Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N – Wow, I'm so proud of myself. Chapter 7! The furthest I've got in a story before is chapter 3, and that story is still unfinished… oh dear. But anyway, thanks for the reviews, it honestly makes me so happy. Now after the sadness that was chapter 6, hopefully this one will be a bit happier.

Seven.

It hadn't been so terrible crying on Hermione's shoulder, Ron thought, as he struggled to fall asleep that night. It had been, well, sort of nice. He liked the way she smelt; it wasn't perfume, it was just Hermione.

He turned over, and tried to fluff up his pillow. He wondered if she'd minded that he'd been so pathetic earlier. He hadn't meant to, but it had all just come pouring out of him when he'd seen George, looking so incomplete. He'd been trying so hard to keep all the grief inside him, so he wouldn't end up provoking his mother into crying even more, or pushing Hermione away from him.

And that was the last thing he wanted to do, he mused, as he watched the shadows that were cast on the ceiling. He wanted her close to him. Through the past year he'd been so scared of losing her, that it was hard to believe that that fear didn't need to be there anymore.

Was she officially his girlfriend now then? Because neither of them had said anything like that. She'd just said that she liked him and that was about it. Did he have to ask her? How was he supposed to do that? He hadn't asked anyone out before. It had been Lavender who'd asked him, and he'd just had to say yes then.

He had never realised there were so many unwritten rules about stuff like this. Love. He'd always assumed that when it came to it, he'd be so overcome with love for whoever it was that it wouldn't matter what he said. And it was half true. He was crazy about her. How the hell could he not be? She was the most amazing girl he'd ever met. And she was so different to every other girl he'd met. She wasn't pretty in an obvious way, like Fleur Delacour, but somehow that made her a million times more beautiful. And maybe she didn't let him do whatever, and laugh at all his stupid jokes, and do what he always thought a girlfriend should, like Lavender. He had come to realise that wasn't what he wanted anyway. He wanted someone who'd be there for him, and who trusted him, and who he could trust back. He wanted a girl who'd drive him crazy just by looking at him, who'd make him shiver just by brushing past him.

And it certainly looked like he'd found her, he smiled to himself.

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The next morning, Ron felt more refreshed than he'd felt in weeks, even though he'd had barely any sleep. And he'd got up earlier than he could remember ever doing. He didn't quite know why, but he felt like today would be special. Well, any day would be if she were in it, he thought, as he took his morning shower.

He saw her when he'd finished in the bathroom. She was waiting outside, her eyes heavy with the remnants of sleep, and still wearing her dressing gown. Ron could feel himself blushing. It seemed so personal, to see someone when they had just woken up, just finished dreaming – but that made her all the more beautiful.

"Alright 'Mione?"

"For goodness sake Ron, you know that's not my name." she replied sleepily, but with a smile dancing about her lips.

"You know you love it really."

"Oh I do, do I?"

This must be some kind of a record, Ron thought. Already flirting at what? 8 in the morning? Nice one Ronald, he congratulated himself, already planning to brag to Harry about it when he saw him.

He noticed that Hermione's face had sort of melted. She was still smiling, but her whole face looked softer.

"Have you just had a shower?" she asked, a strange look in her eyes.

"Yeah."

Her grin grew even wider, and she almost threw herself at Ron, her arms around his neck, hugging him harder than anyone had done before.

"What the bloody hell was that for?"

"No reason."

She let go, still smiling, before heading into the bathroom. Ron watched her go. He liked how she looked in the morning, he decided. He watched until she shut the door, for some odd reason sniffing the air beforehand. Strange, thought Ron. I'll never understand her.

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After breakfast, Ron decided to talk to Harry. He had concluded that he needed to get some advice about, well, everything. Okay, that was a lie. It was mainly the whole kissing thing. And he knew Harry had done a lot of that. He didn't particularly like that it had been with his younger sister, but he was willing to let that slide for now, as long as Harry could help him out.

