Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. And the devil owns JK Rowling, according to the psychotic Potter-haters. So if I own the devil, I own JK Rowling, and therefore I own Harry Potter… interesting. You don't reckon Lucifer will just jump in my book bag, do you?

Yesterday, my very first class of the day was Potions with Snape and his little Slytherin bootlickers. Since, obviously, contraceptives were done with, he moved on to love potions, which happen to be forbidden, you know. Of course you would know. Mum nearly got suspended for that trick she did when she was in school.

"Most love potions are banned by Hogwarts, and many by the Ministry," Snape told us, as if we needed to hear. "However, many can be used under loopholes, such as 'if you're already in love.'" He said this with more disgust than he did with the birth control class. "One such potion happens to be in your book, the Besarus Potion, but we won't be learning it in class. Today we learn the Amourus Impervius Potion, which keeps love potions and spells from working for twenty hours. Please keep in mind, I will be testing you with a real love potion, and if you feel any feelings at all for your neighbours, I'd advise you to move."

There was Spanish Fly in this one too for some reason. Not that I'll be admitting it to anyone, but Potions isn't as bad as Snape tries to make it. It's like cooking. Ooh, bad comparison with you, isn't it, Miss I-Can-Burn-Water?

Anyway, I did okay with the potion. Harry and I were sharing a cauldron with this one, while Hermione and Neville (who was grateful to have her as a partner, lest he started to snog some Slytherin) had another.

I ended up testing the potion, which made me glad Hermione was out of range. I didn't end up with Harry's lips on mine, so I can only assume it went well. I think Snape is getting angry about the fact that I'm doing well. Or about the fact that I've neither snogged nor shagged Hermione in his classroom.

Not that I've shagged her elsewhere, mind.

~*~

"Ugh! Double Potions with the Slytherins… what a way to start a day," I complained as soon as the dungeons were no more than a bad memory. Harry nodded and tried to clear the Snape-induced haunted look from his eyes.

"I don't know, that class was rather useful," Hermione said.

"You're only saying that because you don't like Veela."

"I am not, I'm saying it because it's true. It's nice not being able to be controlled like that."

"I think I need a new bag," Harry said suddenly. I think he was trying to diffuse a fight that might have happened.

"It does look rather… shabby," I commented, poking through a hole. "Even worse than mine." You know how Mum's always reinforced our bags. "We have a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow, maybe you can get one there."

Hermione nodded. "I've had to get more new bags than I can count, and I've performed a lot of repairing spells."

"That's probably because you carry half the bloody library in it wherever you go," I retorted.

"Ron! Don't curse."

I nudged Harry. "Notice how she doesn't deny it," I said in a stage whisper. Hermione just "hmph"ed and went in the other direction. "Where're you going?" I called after her.

"I have to take some books back to the library."

~*~

Later, when I was beating Harry at chess that evening, everyone was talking about the weekend. Almost everyone, anyway. Fred and Angelina were snogging on the sofa in front of the fireplace, and Hermione had checked out the other half of the library. But everyone else was.

"Ha! Check!" Harry cried. I looked at the board for a couple seconds.

"Knight to Queen's Bishop Four. Checkmate. Sorry, better luck next time," I said, while Harry was ignoring the jeers from his chessmen.

I ran upstairs to put my pieces away and when I got back, Harry had disappeared. Again. I sat at Fred and Angelina's vacated spot. Hermione wasn't too far away, practising her conjuring. She pulled a sugar quill out of thin air, looked at it for a second, then tossed it away. "Hey!" I complained when the nib hit me on the forehead.

"Oh! Sorry, Ron. I was just trying to get this spell right," she said, barely looking up.

"What's wrong with it that you had to throw it so violently?" I asked, biting off the tip. It was apple-cinnamon.

"It's supposed to be peach," she complained, waving her wand again. A pink quill floated into her lap. "Here, taste it."

"It's plum," I said, eating the whole thing rather quickly. I prefer plum, you know.

"Damn."

"What?" ("What?")

"Darn," she said, flustered.

"You didn't say 'Darn,' you said 'Damn.' I'm rubbing off on you!" I gleefully pointed out.

"You are not. It just slipped. I'm having a hard time getting this stupid quill to come out right."

"I can help. I'll be your taste-tester."

She rolled her eyes at my kind, generous, and unselfish offer. "Thanks, but I think I'll just stop for the night."

I think I actually was shocked that time. "Hermione Granger, giving up before she's conquered a spell? Are you sick?"

She laughed sarcastically. "Oh, and by the way Ron, this got into my bag somehow." She pulled out my Contraceptive Potion, still glowing orange. "You're lucky it didn't get crushed."

