Ron forgot to breathe for a moment. Had Hermione just asked him out? Or to be her boyfriend? Or was she just wondering? After all, had she really even said that she liked him back? Hermione waited patiently for an answer. Because her face was starting to take color as well, Ron could tell that she wasn't breathing very much either.
Ron thought about lying. Even if he were to say yes, and all his dreams were to come true...he had thought about if he kissed her, if he held her hand, if everything was fine. But nothing ever was fine. What if it was too awkward? Besides, they'd been friends for years...about seven, wasn't it? Certainly, such a transition would take work...it had taken six years for Ron to write that stupid letter that got him into this mess. He'd been too immature. He used sarcasm to get out of emotion. If he had been so childish up to this point, was he ready to be in a relationship with someone as more than friends?
If he answered Hermione's question with a yes, and eventually they broke it off, how could they every turn back time? Never again could they be friends. Nothing would be the same.
But what if he said yes, and everything he'd ever dreamed of came true? Everything he'd ever written down about that girl in his notebook could happen, he just needed to utter a simple word. But was he willing to take the risk?
He looked at Hermione. She'd been bored waiting for him to answer her and was staring off somewhere into space. She was still holding his hand though. Her soft skin comforted some of his anxiety. He in took a sharp breath, and at the sudden sound Hermione jerked her head to turn back towards him. He decided to stall some more time by playing dumb.
"What was your question?" Hermione looked at him helplessly and nodded as she repeated her question,
"Do you want to be more than friends?" Ron slid back in his seat and pulled on her hand. She slid on the bench of the desk so she was sitting closer to him.
"Yeah, Hermione, I really do,"he said, somewhat surprised wordsactually came out from his mouth.Hermione didn't say anything. Her expression didn't change. Ron's heart dropped suddenly. Oh no..your so, so stupid! You idiot! Damn you, look now you'll never be friends with her again...
Worry was racing through his mind. Dark was falling outside. Anxiety turned disappointment quickly. Suddenly he was being pulled forward. He blinked and his vision was no longer clouded by his thoughts. Hermione was the one pulling him forward. She kissed him on the lips and put her hands on his shoulders. Ron put his own hands on her shoulders. The kiss, only lasting a few seconds, seemed like forever to Ron. Then Hermione let go and pulled away. Ron's heart was pounding, blood rushing through his head. Hermione jumped up from the seat and stepped backwards until she hit a desk. Ron looked at up at her from where he was still was.
"Something wrong?" he asked almost in a whisper.
"I just kissed you," she said breathlessly. Ron nodded very slowly.
"I guess so."
"No, I kissed you, I just can't believe I did that." Ron got up from his seat and walked towards her. He drew her towards him, but instead of kissing her again as he'd planned, she fell forward and rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her tightly and they just stood there until the moonlight started to peak through the darkeningsky.
Harry was fiddling with a string, bored,when Ron came up the staircase. Harry put down the string and walked up to Ron with a smile. Ron just glared at him.
"What?" he asked stupidly. Harry gave him a look.
"Did you talk to Hermione?" Harry asked eagerly. Ron fell onto his bed and let out a sigh. He nodded and couldn't help grinning. Harry shook his head up and down in an asking to continue.
"I kissed her," Ron explained. Harry nodded an approval.
"And you're going to go out, right?" Harry asked. Ron sat up and his eyes widened with shock.
"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that!" he shouted. Harry looked outside to the enormous clock.
"Dinner, Ron."
Hermione jumped in front of Ron as soon as he entered the hall.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Harry taunted. Hermione didn't get the joke and kept smiling as she had.
"Just for a moment, Harry, we'll be there in just a second," Hermione said. Harry shrugged. As soon as Harry had gone to sit down, she continued, "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade this weekend?" she asked.
"On a date?" Ron asked hesitantly. Hermione nodded.
"Yeah, I think we should get a few things straightened out," Hermione said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ron shook his head questioningly.
"What things?"
"We both want to be more than friends. But Ron, it's more than just saying, 'Oh, Hermione's my girlfriend, Ron's my boyfriend.' It involves being a couple and work, just like friendships do," Hermione explained. Ron hadn't thought of that. He'd been fantasizing so much about having the relationship he didn't think about having the relationship. Dating, being a couple...Ron wasn't good at that. Ron never had a 'girlfriend' long term. Sure, he'd asked girls various places. Like at the Yule Ball, for example. But that was it. He wasn't Draco, who despite his nastiness had groups of Slytherin girls listening to any tale he could spin out. Somehow, they'd see him as 'charming.'
"So, tomorrow, Hermione?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded. She turned and walked down the aisle back to her seat. Harry couldn't help watching her curly hair bounce on her shoulders as she slowly walked.
"I have a date. I have a date, for Saturday," Ron said amazedly to himself. It sounded..unnatural. Maybe there was more to this than Ron thought.
The hour of silence was defeaning. Ron and Harry had planned on hanging out with some other Gryffindors. On Fridays, they sometimes sneaked up some drinks from the kitchen. Dobby and the other house elves were more then happy to follow their command. But, not only did Ron's new 'girlfriend' completely protest it, she was forcing Harry and Ron to focus on their studies. She said this year, there was no trouble so far, therefore no excuse to be failing almost every class.
Ron was tapping his quill on the paper repeatedly, dotting the paper with tiny splotches. Hermione was drumming her fingers across her cheek as she was reading her Herbology textbook intensely. Harry was kicking the table as he flipped through his own textbook.
"Okay, this silence is deadly. Hermione, can we go?" Ron pleaded. Hermione glared at him. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she said,
"Whatever. Just don't get drunk," she mumbled as she grabbed her stack of books and began walking out of the common room. They assumed she was going down to the library or her Head dorm.
"Wait," Ron said quickly. He kissed her on the cheek before she left. She smiled and continued on her way.
"Two hours, Ron, two hours. Already your making me sick," Harry complained as he got up from his seat, closing his book. Ron glared at him.
"I thought you were happy I finally talked to her?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.
"Look, I've never had anyone to care about. Well, there was Cho..but you know what happened. She was still grieving over Cedric. But, now that it's you and Hermione, what happens to me? You'll go off, get married...and I'm what, stuck with no one else?"