Chapter Two:Under the Crying Oak

Hermione and Ron walked hand in hand back to the Burrow. He had never seen her smile this much, and he never wanted to see her frown again, no matter how much he loved the way it looked. As they entered the kitchen, all eyes were on the two of them. Fred and George exchanged looks of surprise, and Ginny and Harry could only smile.

Ron's mother entered the kitchen carrying the dishes from dinner, but as she caught sight of Ron and Hermione holding each other's hands, smiling, the dishes went flying.

As the rest of the household rushed around catching the dishes that rained mercilessly from the ceiling, Molly Weasly took both Ron and Hermione in her arms and cried in relief.

"I knew it was her! I knew it! A mother knows when her son is in love! And you finally told her, Ronnykins, you did it!" Every time she finished a sentence she planted another wet, slobbery kiss on his forehead. She even kissed Hermione once or twice.

"Mom, Mom, MOM!!! Stop, really, you're embarrassing her..." But in fact, she was not embarrassing Hermione, but Ron.

"Oh, yes, sorry dear. Just caught up in the moment. I must go and get dessert ready now." And with that she rushed from the room, not forgetting to collect the dishes from the household.

As Ron watched his mother leave, he heard sniggering coming from none other than his beloved brothers, Fred and George. He turned around on his heal, staring them straight in the face, and, "YOU TWO CAN JUST SHOVE IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE, YOU HEAR ME! I LOVE HERMIONE, AND THAT ISN'T SOMETHING TO LAUGH AT! UNDERSTAND?"

The looks on their faces were priceless. "Sorry Ron, weren't trying to hurt your feelings or anything. We'll be sure to leave you two alone from now on." And they left the room.

"Way to go, tellin' it like it is, for once in your life," Harry said, as he came from out of the kitchen.

"You heard did you?" Ron said sheepishly.

"Who didn't? But, it was a good thing, standing up for her like that. She deserves that at least, after six years of waiting for you," he said, chuckling.

Hermione threw her arms around him, and, unexpectedly planted a kiss right on his cheek. His ears burned bright red, and his face soon followed suit.

"I love you Ron!"

"Hah! Well, you guys want to play some Quidditch?" He spit out. Everyone could tell that he was at a loss for words.

"Sure Ron, sure."

After the Quidditch match, Ron and Hermione said goodnight to Harry and Ginny, and contented themselves with a long walk. The moon was full, and shone down brightly on them. He could see the stars in her eyes, twinkling more with each step they took. She wore a look of wonder, and happiness, something she hadn't shown all summer.

She shivered in the crisp night air. He slipped his jacket over her shoulders and led her to a secluded area in the woods behind the house. This spot had been his hideaway from the rest of the world, where he would go to cry when he was left alone while his brothers were away at Hogwarts. If there was anything he could share with her, it was this, the one thing that had truly been his, his whole life.

He stopped her under the large oak in the woods, and magicked a blanket beneath it. As she sat down, his arms found their way around her waist, and they lay there, staring up at the dark night sky, each star like a light welcoming them home. He could not remember ever being happier than he was sitting there with her that night. She looked up into his deep, blue eyes and he looked back in her innocent, brown ones. And it hit him, this was it, this was the moment that he had been waiting for since that fateful day on the Hogwarts Express. He ran his fingers through her hair, gently untangling the tiny knots the wind had made as they walked. She made him shiver as she ran her fingers over his cheek, finally finding his lips, she drew him in closer. He loved her, and she loved him.

He knew, that as his lips touched hers, he was in the right place, that he had found complete happiness with her. The kiss deepened, and he was lost in her. When they broke apart it was only to breathe. He couldn't believe that it was over. He looked into her eyes, and was shocked at what he saw. She looked into his eyes and began to cry. He thought he had done something wrong, maybe hurt her, but, almost as if she could read his thoughts, she shook her head.

"No, they're happy tears. This has taken so long, and I'm just so thankful that it's actually working, actually real. You know?" She tried to dry her tears, but he beat her to it. He kissed her cheeks, almost as if to say he understood.

And they were at peace.

The next morning, Mrs. Weasly woke in the normal fashion, going from room to room, waking the occupants and inviting them down for a warm breakfast before their days began. As she walked into Harry's room, she was surprised to notice he was already up, and looking a bit disgruntled.

"Harry, dear, is something the matter?" She said, in the most mothering tone he had ever heard.

Slightly taken aback by her kindness, he said, "Yeah, actually, Ron and Hermione never came back from their walk in the woods. Ginny and I left them alone at around 11:00 and they said they'd be back within the hour." He was worried about them, and she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was telling the truth.

"I'll send Fred and George out to look for them. It'll be ok." She said, trying not only to reassure Harry, but herself.

When Ron looked up from under the oak tree, he expected to see the stars twinkling happily back at him, but instead, he was greeted by Fred's face staring back at his. He jumped at the sight of the eldest twin, and in the process, woke up a sleeping, naked, Hermione.

"And what exactly have the two of you been up to all night? Are those your clothes over there? Hey George, I found 'em! Over here!" Shouted Fred.

"Aha! Under your Oak, shoulda known. Didn't he used to come out here and cry or something? Oh, and looky here, tsk tsk little brother, what would your mother say?" George said, with a smirk.

"Did not! Would you two get outta here and give us some privacy?!?" He felt the heat rise in his face with each word.

"Yeah, yeah, alright Lover Boy, we'll give the two of you some time to get dressed. Come on George, let's get some breakfast." And with that, they made their way out of the woods, and back to the Burrow.

