It had been a month since the battle of Hogwarts. A month since Voldemort had been destroyed. A month since their kiss. Hermione sat with her best friends in silence, still, after all this time. They couldn't talk about it.
"I'm going back to Hogwarts." She decided to break the ice first,
"WHAT?" Ron exploded, "We finished!"
Harry grinned, "Hermione? Stop going to class? Don't be stupid Ron."
"I want to get my NEWTs" Hermione explained, "I'll be with Ginny, so it won't be so bad."
"Nah, it's a good plan 'mione." Harry continued, "You'll ace them."
"Course she will." said Ginny walking into the kitchen, "We both will." She motioned with her head to Harry to follow her, their relationship had started up again as soon as the danger was over. He followed her out of the door, winking at Ron.
"Eugh.. that's my sister."
Hermione snorted with laughter, stopping suddenly as she realised it was out loud.
"What's so funny?" Ron inquired,
"Oh... It just reminded me of something, a long time ago." Hermione muttered. Ron turned in his seat to look at her, grabbing a bread roll and tearing it in his hands. She realised she was supposed to continue with the story. She sighed and tapped her fingers on the table, absent mindedly.
"I... well, it was just the time at the Three Broomsticks. We saw Dean and Ginny together and I said..."
"What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me...Would you expect her to get up and leave?" Ron finished, they both blushed and looked away from eachother.
"Hermione..." Hermione held her breath, she'd been waiting for this moment. Waiting for him to say he regretted kissing her, waiting for him to say he wanted to just be friends.
"Hermione... When we..." "Kissed, Ronald." She said, looking straight in his eyes.
"Yes, that. When we kissed." He blushed for the second time, a redness creeping up his face, his ears growing pink, clashing with his firey hair.
"What about it?" She enquired, enjoying his shy smile.
"Why..."
"Oh..." she muttered, he obviously was going to ask why they had kissed, "Must have been the heat of the moment.." She lied.
"No. No it wasn't." He frowned, "Don't say that."
She bit her lip, wondering what he was getting at. She watched as he raised his hand, put it to her face and rubbed his thumb against her cheek.
"I've wanted to kiss you since third year." He sighed, "When you nearly held my hand in the hippogryph paddock, the first day of Care of..."
"Magical creatures" Hermione breathed, "Then.. why?"
"Why did I take so long?" He chuckled, "Hermione have you seen yourself? You're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. You're the smartest girl too, I'm not good enough for you. You could have had..."
"Don't you dare ruin this with the mention of Viktor" She groaned,
He laughed, a throaty laugh that made her stomach do backflips.
"Good old Vicky" He grinned, "But I stand by the fact you could have anyone you wanted."
Hermione stared into his eyes, she saw the age old fear. The self conscious fear still ate away at him. Not as great as his brothers, not the girl his mother wanted, not as famous as his best friend. It was all wrong, so wrong, he couldn't see himself as Hermione saw him. The best out of anyone she knew. He couldn't see how great he was, still.
"You are who I want. Since I told you that you had dirt on your nose. Since you showed your bravery on the chess board. Since you helped Hagrid with buckbeaks trial." She rushed through each of these, "Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are the bravest, kindest, most loyal person I have ever met. No, you aren't your brothers, you aren't your sister, you aren't Harry. But to me you're better, you're Ron. You're... mine."
She stopped there, breathing heavily, closing her eyes to his touch on her cheek. She raised her hand and held his there, rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand."Yours." Ron breathed, "For as long as you want me."
He leaned his head forward and rested his forehead on hers. Their lips inches away from each other.
"That'll be a long time." She smiled,
"I'm sure I can handle that."
He pressed his lips gently to hers, euphoria ran through her veins.
