Author's Note: Do you want to know why today is a good day? Because I am publishing two freaking chapters (hopefully much better than the last chapter) in the same day! That's right, say 'What What' for summer vacation and having time to actually write. Our story resumes on Valentine's Day. Today's question: What happens when Ron and Hermione finally have the show down that we've all been waiting for? Find out when you read this chapter. Extra points if you guys can tell me what show I stole Hermione's most important line from. As always I don't own anything, and this story is for entertainment purposes only. Love, Mia.

Chapter Seven – Say It and I'm Yours

On the morning of February 14th Hermione's eyes fluttered open before the sun had risen. She snuggled deeper under the covers of her four-poster bed and attempted to get a few more minutes of shut-eye before she had to wake up and greet the day. She sighed deeply and inhaled the scent of her fresh sheets. Maybe today she thought optimistically.

Ron literally hadn't breathed a word about the conversation he'd had with Harry over Christmas Holiday, but Hermione guessed it wasn't too different from the conversation that had transpired between Ginny and herself. It occurred to Hermione that if she'd ever wanted anything in her entire life, she definitely wanted him. When she went to sleep she imagined Ron and herself old, sitting in rocking chairs in a reading room, holding hands. She woke up and smiled because she knew he was only a few feet away, just on the other side of wall. When she went to sleep she sometimes strained to hear him moving around in his room, because knowing that he was there and wasn't going to leave was quite possibly the most comforting thing she'd ever known.

The water came on in the Head Boy bath and Hermione's lips quirked and she blushed, imaging Ron under a hot spray of water. It quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, so she sprang out of bed and began to prepare for the day. After her shower, and dressing for the day Hermione slowly descended the stairs into the small common room she shared with Ron. For some reason the anticipation of seeing him standing at the bottom of the stairs was killing her, and for that reason she chose to move slowly. She wanted to savor the next few moments. Hermione was sure that the reason Ron had been sneaking around and acting suspiciously the past few weeks was in preparation for some romantic gesture planned for today. She reached the bottom of the stairs and her heart fell. He wasn't there.

A quick examination of his room didn't turn anything up either. He'd left. She hurried to the great hall hoping to see him eating a bit of breakfast. He wasn't there either. She busied herself with spreading marmalade on her toast, but her thoughts were a thousand miles away. Where could he possibly be? Her mood worsened when she realized that Heather was also strangely absent. She was busy constructing a whole torrid, covert love affair that must have transpired between the pair while she wasn't paying attention. She was busy working herself into lather when Heather situated herself in the seat opposite Hermione, and without so much as a word began to eat her breakfast. Hermione was grateful that the girl wasn't in the mood to talk because Ron's absence was putting Hermione in a sour mood.

Hermione felt a tap on her right shoulder and she prepared to make the person who dared to bother on such a day the most unfortunate person in Hogwarts' history. Seamus was standing behind her, his hair slicked down, and his tie straight. He was holding a single red rose and shifting from foot to foot nervously. Her anger dissipated at the sight of him standing there, she felt exceedingly sorry for him.

"Uh- I-" Seamus took a deep breath. "Hermione, this is for you." He extended his arm putting the flower in her face. She took it gingerly and thanked him quietly. "No problem. I was just thinking that maybe you'd want to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow. I meant to ask you earlier, but you got tied up. Remember?" She did, vaguely. "I understand if you are busy or if you already agreed to go with someone else." Seamus scanned the table for Ron and was surprised to note his absence.

"Oh. I-uh, I do actually have plans for this weekend and I'm sorry that I can't go with you to Hogsmeade this weekend." Hermione said very diplomatically.

"Oh no, of course, its not a big deal." He gave her a small smile and then bid her a good day before walking back towards Dean Thomas.

"I am going to go look for Ron." Hermione told Heather who only nodded sadly and returned to her breakfast. Hermione shook her head sadly at the sight of the girl across the table from her.

Hermione was at wits end with Ron. It was one thing to break her heart. Hermione was more than used to Ron being oblivious and doing things that hurt her. He'd been doing it since the moment they met on the train almost a decade previous. But Heather was different; it was obvious from the way that her usually bubbly personality went to shreds. Heather wasn't strong the way Hermione was and it wasn't fair for Ron to continue messing with the poor girls heart. Especially if, and Hermione hope this was true, that his heart belonged to another person.

Several minutes later when she hadn't found him at any of the usual places Hermione resigned herself to speaking to him during Potions later that day. She made a beeline for the library and a mild shock washed over he when she found Ron sitting at her favorite table at the back, near the windows. He looked up and shot her a lopsided grin. For the second time that day her anger went away almost instantaneously, this time the anger was replaced by butterflies in her stomach, instead of pity.

