Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rolwing. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One.
Insomnia (Makes the Heart Grow Fonder)

"Hermione? What are you doing up?"

Hermione looked up from her Potions book to see Ron Weasley entering the Gryffindor common room. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw that his shirt was not buttoned at all and she could see his remarkably well-defined abdominal muscles.

'Shut up, Hermione,' a voice in her head said. 'He's your best friend.'

Hermione yawned, ignored the voice, and said, "I couldn't sleep, so I decided I'd get a jump start on studying for that Potions test Snape's giving us."

Ron sat down on the couch beside her and said, "That test isn't until next week! And tomorrow is Saturday; why are you studying on a Friday night?"

"I told you, I couldn't sleep." Truth be told, she had been debating something with the voice inside her head, and she was studying to take her mind off of it. "And what are you doing awake anyway?"

"Oh- umm… er- Neville was snoring, woke me up, couldn't get back to sleep, er- yeah."

Ron flushed a deep crimson.

"Whatever you say, Ron." Hermione yawned again.

With that, Ron removed himself from the couch and stretched out on the floor in front of Hermione. In between sentences of her Potions book, Hermione noticed Ron's stomach. Again. Why had she never noticed his muscles? He couldn't have just sprouted them. Okay, maybe she'd noticed some changes in her feelings towards him back in 4th or 5th year, but he was just her best friend. ONLY her best friend. And one whom she'd known for seven years. She wasn't sure she could even imagine him … "that" way.

Well, maybe she could …

She completely abandoned any charade of reading her Potions book and, very obviously, took in his whole appearance. From his slightly disheveled mass of flaming red hair all the way down to his feet, lazily crossed at the ankles. She would admit; he was not- definitely not- bad looking. But he was still just Ron Weasley, the kid she'd met on the Hogwarts Express seven years ago.

'Sure, rationalize all you want,' the voice inside her head said acidly.

'I am not rationalizing,' Hermione argued with herself.

Hermione laughed out loud at the stupidity of having a debate with her mind.

This, of course, caused Ron to look at her strangely.

He was glad when she shrugged and went back to studying. Although, he still thought she studied too much. But he was glad, nonetheless, that he could lay there in silence and observe her. She was fascinating. She could sit, studying, and still manage to look incredible. Her brown eyes flicked quickly across the page, absorbing the words. Her mass of curly brown hair was pulled loosely away from her face, but wisps of it kept falling out, into her face. After watching her try to restrain it for the billionth time, he said,

"Hermione, you need a new hair band."

Hermione looked up, shocked that he'd noticed her fiddling with her uncontrollable hair.

"You, Mr. Weasley," she said, nudging him with her foot, "are supposed to be asleep."

"As are you, Ms. Granger," Ron said with mock seriousness.

Hermione looked up towards the dormitories. "I don't want to walk all the way upstairs …" she whined.

"Well, neither do I," Ron said, folding his hands behind his head.

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Ron paused, a look of consideration on his face. "Just sleep down here." He looked very satisfied with himself.

"On the floor."

"Yes. On. The. Floor." He replied, mocking her.

Pause. "All right."

With that, Hermione got off the couch and lay down next to Ron on the floor.

She was nowhere near as long as he was. Her feet were level with his, but the top of her head just barely grazed his chin.

"Good night, Ron," she said, pulling up the blanket she'd gotten off the couch up around her shoulders.

Ron found this extremely cute.

"Night, Hermione," Ron said, wishing she'd share her blanket. He decided that he'd steal some when she fell asleep.

Which, surprisingly, didn't take long.
Author's Comments: Please review. Bear in mind that this is my first attempt, so please be gentle. Thank You in advance.