Ch 14- Slumber Party!

A/N: Sorry again that it's taken me a while to update, like I said, I have testing until next week. Well, lets skip the chit-chat and on with story eh?

Ron and Hermione entered the common room, soaked to the bone. They were surprised to find the room completely empty. They looked confusedly at one another, and then back at the deserted room. Then it dawned on Hermione.

"Oh! They're at dinner!" She exclaimed. Although it looked and felt like night, it was really only around six o'clock.

"Ah. Right." Ron said. He was a little uneasy about having all eyes on him holding Hermione's hand. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it- heck, he'd shout it to the world if she asked him to. It was just he knew it would probably be uncomfortable for himself as well as Hermione being the center of attention. He hesitantly told Hermione all this and she told him she was hoping he'd say something of the sort. How does he always know what I'm thinking? Hermione asked herself. They wouldn't hold hands- just when they walked into the Great Hall that is- so they didn't attract any attention.

So, when they arrived at the doors to the great hall, they dropped hands and casually walked to their seats at the Gryffindor table. No one seemed to notice them walk in, although a few of the Gryffindors who had witnessed their little "scene" eyed them suspiciously as they made their way to their seats.

Hermione sat down next to Ron, across from Ginny and Harry and began nonchalantly piling food on their plates. Harry and Ginny looked awestruck from them, to each other, them to each other again. Finally, Ginny couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"Well??" she asked a bit forcefully. Harry nodded his head and looked expectantly at Ron and Hermione. Hermione smiled slyly and said,

"Well what?"

"Are you two…you know…together?" Ron and Hermione looked at each other and smirked.

"Yeah," said Ron. Ginny smiled. "I mean we're all together, here…in the Great Hall." He and Hermione smiled. Ginny's shoulders slumped.

"Come on! You know what I meant!" Hermione shrugged.

"That's for us to know, and you to possibly find out!" Ron said. Ginny frowned. She looked at Harry who was also frowning. Then he smiled to himself, as he noticed how Ron was only eating with his left and hand, and Hermione, her right. Their other hands seemed to be hidden under the table. Harry smiled at Ginny who gave him a questioning look. He winked then said,

"Hey Ron, what's wrong with using your right hand?"

"Oh…I dunno, it's comfortable where it's at." He smiled. Hermione blushed.

"I KNEW it!" Ginny said excitedly. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Who didn't?" Harry joked. She smacked him playfully on the arm. They all laughed and then quickly finished eating. Ron and Hermione stood up- sure enough, holding hands and began following Ginny and Harry out of the great. Then, no other, than the gossiper herself, Parvati, stopped them. She looked from Hermione, to Ron, to their laced fingers then grinned.

"So are you two finally going out?" she asked them. Ron's ears turned crimson. Hermione blushed and nodded slightly as she nervously twiddled with Ron's fingers.

"It's about time!" she said then walked away. Hermione frowned slightly but just brushed it off. She began to feel a bit awkward though after Hannah Abott, Lavender Brown, Justin Fitch-Fletchey, Ernie McMillian, and Colin Creevey said the same exact thing Parvati said to them. She turned to Ron who wasn't looking the most comfortable either.

"Were we that obvious?" She asked him smiling. He shrugged and smiled back and they continued their way back to the common room.

Just as they reached the top of the marble stair-case, Ginny came bounding up to Hermione.

"Hermione guess what!?"

"What?" Hermione asked, laughing slightly the ecstatic on Ginny's face.

"Me and a few other Gryffindor girls asked McGonagall asked if we could have a slumber party in the common room tonight and she said yes!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Cool!" Hermione said.

"Yeah! McGonagall said that the boys could stay down with us until twelve but then they have to go up." She said with a bit of sadness in her voice that only Hermione heard. "But we can stay up as late as we want as long as we don't make a lot of noise!" She said on a happier note.

"Sounds like fun!" Hermione said.

"Come on! It's already seven thirty and the party starts at nine!" Ginny said beckoning Hermione to follow her.

"But-" Hermione glanced quickly at Ron. Ginny smirked.

