Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. I just borrowed them and 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 are 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.

Chapter 9 – You're Kidding!

You're being a stupid git… said a small voice in Ron's ear, sounding much like Ginny's. He huffed out a breath and stared into the fire and only moved when he heard the Portrait Hole squeak open slowly.

Hermione.

She had stepped through the hole, looking rather tired. Not watching where she was going, she headed toward the fireplace where Ron was sitting on the couch and she dropped down next to him and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Stupid greasy haired git…made me clean the chalk boards free handed…I'll get him."

"That good huh?" Ron asked, his voice sounding scratchy as he hadn't talked to anyone since dinner and it was now ten o'clock.

Hermione jumped slightly and turned to look at him and her eyes widened as though she'd only just realised he was there. Ron realised though that she probably had, she was looking rather haggard when she'd walked in.

"Yes." She said, talking more to herself than him.

"Least he didn't have you scrubbing out his filthy cauldrons." Ron said, offering a small smile.

Hermione returned it though she didn't really know what to make of Ron's sudden change in behaviour. He was talking to her now?

"I suppose." She said, looking to the fire. A few minutes of silence followed.

"Well I better get to bed…" Ron said, though he sounded as though he didn't mean it, that he'd rather stay right where he was.

"Yes, me too. I'll…I'll see you tomorrow." Hermione said standing up at the same time as Ron and making her way to her dorm.

Why had he been up so late? Everyone else had gone to bed. Was he waiting for her? Did he want to tell her something?

***

Yawning Harry sat on the couch in the Common Room waiting for Ron and Hermione. Ron had come in late the night before and Harry had figured that he had sorted things out with Hermione. Harry was dying to find out what was going on, as was Ginny who joined him a moment later.

"Hiya Harry." She said as he plopped down on the couch next to him. "Thank goodness it's Saturday." She said stretching.

"Why?" Harry asked, keeping an eye on the staircase.

"Do I need a reason to be glad of the weekend?" she asked grinning.

"No I suppose not." Harry said returning her grin.

She seemed to have an infectious grin he'd noticed. It certainly wasn't a bad thing. She always seemed to be able to put him in a good mood and he was grateful for that. Not everyone could achieve that easily.

"Well I do anyway. It's beautiful weather out there. The first sunny day in weeks and I intend to enjoy it. Care to join me?" she asked standing up.

"Well I was waiting for Ron and Hermione to surface actually." Harry said looking around for his friends again.

"I can wait." Ginny said, flopping down again. "Snap?" Ginny asked as she fished a pack of cards out from under a couch cushion.

"Sure." Harry said as she shuffled them.

They had only been playing for a few minutes before Ron and Hermione both emerged from the stairs, both looking a little happier than they had been lately. Though Harry noticed, they were still shooting each other confused looks.

"Finally. We thought you two would sleep the whole day away! Come on outside, it's really great out there." Ginny said, abandoning her card game with Harry and grabbing Hermione by the hand and running out the Portrait Hole.

"She's so energetic, where's she get that from?" Harry asked Ron who shook his head to clear his thoughts and grinned.

"Mum apparently. She was a real nutter when she was Gin's age too. I guess it's just a Weasley woman thing." Ron said as the two of them walked the Castle and found the two girls outside, walking through the snow.

Ginny was right about the weather; it was lovely and sunny but snow still lay upon the ground, slowly melting but still enough left for them to play with.

Ginny was trying to engage Hermione in conversation and she was nodding and smiling politely at the right times but Ginny could see that her heart wasn't in it.

"Alright, I give up. What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked and Hermione jumped.

"Nothing…" she said, lying flat out to her friend who just raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.

"Spin another one Hermione." Ginny said, looking at her intently.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but was suddenly overcome by tears.

"Ginny…I d-don't know w-what t-to do anym-more." She said, dropping her head into her hands and crying, hoping against hope that Ron and Harry wouldn't come over, demanding to know what was wrong.

"Do about what?" Ginny asked, alarmed at Hermione's sudden change in behaviour.

"About Ron! W-what else? He w-won't tell m-me what I've d-done w-wrong and I need to know…so I c-can f-fix it." She said, trying desperately to control her sobs.

Ginny's grip on Hermione's shoulder tightened and she suddenly let go and stormed off towards Ron and Harry who were laughing and talking about Quidditch, obviously not having seen Hermione's state.

"You! Get over there and tell her what's going on! She's distraught because she doesn't have a clue what she's supposedly done." Ginny said, putting emphasis on the word 'supposedly' and grabbing Ron by the shoulder roughly and shoving him in Hermione's direction.

