Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter


Krum

That stupid Bulgarian pumpkin-headed prat. What did she saw in him anyway? Yes, he is a famous Quidditch player, but Hermione never liked that sport, so I doubt he dazzled her with his performances. He is rich, but Hermione is not a gold digger. He comes from a royal family so he's probably a prince. Maybe that's it. If they ever got married she would be a princess. You don't turned down that offer easily. Or maybe she went out with him because he's older and probably more mature. Hermione is more serious than other girls of her age. She can hold a real conversation about anything. Maybe that's what she saw in Krum. He's a confident mature man. Obviously he don't have the emotional rate of a teaspoon.

"What about him?" he heard her asking him.

Okay, here we go. Keep it cool, Ron, whatever she tells you.

"What exactly was your relationship with him?" he asked preparing himself for the worst.

"I never had a relationship with him, if that's what you're asking. We are just friends," she said with an angry tone.

"Friends who kiss each other?" he asked her also with an angry tone.

"It happened once Ron. And yes, it was on the Yule Ball. I've never kissed him again," she said looking on the floor.

Yes, it was only one kiss! Still ad, but it could be worse.

"Why? Was he such a bad kisser?" Ron asked with a grin on his face.

"No, if you must know he was a great kisser," she answered blushing.

Great? Not just good? How can I compete with great? Well, maybe it wasn't that great. If it was then why they are not together. "So why you are not together if he is such a great kisser?" he asked her.

Ron watched her breathing heavily and blushing like mad and looking anywhere but him but he thought it was just an awkward conversation that made her feel uncomfortable. Probably she's just trying to hide things. But then he heard her saying "Because I don't love him Ron."

Busted, he thought. She told me that the first kiss should be with someone you love. Hers was with Vicky, so that means she loved him."But you did, didn't you? You know, during 4th year?" he asked her trying to make her telling him the truth.

"No, I didn't!" she shouted. "He was and still is a good friend, but nothing more... Unfortunately!"

I knew it! She wants him."Unfortunately? So, it sounds like you want him, but he doesn't?"

"No, I could be with Viktor, Ron. He asked me to be his girlfriend during the championship, and later on his letters. But I couldn't. Unfortunately I'm stupid when it comes to romance. I chose to fall for the only guy who can't take a hint," she yelled at him looking him straight in the eyes.

Ron was taken aback from her outburst and he was dying to ask who that guy was. But the truth is, he was too afraid about her answer. It must be Harry. It'll be too painful for him to hear her confess her feelings for his best mate.

"You won't ask who this guy is, Ron?" she asked him with a trembled voice and Ron saw that she was trying to hold her tears from rolling down her cheeks.

What does she wants from me? Let her confess her love for Harry and then hug her and tell her that everything is going to be alright? She must be kidding. "No. It's not my business, right?" he said with a cold voice.

"And what if I told you that it is your business?" she said almost whispering.

Ron was now sure. Of course it's Harry. And Harry is his best friend plus his sister and him are having some sort of a thing going on. I suppose that does make it my business. I must change the subject.

"Before you tell me how this is my business I want you to answer me this. There is something I don't understand, Hermione. You lectured me minutes ago about how stupid I was to kiss Lavender. You said that the first kiss should be with someone you love. Yours was with Krum. That means you had to love Krum for letting him kiss you for the first time, right? So, why you denied it a few minutes ago?" he asked her, hoping to win more time before the big revelation of her lustful feelings for Harry.

"I never said that I had a perfect kiss with someone I loved, Ron. I was talking generally and brought you as an example. You really want to know how my first kiss was? You really want to, do you? Well I can't tell you Ron because I don't remember it! Yes, that's how wonderful that moment was," she cried.

"You want to know what I do remember from that night? I remember you. You and those hideous dress robes and your painful remarks about how horrible girl and friend I was. I remember our fight and I remember me crying for hours in my bed afterwards. That night I had my first kiss and you ruined everything," she yelled at him, not holding her tears now.

Ron felt horrible. He made her cry. She was already worried about tomorrow and he made her cry. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to make you cry," he said truthfully.

"Don't worry Ronald. It's not the first time I'm crying over you. And I'm sure it won't be the last one either," she said wiping her tears form her face.

Ron stare at her for a moment. Could that be true? Did he really made her cry often? He knew they were bickering a lot, but he doubted that this could give her sorrows. "What do you mean by that? When have you ever cried over me before?" he asked hoping to get an honest answer.

Hermione gave him an angry look. "I don't know Ron. Maybe when you called me a nightmare, or when you thought that I only bought Crookshanks to eat your rat, or with your pity invitation to the Yule Ball, because according to you, I wasn't a girl-girl to find a date of my own, or when you kissed Lavender, or when you mocked me in the Transfiguration lesson, or …." But Ron interrupted her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... What do you mean when I kissed Lavender?" Ron asked confused. How on earth could that made her cry?

"My God, Ronald! You must be without doubt the daftest person alive! You still can't understand that I..." she never finished her sentence. She just was staring at him in the eyes.

Was she ready to say what I think she was? She's not in love with me, is she? "You what?" he asked. She didn't move. She kept looking at him in the eyes without saying anything. "You what Hermione?" he asked again.

Hermione took a deep breath and she spoke. "I will tell you, but before I want to ask you something important. Can I?" she asked him.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Do you love me?"