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Disturbed Love

(sequel to Understanding)

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Ron Weasley had finally done it. The thing that he had feared never would happen.

He had gotten a clever idea.

After a week of trying to shake off Lavender Brown, he had found himself wound even deeper into their so-called relationship. Honestly, could you call four hours of snogging and none of talking each day a relationship? He guessed it depended on who you ask. Seamus Finnegan would probably call it a marriage.

Ron had gotten this brilliant idea in History of Magic earlier the same day. He had, as per usual, been watching Hermione Granger scribble down every word Professor Binns was saying, and suddenly it hit him.

He would have to do it the Granger way. Which translated into going to the library.

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Madam Pince glared suspiciously as he made his way into the dusty and deathly silent library. He waved at her uncertainly, to which she responded with standing up and walking into her office. Frowning slightly, he turned around and silently began to make his way through the shelves.

After a minute, he realized that he had no idea what book he was expecting to find. What would he even look for? How To Lose An Irritating Girlfriend In Less Than Ten Minutes? So You Snogged Away Your Brain: A Guide Towards Single Life?

He decided that he should look at the - he couldn't believe there even was one - shelf marked Relationships. Wow, he thought as he stood next to it, it was probably the longest shelf in the library. He had never noticed that before. Of course, he never had cared much how the library was set up.

Running his fingers over the backs of the large books, he stopped suddenly at one. It was perfect.

Disturbed Love: What To Do When You Picked The Wrong Witch.

Ron looked to his left and right. There was not a soul to be seen. Then he dragged the thin book out from between two enormous ones on infidelity and looked at it. On it was a picture of a broken heart. Without thinking, he snorted loudly. How ironic.

He looked up and let out a most girlish shriek - thank Merlin Malfoy would rather die than set foot in the library - because in the gap that he had created by taking the book off the shelf he could see Madam Pince's beaky nose and beady eyes glaring at him.

Grinning half-heartedly with a petrified hand over his chest, he turned around and left the library, most certainly leaving a relieved librarian behind him.

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Chapter One: Realizing You Made The Wrong Choice.

No point in reading that, Ron thought. He knew very well that he had, indeed, made the wrong choice. Being in love with Hermione Granger wasn't a choice, but snogging Lavender in order to get petty revenge was.

Chapter Two: Correcting Your Fault.

Now this would probably come in handy. He really wanted to break up with Lavender Brown once and for all. This dilly-dallying wasn't helping anything, least of all his possible future with Hermione.

Hermione. Just thinking about her gave him small goose bumps all over his arms and, for some unknowable reason, his toes. She was perfect, in a way that all her imperfections only heightened her perfection. Her hair was insane. She was snotty and bossy and controlling and completely unbearable sometimes. And occasionally she reminded him horrifyingly of his own mother.

But then again, her hair was a gorgeous chocolate brown. And she was as intelligent as they come - actually, far moreintelligent than they come - and beautiful and funny and his in a way that he couldn't explain or put his finger on. Not that he in any way owned her. He gave an amused snort at the thought of someone trying to own Hermione Granger. They would be unconscious for days, if not weeks. Smiling slightly, he concentrated on the book again.

You have now realized that the choice you made in starting a relationship with Witch A was wrong.

Duh. He had known that ever since Lavender had first called him Won-Won in public. And most likely before that as well.

We shall now focus on ending that same relationship. First, be gentle and understanding. Secondly, do not be afraid. Yes, a woman (a witch in particular) is very headstrong and possibly trained in one martial art or another, but fear will not end this relationship!

Ron chuckled a bit. He would have been nervous had it been Hermione he had been dumping. Although he couldn't quite understand why anyone in their right mind ever would let Hermione go. No, Lavender didn't scare him as much as she made him feel uncomfortable. And, also, he didn't want to hurt her if he could avoid it.

"I must be dreaming," said a voice behind him. A voice he would recognize even in his sleep.

"What?" he shrieked, and hid the book the only place he could think of - up his shirt.

"I said," Hermione Granger repeated, smirking at him, "I must be dreaming."

Ron didn't know what to do except stare at her in complete confusion.

"Is Ron Weasley actually reading something that's neither a school requirement nor a Quidditch magazine? Willingly?"

Ron laughed a little, a high-pitched terrified laugh. Then he cleared his throat. "No."

Hermione arched an eyebrow and gestured at his stomach, where the book was pointing out in an obvious way.