"That's not luck," I countered. It must have happened that day I figured out how much in love with her I was. After five years. Yes, I know I'm an idiot. "That's skill. I put an Unbreakable Charm on it." I banged it against the table and threw it in the air. "See?"

"Ron! Be careful. Unbreakable Charms have been known to… break, under the right conditions," she chided.

"Then they're not unbreakable, are they? That's false advertising, that is. Something can be broken, or it can't. It can't be 'unbreakable except under very specific conditions.'"

"No need to yell at me, Ron, I didn't name the spell."

"I didn't say you did, 'Mione."

"''Mione?'"

I thought for a second. Where had that come from? "What, you don't like it?" I asked.

"Well, I don't not like it," she said tentatively.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. "You want to move, little brother?" said Fred, who was behind me with Angelina and looking hor…ribly impatient. Heh.

I moved to the chair next to Hermione, making sure to pocket my potion. Wouldn't want to just hand Fred material, would I? "Come on, let's move," I whispered. I had little desire to watch my brother and his girlfriend.

Once they were out of our range of vision, our conversation resumed. "What were we talking about, 'Mione?" I asked.

"That. Your name for me."

"I'm sorry, you prefer your full name?"

"Well… I suppose ''Mione' is better than 'Hermy,'" she admitted.

"Damn right it is." I snorted. "Hermy."

~*~

Up until we went to bed (separate beds, thank you), we just talked. Mostly about little stupid things like class, and Harry, and you—ow! Anyway, some of the stuff was important. I didn't ask her to the Yule Ball or anything, but we got through an entire discussion about Krum without me saying the word 'Vicky' once.

Okay, maybe once, but that was it.

~*~

This morning, I was up late, especially for a Saturday. Hermione was too, which surprised me. The common room was practically empty, except for Dennis Creevey and some other second and first years. They were talking about some game, since it was nice out and they didn't get to go to Hogsmeade.

"Morning, Her-miiii-one," I said through a yawn. I was going to sit, but she grabbed my arm and led me to the portrait.

"I want to get to breakfast," she explained. "Come on."

We were at the Gryffindor table so fast I could have sworn she used a Portkey. Her plate was already half full by the time I sat down and helped myself to a waffle. "There's a new book I wanted to see about in the bookstore, it's about Arithmancy, and Professor Vector highly recommended it." When I first met Hermione, she started talking without bothering to breathe. She said all this in very much the same manner. "What about you?"

I shrugged. "I was out of sugar quills, but I suppose I can take your rejects for a while," I grinned. She threw a breakfast roll at me. "I suppose I'm going to check out Zonko's to see if they have anything else to protect me from the twins."

"Sounds good. Are you ready?"

"I think so." I checked my pockets. "Wait, I forgot my money and my wand."

We went back up to Gryffindor Tower, and I ran up to my dormitory to get my stuff. Some house-elf had been kind enough to place them on my bed, probably taking them out of yesterday's robes.

I came back out into the common room and looked around for Hermione. She had sat down in front of the fire and picked up a book to flip through. I leapt over the back of the couch to sit beside her.

"Ready to go?" I asked. She put down the book and I could see its title: Hogwarts, A History.

"Ron, why do I keep ending up with this?" she asked. She was holding up my Contraceptive Potion.

"I don't know," I replied, putting it in my pocket. "Maybe it likes you."

She smirked and started to get up. Then she sat back down very suddenly. "You know, Hogsmeade can wait," she said.

"What do you mean?" I said, but I was starting to feel the same for some reason. In fact, I wanted nothing more than to stay on the couch with her forever.

"There are… other things we can do. Being all alone like we are."

I cocked an eyebrow. I couldn't take my eyes off Hermione's lips, so… perfect. I moved closer to her and smiled. "Such as?"

"Well," she said breathlessly. Her head was very close to mine. "We could play… chess."

"I think," I replied, "I would like very much to play chess."

"Then let's play." With that, she brought her lips to mine. It was as if the Cruciatus Curse ran through my body, only pleasant. I kissed her back, putting my hand behind her head.

Her tongue started to (I don't want to hear this!) Oh. Sorry. Right.

Anyway, suffice to say there was passion. I don't think I thought of anything except her, until her body pressed the vial into my thigh. That brought me to thinking of it, and of the fact that I might soon need to use it. That was enough to shock me out of my Hermione-induced trance.

I suppose once I broke away so suddenly, she snapped out of it too. Neither of us could look at each other. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I got up and ran as fast as I could. I jumped into the hole behind the one-eyed witch and came to Hogsmeade as fast as I could. I slipped past the shopkeeper and walked in the Three Broomsticks, where I saw you, and you know the rest.

We are nearing completion of this story. One last chapter and perhaps an epilogue. And this would be my quickest done many-chapter story.