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Chapter Six

Hermione and Ron didn't leave the hospital wing until the end of the week. The first lesson Hermione had when she got back was Magical Crime and Punishment. When she walked into the classroom, Mr. Pronheart was just about to stand up from his desk to greet the class.

"Sorry I'm late," she said apologetically.

"As long as it doesn't happen again Miss Granger." Professor Pronheart had short, straight brown hair and was lightly built. He often wore practical robes rather then fashionable ones, which restricted free movement. He was a strict and firm but also made classes interesting, and he was one Hermione's favourite teachers. Hermione sat down at her usual seat. When class had finished Hermione gathered her things and walked over to Mr. Pronheart's desk.

Seeing her, he asked, "How are you feeling Miss Granger?"

"Much better. I'm just glad to be out of the hospital bed. What did we do while I was away?"

"I kept a copy of the work for you because I knew you would want them." He handed her a small pile of papers. "Basically we finished covering different laws and now we're moving on to punishments."

"Thankyou Professor." Hermione enjoyed learning about this so she was slightly put out she had missed it but reminded herself she would be learning about punishments next which cheered her up. As she walked out of the room she thought about the subject. She was glad she had done it. She was not sure what she wanted to do in the future but was thinking along the lines of Law. She knew later on they will be covering different ways of tracing illegal magic.

She was too busy thinking that she didn't see Peeves, who was pouring at random students jugs of pumpkin juice who were walking in that corridor. He had just finished pouring some on a group of fourth year girls who squealed so shrilly that Hermione woke up from her dreamy daze. Too late she realised Peeves was floating her way.

"Noo Peeves!!" She yelled as he tipped half a jug on her head. "Arghh!! You idiot, I'm covered in it now." But far from being ashamed or guilty he just cackled and poured the rest on her. Running out of the hallway before he could pour anymore on her, she only stopped when she was she was sure he hadn't followed her. Deciding that she felt like having a shower instead of just using magic to get it off, she went straight to the Fat Lady portrait.

"Fiddlesticks." She entered the hole behind the portrait and headed straight to her dormitory, then the bathroom. Ron seeing her enter through the doorway walked into the bathroom.

"What happened to you?" he asked laughing but concerned.

"Peeves," she replied angrily. "Can you please leave so I can have a shower?" she snapped. He left laughing. Hermione slammed the door on his departing back and began to undress, irritated.

It was two mornings after leaving hospital wing. It was a bright day and most people were enjoying their Sunday morning outside. Ron and Harry were sitting inside the common room having recently come back from breakfast. Suddenly Ron remembered it was Hermione's birthday the following day. He turned to Harry and said urgently;

"Hey Harry did you remember it's Hermione's birthday tomorrow?"

"Oh! I completely forgot with everything else going on. Damn- what do you wanna do?"

"Well I think we should have a party or something in here. We should do it tonight though cause tomorrow we got detention with McGonagall so we can't." Ron and Harry had been given detention 4 out of 7 days for three weeks so most of their remaining time was spent on homework or Quidditch practices. Harry had to hold most of these practices in early afternoon so he and Ron could go before and be ready to go to detention later on in the night.

Harry thought for a moment. "Yeah...ok, good idea! Lets make it a surprise party," he said.

"Ok," replied Ron.

Harry frowned as he thought about something." Hey... um we're gonna need food, and decorations and stuff... it could be hard..."

"Oh..." said Ron. Then his face brightened. "That's no problem! We can go to the kitchens, the elves'll give us whatever we want, they can't wait to help, you know what they're like. You could also go down to Hogsmeade through that passage to get some stuff like butterbeer. And for decorations and stuff we can always make things - posters and all that, and I'm sure I saw a box of old Christmas decorations around here somewhere before..." Ron trailed off, thinking, his head filled with excited plans.

"Ok I'll get the foods and you'll get the decorations. I'll go around lunchtime and you can tell Hermione I was just feeling tired and decided to sleep for awhile. Then when I have everything I'll get Hermione to help me with some essay and you can find the decorations and stuff. Oh, you can also tell everyone bout the party but just make sure no one tells her. You then can come back and distract her for awhile and I'll get Ginny to help me decorate here." said Harry after some thought. "Hopefully she won't get suspicious at our sudden disappearances."

"Yeah, alright, sounds ok. How about presents? Do you have yours?"

"Yeah, I ordered her it a month ago from one of those catalogue things. It's a book called '1021 useful spells or everyday life'. I was lucky I ordered it because it only came out last week and they were selling like mad. How bout you? What did you get her? Half a dozen roses, your declaration of undying love for her, and a good snog?" asked Harry smirking.

