"Disclaimer"

Ron was finally free after a week of over-pampering and Hermione's attempts to keep him up with his classes. The only thing he liked about being trapped in that old cot was the time he got to spend away from class, and the time he was able to spend talking with his friends. Hagrid dropped by a few times, bringing rock candy and brick fudge, which Madam Pomfrey quickly disposed of after he left. This delighted Hagrid, who kept bringing more, thinking Ron had eaten it all.

They all gave him updates on Draco's awaiting trial, and he even got as far as telling Harry what had happened with Aster when they were alone the day he awoke. It was hard enough to refrain from repeating what he had overheard her saying to Madam Pomfrey. He couldn't not tell Harry about what happened on his bed that day. It happened to be what they were discussing at that moment in the common room. It was plenty late, so there weren't any people around to overhear their chatting.

"It was bloody amazing, Harry," Ron gushed. "She's bloody amazing!"

"I gathered that much, Ron. You said it three times, already." Harry was putting away the pieces of the Wizard's Chess set Ron had given him a couple years ago. "And, what you told me is great, but what happens now?" Harry grinned evilly, and Ron threw a pillow at his head.

"Of course you had to mention that! You couldn't just let me enjoy what had already happened could you?" Ron could feel his ears burning as he tried to hide his nervous grin behind an annoyed frown.

"Well, if you like her THAT much, you can't just leave everything where it is, can you?"

"I didn't say I wanted to," Ron spouted, but he knew Harry could see through him.

"Right, and that's why you're scared out of your bloody wits!" Harry put away the chess set and flopped back into one of the common room's cozy chairs.

Ron thought about that for a moment. He wouldn't know what to do next. Whenever he thought about it, his mind went utterly blank and he just got this stupid grin on his face. Although he was kind of glad that Harry was the one to bring up the whole issue, he didn't know what to say about it. He was feeling so many things that couldn't be put into words. Not a big stretch for him, really. But, Aster was so close to becoming an actual relationship, he didn't want to mess it up.

"Yeah," he muttered, "and I don't have a friggin' clue."

Harry chuckled. "You have to get her alone again."

"Oh?" Ron raised his eyebrows.

"If you get her alone, you're more likely to babble about stuff, and eventually you'll tell her something you want her to know," Harry said with a shrug.

"Oh, that's so helpful, Potter!" Ron dripped sarcasm with his words.

Harry just grinned and scratched his hand through his rumpled hair. "Well, she'll open up too, you know. And you already saw what girls are like when they get emotional." Harry raised his own dark brows suggestively. "Trust me. It can get better than that."

Ron knew it was going to happen, he felt it happening, and yet he couldn't stop it. His mouth fell open like his jaw had come unhinged. "Do you mean...?" Harry nodded, his smile was a cocky and goofy grin all at the same time. "Hermione?"

"The day I told her how I felt, she was all over me." Harry looked wistful. "She's a Virgo, Ron. Virgos are all orderly most of the time, but they have hidden desires to be bad, if you catch my drift."

"Have you-"

"No," Harry shook his head vigorously. "She's still Hermione."

Ron nodded. His stomach contracted at the idea of being alone with Aster in that way again, maybe even more so this time. "So, how do I get her alone?"

Harry grinned and leaned closer, his eyes lighting up with Potter mischief. "That part's easy..."

---

This was it. It was Friday evening. It was time to put his plan into action. Well, it was time to put Harry's plan into action. He had to get Aster away from everyone so he could talk to her alone. Then he was on his own, Harry just shrugged when Ron asked him what to do after. But, it couldn't be that hard, he just had to talk to her. He just had to tell her that he wanted to be with her; that he wanted to take the next step and declare them a couple. Bloody Hell! He thought to himself. What am I getting myself into?

He was waiting by the entrance of the Great Hall like he did that day they went to Hagrid's. On the day Ron found out she was part of a 'kind' that couldn't attend Hogwarts at one time. He still wondered about that, rather proud of the fact that he hadn't told Harry anything about it. He wondered whether she'd tell him the whole story if they became a twosome. Not that it was the reason he why he wanted to.

