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Accidentally in Love

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It was the middle of spring when I finally realized that I kind of liked one of my best friends; Ron Weasley. At first it came as a shock quite similar to an earthquake, but after a while it faded away and I shrugged it off as spring fever. After all, I had had crushes before.

When I started daydreaming about his eyes, during lessons none the less, I realized that I perhaps had a bit stronger feelings for him than I had first thought.

After the Yule Ball fiasco, I admitted to myself – and Ginny – that, yes, I probably fancied Ron just a little bit. But he infuriated me to no end, and I would not even dream of telling him of my feelings. Ginny had just sighed and told me she understood my feelings completely. I had a hunch that perhaps she was talking about my other best friend, but I didn't push it. Eventually even Harry had to come to his senses.

Then came the moment where I realized that I was in full-blown love with Ronald Weasley, of all people.

It was in Fifth Year, a week before the OWLs, and we were studying in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had rapidly become a wreck as he came to realize how much studying he had to get done before the tests.

I, of course, did not help him, but encouraged him to use his own intellect. He was smarter than he gave himself credit for, and I knew it. But I also understood that fifteen years of living under the shadow of five successful brothers did that to you. No one but himself could give him better self-confidence.

After two hours instant revising, he dropped his head onto the table. I was feeling sorry for him, so I let him rest his mind for a couple of minutes. As Harry was off somewhere, presumably with Cho, and no one was sitting too close by, I took the opportunity to watch Ron.

The first thing everyone, including me, noticed about him was his hair. The flaming red hair, which was quite different from the other Weasleys' for some reason, was quite long, almost touching the table his head rested on. I barely dared imagine what it would feel like between her fingers.

His nose was gracefully curved, not beaky like Viktor's had been. Ron had full and almost erotic lips, whereas Viktor had thin and serious ones.

Yes, I was comparing him to Viktor. But only because I knew that Ron would win all categories. Except maybe 'who fancied Hermione Granger?' Because Ron sure didn't. If he had been able to be best friends with me for four years and still not get the fact that I was a girl, it probably would take fifteen more years for him to grow any romantic feelings towards me.

As Ron began snoring, I glumly decided that I probably should wake him so he didn't become too tired to continue studying. Just as I reached out to shake his shoulder, he moved a bit and mumbled something incoherent.

Curious, I bent forwards to try to catch his mumbled words.

"Rmne," he mumbled, frowning. Then, he let out more urgently, "Ermynee."

My heart skipped a beat. Was that… was Ron calling out my name in his sleep?

"Hermione… mine…"

I snapped my eyes back to him. He had a small smile on his face, looking relaxed and relieved. My hand trembled as I reached out to wake him.

He sat up almost immediately, looking around him and blinking rapidly. Then he focused on me. "Hermione," he said, in a voice that was almost similar to the one he had used in his dreams.

I was blushing in an instant. "You fell asleep."

"Yeah," said Ron, still watching me with peculiar eyes. Then he gasped. "I have to study!"

And he began working as I continued reading my book, not really seeing the letters.

I peeked up from the top of the book to gaze at Ron, only to find that he was looking at me. His ears got very red as he quickly turned back to his homework, and I smiled brightly behind my book.

Perhaps my hopes and feelings hadn't been all that unrequited. I had never seen Ron's ears turn quite that shade of red before, and I quickly decided that it was for me only.

I was hopelessly, completely, unstoppably, accidentally in love with Ron Weasley.

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