Author Notes: This was written as a Secret Santa fic for someone at Accio Firebolt forums. However, I hope you enjoy it anyway. This is how I see R/Hr getting together.

Disclaimer: Own Harry Potter? I don't think so! Jo Rowling does. She owns all six books, soon to be seven once she continues to write! Long live HBP!

Ron sighed. He had been given his longest essay of the year so far to complete over the holidays, for his least-favourite subject: Transfiguration. In the first five years of Hogwarts it had been easy, more spell work than writing. Now he had to write a three foot long essay on the theory of turning a needle into a matchstick.

"We did this in first year!" he complained aloud. "How am I supposed to remember stuff she told us five years ago?"

"Look it up!" snapped Hermione, slapping a large book, The Theory and Ethics of Transfiguration by M. Orph, on top of his parchment.

"Hermione, you smudged it!" yelled Ron, scrambling to his feet in anger. "I was actually doing fine, if you must know! Then again, you seem to know everything anyway, Miss Know-it-All!"

In his blind rage, Ron didn't notice Hermione's reaction as he raised the library book to hit her with it. A darked-haired figure knocked Hermione out of the way as the book fell. Ron stumbled, but then he looked around again.

"C'mon, Hermione, let's go!" whispered Harry, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the common room. They didn't stop until they reached the Room of Requirement.

"W- What was that a-all about?" Hermione stuttered, tears running down her face as she buried her head in Harry's shoulder. Harry wrapped his arms tightly about her.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think… I think the work is getting to him."

Hermione sniffed, nodding. "B- but… I don't think th-that was like him at all. M-maybe he doesn't l-like me anymore?"

Harry squeezed his friend around the shoulders. "I'll go and talk to him. Why don't you go down to the Kitchens and have some pumpkin juice?"

Hermione stood up, still shaking somewhat. She nodded, and left the room. Harry remained for a few moments, and sighed, resting his head in his hands. This had gone too far, and it had to end now. No more bickering or arguing from either of them. There was only one thing to do…

"Harry, I can't just talk to her!"

"Why not?" asked the dark-haired boy, looking at his taller friend.

"She hates me now! I was going to hurt her!"

"Hermione doesn't hate you," replied Harry calmly. "She thinks you don't like her."

"But I do!" replied Ron. "I just… I can't talk to her now. I'm… I'm terrified she'll reject me."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "You fancy her, right?" he asked. Ron hesitated, then nodded.

"Since second year," he admitted. Harry was rather shocked. He hadn't thought that it was that long ago that he had fallen in love."

"Well, if you love someone that deeply and for so long then you really should find out what she thinks of you anyway."

"She'll kill me," muttered Ron. "I could have seriously hurt her…"

"Ron, that library book was almost breaking to pieces, admit it. It would probably have disintegrated around her. Then she would have killed you for destroying a book. You would never have hurt her."

Ron looked down at his hands, which still clutched the old and well-thumbed Transfiguration textbook. It was indeed in a bit of a mess.

"Hermione slammed it down hard enough," he replied, trying to avoid the inevitable meeting with Hermione.

"That was probably the last straw for the book. Now go!" ordered Harry, with a slight smile on his face.

Ron looked pleadingly at Harry, but realised that there was nothing he could do about it.

"Where is she?"

"In the kitchens. Go!"

Ron left Harry in their dormitory. Suddenly a wide grin crossed across his face and he burst out laughing. Shaking his head, he stood up and went down into the common room.

Ron and Hermione entered the common room holding hands. Hermione's hair looked even messier than usual, and Ron's face was rather red. Harry glanced across to where Ginny was sitting with her friends, and they grinned at each other.

"Finally!" mouthed Ginny. Harry raised his eyebrows and nodded.

The pair walked over to the sofa and Hermione sat on Harry's left.

"Budge up!" said Ron, and Harry shuffled along to the end.

"So, how did it go?" asked the smaller boy with a smile.

"None of your business," said Ron, his voice very faint. Hermione looked around the redhead at Harry.

"I think you'll find that there'll be no more library books breaking to pieces any more," she said. Then she put an arm around Ron's shoulders and leant on him. The tall boy turned and they kissed each other soundly on the lips.

Suddenly, a roaring sound filled the Gryffindor common room. The pair broke apart to see the whole house including paintings clapping and cheering in appreciation. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione put a finger on his lips.

"I think I understand," said Harry. "I'll leave you to it, shall I?"

Read? Review! As they say at FA. Hope you enjoyed my little ficcie.