He was pacing anxiously, and his hands were all sweaty again. He wiped them in his robes, knowing he'd want to take her dainty fingers in one of them when she met him there. Looking around, he wondered what was keeping her. He'd given Hermione a note to put on her pillow the night before. Hermione promised to do so, giggling all the while. It told her to meet him by the Great Hall an hour after dinner.

Insecurities swam through his mind while he waited. She was fifteen minutes late by the time he saw her jogging down the corridor toward him, her robes flapping behind her. There was a clear smile on her face and her eyes brightened when she saw him standing there. That and the fact that she was running toward him raised his confidence a notch.

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped when she stopped abruptly next to him, looking very flushed. "I was talking to Madam Pomfrey, and she started lecturing me. I'm really, really sorry I'm late."

Ron smiled and put his arm boldly around her shoulder, feeling rather shaky and trying not to express his triumph when she leaned into him. "It's okay." He looked over at the little beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. "Did you run all the bloody way here?" He laughed, running his hand down the side of her face. The fluid covering his fingers was pink. Looking at her, he wondered if it might be makeup.

"Yeah," she panted, stopping when she saw what was distracting him. A wave of fear washed over her face, and she quickly wiped it with the sleeve of her robes. "Um, so why exactly did you want to see me?" She said quickly.

Forgetting his rouge-covered hand, he attempted to play coy. "No reason. I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a walk." I sound like such an idiot!

"Sure," she beamed at him, putting her arm around his waist as they headed down the steps of the front entrance.

This is going well, Ron smiled to himself. Too bad he was still scared out of his mind. The air was thick outside. It was rather muggy for early November and Ron was wishing he had stopped to change into his muggle clothes before going out. It didn't really matter though, he forgot about the whole issue when he and Aster started up a conversation about muggle schooling.

"So, you learn about science and numbers and stuff? Why go to school for something like that? I mean, what's the point?"

"To a muggle there's plenty of point. There is no magic in the muggle world, so they have to get by in other ways. For one thing, knowing about science can help muggles heal each other. I like that I got to go to both schools. There are so many different things to learn. And, there are some things that you'd learn in muggle school that you'd never hear of here at Hogwarts."

Ron snorted. "Oh yeah, like what?"

"Well, there are music classes, art classes, and language classes." She paused a minute before saying, "And there are sexual education classes."

She giggled as Ron's mouth flew open and glubbed like a goldfish's. "You learn about sex in school?" She nodded at him, a wicked grin still plastered across her face. "Sex? In school?" She nodded again, and he gulped. "So, is this just where you're from? Or, is it in all muggle schools?" Now he was ready to die of fear. She was educated in sex!

"Just in Newfoundland, you mean?" It was his turn to nod. "No. Plenty of muggle schools have these classes."

He found it odd how she pronounced 'Newfoundland.' It sounded more like she was saying 'New Finland.' She had laughed at him when he'd asked her what language they spoke there, and why Dumbledore had told everyone she was from Canada.

"You still talk weird, you know," he quipped, knowing his poking fun at her dialect would get a rise out of her, and that it would direct their conversation away from more volatile topics. He'd done it plenty of times before, and he loved her temper. "No wonder you can understand Hagrid so bloody well."

What she didn't know was that her voice fascinated him. It was like watery Irish with a slight drawl to it, even though she had the tendency to speak rather fast sometimes. It made him shiver when she used the right tones. Especially when she sang, which he heard her doing late when the common room was quiet and empty. She had the voice of a Siren, a beautiful Siren from a small fishing town in Canada. What a fantasy....

Smack! Something hit him roughly in the shoulder. It was her fist. She'd punched him hard, making his collar bone sting. He crumpled over, as he clutched his right arm with his left, laughing the word 'ow' a couple of times. "That was brutal!"

"And it's what you get for being such a bloody idiot," she jabbed, mimicking his own accent.

