Ronald Weasley was not happy. He was in a dilemma. Personally, he didn't really fancy dilemmas that concerned women. It was never one or the other. Oh no, he had to be innovative and make it look like the right way was the most obvious thing in the world. And he didn't think the object of his affections would appreciate him referring to her as his woman. She'd probably call him a chauvinist or a misogynist and use other big words that'd probably fly over his head. But then again, that's what you got when you dated a combination of feminine grace and freakish intelligence.

Sighing again, he brooded over his situation.

"Ron."

Why was life so unfair?

"Ron?"

How was he supposed to know what the right thing to do was?

"Ron!"

"Huh?" slurred our carrot-haired protagonist.

"Um, Ron, what's wrong mate?" Harry asked, concerned with his best friend's strange, well, not that strange, I mean come on; this is Ron we're talking about. But it was strange if he was moping for this long.

"Harry," Ron began dramatically, "I'm confused."

"Ah." A tentative pause, "But doesn't that describe your usual state of mind?"

"Shut up Harry. This isn't funny. And no smart comments you hear?" pausing as he composed his befuddled thoughts, he continued, "Valentine's day is coming up. And, well, I don't know what to get Hermione. Personally, I think Valentine's day is just a scam to extort money from lovelorn idiots, but I don't think Hermione would appreciate that definition."

"That she won't," grinned Harry.

"I thought maybe I could get her a book, but I think 'Mione suspected I would, so she dropped some hints about how Valentine's day isn't about getting what you like, it's about getting what you want."

"And you understood that? Genius, Ron!"

"Hey!" came the indignant reply, "To be honest, she all but said she didn't want books on that day. Said it took out the romance out of the whole thing. I don't know. I don't pretend to understand what women think."

This couldn't be a dilemma if he didn't have options. No, this wouldn't do at all. He had to think of the perfect present or else he'd have to suffer the trademark Hermione sniff. The one that said, "You ignorant boor, how insensitive can you possibly get?"

Feeling sorry for his best friend, Harry said kindly, "Don't worry about it mate. Look, I'll help you out. You're really lucky in a way. Hermione's a hard-core sap. Just think of the cheesiest thing ever done in romance and she'll love it!"

Mood lifting a bit, Ron nodded slowly, "That's true, she's crazy about corny things. It's disgusting, but if it makes her happy I could plan something really sappy. So sappy, you and I'd barf but it'll mean I get lucky later."

"Oh, you selfish cad."

"Thanks a lot Harry! You've been a big help. Next time you need help finishing those chocolate frogs, feel free to ask me. I won't mind in the least." Ron said as he ran up to his dorm.

"I'll try to resist," responded an amused Harry.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hermione sighed into her pillow as her alarm went off, signaling the start to the glorious day celebrating love. Slowly she sat up in bed and stretched, yawning widely. Eyes focusing on the scene beholding her, she blinked. Once, twice.

Screaming, she jumped off the bed. Her room was on fire! Everything was going down in flames!

"Her-mione, what's going on?" asked a sleepy Parvati Patil.

"The room! It's burn-ing? This is no fire. What in the world…?"

Looking closely in the aftermath of her self-induced panic, she noticed that the violent shades of red only covered her side of the room.

Her bedcovers had mysteriously turned a vivid shade of red. Her bed stand was red too. With little pink hearts on it. There were hearts floating around. Literally. Someone had magicked little pink and red hearts to float around her. They occasionally bumped into her gently causing miniscule fireworks, again in pink and red. The floor around her bed was covered with rose petals. Every inch of it. Little heart-shaped candles were flickering softly in the dimly lit room, the scent of roses emanating from them.

She noticed a small red card on the foot of her bed.

Opening it, she read, "Look under the pillow."

Heart thumping in her chest, breath coming out in little gasps, she excitedly flung her pillow off and saw another red card.

It read, 'Look under the lampshade.'

Another red card under the lampshade. Excited beyond belief, she opened this card, hands trembling just a little bit.

'Look under the bed. Just a little longer, I promise.'

A nervous giggle burst forth from her lips as she pounced on the floor and whipped the covers off to peer underneath the bed. Another red card. Wait something was different, this was larger.

'Look in your desk.'

Card still in her hand she ran to her desk and gasped.

She didn't know why she hadn't noticed before but there were little candles in there as well. Surrounded by rose petals, there sat in the middle a gift-wrapped box with a large heart-shaped card on it.

Hands quivering, she picked up the card and held her breath as she read it.

'My dear Hermione,

You're my one and only,

You're beautiful as a rose,

Right down to your cute button nose'

"Oh, Ron! That's terrible!" she whispered as tears of joy ran down her flaming cheeks.

Putting the card aside, she hurriedly unwrapped the box and squealed with delight as she ran her hands over the smooth brown mahogany box.

When she opened it, a small wooden couple danced around the velvet bottom of the box as the tune of 'Unchained Melody' tinkled out.

Dropping to the floor, she held on to the box tightly, entranced by the dancing couple.

"Oh, Ron, oh Ron, oh Ron!"

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs and into the common room, which Ron was just about to leave for breakfast.

All he heard was a muffled squeal as a huge force suddenly knocked him back.

Dazed, he lay sprawled on the floor, holding on to an emotional Hermione who was murmuring sweetly albeit incoherently into his shoulder.

"Her-Hermione?" he asked as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Oh Ron, that was beautiful! All of it! Thank you so much. It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me and I love you, oh I love you so much!"

Lost in her swimming brown eyes, he whispered back, "I love you too Hermione."

Still looking into his eyes, she asked, "How'd you get into my dorm anyway? Boys aren't allowed in there."

"Oh, Ginny managed to get me inside," he answered vaguely, and added with expression serious, "I'm glad you like it Hermione."

"I love it," she whispered, "and you too."

Oblivious to the crowd staring at them, they melted into each other's arms and shared their first kiss on Valentine's day as a host of red and pink hearts surrounding them suddenly went of with small explosions, showering the air with golden fireworks.