DISCLAIMER:

I own nothing but the story. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling.

Second Tries

February came. Valentines Day. Ron had set this date to finally confess. He should have done it last Christmas, and he's way late for his deadline. He invited Hermione to Hogsmeade. Just the two of them. Moreover, she seemed pleased to be asked by him. He tried not to be too bothered that somewhere at Hogsmeade were his best mate and little sister. Ron kept on reminding himself that he has his own love affair to worry.

Three Broomsticks. Not very romantic, to tell the truth, but has friendly atmosphere. She was lovely, still wearing the scarf he gave her even if the season is starting to change. One hour and thirty minutes. Long enough. He took his last sip of butterbeer and cleared his throat. "'Mione." She smiled across him in response. Very lovely indeed. He opened his mouth, intending to begin with "I".

"Hi!" It was that familiar voice that danced in the air. Suddenly, Luna Lovegood was sitting between him and his bushy-head friend.

"Luna." Always her to interrupt. Why?

"Hi." The Ravenclaw shot a short smile at Hermione and turned to Ron, "Hello Ronald."

"Hey." Hermione managed forcing a smile but looking somewhat annoyed.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything." The guest said dreamily.

"In fact, you did." Ron replied in his most sarcastic expression his face could pull.

Luna clutched a package against her chest before pushing it forward to Ron. "A Heart's Day gift."

Ron stared at the package, then to Hermione. He didn't take the gift not until he had received a nod from her. "I don't remember gift-givings on Valentine's Day." He commented.

"Open it!" Luna shrieked excitedly as Hermione leaned forward curiously.

Ron carefully tore the wrapping. As if it was a bomb that was going to explode with one wrong move. He pulled it out. A long slender cloth. "It's…"

"It's a scarf." Luna finished for him, "You know, a real one." She added as she jerked forward Ron in attempt to take his scarf off.

Ron tilted to avoid her. "Yes, it's a scarf. Thanks." And shove the gift slightly further to his side, as if pointing his lack of interest.

"I bought that for you. I noticed how Malfoy always teases you with that…" she pointed on his neck.

"This is a scarf as well." He reminded crossly.

"Oh." She rested her elbows on the table and her face on her hands, staring at the redhead chap as dreamily. "Can I join you here?"

"No." The tip of his ears started to grow red. Anger? Embarrassment? He couldn't tell, really.

"I was looking for you the whole week, you know, to ask you today." Luna continued in spite of the flushed face of Ron before her.

"I was hiding."

"I know from who." She said innocently. "You're hiding from Padma Patil and Millicent Bullstrode, aren't you?" Ron only gave her a wry impatient smile. "And Draco of course." She added not giving the slightest attention to her companions' blushing faces.

"You can leave now. Hermione and I got something important to talk about."

"What about?" she crossed her arms on her chest, as if testing their patience. "Is this about DADA?"

"No." He ran his hand into his messy hair. Hermione has been so quiet since Luna walked in. Ron was very used to a shouting Hermione, not a tongue-tied one. Something had gone wrong. "Look, Luna, can you just…"

"Ron!" It was Padma Patil. "I was looking for you the whole week." His fourth-year dance partner marched towards their place.

"Really? Well, too bad, we're just about to leave. C'mon 'Mione." He stood up quite briskly and grabbed Hermione's wrist, practically dragging her out.

Once again, the moment was spoiled. Ron and Hermione ended up walking back to Hogwarts with an uncomfortable silence. Exchanging very limited questions and responses.

"You left your scarf." Hermione informed him referring to the present from the Ravenclaw of Ginny's year.

"Nope. Right here. On my neck." Ron replied absently as he pointed to Hermione the gift he has received from none other than her.

She turned pink on the cheeks but he didn't catch this. He was too occupied with the day's interruption to even notice they've reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Hermione gave the password and they walked in on an empty common room. "Everybody's still out." Hermione sighed just to break the ice.

