Part 9 â€" Realization

Hermione sat in her bed, the curtains drawn all around. She liked how she was 'secluded' from everything else when she closed the curtains. Especially when all she wanted to do was to be alone in her own special place.

Her eyes wandered around her, not paying attention to the textbook which laid untouched for awhile. Finally she took the book off her lap and moved it to the end of her bed as she laid back. Her hands behind her head and her fingers laced together she stared up at the transluscent ceiling, just relaxing. Trying to find an inner peace, an inner calm.

"What do you mean you don't love me anymore!?" Hermione gasped as she looked at Ron, clentching the book in her hand.

"I already told you. It would've never worked anyway." Ron looked away, "I can't love you anymore."

"Why? Because everyone will judge us being together?" Hermione stepped forward to Ron, "I don't care what everyone else says! All I want is to be with you! No matter what everyone else says!"

"I can't. I just can't." Ron pulled away. "I can't love you anymore"

Hermione's eyes opened slowly as she found Ginny shaking her to wake up. Hermione groaned as she rolled over, ignoring Ginny. Inside, Hermione wondered what her dream meant. Did it actually reflect what would happen if Ron and herself got together? Or was it just a figment of her imagination?

"Hermione, we have to go to the hospital wing!" Ginny cried.

"Why?" Hermione rolled back to face Ginny.

"Because, Ron's hurt!"

"Mr. Weasley, I thought you knew better than to go near the Whomping Willow." McGonagall scolded as Madame Pomphrey tended to Ron's wounds.

"I thougth so too." Ron managed a grin. "Besides, I thought I saw Crookshanks near the tree and I was trying to tell Crookshanks to move away."

"Ron, I can't believe you did that." Harry said, trying not to laugh.

Ron looked horrible at the moment. His hair was untamed and tangled, he had a bruise or two and about five cuts and blood dripping from each. After tending to his wounds Ron looked better, well, he just looked like Ron with bandages everywhere.

"You'll stay here overnight just so Madame Pomphrey can check your wounds in the morning." McGonagall instructed.

"But Professor!" Ron began to complain.

"Well, this should teach you not to go near the Whomping Willow!" McGonagall said sternly, "No matter how just your cause was. I'm sorry but I'll have to take 10 points off Gryffindor."

She then turned on her heel and strided out. Madame Pomphrey retired to her office, closing the door behind her.

"You didn't seriously see Crookshanks and try to save him, did you?" Harry questioned as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Nope. I thought I saw one of Fred and George's old magical bombs. I was wrong. Just a candy." Ron pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Harry.

The silver and purple wrapping glinted as he twirled the ends with his fingers.

"So you risked getting killed to see one of your brothers' old tricks!?" a voice commented.

Harry and Ron turned to the door and saw Hermione standing there with Ginny by her side.

"I can't believe you." Hermione scolded as she put her hands on her hips.

"Ron are you okay!?" Ginny ran to Ron's side and gave him a big hug.

"Eh! Ginny, I'm fine! Get off!" Ron cried then Ginny finally let go of Ron.

Hermione approached them,

"Really Ron, I thought you had more sence!" Hermione replied as she sat by his side.

"You did? I didn't." Harry cracked.

Ginny playfully hit Harry, "Be quiet."

"I'm glad you were worried enough to come." Ron placed a hand on Hermione's, but she pulled away.

Harry put an arm around her shoulders, "C'mon Ginny, I'm getting hungry. Let's go to the Kitchen?"

"Okay." Ginny replied.

Harry looked back over his shoulder at Ron and winked at him.

"You know what he did right?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded, "He left us alone."

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked as he took a hold of her hand again.

Hermione pulled away again, "Nothing's wrong."

"Then what was that? You never used to pull away when I held your hand." Ron commented,

"Yes well we're not even together, so there's no point in holding hands." Hermione explained as she stood up and pulled a chair to the side of Ron's bed.

"Okay." Ron replied in a glum tone.

He momentarily yawned and laid back, "I'm tired. You wouldn't mind if I slept would you?"

"No. I'm tired too." Hermione said, getting comfortable in the chair. The real thing that was bothering her was the dream.

Slowly both of them drifted off to sleep.

"What do you mean you don't love me anymore!?" Hermione gasped as she looked at Ron, clentching the book in her hand.

"I already told you. It would've never worked anyway." Ron looked away, "I can't love you anymore."

"Why? Because everyone will judge us being together?" Hermione stepped forward to Ron, "I don't care what everyone else says! All I want is to be with you! No matter what everyone else says!"

"I can't. I just can't." Ron pulled away. "I can't love you anymore"

Hermione grinned as she wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and hugged him, "That was great Ron! We did the scene perfectly!"

"I know! It's going to be a blast in the Seventh Year School Play!" Ron agreed.

Hermione let go of Ron and placed her script on the table.

"I'm hungry, you want to go down to the Kitchen or something?" Hermione asked.

"Sure." Ron grinned as he placed down his script and grabbed Hermione's hand.

They began to walk out the common room when Ron paused. Hermione stopped and looked back at him,

"Anything wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No." Ron said as he gently squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to him. "Hermione do you know what?"

"No, what Ron?" she asked,

"I love you." Ron replied as he leaned down and their lips met for a gentle yet passionate kiss.

Hermione pulled back, "I love you too."

Hermione's eyes opened again slowly as she felt the sleepiness pass her. She sat up straight in the chair and looked around, remembering where she was. Now she wondered if the full dream was the reflection of the soon-to- be-reality or if it was a figment of her imagination. She remembered what her inner voice, her conscience told her before and to live.

Hermione decided she needed to put another fear aside. So she slowly raised from her seat and walked towards Ron's side. She took his hand in hers, careful not to wake him up. She looked down at him. Gazing longingly at him. She took in a deep breath and did what she wanted to do for so long. She bent down and kissed him fully on the lips. She pulled back and found Ron with his eyes opened.

"Do you usually kiss people when they're half-asleep?" Ron grinned.

"No. I usually kiss people who I love." Hermione replied.

"Really?" Ron gave Hermione's hand a small squeeze.

"Ron, all I want is to be with you, no matter what everyone else says!" Hermione said to him.

Ron sighed, "You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that Hermione. Because the same goes for me."

He sat up and leaned close to her as she leaned close to him and finally their lips touched into that same gentle and passionate kiss that Hermione dreamt.

As they kissed she thought, Dreams do come true.