Summary

Hermione wondered every night of seventh year until what would happen once they'd leave Hogwarts. She knows that this is the year to make changes, the year to do things she's always wanted, including confessing her love for a certain someone. (It's a one-shot)

Pairing

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger

Setting

Seventh Year, Graduation Ball

Disclaimer

Punknpotter: awww do I have to?

Lawyer: Yes... you know you have to

Punknpotter: fine...I don't own anything.

Lawyer: Except the...?

Punknpotter: Except the plot

Beautiful Soul

Hermione had always dreaded this day, yet she anticipated it, and didn't know why. Her heart was crying for the changes that she knew would come. For tonight was the night that they would leave Hogwarts—forever.

No more would they sleep on the four-poster beds of their old dormitory, nor would they ever sit in front of the warm crackling fire in the Gryffindor common room. They would never have to do any more essays or tackle any obstacle courses that were set for them by their DADA teacher. They would never have to listen to Snape's droning voice telling them to mix a potion properly or else they'd fail.

She'd never be able to take a secret passage way leading up to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. She'd never have to deal with the owl post that would come every morning. She'd never have to worry about all these things, things she had taken for granted.

As she packed the rest of her Hogwarts robes, she thought about all the times she had spent with her two best friends in the world, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

Harry was always dragging them through adventures. He was the bravest person Hermione knew, and his braveness occasionally got them into trouble as well. Ron on the other hand, was quite different. He was always making them laugh, although he had quite a short temper. This temper led Hermione and him to bicker and get into quite a few arguments in the past.

She locked her trunk firmly and sank onto her four-poster bed. She touched the post, and saw the carving she'd made there years ago. She knew she'd get away with a small 'h.g.' done with a small knife that Harry had lent her. Now, there was an imprint of her. Someday, she'd come up here and visit, and still see it there.

But what was beside her initials. She'd carved a plus sign beside it, and finished her little work of art with an 'r.w.'

She touched the carving once again, and was interrupted by a certain Ginny Weasley.

"Are you coming?" she asked quietly.

"In a minute" Hermione said. She slowly traced the carving again and stood up, wiping her tears.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah sure" she couldn't think straight. Anxious or excited? She didn't know.

"I'll wait in the common room"

"Go ahead" she wanted to be alone.

She checked her reflection in a mirror. To someone who was there to see, she'd look beautiful. She was wearing a light pink dress robe, and her hair was tied up in a way that little ringlets of her dark brown hair would fall down her face just beside her eyes.

Her eyes. They were different tonight. They glinted in the moonlight that streamed from the dormitory window, yet they were filled by so many emotions; sadness, pain, depression. She touched her cheek and quickly brought her hand down again. She exited the dormitory to leave with Ginny to the ball.

--

Ron dreaded that this day would come. The day that he'd say goodbye. He always knew that it would, but all he did was imagine that it wouldn't. He had lived life to its potential, done everything you could in your seven-year stay at the Hogwarts castle. Those seven years have passed by, but there was still one thing he needed to do.

He remembered everything they used to do. They'd sneak out at night in Harry's invisibility cloak, and they'd play quidditch in the large stadium. But it wasn't that he would miss. He'd miss the two closest friends he had.

He'd miss Harry, whom he told everything about, and also Hermione. He'd tell her about everything too, well, almost everything. Was it still going to be the same for them after they'd leave Hogwarts? He tried to keep his cool the past few weeks, shrugging it off with a few jokes. But it wasn't like he hadn't taken it seriously.

"Hey Ron, come on" Harry's voice called from the bottom step of the staircase that led to their dormitory.

"Hold on" he said, irritated. He didn't want to leave, yet.

He hastily stuffed his last pair of socks into his trunk. As he's about to lock it, his eyes saw something sticking out from under one of his second-hand robes. It was an old piece of parchment with three lines written in his untidy scrawl.

Ron Weasley, the first line read. He took a deep breath.

