Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. I just borrowed them, manipulated them to act in my fluffy little plot.
A/N: Ok, so basically, Ron says one thing and thinks another. That's what those short little sentences in italics are. (There is one or two of Hermione's thought floating around there though.) So if that was confusing you, now you know what it is all about. How many times have you said something and thought something completely different? If you're anything like me; way too many times to count.
Thanks once again to Sede (Darkflower2113), who didn't have any suggestions for this chapter ( I for one would have burned it but you know…I didn't.) Why don't you all mosey on over to her little portion of the site to check out her stories. If you like mine, you'll love hers.
Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter 3 -- A Fight Mended
Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny sat around one of the tables in the Common Room, playing games. At least everyone except Hermione was.
"Come on 'Mione, play a game. It's not that entertaining playing exploding snap by yourself." Ginny said, frowning at the pack of cards before her that had just exploded in her face.
"Oh I don't know. I definitely found it entertaining." Ron said grinning at the state his sister was in.
She poked her tongue out at him and continued trying to persuade Hermione to join her in a game.
"I'm reading Ginny." Hermione said, holding up the book she was indeed reading and turned a page to prove her point.
"Not no more you're not." Ron said, grabbing the book from her hand and tossing it half way across the room.
"Ron!" Hermione said as the book narrowly missed hitting a second year in the head.
"Sorry mate!" Ron called out, grinning crookedly. The second year squeaked something incoherent and smiled.
"Looks like you're playing now Hermione." Harry said, nodding to the book on the floor. She sighed and nodded.
"Chess?" Ron suggested, having just beaten Harry at a game he was feeling rather victorious.
"Are you kidding? You always win. There's no point at all in me partaking in this." She said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Sure there is. I'll go easy on you." Ron said, giving her a smile that he knew would break her down.
It did.
***
"This is ridiculous. I'm going to loose." Hermione said five minutes later as she and Ron set up their chess pieces on their respective sides.
"I'll help you."
"I don't need your help!" she cried indignantly.
"Then why do you always loose if you don't need help?"
"Because…because you…well you're like a genius at this aren't you?" Hermione spluttered finally.
"Is there any way that I could have that in writing?" Ron asked, looking at her in shock.
"Hmph." Hermione said as she moved a pawn forward on the board.
Guess that's a no. Ron thought as he moved one of his forward and quickly mapped out how he could win against Hermione in three moves. He grinned and reached forward for his king but stopped short at the last minute and moved a pawn instead.
He decided letting her win just this once wouldn't be that harmful to his reputation. He began to watch her as he always did when they played chess. It was always interesting. She'd first bite her lip, frown, and then make her move, smile triumphantly, and frown again when he took out one of her pawns.
She did every one of these actions as he sat, transfixed by how well he knew her. He blindly moved a pawn forward as he watched her, not caring where he put it and watched as her face lit up and she clapped her hands together suddenly. He looked down at the board and immediately saw what she was happy about.
"Checkmate." She cried gleefully, trying to interpret the look on his face. He grinned and stuck his hand out for her to shake, as was such good sportsmanship.
"Well done." He said as he pumped her hand up and down, his hand tingling strangely as he did so. She blushed modestly and waved her hand about dismissively.
"You let me win though." She said looking at him as though she could tell that he hadn't actually let her win on purpose. He'd been too busy watching her to concentrate on the game. He ignored the blush that was fighting its way to the surface and spoke.
"Yeah well. It still felt nice to win though didn't it?"
"A little, though I would have felt even better if I hadn't had help and had won on my own." She said, resting her chin in her hand and tapping her fingernails against it.
Well Hermione, you should feel incredibly victorious right now then. I didn't help you. At all. Ron thought to himself as Hermione slapped Ginny a high five, grinning widely.
***
"What are you doing all the way out here?" a voice asked from over Ron's shoulder. He looked up sharply and shielded his eyes from the harsh sun that assaulted him as soon as he did so. He smiled and patted a spot next to him when he realised who it was.
"Needed to think." He said shrugging slightly as he leant back on his forearms and closed his eyes.
Boy did I need to think.
"Do you want me to leave?" Hermione asked, looking longingly at the spot beside him.
"No of course not. I'm done now. I stopped thinking, just so I could talk to you." Ron said laughing slightly.
"I didn't know you knew how to think." She said, poking her tongue out at him though he couldn't see.
Although it looked as if he had gotten the gist of the comment, he poked his tongue out at her as he draped his arm across his eyes to block out the sun.
Hermione settled down next to him and steeled herself for the conversation that she had planned to have with him.
"Um Ron…?" she asked hesitantly.
"Mmm?" he mumbled lazily.
"Do you…well what I mean to say is…"
"Spit it out Hermione." Ron said, removing his arm and sitting up. She's going to tell me she fancies me! What do I do?!
"It's…oh its nothing. Don't worry about it. I'll see you later." She said jumping up and running back to the Castle, seemingly as fast as her legs could carry her. At least that's how it looked to Ron as he watched her hair billow out behind her.