Common room, empty, quiet…maybe this was the moment. "'Mione, at the Three Broomsticks…"

His other bestfriend scoffed a laugh, "I'd say I have to be impressed, Ron. First lining up to be your dance partner, then lining up to actually have a dance with you, then dropping by the Burrow at Christmas eve, and looking for you a week before Valentine's Day."

"Not exciting, I assure you." He swished his wand and flicked it to the window and the glass blew open as the wind entered the room. "I was going to tell you something before Luna came."

"Yeah." Hermione fidgeted. "I remember you said my name."

"Let me pull that one again." He took a deep breath and looked at her straight in the eyes. But before he even had a chance to breathe he name again, Harry and Ginny came bustling in the common room.

They stopped surprised. "Oopss…Did we interrupt anything?" asked Ginny which only made the two turn red. "Sorry…" she added shyly.

"No. No, you didn't really." Hermione said abruptly.

Before the air of awkwardness fill the entire room, Harry tossed a package over to Ron. "We met up with Luna and she said you left this."

"Oh." He said as he caught the thing, "I'll keep this and get the exploding snaps to play with." He strode up the boys' dormitory. If this was a normal day, Hermione would have told him off for being too old to play such game, but it wasn't. It was a day of apprehension and she was left with not much choice but to play, watch, or find something else to do than spat with him.

--

March came. Ron's Birthday. And it didn't go any better picking up from what happened a month ago. He never had an opportunity to have Hermione alone with him, and what with all the presents he was receiving from several girls, it seemed like Hermione was really making an effort to avoid him. Not to mention, all the presents contained the same thing. Scarf.

Different-colored scarves, different smells, different enchantments; but really, he never fancied one as much as he fancied Hermione's hand-woven scarf. It was becoming silly, actually, that almost everyone was telling him he's getting obsessed with it. Honestly, here's one thing he loved aside from his broom that he can actually carry around without having to have a reason and they're finding it ridiculous.

Well, maybe it was a bit impractical to wear a scarf under the heat of the spring sun. It was nearing summer, yes, but really, what was so wrong with wearing a scarf? It's not like their school robes were very much season-friendly.

"It's like having her arms around me, Gin." He found himself doing a heart-to-heart with his youngest sibling. It didn't bother him that moment, although he was aware one day, when he'll look back on it, he probably regret having Ginny know so much.

"You are in love. There's no doubt about it." She giggled.

"And I've got to let it all out while I'm still willing, or I might just lose all these courage. In fact, it surprises me it lasted this long. It was supposed to be good until Christmas."

"Don't lose the courage, Ronald. Once you graduate, it'll be a lot harder to confess, what with all the works you'll engage yourselves into." She encouraged.

"Right."

--

April, May, June. Months went by so fast. All three were busy months--exams and projects, rehearsals for graduation and job orientations, even some applications. And Hermione had broken the news to everyone about the hundreds of job offers she had been receiving. Almost all wanted her for the same position…

"Theorist, Logician, Philosopher, Thinker…they're calling it on different names but when you look at it, they're just the same." She said excitedly. "Everything would start in training, and I could eventually choose from any field! Any field! Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Charms, Medicine, Potion…"

Ron watched her proudly, knowing in advance that she would do great on whatever field she would choose. He was actually seeing her choose all and accomplish them in no time. However, this made him feel she was being dragged away. Away from a simple man like him who would probably end up with a not so important job at the Ministry of Magic and without the slightest chance of becoming an Auror or an International Quidditch Keeper. And to make things worse, he had accidentally read one of her job offer letters, wanting Hermione to be trained in no other place than Bulgaria…where Viktor Krum was. The epitome of his frustrations.

And you think Ron would still want to confess? To think that tomorrow was graduation day!

AUTHOR's NOTE:

Figured out I couldn't end it abruptly on the next chapter, so I needed a chapter to conclude things up in a not so very rushed impression, then I could freely FLUFF the next, which is the end…very much sure about that this time! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate them.