Name: Nicole Longbottom
Age: 16
Family: Neville Longbottom

~Story start~

"Thanks for inviting me over, Ginny," Nicole said, walking up the stairs with Ginny and Hermione, each of them carrying a pillow, a blanket, or a bag. "You saved me from spending the night with Neville and Dean over at Seamus' place."

The three girls laughed.

"It'll be just us girls," Ginny giggled.

"Well, I suppose when you disregard your brothers and Harry," Hermione pointed out.

"I'm guessing Harry didn't want to go back to the Dursleys' for break, eh?" Nicole proposed.

"Ron couldn't stand to let his little sister suffer because Harry's not with her, so he invited Harry to stay during break," Hermione laughed.

Ginny blushed as they got to her room and put Nicole's stuff in the corner by Hermione's things.

"I'll be right back," Nicole said, walking out.

"At least I repaid Ron by inviting Nicole over for a sleepover," Ginny told Hermione.

Meanwhile, Nicole was stomping towards the twins' room.

"Fred! George! I know you two took my sketchbook back at Hogwarts as a joke!" Nicole yelled, standing in front of their door. "I want it back!"

"Nicole?"

Nicole turned and saw Ron and Harry coming up the stairs. She blushed lightly at the sight of the youngest Weasley boy.

"Ron! Harry!" Nicole nodded in greeting.

"When did you get here, Nicole?" Harry asked.

"Hmm...About ten minutes ago maybe," Nicole thought out loud. "Ginny invited me and Hermione to sleep over. And now I'm trying to get my sketchbook back from when Fred and George took it while visiting us last week at Hogwarts."

"Well you're out of luck then," Harry smirked amusingly.

"Come again?"

"While Mum and Dad took Percy with them to have dinner with some friends, Fred and George had to stay at their shop late tonight," Ron explained. "So it's just us five tonight."

"Does that mean I can't get my sketchbook until they get back?" Nicole asked in distress.

"We'll figure something out," Ron promised, slightly blushing.

Nicole brightened, not noticing Ron's small blush.

"You're the best," she said. She waved and headed back to Ginny's room.

The girls had set up for bed, sitting on the blanket-covered floor in Ginny's room.

"So what now?" Nicole questioned. "I'm not ready for bed just yet."

"How are you going to tell Ron you like him, Nicole?" Ginny spoke up.

Nicole blushed. "I don't think I will. You know me, the quiet one."

"Yes, but also the romantic one," Hermione added.

"She's right, Nicole," Ginny agreed. "You should just-"

Ginny was cut off by a knock at the door. Harry came in after hearing Ginny call, "Come in!"

"Could one of you go downstairs and help Ron?" he asked. "He fell into one of Fred and George's pranks and now he's covered in paint."

"Paint?" the three girls repeated.

Harry shrugged. "I'd help him out, but I have to take care of Hedwig."

Nicole looked at Hermione and Ginny, and they both looked at her. She sighed.

"I'll go help him," she said, getting to her feet.

She walked out the door and headed downstairs. Harry looked at Ginny and Hermione and smirked.

"Amazing how Fred and George's plan is working," Ginny smiled.

Nicole came into the family room of the Weasley home. She found Ron wiping off multiple colors of paint from his face with a towel. He hadn't noticed Nicole come in, his back facing her. Nicole's face became a thousand shades of red, her eyes wide, as Ron pulled his shirt over his head.

While rolling his shirt into a ball, Ron turned and froze when he saw Nicole standing there. He too blushed, just as much as Nicole. Nicole noticed how Ron's shirt was covered in paint, and the paint that was all over his face before was gone. A few pieces of his hair had paint on them.

"Oh, um, Nicole..." Ron was lost for words.

"I'm sorry!" Nicole exclaimed, coming out of her daze. "Harry told us you needed help and I...Well, the girls practically pushed me down here." Nicole laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, okay," Ron nodded. "Um, can you hand me another towel from the other room?"

Nicole nodded. She went into the other room that Ron had pointed to and grabbed a white towel off a stack. Nicole walked back into the family room and saw that Ron was trying his best to wipe paint off the floor with the towel he had before. He was still shirtless.

Nicole, blushing and being as klutzy as her cousin Neville, walked a tad bit faster than she meant to and tripped. Ron saw this and stood, catching her just in looked up at Ron, her hands on his bare chest. She blushed again, but didn't dare break the eye contact between her and the red-haired boy.

"You okay?" Ron asked quietly, staring into Nicole's eyes.

Nicole nodded, unable to say a word.

Ron stood Nicole up on her feet, but he kept his hands on her waist. Nicole's hands were still placed against Ron's chest. They never broke eye contact.

Unconsciously, they both leaned their heads closer, tilting to one side or the other even the slightest bit.

As seconds ticked by, the gap between them closed, their lips connecting in a passionate kiss. Nicole's arms wrapped themselves around Ron's neck as they both closed their eyes. Ron lifted one hand to the back of Nicole's neck, deepening the kiss.

They pulled away reluctantly when a sudden flash and click came. The two of them looked upstairs to see Harry, Ginny, and Hermione smiling down at them. Ginny had a camera in her hands.

"You two better thank Fred and George later," Hermione advised.

"You mean this was a set up? And you three were in on it?" Nicole asked, catching on.

"The sketchbook was bait for Nicole, and an excuse for Ron to be covered in paint," Ginny giggled.

"Don't let us bother you," Harry three of them high-fived each other and walked away.

Ron turned and grabbed something off a chair. It was Nicole's sketchbook. He handed it to her.

"Sorry, it's got a bit of paint on the cover," Ron apologized. "And now those three will probably show that picture to everyone back at school."

Ron was about to walk away until Nicole stopped him.

"Do you think I care about that?" Nicole smiled, putting her arms around Ron's neck once again.

"You wouldn't be embarrassed? I mean, with everyone knowing you and I kissed?"

"And that we're together?"

Ron nodded.

"Hmm, let's see...Our best friends showing everyone at school a picture of us kissing...A little paint on the cover of my favorite sketchbook...The major possibility of being attacked and/or killed by Lavender..." They both laughed a bit. "I'd say it's all worth it."

Nicole and Ron brought each other into another kiss, just as passionate as before.

"By the way, how did you get caught in your brothers' prank trap?" Nicole asked.

"Getting back your sketchbook, of course," Ron smiled.

Nicole kissed Ron's cheek. "Thanks."