"Well." He said aloud, "That just…completely. Girls are nutters."
***
"Now today we will be learning about Goliath the Gullible. Goliath the Gullible was indeed very gullible. It didn't matter what anyone told him, he would believe it. This of course was a very bad trait for someone to have had during the Goblin Revolts of the fifteenth century. Goliath was lead into many traps. Of course including the one where—"
"Ten seconds and I'm gone." Harry muttered from the table behind Ron and Hermione. He was currently sitting with Neville who was barely keeping his eyes open. Hermione frowned slightly but continued to copy down relevant dates that were mentioned during the Professors lecture.
"How do you stay awake?" Ron muttered to her left, his head resting on top of a pile of his books.
"To be honest, sometimes I really don't know. However when I have had a good night's sleep, I stay awake by taking an interest!" she whispered to Ron who was looking at her sideways with an annoyed look on his face.
"Please 'Mione, stop writing would you?" he asked, clearly half way into a stupor already.
"What?" she muttered distractedly. "Why?" she asked, scrawling down the name of Goliath's sisters.
"Because, the scratching of your Quill is keeping me awake." He said, stifling a laugh.
Hermione glared at him and smacked him with her hand and he jumped. Obviously he was far more gone that she had realised.
"Ow dammit Hermione!" he said loudly, causing a few people to snap to attention.
Including Professor Binns.
"Mr…Williams? Is everything quite alright?" he asked, peering at Ron through his glasses.
"What? Oh…er…yeah. Fine thanks." He said, blushing slightly and sliding down into his chair.
Hermione rolled her eyes and waited patiently for the Professor to continue. Which thankfully for Ron he did. The look on her face said that she wanted to scold him for not paying attention but decided that after being addressed by the Professor he had suffered enough.
***
"I can't believe you did that!" Ron said to Hermione clearly annoyed that she had embarrassed him.
"I didn't do anything!"
"I know you bloody didn't!"
"Quit it Ron. It was your fault and that's all there is to it." Ginny said and as she took a bite of her sandwich the tone of her voice was final.
"Fine." Ron said, obviously not wanting to cross his sister, being that so many people said she was a spitting image of Mrs. Weasley when she was angry. Ron being one of those people himself.
Ron looked over to Hermione and she frowned and looked away, engaging Neville in conversation about their next Herbology lesson. Ron sighed and moved his food around his plate.
He smiled slightly, thinking that if that little tiff of theirs had occurred two or so years ago; they'd stop talking for a few days because of it. Now, probably only a few hours.
"Hey Ron you coming? We've got Herbology now." Harry said, wiping his mouth and standing up and picking up his bag.
"Yeah." Ron muttered, throwing a look at Hermione but noticed that she was deep in conversation with Neville. Or so it seemed. He didn't miss the little look that she snuck at him. He smiled inwardly to himself then walked out of the Great Hall with Harry and down toward the Greenhouses.
***
It was unexpectedly hot in the Greenhouses that day and Ron found that he had to take off his cloak in order to prune the Contagious Cacti without getting bitten by it.
"Damn plant it's dangerous!"
"It most certainly is not. Not if you prune it correctly. Right Neville?" came a snooty voice from his right. He looked over to see Hermione sharing a bush with Neville.
The bush was sitting perfectly still, unlike his own which was thrashing about wildly.
"Oh I'm sorry little miss know-it-all." Ron snapped then stopped to look at Hermione.
She looked at him, holding in a breath just as he was and at the same moment they smiled, going back to their work. Ron hadn't meant the know-it-all comment to slip out but it was common knowledge that when he said it, it usually led to on eof their name calling contests. Ron looked around for Professor Sprout and upon not finding her he walked around their workbench to Hermione and leant over her shoulder, picking a flower off a bush as he went.
"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear and she jumped slightly but took the flower he offered her, smiling.
"So am I. I hate fighting with you Ron, you know that."
"Yeah, same goes for me. Promise to never ever fight again?" He asked, holding out his pinkie finger to Hermione. She frowned and gave him a questioning look. "What?" he said defensively.
"Nothing, that's just a Muggle gesture, how'd you know about it?" she asked, smiling at him appreciatively.
"Ginny said something. Means a promise doesn't it?"
"Yes." Hermione said, and held out a gloved pinkie to entwine with his.
"Promise never ever to fight again." They chorused together then laughed a second later.
"Yeah right." Said Harry from Ron's left and the three of them laughed.
***
A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reviewing! Much appreciated.
Ok, just so you know, yeah, my stories are a little out of character from J.K.'s stuff but I see that as a good thing. Just a little change. Why can't Ron be thick and deter Hermione? I think it's cool that he might do something like that. I don't want him to cave and fall in love with Hermione. They're 16 for Merlin's sake! Lol.
Anyway hope it was up to standard.
Nesserz.