Disclaimer: It's all JK Rowling's. All the characters and basically everything else belongs to her and I'm borrowing them for entertainment purposes ONLY!! So enjoy!

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Chapter One: On Fevers and Friendships

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"Mmph...Ron?" Hermione muttered. Ron was standing at the end of a dark corridor. She ran towards him, but the closer she got the more his image seemed to dissolve before her. She shut her eyes. This wasn't happening. She didn't want him to go away. She slowly opened her eyes again to find Parvati Patil's face swimming above her.

"Morning!" she squealed. Hermione shrieked and lifted her head so abruptly that it collided with Parvati's and she fell to the floor with a thud.

"Omigosh! I'm sorry Parvati!" she cried, sitting up on her bed, "are you oka- wait...what were you doing?"

"Eavesdropping," she said with a smile, getting to her feet.

"Eaves- what? I didn't- I- what did I say?!" she demanded, her cheeks turning red as she remembered her dream.

"Ooh Ronnie! Where's my precious Ron?" she mimicked as Lavender broke into a fit of giggles.

"I did not say that!" Hermione growled, her face now turning red from anger rather than embarrassment. Of course she had been dreaming about Ron, but Parvati had no right to announce it. She racked her brains for a cover-up. "For your information, I said 'gone' not 'Ron'" she spat.

"Ooh really?" Lavender spoke up, "what's gone then?"

"It was- oh just go away!" she yelled and buried her face in her pillow.

"Fine, we'll go somewhere else!" Parvati drawled as they both left the dorm, slamming the door behind them.

"Good riddance," she muttered.

Life's long road had hit a particularly bumpy patch for Hermione Granger. On top of being a prefect and struggling with her usual twenty-something assignments, she was agonizing over strong feelings towards a certain ginger-haired boy. Well, not necessarily "boy", seeing as Ron Weasley had finally grown into his tall, lanky figure and was now a handsome young man. Ever since their fourth year at Hogwarts, Hermione knew she had feelings for Ron, but their bickering got in the way and often left her with confusing and stressing emotions.

"Hermione?" came Harry's voice from behind the dorm's door. She snapped back to reality and realized she hadn't gotten dressed yet.

"Just a minute," she called, while tying her bushy mop of hair into a large lump of a ponytail at the back of her head. She snatched up her pink fleece dressing gown, threw it on haphazardly over her pajamas and bustled to the door. "Morning Ha-H-Harry," she yawned, brushing past him and heading for the common room. It was deserted except for Ron who was dozing on one of the sofas while a book lay open on his chest. So peaceful, she thought.

"Morning to you too," Harry said behind her, smiling. "Did you know it's almost noon? Ron n' I thought maybe you were turning gasp...normal!"

"Honestly! Just because I wake up a little earlier than the rest of you doesn't make me...abnormal!"

"Hermione, you're up at the bloody crack of dawn everyday!" Ron protested, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and getting off the sofa.

"Ooh and a very cheerful morning to you too Ron," she said bitterly.

"Well- it- it's true you know..." he said sheepishly. Why was it that every time she considered her feelings for him, he had to give her a reason to take it all back?

"Well maybe if you got up earlier, you might find the time to do your work instead of nicking all your answers off of me!" she snapped.

"That's what you're here for," he said grinning.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley if that is honestly what you think of me then you can just ditch our friendship!" she screamed and turned around. "I'm goig back to bed!" she spat and marched up the stairs to the girls' dorms, careful to stomp loudly on every step.

"Bed? BED?!" said Harry, bemused, "she's already slept in late enough for the three of us!" Ron merely nodded and gazed into the crackling fire.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Why do I always mess things up, mate?" he said, looking thoroughly put out.

"Well- you don't really-"

"Yes I do!" he snapped, "I'm always picking fights with her and I don't know why."

"Maybe...maybe you're madly in love with her and you're trying to cover up your feelings," he said sarcastically, as a grin spread across his face. Ron tried to laugh but couldn't. Instead he buried his face in his hands and allowed himself to drown in thought. Did he actually have feelings for Hermione? No. She was just a friend. Really... Or was she?

"Oh God," he moaned. Harry's grin became even wider as he stared at a frustrated Ron.

"Was Harry right?" he teased, "does ickle Ronnie have feelings for...'Mione?" A devilish look appeared on his face. Ron's heart sank.

"Wh-Where'd you get 'Mione from?" he stuttered, trying to look amused but failing miserably.

"Oh that...you've said it in your sleep a few times."

"Liar," he retorted.

"Ooh, and does precious 'Mione know you call her pet names?"

"Bugger off!" Ron yelled, chucking a cushion at Harry's head.

"You don't need to believe me," he said, tossing the pillow back, "I know what I heard." He turned around and climbed the stairs to the boys' dorms, leaving Ron alone in the common room. He flopped on the sofa again, picked up one of the red coasters from one of the tables and begin twirling it between his fingers. He stared at the wall for several minutes before he realized the Gryffindor lion on the coaster was attempting to bite his finger.

"Oh stuff it!" he spat and threw the coaster into the fire.

Up in her dorm, Hermione lied on her bed and stared up at the canopy above her. "Stupid prat," she muttered. Ron could be so insensitive sometimes. His words rang in her head, clear as a bell: "That's what you're here for." Was that really how he felt about her? Was that all she was good for? Copying notes and homework from! "I'll show him!" she snapped, throwing a pillow across the room and hitting Crookshanks square in the face (as if it wasn't flat enough already). "I'm sorry! Come here..." she said patting the space on the bed next to her. With a swish of his tail, Crookshanks curled up in a corner with his back to Hermione. "First Ron, now you," she moaned. Her Saturday couldn't possibly get any worse...Wondering why she had never been this tired before, she rested her head on the bed and drifted off to sleep once more.

