Chapter Three- Daydreams Come True

Hermione gasped, as she felt Ron's arms snake around her back. She had been daydreaming about this same thing for over 6 years now, and even though she had seen this scene in her head innumerable times, she didn't know how to react. Should I hug him back? Should I just stand here like and idiotic teenage girl? Should I push away?

She decided on hugging him back. Her hands found their way around the back of his neck. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

"I thought something had happened to you 'Mione!" Ron whispered in her ear, sounding relieved.

She smiled up at him. She looked into his eyes affectionately as he wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. She could feel Ron's heartbeat quicken since she was pressed tightly against him. An idea struck her suddenly, and she knew just how to make her fantasy a reality. Before his hand had moved away from her cheek, her lips met with his.

It was now Ron's turn to not know how to react. She was way too close to him now. After their kiss, Hermione pulled away from him still with tears in her eyes. He grabbed her hand in his and held onto it, as if it was the only thing keeping his feet firmly attached to the ground. He felt like he could've flown!

"What was that about?" Ron couldn't help but ask.

She should have been happy that they had finally kissed. He had been waiting to do that himself for almost 6 years, but he had never had the willpower to allow himself to make the first move.

"Oh, Ron! You are perilously horrible when it comes to girls-"

"Well then why the hell did you kiss-"

"Because I wanted-"

"Well that explains a lot-"

"Hem, Hem." interrupted Ginny in her perfect Umbridge impersonation. Ron and Hermione both jumped.

Ron had just realized Ginny and Harry were still there. They too were still holding hands, and grinning broadly. He felt his face flush, and saw Hermione's do the same next to him.

"Hello Ron and Hermione. This is Harry. And I'm Ginny. You remember us don't you? We just happened to be watching you the whole time." She said with a smirk. Harry nodded beside her, slipping the cloak off and rolling it into a ball so the rest of him was finally showing.

Ginny should mind her own bloody business, thought Ron heatedly. Honestly! She butt's-in enough for the rest of the females on this planet!

Hermione had honestly forgotten all about Harry and Ginny. She yanked her hand out of Ron's nastily and crossed her arms.

"Yes, yes. We know who you are." she snapped. "Now someone tell me how to get out of here."

She shot Ron a look of deepest loathing. How mad he could make her sometimes! It was a damn good thing that he was cute!

"Portkey." said Harry shortly.

"How'd you get here?" asked Ginny incredulously.

"Aunt and Uncle kicked me out. Took the night bus here a while ago after Fawkes was sent to me with a portkey from Dumbledore. It can take us to Grimmauld place. It's activated by someone touching it. Death Eater's showed up here. I told your mum to go to Grimmauld place, and told her I'd send Fred and George to tell her we're all right. The I got on my cloak and got you guys." They could hear twigs snapping nearby. All four jumped and held their breath.

Harry pulled and old teapot out of his invisibility cloak pocket and held it out for everyone.

"We have to go." He whispered.

All four of them put a finger on the pot, and five seconds later Hermione felt a sudden jerk somewhere below her navel. She landed with a THUD in the kitchen of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Mrs.Weasley rushed over to them and threw her arms around all of them. Hermione suddenly felt very suffocated. She was pressed up against Ron, and wanted nothing more than to run upstairs to her and Ginny's old room and hide.

Mrs. Weasley finally let them go, and Hermione told her that she was tired and was going to go up to bed. Ron tried to catch her attention by whispering her name at her so only she could hear, but she refused to listen.

"I'm tired too. Goodnight everyone. See you later." Ginny said, standing tall and proud as she marched out of the kitchen.

Hermione thought she saw Ginny flash a wink in Harry's direction before she followed Hermione upstairs and into their old room.

Ron motioned for Harry to follow him. They moved through the house silently to their room. Harry had suddenly become much less talkative than he had been even during the summer. He looked around the house, glassy-eyed and pale. Ron watched as Harry stopped short in front of Sirius's mum's portrait, and he thought Harry was about to put his fist through it.

"Come on Harry. Let's go to our room." Ron whispered, so as not to wake Mrs. Black.

They reached the room and went inside. Harry slowly returned to normal.

"So." he said, grinning again. "Like you once asked me- how was it?"

Ron thought this over and said honestly. "Same answer. Wet."

Harry laughed heartily at Ron. Ron hadn't heard Harry laugh in a long time now. He was glad Harry was finding this amusing, because he wasn't.

"I feel sorry for you, mate. I remember Cho doing the same thing. Crying, and then kissing me, and then crying. If you're anything like we were, it's all downhill from here. It's a good thing she likes you Ron."

"It's a good thing I like her too." Ron said, blushing.

"What would you do if you went out though?" asked Harry, laughing harder. "Maybe you could argue about stupid things. You never seem to do enough of that without being a couple."

Ron rolled his eyes at the ceiling. "Tell me about it. I don't get why she's mad at me now though! I only asked why the hell she bloody kissed me!"

