Yay – my second update in one day! Thank you for being such awesome reviewers :-) I hope I haven't been too harsh on poor Ron - I really do love him! Please tell me what you think about this chapter and the story so far :-) xxXXxx

Chapter 14: Still Not Over Her

Ron's P.O.V:

"Stupid vampire…his hands all over her…could have been killed…" I muttered furiously, throwing my jumper over my head and clambering violently into my pyjamas.

I felt Esme's wonderful cooking rise in my throat as I thought of what I had…witnessed…just before dinner.

The thought made me wretch.

"Take it easy, mate, and calm down," Harry said, as he watched my fury present itself. "Matthew and his family said they'd be back before midnight so you might want to keep your voice down. They could be back any minute now. You don't want them to mistake you for a distressed deer, so you?"

I stared at him angrily, even though none of this was actually his fault. "Calm down?" I retorted loudly. "I bloody well will not calm down! In the name of Merlin… how would you feel if you saw some creep like Goyle with his hands all over Ginny? Touching her, feeling her – I am this close to breaking Hermione Granger's bedroom door down and demanding an explanation!"

"You know, she can probably hear you, even though her room is half way down the hall…"

"I don't care if she hears me! Let the vampires hear too! I am sick of being the one who gets the short straw – I'm sick of letting everyone walk all over me –it's not as if it's the first time I've felt like this thanks to that blood sucking monster - it's always me who gets hurt in the end."

I flung myself on top of my bed, ripping open a box of sparkling liquorice. I practically forced them down my throat.

Harry watched on awkwardly. He was obviously stuck for words.

"Mate," he said, cautiously, sitting on the edge of his bed. I'll admit, the vampires pull off a good service if nothing else – they were very luxurious. "You're with Alexa now; you're here spending Christmas with her family because you love her."

"Do I?" I shouted.

Silence. Silence rang in my ears for what felt like hours.

Harry climbed into bed eventually, unable to ease my pain. Or maybe he was just sick of me, like everyone else who never gives a damn about me, the unimportant, retarded redheaded Weasley.

What was Hermione thinking? Exposing herself like that, practically begging him to rip her chest open.

I heard the vampires come back from their hunt. I hoped they were fed well.

I could hear them joking and laughing downstairs, the creatures that never sleep.

I sat up straight and reached for my wand.

"Lumos," I whispered, tip-toeing over to Harry's bed.

"Oi, Harry," I whispered, shaking him slightly.

"Whaddayawant?" he muttered, the light too intense for his eyes.

"I'm going to get her back!" I told him excitedly.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Hermione," I said. "I'm going to be the guy that gets the girl – I'm going to get her back. Teach that Matthew a lesson once and for all."

Harry muttered something unintelligent and rolled over onto his side.

"Ron," he said, sighing deeply. "It is the middle of the night and you have flown half way across the world to spend Christmas with your girlfriend, Alexa. I hardly think this is the right time to break up with her and ruin everyone's Christmas, not mentioning that you will probably lose Hermione forever in the process. Go to sleep. Now."

"You don't give me orders," I muttered, like a selfish, five-year old child.

I made for the door of the room, not really conscious of the fact that the coven downstairs could probably hear me perfectly. Love was more important than friendship, right?

I knocked on Hermione's bedroom door politely.

No answer.

I knocked again, this time with more intent.

I heard her mutter something and stumble to the door.

She wore her frilly pink nightdress and slippers, her hair all over the place. Beautiful.

"Ron," she yawned. "What in the name of Merlin do you want at this hour? It's almost midnight."

I stood there, in my pyjamas, hair untidy, my face unshaven and spoke nothing but one word, "You."

She pursed her lips. I was so close to touching them. "Whatever you're playing at, stop it right now. It's almost Christmas and I need some sleep. I think you're confounded or something. Goodnight, Ronald."

She shut the door.

I was rejected. Yet again.

I slid down the side of the wall and sat on the ground, my head in my hands, a whole mixture of emotions pulsing rapidly through my body.

A few minutes later, Alexa approached me. She smelt nice.

"Ron," she smiled. "Are you okay, babe?"

"I'm fine," I muttered, getting up abruptly.

She placed her hand in mine. "Want a goodnight kiss? Or a casual hand shake?"

"Like that's possible," I muttered angrily.

She looked confused but walked away nevertheless.

Hormonal boyfriends, she thought, taking no damage.

Harry stared at me when I walked back into the nine-star bedroom.

"Well," he said. "Any luck?"

"I love her," I said plainly.

"Erm…which one?" he asked stupidly.

"Who do you bloody think? The sunshine girl that crows every morning in a tutu on channel five? Hermione!"

"Oh," Harry said, plainly.

"She makes me whole, Harry! Every time I'm near her, I feel great! I can't bear it when I'm not with her! I've loved her since the first day she insulted me telling me that I had dirt on my nose on the train to Hogwarts! The way I felt today…seeing him touching her like that. Seeing her in her undying, beautiful human form…It made me realise how fake and rubbish the love between me and Alexa is. I love Hermione. I'm not over her and I now know that I never will be." I paused.

"I'm going to get her back," I said, determination etched into every word. "I'm not going to lose her again."

"Erm…you never had her in the first place," Harry pointed out quietly. But Ron continued, oblivious to Harry's comment.

"I'm going to be her boyfriend," I smiled. "The one she talks about to all her friends, the once she's proud of. I'm also going to behead that ignorant, cocky, evil vampire in the process. Just not right now."

"Good luck with that," Harry said; a clear tone of amusement in his voice.

I pursed my lips in an almost Hermione-ish way. "I know can't do anything about Alexa; not here, not now, not at Christmas. I'll play it cool with her until we get back to Hogwarts and then I'll tell her my true feelings."

"Which are?"

"She can never fill the space in my heart destined for Hermione."