As Hermione and Seamus walked to the dance floor, Ron who wanted to keep an eye on them grabbed Lavenders hand and pulled her after them grunting "C'mon, let's dance". He spotted them dancing, and positioned himself and Lavender so they were within earshot and so he had a good view of them.

"Hermione, you look so beautiful, everyone thinks so. All the boys wanted to ask you tonight" Said Seamus as they danced.

"Thanks…" Said Hermione, beginning to blush.

"Imagine if you made this transformation in first year, we could have been together all this time! I love what you've become" Said Seamus with a smile. Hermione stopped dancing.

"What I've become… I'm sorry Seamus, I've got to go." And Hermione ran out of the hall. Ron saw her and apologized to Lavender as he ran after her. She ran out onto a balcony and rested on the railing. Ron walked out slowly after her.

"Hermione?" He said, a little apprehensive. Hermione turned around and as she looked at Ron, tears sprung to her eyes.

"I've been such a fool, haven't I?" She asked.

"Well to tell you the truth, yes." Said Ron. She sniffed and turned away.

"Thanks! Gee… I really believed all those people were my friends because of me, not because of what I looked like…. More like it's what I wanted to believe."

"Hermione, that's not why you were a fool, you were a fool to change who you were. You were a fool for trying to lie to yourself. You're the only person you really need to be true to." Said Ron, and he rested his hand on her shoulder. Hermione turned and looked up into his eyes.
"I should have come with you" She whispered.

"You're with me now" He replied, in an equally quiet voice.

"Can you forgive me for ditching you and Harry, for being such a total idiot for the last few weeks?" Asked Hermione.

"Only if you promise me to go back to the way you were. Be the Hermione I used to know, the Hermione I love"

"Love? Do you mean… You love me?" Stuttered Hermione.

"I always have… I supposed I only realized it when you weren't there, when you turned into something else." Said Ron. Hermione took one of his hands, and Ron reached up and took the white rose out of Hermione's hair and let the wind carry it away into the starry night as he slowly ran his fingers through her hair. A slow song drifted out of the great hall, and Hermione let her hands curl up around Ron's neck. He turned pink a little, and his hands found their way to her waist, and they slowly danced there on the balcony, with the stars as their backdrop…

Harry looked through the window at them and smiled, he knew they would find each other, but then he felt that familiar sinking sensation as he remembered he was alone.