Hello! This chapter kind of ends in the middle of things, but I promise that the next is right around the corner. This chapter also starts out on Tuesday (the same day as chapter 11) so go ahead and get back into that mind-space :)

We are still in Flirtville, so I hope you enjoy this one!

Like the last chapter, I gave Cheesy a chapter off, but she's still the greatest cheese ever.

oOo

At 5:02, there was a light knock on Hermione's office door. Knowing it was probably Ron, her heart fluttered in her chest and she called out for him to come in. In order to quell her nerves, she stood up from behind her desk to file her paperwork away, and once she was finished, she turned to see Ron standing just inside the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed the small room. Hermione still wasn't used to seeing him as a grown man, and every time she did, there was a level of surprise, along with an aching feeling deep in her gut reminding her of the years she'd missed.

"Wow. You really haven't decorated yet," Ron mused, his eyes flicking around over the four white walls. "There's not even one drop of color in here."

"I've only been at this job for two days!" she reminded him. "Do I not get a week or so before I have to get my office nice and Hermione'd up?"

Ron shook his head. "Nuh-uh. You at least need a picture or two to grace your desk." He paused, shooting her a lopsided grin. "I have some great shots of me I can give you if you're interested."

Hermione laughed. "Actually, I think I've seen too much of your face lately," she teased as she walked around and leaned back against the front of her desk.

"Oi! You wound me, Hermione!" Ron replied, moving one of his hands up to splay it across the front of his chest.

She rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I suspect you'll survive."

"I dunno," he drawled as he strolled closer before stopping directly in front of her. "We might have to make a pit stop to Mungo's to make sure I'm alright."

He was so close that Hermione could see every freckle on his face and smell the cologne he was wearing. The smell, along with the way his blue eyes were currently studying her, made her feel dizzy. There was no doubt in her mind that Ron knew exactly what he was doing to her, and that single thought gave Hermione the strength to gather her wits. Forcing herself to think with her brain rather than her body, which was currently betraying the hell out of her, Hermione stepped to the side and away from him.

Rather than looking offended, Ron merely looked amused. "Something wrong?" he asked, his face now a picture of innocence.

"Nope." she replied, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he was affecting her. "Are you ready to go?"

Ron gave her a smug smirk before standing up straighter and cracking his knuckles together. "Ready to unpack? It's not work for the weak, so hell yes. Let's do it."

Hermione couldn't help but flush at the words 'let's do it' before internally chiding herself for being so ridiculous. Never before had she been this attracted to anyone, and in the back recess of her mind, there was a part of her screaming at the fact that soon, she was going to be completely alone with Ron for the first time in years. Even if they had been alone on many occasions when they were younger, it was nothing like the prospect of being alone with him now. Now, they had no one they had to answer to, no one who cared what they got up to, and because they were adults, they were completely free to do whatever they wanted.

Not that Hermione thought Ron's motive had been to get a leg over when he'd invited himself over to help her unpack, but the reality was, anything could happen. It was obvious that he was, at the very least, attracted to her, and Hermione had a suspicion he wouldn't be at all opposed to any level of physical intimacy happening between them. Though she had to admit that the thought of sex with Ron was very, very appealing, the rational part of her wanted to take things slow. Hermione wanted to get to know him again, really get to know him. She hadn't been lying to her mother when she'd said she hadn't come back to London for a relationship, but she also couldn't deny that she wasn't head over heels for Ron the same way she'd been when they'd been at school.

Remember how well that ended, the little voice in the back of her mind reminded her. As irritating as that voice was, Hermione knew it was right. She couldn't throw herself at Ron without having all of the answers first. And as much as she wanted those, she also couldn't barrage him with a million questions about the past. They had already agreed not to talk about it, and now that they were getting along so well, the last thing she wanted to do was scare him away by trying to probe him for answers.

"Alright," she finally said. "Let's go."

After she finished gathering her things, she and Ron made their way toward the floo stations. As they walked, Hermione chatted away about her day, Ron leaning his head down to properly hear her over the hustle and bustle around them. Even though she knew he couldn't be all that interested in what she did for work, Ron didn't seem put off at all and listened intently, nodding and commenting at the appropriate times.

It wasn't as if Blake had ever said anything as such, but Hermione had always sensed that he had been bored and had only been half listening to the details of her day a lot of the time. Ron, however, appeared enthralled, and it really seemed as though he enjoyed just watching her speak, even if it was obvious he didn't know a lot about the things she was talking about.

Not for the first time, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like if they were together. It was all too easy to see her falling into Ron's arms and unloading her thoughts while he held her close. So easy to see him growing old and gray with her. Hermione knew it was way too soon to hope for something as extreme as a life with him, but inside, her seventeen-year-old self was cheering her on, urging her to read all the signs telling her it could happen.

Hermione floo'd to her flat first, and when Ron stepped out of the fireplace after her, she was already scrambling around the living area trying to straighten it up.