And Hermione Granger. He breathed again.

Forever.

He tucked the parchment into his sapphire blue dress robe and he rushed down the stairs so that Harry and he could go to the ball.

--

Hermione couldn't help herself. Just like every other girl in her year, she cried. She didn't even notice Harry and Ron take their seats beside her until Harry said, "Hermione, are you alright?"

Hermione gave a small sob and tried to control her crying, but Harry had just made things worse. She kept her face buried in her hands. Ron just gave Harry a puzzled look, although he just wanted to hug Hermione and tell her that everything would be okay.

Hermione had calmed down a bit, and pulled her hands off her face, to look up at Harry and Ron.

"I-I'm s-sorry", she managed to say, "I didn't mean to cry l-like Th-that"

"Its okay" Harry patted her awkwardly on her shoulders.

"Yeah..." Ron said. He couldn't think of anything else to say, although he wanted to pour out ever single thought and feeling he'd had about her through the years. He couldn't just say 'I Love You', so he kept quiet.

A sweet sentimental song started to play, and people started to dance. Ron glanced at Hermione. She was wiping the tears off her beautiful face. Her eyes were still watery, but they were so beautiful. They were golden brown and so different, so deep. He felt like he could almost see her soul through her eyes.

He didn't give a damn anymore! He didn't care if Hermione hated him. It was his last chance to tell her...everything.

"Hermione" he said, careful with his words, "Would you like to dance?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "Are you joking, Ronald Weasley?"

"No...but if you don't want to..." Ron said with his ears tinged red.

"No, no..." she said, managing to smile, "I'd love to"

Ron stood up and approached Hermione, who bit her lip as Ron pulled her to the dance floor.

I don't want another pretty face

I don't want just anyone to hold

I don't want my love to go to waste

I want you and your beautiful soul

You're the one I want to chase

You're the one I want to hold

I won't let another minute go to waste

I want you and your beautiful soul

Hermione put her arms around Ron's neck, which was hard because he was so tall. Awkwardly, he put his hands on her waist. He took a deep breathe as they started to move, disappearing into the sea of people that were swaying to the music.

I know that you are something special

To you I'd be always faithful

I want to be what you always needed

Then I hope you'll see the heart in me

Hermione had kept quiet this whole time. She didn't know what to say. The boy whom she had liked all these years was dancing with her, to the sweetest song she had ever heard. She cleared her throat.

"Ron?"

"Yeah", Ron whispered back.

She moved closer to his ear.

You might need time to think it over

But I'm just fine moving forward

I'll ease your mind

If you give me the chance

I will never make you cry, c'mon let's try

"Why?" she said, "Why me?"

Ron moved closer to hers.

"Because...", he started to say, "Because you..."

Hermione breathed, and held him closer.

"...you are the most beautiful, most amazing, most..." he said, "I don't know what else I should say to you Hermione...all I know is that...is that...I love you"

A single tear came streaming down Hermione's face. She pulled her arms away from his neck to hold his hands.

Am I crazy for wanting you

Baby do you think you could want me too

I don't wanna waste your time

Do you see things the way I do

I just want to know that you feel it too

There is nothing left to hide

"Hermione...?"

"Ron"

She took a deep breathe and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, Ron touched her face gently and smiled. He stared, and he just tried to get ready for what he was about to do. He kissed her, and she kissed back.

When their lips parted, Ron led Hermione to the balcony and he showed her the piece of parchment.

"You should see my bedpost" she smiled weakly.

"Ron" she said in a barely audible whisper, "I love you too"

Neither of them wanted the night to end, but it had to. They knew that it had to, but what had started there between them that night in the end-of-year ball never had to end.

Author's Note:

It's long for a one-shot, but I just wanted to capture that one night. Please review? Tell me if I should make a full-length RonHermione fic coz this is the first RHr fic I've ever made so I wanna know what you think. ;)