"Go, Ron. Please...go." My heart felt like it was breaking with every syllable.

And I let her leave me. Again.

I knew she didn't like me. How could somebody so beautiful, so perfect, ever like someone like me?

I was at Divination, when I suddenly felt that I should go back to the Common Room and tell Hermione how I felt about her, whatever the consequences were. Excusing myself, saying that I needed to go to the washroom, I left Divination...leaving Harry wondering again.

And now...I had let her leave me again.

Glumly, I left the Common Room and walked back to the classroom.

"Where did you go this time?" Harry whispered as I sat back down.

"To look for Hermione," I said, without thinking.

"What? Didn't I tell you that she'd tell us when she's ready?" he said.

"I know, Harry...I know. We'll talk later, okay? The dragonfly's coming this way," I muttered.

Professor Trelawney approached our table.

"Now Mr Potter, what do you see in the crystal ball?"

"I see myself getting into a fight next Wednesday," said Harry, making it up as he went along. "And I get a broken arm."

"Good, good...very good. You are definitely learning, Mr Potter," she said.

"Yeah," Harry whispered to me when she walked away. "I'm learning to make up stories."

I tried to smile, but Harry could see that my heart wasn't in it.

"All right, we'll talk later," he said.

On the way to Charms, Harry said, "Ron? Can you tell me what happened now?"

"I told her, Harry. I told her," I said.

"Oh, and what was her reaction?"

"She pushed me away. I knew that would happen," I replied.

We arrived in front of Professor Flitwick's classroom. Suddenly a memory of our first year in Hogwarts hit me.

"It's Wingardium Leviosa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

I smiled at the memory. Then I snapped out of my trance. Harry was staring at me.

"Ron? You all right? Why're you smiling to yourself?"

"Nothing...just recalled something," I said truthfully.

"Okay..." said Harry, casting me a weird look.

Charms was the last lesson...after Charms, I could go back to the Common Room and ask Hermione what was wrong with her. I wish this lesson would end sooner. I wish that time would past faster. In fact, I wish I could read Hermione's mind. God knows what she's thinking.

After a horrendous hour, Charms finally ended. I sped out of the classroom, without waiting for Harry. I guess he understands.

"Fish fins," I said, reaching the painting. The potrait swung aside.

I don't know what I had expected to see, though. Hermione wasn't there. Depressed, I slumped into the armchair in front of the fire. I guess she must be scared of me now.

Shortly, Harry came in. "Really Ron, you shouldn't rush off like that. I was wondering what was wrong with you."

"You should be wondering what's wrong with Hermione," I mumbled. But he heard me.

"Stop thinking so much...she'll be all right. She'll tell us when she's ready."

"What if she's never ready? What if she spends the rest of our years at Hogwarts avoiding us? What if she never speaks to me again?" I said, agitated.

"Relax, Ron! How can she avoid us for the rest of our years at Hogwarts? She wouldn't be able to shake us off," he said. "I think she'll tell us within these few days, so stop being so nervous."

"I don't know, Harry." I buried my face in my hands. "I really don't know."

He came next to me and patted my back. "Hey, come on. Don't bother too much. She'll let us know some day."

**

Today was Thursday, two days after I told Hermione I liked her. She still hadn't explain things yet. I felt like I was going to go mad just waiting. I had to know what was wrong with her...she was making me so worried. Fortunately, these few days I had managed to concentrate more on lessons...the exams were coming. I remembered that Hermione liked taking exams...how could she miss her end of years?

I tried to push off all thoughts of Hermione by studying, but believe it or not, studying actually made me think of her more. The Werewolf Code of Conduct...Uric the Oddball...all the things we've studied together before.

I scratched my head, frustrated. How was I going to survive the exams like this? If I could pass my exams without going nuts, I would be grateful.

The library was quiet. Harry had gone off to sleep, saying that he couldn't study any much longer. I had told him to leave first. Sitting in the library would be better for me to think things through. Especially since the library was empty. Flipping through my Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, I realised that I wouldn't get anything done by studying and thinking of Hermione at the same time.

"Ron?" That voice...

"Hermione?" I said, disbelieving.

She stepped into the light. The hood was still on her head, and I couldn't see the left side of her face.

"Are you ready to tell me what's wrong with you lately?" I said gently.

"I don't know, Ron," she replied.

"Please, Hermione," I looked at her, pleading.

She closed her eyes. "Okay."

Removing the hood, and pushing her hair aside, she reveal a nasty-looking patch on the left side.

"I'm a hideous and horrible-looking creature, Ron," she said, a tear rolling off her good cheek. "That's why when you told me you loved me, I wasn't ready. I couldn't believe it at all. I had waited for you to say that for so long, and I never expected that when you finally told me that, I would be unhappy."

"You? Hideous? That is so untrue. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met," I said, standing up and walking towards her.

"You're lying, Ron. It's obvious."

"Lie? I could never lie about this. Your heart and soul are so beautiful...you already surpass any girl in beauty," I said, meaning every word from the bottom of my heart.

I stopped in front of her. Then I bent slightly and pressed my lips onto hers. This time, she didn't push me away. After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled apart. I noticed that she was still crying.

"Why're you still crying, Herm?"

"Nothing...maybe I'm just too happy," she said, grinning. Her eyes sparkled, shining with tears. "Oh, by the way, we found out how the dragon got into Hogwarts."

"What? How?"

"Apparently Draco Malfoy had thought that it would be fun having a dragon in the grounds. He had received the egg through mail, when he insisted that his father bought him one." she replied grimly.

"The second Hagrid," I said, rolling my eyes. "So what happened to Malfoy?"

"70 points off Slytherin and detention for three days," she said.

"Personally I think that isn't enough. They should expell him. The dragon could have killed someone!" I said.

"The only person the dragon could've killed was me, because I was the only one who got hit by it's flames," she said. "You and Harry saved the day...again."

"Fortunately you didn't die. If you did... I don't know what would've become of me," I responded.

Hermione grinned. "Let's go back. A chat in the library isn't what I would call 'romantic'. Oh hey, speaking of which...do you know who sent me the Valentine?"

"Of course I do...it was me. I disguised my handwriting with a charm," I said.

"I knew it. Didn't anyone send a Valentine to you?" she said, smiling cheekily.

"Nah, Harry got enough Valentines to flood the room already. Anyway, I'm glad, Herm. You know why?" I winked.

Hermione shook her head.

"Because I'm not a coward anymore." I kissed her nose, and we walked slowly back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

-The End-