Disclaimer:I don't own anything, the song belongs to Chris Rice, and the characters belong to JK Rowling.

Ron and Hermione have been down by the black lake all day studying. Well Hermione was studying, but Ron was alternating between pretending to study and staring at Hermione. He wasn't interested in studying for his finals. The minister had made it very clear that they could have any job they wanted now that the war was over. But Hermione had insisted on all three of them coming back for their seventh year.

For the greater part of an hour Ron had been sitting with his back against their favorite studying tree staring at Hermione study.

"Hermione, do we have to keep studying?" Ron begged. But with the look he received he already knew the answer. "Well do I have to?"

"Ronald, I don't understand why you can't just study for once in your life. You'll find it can be quite rewarding," Hermione stated in a matter of fact tone. Aspirated Ron continued to stare at her reading, while twisting her hair around her finger. Hermione feeling Ron's continued gaze on her glanced up, and adverted her eyes to the lake quickly.

"Ron, would you rather be a giant squid or a merman?" Hermione asked. Puzzled Ron answered merman. But the conversation didn't end there, Hermione continued to ask random questions on what he'd rather do.

Ron was only in half the conversation, what had his main attention was the way Hermione was looking at him. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. SHE LOVES ME BACK! He didn't know how or when, but he could just tell. Maybe that's why she was having the most random conversation with him right now. This was the first time they had been alone since the war.

You're all smiles and silly conversation
As if this sunny day came just for you
You twist your hair, you smile, and you turn your eyes away
C'mon, tell me what's right with you
Now it dawns on me probably everybody's talkin'
And there's something here I'm supposed to realize
'Cause your secret's out, and the universe laughs at it's joke on me
I just caught it in your eyes, it's a beautiful surprise

"Hermione . . . don't you think it's my turn to come up with the question?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Why not Ron, you can have a go at it," Hermione answered, "But only a couple, because dinner will start soon. And I know how much you love food."

Trying to work up the courage to ask a question, Ron stared at his hands that were awkwardly sitting in his lap. He couldn't decide what to do with any of his body parts. He felt gangiley and awkward. He glanced up at Hermione then back at his lap. "Mione would you rather kiss a squid or kiss . . . me?" Ron uttered in a barely audible voice.

Hermione tried to regain her composer before answering, she wasn't prepared for this particular question. " I would rather . . . rather kiss . . . well you, Ron."

"Could I ask, Why?" Ron questioned. But before he realized what was happening, Hermione was kissing him. After the initial shock wore off he began to move his lips in sync with hers. It was the best kiss he had ever experienced, way better then Lavender. When they pulled their lips apart, she rested her forehead against his. "Ron, I Love You," Hermione breathed against his lips.

"I Love You too, Hermione," Ron sighed.

When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue
'Cause I swear I never knew it
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

"Hermione, when did you fall in love with me," Ron asked, " Because I didn't notice that look in your eyes until today. But that might just be me being blind. How about you tell me when you knew"

"Or we can race to the castle for some dinner," Hermione exclaimed as she ran towards the castle.

"Bloody Hell Hermione! Come Back!" All Ron wanted to do was hold and talk to Hermione. Now that he finally noticed this love burning in her, he wanted to know when it first got there. It was the best surprise he had ever gotten. But instead he settled with running after her to the castle.

Make your way over here, sit down by this fool, and let's rewind
C'mon, let's go back and replay all our scenes
You can point out the hints, the clues, the twists and the smiles this time
All the ones that slipped by me
I bet my face is red, and you can hear my heart poundin'
Well I guess it don't matter now that I realize
'Cause baby I missed it then, but I can surely see you now
Right here before my eyes
You're my beautiful surprise

"Why the Hell did you run away from me Hermione? I was trying to have a serious conversation with you about...well us." Ron huffed. But all Hermione did was tshade of red and continue to eat quickly. Ron's blood started to boil, he knew what he was about to say could possibly ruin their friendship, but he just couldn't handle this.

"Hermione if you didn't mean what happened out there just tell me, you don't have to run away;" Ron stated sadly. When all she did was look at him, he started to walk away. When he reached the stairs in the entrance hall he felt a small tug on his sleeve.

"I did mean it Ron, its just . . . I'm not sure, it was a lot of little stuff that made me fall in love with you. I didn't mean to be embarrassed, but I've never said that to anyone that I wasn't related to. I wasn't sure if you only said I Love You, because I did," Hermione rushed through her small speech.

"Hermione, of course I meant it I've been in love with you since I was 12, and you were lying in your hospital bed petrified," Ron rushed. At his words a small gasp escaped Hermione's lips.

Before she could catch her breath, her lips were captured by Rons, and she was slowly being pressed against the rail of the stairs. Hermione automatically wrapped her hands around Rons neck, as his hands started to stork her sides. Timidly Ron started to inch Hermione's shirt up, he didn't want her to think he was just trying to grab at her. He wanted to be gentle, but he had never felt this way about someone. Just as Ron's thumb grazed across Hermione's left breast, she gasped and pulled away.

"Not here Ron, we need to talk about this more first," Hermione breathed.urn a deep

When did you fall in love with me?
Was it out of the blue
'Cause I swear I never knew it
When did you let your heart run free?
Have you been waiting long?
When did you fall in love with me?
When did you fall in love?

Back in the Gryffindor common room Ron and Hermione were sharing their favorite cushy chair near the fire place.

"Ok, do you remember the time at the Three Broomsticks when you spit Butterbeer in my face, and were helping me clean it off, well when your hand brushed mine, I thought that you would know from the way I shivered," Hermione said while turning increasingly red.

"Or the time we got caught in the down pour in Hogsmeade, and I almost slipped into the street but you caught me. I was sure you could hear my heart beating," Hermione stated and continued to become redder.

"But I knew for sure the night you came back, after leaving Harry and I, on the horcruxes hunt. When there was that huge thunderstorm, and even though you knew I was mad at you, you came and held me until I fell asleep. That's when I was completely sure that I was in love with you." Hermione sighed.

"Well, all I want to do now is make up for all the time we've missed. Starting with this," Ron said. Then moved his head so that he could get better access to Hermione's lips.

Was it at the coffee shop
Or that morning at the bus stop
When you almost slipped, and I caught your hand
Or the time we built the snowman
The day at the beach, sandy and warm
Or the night with the scary thunderstorm
I never saw the signs
Now we've got to make up for lost time
And I can tell now by the way that you're looking at me
I'd better finish this song so my lips will be free

Across the room Harry and Ginny had been watching the whole scene unfold before them. When Ron and Hermione started to kiss both Harry and Ginny grinned like a cat who had just caught a big fat canary.

"Gin, when did Hermione fall in love with Ron. I know that Ron fell in love with her in our second year, when he saw her petrified," Harry said in a matter of fact way.

Ginny pondered the question for a second then explained, "As far as I understand Hermione fell in love with Ron in your first year, when you guys saved her from that mountain troll." With that Ginny leaned over and gave Harry a sweet kiss on the lips.

Have you been waiting long, when did you fall in love
I kept you waiting so long, when did you fall
Have you been waiting long
When did you fall in love with me
When did you fall in love?