"Oh come on, you'll see him there! We have so much to do in so little time!" And she grabbed Hermione's other hand and pulled her away. Hermione gave Ron an apologetic smile but he just smiled and said,

"Don't mention it! I'll see you later!" and Ginny pulled Hermione around the corner.

"Gah, Ginny, slow down! What's the rush!?"

"We, along with Parvati and Lavender have to set up the common room."

"What do you mean 'set up the common room'?" Hermione asked.

"Well the common room isn't really in a state for a slumber party now is it?"

"Why not?"

"You do know what a slumber party is right Hermione?" Ginny asked her as they stopped at the portrait of the fat lady.

"Of course I do!" Hermione said bewildered.

"Well, we have to move some stuff if 50 girls are going to be sleeping down there!" Ginny said.

"50 girls? Pixie Dust." Hermione asked as they climbed through the portrait hole. "There are defiantly more than 50 girls in Gryffindor!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you, McGonagall said only fourth years and up can sleep down there, she doesn't want the younger kids staying up that late. They have to go upstairs at ten."

"Oh."

"I don't reckon they'll want to stick around long anyways." Ginny said.

"And why's that?"

"Oh…I don't know…" Ginny trailed off then quickly changed the subject. "Hey Parvati!"

The four girls began moving all the couches and tables and chairs to the end of the room.

"So," Hermione said looking around at the now well cleared common room. "Where's everyone else?"

"Well," Ginny said. "Almost all the boys are sneaking into the kitchen one by one, getting bags of popcorn, and chips and punch and all that other good stuff for parties."

"Those poor house elves!" Hermione said.

"Hermione, get over yourself! You should have seen the look of their faces when I asked them if they minded doing a little extra work tonight! They were ecstatic! I don't think I've seen Winky that happy in…in…forever!" Ginny told her.

"Really?" Hermione asked unsurely. Ginny nodded.

"Why don't you guys decorate? I'll um…I'll be right back." Ginny said, and she hurried out of the room. Hermione looked at the other two girls who shrugged.

(With the boys in the Kitchens)

The boys stood in a line, working like an assembly line in a sort. The house elves would give Ron what he requested who would pass it to Harry, who'd pass it to Seamus, who'd pass it to Neville, who would almost spill it, who'd pass it to Colin, ect., ect., all the way down to Dennis, who passed it to Dean, who piled everything on an empty trolley cart he found, until it was full to the top. Then, he and Colin covered it with Harry's invisibility cloak and casually pushed it forward by walking into it, all the way to the Gryffindor common room. They were then greeted by a bunch of giggly girls who took the food and set it up on tables around the common room.

Finally, nine o'clock rolled around. They mingled around and chatted excitedly for the first hour, until ten o' clock came.

"Alright!" Ginny called. "All third years and younger, upstairs!" They groaned a little but did as they were told and headed upstairs. "The rest of the girls, come with me so we can bring our stuff down." Ginny told everyone.

Ten minutes later, the girls filtered down wearing, much to the boys delight, their pajamas and their hair tied up in high pony-tails. The girls settled into sleeping bags and blankets, forming a large circle while the boys sat around them.

Hermione sat on her pillow with her Teddy in her lap, and was shortly joined by Ron sitting next to her. Every body looked at Ginny, waiting for instruction, as she seemed to be the "party-planner". Sure enough, she was prepared.

"Alright, the first game is called 'Pure Truth'." She pulled a bottle, about the size of a baby food jar, with a clear liquid in it.

"Ginny! That's vertuiserum! Where did you get that?" Hermione asked wide eyed.

"Stole it from Snape of course!" she said. Harry looked at her in awe.

"How'd you do that?" He asked her.

