A/n. Adipodes Poe: thank you for the encouragement and the tip! I had no idea I didn't accept anonymous reviews! Thanks!! DeiaSM: I hope the fluff is satisfactory! Gypsy the Centaur is having some trouble in love currently so I can assure you that what happens to our favorite couple is going to be incredible and heartfelt yet realistic! I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this as I have been enjoying writing it.

I think I'm going to update everyday. This is so easy to write for some reason. I'm having so much fun!

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, well, let's just say my life would be a lot different.

Now on with the story...still in flashback mode of course...

CHAPTER THREE: NOT SECOND BEST

She turned, his hand still touching hers. He was shocked at how easily the words had escaped him.

"You what?" Hermione didn't look angry, in fact, she looked a little, well, pleased.

"I fancy you. But it's- it's more than that, I think, at least, I mean, I think I might...I mean I do..." Ron started to trip over his words, but he didn't care, he was on a roll now and nothing could stop him.

"YO-HO-YO-HO WIZARDS AND SUCH -AND IF YOU LIKE QUIDDITCH, YOU LIKE US -AND IF YOU'RE A BASTARD I HATE YOUR GUTS- YOU STUPID GIT YOU FUCKING-" Fred clamored into the room, singing at the top of his lungs, clutching a bottle of wine. He was closely followed by George, Harry, and Ginny, who each had a bottle of their own, now practically empty.

"You fucking gut?" Harry asked lazily.

"Mutt?" asked George.

"Slut!" proclaimed Ginny.

"What's going on 'ere?" The four drunken teenagers stared sleepily at Ron. "Mum'll hear you. You best sober up, dinner's soon." Ron tried to bring some order to the situation, but it was too late, there was no way of controlling this crowd.

"Mum'll be fine. She don't care!" George put his arm around Ginny and Harry and hugged them. "Aren't these two cute? Why don't you two get together? Like Ron and Hermione."

Fred looked confusedly at Ron and Hermione, who were still holding hands. "Oh I see! They ARE together! Well done, George! Good detective work! Hey, Harry, Ginny, go on a date tomorrow, okay! Love to see how that one turns out!"

"Okay!" said Harry and Ginny together before Harry picked Ginny up over his shoulder and swung her around. Harry's bottle fell to the floor and cracked.

"WHAT-IS-GOING-ON!" Mrs. Weasley was standing at the top of the staircase. She gave a loud sneeze. "I-AM-TRYING-TO-GET-SOME-REST! I'm afraid to use any more magic on this cold- they'll be sending me to St. Mungo's in a coma! And you lot! Making such a racket...well, explain yourselves!"

Harry let Ginny down with a thud and the remaining bottles struggled to stay hidden behind the backs of their guilty owners.

Ron was first to speak. "Mum, I'm going to whip up dinner-"

"EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!"

Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry looked quite embarrassed now. Each mumbled an apology.

"And what about you two." Mrs. Weasley glared at Hermione and Ron, who were still managing to hold hands. Ron got up and stood in front of Hermione.

"We were in here the whole time, Mum. I'm going to make dinner while these four take a nap. I'll bring your supper to you in bed, sound good?"

Mrs. Weasley sighed, unable to find any more reasons to yell at them. "Yes, alright, then. Go on."

The twins, Harry, and Ginny filed up the stairs, muttering another apology as they passed Mrs. Weasley. When they'd gone, she flashed a quick smile at Ron, who immediately started off to the kitchen. Hermione followed him there.

"I'll help."

"You don't have to, it's fine...I'm fine on my own," Ron said, as he reached down to collect a cookbook of magical recipes.

"I want to...and we should talk," her face broke into a smile, "because...because you fancy me."

Ron thought she was trying hard not to laugh and felt his temper flare up inside him.

"Think it's funny, do you? Well, I fancy a lot of girls nowadays, so don't go thinking you're special or nothing."

