A/N: Awwww, you guys are so sweet with your reviews! I love you all! :) Well, this is the end of this story.. hope it's ok!
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Ron woke up groggily. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that he wasn't in his dormitory. Then he remembered why he'd left. And he also remembered Hermione. Where was she? She'd been right in front of him! He was about to panic when he realized that one of his hands was very warm, and it felt like.. like he was holding someone's hand. Feeling like an idiot for taking this long to notice, he slowly turned his head... and was looking into Hermione's soft brown eyes. His eyes widened, and he felt his face flushing to what must have been a glowing crimson.
She smiled shyly, "Good morning Ron. Um.. Thank you for your jumper.." He blushed even more, if it was possible.
"H-hi..." For the next few minutes they took turns shyly glancing at eachother, each looking away quickly when the other noticed. "Uh.." Ron began finally, "you.. you were sleeping... I couldn't sleep so I came out to go for a walk, and you were here.. sleeping.. and.. you.. uh, you looked cold, so I..." He looked away until Hermione squeezed his hand gently. He caught his breath and gazed into her eyes.
"I stayed in the library so late, by the time I got back here the Fat Lady had gone so I couldn't get in. Really, thank you for your jumper.. I probably would have frozen without it.. And..." She looked down, "thanks for staying with me. I was getting pretty nervous by myself. When I woke up and saw you here, it made me.. I... Thank you.."
This time Ron squeezed her hand. She closed her eyes, soothed by the heat of his hand and body beside her.
"Hermione?" She looked up at him.
"Mmm?"
"I'm sorry about saying what I did today.. err, yesterday I guess. It's not true. You're much more than just a brain. I mean, that's bloody obvious. I don't know why I said it. I didn't mean it.. At all. I just... I don't know. I'm sorry."
She looked into his eyes, full of sincerity. Then, instinctively, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she murmured. "You don't know how much that means to me." She made a move to let go of him but found that he was holding her too. Smiling, she leaned in closer and hugged him tightly. They fell asleep in each other's arms, both sleeping better than they had in weeks.
...
"Whoa!"
Ron and Hermione woke with a start at the sound of Harry's voice. He seemed to be at a loss for words, although he looked like he wanted to say more. Instead, he just smiled at the two of them cuddling.
At the same instant, Ron and Hermione realized they were still holding each other and sprang apart, pretending there had been nothing going on between them.
"Right," sniggered Harry. "Um, I'm on my way to the Great Hall.. You might want to watch what you're doing, the others will be out soon.." And with that he walked off, laughing to himself.
"Ron.."
Ron suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing again that Hermione was there with him. Hermione.. with him!
"Ron, what's happening between us? What are we?"
He felt his face burning but managed to look her in the eye while he reached for her hand. "What.. what do you want us to be?"
She hesitated, then blurted out, "I want us to be Ron and Hermione.. Best friends.. More than friends.. Together.. I don't want to be without you, Ron. I know I don't deserve your love, but I want it so much. I want us to be an "us."" She looked close to tears.
"Hermione... you.. you think you don't deserve me? Why?? You're.. amazing..."
"I'm not. I'm smart, but that's it. And not even smart, I just get good grades in school. Outside of school, I'm not smart. I'm.. ugly. I'm.. I'm just not good enough for you, Ron. You could have any girl you wanted."
Ron awkwardly wiped a tear from her cheek. "'Mione," he whispered, "first of all, you ARE smart, not just in school. Second, you are NOT ugly. You're.. you're beautiful." Hermione laughed dryly. "You are.. Hermione, you're more beautiful than a room full of veela. Haven't you ever noticed how I can't keep my eyes off you? There are so many things I love about you. I love the way you get so determined to study. I love your dedication to the house elves, even though I know I act like I don't. I love how you'll do anything for a friend, no matter what. Blimey, I like you so much. Hermione.. You said I could have any girl I wanted.. Well, I want you. Can I.. can I have you? Please, Hermione. I'm not just saying this so I don't hurt your feelings. I think I.. love you. Yeah, I do. I love you. It's nothing less than love. It took me so long to realize, but I think, looking back, I've loved you since first year. 'Mione.. don't cry.." He gingerly wiped another tear from her cheek.
"Oh, Ron!" She cried as she flung her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Ron, I love you too.. I do... Thank you for being my Ron.. I love you."
Ron hugged her back and hesitated, then leaned over and kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger. He didn't want to ever let go of her. And he knew, somehow, that he never would.