"Fred and George aren't my siblings for nothing Harry." She told him flatly. "Now, here's how it works. I'll start, and then I'll choose some one to go next, and so on and so forth. Ok, I'll give you one drop of vertuiserum. It should last for about five minutes. You all know, that when given vertuiserum, when asked a question, you blab out the entire truth, or as I call it, 'pure truth'. Before you take it, you have to cover your ears while the rest of us come up with two questions to ask you. Then, we'll choose a 'designated asker' who will asked the two question's everyone has decided on. I'll give you the veruiserum, they'll ask you the two questions, you'll be forced to tell the pure truth to everyone, then you choose who goes next!" Ginny explained. She looked around. Some people looked scared, others looked excited. "Got it?" she asked. They all nodded. "Ok, I'll cover my ears while you guys come up with two questions, and two questions only to ask me. Ok? Go." And she covered her ear while the others began whispering to one another.

After much compromising, the Gryffindors came up with two questions and told Ginny to uncover her ears. She took one drop of vertuiserum and Parvati- the elected "asker" spoke.

"Ginny, what was your most embarrassing moment?"

"When I sent Harry that Valentine. I thought it would just say something like 'roses are red, violets are blue, I love you and I hope you love me too' and some how throw in his eyes like I requested. But they compared them to fresh-pickled toads of all things." Ginny said in disgust. "That was my most embarrassing moment."

Some laughed at the memory of Harry's face when he got that valentine.

"Ok." Parvati said. "The next question is; have you ever had a crush on anyone aside from Harry and Michael Corner? If so, who?"

"Well, first off, I never really like Michael. I just dated him to get my mind off Harry" Some gasped at this confession. "But I did like Dean for a short period of time." Dean blushed and Parvati's mouth gaped open. "Oh, and I like Lockhart, until I found out he was a fake of course. Oh, and when I was five, I liked that boy named Jake who my mum used to baby-sit."

"You did!?" Ron shouted as he made to get up, but Hermione pushed him back down and Parvati cut him off anyways.

"And the vertuiserum wears off in five, four, three, two, one! Well done Ginny!" Ginny blushed having realized what she had just blabbed for the last five minutes.

"Who's next?" asked Lavender excitedly.

"Hmm…" Ginny said sarcastically. "Hermione!" Hermione glared at her and reluctantly placed her hands over her ears. Everybody began whispering suggestions. All but Ron that is. He kind of hung back, getting the feeling that at least one of the questions that they came up with would some how involve him. After all, they had just started going out that afternoon. Wow. Ron thought. Just this afternoon. It seems so much longer than that. Parvati interrupted his thoughts though saying,

"Ok, so we all agree that the first question is what her worst fear is? Well, aside from anything that has to do with you-know-who?" They all murmured in agreement.

"That's a stupid question." Ron said. "I already know what her worst fear is aside from anything that has to do with you-know-who."

"You do?" asked Ginny. Ron nodded.

"What is it then?" asked Katie Bell.

"Well, I don't know if she wants anyone else to know, after all, it seems I'm the only one she's ever told."

"So wait, lemme get his straight." Harry said. "I've known her just as long as you have, and she's been your girlfriend for…" Harry checked his watch. "Five hours, and you already know more about her than I do!?" Ron thought for a moment. Did he just say she was my girlfriend? Well duh Ron, she is your girlfriend. It just sounds weird-in a good way. Not weird. Different-in a good way. He shrugged at Harry who just laughed. Ron had gotten even closer to Hermione over the past year, with Ginny and Harry gone a lot. They usually just talked late in to the night. Gee, he thought randomly, Hermione doesn't even need vertuiserum to get anything out of me. She just has to look at me. He glanced over at her. She had her hands over her ears, and the loose curls from her ponytail fell limply in her face as she hummed quietly looking at the ceiling.

"Well that's the point isn't it?" Lavender said. "To get the person to tell us something they normally wouldn't?" Ron shrugged again. "I guess."

"Ok, come on, we still have to come up with a second question." Again, the group began talking quickly and quietly. Ron scooted forward a bit to listen.

"You know what I've always wondered?" Ginny said. The others looked interestedly in her direction. "When she started liking Ron. I mean, it was obvious she had since at least fourth year, but I've always wondered if she liked him before that." The others nodded.

"So you guys want to have that as the second question?" Parvati asked. They nodded.

"Aw, come on you can't ask her that!" Ron protested, sticking up for his girlfriend.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because-because, it's probably private…or something!" Ron said.

