Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Original A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five

Drunken Confession

"SHH … Harry … I think I hear someone!" Ron said in a rather loud voice as they walked back to the Gryffindor tower a few hours later. It actually wasn't too late, only about an hour after curfew.

"I wasn't talking," Harry said in an equally loud voice, making the fact that they were sharing the Invisibility Cloak sort of pointless.

"Did you hear something?" they heard someone from the corridor ahead of them whisper and then walk into view.

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted as he saw her, walking out of the Invisibility Cloak, not noticing that Harry tried to keep him back, and strolled over to her with a big grin.

"Ron? What are …" she didn't get to say more because he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She seemed to respond to him for a second before pushing him away, her eyes narrowing and he could tell she was angry, "you're drunk!"

"Yep!" he smiled proudly. "Me and Harry got hammered …"

"You didn't have to bring me into this," Harry said, talking off his cloak and stuffing it in his robes, there was no use in hiding anymore.

"What are you doing out so late, Hermione?" Ron asked, giddily.

"Patrolling," Hermione wasn't the one to answer, she was still too busy glaring at Ron (and Harry too) to talk. Dean walked around the corner, "Prefect duty."

"Oh," Ron said his eyes widening comically. "I guess you caught us."

"Yes we did, and I will be reporting this to McGonagall …" Hermione started to say.

Ron turned away from the enraged Hermione to look at Harry. "Seriously! You can't see how gorgeous she is."

"Er …" Harry replied not appreciating being brought into this again, looking back at Hermione all he was feeling was terrified.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley …!" Hermione shouted and he turned back to her.

"I love it when you say my name like that," Ron confessed.

"… I … don't try to charm me, Ronald," Hermione said, clearly flustered.

Ron grinned widely. "I'm not trying. But clearly it's working."

"OH! Really!" Hermione replied crossing her arms and glaring at him more dangerously.

"I think we should go, Harry," Dean said in the background.

"Yes I think we should," Harry said, very eager to go.

"Just wait one minute there, Harry Potter," Hermione turned on him, "Don't think I …"

"Don't look at me … it was all Ron's idea," Harry said,

"You bloody wanker, it's not like I had to twist your arm or anything," Ron glared at Harry.

"True," Harry smiled, "all right then, yell at me."

Hermione huffed in frustration, "oh just get out of here already. I'll yell at you tomorrow morning … when you have a horrible hangover!"

"You are so evil," Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

"Come on, Harry, let's get out of here," Dean said, "don't worry I'm make sure we get to the common room."

"Thanks, Dean," Hermione sighed.

"So … are you going to wait to yell at me until the morning too," Ron ask, "because I can think of other things we …"

"Ron," Hermione said sadly, still watching the corridor where Harry and Dean had just been.

Even in his drunken state Ron could tell that Hermione had changed her tactics from shouting to using something that he couldn't stand. Crying. Well not actually crying, but she was close.

"I was worried when I couldn't find you …" Hermione said turning around, "and now I find out that you were just having fun with Harry …"

"Look, I'm sorry," Ron said, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably, he always hated when she used this on him when he was sober, it was much worse when he was drunk. He couldn't really think of what he needed to say. "We needed a bit of fun … you know things have been rough … we needed a bit of relaxing."

"You said you were going to come to the library after practice …"

"What?" Ron looked at her confused, he didn't remember saying that.

"At lunch … I ask …" Hermione said biting her lip.

"I don't remember …" Ron said trying to think, "Merlin, Hermione I'm so sorry."

Hermione snorted and Ron looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"You're lying to me!" Ron snapped.

"Well …" Hermione said slowly.

"You are evil," Ron said grinning.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going?" Hermione asked, serious again.

"I didn't think you would want to come," Ron answered immediately, noticing Hermione raise an eyebrow. "Er … well I didn't think you'd want us to go," he added reluctantly, this time she rolled her eyes. Ron grimaced; he couldn't put her expression together as he had learned the past few months. He should know why she reacted the way she did.

"Are you omay?"

"Ssshhh!" Ron said covering Hermione's lips, which, of course, caused her to glare again. "I'm thinking."

"Ronald!" Hermione hit his hand away.

"You wanted to be asked!" Ron said a little shocked. "You wanted to go! My Prefect little girlfriend wanted to get drunk with her mates!"

"What? That's ridiculous, Ronald!" Hermione said in that offend voice that meant she was offended he figured her out so well.

"No it's not! You wanted to go," Ron grinned. "Bloody brilliant that is."

"It's not that I wanted to go drinking, I just could have used some time with by friends …" Hermione started to say, venting her feelings a little but Ron wasn't listening to her at all as he watched her blush and act so flustered.

"I love you so much," he said without thinking.

"… but why should I have expected you to want me to go with you when you and Harry …" Hermione was still talking but stop as his words reached her ears. She just looked up and stared at him.

"Shite!" Ron covered his mouth and just stared at her back for a few moments, before he started babbling. "I wasn't supposed to say that when I was drunk. You're going to thinking I'm lying … just saying it! But Hermione I swear I mean it. Been effing wanting to tell you for weeks but you keep telling me not to … what the bloody hell was that about. It doesn't make any sense. You're mental you know that. But I love you. You're brilliant and mental and gorgeous and generous …"

"Shut up, Ronald," Hermione said her eyes teary before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

O

"WAKE UP!" The shout rang through the Gryffindors fifth year boy's dormitory. Fred was holding open the drapes for Ron's bed as George was doing the same for Harry's. The twins' voices were magically magnified so they were even louder than their normal shouts.

