A/N: I hope you like it. This is Ron/Hermoine because all evidence in JKR's series points to R/H ship. And I quite like it that way. Dear reader, here you see that the unsung hero will get the girl!
"A week!" groaned Harry to his best friends, Ron Weasly and Hermoine Granger. "A whole bloody week of detentions with Snape just for not handing in my essay."
"I suppose he thinks he's keeping you in check. You know how he feels about..." Hermoine's words trailed off. She didn't need to finish the sentence for Harry to know what she was going to say.
"Yeah I know. He thinks I want to act the hero as usual now that everyone knows Voldemort is back." Harry growled irritably.
"Well, Hermoine and I can carry on without you for a week. We know what we're looking for. Just need to find it is all." Ron assured Harry, who had been prone to throwing fits of rage lately. Ron didn't feel like enduring another one at the moment.
"I still don't understand why we can't find the room of requirement anymore. It's ridiculous. Rooms can't move; can they?" Hermoine mused.
"I'm sure if Dumbledore wanted it to, he could find a way to move it or even make it vanish." Mumbled Harry.
"You really think he vanished it? That would be horrible! We need it if our plan is going to work!"
For the past few weeks, Harry, Hermoine, and Ron had been searching for the room of requirement. They had employed it's use last year for the D.A. meetings however since Dumbledore's return, they hadn't been able to find it. Harry wanted to use it to see if they couldn't make it a room full of invisibility cloaks so that then all of the D.A. would have one and they could sneak into meetings of the Order and know what was going on so they could help. All of the members thought they were much to young to participate in it but the elements of the D.A. couldn't stand sitting idly by as he-who-must-not-be-named came into full power.
"You two should go looking again tonight. We've not tried the third floor yet. Maybe it's there."
"Alright Harry, we will. But listen, whatever you do, don't get cross with Snape. He'll only give you more detentions." Hermoine said, making Harry promise.
That night, Ron and Hermoine slipped out of the Gryfindorr common room. Slowly, checking the Marauder's Map every so often, they crept to the third floor. Once there, they began pacing back and forth in front of every door. About half an hour on a strange thing happened. Or it would have been a strange thing if they hadn't already experienced it so many times last year. Their third time pacing back and forth in front of one particular wall, a door sprang up as if from nowhere.
"The room of requirement!" Hermoine exclaimed. They scrambled to open the door.
Red hearts drifting everywhere! Little cherubs were floating around in the air and a soft love medley played magically from a harp in the corner. The air was rose scented, and petals were strewn all over the floor. In the middle of the room stood a stout table. On it were place settings for two and a little card that read:
Miss Hermoine Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasly
Table for two
"Hermoine, what exactly were you thinking when you were pacing the walls?" Ron asked slowly.
"Me?" she said incredulously. "What were you thinking?"
Both had turned a brilliant shade of crimson. Ron's ears looked particularly as if they were about to explode.
"Oh no! It's nine o'clock! If Filch catches us out past curfew Harry won't be the only one serving detentions!" Hermoine exclaimed.
The pair rushed out of the room, forgetting to check their map. Before they could even clear the third floor they ran headlong into Professor McGonagol.
"What exactly are you two doing out of bed at this hour?" She interrogated them. Ron was frozen for ideas. Hermoine, on the other hand, was quick with an excuse.
"Oh, we're so sorry Professor." She apologized, putting her arm around Ron's shoulder and managing to blush a bit. "We just, err, lost track of the time. You know."
Ron's eyes grew wide and he looked at Hermoine. Had she really just-?
"Well then," Replied McGonnagal almost cheerfully "who am I to squash young love? Just see yourselves back to the common room and don't let me find you out roaming the halls past curfew again." She patted Ron on the head and gave Hermoine a wink then turned and strode briskly away from the couple.
As soon as their teacher had turned away, Hermoine pulled her arm back as if it's prolonged rest on Ron's shoulder had done it serious damage.
"Oy Hermoine, was that they only thing you could think of? What are we going to do tomorrow in class? She'll be expecting us to be all..." Ron didn't finish his sentence but started gagging instead.
"Maybe she'll forget?" Hermoine shrugged.
The next day at breakfast both Ron and Hermoine were quiet. But Harry didn't notice; he was too busy ranting over last night's detention.
"I had to tidy up his classroom- without magic! It was disgusting! He made me scrub the floors with a toothbrush. Completely mad, he is!"
"At least you didn't have to clean out the hospital pans like I did second year." Ron said trying to put it all in perspective.
"Who knows? Maybe I will; I have four more bloody detentions to serve for the crazy arse!"
They ate in silence for a while until Harry remembered what he had asked them to do the night before.
"I'm guessing you two had no luck finding the room last night?"
Ron choked on his cereal.
"Actually we did." Hermoine replied.
"Well? Did you get the cloaks?" Harry asked, excited.
"Uh, well there's the thing. At first when we found it we hadn't been concentrating on the cloaks so much and before we had time to go out and 'find' it over again it was past curfew." Hermoine explained. She thought it better to leave out what the room had been when they entered it to begin with.
"Oh, well then are you two going to go tonight?"
"No!" exclaimed Ron, suddenly jumping into the conversation.
"Why?"
"Potions assignment...still haven't done it." Ron mumbled.
That night, Harry departed from the common room, leaving Ron and Hermoine in their favorite spot by the fire. Ron was doing his potions essay and Hermoine was doing some extra reading.
"What's that?" Ron asked, looking up from his homework.
"Victoria and the Rogue" answered Hermoine matter-of-factly.