"Oh lay off, Ron!" Seamus said. "You know you want to know too!" Yes, that was true, Ron did want to know the answer, but he didn't want to make Hermione do anything she didn't want to.

"But-" he was defeated. Lavender had nudged Hermione to uncover her ears. She glanced at Ron who was looking extremely uncomfortable. She was about to ask him what was wrong when Ginny said,

"Open up." Hermione opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue slightly and Ginny placed one drop of vertuiserum on it. Ron scooted back to his seat next to Hermione. She smiled at him.

"Ok Hermione, what is your worst fear, aside from anything that has to do with you-know-who?"

"Heights." Said Hermione and Ron in unison.

"Told you I knew." Ron said. But Hermione wasn't finished. "I've always wanted to fly, but I'm afraid." The others nodded in understanding. Ron however, frowned. She never told him she wanted to fly. He would have taken her. I still can actually. He thought. Maybe tomorrow.

"Alright," Parvati said. "Next question." Ron groaned but Parvati ignored it. Keen on hearing her answer though, he listened. "When did you first start having more than platonic feelings for Ron?"

"Hmm. Truthfully, that's a toughie."

"Well, duh truthfully, you drank vertuiserum!" Harry said. Ginny punched him and shushed him.

"Well," continued Hermione. "When I first met him on the train I thought he was cute. That's why I sort of hung around him and Harry a lot. But after we became friends after the troll incident, I kinda pushed it aside, I thought it was just some silly little crush. Now he was my best friend. I couldn't think of anything better. So I guess I sort of forgot about the crush after we became friends.

It came back though in second year, when he tried to hex Malfoy that day because he called me a mudblood. Again, I pushed those feeling away, telling myself that he was my best friend and nothing more. It was harder to push it away this time and it took quite a long time. I'm not sure really if I ever succeeded.

And then, it hit me again in third year. And it hit me hard. When Ron and I weren't talking for that long period of time, I broke down completely. I couldn't stand not talking to him. I knew I liked him, I really did. I just wouldn't admit it to myself. When we made up, I couldn't restrain myself and hugged him like my life depended on it." Ron blushed a bit. He was sure if Hermione knew what she was saying, she would be blushing too. "So third year was horrible for me because I knew he didn't like me the way I liked him, but I didn't like him that way, I always told myself.

Third year was bad, but fourth year was the worst. You have no idea how much I cried when Ron asked me to the ball and I already had a date. I cried even more knowing he only just realized I was a girl. He'd never like me. Never. But then I got to thinking that maybe he did. Maybe he was jealous of Victor. After all, he did get mad when I wrote to him. But I still couldn't believe that he would ever like me back. Even while thinking this, I wouldn't admit to myself that I had feelings for him. That's why I always bickered with him. Because I was trying to force myself not to like him. Even hate him if that's what it took for those sub-conscious little voices to go away.

Fifth year, more arguing, it was getting so hard to ignore my feelings for him. I thought I was going to die or just run up to him and blab everything. Yet still, I know it sounds crazy- I still wouldn't admit to myself that I liked him. I think I was afraid that If I admitted it to myself, then I'd have an even bigger burden of trying not to admit it to him. It was so complicated.

Sixth year. This year. I couldn't take it anymore. I completely gave up. I finally admitted to myself that I liked him. I couldn't ignore the butterflies in my stomach when I got near him or how I melt when he smiles at me, or how every time he touches me, whether it be on accident or intentional, makes me feel so warm and safe. Later I admitted this to Ginny. I was, and still am head-over-heals in love with Ronald Weasley." Ron was the darkest shade of crimson anyone could ever imagine.

Hermione continued. "So I had admitted it to myself, and Ginny, then Harry some how found out. They told me that he liked me too. But I couldn't believe it. It was impossible. Imaginable. That's why when he kissed me after we both mistakenly told each other the truth, and he kissed me, I ran. I couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true. But when reality hit me, I knew it was true. He asked me out, I said yes. That heavy weight just disappeared. Yes, I still get butterflies when I'm near him, and I still melt every time he smiles, and I still get that tingly sensation when he touches me, even though I know he loves me too. And I think I always will get that feeling because I know I'll always love him."