She squealed as he lunged at her, dancing away from him. That's when the chase began. Aster took off, grinning as she darted away from Ron's outstretched arms. He went after her, yelling out playful remarks and daring her to come back and face him. Watching her long legs spring across the grounds, he noticed that she was heading for the trees of the dark forest. An alarm went off in the back of his head when she disappeared into the thick brush, but was dismissed when she poked her head back out and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Aster..." He called out in a singsong voice, as he crept under the canopy of leaves. He knew it was going to turn into a game of hide and seek, as he heard giggling and snapping twigs somewhere to his right. "Come on, Aster. I'll find you eventually anyway." He could hear her moving deeper into the trees. "I'll sniff you out! I'll just follow the smell of oranges!" He smiled when he heard her giggling again.

He stopped to listen for a moment. She was ahead and to his right, he could hear twigs cracking as they were probably getting caught in her robes. Snap! Ron froze. That particular branch broke loudly behind him. Grimacing, he turned around, preparing to face the most ugly and hideous monster the dark forest could spit out.

There was nothing there. That is until he caught a glimmer of metal in the distance. Well, that's what he thought it was anyway. It was there and gone so quickly, it was rather hard to tell.

Still a little nervous, he shrugged it off as some harmless critter minding its own business. Turning back toward Aster's direction, he began to trek through the trees again. After calling out to her for a few moments, the small sense of urgency he felt before expanded when he didn't hear any trace of her movement. He strained to hear a faint titter or the slightest swish of the heavy robes she wore. He heard nothing.

Cursing, he picked up his pace, looking around a little more frantically. Evil things could be lurking within this darkness. He was well aware of that. Would Aster be able to deal with some of them? Would either of them? He was suddenly regretting his rash decision to play in the trees. Shouting out to her, he stomped around aimlessly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her incandescent face through the thick brush.

Ron's clothes started to cling to him due to perspiration and humid air, and his unruly red locks began to stick to his forehead. But, he didn't care that much. He kept picturing his girl in the clutches of an ugly Acromantula, or being carted off by an angry Troll. He knew he was probably overreacting, and Aster was probably off singing to Fairies. Still, he could not shake the feeling that something very bad was going to happen.

"Huuoof!" Ron was suddenly thrown to the ground by a snickering beast with long, curly hair. It held his hands to the ground above his head and looked down upon him with an air of superiority. Straddling his hips, its eyes were filled with mad glee as a smirk appeared upon its face.

"Gotcha!" It said triumphantly.

"Bloody Hell! Aster, you scared the shit out of me!" A cool, prickling sense of relief washed over him. There was no monster jumping out at him from the dark. It was Aster, which also meant she was okay. Then various parts of his body began to flutter, as he had noticed their compromising position.

"Yeah, but I still gotcha!" She wiggled against him as she danced a little victory dance, her hair bouncing around her.

"That's what you think!" Breaking free of the hands on his wrist, he gripped hers and flipped over, reversing the position. She didn't resist. She just looked up at him thoughtfully as he looked down at her, examining the perfection that lay beneath him. "You're beautiful," he murmured.

She blushed and smiled. "So are you," she said simply, slipping her hand out of Ron's grasp and reaching up to brush hair out of his eyes.

He didn't know how to reply to that comment with words. Words are cheap, he thought as he smiled to himself. Her feline-featured face looked up at him expectantly, so he acted.

Slowly, and ever so gently, he pressed his mouth against hers. She responded, parting her lips slightly and gasping into him. Her hands wandered into his hair, and his slipped between her back and the mossy earth beneath. He was so anxious his legs were shaking.

Breaking away from the kiss, he swept small pecks all over her face a neck before meeting her lips again. It was heavenly. He didn't want this to end for anything in the world. Except, he had a thought...

He pulled himself away from her, reluctantly but quickly, leaving her visibly confused and a little hurt. Sliding off of her, he sat up. She did the same, looking at him questionably. He just gazed back at her for a moment, searching for the right words.

