Come to Terms By: PrettynPink8004 Disclaimer: This story is based off of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. I only borrowed the character, settings, games, and anything else related to her work. Anything that is not in her books, I created unless given credit to another author. A/N: This is the Beta Version of Come to Terms. Yep, that right... I hd the story Beta read. I'd like to thank my beta, Rach, for all the work she put into it. I'd also like to thank those of you who read the 1st version that wasn't beta'd. I hope this is better!! Ron Weasley was sitting at the kitchen table finishing his late lunch. It was 4:30 in the afternoon, and he was thinking about how the war was affecting him and his friends so much. More so Harry and Hermione than him. Harry was the one Voldemort was after, and Hermione was muggle born, which put her in danger wherever she went. But the war had equally affected all of them in some ways. Like in their first year when they were looking for the Sorcerer's Stone. Or their second year, when his little sister, Ginny, was being possessed by Tom Riddle and opened the Chamber of Secrets. And the Dementors…those effected Harry more than anyone else, but it still affected them. Then there was the Triwizard Tournament. Cedric died because the trophy had been turned into a portkey. Voldemort had finally got his own body, and put some of Harry's blood into him. Finally there was incident that happened just a few months ago, in the Department of Mysteries. Something bad had happened to each of them. He was attacked by brains, of what? He did not know. But they left scars all around his body. Harry lost Sirius after Bellatrix Lestrange sent a curse at him that pushed him into the veil in the Death Chamber. Then there was Hermione. She had been cursed by a death eater, and it still affected her today. Hermione... Ron had only come to terms with himself that he liked Hermione in his fifth year. Well, actually it was his fourth year, after the Yule Ball. After she showed up with Victor Krum, the famous Quidditch Seeker. He just didn't know how to handle it back then. He hadn't even known he had a crush on her He just knew he felt different about her. But now he knew. He knew he liked her…a lot. One could even say he was falling in love with her. But she didn't know. Not yet anyway. But that was all about to change. He knew now more than ever, that he needed to tell her as soon as possible. He needed to tell her soon for two reasons, no, three. One, because the war was affecting all of them, and he didn't know if either of them would live to see the next day. Two, because he didn't want Harry to be there when he did it. He was coming in three days. And finally, because if he didn't do it soon, he never would. Sighing, Ron got up from the table and went upstairs to his bedroom. He didn't know how he was going to do it, what he was going to say, or when he was going to do it, either. Was it going to be outside or indoors? After dinner or before breakfast? Early in the morning or late at night? But these questions weren't the ones bugging him the most. The one thing that was annoying him was how she was going to react. Would she return his feelings? Would she yell at him for being such a prat for thinking that she would ever like him? While Ron sat there thinking, he decided that he would tell her after dinner. They would go outside into the wooded area near the garden. He just didn't know what he was going to say. But all that would just come out naturally, wouldn't it? Looking at the clock, Ron saw that it was 5:30. Hermione would be coming in thirty minutes. That was just enough time for him to get ready. Hermione was in the car with her parents. She was really excited to be seeing Ron, even though they had seen each other a month before. But, they had barely written to each other thus far. It wasn't 6:00 yet, but when Hermione looked out the window, she saw that they were pulling into the Burrow. Her parents had never been here before so she told her mum and dad, that that was The Burrow. They stopped the car and Hermione went to the boot and levitated her school trunk out of it. She was glad that the ministry was allowing student fifth years and older do magic outside school. They had agreed to this after Voldemort went into the Ministry. Hermione and her parents went to the Weasley's front porch and knocked on the door. A few minutes later Mrs. Weasley came to the door and swept Hermione into a hug. "Hermione, it's so good to see you," she said, then added, "Hi, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I'm Mrs. Weasley. My husband is at the Ministry right now. Hermione dear, Ron is in the garden." Hermione nodded then gave her mum and dad a kiss good-bye, before heading to the back. When Hermione reached the door that lead to the backyard, she could see Ron in the back. He was pacing; at least that's what she thought he was doing. He didn't seem to notice her either. Silently, Hermione turned the doorknob and headed outside. Ron was pacing in the garden while thinking about what he was going to say to Hermione. He had set up some things in the wooded area, so everything was planned. When Ron heard the back door close with a thud, he looked up. There stood Hermione in the doorway smiling at him. Ron gave her a big smile back. Then Hermione came running toward him, and threw her arms around his neck to give him a hug. Ron wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back. After a few moments, they realized what they were doing, blushed, and looked down at their shoes. "You're early," Ron tried to say casually. Hermione laughed, "I know." Ron hugged her once more, then grabbed her arms and dragged her back into the Burrow where dinner was ready. After dinner was over, Ginny helped Mrs. Weasley with the dishes, so that Ron and Hermione didn't have to worry about it. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Ron whispered to Hermione. "Sure," She whispered back. They went outside and silently started walking towards the woods. When they got there, Ron sat of the porch swing he had conjured up earlier, and motioned for her to sit down. She did, and after a few moments of silence, Ron started to talk. "Hermione, ummm... I have something important I need to tell you," Ron said. He was feeling very nervous, like spiders were in his stomach. "Okay," Hermione said cautiously. She had a feeling that what he was going to say was bad. "Well, you see... the thing is... IreallylikeyoualotactuallyandI'veneverfeltthiswaybefore," Ron said really quickly without taking a breath. "Excuse me? Hermione asked. She didn't know what he was mumbling about. "I, well, I think I have a crush on you. No, I know I have a crush on you. I like you a lot, Hermione, but I've never had the guts to tell you. But know I am, because everything with the war. I don't know if I could live with myself if I never told you, and something happened to one of us," Ron said truthfully. He said it slower this time, so she could understand him. Hermione didn't say anything for a while. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to what seemed like hours. And still, Hermione didn't say anything "Umm... Hermione, can you say something? Anything?" Ron asked. He was getting more worried about her silence that anything else. He would have done anything for her to say a few words. Even if it was something along the lines of "Ron Weasley, you are the biggest git ever, why would you think I would ever like you? Not in a million years will that happen!" But, if anything she didn't say that. What she did say was, "Are you serious, Ron? You like me?" "Yeah, I do... A lot actually," he said. Hermione squealed when he said this, then threw her arms around his neck once more. "I like you, too. I can't believe it took you so long," she said then hugged him tightly. "Are you serious?" Ron started, "I was worried you would say something along the lines of, 'Ron Weasley, you are the biggest git ever, why would you think I would ever like you? Not in a million years will that happen.'" "I would never say that," Hermione said. Ron put his arms around Hermione's waist, then kissed her. He kissed her with all the passion and lust he had. After they finished kissing, Ron looked down into Hermione's eyes. Then he said, "Hermione, will you go out with me?" "Of course I will, you big prat," Hermione replied giggling. After she answered his long awaited question, Ron cupped the cheeks of Hermione's face and kissed her again, but this time it was gentler. It wasn't as desperate as it was before. Then Hermione broke the kiss. She looked up at him and started smiling. "What's so funny?" Ron asked. "Oh, it's just... I can't believe it took you so long to come to terms with what your heart desired most," Hermione said. "And what is that?" Ron asked, already knowing the answer. "Me," Hermione said, then snuggled close into his chest. Ron wrapped his arms around he and rested his head on top of hers. He was glad that he finally came to terms with his feelings. A/N: How was that? I thought it was sweet! But I wrote it, so I want to know what you thought!! Feel free to e-mail me ) or review if you have any comments, advice, ideas for future chapters, or questions. And don't forget to Review!!!