A/N: I never guessed I would ever write a one shot…but I did. Oh well, I like it. Actually I think it's the best I've ever written. I hope you feel the same way! If you do (and even if you don't) why don't you tell me about it by reviewing!

Ok, I published this a while ago, and there has been some grammar mistakes that have been bothering me, so I just got around to fixing them. It's still the same story in case you've read it before. Just thought I'd clear all that up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione screamed at me.

"WHAT?" I yelled back stupidly.

Hermione was taken aback by my comment, and opened her mouth to scream at me again, "YOU ARE THE MOST—" I cut her off.

"WHY DON'T I JUST SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE? I AM THE MOST INSENSITIVE, IRRESPONISBLE, STUBBORN PERSON YOU EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO MEET?" I bellowed. "WELL, AM I RIGHT?"

"NO!" Hermione screamed back at me.

Oh no, had I gone and messed everything up for nothing? She wasn't really mad at me after all?

"YOU FORGOT THICK!" Hermione yelled, then spun around and stormed out of the common room. A few seconds later I could hear a muffled, "OUT OF MY WAY POTTER!" coming from the hall.

I sunk into one of the couches by the fire, resting my head in my hands. Most of the people in the common room had evacuated as soon as Hermione and I started going at it…again. Contrary to their beliefs I don't like fighting with Hermione. I hate it more than anything in the world. I hate her being mad at me, I hate making her cry, and most of all I hate that I don't have the guts to let her know how I really feel.

That's right, I admit it. I, Ronald Weasley am hopelessly head over heels for Hermione Granger, and I hate it. I hate it almost as much as I hate fighting with her. It's not Hermione I hate, not by a long shot. What I hate is how I get my hopes up and it's inevitable that they will be crushed. There is no way brilliant, beautiful, amazing, virtuous, witty, fiery, passionate (gosh I need to stop before I'm here all night) Hermione Granger would ever be interested in me. Who am I? Ron Weasley. I'm poor, and I have four brothers (five if you count that git, Percy) who are better than me at everything. I'm even best friends with Mr. "Hello, my name is The Boy Who Lived" for crying out loud. It's amazing girls like Hermione even give me the time of day!

"You done beating yourself up yet?" A voice beside me made me jump about, oh I don't know, fifteen feet in the air. I really hate Harry sometimes.

I raised my head from my hands, looked at my best friend and grunted. "Oh, ok, I'll just wait 'till you're done then." Harry said, making himself comfortable.

"What do you want?" I sighed.

"I want you to tell her how you feel."

"WHAT?" I yelled.

"You heard me." Harry said smugly.

"Idon'tknowwhatyou'retalkingabout." I mumbled.

"Yes you do. And here's my impression of you sleeping." Harry grabbed a pillow, squeezed it to his chest, closed his eyes, and said, "Oh, Hermione! I love you so much! I'll be your little Ronniekins!"

"Shut UP!" I roared, and jumped on top of Harry, beating him with a different pillow "Someone," whap, "could," whap, "hear," whap, "you!" whap.

"So its true?" Harry asked. I began to hit him harder. "Ron! It's ok, no ones around to hear you're crazy about Hermione!" I had no mercy. "Ron! Ron, this hurts, Ron stop. UNCLE!"

Confused, I stopped. "Wha-- why did you say…"

Harry shook his head, "Never mind. It's a muggle thing. Listen Ron, the point is, you need to just swallow your pride and tell her how you feel. She's not gonna wait for you forever Ron. You've made her wait this long, tell her soon, before someone else realizes how great she is and takes her away from you." He paused, bracing himself for what he was going to say next, "Actually guys have started realizing how great she is."

"Vicky" I said vehemently.

"Not just Krum." Harry continued. "Practically all the Ravenclaws in our year are crazy about her, and she's not a little girl anymore. She's definitely not ugly. All the guys have noticed that. Just tell her ok? What's the worst that could happen?"

"What's the worst that could happen?" I asked incredulously. "I'll tell you the worst thing that could happen. I could lose her. I can live without Hermione loving me. I can even survive watching her love someone else." My voice escalated. "But I would die without her in my life. I can't tell her. Can't you see what I'd be risking? Can't you see what I would be throwing away? Six years of friendship to the most amazing woman ever to walk this earth? I don't think so."

Harry looked at me in silence for a moment before saying, "No one ever got anywhere without taking a risk."

"Yeah, well no one lost anything either, now did they?" I retorted.

"Why do you eat Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans Ron?" Harry asked.

"What? Harry, that is completely off the subject."

"Why Ron?"

"I don't know, because they're fun, because they taste good…most of them at least." I said darkly

"Surely you're not telling me you enjoy taking risks Ron? That you find them fun?" Harry beamed, obviously pleased with himself.