"I don't just think you're beautiful," Ron said finally, his voice quivering with emotion and nerves. Aster's face relaxed. "I think you're... everything." He said with a short laugh. Not wanting to see her reaction to his words, he stared at the ground in front of him.

"Ron," she cooed his name and put her hand on his face so he looked at her, much like he did in the infirmary. "I think the same about you," she whispered hoarsely in his ear as she rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He returned the embrace, noting the feel of her breasts against his chest, and the way her back curved as she pressed against him. He drew away far enough to kiss her again, harder this time. He wanted her to experience how he felt, so she'd know how intense it was for him. He knew she did already when he felt the tips over her nails grate along his back. This also made him aware of how much clothing there was between them. Hold back a little, Weasley, he thought. Take your time. You don't want to mess this up... too much.

Instead, he peppered kisses around her ears and down her throat until he reached the collar of her robes, and back again. His hands, still a little moist, swept up her back, across her shoulders, and along her arms. He nipped her skin and nibbled her lips, waiting for her to decide when to make the next move.

He didn't have to abide as long as he had feared. She was soon breaking away from him to slip out of her robe, revealing just how turned on she was, pressing against the thin material of her shirt and bra. He though those breasts were beautiful when they were covered and swooned at the prospect of seeing them in the flesh. That also sent a small wave of fear coursing through him. Kissing was one thing, but would he know how to do that right?

Ron didn't have time to think about it before she was reaching out to remove the heavy material that covered him. It felt so much better when she was back in his arms again. He could feel warmth radiating from her skin, giving him enough nerve to slip his hand under the back of her shirt and rest it against the small of her back. She moaned into his mouth as he gripped her hard, and darted her tongue quickly between his lips. Her hands, which had been absentmindedly massaging his neck and shoulders, slid down between them both.

Upon observation, Ron realized she was unbuttoning her blouse. This caused his blood to rush quickly in two obvious directions. While his face grew hot, so did a growing pressure in his pants. While the latter felt great, he wished it wouldn't happen. He wasn't ready to deal with that yet, not on this day. But, that didn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy himself.

Frozen, sitting on the cool ground, he watched her. She unbuttoned slowly, resting on her widely spread knees, her grey, pleated skirt hanging to mid-thigh. She was a bloody brilliant sight. He felt his mouth opening a little further with each button she unfastened. His head spun when he caught sight of her white, lace bra. Her breasts weren't as small as he had previously imagined, but they were still modest enough that there were probably times when she didn't need to wear support.

In the duskiness, her skin practically glowed as she slid the fully opened shirt down over her shoulders. She'd moved away from his while disrobing, just past arms reach. This let him take in the full sight of her. Her body was flushed just enough for him to make the distinction between the lace overlaying the almost-naked top half of her body and her pale flesh. Oh, how he wanted to be that lace.

His eyes roamed over her, noting every curvature, every defined peak or valley. Her shoulders were strong, but gracefully shaped. Her stomach was flat, but in a toned way, and its muscles rippled as she shifted on her knees, moving closer to him. He couldn't help but look at that lace.

"Do you want to?" Aster nodded down toward her chest, which Ron was quite obviously ogling.

His mouth dropped the rest of the way. Did he? Of course he did! Getting up on his own knees, thinking somewhere in the back of his mind that he'd have to explain away the dirt on them later, he reached his hand shakily toward her. He was so petrified, it made his entire body felt very cold for a moment. But, only for a moment...

Ron made contact with a soft, warm mound. She shuddered beneath his touch, making him shudder as well. He had no idea one small body part could cause so much pleasure. He gulped when she put her hand over his, instructing him to gently squeeze. He complied, feeling the total hardness of her nipple when he did.

She leaned into him, nuzzling his neck and grazing her stomach against his now-obvious erection. "No one has ever touched me like this before," she groaned into his ear, still holding his hand over her breast.

"I," he gulped again. "I've never touched anyone like this before." His voice squeaked a little, and he was having trouble breathing properly.

"Well, touch me more, Ron. Please?" She turned her crystalline eyes on his, showing him an animal hunger that would have been unsettling if it weren't so sexy.

