A/N: Ok, my story isn't really turning out the way I'd like, but I'm going to keep going. I just need to know what yall are thinking about it so far. Please review! I'm on my knees here! Well, no, I'm not actually on my knees...but if that's what it takes...I'll do it. Seriously.
For those of you who did review: THANKS!
Cassandra Paige: I know what you mean about the typical HP fanfic writing. I figure with this story I'll just get the fluff out of my system and then I'll really try something challenging. Thanks though, I'll keep that in mind!
GeekGurl: Oh yeah! Katie Bell would be gone wouldn't she? Oops. Thanks for the reminder! Also, they would be in uniform, but I figure they don't stay in their uniforms when they don't have classes, so I just decided to write about them in some normal clothes.
And to newtallelegant, bilbobaggins, and Lono: I'm glad you're enjoying it, thanks for the reviews!
Ron and Harry awoke that morning with nothing but Slytherin on their minds. For that was who they would face on the Quidditch pitch that day. The butterflies in Ron's stomach were fierce, but nowhere near as bad as they were when he first started playing in his 5th year.
Harry however, handled himself like a pro, seemingly unaware of their match. "Breakfast?" He said when they were dressed.
Ron chuckled. Despite Ron's obsession with food, they both knew Ron would eat nothing that morning.
Ron and Harry arrived in the Great Hall to many thumbs up and "Hey, Harry! Hey, Ron!" from all the houses except of course Slytherin. Hermione was already seated with Ginny and there were two Gryffindor flags lying next to their plates. Harry and Ron sat across from the two girls. Hermione made eye contact with Ron, and Ron looked away quickly, as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He immediately started piling food on his plate to give his hands something to do.
"Hungry?" Ginny asked, surprised.
"Oh..yeah," Ron said, lifting a fork full of scrambled eggs to his mouth, reconsidering, and then putting it back on his plate, turning slightly pale at the sight of food.
The rest finished their breakfast, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams began to leave the Great Hall. Ron had just exited the Great Hall and had turned the corner when Hermione ran up to him.
"For good luck," she said, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. But before her lips could reach his cheek, Ron backed up abruptly.
"I really have to go," he looked at the ground. "See you later, Hermione," and he was gone. Hermione, mildly surprised, walked back to the Great Hall.
The members of both Quidditch teams flew out onto the field as their names were called to stands full of screaming teachers and students. As Ron did a lap around the field, he saw Hermione in the front row of the Gryffindor section. The game began.
Five minutes went by unceremoniously, the chasers of both teams fighting for possession of the quaffle, until finally a Slytherin chaser broke away with it under his beefy arm and got so close to Ron that he could tell that his eyes were green. Ron did his best to predict which way the 6th year would shoot, leaving no hoop deserted, but as the Slytherin threw the ball and Ron tried to dive for it, a tugging on his robes prevented him from going any further. Ron's face flushed hotly as he wondered with horror if he had gotten his robes caught on something--a hoop, or maybe the Slytherin chaser. But once the quaffle had sailed through the left hoop, Ron looked behind him and saw that the 6th year had a fist full of Ron's robes in his hand, pulling him backwards. Ron was reminded of how Malfoy had once grabbed the end of Harry's broom during a match.
As soon as Ron saw him, he let go as the Slytherins cheered and the Gryffindors protested. Ron's face now was not flushed by embarrassment, but in fury. He whipped his broom around to face the boy.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! You can't go grabbing people's robes like that, you moron!" The boy's stupid smile dropped from his face and matched Ron's look of anger. But just as he looked like he was ready to hit Ron, Madame Hooch came to a halt beside the two boys. Ron sighed loudly.
"Madame Hooch, you saw him grab my robes, didn't you?"
"Sorry, Weasley, I didn't see any obvious rule breaking." Ron's mouth fell open. It turned out Madame Hooch had been distracted by a Slytherin beater picking a fight with a Gryffindor beater. Ron sighed exasperatedly and turned quickly to float in front of his three hoops once again, looking livid.
"Well?! Let's get it on with!" he yelled.
So the game resumed, Slytherin in the lead until Ginny scored two times back to back, sending the Gryffindor section into a round of cheering and putting them in the lead.
From that point on, there were 5 more attempts to score on Gryffindor, and Ron blocked every one of them, making one particularly amazing save, where he dodged a bludger by hopping off his broom, so that the bludger flew under him and above his broom, then landed right as he caught the quaffle against his chest, earning a round of "Weasley is our King" from the Gryffindors.
An hour into the game Harry spotted the snitch. He dove toward Ron's goal post as Malfoy turned to follow him. Once again, Harry did not let the Gryffindors down, grabbing the snitch before Malfoy could even catch up to him. The stands all around the Quidditch field erupted in a cacophony of cheering.
Half an hour later Ron was walking out of the Gryffindor locker room, showered and with a bounce in his step. The corridor was deserted when Hermione ran up to him.
"Ron!" She kissed his cheek. "Oh you did so great!" Hermione put her arms around Ron's neck. She lowered her voice. "I thought it was really brave of you to stand up to that Slytherin Chaser."
Ron's face turned bright red as he took Hermione's hands off his neck. "Ah, thanks, well, I have to go...to...quidditch.."
"But, Ron, you just came from quidditch. You just played a game."
"Funny, isn't it?" He chuckled uncomfortably.
"Ron. Please. Just talk to me. I've been thinking a lot about last night, and it just seems to me like you've been acting...very strangely."
For the first time all day Ron paused and looked directly into Hermione's face. He spoke softly, as if he was trying to explain a complicated concept to a child.
"Look, Hermione. I don't know what happened last night. I just--got caught up in the moment I guess. And when I said that I loved you...I don't know why I said that...it just..." he swallowed. "It just kinda popped out. I'm sorry."
Hermione's eyes filled with furious tears.
"You know what..." she started, and then shook her head, turning to walk in the opposite direction. She did not run, but Ron did not try to go after her. He wouldn't know what to say when he caught up to her.