Hey everybody!! I'm back! It took longer than I expected to post this chapter. Let me let you all know at this time: This story is finished, it's just not typed and typing up the chapters is a bitch. But I'm done writing it.

Review response:: Thanks.

No, the knife cannot get through the picture, that's the whole point of the Pegasus, nothing can get through. Got it? Good. Ok, on with the chapter!! Oh, magnificent fluff!!!!!!

Chapter 9- Valentine's Day

Hermione awoke on February 14th to find a red envelope hanging over her head. She reached up curiously and pulled. Instead of coming down, the envelope ripped to reveal a red heart that would never have fit inside it in the Muggle world. In white script was a short, sweet message.

"Happy Valentine's Day! Be ready for your present. Love, Ron."

Smiling, she set the sheets aside and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She gathered her robe and toiletries for a shower and headed for the bathroom.

As she was wand-drying her hair, Lavender entered the bathroom, looking radiant in red corduroys and a beautiful pink sweater. "Hermione, what lipstick should I use?" She held up a shimmery pink and a luscious but subtle red.

Hermione wondered why Lavender was asking her. "Why don't you ask Parvati?"

"I did. She said I should use the red," Lavender hinted.

"Pink," Hermione said.

"Thanks, Hermione!" Lavender applied the lipstick and smacked her lips before bouncing from the room. Hermione shook her head.

Back in her room, Hermione gave silent thanks that it was Saturday. She wanted to impress Ron with her outfit. The red skirt just reached her knees, and the long-sleeved white shirt had a v-neck and a glittery red heart on the chest. Over this, she put on a long red duster. As an afterthought, she borrowed Lavender's red lipstick.

Her efforts were rewarded when she sat down for breakfast. Ron could barely keep off her. Laughing, she filled her plate.

"It doesn't come off when you eat," Ron commented. He was staring at her lips.

"Or when you kiss," Hermione winked viciously. Across the table, Harry choked on his milk. He whispered something to Ginny, who nodded. Harry grinned at some private thought. Hermione looked at Ron, thinking how especially handsome he looked. Inhaling deeply, she reached a hand under the table.

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"It really doesn't come off when you kiss," Ron said, looking at Hermione's still perfectly red lips as they emerged from the linen closet.

A small envelope zoomed toward them, stopping in front of Hermione. Followed by another, and another. And another…She saw an array of different handwritings displaying her name. Probably the same boys who had given her presents for Christmas.

Ron glared at the envelopes. "Bastards."

Hermione tore up all the Valentines without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around Ron's neck. "You are the only Valentine I could ever wish for."

Ron's tight embrace lifted her from the floor. "Likewise." A moment later, they found themselves back in the linen closet.

Throughout the day, they went through the same process of glaring and ripping many times. Each time, Ron swelled with happiness when he realized repeatedly how devoted she was. Hermione realized just how many people admired her, and how much of a source of jealousy Ron had become since Christmas break.

An unlabeled box for Ron brought more trouble than they needed. When he opened it, a vile-smelling, thick green liquid squirted in his left eye. Crying out, Ron dropped the box, which vanished upon contact with the floor.

Hermione managed to pull his hand away from his face for a few seconds, with Harry's help. The eye was red and irritated, the skin around swelling quickly, darkening to an unidentifiable color. "We'll take you to the hospital wing, Ron." He followed them, keeping one hand clamped over his eye, while Hermione held the other.

Madame Pomfrey seemed quite upset that someone would play such a trick on Valentine's Day. Hermione wanted to smile at the woman's rambling, but she was worried about Ron. Madame Pomfrey worked quickly to bring the eye back to normal, but Ron would be unable to see from it until the next day. She gave him a patch to place over it, which he reluctantly put on.

"Now, you'll stay here until tomorrow morning. When your eye is better, you can leave." Madame Pomfrey glanced apologetically in Hermione's direction before leaving.

Ginny and Harry stayed for a while, throwing each other hopeful flirtatious looks the entire time. "Go on, you two," Ron sighed. "You don't have to stay."

"Are you sure?" Ginny said, though she sounded indifferent.

"Yes. We'd like to be alone, anyway." Hermione smiled agreeably at him.

Okay. We'll be in later to visit." Harry was dragging Ginny out the door almost before she finished speaking. Hermione didn't want to know what he was so eager to do.

For a while they just sat silently, twenty fingers entwined. Suddenly Ron pulled away, putting his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't want you to have to spend Valentine's Day in the hospital wing. Now it's all ruined."

"The only thing I care about is being with you," Hermione said quietly. She slowly placed her hands over his, stroking his fingers with a thumb. "Nothing could ruin time spent with you, unless you didn't love me."

"I will love you forever," he said seriously.

Hermione's smile widened. Her heart raced when he said these things. "Why don't you get some rest. I have some things to give you. I'll get them now, and you can have a nap, or something."

Ron shrugged and nodded. She kissed his lips quickly. "I'll be back." Her hair fell from behind her ear when she leaned forward.

Ron caught her hand as she straightened. "Your hair," he said. She glanced at what she could see. He reached up to touch a small section, shorter than the rest. "Did you cut it?"

