Part I of the Ron and Hermione Saga

Come What May

Chapter 1: The AstronomyTower

Author - Becka

Rating - G

Keywords - Ron/Hermione, Sixth Year

Category – Angst/Romance

Disclaimer - They unfortunately don't belong to me, no matter how much I wish they did…

Summary – Ron decides to finally ask Hermione out, but with disastrous and then wonderful results. Ron/Hermione!

Author's Notes – Set in sixth year :) Named after the Moulin Rouge song, but hasn't really got anything to do with it. Great R/Hr song though. Please read and review! Reposted because I do actually know how to paragraph but they didn't work before.

Ron paced up and down the common room in front of Harry. He'd been doing it for almost an hour.

"Will you please sit down or tell me what's wrong? You're driving me crazy!" Harry finally said, closing his Potions textbook.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"You've never had that problem before. Why's this time different?"

They both turned when the portrait of the Fat Lady opened. Ron felt a heat creep up his face, and bet that his face now resembled the colour of a tomato.

"I can't stop to talk." Hermione said "Too much homework."

She made her way straight up to the girl's dormitory.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked, after turning back to Ron. "Ohhhhh."

"What?"

"You're finally going to do something about you and Hermione aren't you? Congratulations! It's about time if I do say so myself."

"How did you know?"

"Oh, like it wasn't obvious. Are you finally going to ask her out?"

"But some of the Durmstrang students are going to be visiting soon. I still don't know what's going on between her and Vicky…"Ron pulled a sour face.

"But Hermione doesn't fancy him, and who's to say he feels anything for her now? You've got to ask her!"

Ron sighed. Now Harry knew he was never going to let it go.

"When are you going to ask her?" Harry said.

"I have no idea."

"You should do it tonight. Before you lose your nerve."

"I've already lost it."

"Come on, do it after dinner."

"Okay, I'll do it... I can't believe I just said that…" Ron said more to himself than Harry.

"You'll be fine. Promise."

Ron moved the food around his plate, not able to eat. He had been able to convince Harry to sit between them, but he still couldn't concentrate. Slowly people filtered away from the Great Hall, leaving Harry, Hermione and Ron to be some of the last people there.

"I have to go and do my Potions homework." Harry said getting up. Ron grabbed hold of his robe and pulled him back down.

"I think I'm going to be sick." He whispered.

"Don't be ridiculous." Harry replied, prying his hand away.

"Now Ron, I know you have something to say to Hermione, so I'll just leave now."

Ron made choking noises and Harry wondered if he really was going to be sick. It's just nerves, he thought, walking off.

"What did you want me for?" Hermione asked, speaking to him properly for the first time that day. "It better not be to help you on your Transfiguration homework. You know Professor McGonagall forbid us to help each other on this task..."

"No, it's uh…Do you want to go for a walk? Away from here?"

"Sure." Hermione said, confused. He'd never wanted to talk before in private before. You're just jumping to conclusions, she thought, hoping, wishing…

They moved away from the table and began walking. Ron unconsciously began heading towards the Astronomy tower. Neither person talked until they reached the stairs to the tower.

"Do you want to go up?" he asked.

"I don't mind." Hermione said, more confused than ever.

As they reached the top Ron turned to face her, avoiding her eyes.

"Ron, what's going on?"

He took a deep breath, willing the feeling in his stomach would go away.

"You're different to the other girls at school. You don't look like them….I mean you don't wear heaps of make-up like they do or straighten your hair or anything…" Ron paused, not knowing what to say.

"Did you bring me up here just to tell me how badly I look?" Hermione asked.

Ron finally dragged his eyes up to meet hers.

"I know I'm not the prettiest girl in school but I don't need you to bring me up here and abuse me." Her voice got louder with each word, tears dropping out of her eyes. She turned and rushed towards the door, running down the steps before Ron could catch her.

"Damn it!" Ron said kicking the closest object. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"What did you do?" Harry and Ginny asked together as Ron entered the common room.

"I didn't say anything!"
"She ran in here crying Ronald, I wouldn't call that nothing! She won't even talk to me about it." Ginny said.

"I didn't mean to! I didn't know what to say so I stopped for a moment and she thought I was insulting her!"

How could anything go this horribly wrong? Ron thought.

"Well go and say sorry!"

"I would, but I can't get up there can I? And I'm not saying it down here with all these people."

Already a group had gathered, listening to the argument. Suddenly Ron had an idea.

"Ginny, can you tell her to meet me in the Astronomy tower?"

"I can but I don't think she'll come."

"Please," Ron said pleadingly, "Say anything you can to get her up there."

"Okay, I'll try, but you better leave. I won't be able to get her out of here with you down here."

Ginny walked towards the girls' dormitory and Ron rushed towards the Astronomy tower. Harry was left to answer the questions of the other Gryffindors.

Ron was back to pacing up and down, but this time in the tower.

"Please come, please come." Ron chanted continuously, "Please come, please, please come."

He heard voices at the other side of the door and froze.

"I don't want to go in there Ginny, don't make me. I know he's your brother but he really is a prat sometimes."

"Just trust me, okay?"

"I don't see how this is going to help anything."

Ginny opened the door and pushed an unwilling Hermione into the room, quickly shutting it behind her. When Hermione saw Ron again tears welled up in her already red eyes. She made vain attempts to wipe them away.

"I didn't mean it Hermione, I hadn't fin-"

"Do you honestly think I'll forgive you this time Ron? You've gone too far this time."
"Please just listen to me."

"Why should I? After what you said? I think you should be-"

Ron stalked over to Hermione, who shied away.

"Ron, what are you do-"

Hermione's last sentence was cut off as Ron leant forward and kissed her rather violently, without response from her. When he pulled away Hermione was trying to form sentences, even words, but seemed unable to do anything but stare.

"Now will you listen to me? I was going to say that you don't look like other girls at all, you're way prettier than they will ever be and will you please go to Hogsmeade with me, as a date, but I guess I know the answer anyway."

Ron tried to walk past her to the door, but Hermione grabbed on to his arm.

"Why didn't you say that before?"

Tears were still coming out of her eyes, but now for a different reason.

"I tried, but believe it or not it's not that easy. I couldn't think of what to say…"

Hermione was overcome and slipped onto the floor, crying harder than ever. This time she didn't bother to try and wipe them away.

"I didn't think saying 'No' would cause such a reaction. Anger maybe, disgust…"

Hermione laughed.

"Don't be an idiot, why would I say no?"

"So it's yes?" Ron's eyes lit up.

"Of…Oh no…"

"What is it?"

"Viktor's already asked me to go with him when he comes…"

"Don't worry about it, I understand." Ron said sarcastically, starting to walk off.

"Wait, I haven't answered him yet. I've told him before we're just friends; it won't surprise him that I want to go with an actual date. And it's not like he won't be able to get somebody else to go with."

"So we're going together?"

"Definitely." Hermione pulled herself up. "Just don't think you can just kiss me like that again and everything will be alright. It won't work."

"Are you sure? Do you want to try it out again?"

"You can wait until we go to Hogsmeade." She said smiling and hitting him lightly on the chest.

"I don't think I'll last that long."

"You have to now; you've got a date soon."