Chapter Thirteen

Hermione's Surprise

Ron grabbed Hermione's arm. "Wait." Ron had not moved to leave the stage at all.

Hermione stopped at Ron's command. She was already blushing more than anyone should ever have to whilst in public. Fighting the urge to scramble off the stage without her beau, she turned back to Ron. Questions were swirling uncontrollably around in her mind. She walked slowly back to her boyfriend and stood in front of him. The questions were very obvious in her eyes as she gazed up into Ron's eyes.

Ron smiled down at his confused, and suddenly nervous, girlfriend. He drew his wand and conjured a stool for her. "Sit," he said quietly.

"What-?" she started. Ron brushed the question away with a shake of his head.

"Sit," said Ron, more forcefully this time. He pointed at the stool. She sat.

Ron waved his wand in the air like he had before their song together. But this wasn't the music for their song. It was something entirely different. Hermione was even more confused now than she was before.

Ron grinned sweetly at Hermione and waited for his cue. Hermione just sat there, her hands being wrung by one another with anxiety. When it finally came, his tenor rang out through the Great Hall for the second time that afternoon.

"Unforgettable. That's what you are.

Unforgettable. My Shining Star."

Hermione's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe Ron had kept a secret like this from her. Ron stepped up to her and cuffed her chin lightly.

"Just the thought of you does things to me.

You're the reason my heart sings to me."

At this line, Ron placed his hand on his chest and beamed at Hermione. She beamed back at him, tears forming in her eyes again.

"Never before,"

Ron shook his head and reached out to stroke Hermione's cheek lightly.

"Has someone meant more."

She leaned in to the barely-there touch, smiling.

"Unforgettable, in every way.

Unforgettable what can I say?"

Ron shrugged, a sheepish grin on his lips. He stepped so that he was standing beside Hermione, and he put an arm about her shoulders. He squeezed as he sang the next lines.

"That's why 'Mione,

it's incredible that someone

so unforgettable

thinks that I am

unforgettable too."

Ron pulled Hermione off the stool and started dancing her around the stage to the instrumental break in the song.

Hermione stared up at her boyfriend, swearing that if she didn't know any better, she would think this sweet guy was the little-known sixth member of some Muggle boyband. She tried to stop staring at Ron, but this surprise he had for her was just too much. "I can't believe you're singing 'Unforgettable.' I love this song."

Ron nodded. "I know. I remember."

"What do you mean you remember?" Hermione tilted her head to the side.

Ron grinned. "You told me over the summer a couple years ago."

Hermione couldn't help but gape at him. "I can't believe you remember that."

Ron just shrugged. They lapsed into silence. Ron listened intently for his cue. When he heard it, he sang again.

"No, never before

Has someone meant more.

"Unforgettable, in every way.

Unforgettable what can I say?

"That's why 'Mione,

it's incredible that someone

so unforgettable

thinks that I am

unforgettable too."

Ron danced his girlfriend around the stage a bit more as the song finished. On the last chord, he reached behind his back and snapped his fingers quickly.

Ron's next few actions seemed to Hermione to be in excruciatingly slow motion. When he brought his hand back, there was a long-stemmed red rose sitting between his fingers. He sank to one knee and raised the rose to Hermione's level. She took the rose, tears streaming down her face.

Then she grabbed his face between her hands and pulled him back to standing again. She kissed him passionately and wrapped her arms around his neck. The pair lost themselves in the kiss, forgetting that not only were they onstage, but their entire school, and their families were all sitting in the audience watching them. They stayed in the embrace until a catcall from the crowd brought their heads flying back into the world.

Hermione broke away from the kiss abruptly, turning the same color as the rose she clenched tightly in her hand. There were still loud whoops and catcalls coming from the onlookers. She looked up at Ron, too embarrassed to look anywhere else.

Ron was beaming back at her, loving her reaction to his song. He leaned in and said quietly, "I think it's safe to say everyone knows about us now."

She managed a weak smile. "I suppose they do know, don't they."

Ron took her hand confidently and they started back to their seats.

~*~TBC~*~