Ron felt himself go red and said in an annoyed voice, "Harry for the last time, I do not like her and she definitely does not like me any more then a friend so just cut it out."

"Sure Ron, and Voldemort's a fluffy white bunny rabbit." Harry rolled his eyes.

Harry and Ron broke off their conversation abruptly as Hermione entered the room, looking slightly harassed.

"Hi guys," she said, stopping at their spot. "What are you talking about?"

Harry forced down a gleeful grin. "Err... quidditch," he said with feigned innocence.

"What? Oh - yeah, quidditch," said Ron hastily as Hermione looked at him.

"Oh, ok," she replied. "Um, has either of you seen my Magical Crime and Punishment textbook? I need to finish my homework by tomorrow."

"Maybe you left it upstairs?" suggested Ron after a pause.

Hermione thought. "Yeah, maybe... actually I think I left it on my bed after lunch - I'll go upstairs and check. Hey - don't you guys have homework?"

"We'll do it later," replied Harry.

"Ok, well see you later then," said Hermione holding back a lecture about not leaving it till the last minute. She gave them a quick wave and hurried up the stairs, closing the wooden door behind her.

Ron was trying to keep Hermione inside her dormitory. They were up to last part of their plan, distracting her as Harry and Ginny get the common room ready. He had already gotten all the decorations out and the food was ready, all that needed to happen now was for it to be completely finished. People were still coming in, and Harry and Ginny were flat out trying to get them into position, and preventing them from making too much noise. Ron wished that they'd hurry up. He knew they couldn't help it, but Hermione was already getting agitated.

"No, you should stay and do your homework in the peace and quiet of your room," he said in a hurry as she was about to leave and go downstairs.

She eyed him suspiciously, "Are you feeling all right? Since when do you care about homework??"

"Well, umm, I really need your help on this transfiguration homework," he said successfully distracting her.

"You really should be doing it yourself. You'll never learn if I keep doing it for you," she said disapprovingly.

"Hermione, please, I didn't say you had to do it for me, just help me a bit. It's due tomorrow morning. Please," he looked at her pleadingly and she couldn't resist. 'He looks so cute when he looks at me like that. Wait did I just think that, I must sleep deprived or something because I cannot possible think of Ron as cute.'

He managed to get her to stay and help him but she kept muttering stuff about leaving it so late and next time he's doing it by himself. When they had finished Hermione decided to go and have a shower. Ron thought to himself, 'She would probably take at least 15 minutes so I think I might go downstairs and have a quick look and see how they're getting on.'

The common room had been transformed from it's boring and tidy self to a colourful festive room full of flashing fairy lights and a big banner saying 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERMIONE!!!' There was balloons that self inflate and last for 6 months, all sorts of sweets from Honeydukes, bottles of butterbeer, streamers that changed colour, tables laden with food. It was barely recognizable. As he continued to look around he realised that almost all of Gryffindor were present.

"You guys did a great job! It looks fantastic!" he said to Harry and Ginny, his eyes still taking it in.

"Yeah imagine her face when she sees it," said Ginny excitedly.

"So you guys ready then?" Harry and Ginny had a last look around and nodded.

"Ok, I'll go and get her then." He returned upstairs just in time to find Hermione leaving her dormitory.

"Are you going downstairs?" he asked her.

"Yeah I was going to go down for awhile then go up to bed early. I'm a bit tired," she yawned as if proving her point.

"No you can't do that!" he said in a hurry.

"Ok, what's wrong with you? You've been acting weird all day."

"Um nothing." he said not very convincingly. "Let's just go downstairs."

"No, I'm going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong." she crossed her arms and a stubborn look came over her face.

Ron recognized that look and groaned. How was he going to get her downstairs without giving it away. She won't believe him if he said he was feeling sick or tired.

"Umm, well ok fine, I'll tell you. Just promise you won't get mad." he made himself appear defeated.

She scowled at him but he could see a glint of triumph in her eyes. "Promise I won't get mad at what?"

"Well, me and Harry were trying to think of a way to get back at Malfoy for that fight and I was worried you'd find out." He flinched at what he knew was going to come.

"You what?!? Didn't I tell you to leave it before you went off and decided to fight him! And you wanna get him back again! Didn't you learn your lesson after almost getting yourself beaten to death!" she screamed. "I would of thought Harry had more sense." She looked so outraged that Ron shrank back apprehensively. But she said annoyed him.

"What's that supposed to mean? Harry has sense and I don't?" he asked forgetting to look defeated and sheepish.