Smiling slightly, Hermione nodded. "I'll tell you about it later." With one last kiss, she left to fetch Ron's present.

When Hermione returned, Ron had one hand propping up his head, which was gradually drooping lower. Thinking how adorable he was, she sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair.

He slowly raised his head. His eyes met hers. His hand rose and rested against her cheek. "I love you," he whispered. And then he kissed her deeply.

Feeling happier than she could have imagined, she held up her gift. It was a lock of her hair, twisted into a loop and tied with a red ribbon. He took it, looking questioningly at her. "It's enchanted," she explained. "It's a link between us. As long as you have it, you will always know where I am, and if I am in trouble."

Ron stared at the lock of hair in his hand. "You can do that?"

"So it would seem," she said, shrugging.

He kissed her. "It's the perfect gift. Thank you."

"And what about yours? I've been looking forward to it since I woke up."

"You'll just have to wait a little longer," he smiled.

Hermione clutched her chest dramatically. "Oh, the torture! The suspense!"

Ron wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. She went willingly into his embrace, her hands gripping his arms to keep them there. She was so warm, so content.

"I will love you no matter what happens," she said. Ron made a happy sound deep in his chest. One hand stroked her hair, while the other held her waist. "This moment is all I will ever need."

"But you will have much more," Ron said.

Dinner appeared next to the bed. The tray was overflowing with every choice they could want. Hermione made a grumbling comment about house elves, but she ate anyway. There was no use starving for creatures who *liked* enslavement. Ron, unsurprisingly, ate twice as much as she did.

At eleven thirty, Ron climbed out of bed. "Where are you going?"

"You mean, where are *we* going?"

"What?"

"Come on, trust me."

"I do, but- Ron, you'll get in trouble if you leave."

"No, I won't. Will you just follow me? It'll be fine, I promise."

"Well-"

"It's important."

Hermione doubtfully let him lead her out, with a stop at Gryffindor Tower for their cloaks. Ron walked until they were out of earshot of anyone, half-pulled her the whole way.

He took a watch out of his pocket. "It's almost time."

"Time for what?"

Ron's arms held her waist. He looked into her eyes. His gaze penetrated to the depths of her soul, revealing all she might have wished to keep hidden. He knew her, outside and in. And she knew him.

Their kiss lasted forever. Ron pulled away at last. Before Hermione could complain, he said, "Look up."

Her heart racing in anticipation, she raised her eyes to the stars. Ron began to count down to midnight. "Ten, nine, eight…" Hermione realized what they were doing. Ron was giving her her Valentine's Day present. She still could not guess what it was. "…two, one."

As soon as he finished, a gargantuan burst of starlight made Hermione's breath catch in her throat. She thought her heart might pound through her chest. "I Love You, Hermione" was spelled out in stardust, plain for all the world to see. Then the words began to wink out, the light falling together into a ball, then fading back until it looked just like any other star. But Hermione could tell it apart.

"The universe's newest star," Ron said in her ear. "Its name is Hermione."

"How did you manage this?" she breathed. She wanted to look into Ron's eyes, tell him how much she loved him, but she could not tear her stare away from the star- a star named after her.

"I had some held," he admitted sheepishly. "But it was my idea."

Finally she was able to turn her eyes downward. She took Ron's head delicately in her hands. "Thank you," she said. It was all she could think to say. It was all she needed to say."

"If this does not prove I love you, nothing will," Ron said.

Hermione giggled softly. "Your love does not need proving to me."

And they stood out in the snow, watching the sky and each other in turn, wrapped in each other's arms. It was a cold night, but they were warm. They realized that night that they only needed each other. As long at they had each other, they could survive anything.

They walked back to the castle arm in arm. They made it back to the hospital wing without incident, and Ron slid back into bed. Hermione giggled again, saying quietly, "You know, that eye patch is quite dashing."

Ron wiggled his eyebrows. Or, he wiggled the right one, and Hermione assumed the one covered by the patch went along. "Maybe I should wear it regularly."

"I don't think so."

They laughed. Hermione went to him and lifted the patch. She brushed her fingers across his eye. He blinked in surprise. "Hey, I can see!"

"You'd better keep this on anyway, just in case. Madame Pomfrey does know what she's doing."

Ron sighed and placed the patch over his eye with a shrug. "I guess."

A fit of coughing from another bed startled them. They froze for a full minute, but the coughing continued. "Should I see who it is?" Ron shrugged and gestured for her to go see.

Hermione tiptoed to the bed and gingerly peeked between the curtains. She jumped when the cougher was revealed. "Ron, it's-"

End Chapter 9

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! The Cliffhanger of Doom!! Talk about suspense. I'm on the edge of my seat… wait, I already know what happens, he. But you'll just have to wait and find out.

Teaser:

Her eyes went to the top of the paper, where the name was written. Funny, she didn't think he did homework. Come to think of it, she had never seen his handwriting. Then why did it look familiar. Wondering whether she should give it back to him, or let him miss an assignment, she found herself letting her feet go where they wanted…

Dum dum DUM!! The Teaser of Doooooooooooooom!! (Okay, I know. I'm overdoing it a little)