"Ron... she's right. You are definitely not an expert on girls. You'd probably get a 'T' if there were a class for this sort of thing."

"Not like you'd get any better."

"Listen, just give her time. She's Hermione. She'll get over it. My parents hated each other in fifth year, and then they started dating seventh. And look at how they turned out! They had me didn't they?" he laughed again. "I'll see you in the morning. I'm bloody tired."

He got up, changed into his green pajamas, and with that, laid down and turned so his back was facing Ron and automatically fell asleep. Ron lay down and looked up at the ceiling, with thoughts moving rapidly through his head. Would he and Hermione turn out like Harry's parents? Or would Hermione hate him until his dying day? The answer to those questions he didn't know right now. All he knew was that he was tired. He changed into his new blue cotton pajamas that the twins had bought him (About time maroon wasn't in your wardrobe, they had said), laid back down, and he too fell asleep within minutes.

Both girls walked into the room. Hermione really was tired. She had had a very emotionally trying day. She put on a silk blue nightgown that fell to her knees. It had spaghetti straps and lace around the bottom. It was Hermione's favorite. Ginny too put on her pajamas; a two piece set of pink flannel pajama's with ducks on them. The younger girl sat on the end of Hermione's bed, and grinned down at her.

"So," she said.

"Get to the point Gin." Hermione said testily.

"How was it?"

"Not what I expected."

Ginny shot her a look. "Not what I meant. Details please."

"It was sweet. His breath smelt good because he must have had a mint or-" Hermione stopped suddenly and sat bolt upright. "Oh dear... Ginny, does my breath smell bad?"

She breathed into her hand and sniffed it.

"Here, breath at me." said Ginny, laughing at Hermione. "You owe me two."

Hermione breathed at Ginny, and burst into a fit of giggles.

"Were you eating... cinnamon or... something? It doesn't... smell bad... at all!" Ginny said through giggles.

"Thank the lord." she laughed too, and threw herself flat on the bed again.

"Details 'Mione!" Ginny said impatiently.

"He smells good. Cologne or something. It was wet. Probably because I was crying all over him." she sighed. "When Cho kissed Harry he hated it because she cried all over him. What if Ron hates me now?"

"He doesn't hate you. Trust me." Ginny smiled and patted Hermione's arm sympathetically. "I have good news."

"What?" asked Hermione, jumping at the subject change.

"Harry likes me," she said simply, without a trace of embarrassment.

"How do you know?" asked Hermione, sharing in Ginny's happiness. She was upright again.

"Well... while you and Ron were busy," Hermione blushed again. "He asked if I wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him this year. I said yes. We've been writing to each other this summer, but he said that he wanted to ask me in person to see my reaction."

"It comes so easy for you," said Hermione, eyeing her jealously. "You're gorgeous, and you have the most perfect curves. The guy you like obviously likes you back, and he makes the moves first. He also isn't a brainless git when it comes to women." Hermione whined. She frowned at Ginny and sighed.

"It isn't as easy for me as it looks. And you're very pretty yourself Hermione! And the curves... they're more of a curse than a blessing. My guy friends don't talk to me anymore. They expect my chest to answer them or something."

Hermione smiled again, and both girls started laughing.

"Thanks Ginny." said Hermione.

"For what?" she asked.

"For listening."

"Anytime. You're fun to talk to. Thanks too 'Mione."

"I feel the same way."

Ginny went over and lay down on her own bed. They girls talked for a while, listened to the boys on Extendable Ears (which provided Hermione with enough information to tell that Ron liked her too), and then Ginny fell asleep.

Hermione lay on her bed, completely exhausted, with the words Ron had said over the Extendable Ears reverberating throughout her head:

"It's a good thing I like her too."

"Get out of bed sleepy head!" Ginny said in a singsong voice, right in Ron's left ear.

"Get out of my room bird brain." Ron shot back, singing louder than Ginny.

"It's seven Ronald. Get out of bed or get hexed. Your choice."

The door snapped shut. Ron rolled over to look in Harry's direction, to see he too was just waking up. His jaw fell open as he watched Ginny give him an almost unnoticeable kiss on the cheek as she sat down next to him and gently shook him awake. Why couldn't she have woken me so nicely, Ron though angrily. He could've seen Harry's smile from across the hall.

"The door just closed. Why aren't you gone?" Ron snapped impatiently, ripping the blankets off and going over to get his clothes from his trunk.

"Hermione. Her hair wasn't done properly." Ginny smirked, with a glint of confusion in her eyes. "She's so weird lately, isn't she?" she asked.

Ron glared at her.

"She's perfectly fine Ginny. Why don't you just stop prying into other people's business?!"

Ron's jaw dropped. She was still sitting next to Harry. No... LEANING on Harry! Ron could've knocked her out! She knew better than to get involved with a boy who had attempts on his life every few months!

"Good morning Ron." Harry said groggily, still smiling none the less.

"Don't I know it." Ron grunted back. Ginny hastily moved away from Harry as Ron shot her another scathing look.

It was going to be a long day.