"Ron...no, it's not funny, I really want to talk about it-"

"Look, you're with Krum, you're going to Bulgaria. Have a nice time. See you at school."

"You're impossible. I'm obviously not going now-"

"Spare me, Hermione- oh, and if you still don't think hanging out next year's a good idea, I'm on board for that, ok...we can just ignore each other...divide our time with Harry in half..."

Hermione walked towards him and placed her hand on his arm, which was reaching to pick up his wand on the table.

"Wait a second...I'm not going to Bulgaria and we are talking next year...we'll probably talk a lot...erm, maybe even more than usual." Hermione was looking up at him hopefully. She was staring at his mouth. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit that this was a clear invitation. She wanted him to kiss her. And the thought terrified him. Despite how many times he'd thought about this, and how much he wanted to do it, he felt something holding him back. He felt like he'd said too much, been too open, and what had she said, "we might talk more next year"? No, he wanted a guarantee. She was moving closer, tilting her head up. He had to be sure. He had to ask.

"Do you fancy me?"

Startled, in mid-tilt, she looked up, "Why, I thought that was becoming rather obvious..."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I really do, Ron," she said earnestly.

She began to tilt her head up again, but he stopped her.

"Do you fancy Krum?"

"What?" She pulled back abruptly, taking her hand away from his arm, where it had been comfortably resting. "Ron...we're having a nice moment...and you go and...mention Viktor Krum!"

Hermione stormed from the room. Ron winced at the thought of what he'd said. He banged his head on the table, yelling every curse word he knew.

Later that evening, when all had been fed, except Mr. Weasley, who had not returned from work yet, Hermione and Ron found themselves, once again, alone in the living room. Mrs. Weasley was still sick in bed and the twins, Harry, and Ginny had retired early, mainly because Mrs. Weasley had told them to.

"This is never going to work," Hermione sighed and put down the spell book she'd been reading.

"What, a...a spell in there?" Ron looked quizzically up at her. When he did, he was met with expectant eyes. Hermione looked as though whatever she was thinking about was making her depressed.

"No, all spells work...sooner or later," she stated quietly.

"What then?" Ron hopped onto the couch beside her. He didn't want to wait a week for the wounds from their latest row to heal. He wanted Hermione back now.

"Who do you fancy besides me?" Hermione asked, not turning her head.

"Loadsa girls." Ron was determinedly staring at the floor.

"Like who?"

"Erm...Luna Lovegood...?"

"Luna Lovegood?! I can't believe-"

"No, no, no, stop, stop- wait."

"Excuse me, Ron?"

"I don't fancy her, Hermione. I don't fancy anyone."

She looked hurt.

Ron rolled his eyes and continued in spite of himself. "But you." What was this, Honesty Day?

A smile crept over her soft features. Ron wondered if it would always be like this: him, pouring his heart out, her, smiling at him...telling him she fancied him too...but how did she really feel? And would she see Viktor Krum the next day?

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "If you like me so much, why are you so rude and cruel to me?"

"Look, 'Mione. I'm just not looking to get hurt here, okay? You've got something going on with Krum and I'm not going to be second best, get it? I'm not going to be the Bulgarian's stand-in when he's too busy with the World Cup to pay attention to you! So if you want, you can choose me, otherwise I think we won't be seeing much of each other next year- and if you don't like it, well, that suits me just fine, I don't bloody care anymore! I've said too much and now you know, and it's never going to work anyways- sod it- it's never going to work, Hermione!"

Hermione sat there, her eyes welling with tears, now fixed on him, unblinking. He wanted her to say he'd never be second best. He wanted her to kiss him, unexpectedly. He certainly wasn't going initiate it; he had done enough already. Something in the back of his mind kept reminding him of how traditional she could be. Maybe the only way to win her away from Krum was to court her. The thought of this freaked Ron out a little. Courting was like asking for a serious relationship with none of the benefits. Ron worried Hermione wouldn't be up for making out in the common room or horsing around near the lake. He knew he loved her, he wanted to be with her, he thought their relationship would last too. He had no doubt about that. But how painful was this going to be before he felt like he felt comfortable kidnapping her to an empty closet every once in a while? How long before he could show her he loved her everyday?