"I'm sorry it's such a mess," she apologized. "It's a little embarrassing."

Ron gave a low whistle. "Hermione Granger," he tutted. "It's even worse than I thought it would be!" He eyed the random stacks of boxes. "You are a literal pig."

Hermione grabbed a clean pair of rolled up socks from one of the boxes and chucked them at him. "Shut it, Weasley! Just because you're a big, bad Auror now doesn't mean I can't still kick your arse."

"A little thing like you?" Ron gave a mock shudder. "I'm terrified."

"You ought to be." Hermione grinned before turning her attention to the boxes on the floor. There were only about ten left, and she knew it wouldn't take long to get the job finished. "Most of these are full of books," she explained. She pointed to her still-empty bookshelf. "You can start by placing them there in alphabetical order by author."

Ron groaned. "You alphabetize your bookshelf? Why am I not surprised?"

Hermione crossed her arms. "Did you invite yourself over just to tease me, Ron?"

"Of course not! You just make it so easy!" He shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "But aren't you going to give me a tour of your flat before you work me like a house-elf?"

Ron looked only mildly apologetic when Hermione shot him an unamused glare. "Sure," she relented. "But be warned, it's small, and still mostly unfurnished."

"I don't mind. Sounds like mine, actually."

Hermione laughed. "Well, we'll start here then. This-" she made a sweeping gesture with her arm, "-is the living area."

Ron's eyes widened. "No shit! Really? I never would have guessed!"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Hermione led him over to her small but quaint kitchen. "And this is the kitchen."

"No table?" Ron asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

She shook her head. "Not yet, but as soon as I get paid, I'll buy one. For now, I eat at the kitchen island."

Ron tapped his fingers on top of the island. "Granite. Nice."

From the kitchen, Hermione led him back through the living area and into her bedroom.

"Nice size," Ron commented, his eyes taking in the space. He bent down and felt the cream-colored carpet with his hand. "Carpet's really soft."

"It's brand new," she told him proudly. "They updated all the flooring in all the flats right before I moved in."

"And there's only one bathroom?" he asked as he opened a door to his left.

"That would be the closet," Hermione corrected with a giggle.

"Oh. Sorry." Looking sheepish, Ron closed the closet door.

"The bathroom is right here." Hermione opened the bathroom door and Ron followed her inside.

"Spacious bathroom as well. White and clean," he said.

She couldn't help but laugh. "It almost sounds as if you're rating my flat, Ron. Are you going to rate it on a scale of five stars next?"

Ron laughed as well. "I have to examine every inch before I can give stars, Hermione."

Shaking her head, Hermione led the way as they exited the bathroom back into her bedroom. "Well, that's it. I told you it was small," she said.

"It's nice, Hermione," Ron replied. He reached out and took her hand in his before giving it a squeeze. "Really."

They smiled at each other for several seconds. Hermione was about to break the silence when Ron's eyes widened as he spied something behind her. "What's this?" He walked towards her bed where there was a small paperback novel resting on top of her pillow. Hermione's own eyes widened as he picked it up and studied the cover. "What's this you're reading?" he asked.

Embarrassed, Hermione walked towards him and snatched the book out of his hands, her cheeks red. "Oh, just some light reading before bed."

Ron scrunched up his eyebrows as he playfully snatched the book back away from her. He stared at the scantily dressed couple on the cover and smirked. "Ah. I know what kind of story this is."

Knowing it was a losing battle to try and get the book back from him, Hermione crossed her arms and tried to look indifferent. "It's a will they or won't they story. So what? They help me sleep."

"Will they or won't they? What's that?"

She sighed. "Basically, it's a slow burn story of two people who are skirting on the edge of romance. They might start out as friends, coworkers, or even enemies, and it always takes them forever to realize they are meant to be. Usually, a dramatic event happens that forces them together, and then they fall in love and live happily ever after."

Ron studied the cover again. "Together, as in shagging?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No!" She paused. "But shagging does happen, yes."

"Will they or won't they, huh?" He scoffed. "Well, obviously, they will."

"They usually do. In novels, anyway."

"What about in real life?" Ron asked, his eyes lit up with amusement as he awaited her answer.

Hermione took a deep breath and avoided his eyes as she spoke. "I think real life is a little different."

He clucked his tongue. "Bill complains every time Fleur buys a new book like this. He says these romance novels are always putting barmy ideas in bird's heads."

"And you believe him?"

Ron shrugged. "I'm not the married one, so I wouldn't know."

She smiled. "Well, I know that underneath all your masculine exterior, you, Ronald Weasley, are a big softie."

Ron frowned. "Now that's just insulting."

"Is not!" Hermione shot back. "That's not a bad thing! I bet, out of the two of us, you would be the first to cry if we were to watch a sad movie."

He chuckled, but shrugged. "You might be right. I've never seen a movie before. Harry's taken Ginny to the muggle theater a few times, but I've never gone."

