"Thanks a million, Hermione. I owe you big time." Ron stifled a yawn and collapsed into the armchair. They were the only two in the Gryffindor common room; everyone else had already gone to bed.
Hermione grunted as a sign of acknowledgement, and continued to scan Ron's essay for Professor Snape. The moron hadn't spelled anything correctly, and had failed to form even one coherent sentence. She smiled in spite of herself. He was lucky he had her to do this for him.
"What's so funny?" He sat up.
"Ron, you were very careless in this."
"What else is new?" He relaxed again.
Once again, there was silence. Hermione continued to edit, and Ron fiddled with a loose thread from his homemade Weasley sweater.
"Listen…"
Hermione turned around.
"I'm really sorry I'm making you stay up so late like this. It's not right. I'm always asking you to help me."
"And I've already told you. It's all right. I don't mind."
"Really?"
She gave him a reassuring grin. "Really." She turned back to her work.
He breathed a sigh of relief and began to massage his aching head. "I love you, Hermione."
It was silent again.
"Hmm." She wasn't sure what else to do.
She froze when she heard him get up off the couch and walk toward her. She stood perfectly stock-still.
But before she could say anything, he circled his arms around her waist and buried his chin in the crevice of her neck.
"From the way you responded," he murmured, "it seems like you didn't really believe me."
She could feel the tingles going up her spine. She didn't want to move. Not ever.
"Well, it's true."
Her eyes widened. He must have noticed her sharp intake of breath because he laughed.
He patted her cheek and kissed the top of her head.
"G'night."
With that, he wandered away, leaving poor Hermione to ponder over what had just happened.