"Isn't that one of those trashy romance novels muggles read?"
"Well...yes it is. But it's by Meg Cabot and she's a wonderful writer..."
"I didn't know you read trashy romance novels!" Ron said sounding astounded.
"Well it's not like I make it a habit or anything! Here do you want help with your potions homework or not?"
Ron quickly abandoned his repartee at the thought of Hermoine doing his essay for him, which was the result Hermoine was going for.
They stayed in the common room and waited for Harry to get back, which wasn't until ten thirty. Being the only two left in the common room, it became a bit awkward. Hermoine kept yawning in between giving Ron help with his homework and Ron was only half-listening.
"I think I'll finish this during lunch tomorrow. I'm exhausted. Let's just sit until Harry gets back. You could read some of your romance novel." Ron said.
"I think I will." Replied Hermoine, trying not to show how it embarrassed her to be caught reading such a book. After only five minutes Ron was asleep, his whole body stretched out on the couch he and Hermoine shared, a bit of drool hanging on his lower jaw. His feet periodically kicked Hermoine until she had had enough and sat on them so they couldn't move.
"You guys didn't have to wait for me." Harry said as he crept through the portrait.
"How'd it go?" Hermoine asked. Ron gave a painfully loud snore.
"Horrible. I had to give Mrs. Norris a bath...Filtch was hanging over me the whole time screaming if I did so much and make her meow."
"Snape's really horrible...but remember Harry don't let him get to you, it could be-"But Harry never found out what it could be because just then Ron started talking in his sleep.
"Why's Harry coming? We need some alone time! Come on, Hermoine..."
Harry and Hermoine looked at each other. Harry burst out laughing. Hermoine looked outright appalled.
"That reminds me, when are the two of you going to stop being so ridiculous?" Harry grinned mischievously.
"I don't know what you're talking about. RON WAKE UP AND GO TO BED! Goodnight Harry!" Hermoine rushed out of the common room like hell on wheels. Ron shot up and looked around groggily. "Must of dozed off...hiya Harry."
Hermoine was nowhere to be found the next day at breakfast. Harry supposed she was avoiding Ron. Honestly those two could be so stupid.
"Where's 'ermoine?" Ron asked through a mouthful of cereal.
"You scared her off last night and I haven't seen her since." Harry replied.
"Is this about her stupid novel? She was reading a romance novel Harry!"
"No, it's not about that Ron. Last night you fell asleep in the common room and started talking in your sleep."
Ron spit out the mouthful of Witch Flakes in his mouth. "What did I say?"
Harry grimaced. "Something about you wanted to be alone with Hermoine..."
"I did not!"
"Afraid you did mate."
"And she heard?"
"Yeah"
"Oh no! She probably thinks I like her now. This is...horrible!"
"Ron! You DO like her. It's a bit obvious."
"Is not."
"Ah, so you admit to fancying her, just not to it being obvious then?"
"That is NOT what I meant!" Ron stuttered incredulously.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and gave in. His interrogation was getting him nowhere. But Harry knew just exactly how to get not only Ron, but also Hermoine to confess their "undying love" for one another- to each other's faces.
"Neville, wait up!" Harry beckoned to his klutzy friend from across the common ground.
"Hi Harry." Neville said as Harry caught up to him. "What's wrong?"
"Remember that plant you were telling me about yesterday-"
"Angelo Root?"
"That's the one. Tell me, do we have any in the Herbology division?"
"Oh yes, their quite common. 'Member last Wednesday...or was is a Monday...when Patti confessed to the whole common room that she slept with a stuffed animal until she was ten? That was because Padama had slipped a leaf from the Angelo Root into her tea that night at dinner."
"Excellent." Harry replied, grinning.
That afternoon at lunch Harry made sure to offer to refill both Ron and Hermoine's teacups, slipping in a leaf of Angelo Root to each. He wasn't sure how long it would take for the root's effects to begin but he hoped it would be before he had to report to his detention tonight.
Luckily for Harry, he didn't have to wait too long for it to digest into their systems.
Hermoine looked up at Ron and squinted her eyes.
"What are you looking at?" she demanded.
"You." Ron relied matter-of-factly. His eyes grew round and he seemed to be surprised that such words had escaped his lips without him even giving thought to them.
"Why, do I have something in my teeth?" Hermoine asked, suddenly self- conscious.
"Yes you do. But that's not why I'm staring." Ron clasped his hand over his mouth.
"Then what is it?" Hermoine asked exasperated.
"Your pretty."
"No I'm not, I've got buck-teeth and bushy hair. Fleur is pretty, not me." Hermoine replied, looking taken aback yet flattered, unsure of what Ron was playing at.
"No, Fleur is hot. You're pretty." Ron looked desperate to stop the words from flowing from his mouth. Harry looked worried as well. He hadn't though of what would happen if Ron started to tell truths other than the ones Hermoine wanted to hear.
But something made Ron continue on. Harry wasn't sure whether it was Ron's own conscious who said what he said next, or if it was still the Angelo Root talking. Either way it was quite beautiful.
"Listen Hermoine, I like you a lot. You're smart, beautiful, and self- confident. And I'd like very much to date you."
"Ron...that's very nice of you...well except for the whole Fleur part...but..."
Harry froze. Had he just caused Ron the great embarrassment of being rejected in front of the whole dining hall? Harry had thought for sure that Hermoine liked him...
"...I wouldn't want Harry to feel left out. Or likehug Ron who looked as if he were in ecstasy.
"Don't you just love happy endings?" Harry thought to himself.