"But...I can't! I can't go over there and—"

"You bloody well can and you bloody well will." Ginny said, giving him a look that said 'Go or I will hurt you.'

He left and she motioned to Harry to follow her and they went for a walk around the grounds together, to give Ron and Hermione space.

"Hermione." Ron said softy as he stood next to her, his hands stuffed roughly into his pockets.

"Ron." She sniffled, swiping at her eyes furiously. She turned to look at him and was taken aback by how sorry he truly looked.

 "Why Hermione?" was all that he said after he let out a rushing breath.

"What?" she asked, shocked, she had expected something other than a two-word question.

"Why…why do you fancy me?" he asked, elaborating slightly. But enough for Hermione to widen her eyes and blush.

"I don't! I never, why would I…" she said but somehow she knew it was useless to argue, if he already knew then she couldn't do a thing about it.

"I heard you." He said, his sentences getting shorter again.

"How could you have? I've never even…wait a moment. You were listening--?"

"That's not what's important. What is is that you fancy me. What I want to know is, why? Why not Harry or someone like that? Seamus, Dean, Malfoy for Merlin's sake, but why me? I'm just another Weasley, no one important."

That's when it happened.

Smack!

"Don't you ever say anything to that effect ever again. You are not 'just another Weasley' you are so much more than that. It's just a sad thing that I'm the only one here who seems to see that. Don't you ever say anything like that again, I mean it Ron." Hermione said before she turned and fled.

Ron stood dumbstruck as he held a hand to his stinging cheek.

She damn well hit me. And I still don't know why she likes me.

***

Hermione walked around the Castle, not knowing where to go. It had dawned on her about a moment to late that she shouldn't have slapped Ron. She had just been overcome with rage and felt the need to knock some sense into him. Literally.

She knew that if she had stayed where she was a moment longer, she would have apologised profusely but even now, she didn't think that she should apologise, it was Ron's fault for saying those things about himself.

Now on earth what was she going to do? Maybe if she hadn't done that then they could have talked things out and everything would have been back to normal between them. She'd been so stupid! It wasn't the first time either when it came to Ron. She hated to admit it, but a lot of the times she had been stupid were in some remote way connected with Ron.

Damn him.

***

"Hey mate…what…happened to your face?" Harry asked Ron a few minutes later, referring to the handprint present on his face.

Ron reached up to touch it and winced.

"Hermione hit me." he said, sitting down on the top most step of the stairs leading to the Castle where Harry and Ginny were also sitting.

"She what?" Ginny said just as Harry said:

"You're kidding!"

"Wish I was." Ron muttered, massaging his cheek tenderly. "She packs quite a punch." He said, laughing slightly, though he didn't know why.

"What did you say?" Harry asked, clearly very interested to know what had made Hermione lash out so violently towards him. She'd only ever hit Malfoy before and she hated him.

"Long story." Ron said, standing up and heading inside.

***

A/N: Na na na na na! Well…erm…anyway. Thought it was time for another update and there it is.

Reviewers:

Joots He sure is realising things! It is about time isn't it? I should speed up my stories a bit…lol.

JamieBell I've gotta stop insulting Ron's intelligence all the time! He is going to be so smart in my next story! Well…not so smart…but close lol. Not Hermione smart…but oh well you know what I mean. I need to be more dedicated to my stories, from the time that I write them to the time that I post them; I've forgotten what they are about. Probably because they all seem to be the same…lol. Or have the same sort of outcome. Hmmm….better work on that one. I think my biggest problem is that I don't think my ideas out that much…though I am fixing that problem! I promise!

Bella Sure it would! They don't have to get married and have babies or even have any contact for it to be a Ron/Hermione story! Other things can happen lol. Don't ask what!

GryffindorGoddess28 I swear to Merlin that Snape doesn't touch Hermione. That's just wrong! No no no! shudders Though if it did happen, Ron would save her. But it will never happen. Not in any of my stories.

Nessie8 I so know how that feels! It's always the way, you get hungry when you can't eat. Bugger.

Juxtaposed I really don't like how everyone is saying FINALLY meaning Ron is FINALLY getting the point. I shouldn't make him so stupid. Ergh. You're right and everything, I'm just annoyed at what I've done to the poor boy. He's my favourite too!

And there you have it folks. Another round of my pointless comments! Yay! Hope the chapter was worth reading. I liked this one. SMACK! Lol.

Nesserz.