~THE END~
~~~
Ron woke up groggily. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that he wasn't in his dormitory. Then he remembered why he'd left. And he also remembered Hermione. Where was she? She'd been right in front of him! He was about to panic when he realized that one of his hands was very warm, and it felt like.. like he was holding someone's hand. Feeling like an idiot for taking this long to notice, he slowly turned his head... and was looking into Hermione's soft brown eyes. His eyes widened, and he felt his face flushing to what must have been a glowing crimson.
She smiled shyly, "Good morning Ron. Um.. Thank you for your jumper.." He blushed even more, if it was possible.
"H-hi..." For the next few minutes they took turns shyly glancing at eachother, each looking away quickly when the other noticed. "Uh.." Ron began finally, "you.. you were sleeping... I couldn't sleep so I came out to go for a walk, and you were here.. sleeping.. and.. you.. uh, you looked cold, so I..." He looked away until Hermione squeezed his hand gently. He caught his breath and gazed into her eyes.
"I stayed in the library so late, by the time I got back here the Fat Lady had gone so I couldn't get in. Really, thank you for your jumper.. I probably would have frozen without it.. And..." She looked down, "thanks for staying with me. I was getting pretty nervous by myself. When I woke up and saw you here, it made me.. I... Thank you.."
This time Ron squeezed her hand. She closed her eyes, soothed by the heat of his hand and body beside her.
"Hermione?" She looked up at him.
"Mmm?"
"I'm sorry about saying what I did today.. err, yesterday I guess. It's not true. You're much more than just a brain. I mean, that's bloody obvious. I don't know why I said it. I didn't mean it.. At all. I just... I don't know. I'm sorry."
She looked into his eyes, full of sincerity. Then, instinctively, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she murmured. "You don't know how much that means to me." She made a move to let go of him but found that he was holding her too. Smiling, she leaned in closer and hugged him tightly. They fell asleep in each other's arms, both sleeping better than they had in weeks.
...
"Whoa!"
Ron and Hermione woke with a start at the sound of Harry's voice. He seemed to be at a loss for words, although he looked like he wanted to say more. Instead, he just smiled at the two of them cuddling.
At the same instant, Ron and Hermione realized they were still holding each other and sprang apart, pretending there had been nothing going on between them.
"Right," sniggered Harry. "Um, I'm on my way to the Great Hall.. You might want to watch what you're doing, the others will be out soon.." And with that he walked off, laughing to himself.
"Ron.."
Ron suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing again that Hermione was there with him. Hermione.. with him!
"Ron, what's happening between us? What are we?"
He felt his face burning but managed to look her in the eye while he reached for her hand. "What.. what do you want us to be?"
She hesitated, then blurted out, "I want us to be Ron and Hermione.. Best friends.. More than friends.. Together.. I don't want to be without you, Ron. I know I don't deserve your love, but I want it so much. I want us to be an "us."" She looked close to tears.
"Hermione... you.. you think you don't deserve me? Why?? You're.. amazing..."
"I'm not. I'm smart, but that's it. And not even smart, I just get good grades in school. Outside of school, I'm not smart. I'm.. ugly. I'm.. I'm just not good enough for you, Ron. You could have any girl you wanted."
Ron awkwardly wiped a tear from her cheek. "'Mione," he whispered, "first of all, you ARE smart, not just in school. Second, you are NOT ugly. You're.. you're beautiful." Hermione laughed dryly. "You are.. Hermione, you're more beautiful than a room full of veela. Haven't you ever noticed how I can't keep my eyes off you? There are so many things I love about you. I love the way you get so determined to study. I love your dedication to the house elves, even though I know I act like I don't. I love how you'll do anything for a friend, no matter what. Blimey, I like you so much. Hermione.. You said I could have any girl I wanted.. Well, I want you. Can I.. can I have you? Please, Hermione. I'm not just saying this so I don't hurt your feelings. I think I.. love you. Yeah, I do. I love you. It's nothing less than love. It took me so long to realize, but I think, looking back, I've loved you since first year. 'Mione.. don't cry.." He gingerly wiped another tear from her cheek.
"Oh, Ron!" She cried as she flung her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Ron, I love you too.. I do... Thank you for being my Ron.. I love you."
Ron hugged her back and hesitated, then leaned over and kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger. He didn't want to ever let go of her. And he knew, somehow, that he never would.
~THE END~