Harry walked into the common room to find a huge group of people lining the walls, and Ron and Hermione in the middle of the room, bellowing at each other.
Harry tapped Parvarti's shoulder and asked in a whisper, "What's it about this time?"
"Well," she said, "apparently Ron stole a letter that Viktor wrote to Hermione, and she got really angry, saying that he had no right to do that and then…well, the usual." She sighed and turned her attention back to the fight.
Harry looked around and saw that all of Gryffindor House seemed to be lining the walls, some looked worried, but most looked entertained. Harry was torn; if he was honest with himself he knew that he found this funny, because it was so obvious that Ron and Hermione liked each other. However, as their best friend he knew he ought to be a bit more concerned, but, after all, they had done this sort of thing before.
"Ron it is none of your business if Viktor writes to me!" Hermione had tears streaming down her face, and Harry couldn't tell if they were from anger or hurt, he imagined it was a little bit of both.
"It is too my business!"
"Is not! And anyway, why do you care?"
"You're one of my best friends, and I don't want that guy hurting you!" The entire room groaned. Hermione had just given Ron a way to tell her that he loved her, and as usual he had side-stepped it, and come up with a lame excuse.
"The only guy hurting me right now is you!"
"Hermione, you know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose!"
"Oh and why is that?"
The room was so silent that you could have heard if someone dropped a pin in one of the dormitories three floors above. Ron seemed unable to say anything; he looked like he was having an internal battle.
Hermione turned away and said, "Whatever, Ron. You can never just give me a straight answer." She walked towards the girls dormitories with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"UGH YOU IDIOTS!!!" cried George, "HE LOVES YOU! THAT'S WHY HE CARES WHEN YOU WRITE TO VIKTOR!"
"What?" asked Hermione, looking confused.
Once George had said something everyone began putting in their two cents.
"You idiots have both been in love with each other for years and you never do anything about it!" said Ginny.
"Everyone else has figured it out!" said Lavender.
"I don't get why this is so difficult! You like her, she likes you, this isn't exactly N.E.W.T. standard transfiguration!" said Seamus.
"Can you just ask her out, PLEASE!" begged Dean, "I want to wrap this up before dinner."
Several people murmured in agreement.
"Is that true?" asked Hermione softly.
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you because I thought that you didn't feel the same way, and that it would ruin our friendship," replied Ron.
"Didn't think she'd feel the same way?" asked Fred, incredulously, "Are you really that thick? Come to think of it, I can't figure out why she feels the same way, since you apparently are that thick."
Several people chuckled.
"Do you feel the same way?"
Hermione nodded.
"Kiss her!" called Angelina from the back of the crowed. But Ron didn't really need her to tell him what to do, because the second after she nodded he reached out and kissed her. The moment their lips touched the entire room applauded and there were several wolf-whistles, as well as whispers of "About time."
"You want to go out?" asked Ron, after they had broken apart.
"Yes," said Hermione, beaming, then she whispered so that just Ron could hear, "but next time you ask me out, can you do it without an audience."
Ron nodded again as he leaned in to kiss her.
"What is going on here?" asked Professor McGonagall, "I can hear this racket from two floors down, explain this please!"
Harry gestured wordlessly to Ron and Hermione, who hadn't noticed McGonagall's entrance, and were still snogging in the middle of the room, the entire crowed watching.
"Oh well that's alright then, just please ask them to refrain from a public display in the Great Hall, I can't imagine the noise that would ensue." said McGonagall. As it turned out she had a soft spot for the couple, because the entire school had been waiting for them to go out, not just Gryffindor house. As she left Harry heard her mumble under hear breath, "About time."
The crowed slowly dispersed, offering Ron and Hermione their congratulations. Eventually it was just the two of them, sitting side by side on the couch. After a while Ron said, "Do you want to go down to dinner now?"
"Sure," she replied standing up, her hand still in his, "but if that was Gryffindor's reaction I can't imagine how the whole school will act when we walk in hand in hand."
"It will be worse when we do this," said Ron, as he leaned in and kissed her.