Hermione bounced up and down in excitement. "That's great! I was planning on buying a television soon. When I get one, we can watch a movie right from my flat!"

Ron's eyes widened. "Wicked! Yeah, I'd love that, Hermione."

Just then, Crookshanks ran into the room and jumped up between the two of them. He landed on top of Hermione's bed before turning and staring at her, ignoring Ron completely.

"Holy hell. That cat is still alive!" Ron exclaimed.

"Crookshanks, do you remember Ron?" Hermione spoke to her pet.

The half-kneazle looked majorly unimpressed as he turned and eyed Ron's tall frame.

"Yup. He's just the same as I remember him," Ron said in a flat voice.

Hermione reached out and stroked Crookshanks on top of his head. "He's an old guy now, but I can't imagine life without him."

Still looking bored, Crookshanks leapt from the bed before disappearing underneath it.

"Anyway, I can't wait to show you all my favorite films," Hermione said as she and Ron made their way back into the living area. There's so many good ones."

Ron didn't answer, and when Hermione turned to see why, he was watching her with a small smile on his face. When she cocked her head in question, his smile dropped and he cleared his throat."Speaking of good." He patted his stomach. "What are we doing for dinner? I'm starved."

"Is food all you ever think about?"

Ron winked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Smiling to herself, Hermione walked over and plopped down on her sofa. "Is pizza fine with you? I don't have much food here, and it's super easy to just get it delivered."

"Pizza's perfect," Ron said as he came around and sat next to her. He was sitting much closer to her than was necessary, and Hermione could feel the heat of his leg pressed against hers. "Can we get one with everything on it?" he asked.

"Well, maybe not everything," she said in a slow voice, "But I can order a supreme pizza. It has a lot of toppings."

"Sounds supremely amazing."

Hermione laughed. "Always the funny guy, aren't you?"

Ron leaned back into the sofa and turned to stare sideways at her. "I'm capable of being serious," he said after a moment.

She nodded. "Oh, I know. You're capable of being a lot of things."

Without breaking eye contact, Ron sighed and gently took hold of her wrist with his hand, his fingers wrapping all the way around. Hermione's breath hitched, and out of nervous habit, she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Ron's eyes moved to her mouth, and it was all Hermione could do to not lean towards him and instead push herself up to first a sitting and then a standing position. "One large supreme pizza coming up," she said as she walked towards the corded phone that was attached to the wall. Her voice was a bit shaky, and she hoped Ron wouldn't notice.

While she was on the phone ordering the pizza, she watched as Ron stood up and walked over to her fireplace. Hermione narrowed her eyes as he pulled out his wand and muttered a few unintelligible words under his breath. He didn't even turn to look at her before taking a handful of floo powder and disappearing into the floo. Bewildered, Hermione could only give the man on the other end of the line her flat address. A second after she hung up the phone, Ron reappeared, a grin on his face.

"What were you doing?!" she demanded, relief flooding her. "I thought I did something wrong and you left!"

"Calm down, Hermione. I was just setting up a floo connection to my flat, so I'd be able to get home later tonight. Besides," he added. "Now we are only a floo trip away from each other. If you ever need anything, you're more than welcome to swing by." He paused. "But maybe send a Patronus first. Sometimes, I tend to walk around my flat starkers." Hermione felt her cheeks go red, and Ron laughed before continuing. "But really, Hermione, if you ever need me for any reason- anything at all- I'm here."

Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Thank you, Ron. That's…that's incredibly sweet of you."

"Well, you are going to feed me pizza," he replied. "Figured I could be sweet. Just this one time, though. I wouldn't want you to take advantage of my gigantic heart."

"Gigantic heart, huh?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ron sat down on the sofa and opened his arms wide, as if in reference. "Do you see the size of me, Hermione? A big heart is absolutely necessary to pump blood to all my extremities."

"All of your extremities?" Hermione asked in a sly voice.

Ron's jaw dropped. "Did you…? Hermione, did you really just make a dirty joke?" She only laughed in response. Ron stared wide eyed at her. "Bloody hell. It's those romance novels, I'm telling you!"

Hermione laughed harder. "It's not. I do have a sense of humor, Ronald."

"It's going to be a fucking blast having you back. I can already tell." He grinned. "When will the pizza be here?"

"Oh, the pizza place is right down the road, so any moment." She walked back over to the sofa and sat down next to him.

Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and without hesitation, Hermione leaned into his chest and let out a sigh. "Thank you for coming here, Ron. I've really enjoyed it so far."

"I do plan to help you unpack, like I said I would," he told her. "As soon as we're finished eating, I'll get to work."

"No rush. The help is appreciated, but not expected."

Ron's hand ran up and down her arm. "Hermione?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

"Yeah?"

"This doesn't feel weird, does it?" The words were more of a statement than a question.

"What?"

"Sitting together like this."

"No, it doesn't," she hurried to say. "Does it feel weird to you?"

"Nope. Not at all."