Hello my faithful readers! This is another one-shot that I wrote a while ago..and so I dug it up from my files on the compy and revised it a lil…

I hope you enjoy it!

R&R, like always!

'Poo.

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Birthday Company

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Ron walked into the Great Hall, his stomach growling, on a normal Saturday morning to find a few groups of people already seated for breakfast. Over in the corner sat a few Slytherins snickering and sneering at various people. Very few Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs sat at their benches, save for a few individuals who sat by themselves. A few Gryffindors sat at the table nearest the Hall's entrance, and he waved to them.

"Hey guys." His eyes were then drawn to a single person sitting farther down the table from the other Gryffindors. He ran a hand through his matted hair and sat down on the opposite side of her, a golden platter full of rich smelling food appearing in front of him

"Mornin' Hermione."

"Good morning." She looked up from her food and gave him a wide smile.

"Where's Harry?" Ron stifled a yawn.

"Oh I think he's out in the field practicing Quidditch."

"Oh." Ron leaned his head on his hand and ate his grits quietly.

SPLAT! Ron jerked up suddenly as Hermione's grits splattered all over his face.

"BLOODY--"

"Ron!" Snickers were heard from the Slytherin table.

"Sorry…" he took his napkin and cleaned his face and looked over his shoulder to glare at the people who laughed. He looked back at Hermione and saw what had splattered the grits in his face.

"What's that?" he motioned toward the package in Hermione's hands. She was wiping the grits off of the bottom of it. She pushed her plate aside and set the slightly soggy package before her.

"It's a present."

"Oh, a present how n—a present? What for?"

"It's my birthday." She said absentmindedly and started to pull the ribbon off.

"TODAY'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" his voice echoed in the Great Hall.

"Ron!" Hermione spoke in a hoarse whisper. Ron lowered his voice and continued after everyone else resumed conversations.

"What do you mean it's your birthday?"

"I mean exactly what I say, Ron."

"Well, why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you'd know…" Hermione avoided his glare.

"THOUGHT I'D KNOW?" Ron shouted. The Slytherins laughed, and Hermione gave him a warning glare. He leaned in closer to Hermione and spoke softer. "How d'you expect me to know if you've never told me?" Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I've only been telling you every year for the past six, Ronald!"

"Yeah well--"

"And anyway, it's not that big of a deal--"

"NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL?" Ron stood suddenly, pushing the bench back. Shouts were heard further down the table.

"Oy! Wha' was tha' for?"

"What's goin on?"

"Bloody…good job, Weasley! You've gone and knocked us all on our bums!" Seamus called out angrily, followed by a few more shouts from the Gryffindors who were sitting on the same side.

"Sorry guys…" Ron muttered. He stepped over the bench and was about to leave before Hermione stopped him.

"Where're you going?"

"To get you a present." Ron snapped back in reply.

…………

"Harry! Harry! What am I gonna do?" Ron burst into the common room and awoke Harry who had been dozing on the couch. He was covered with mud and grass stains from his Quidditch practice. His broom lay haphazardly on the floor. Ron almost tripped over it as he came to Harry's side.

"Wha'?" Harry yawned and opened his eyes lazily.

"Today's Hermione's birthday!"

"Yeah? And?"

"And…I didn't get her anything." Ron looked down at the floor.

"What's so different about this year? You never cared before, Ron."

"Well…I just want to…"

"Why don't you buy her some more of that perfume you got her for Christmas?" Harry said sarcastically. "It's not like she ever wears it…"

"Yeah, well…I don't know. Tell me what to do, Harry. I want to make her birthday, y'know…special…spectacular? I don't know." Ron looked away from Harry, embarrassed.

"Just…do something." Harry stretched and stood up from the couch. "I have to be back on the field in a few minutes. You'll figure something out, Ron." He gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back and then turned to leave.

"Yeah, a great load of help you are." Ron followed Harry out the porthole and purposefully turned and walked in the opposite direction from him.

What am I going to do? His head was swimming, when he suddenly bumped into someone, not paying attention to where he was going.

"Oh, sorry—ah…oops…" Hermione's defiant face looked up into his. She said nothing and just moved to walk around him.

"Wait, Hermione." Ron walked beside her.

"What do you want, Ron?" she stared ahead, not looking at him.

"Would you…um…do you want to…?"
"What, Ron?"

"Will you take a walk with me?" he blurted the words out quickly.

Bloody idiot…that was graceful.

"Ok." Hermione turned and looked at him, but she didn't smile. They both made their way outside and walked quietly.

"So um…do you want to go watch Harry?" Ron watched as Hermione's attention snapped back to him.

"What? Oh. Yeah. Sure." He wondered what was on her mind.

They made their way over to the Quidditch fields and took a seat in the empty bleachers. They both were silent as they watched the team practice diligently.

"What books do you have there?" Ron tried desperately to make conversation as he pointed to the books Hermione was clutching and she stared at him blankly.

"I never knew you took such interest in my books, Ron. I thought you hated books."

"I was just trying to make conversation, Hermione." Ron muttered and looked away.

"Um…well, this one's for Arithmetic, and this one's for extra credit in Herbology…and this one is a gift from Harry."

"Harry got you a present?"

"Yes, Ron…he gets me one every year."

"Oh." Ron stared at Harry as he swooped down closer to the field searching for the Snitch. He did a loop and flew upwards again, the Snitch just inches from his fingers.

"Are you mad at me, Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly. He turned his head to look at Hermione. She didn't answer before Ron asked another question.

"Is it because I've never gotten a present for you for your birthday for the past 6 years we've been here?"

"Oh Ronald…" she said in a tone of voice Ron was very familiar with. She continued in a softer tone. "I don't care if you don't give me presents. I just want…I want…" Ron looked at her and she looked away, trying to compose herself. She took a deep breath and continued.

"I want you." Ron was taken aback. She stuttered and continued, "Your company! I want just…" she sighed. "To be with you means more than any present you could ever give me…" her face was flushed as she looked away from his direct gaze.

"You mean that?" Ron felt his heart melting. Hermione looked up again and nodded sheepishly. Ron smiled his crooked grin at her and moved down the bench a little closer to her. He reached out and grabbed one of her hands.

"Happy birthday, Hermione." She smiled at him, and they both sat there, hands interlocked, enjoying each other's company.

THE END

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