"What?" Hermione was looking right at him still, blinking suddenly, as a tear rolled down her cheek, clung to her chin for a second, then dropped onto her shirt.

"What?" Ron had been thinking so intensely, he'd forgotten where he was.

"You've been sitting there, staring at nothing for, like, a minute," Hermione gave a look of triumph, but Ron wasn't sure what she should be triumphant for. "Ron, I'm staying at the Burrow for the rest of the summer."

"Okay."

"And I'm only seeing Viktor once more- for this dinner party at one of his teammate's houses. I promised him ages ago."

"...Okay."

"And...and that's all I'm going to say."

"Okay."

Hermione looked like she really wanted to continue but something was stopping her.

"What?" Ron wanted her to go on. Anything was better than this deafening silence.

"I do like Viktor- on some level- but it's not like the way I like you. It's different, that's all. He's someone my parents would approve of. He's great but it's not really – an interesting relationship." She smiled at him knowingly. Her smile reminded him of every time they'd made up after a row.

They were facing each other on the couch. Thoughts raced through Ron's head. She had put her book aside. If he kissed her now, it would be really romantic. The couch was so comfy and there was no way anything embarrassing could happen. Ron's eyes darted around to see if there was anything Hermione could possibly hit her head on behind them. He was nervous, but just as before, he let his bravery get the better of him. 'Maybe I am a true Gryffindor,' he mused.

Just then, Hermione gave a small laugh as she stared at him. It was too much, she was way too cute when she did that; he had to kiss her.

"Well, I should be going up to bed-"Hermione motioned to the stairs and began to get up. Ron stopped her by pressing his lips against hers. She deepened the kiss and he felt electricity shoot through his body. He had his answer: she felt the same way.

Ron guided Hermione's back to the couch, never breaking the kiss for more than a moment. She ran her fingers through his hair and massaged the nape of his neck. He held on to her tiny waist with one hand, the other balancing his weight against the sofa.

She broke away suddenly, still lying underneath him. He could tell this was making her uncomfortable.

"I should go upstairs," she tried to get up, but he didn't move.

"Don't you want to be here?" Ron, who had, moments before, been thinking about how "bloody brilliant" kissing Hermione was, now began to resent her. Why did everything have to be so stop-and-go with Hermione? Why was it such a bumpy ride already, before they'd even been out on a date?

"Yes, but I need my rest...now move."

"No. Why don't you want to be here?" He didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable, but he felt he had the right to know why she was leaving.

Hermione looked rather annoyed. "I do, I said I do. Now move, I need to go upstairs."

"If you want to be here so badly, why don't you stay? It's like every time we start to have fun, you ruin it!"

"You're the one who ruins everything! 'Uh...do you fancy Krum?'" Hermione looked as though she were daring herself to go further. "And do you know what else?"

"What?" Ron spat back. He was going to take any challenge she gave him.

"I do fancy Viktor! He's a gentleman and everything YOU'RE NOT!!!" She stormed out, but he called after her.

"Oh yeah! Well, well, I do fancy other girls. In fact, I went out with one before you came to the Burrow!" Ron felt his face go red. He hadn't meant to let this information slip all summer, but he was angry. It wasn't like the relationship was meaningful or anything; he just figured that if Hermione was possibly fooling around with someone, than he should do so as well.

Hermione's slender figure appeared in the dark doorway. She waited a moment in the shadows. He couldn't see her face.

Suddenly she whispered, "What did you say?"

A/n. Hey, hey, hey! Please review, please please please. And come back for more, that's the most important thing! This chapter's pretty long so I think the entire story will be 6 chapters. I've already mapped it out in my brain pretty much. Isn't this fun? I write, you read and everybody's happy!

See you soon,

Gypsy the Centaur