A/N: This chapter takes place in The Quidditch Final.

Chapter Two: An Act of Love

Ron's talk with Percy was still going through his mind even though he had decided he would do whatever he could for Hermione. He had already spent time in the Library working on Buckbeak's appeal, as well as carrying her bag and complimenting her to make up for being so horrible to her this year. Hermione had been, to say the least, surprised, but, pleased with Ron's kindnesses and they were often seen in each other's company without arguing which came as a shock to everyone who wasn't Percy. Ron entered the Gryffindor common room to find Hermione working feverishly, only pausing to check her facts. Ron guessed she was working on Arithmancy and he watched her as she worked. She stopped to yawn, stretch, and then rub her own shoulder. Ron then had what he would call a rare brainwave and hoped Hermione wouldn't hex him for it. He walked up behind her but hoping he wasn't in her light to read over her shoulder.

'What do you want, Ron?' she asked wearily.

'You,' he thought, but he said, 'Nothing, I just came over to see if you were okay.'

'Oh, I'm fine, loads to do, that's all,' she replied unable to keep the tiredness out her voice.

'I can see that, Hermione – don't worry, I'm not going to ask you how you're doing all this, I'm sure you'll tell me eventually, right?' he said gently.

'Um, maybe, have you finished your homework?' she replied in typical Hermione fashion.

'Yeah, and I've almost finished Buckbeak's appeal for Hagrid.'

'Good, I'm glad you're starting to take school seriously, and I'm sure Hagrid will appreciate all you're doing for him and Buckbeak,' said Hermione, smiling.

'Hermione, I'm still really sorry for being such a git to you this year, especially with your heavy workload, can I do something nice for you?'

'Such as?' said Hermione.

'Do you trust me?'

'Yes,' she whispered.

'Right, okay, I need you to stop working for a little while.'

Just as she was about to speak again, Ron moved back behind her and began to massage her shoulders and trapezius muscles, kneading gently.

Hermione felt as though she had died and gone to heaven, she said, 'Mm, feels good, Ron.'

Ron continued and Hermione tilted her head back to make eye contact with Ron to smile at him and he smiled at her in return.

'Thank you, Ron. You can knead a little harder, though.'

'Hermione, you're such an amazing person and friend, I reckon you should be pampered more often,' he said as he complied.

'Are you volunteering to do this pampering?' she asked.

'Yes, I am,' he replied.

'I could get used to this … when and where did you learn these skills?' she said closing her eyes.

'My family, of course, after rough games of Quidditch you tend to get the odd sore muscle, especially Charlie, he told me that knowing how to do this might come in useful one day.'

'Well, he was right,' she said.

After another five minutes he stopped and led her over to the settee by the fire. He told her to sit down. As she sat, Ron knelt down in front of her, facing her, then he picked up her left foot, removed her knee sock and began to gently massage her small foot.

Hermione was a little shocked at this but recovered and said, 'Don't tell me he made you do his feet, too?'

Ron chuckled and said, 'No, thank Merlin. I might not be alive if he had.'

Hermione laughed and Ron could not help but watch as he continued his ministrations before switching to her right foot. As he removed her knee sock, he could not help noticing how smooth her leg was. It simply fuelled his heart with even more desire for her.

'You're beautiful, Hermione,' he blurted out before he could stop himself.

'Y-you think so?' she said stunned.

'Yes, why, don't you think so, then?' he said kindly.

She shook her head and said, 'No, you're the only person other than my parents to say anything like that to me …'

'Well, we are right,' he said smugly.

'I'm not though … I mean look at me. My hair is awful and unmanageable, and my front teeth are too large, they make me look like a beaver,' she said dejectedly.

'Well, Hermione, I hate to break it to you, but you are wrong. I happen to like your hair, the way it's all out of control and conflicting with your personality. And as for your teeth, you could always ask Madam Pomfrey to shrink them,' he said in what he hoped was a kind tone of voice.

'I couldn't do that! My parents are Dentists, they don't think magic and teeth should be mixed, they would be upset with me!' she exclaimed.

'So what, they aren't the ones who are being called names because of them! Do it on Saturday before the Quidditch Final, I'll come with you, if you like?' he suggested.

'No, I can't do it, Ron,' she said sadly.

'I'm sorry. I just don't like it when people make fun of you. Look, either way, you look beautiful to me. I think you should at least think about it though.'

'All right, I'll think about it. I don't want to but I should get back to my homework,' she said regretfully as she was enjoying Ron's ministrations.

Ron nodded and watched as she stood up and walked back to her table to finish her work. As she walked, Ron, unable to stop himself, stared at her legs before snapping out of it in time to see her sit down again and say, 'Thank you, Ron, for everything.'

'You're welcome,' he said as he stood up again. He then walked up behind her once more and placed a kiss into her hair and said, 'Goodnight, Hermione.'

'Goodnight, Ron,' she replied.

Ron went to the boy's dormitory to go to bed. He used the bathroom to change into his pyjamas and made to go to bed, however, he found the other four boys with whom he shared the third year dorm room, standing in front of his bed.

'What?' he said sighing, having a good idea what they wanted.

'You and Granger looked cosy,' said Seamus, 'are you making your move? I don't blame you, she looks good.'

For once Ron mastered his temper and said, 'Hermione, her name is Hermione.'

'Aach, Ron, come on! Did you kiss her?' said Seamus eagerly.

'Yeah, did you?' said Dean.

'I don't see how that is any of your business, so sod off!' Ron said irritably.

'Oh, don't give us that blarney! Everyone knows the two of you fancy each other! Then again, she's so prim and proper you won't get much joy –'

'Shut it, Finnigan!' shouted Ron, Harry, and, to the other's surprise, Neville.

'Ooh, it sounds like Weasley has some competition!' said Seamus.

'What? No! No, she's like my sister, don't bloody go there!' said Harry quickly with a shudder.

'Neville, what about you?' said Seamus smirking.

'She's a good friend to me and that's it. Um, she kinda scares me a bit, actually … so lay off, all right?' he said honestly.

'Like I said, she does look good. Nice arse,' said Seamus.

'Seamus, you're really starting to piss me off, so do yourself a favour; shut up and fuck off to bed!' Ron said angrily.

'All right, all right, I'm going to bed, but you better do something soon or I might,' he said with a swagger.

'Seamus, you can be such a bastard sometimes, do you know that?' said Harry, but Seamus ignored him.

'What a wanker,' said Ron.

'Ignore him, he knows you'd rip him in half if he did try something,' said Neville, 'You've always been really protective of her.'

'Only from people I don't trust or like,' Ron said getting into bed, 'goodnight, boys,' he said before closing his curtains.

It was a few hours later when Ron awoke suddenly. He sat up and tried to clear his head, thinking about the nightmare he had just had.

In the nightmare he had been down by the lake with Hermione when Seamus arrived and asked Hermione to go out with him. She said yes but then Seamus transformed into Sirius Black and he killed Hermione and Harry right before his eyes as he froze in terror.

He went to the bathroom and threw some water on his face and then, instead of going back to bed, he went down to the common room. When he opened the door he saw that Hermione was still at her desk. She had fallen asleep slumped over it. He briefly contemplated waking her, but decided against it. He did, however, have a better idea. He walked over to her and gently picked her up and carried her over to the same settee by the fire they had sat at earlier and laid her down upon it. He spotted a blanket and covered her with it. He didn't want some perverted git like Finnigan to try and look up her skirt. He then leant down and kissed her forehead and went to go back to bed, but before closing the door to the common room that separates it from the stairs, he turned to look back at the settee where she lay and whispered, 'I love you, Hermione,' then he closed the door behind him and went back to bed.