Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings or terminology of Harry
Potter. I do own this story.
"Ron? Is that you?" Hermione slowly opened the door to the boy's dormitory. Ron was standing by his trunk, with his back to her.
" Yeah.I don't know where Harry is." Ron quickly threw something into his trunk and slammed the lid down. He span around looking guilty and nervously dusted off his robes. "What do you want?"
"Nothing.just.looking for someone to talk to."
"Oh. Well. I'm someone. Shall we go downstairs? Fancy a game of chess?" Ron said this all quite quickly and eagerly.
" Ron? What's going on?"
" Nothing.I just. you're not allowed in here!" Ron rushed forward and grabbed Hermione's arm. Pushing her out of the door, he said, '"I'll be down in just a sec. Putting stuff away." He slammed the door in Hermione's shocked face. She immediately opened it again, enraged.
" What's going on Ron?! What's the big secret!?"
" What's wrong with secrets? You've had plenty of secrets! Lupin being a werewolf! The time turner! Krum!" He was leaning forward with his gangly arms on his hips. He seemed quite proud of his last statement.
" Oh for goodness sake!" she rushed forward and tried to push Ron aside from his trunk. Ron looked like he was about to push Hermione back, but thought better of it. Hermione now had an opportunity to open the trunk, but she hesitated. She looked at Ron's worried face, and stepped back.
" What?" asked Ron.
" I'm sorry. I don't know why it was so important for me to see what you were hiding. Sorry. It's your business." Her face red, Hermione turned to leave the room.
"No, Hermione. Here." Ron opened the trunk and pulled out his omnioculars. They were smashed beyond repair.
"Wha. What happened?" she said, taking them from Ron.
" I. broke them." Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I can see that Ron. But how? And why did you want to hide them from me?"
"I broke them last year. When I was fighting with Harry."
" Oh Ron." Hermione whispered. "Did you-?"
" Yeah. 'Cos he bought them for me." Hermione looked down at the floor and bit her lip. The issue of money was a touchy one around Ron. "I hate Harry having to get me stuff. These were the best things I owned. And.I suppose.Pig. And they were both. well. charity."
" Ron, you mustn't think that -!"
" I know. I know. That's not how Harry sees it. But it's how I see it."
" So what if you don't have all the best stuff? Malfoy does. Would you rather be him?"
"No."
" Would you rather be Harry?"
"What?"
" Harry has a great broom. And new books and things. Would you rather be Harry Potter than Ron Weasley?"
" Dunno." It was Ron's turn to look at the floor.
"Because I'll tell you what. I. I'd hate not to have a Ron Weasley around." Ron looked up. Hermione blushed, avoided his eyes, and quickly continued talking. " Ron. you have such wonderful stuff. Great stuff you can't buy. Things Harry or Malfoy don't have. Like brothers and sisters and parents."
" Oh. great" said Ron, rolling his eyes.
" No really Ron. I mean it. I wish I had a sister or brother. Just one. And you've got six."
" Well at least all your stuff is your stuff. I never have anything that's not been somebody else's, or that I haven't got to share. Maybe it's just as well. I'd only lose it," He took the omnioculars from Hermione and turned them over in his hands, studying them. "-, Or break it."
" Well. there is one thing."
" What?" said Ron sounding doubtful.
" Me." Ron's head snapped up.
" Huh?"
Hermione walked up to Ron slowly, looking at the omnioculars. She took them back, threw them back into the trunk and took both of Ron's hands in hers. After staring down at them in silence for a minute, she took a deep breath and looked up at Ron.
" Me, Ron. I'm yours. I've never been anybody else's. And you don't have to share me with anyone. I'm not a gift. This isn't charity. I belong to you, because I want to belong to you. Because I'm meant to belong to you." She blushed and stared back at their hands. "Is that enough?" she whispered. Ron took his hands from Hermione's and gently lifted her head back up.
" Are you kidding?"
Then Ron kissed Hermione for the first time.
He smiled down at her.
