--
Ron was comfortable with Hermione. It was the perfect situation. They could sit by each other for hours, her reading and him alone with his thoughts. It wasn't strange for them to be silent or so near each other. It just felt like it was him and Hermione and the rest of the world didn't exist. He was perfectly content with her.
Other girls were the problem. Everyone at Hogwarts was dating, going off to Hogsmeade hand-in-hand, and Ron was no exception. Egged on by Harry and Seamus, Ron asked out a pretty Ravenclaw. Her name was Pri and had long eyelashes and brown hair. They walked around, hand-in-hand, and the whole time Ron's hand wouldn't stop sweating. Every once in awhile he'd make an excuse for her to remove her hand so he could rub it on his robe so it would stop sweating so much. He wasn't sure what to do, and their silences were awkward. She laughed too much and he talked too much and by the time they were back to Hogwarts they weren't hand-in-hand any longer.
The same thing happened with an average looking Hufflepuff named Diane. They had lunch together once and the whole time they kept talking about their friends, and they realized they'd rather be with them than with each other. Ron had practically ran to catch up with Harry and Hermione. He was comfortable again, them all laughing and going off to Honeydukes.
Whenever Ron went off with another girl, he couldn't help but wonder if Harry and Hermione were holding hands or doing anything else couple-y. He almost wanted to peek at them, but whatever girl he was with would go off in the other direction and he'd go with her. Afterall, he couldn't leave someone who was attached by the hand.
"Why do you go out with so many girls?" Hermione asked him once. "Can't you stick with one for two days even?"
"It's not that easy. Besides, I don't see you with any blokes, either!" He replied and she turned a bit red.
"Maybe I don't fancy anyone. I won't go with just anyone, you know." She said.
"By the time you do like someone, the only people that will be left single will probably be me and Harry. What will you do then?" He asked, and she turned a bit redder. Ron chose to ignore this.
"Then I'll wait until I graduate. Honestly, Hogwarts isn't the only place to meet people." She told him, and stalked upstairs to her dorm to get her homework. It was just like Hermione to try and make a dramatic exit. Ron sighed and realized he would never understand women.
--
The next day, a black haired Slytherin asked him out. He was shocked, and she smiled at him with deep red lipstick. "My name is Cyd." She told him and he said yes, still shocked she had asked him out before she even knew his name. She asked it.
"Ron." He gulped. She sat down next to him on the bench he was on. Hermione and Harry were in the common room, but Ron had needed out. He went outside, feeling the cold against his skin. Thats when Cyd had came up to him.
"You don't have a girlfriend, do you?" She asked, playing with his red hair. Her fingernails were painted a deep crimson color. Almost blood red. She reminded him a bit of a vampire, a very sexy vampire, but a vampire nonetheless.
"No." He said, an image of Hermione floated by his mind. He shook the picture away and smiled at her.
"Good." She said, leaning in. Then she snogged him. For a good while he snogged back, until he realized why Hermione had came to mind. He didn't want Cyd, Diane, or any other girl. He wanted Hermione! It was clear now. Now, all he had to do was get Cyd off him and go and tell her.
He broke the kiss. She looked at him questionally. "I lied, I do have a girlfriend." He said, and before she could react, he took off. He didn't turn back. He ran all the way to the portait hole.
"Whats the big hurry?" The Fat Lady asked as he about ran into her.
"Nevermind that. 'Mealworms'!" He said, and the common room came into view. Hermione and Harry were sitting by the fire laughing and Ron was instantly jealous. What was this about? Harry's his best friend. He doesn't fancy Hermione. But then again, Ron didn't know he did until today.
"Hello Ron!" Hermione said, seeing him there, and he went and sat with them. They both looked at him strangely. "Do you need to use the bathroom, Ron?" She asked raising her eyebrows. He shook his head.
"No, Hermione. I need to talk to you. Harry, do you mind leaving for a moment?" He asked his friend, who shrugged and said he had potions homework anyway and went to work with Neville who was definitely having troubles of his own with it.
"Are you sure you don't need the bathroom?" Hermione asked again.
"Why are you so keen on me going to the loo? I don't need to. I came here to tell you why I've gone out with all those girls. Since you asked me." He told her.
"That was weeks ago! Well, why then?" She asked, a little surprised he remembered the little row they'd had over that.
"Because I'm an idiot. All along there was someone I fancied without knowing it! Someone I'm comfortable with and who doesn't make my palms sweat so much." He told her looking her dead on. He waited for her to realize it was her and throw her arms around him.
"Who?" She asked curiously.
"Who? You mean you can't figure it out?" He asked.
"I don't know who it is, but whoever they are, they wear really dark lipstick." She said. He gave her a look and she elaborated, "It's all over your face."
Ron turned bright red and went to the bathroom like Hermione had suggested, twice. He washed off the lipstick and just knew he blew it with Hermione. She thought he was really into someone whom he had been off snogging all afternoon long. She wasn't so off base, except for the fact he only fancied her.
--
A/N: I wrote this ages ago and I really like it, but dont expect me to update it, because there is a 99.9% chance I wont.
