Making My Move

By BluJae

Disclaimer:  Not mine. I am not JK Rowling.

Chapter 4:  To Talk!

I moved to where he was, and he gave a weak smile when I reached him.

"So," I began with a smile. "How much of that rant did you hear?" I was only teasing, but he didn't seem to get the joke.

"All of it," he answered quietly. His eyes shifted to the floor, and then went back to my eyes pleadingly. "I didn't mean to eaves drop. I was about to enter the hall when I saw you here. So I stayed behind the door waiting for you to leave. You were speaking quite loudly and I…I couldn't help myself," he explained very fast. Fear was evident on his face, and as I opened my mouth to tell him it was okay, I saw him wince slightly as if expecting me to lash out at him.

"Ron," I said softly. "It's all right. I'm…I'm glad you heard." Heat rose in my cheeks, and I had to look away from him again. I didn't think making the first move would be this difficult. "Um…I guess we should find an empty classroom." My eyes widened as I realized an implication of those words and hastily added, "To talk! You know, so we can have some privacy. To talk."

I looked over at Ron and saw that the tips of his ears were very red. "Okay," he managed to say calmly.

For a few seconds, we just stood there, neither of us wanting to lead the other. But as the seconds grew, so did my impatience. Out of irritation (as oppose to courage), I grabbed Ron's hand. Both he and I were shocked at my sudden action, and both our faces turned a slight shade of pink. But I didn't let go, however. I've been waiting to do this for such a long time that I didn't want to let go now that I had him.

I turned to walk in the direction of the moving staircases, pulling him along by his hand. For the next few minutes, we walked hand in hand in comfortable silence as we went upstairs to find an empty classroom where we can speak privately.

*

Finding the Charms classroom empty, we slowly made our way inside. I said a spell to ignite the torches and released Ron's hand. A quiet groan escaped him as I did so, and I had to turn to hide my smile.

I sat atop a nearby desk facing him and waited. The silence started to cease being comfortable. Is he not going to initiate anything?!

I sighed.

"I meant what I said, you know?" He remained quiet, still looking down. Then he slowly raised his head and I saw a small smile on his face.

"That I'm a git?" He joked quietly. I smiled. For some reason, the tension and uneasiness disappeared at his small attempt of a joke.

"Yes," I said mockingly. "But everything else too."

"Hermione," he began. There was a short pause in which he moved to back up against the wall behind him. "I meant what I said, too," he continued in the same uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"But why? Did you really think I was going to reject you," I asked incredulously. "I mean, didn't you notice the signs—how I'd hug you a little longer than I do Harry, how I'd always find reasons to reward you with a peck on the cheek, how I've been watching most of the Quidditch team's practice since you were chosen as Keeper?"

"And have you noticed how I'd stay up at night actually doing homework so that I can make sure you'd be okay and keep you company? How I'd hug you so tight and never seem to want to let you go, and then sigh whenever I did? How your little kisses can make me so happy, and almost nothing can get me down for the rest of the day? How I'd spend as much time asking if you were all right as I do saving quaffles during those practices? How I'd stare at you longingly?" His eyes never left mine.

"Yeah, actually." Now it was my turn to get quiet. I didn't expect Ron to be so open. But wasn't that what I wanted? Then the last thing he said registered in my mind and I laughed softly.

"What," asked Ron sounding a bit irritated. He probably thought I was laughing at him. Well, in a way I am.

"It's that last one you said—'staring at me longingly.' Do you have any idea how distracting it is when you do that in class? I wasn't giving my full attention to Professor McGonagall's lecture today because of you, you know?"

He smiled mischievously. "Tsk. Tsk. Daydreaming about me when McGonagall was giving an important lecture, were you," he jested shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Next thing we know, you'll be sneaking into empty classrooms with me when we're suppose to be at dinner or something. Oh, wait! That's already happening."

"You're insufferable," I retorted, although I couldn't help laughing myself.

"I know, but don't you like that about me?"

That cocky git was enjoying this. I was starting to miss the quiet, timid Ron from only a few minutes ago. But I have to admit—he was right.

"Yes, I do."

"And you do know that I like you, too, right," he asked. He was serious again. "I've liked you for a long time now. I was…I was just scared."

"Of me?" Was he scared of me as I was of him? How ironic.

"Well…yeah. I'm…I mean…I guess I have one more thing to add to the list of why I like you: You're courageous. You were brave enough to make the first move," he said looking at his feet, though I could still see his forehead flushing.

I smiled.

"Thanks."

Another comfortable silence followed in which we just stayed where we were, me sitting on the table and him leaning against the wall.

"So…," he said, breaking the silence after about a minute or two.

"So?"

"Want to go to dinner?"

"Yes, that would be lovely. Also, we've been in here for quite a while now. Harry might be getting worried."

He smirked.

"Either that, or he might be having some very wrong thoughts going through his head about what we might be up to," he said and then chuckled.

My eyes widened. "He wouldn't! Would he? I mean, he's…he's Harry."

"There are a lot of things beside the point-system that goes around the male population, Mine."

What did he just call me?! "What did you just call me?"

"Mine," he answers simply.

"Oh. Okay," I said smiling. I sort of liked it. A lot. "So…do you think Harry would really be thinking…those things of us?"

"Well, he is fifteen. Then again, we are his best friends. Maybe thinking that of us will only make him sick," he said with a shrug. "So, want to go to dinner now and stop whatever pondering he might be doing?"

I hopped of the desk. "Let's go."

He walked up to me, and stopped about an arm's length. Then he reached his hand for mine and gently held it in his. He led me out the door of the classroom, making sure no one was in the hallway first, and then we walked hand in hand to the Great Hall.

*

A/N  Come on, now. You didn't really think they were going to kiss, did you? I mean, it took them so long to just say they liked each other. They're not going to kiss just yet.

Again, thanks for reviewing the last chapters. Please review this one.

One more thing, this could be the last chapter. I'm working on another story so I want to concentrate on that. Plus, Ron and Hermione are together already, what else do you want?