"Oh, that!" he said, feigning surprise. "That's just some book that was lying here in the common room. Thought I'd give it a go."

He sensed that Hermione's tightly closed lips had nothing to do with anger, but that she was, in fact, holding in chuckles. His ears went beet red at the thought of her laughing at him, even though he knew he was acting very strange and suspiciously.

"If you're going to gloat, why don't you go find Harry instead?" Ron snapped. "He hasn't had a good pestering from you in over three hours."

He could actually see her face falling and he instantly felt like slapping himself over the head. Hermione took a step back and looked like she was ready to run out of the common room.

"No, wait," he said, standing up and holding out his hands after her.

Unfortunately, that made the embarrassing book fall from under his shirt and clatter onto the floor.

Frozen, Ron could see Hermione mouthing the title silently. Then she looked up at him, tears in her eyes and growing a bit red in the cheeks.

"If you changed your mind, just say so," she said in a low voice he'd never heard before.

"What? No!" he protested, picking the book up from the floor and throwing it behind the large sofa, as if that would erase the fact that Hermione had already seen it.

Hermione just shook her head at him in disbelief. "But… we were finally…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but turned around and exited the Gryffindor common room. Ron thought he could just make out her wiping something off her cheek before the portrait closed behind her.

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"I can't believe you were actually reading this crap."

"I know."

"And Hermione saw you reading it."

"I know."

Ginny sighed and patted his brother's head, where it lay on his arms on the table. "The odds aren't to your advantage right now, dear brother."

"I know," said Ron impatiently. "Can you help me or what?"

Ginny was silent for a moment, staring at a wall but didn't seem to really see it. Ron tried to wave a hand in front of her, but wasn't rewarded the slightest recognition. Accepting this, he sat back and waited for his sister to return to reality.

After ten minutes, that was exactly what she did.

"I've got it," she said, leaning forwards and grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment. She then started scribbling down something on it.

Ron leaned over and eagerly tried to see what she had written, but she swatted him away.

"Okay," she said finally. "Read this to her. No, don't look at it now, just go find her and read the note out loud. It'll help you, I promise."

Ron nodded, squeezed her arm thankfully and left the common room. He didn't even have to think about where to find Hermione, he just went for the library. Thinking positively, he realized that he might as well get rid of that damn book while he was at it.

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After throwing back the book on a shelf and finding Hermione in her usual spot by the small windows, he held back a chuckle at the way the enormous book in front of her made her look even smaller than she already was. Fighting back emotions he couldn't really control, he walked up to her.

She didn't notice him. Or at least she didn't acknowledge his presence, so he cleared his throat, which made her jump and gasp.

"Ron," she said breathily, holding a hand over her heart, "you scared me something fierce."

Ron laughed shakily. "Yeah. I have to tell you something."

Hermione's eyes seemed to grow darker as she remembered their earlier argument. "Go ahead, then," she said coldly, closing the book and concentrating on him.

Wide-eyed, he reached into his pocket and fumbled for Ginny's note. Then he cleared his throat again and began to read.

"Dear Hermione," he said, feeling very stupid when she cocked her eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let you think that I was trying to get rid of you. It's you I want, and not Lavender. I have bloody lo-" he stopped himself, eyes widening at Ginny's choice of words, "er, liked you since fourth year. And probably longer than that. I'm sorry."

She was looking at him silently. Ron glanced at the parchment.

"Oh, and 'Love, Ron Weasley'," he said quickly, before thinking.

Hermione laughed and gestured at the chair across from her. "Sit down, Ron."

He did, grinning uncertainly.

"I'm sorry, too," she said suddenly, looking down at her hand on the table.

In a wave of incredible courage, he put his hand over hers, and revelled in the feelings he hadn't felt since that night in the hospital wing.

"You don't have to be," he said in a low voice. "And I'm going to break it off with Lavender the next time I see her. Who needs a bloody book anyway," he added in a mutter.

"Thank you," said Hermione.

Then she stood up and gathered her things. Ron made to get up as well, but was stopped when Hermione stood next to him with a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked at her in confusion. Then she leaned forwards - he was almost as tall as her when he was sitting - and kissed him softly in the corner of his mouth, letting her lips linger there.

He grinned at her when she pulled back. Then she smiled prettily at him through her blush, turned around and walked out of the library. Sighing slightly, he touched his cheek where he could feel her kiss burning slightly, and followed her.

A/N: That was the next part in my collection of one shots. Tell me if you like it, please.