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"Hermione! Hermione, are you all right?" came Harry's voice, "answer us Hermione!"

"What on earth is all this racket?!" someone shouted. It was Professor McGonagall.

"It's Hermione, Professor! She won't answer us!" This time it was Ron's voice.

"Move aside, come on now, move aside! Miss Granger?" she called. Hermione's head was pounding. Why did everyone have to yell? She tried to answer but nothing came. "Miss Granger, I am coming in!" The door opened and Professor McGonagall, Harry and Ron came pouring in. "Miss Granger, have you any idea what time it is?" she said sternly as she approached her bed. Hermione shook her head. "It's nearly four in the afternoon! What on earth are you, of all people, doing in bed at this hour? Even Miss Brown and Miss Patil are in the common room studying, and that is saying something!"

"I- I was-"

"Well?"

"...tired," she finished and let her head droop again. She felt a wrinkled hand being pressed against her forehead.

"You're warm," she said, looking concerned. Harry and Ron cast each other worried glances. "Take this," she said thrusting a tiny vial under Hermione's nose. It smelled like peppermint, but she wasn't in the mood for strange drinks. She shook her head. "Don't be foolish girl!" McGonagall snapped. Hermione took a small sip. It felt as though a million fireworks ha gone off in her mouth. The tingling sensation traveled all the way down her throat, into the pit of her stomach, making her shiver. She placed the still half-full vial on her bedside table and turned to lie on her side.

"W-What's wrong with her professor?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.

"Just a bit of a fever," she replied casually as they headed towards the door, "she should be good as new in an hour or so. All of those extra credit courses must be getting to her."

"Don't I know it..." he said. Hermione barely heard these last words as she felt the potion beginning to take effect. Shivers ran up and down her spine as she forced herself back to sleep.

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Hermione awoke nearly an hour later to find that someone had closed her bed hangings. Good, she thought. The last people she wanted to know she was feeling under the weather were Parvati and Lavender. She could already hear their annoying giggles ringing in her head.

"Sh-Sh-Shhh! You'll wake her up!"

"I'm not half as loud as you!"

Hermione groaned. She couldn't stay listening forever, so she pulled open the hangings on her bed.

"Eeee! We heard you were sick!" Lavender cried, flinging her arms around Hermione.

"Oh get off me, im fine!" she muttered. She got off her bed, gathered up Crookshanks and marched out the door towards the common room. Once again, Harry and Ron were the only ones there. Ron was dozing in an armchair and Harry was scribbling on a bit of parchment by the fire.

"Hermione!" said Harry, smiling. She smiled back, being glad he wasn't making as big a deal as Parvati and Lavender had. "Ron get up, Hermione's awake," he said poking Ron in the arm.

"Mmph...'Mione's up?" he mumbled, opening his eyes.

"'Mione?" she said, giggling. Ron's ears glowed red. "It's okay," she assured him, "I quite like it."

"Well!" Harry piped up, "I think I'll go get my um- thingy...that's upstairs...and uh- so I'll leave you two alone..." He gave Ron a quick wink behind Hermione's back and turned towards the boys' dorms. Ron waited until Harry was out of sight and earshot.

"I was worried about you..."he muttered, staring at the floor.

"Ooh, there's a change," she teased.

"I'm not joking Hermione!" he scowled. Hermione looked taken aback.

"Oh, well I'm fine really...I don't see why you were so worried. Ron ignored her.

"And I'm sorry we fought," he added. Why was he all of a sudden so apologetic?

"Erm- I'm sorry too, Ron," she mumbled, thought she hadn't quite forgiven him for his comment earlier.

"No you're not. You shouldn't be. God, Hermione, I can be such a prat sometimes I don't know how you put up with me." She didn't answer. Why did she put up with him? Well, for one he- um- he's really...

"I- well..." she stammered. She actually couldn't tell him how she managed to survive the past six years having him as a friend.

"Hermione?" She hadn't noticed Ron was right in front of her now. She stared at her feet. She didn't want him to see the tears building up in her eyes.

"Yes?" she replied to the floor. She felt his index finger under his chin. She tried to resist but he tilted her head to make it level with his. Tears stung her eyes, but she didn't know why she was crying.

"Hermione," he repeated, "I really am sorry and I do appreciate everything you do." His face was getting very close to hers and she could feel his breath against her skin. Before she knew it Ron's lips were pressed against hers. She was completely taken aback, but thought it best not to make it noticeable. His lips were soft and he tasted like Chocolate Frogs; she never wanted the feeling to end. They broke away minutes later and Hermione stared teary-eyed at Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" she cried, throwing herself onto him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his strong arms hold her by the waist, as she rested her head underneath his chin. "You can be a git sometimes!" she sobbed, leaving tear stains on his shirt. "B-But don't ever change," she finished. They held onto each other for what could've been minutes or hours, until Hermione's crying had been reduced to the odd hiccup. He rested his head on hers. Hermione let out a long sigh and thought to herself, this is why I put up with him...

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Will Ron and Hermione's relationship last? What's the reason behind her illness? Chapter 2 update soon!

plllzzz review!!! I hope u liked it! Chapter 2 coming soon...im going camping for a week so it may take a while