" Even the famous Viktor Krum hasn't got Hermione Granger. "
"Ron? Is that you?" Hermione slowly opened the door to the boy's dormitory. Ron was standing by his trunk, with his back to her.
" Yeah.I don't know where Harry is." Ron quickly threw something into his trunk and slammed the lid down. He span around looking guilty and nervously dusted off his robes. "What do you want?"
"Nothing.just.looking for someone to talk to."
"Oh. Well. I'm someone. Shall we go downstairs? Fancy a game of chess?" Ron said this all quite quickly and eagerly.
" Ron? What's going on?"
" Nothing.I just. you're not allowed in here!" Ron rushed forward and grabbed Hermione's arm. Pushing her out of the door, he said, '"I'll be down in just a sec. Putting stuff away." He slammed the door in Hermione's shocked face. She immediately opened it again, enraged.
" What's going on Ron?! What's the big secret!?"
" What's wrong with secrets? You've had plenty of secrets! Lupin being a werewolf! The time turner! Krum!" He was leaning forward with his gangly arms on his hips. He seemed quite proud of his last statement.
" Oh for goodness sake!" she rushed forward and tried to push Ron aside from his trunk. Ron looked like he was about to push Hermione back, but thought better of it. Hermione now had an opportunity to open the trunk, but she hesitated. She looked at Ron's worried face, and stepped back.
" What?" asked Ron.
" I'm sorry. I don't know why it was so important for me to see what you were hiding. Sorry. It's your business." Her face red, Hermione turned to leave the room.
"No, Hermione. Here." Ron opened the trunk and pulled out his omnioculars. They were smashed beyond repair.
"Wha. What happened?" she said, taking them from Ron.
" I. broke them." Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I can see that Ron. But how? And why did you want to hide them from me?"
"I broke them last year. When I was fighting with Harry."
" Oh Ron." Hermione whispered. "Did you-?"
" Yeah. 'Cos he bought them for me." Hermione looked down at the floor and bit her lip. The issue of money was a touchy one around Ron. "I hate Harry having to get me stuff. These were the best things I owned. And.I suppose.Pig. And they were both. well. charity."
" Ron, you mustn't think that -!"
" I know. I know. That's not how Harry sees it. But it's how I see it."
" So what if you don't have all the best stuff? Malfoy does. Would you rather be him?"
"No."
" Would you rather be Harry?"
"What?"
" Harry has a great broom. And new books and things. Would you rather be Harry Potter than Ron Weasley?"
" Dunno." It was Ron's turn to look at the floor.
"Because I'll tell you what. I. I'd hate not to have a Ron Weasley around." Ron looked up. Hermione blushed, avoided his eyes, and quickly continued talking. " Ron. you have such wonderful stuff. Great stuff you can't buy. Things Harry or Malfoy don't have. Like brothers and sisters and parents."
" Oh. great" said Ron, rolling his eyes.
" No really Ron. I mean it. I wish I had a sister or brother. Just one. And you've got six."
" Well at least all your stuff is your stuff. I never have anything that's not been somebody else's, or that I haven't got to share. Maybe it's just as well. I'd only lose it," He took the omnioculars from Hermione and turned them over in his hands, studying them. "-, Or break it."
" Well. there is one thing."
" What?" said Ron sounding doubtful.
" Me." Ron's head snapped up.
" Huh?"
Hermione walked up to Ron slowly, looking at the omnioculars. She took them back, threw them back into the trunk and took both of Ron's hands in hers. After staring down at them in silence for a minute, she took a deep breath and looked up at Ron.
" Me, Ron. I'm yours. I've never been anybody else's. And you don't have to share me with anyone. I'm not a gift. This isn't charity. I belong to you, because I want to belong to you. Because I'm meant to belong to you." She blushed and stared back at their hands. "Is that enough?" she whispered. Ron took his hands from Hermione's and gently lifted her head back up.
" Are you kidding?"
Then Ron kissed Hermione for the first time.
He smiled down at her.
" Even the famous Viktor Krum hasn't got Hermione Granger. "