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~Chapter 6. Ron~

"Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. 'Til then everyone into the living room. We have an announcement." Mrs. Weasley shooed everyone into the other room. What could possibly be this urgent? Well, she looked happy, so I don't know.

"Where's the fire?" The twins joked after getting rushed downstairs to the already stuffed couch and chairs.

"Okay. Everyone is in here. I can't wait to tell you the good news." She looked around at us, completely beaming, before she told us. "Hermione is a star and Percy doesn't have glasses anymore."

Wait, that was the big news? That felt good and everything, but almost everyone there knew that I had won the singing competition thing. And how did she know? Oh. The middle section of the Daily Prophet told all. It had a picture of me and told all about my little singing debut. That's cool. Everyone congratulated me and looked at Percy, and shuffled out of the room. I was attempting to, but I tripped and went flying. I almost touched the ground (head first, ouch!) but Percy caught me. It was so sweet.

And off we were to dinner. I was quiet for the entire meal. I didn't know if I should or should not tell everybody about my new boyfriend. He didn't look very talkative either. No one was talking really for the first part of the meal because Mrs. Weasley really outdid herself. The food was awesome!

"So, I got an owl from Charlie today. He and Sarah are engaged. But they aren't planning a wedding until they are absolutely sure they want to get married. But things are looking up on that relationship."

"Really?" Ginny seemed really interested in this. From what I can tell, she is really interested with who her brothers go out with. She shouldn't have a problem with Percy and I. But I can think of one particular person that would hate me for life.

"Yes. I'm so glad Charlie is finally settling down." Mrs. Weasley hummed happily into her mashed potatoes, but it looked like she wanted to say something else too. Then she did. "Percy, when are you going to settle down?"

He turned pink and said, "I don't know, Mum. When I meet the right person." I really hoped at that moment that he was talking about me. I was falling in love with him more and more every breath I took. It was something about him, something inexplicable that couldn't be deciphered. He was just perfect for me.

"Do you think you have met this right person yet?"

"Sure he has! He has to outdo me in everything on the earth, and I don't care. But when you start taking away one of the people that gives me a purpose, you're crossing the line!" Ron just exploded. There was no other way to account that. Ron just completely went psycho. And then he ran outside.

"I'll go talk to him," I said quickly and ran as quickly as he did in hopes of catching up to him. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on the way you look at it) I caught up to him very quickly. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm not stupid Hermione. I can tell when my brother starts giving you those looks. He's completely head-over-heels for you. And I think you like him back. And I don't know, but ever since we broke up all I can think about is you! You! And I have had time to think about how stupid I was to have that stupid thing with Lorilei. It was stupid, because it cost me not only your affection, but your trust and your friendship. I care about you so much, and I kept on telling myself I wasn't good enough for you so I found someone who I thought I was good enough for but then I only proved I wasn't good enough for you."

Ron stopped and looked real hard at me, like he was searching for an answer. I don't think I've heard him be that honest in a long time. But there was still one unanswered question. "Ron, do you still like me as more than a friend?" There. I asked him. I was blunt and it worked.

He looked at me again like he was searching for something in my eyes and whispered very quietly but clearly, "Yes." I closed my eyes. This was something I had not imagined. Ron had been a jerk but he was beginning to redeem himself. I couldn't crush his heart. So I gave him a hug. And I was almost in tears. He had to like me of all people. Me, the one that is in love with his brother. And he's my best friend. We both walked back in silence to the house. He went up to his room without saying a word and shut the door to the world. I went back to dinner.

Everyone was staring. I was well aware. I just couldn't focus on that when tears threatened to splash down my face. The tears jabbed at my eye like white-hot knives digging into my skin. I attempted to eat a forkful of potato but I couldn't. My throat burned. I couldn't concentrate enough. I couldn't pretend everything was alright. I started to cry. It felt good at first, but knowing I had cause my best friend the mount of pain I just inflicted upon him was cumbersome upon my heart.

Harry patted my back and Percy put his arm around my waist. Fred and George didn't move, I assume because they were still trying to intake what had happened. I still had to intake it. My tears turned into convulsing sobs, shaking my entire body. No one asked me to speak. I was glad they knew me so well.

"Go talk to Ron, Harry. He needs someone," I whispered and Harry followed my desires. Fred and George also slinked off.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on here?" Mrs. Weasley had never seen Ron do anything like that before I assumed and she wanted answers.

"Ron and I went out for a little while last year. I'm sure you know that. Well, things have been awkward between us." I couldn't bring myself to tell her the rest. The Lorilei thing and the being in love with Percy thing. Even Percy didn't know I was in love with him.

"And why was he mad at Percy?"

"I like her, Mum." I'm glad he came to my rescue. I didn't know what to say.

"I see. Well, Ron will heal with time, I'm sure." She shot questioning looks at Percy and I as if to tell us that we weren't telling her something. And we weren't. She walked off, leaving Percy and I alone in the kitchen. I gave him a quick kiss at exactly the right second, because Ron appeared at the doorway with Harry.

"We all need to talk this over," Ron said very maturely. I couldn't help but notice his eyes were red like mine from crying.

"Yes we do. But let's go outside. More privacy." They seemed to like my suggestion so we went outside. After we were settled into the grass, Ron spoke first.

"I know, Hermione, that you don't like me in any other way than as a friend. My mind accepts that, but my heart doesn't. I will heal with time, but I need to know some things before I'm ripping my hair out wondering and worrying about them."

"Okay, shoot."

"Are you and Percy going out?"

"Yes," we answered together.

"How long?"

"Tonight."

"When were you planning on telling everybody? The truth please."

"Tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but we thought you would freak out about it. I wonder where we could have thought up such a crazy idea. Though I must say you are handling this very maturely."

"Do you two love each other?" I looked at Percy. He looked at me. It was weird, because I think both of us wanted to say yes but we had only been together one night. Not even a night. We were scared that everything was happening so fast on the emotional level. I've had boyfriends who've tried to rush into physical things but never someone who I felt this comfortable with this easily. Neither of us answered, but Ron didn't pursue it. I'm glad he didn't.

"Okay, I promise to be mature about this always, if you two go in there and tell people that you are going out." It sounded like a fair price to me. We were already planning on telling people so getting something out of it was a plus. And so we went.

"Mrs. Weasley, we thought you should know I am dating your son Percy." She took it extremely well. She gave me one of her famous bone-crushing hugs. We told everyone else and they didn't really care, though George felt the need to tell Percy how lucky he was to have such a hot girlfriend. Okay, thank you George.

So this was happily ever after? I think not. It got so much worse from there. . .