Harry was in the garden, in the quiet spot in the corner. It was where everyone who stayed at the Burrow went when they needed to think, as it was secluded and hidden from view.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?"

Harry sighed. "Sure, whatever."

Okay, thought Ron. Harry's pissed off. Must tread carefully.

"Well, I want to ask you, about, um, well, you know with girls, um, what do you do, when, you know, you like them, but you, erm, don't know what's going on, and you're really confused, and you can't like, ah, ask them, because it would be, erm, weird, well, like then, what would you do?"

Harry frowned for a second.

"What are you on about Ron?"

"I don't know what's going on with 'Mione."

"She hates you calling her that."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, what's up?"

"That's it Harry! I don't know!"

"For god's sake Ron, just ask her!"

"Ask her what?"

"You know, you can be remarkably stupid sometimes."

Yep, Harry certainly seemed annoyed with something, Ron thought. Well, he sort of had a right to be… what with everything that was probably going on in his mind, but still. Was it too much to ask for a bit of advice?

"Harry, please, can you tell me something to do so I don't completely mess this up!"

"Okay, okay, calm down."

If there was one thing that annoyed Ron more than anything (other than Divination) it was someone telling him to calm down when he was incapable of doing so. If anything, it just made him more hysterical.

"HARRY!! I NEED HELP HERE! IF YOU DON'T HELP ME I'M GOING TO END UP LOSING HER AND I DON'T PARTICULARLY WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! IT'S NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, BUT I'M GUESSING IT SUCKS TO LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE! OKAY?"

Harry looked shocked for a second, before chuckling to himself.

"Don't worry Ron, I'm guessing you won't lose her too easily. She won't let that happen, trust me. And neither will you."

"But what the hell do I do?"

"Take her out somewhere. On a date. Remember those? Then she'll know you're going out. Simple. Now will you stop shouting directly in my ear?"

Ron wasn't listening. Of course! He should take Hermione out! There was a nice café in the village, she'd like that. It was magical too, run by an old French witch who made the best cakes he'd ever tasted (and he'd tasted a lot of cakes in his lifetime) and it was rumoured to be one of the most romantic places in the country. Why hadn't he thought of it before? His first date with Hermione. Perfect.

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He caught up with her later that day. She'd been out shopping with Ginny, buying their new Hogwarts things. Urgh, Ron thought. He was going to be in the same year as his little sister. He didn't particularly want to go back to Hogwarts, but he knew he needed to get his NEWTs if he wanted to be an Auror. He'd decided a while ago that that was what he wanted to be. Plus, there was a bonus to going back to Hogwarts. Hermione was going too. And there'd be loads of work to do too, so maybe they could go to the library together to do it. And if they were in the library, she'd relax, and then maybe…

And it was in the middle of Ron's library fantasy that Hermione bumped into him.

"Um, sorry, Ron, I didn't mean..."

"S'okay."

She'd had her hair done differently, Ron realised, as her watched her gather up her shopping bags from where they had fallen on the floor when they had collided. It looks really pretty… oh crap, I should really help her pick those up.

He bent down and helped, "accidentally" brushing her hand as much as possible.

"So, you had a nice time?" he asked, trying not to get distracted by anything whilst speaking to her, like the way her lips looked particularly soft, and how her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders.

"Yeah, it was fun."

Right, this is it. He thought, as he mentally prepared himself. I am going to ask Hermione out. Deep breaths. Hope she doesn't say no, that would be… focus Ron, focus!

"Um, 'Mione?"

She was pretending not to hear, Ron noticed.

"Alright, HERmione, can I ask you something?"

"Yes you can Ron, what is it?"

"D'youwannagooutwithmetomorrow?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go out with me somewhere tomorrow?"

"Yeah, okay."

She flashed him another one of her amazing smiles, before going up to her and Ginny's room.

Ron stayed where he was, his face scarlet. She had said yes! She didn't think he was a complete loser after all. Maybe things were starting to look up…