothered, and besides, I'm nothing…nothing compared to Lucas, or Viktor, or any of your boyfriends!"

"Tell me something Ron, do you ever listen to me? Like, EVER?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you have any idea HOW many times I have told you that Viktor is JUST MY FRIEND! Lucas is JUST MY FRIEND! My goodness, I'm friends with Harry, does that make me his girlfriend too? Ugh, you can be so STUPID sometimes, I can be friends with a guy, for your information-"

Her words shuddered to a stop as Ron once again put his mouth over hers, and kissed her passionately. She lost herself to the kiss and grabbed Ron's hair and pulled his head closer to hers. After a minute or two, she pulled away and asked in an amused voice, "What was that for, Ron?"

"To shut you up. You talk too much."

"Thanks… I think… I really need to get upstairs and change, I'm going to see Ginny in a little while, and I'm all wet… coming, Ron?" she asked.

"No, no thanks…"

Hermione started to walk away.

"Oh, Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"I - I love you."

Hermione blushed, but couldn't help felling ecstatic inside. He loves me! "I love you too, Ron. I always have and always will." She turned back around and started to walk into the castle when-

"Oh, and Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"Will you help me with my Potions homework?"

FIN