The vertuiserum wore off just as a loud chorus of "awww!" from all the girls erupted. Both Ron and Hermione were redder than a fresh-picked strawberry. Smiling slightly and blushing even harder if that were possible, Hermione hid her face in Ron's arm. He smiled and pulled her into his lap. She pulled in her feet and leaned against him while he hugged her.

"Alright, who do you want to go next Hermione?" asked Ginny. Hermione looked up at Ron.

"Wanna go?" She asked quietly.

"I'm gonna have to at some point, so sure, I guess." He covered his ears and once again, the others began whispering rapidly. Hermione didn't want to listen. She was too comfortable to move anyways. After about five minutes, Parvati told Hermione to tell Ron to uncover his ears. She looked up at him and tugged on his sweater. He took his hands on his ears and replaced his arms around Hermione. Ginny crawled over and gave him one drop of vertuiserum. For the third time, Parvati asked a question.

"Ron, what's the worst thing about having five older brothers?"

"Having to keep up and making a name for yourself. I have yet to find one, but I know I will some day. I mean, Bill's the best looking, Percy is the smartest, Fred and George are the funniest, and Charlie's the best at Quidditch. Me, I dunno, yet." Ron finished. Hermione looked up at him from her position in his lap. She knew it was hard on Ron having five older brothers and having to keep up with them, but she didn't know Ron hadn't found a name for himself yet. She knew what it was. She was about to tell him when-

"Your second question is, what do you like most about Hermione?" Hermione, who was still quite pink from her own confession blushed a bit more and fiddled with the heart at the end of her Teddy's necklace-collar.

"What do I like most about Hermione? Wow." Ron thought for a moment. "Everything." He said. "I love everything about her. There isn't anything I like most. Though, the first thing I noticed when I met her, was her eyes. I've never seen eyes so brown, that could hold so much emotion at one time. The other thing I noticed first about her was her smile. I could be having the worst day and all she'd have to do is smile and everything was fine. I was devastated when she changed that smile in fourth year, physically that is. But then I realized, even though it looked different, it still made everything better in the worst of times. After I got to know Hermione, the one thing I noticed first about her was how witty she was. I loved it and I still do." He gave Hermione a slight squeeze and she felt blood rushing into her cheeks again. "So what do I like most about Hermione? Everything, and nothing. In, my eyes, she's perfect. Even her imperfections are perfect. I love her for her perfections, and even more for her imperfections."

Everyone's mouth was hanging open. Even the boys. No one had ever really seen the sensitive side of Ron. Hermione had though. After the shock wore off, the girls of course 'awed' and the boys laughed at them. After another ten seconds, the vertuiserum wore off and Hermione felt Ron's heart beat faster. She chanced a look up at him. He was looking right at her. His face was pink and his ears crimson. She couldn't really make out the expression on his face though.

"You do have a name for yourself, Ron." She told him.

"What?" he asked.

"You said you haven't figured out a name for yourself yet. I have." He looked at her and tilted his head slightly to the left hinting for her to go on.

"Your Loyal, Ron. And most of all, you're the bravest." He still stared at her with that same expression.

"I don't think any of your brothers fought a troll, for a friend, or faced a three headed dog, or sacrificed himself in a game of physical chess, for his friend. Or risked his life, for his sister, or faced giant spiders, or chased after villans. I don't think they've ever fought death eaters, head on, for a friend. They've never done any of that Ron. You have, Ron, I know, because I've seen it." She finished. He smiled. She turned back around and leaned into him again. He hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks."

A/N: Ok, I know that the whole thing with Ron and what he likes most about Hermione thing was cheesy, but I had to get across how strongly he feels for her. Vertuiserum causes you to tell the 'pure' truth, so he was forced to tell them everything. Oh, and I didn't write out everyone taking the vertuiserum because that would take forever- so just pretend they did. This was supposed to be just one chapter, but It came out longer than I expected so the next chapter is a continuation of the slumber party called "Spin the Bottle and Girl Talk". I'll update as soon as I can! Review please!