He nodded dumbly, and heard her whimper as he slipped his fingers under her bra. He silenced it with his mouth, for fear her sounds of pleasure would make him lose it right then and there. Rubbing the hard, taunt flesh that met his fingers, he could feel her grinding her hips against him. He pulled himself away from her, letting out a small cry, as she bumped a certain sensitive area.

"Sorry,"she said huskily.

"It's okay," he panted, embracing her again, his hand still cupping her breast.

He was feeling more adventurous, and could read her body language enough to know that she wanted him to do it. So he did. Hesitantly, and with much fear, he let his spare hand travel under her skirt. Her breath hitched and her hips bucked as his palm grazed her inner thigh. She parted her legs a little more, and Ron could feel damp heat radiating from her center as he dragged a finger along the inner crease of her leg and tugged at the elastic on her underwear.

He almost came when he dipped under the material and felt her. He loved the sound she made in the back of her throat as he began to stroke the wetness between her legs. He knew where he should touch her. He couldn't have five older brothers and not know where to touch a woman, even if Percy wasn't much help.

"Fuck," she moaned, as she fell against him. He was teasing her, avoiding that little spot that would set her free. But, he wanted to explore her, get to know every piece of her flesh, and learn what made her groan and shudder.

Taking his hand away from her chest, he slid it down to the small of her back. The switch was so that he could support her when she could finally let go. Or, rather, when he finally caved in and did as she wanted.

Kissing her hard, so as to feel the vibrations of her cries, he finally made his way up to her sensitive nub. He flicked it a couple of times with his thumb, and she pressed herself against his hand, the muscles of her legs and groin quivering. Pressing the tops of his fingers against her core, he began to make a circular movement with his hand.

Breaking away from his kiss, she burrowed her head into his shoulder. Panting and moaning words of pleasure in his ear, she moved her hand down to cover his, following the motion and forcing him to press harder. Wrapping her other arm around his neck, her cries became louder.

Ron felt like he'd die from anticipation. The pressure beneath his trousers was continuously building, but this was all about her. He wanted to see her face when she climaxed and hear her coo with pleasure. He could deal with his own frustration later if need be. He concentrated on her. He felt her delicate skin slick and hot beneath his fingers. Her breasts grazed his chest, and her breath was sultry against his neck. Her breathing was becoming more labored and she was moaning his name loudly. By the way she was bumping against him, he knew it would be any second now.

Throwing her head back, she shrieked into the darkness. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth was opened wide as she yelled in tune with the jolts of pleasure that rocked her body. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she clutched against him and spasmed into his hand. Her lips crushed against his as she came, letting him taste the sweetness of her summit with his tongue.

This was too much for Ron. He could hold back no longer. The flood gates let go and he was reaching a peak of his own. Pulling her closer, he jerked against her body. Gasping in the kiss that had sealed her ecstasy only a second before, he fell back onto the ground, pulling her down on top of him. The weight of her body pressed against his twitching groin, and he finished feeling shrouded by her and her citrus musk.

Panting heavily, they lay there for a while, Ron playing with her dark hair and tracing circles on her bare back. She sighed contentedly, before sliding up and kissing him lovingly. He nipped her lip, and she growled suggestively. Ron's skin felt aflame as she nibbled his earlobe and traveled her tongue down his neck to his collar bone. Sitting up and resting her weight on the hands she had placed on his chest, she started to grind slowly against the button of his pants.

Gripping her hips, he grinned at her. "Again?" She nodded silently, smiling wickedly.

"Actually, I think that's quite enough!" A deep, angry voice boomed from behind Aster. Both of them gasped, seeing an infuriated face, looking very dangerous and accompanied by a gleaming, silver blade.

There's your "R-rated" material! I had to put in some snogging! This chapter leads to something else... which has nothing to do with sex. Let me know what you think. I've never written anything like that before. PLEASE review! ::puppy eyes::

Chances are I'll find something to edit in it anyway.

I have to have one more review before I'll post the next chapter. There'll be more character development in it.