Ron looked over to Hermione, who had hidden behind Ron's almost naked body, and smiled. He tried to remember each and every thing that had happened the night before. He remembered the kiss, then the rest was a blur. He remembered being lost in her gaze, looking into the depths of each other's souls, and then the satisfying warmth of each other's bodies as they slept through the night.

"Did that really happen? Or was it just a wonderful, wonderful dream? Please tell me it wasn't the second one..." He pleaded with her.

"Ron it happened, and it was the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced, but now everyone will know. Those two don't know when to keep their mouths shut, and you know that. You know that the first thing they're going to do when they get back is announce it from the roof tops. What are we going to do if your mom finds out? What about Harry and Ginny. Oh my God, my hair!" She reached up to her hair and tried frantically to flatten each and every unruly strand of.

"It looks fine," he said, as he stopped her from completely flattening her head, "You are always beautiful 'Mione." He didn't know why he called her that, but he felt closer to her than he had ever felt to anyone before, and he thought, ever wanted to be, and that one person deserved a nickname, no matter how terrible it sounded.

"I love that you know... Hmm, 'Mione, I don't think anyone's ever said that before you." She smiled contentedly up at him as she dressed, pulling on each layer slowly, trying to savor the last moments they had alone together. He magicked the blanket away as quickly as he had made it appear, and finished making himself presentable, buttoning the buttons on his shirt, and trying to get the last bit of mud off of his trousers. He really hoped his mother hadn't noticed his and Hermione's absence, but, for some reason, he knew better than that.

They slowly made their way back to the Burrow, knowing that they would be leaving soon for their last year of school. Their last few weeks of solitude with one another. He was going to make it the best weeks of her life. He planned everything in his head. A swim in the swimming hole, lunch under a tree, maybe a few more midnight rides on his new broomstick. It would be perfect.

They walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasly serving a plentiful breakfast.

"Well there you are, George told me you two got lost out there. Did you pitch up a tent okay? Harry was really worried about the two of you, and I imagine that Ginny felt the same way. Now, sit down and eat, I made your favorites." She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Ron and his new girlfriend had spent the night, outside, together, and came back the next morning, tousled and missing a few articles of clothing. But he was thankful, at least, that Fred and George had known when to keep their mouths shut, for the first time in their lives.

He looked towards Hermione, who was sitting across the table from him, in a loving way. He would always love her, and he knew it. And for once in his life, he couldn't want school to come any less.

"So what did the two of you do last night?" Asked Harry. He and Ginny walked into Ron's room together, not long after breakfast.

"Is that really your business, Harry? We don't ask where you and Ginny disappear to every night." Hermione said, trying to sound serious.

"Ahh, you know, it really is our business when we risk our butts trying to cover for you, even though Harry was worried out of is mind. At least we don't disappear all night long, hiding where only two people know where we might be. Yep, I pretty much think that it is our business." Ginny finished, the whole time crossing her arms, in an almost Mrs. Weasly-ish way.

"Ginny they don't have to tell us if they don't want to. We don't tell them what we do, Hermione's right. Besides, Ron won't be able to keep his mouth shut for much longer!" He said, and flinched from the book that Ron had whipped across the room at him.

But for some reason, Ron thought he might be right. His guy instincts had begun to kick in, and he wanted to tell Harry everything. How he had felt the first time they kissed, the things she had told him, and exactly what happened afterwards. But, thinking again, he didn't. He loved having a secret with her. He was deep in thought when she spoke again.

"Maybe we should start talking about the start of term, I mean, we'll have to go to Diagon Alley soon and collect our things, as well as help your mother with the cleaning. When is she planning on going, Ron?" Of course, Hermione was back to her usual, orderly self.

"Yeah, I think it was today actually, so I guess the picnic is off then?" He was disappointed that they would have to miss it, but, school always came first in Hermione's mind.

"No actually, let's go tell your mother that we're going on our picnic first, and then we'll meet them there. I'm not missing out on anything with you. Besides, school can wait, we still have a few weeks."

Everyone in the room couldn't keep their mouths shut. The shock of what she had just said had stunned them all. Fun before school? Who had heard of such a thing?

"Really, you mean it? I mean, don't you have to get ready this early every year?" Ron said, still in complete, and utter shock.

"Yes, Ronald. Now, shut your mouths and lets get the basket ready. Coming Ginny?" And with that, she left the room, followed by a giggly Ginny.

"What did you do to her last night? I think you rattled her brain a bit, mate. I've never seen her this happy, or defiant," said Harry.

"I'd rather not talk about it, but we're both happier. We've talked about a lot. Finally knowing that we feel the same has helped, a lot. I think she has somewhat of a weight lifted off of her shoulders," he said, trying to change into fresh trousers and a clean shirt. He tried to tousle his hair, like Harry did after a Quidditch match, but only succeeded in making it stand up funny on one side. Why couldn't he be suave and cool like his best friend. How could he have gotten all of the bad genes in the family. As he looked in the mirror, he could point out every flaw. His larger than normal nose, his overly freckled cheeks, the way his eyes always looked to close together, his gangly appearance. How could a guy like him get a girl like her.

"Coming Ron? I really don't think that she cares how you look, she waited for you long enough." And Harry followed Hermione and Ginny to the kitchen.

Harry was right, why waste his time trying to make himself look cool, when he could use those few moments with her?

And he followed them all down the stairs