"That's different." I said exasperatedly.

"How Ron? How is it different?" Harry was beginning to yell.

"Because" I said, peeved, "Let's say I'm eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and I get earwax. I can just brush my teeth or pop another bean in my mouth and the flavor's gone; just like that. If I tell Hermione the truth and she doesn't feel the same way I can't just clean her out of my system! I bloody well can't just pick some other random girl to replace her with because I know Hermione is the best one out there! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I told her and ruined everything. It's different Harry."

Harry shook his head and mumbled something.

"What was that?" I snapped.

"I said," Harry's voice was quiet, but intense, "I thought you were in Gryffindor."

Harry's statement hit my like a load of bricks. I lept up from the couch and ran from the common room. Of course I was scared of telling Hermione, I'd have to be daft not to be scared. Telling Hermione wouldn't be the brave thing to do, it would be the daft thing to do.

Terry Boot passed me and gave me a small smile. I glared at him in response. Was Harry right? Did all the Ravenclaws really like Hermione? They couldn't, she was mine! "No she's not" an awful voice from the back of my mind piped up, "It would be daft for her to be yours, remember?"

"Shut UP!"

"Ron?" Hermione turned around the corner. It was obvious she had been crying.

My ears turned a violent shade of red. "Uh…H-hi there Hermione."

"Listen," Mercifully she chose to ignore the fact I was talking to myself, "I'm sorry, I…I don't even know what we were fighting about. All I know is, I hate it when we do this. We really need to stop. If not for us, then for Harry. We really need to be there for him Ron. We can't make him chose sides constantly."

"Yeah, you're right." I mumbled.

"Friends?" Hermione held out her hand for me to shake.

It wasn't her fault. She had no idea that one simple gesture could trigger so many emotions. I could hear Harry's voice: "No one ever got anywhere without taking a risk." "I thought you were in Gryffindor." I saw Hermione lying in the Hospital wing in our second year. At that time I had felt I had lost her forever. If I didn't tell her now I could risk losing her, for real this time. I saw her dancing with Krum at the Yule Ball. It hurt so much to see her with another man; but did it hurt enough to risk one of the two most important friendships in my life?

It didn't help that Hermione was holding a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"No Hermione. I don't want to be your friend."

"What?" Her voice broke, "B-but, our fight wasn't any worse than normal, w-what did I do?"

"I don't want to be just your friend!" I yelled. "I don't want you to date other guys, snog other guys, dance with international quidditch stars! I don't want you to do all this while I stand on the sidelines smiling. I don't want all this to happen but I'll let it happen if you want it. I want to love you, and hold you, and kiss you, and be able to tell everyone that Hermione Granger is my girlfriend. I can't think of a better girl than you Hermione. If you asked me to describe the ideal woman I think I'd start describing you. But this isn't about what I want Hermione. It's about what you want. If you don't feel the same way I will just stand on the sidelines smiling. Whatever happens I can't lose you. So what do you want?"

Hermione was sobbing.

"Was I really that disappointing?" I asked nervously.

"Oh Ron!" She bawled, hurling herself into my arms.

"Well," I thought to myself, "It could have been worse, she could have started crying uncontrollably and ran away…"

"Oh Ron," She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "I've waited so long to hear you say that." She buried her head in my shoulder, choking back sobs.

"So…erm, I ah, take it that you um…" I said awkwardly.

Hermione lifted her head to look me in the eye. "Yes!" She said smiling.

"Are you sure?" I said in disbelief, "Because I'd understand if you didn't, I mean I'm not as cool as Bill or as good at quidditch as Charlie, or as smart as Percy, or as funny as the twins or as popular as Ginny—"

"Ron stop!" Hermione said, laughing now, "I don't care what your family has done. I like you for you. I wouldn't change anything about you, even if I could."

"Nothing?" I asked.

"Well…" Hermione said, teasing, "I suppose I might change one thing, but it all depends…"

"Depends on what?" I said worried.

"If you're a good kisser or not." Hermione said wickedly.

I smiled. "Miss Granger! I am astounded!" I said in an impression of Professor McGonagle. "I never kiss until the second date!"

"Fair enough. You owe me two dates Mr. Weasley."

"Fair enough." I replied. I held out my hand for her to take. "Now come on, I've been waiting for four years to show you off to the world."

Hermione laughed and took my hand. We walked in comfortable silence for a while before I broke it.

"Hermione?"

"Mmm?" She replied.

"Where did you get that bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" I inquired.

"Oh, Harry gave them to me when I ran into him outside the common room, to try and calm me down."

I really like Harry sometimes.

A/N: Soooooooo… what do ya think? Tell me please! And if you have any constructive criticism that's more than welcome as well!