Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K Rowling, and the song "When You Say Nothing At All," is by Ronan Keating.

WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL...

Ronald Weasley, age 16, gritted his teeth in irritation, and buried his head deeper into the Potions book and gripped his quill tighter. For the past hour he had been trying to concentrate on his homework assignment, but it had been met with no avail. The common room had always been his study hall, since he had had Harry and Hermione to keep him company. But today was definitely not his day for studying, even though he desperately needed to since Professor Snape had given them a three-page essay to write. Ever since, the word Yule Ball had been mentioned at the breakfast table, a few weeks ago, Ron could not stand to see any girls, for whenever seen, they would start giggling.

Tonight, for example, almost all the Gryffindor girls were discussing their dress for tomorrow's dance or blushing furiously whenever their date would try to talk to them. Even Ginny's head was in the clouds, since Harry Potter, his best friend in the entire world, had asked her, Ginny Weasley, to the dance. Right at that moment she was discussing with Lavendar whether she should leave her hair up or down. "Girls," Ron thought to himself in disgust. All girls were the same, except for one special girl. His best friend, Hermione Granger.

~It's amazing how you can,

Speak right to my heart.

Without saying a word,

You can light up the dark.~

Right at that very moment, instead of indulging herself in the girls' silly little nonsense, Hermione was calmly sitting on a chair near the blazing fire, and was reading her favorite book, "Hogwarts: A History," with her feet curled up in front of her. She wasn't the least interested in what was going on at that very moment. Reading about Hogwarts was much too important for her to let go.

Just by looking at her serene face, content on reading the pages, sent shivers up Ron's spine, which he had become accustomed to ever since he realized his feelings for her. He leaned back in his chair, fixated his blue eyes upon her and thought back to the past few

weeks.

~Try as I may,

I can never explain,

What I hear when

You don't say a thing.~

A few days ago, Hermione had told Ron and Harry that she wasn't going to attend the ball, since she wanted to prepare for her exams, which for her could arrive any moment. At first Ron had been thrilled that she had decided not to go with anyone, especially after their fourth-year Yule Ball. Now, he regretted that he had never had the chance, or guts to ask his best friend to go with him.

Like right now, he wished with all his heart that he were going to the Yule Ball with Hermione. Instead he had been forced into asking Lavendar to the dance. Not that he had anything against Lavendar. She was all right, in a girly sense, but she was certainly no Hermione. And Ron's heart belonged to this witch.

~The smile on your face,

Let's me know that you need me.

There's a truth in your eyes,

Saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand,

Says you'll catch me,

Wherever I fall....

You say it best,

When you say nothing at all.~

Hermione knew how to make him happy. Even though he spent endless hours and days devoted to just irritating her, it was the way she retaliated that he adored to see. The way her eyes would blaze with anger whenever he called her Miss Perfect Prefect Know-it-All. The way her face would flush in frustration whenever he would plead to let him copy her homework. Her reply would always be the same' "Ron, how will you learn if I keep letting you copy my work? Honestly."

He loved how her nose would wrinkle up whenever she was confused and how her eyebrows would knit whenever she was concerned. Her brown eyes would light up whenever he and Harry would prove to her that they were capable of working.

~All day long I can hear,

People talking aloud.

But when you're holding me,

You drown out the crowd.~

Ron didn't know what he would do if he would wake up one day without hearing Hermione's voice. Sure, it was a bit annoying sometime and could get on his nerves, but it was so melodious and so firm that he knew that that very voice could never be wrong. Even in a crowded room and there seemed like no chance for anyone to be located; he would find her just by following the sound of her voice. But, who would understand his feelings for her?

~Try as they may,

They can never define,

What's being said between,

Your heart and mine.~

He didn't know people knew how he felt, but they knew. It had become evident in their fourth year that he harbored feelings for her, but his stubborness always came in the way. Just like the year after that and this year. The year he couldn't find the courage to Hemione. Some Gryffindor he turned out to be, who couldn't even ask a girl out to a ball. And he thought Harry had problems. It was strange to think that he was the same boy who helped Harry in his most difficult predicaments, but then again, he was hardly known during that time. Ever since he became Keeper for the Quidditch team, however, people started to notice him, especially the girls. But the attention he craved from a certain girl, he could not receive and that troubled him the most.

~The smile on your face,

Let's me know that you need me.

There's a truth in your eyes,

Saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand,

Says you'll catch me,

Wherever I fall....

You say it best,

When you say nothing at all.~

Like right now, she was completely oblivious to her surroundings and was enveloped in her own little world. Occasionally she would glance up and notice that she wasn't alone in the world, then she would mutter something to herself and return to her book. Ron realized that he could sit here the entire night and not get tired by looking at her face. He wanted to tell her so much about his deep feelings for her, but being the coward he was meant to be, he never told her. But, maybe, just maybe, she had feelings for him too. After all, after she and Krum broke up, she started behaving differently around him. Not in a bad sense, really, but in a way that made him feel special and proud that he was best friends with this beautiful talented young girl, called Hermione. He didn't know what he would do if he woke up without seeing her smile.

The smile on your face,

Let's me know that you need me.

The truth in your eyes,

Saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand,

Tells me you'll catch me,

Wherever I fall.

You say it best,

When you say nothing at all.

The touch of her hand, when she would accidentally brush against him...the warm truth in her brown eyes, when she would scold herself for noticing a fault in her spell sooner....the smile on her face, when she would be amused by his ridiculous behavior. What would he do without her to light up her world? He didn't need her to speak; she just had to be there for him. Ron suddenly realized he had been looking at Hermione for too long, because at that moment, she noticed his deep blue eyes on her and looked up from her book. Caught off guard, he turned a deep red, and smiled weakly.

~The smile on your face,

The truth in your eyes,

The touch of your hand,

Tell's me know that you need me.~

Hermione stared at him for awhile, her mouth slightly open and completely unaware of her open book. She just looked at him without saying a word. Ron gulped waiting for her to say some snappy comment about him staring at her. But, she didn't say a word. Instead, she did the unexpected, something he'd never expected. She smiled. A deep sensitive smile, which didn't need words to tell him how she felt at that very moment. She got up slowly, walked towards him, leaned forward, and brushed her warm lips against his cheek, and whispered "Good night." Saying so, she headed towards her dormitory. He sat stunned after her rather unexpected action, but slowly his mouth turned into a small smile. Shaking his head to himself, he left for his own dormitory, his mind more jumbled than before.

~You say it best,

When you say nothing at all.~

***