She stopped, collected her breath and prepared to become angry again. He wasn't going to get away with this, just because he smiles.

"What's up 'Mione?" Ron asked cheerily, looking up from the biggest book she'd ever seen in front of him. She silently thanked Merlin he wasn't calling her Hermy, like a certain brooding brunette in the Great Hall.

"Where have you been all morning, Ron?" She asked, hands on her hips. Ron's eyes narrowed questioning her. He knew that stance better than anyone; that was attack mode, and he couldn't understand why it was being employed.

"Studying." He said, raising the book as evidence that he had, in fact, been studying all morning. Hermione couldn't decide if she wanted to believe him.

"You came straight here this morning?" She asked, unbelieving.

"Well no. I grabbed a few slices of toast from the Great Hall and then I came straight here." He said with a small laugh.

"To study?" Hermione asked again.

"Yes. I have a Muggle Studies test today and I need to get a good grade. So I came here to study. Isn't that what you would want me to do?" Ron said with a smile.

"Why won't you tell me where you actually went this morning and then I'll just leave you to you're 'studying'". Hermione said, angry that he was lying to her face. "You are crazy if you expect me to believe that you, Ronald Billus Weasley of Ottery St. Catchpole, actually got up early, and skipped a gigantic breakfast to come sit in the library and study."

"Well when you say it that way…" Ron trailed off. "Listen, Hermione, I really don't have time to-" He stopped dead in his tracks. "Where did you get that rose?" His eyes narrowed at the flower in question, then his gaze flicked up to her face. She was stunned into silence.

"I, uh, er, Seamus."

"Seamus Finnegan? Irish bloke, short, heavy accent to go along with his heavy drinking Seamus Finnegan." Ron asked incredulously. Hermione nodded mutely, surprised at his outrage. "That git! Who the hell does he think he is?"

"What difference does it make to you?" Hermione asked dangerously. He was going to say it. It was Valentine's Day and she was going to make him man up and say it if it was the last thing she ever did. Hermione reasoned that she'd spent far too long waiting for him.

"I, Well it doesn't make a difference to me. I don't care what you bloody. First Krum, then McClaggen, now this!" Ron said, outraged. "Are you going to Hogsmeade with him this weekend?" Ron asked suddenly.

"No." Hermione answer, looking him directly in the eye. "I thought that I might have other plans so I said no to his invitation."

"What other plans? Is there another guy? Jesus, Hermione three different guys at the same time. You are taking playing the field to a whole new level." Hermione just smirked.

"How did you get to three?" She asked. Ron stopped, realizing the slip up he'd just made. The only way to get to three was Seamus, Ron and a bloke to be named later.

"Did I say three? I think you must have misheard me." Ron said sitting down again. His ears burned and a blush was creeping up his neck.

"No. I didn't mishear anything you said three. How did you get to three?"

"I didn't bleeding get to three. Merlin's beard you can be grating. Just admit that you misheard me and we can move past this."

"What if I don't want to move past this? You said three. You and I both know that the only way there is three is if you are including yourself." Hermione was speaking quietly, on the verge of tears. He wasn't going to say it.

"Fine, then, two guys. Exclude me, do whatever you bloody well want. I don't care." Ron said, returning to his book.

"You are a liar. You care, you care way more than you are letting on and believe me you are letting on quite a bit. So just say it, Ron." Her eyes were pleading with him. He didn't speak, but he kept the intense eye contact they shared. She was feeling bold, "Three words. Eight letters. Say it and I'm yours." She swallowed hard and hoped to god that he said something, anything. The silence was deafening and her heart was threatening to choke her in its current position, lodged in her throat.

Ron opened his mouth a bit, and unshed tears began to fill his eyes. His throat constricted, his mouth went dry, and all words emptied out of his head. His heart was beating a million miles per second and it felt as if the air in the room was suddenly twenty degrees warmer. His toes tingled and no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to him. He knew what she wanted him to say, he could feel the words on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't say them.

After several silent minutes, Hermione looked away and began to furiously blink back tears. Her eyes returned to his, they looked pained. She began in barely above a whisper. "You are a coward, and I can't believe that I've been waiting for you for the last seven years." She spun around and stormed out of the library.

Author's Note: Whew, that was uncomfortable. I hope you liked this chapter better than the one before it. I worked a lot harder on this one. So as I mentioned before, extra points if you can tell me what show I took "Three words. Eight letters. Say it and I'm yours." from. As always read and review.