This chapter was actually finished last night, but I couldn't use QuickEdit on that computer for some reason, so now I'm on the other one. It's sort of cheesy, but I just wrote what I felt like. Next chapter is where she actually goes. I'm glad you guys convinced me not to make this a one-shot, I've been needing another story in my life .

Aaannnd.... Reviews!!!! You guys are the best! The other long story I posted in here got no reviews, until I said I'd quit unless I got some! Okay, individual thanks time:

TheSweetestThing: Okay, okay! You didn't have to grovel - I'm a total softie. I love your username - that's a really funny movie. I'm glad you liked it.

Polaris09: Lol, that's what I did! Seriously, I had just played a game when I read your review! Thanks for reviewing!

Pyrafirechick: Yeah, I decided to continue - for one thing, it felt unfinished, and also because 3 of you told me too! Thanks!

eat paper: I love your name!!! Yes, Ron and Hermione are just about perfect for each other, aren't they?

mikigurl: Yeah, I know it probably wouldn't be Hermione's first choice, but as I said, I saw Love Actually recently and I wrote this listening to that song - I always try to incorporate song lyrics if they really influenced the story. Thanks for reviewing!

Hermione's hands shook a bit despite herself as she opened Ron's reply. It had arrived in just an hour, and had been waiting for her upon her return from Diagon Alley.

Hermione, it read,

Of course you can come! My Mum was really happy, naturally. And it's not an intrusion at all, we've got space since the twins are out, and Percy's staying in his flat with Penelope (wait'll you hear my Mum go on about that - not married and all! She's convinced herself there's a secret engagement. Mothers.).

Anyway, I was really glad to get your letter. I'd been sort of down about you not being here anyway. (Here she positively glowed.) And Harry too, of course.

Can't wait for this news. Harry keeps looking all-knowing and smirking when I mention it - are you two keeping secrets from me? (She flushed - of course Harry would know!)

Ginny's excited too - she sends her love (even though she'll see you soon enough).

Can't wait!

Ron

She grinned happily and hummed a bit more - something she'd been doing for the past hour almost nonstop (as her Mum had commented irritably). She leaned over her bed and grabbed the bag from Diagon Alley, unwrapping the small package with the ease of someone who'd already done this 10 times on the Underground (which made sense, since she had).

Inside was the beautiful pin, still shining brightly as ever. A small flicker of doubt crossed her mind - would he think it was too girly? It sort of was, but only because of the jewel. The lion certainly wasn't, it had an expression on its etched gold face of self-righteous pride - just the type a man would make.

Now she faltered a bit. How would she tell him? "Er, Ron, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, and er, by the way, here's this pin, too, and er, I might sort of love you." No way. "Um, Ron, you know we've been friends for a while and you've always been really great and I know we argue a lot but, I think I like you." Yeah, she should mention the arguing. Make it sort of funny. So he can't be too freaked out. Maybe an insult inside of the confession - like she would tell him most things. "Ron, I know you're a lousy student and really disorganized and not as good as Quid-" No. Not about Quidditch. That would actually be mean. And she couldn't do that to him. "Ron, I know you're a lousy student and you always get in trouble and, er, push my buttons but somehow I've fallen in love with you, and, er, that's that." She sort of liked this. It wasn't a lie, like the others. Because like wasn't strong enough to describe this. And a 'sort of' in front would diminish the importance. It had to be that she was 'in love' with him, because he could misunderstand her just saying 'I love you.' Because they were best friends - of course they 'loved' each other. Oh damn! Now she was thinking too much.

The last one though. She liked it. Although hopefully she wouldn't say 'er' so much in person. Oh, who was she kidding? She'd probably set a new record - most stammering in a single sentence. But she really found she didn't care. Now she surveyed her open trunk - the gold stamp of her initials faded and beginning to peel as she approached the end of her 6th year. She began rummaging through her wardrobe for clothes, humming still and feeling about as happy as she could ever remember being.

20 minutes later every outfit she owned was spread out across her bed, dressing table and floor, and she was almost pulling her hair out. Nothing seemed appropriate for this moment. She mentally wished she'd paid more attention to Muggle styles while at Hogwarts - all of her clothes were hopelessly out of date. All of her sweaters, were, well, sweaters. Nothing to write home about. All she knew was that she'd probably wear Muggle jeans, and her favorite pair was already in the trunk. Now she surveyed her long sleeve tops. Pretty dismal. The nicest was one her mother had made her buy for church - 3 years ago. She had a feeling it'd be more than a little small now. By forcing herself to calm down she finally narrowed it down to 2, a brown loose one that her mother had said more than once brought out her eyes nicely, and a green narrow one that made her look skinnier.

After trying both shirts on nearly 20 times, she decided on the brown, after she realised that you could almost count her ribs through the green one, and she'd never found that Kate Moss-anorexic look very attractive. She battled with herself quite a bit before deciding against straightening her hair. Ron always saw it curly. She would put it up though, and use normal Muggle product to make it a bit less bushy and enormous.

Now how would she get him alone at the Burrow? She knew Harry would definitely vacate the room if she asked, but had a sneaking suspicion that he and Ginny would return two seconds later to listen at the keyhole. Maybe when everyone was opening gifts - the process was fairly loud at the Weasley's, she might just be able to lean over and whisper it to him. But what if he wanted to kiss her? She couldn't kiss him in front of his parents! Not too mention Fred and George. They weren't staying overnight but Ginny had mentioned in a letter that they planned to stop by on Christmas morning, and it would be just the twins' fashion to show up just in time to see that! All right, she decided firmly, a bit shaken just by the idea of that disaster. Not on that morning. Maybe Christmas Eve though.

The twins wouldn't be there yet, and if Ginny and Harry got into a conversation about flying it would be easy to look bored and get Ron to take a walk with her. At least she hoped it would be. But she thought it would. Especially if she mentioned Viktor, got into an argument with him about that, and then just sort of led him away. Ron got so caught up in their fights that she could probably lead him to a chimaera with him none the wiser. So yes - that was the plan!

With 40 minutes to go until she left, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror, (and it smiled shakily back). For once she was glad she had a normal Muggle mirror - she has a feeling this one would tell her exactly how nervous she looked.

Alright, I know many people will shout 'OOC!' and spit at me because I have Hermione worrying about her clothes, but you think of strange things when you're in love. And I thought it seemed just like her to try to take control of something as crazy as love, by planning everything. Naturally it won't work. Just hang around. R&R please! Thanks again to those who have!