"Argh!" Ron groaned his head pounding.

"WE WERE JUST IMFORM OF YOUR FUN NIGHT LAST NIGHT!"

"Shut it," Ron said winching at his own voice and taking a swing at Fred to try to make him leave him alone.

"WE WERE JUST WONDERING WHY YOU DIDN'T ASK US TO COME ALONG!"

"Argh!" Ron groaned again.

"Get out of here!" Harry snapped.

The twins laughed in their loud voices.

Ron searched for his wand, but it was difficult to remember where it was with all this laughing. Bloody hell, where was his wand?! He needed to curse his jackass brothers.

"NOW HARRY! WE DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE!"

Ron found his wand then and pointed it at Fred.

"TIME TO GO!"

Ron couldn't actually think of a curse to use, so he was glad to see his brothers retreat the room. He looked at Harry, who was now lying in his bed again, his wand still in his hand.

"Bloody wankers," Ron muttered.

"Yeah," Harry grunted.

"What's going on?" Seamus asked.

"They got smashed last night," Dean answered. "Which means we get an 8:30 wake up call on a Saturday. Nice right."

"Oi … Shut it!" Ron said throwing his pillow at Dean as he and Seamus chuckled at Ron and Harry's misery.

Ron winched as he laid back down, he wish he didn't throw his pillow now as he couldn't get back to sleep … especially not with all the noise of Dean and Seamus getting ready for the day. He didn't have the energy to yell at them again; surely they don't normally stomp around like this.

"Hello Seamus," came a very cheerful voice.

"Hello Hermione?" Seamus answered obviously confused by her tone.

"Here to yell at Ron and Harry?" Dean asked with a chuckle. "Well Fred and George beat you to it."

"I know," Hermione said.

"Well, we were just leaving," Seamus said.

"And not a moment too soon," Dean added and Ron heard the door slam behind him.

"Hello," Hermione said, handing Ron his pillow.

"Did you send Fred and George up here to wake us up," Ron asked her.

"No, they did that on their own, but they were telling me about your reaction downstairs," Hermione answered.

"Makes sense," Ron said.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked.

"I made some hangover potions for you guys," Hermione answered.

"Really?!" both boys sat up excitedly, before winching at their own pain.

"Yes, but Fred and George told me that Weasleys have a tradition …"

"NO!" Ron groaned falling back in his bed.

"… Something about suffering through your first hangover," she went on. "Clearly, they were telling the truth."

Ron groaned again.

"So I guess only Harry get's the potion," she said.

"WHAT?!" Ron jumped again and looking at his girlfriend incredulous. He watched as she actually handed Harry a potion and saw the bloody wanker take it. It worked quickly, less than a minute and Harry seemed to be back to himself.

"Why did you …?" Harry started to ask, his expression very confused before he stood up straighter almost looking scared. "Right … I should be going …"

Then Harry took a few things out of his trunk and left room.

"What …?" Ron was terribly confused.

Hermione turned around and she looked mischievous. "Fred and George also told me that you can take the potion, too. For a certain reason."

"You mean if I have a beautiful girl with me?" Ron answered. "Did they also tell you the next two times I'll have to suffer through my hangover … you probably along with me."

"Do you really think I'm going to drink?" Hermione asked.

"Is that you're clever way of saying yes?" Ron asked, his head still ached and he was feeling rather sick, but talking to Hermione was still easy.

Hermione smiled at him. "So will you take the potion now or …"

"Hand it over already," Ron said holding out his hand and she gave it to him.

"I was hoping you would say that," Hermione said, walking over as Ron's head cleared. "There are things I have planned for today and it's much better that you can actually move around."

"Yes, much better," Ron grinned at her, it was amazing how quickly this potion worked, but he wasn't surprised about that. She did make it after all. "So what is it you have plan for us?"

"Nothing really," Hermione said. "But you're going to like it."

She kissed him and he couldn't help but agreeing with her completely.

O

"Bloody effing hell," Ron groaned, grabbing his head as a sharp pain came to him and suddenly he felt sick. It felt like he had this morning, but how was that possible it had been six hours since he had taken the potion … six wonderful hours with an amazing witch, who was now looking at him with sad, guilty eyes.

"Er … about the potion," Hermione said biting her lip. "It might not have been exactly what I said it was."

Ron grunted; it was all he could manage at the moment.

"It was actually sort of one of your brothers' inventions … they're thinking of calling it Hanglaters," Hermione said.

"And you gave this to me?!"

"Well, you did go drinking … I'm still upset about that," Hermione said, "besides, if you think of it this way, now you won't have to suffer two unknown nights in the future …"

"Argh!" Ron groaned.

"It will only last an hour," Hermione said trying to sooth him.

That helped a little. "And you gave this to Harry, too?"

"Er …. well …" Hermione answered biting her lip again.

"Poor bloke," Ron said almost grinning as his temple hammered. He lied back in his pillow and Hermione went back to resting her head on his shoulder.