"W- well nothing except we all know you've got a bit of temper." She knew she had said the wrong thing and insulted Ron without even realising it. "I'm going to go and find Harry now and talk him out of it," she said hoping to distract him from what she said. She started to head downstairs when Ron remembered that he was meant to be getting her down there to begin with and sighed in relief that he did not have to give it away. 'Wonder what she meant though when she said Harry has enough sense. Does she think I don't or something.' He decided to let it go and followed her.

They were still going down the stairs when he realised she had stop after he banged into her from behind. "SURPRISE!!!!!" he heard everyone yell. He also noticed that the common room had come into view and knew why she had stopped so suddenly. She started to slowly make her way down the stairs. Although he couldn't see her face he knew that she was in deep shock. When she finally got down the stairs she spun slowly around still gaping at everything. "What..." she began, agape, but she didn't get to finish her sentence.

"Happy Birthday Hermione!" said Ron now in front of her with Harry and Ginny. "Well, for tomorrow anyway."

"Is this all for me?"

"Yes, of course it is," Ginny answered as she giggled at her friend's face. She hugged her as she asked, "Do you like it?"

Hermione's eyes started to water and her mouth trembled. Ginny pulled away and looked at Harry and Ron. They glanced at each other nervously. Ron stepped forward, "Hermione.." he began unsure. She suddenly sobbed and threw herself forward to hug him. Ron just stood there in shock and didn't know what to do. "'Mione..." he said, unable to breathe.

"This is the best surprise ever!!! Thankyou." Everyone breathed out in relief. She let go of Ron and hugged Harry next. He was laughing at her reaction as he hugged her. "We thought we had upset you."

"No way! I love it! But when, how, why??? Well I know why but where did you get all this stuff and how did you do it? Wait, this is what you've been acting weird about all day. So that thing bout Draco isn't true?" she asked as realization hit her.

"No, I had to get you down here without you knowing why so I made that up." Harry and Ginny just stared at them blankly. She laughed and accepted a bottle of butterbeer that Seamus and Dean handed to her, who had just joined them.

"Happy Birthday for tomorrow," they said to her. Ron took this opportunity to slip away and get his present for her which he had left in his room. When he came back she was opening her presents from Harry and Ginny.

"Oh Ginny, this is beautiful." Ginny had gotten Hermione a gorgeous model of a Phoenix that shone in a magnificent red and orange. It flapped it's wings which were gold tipped and were actual real miniature feathers. It also stood for the Order of the Phoenix and although Ginny didn't actually say it they all knew it. Hermione hugged her again. Ginny said she was getting hungry so she decided to go and join Seamus and Dean who were at the table.

"Thanks also Harry, this is great. I was saving up to buy this but now I don't have to."

"Ah, Hermione this is from me." Ron handed her his present. "Hope you like it."

It was the size of a small book and pretty thin. 'Wonder what he got me.' For some reason she was more nervous and excited about receiving this present then the other two. She undid the badly wrapped gift, her hand shaking ever so slightly. Inside lay a photo of her, Harry and Ron, taken at the end of last year. In it, they were outside in the cold snowy grounds, Harry in the middle and herself and Ron on either side. They were hugging each other while facing the camera.

Then Ron threw a handful of snow that he had hidden in his hand at Hermione. She screamed in surprise as Harry and Ron fell to the ground laughing like maniacs at her reaction. They didn't see her scoop up a handful of snow and aim it at Ron, who stopped laughing abruptly as the cold stuff hit him squarely in the face. He straightened up and blinked in bewildered surprise. Hermione and Harry burst out laughing at him. Ron grinned and picked up as much snow as he could hold. Hermione shrieked and ran out of the picture with Ron chasing her, pelting her with snowballs. Harry just stood to one side, looking to where the now out of sight Ron and Hermione were obviously chasing each other still.

Hermione's gaze strayed away from the photograph and came to rest on the frame. It was beautifully, intricately carved; whoever made it had taken a lot of time. Her eyes lingered over the words etched into the wood: "Friends Forever."

"Ron, this is beautiful! I never knew you still had this picture!" she said in wonder.

"I was saving it for your birthday to give to you," he replied sheepishly.

Getting up, she stepped over to Ron and kissed him on the cheek. "Thankyou, it's wonderful," she said. Hermione turned and asked, "So, is there any more Butterbeer?" She felt rather surprised at her daring to kiss Ron. For some reason the thought of it made her heart beat faster, and her stomach give a little jolt.

However, what she didn't realise was that a certain redhead was thinking almost exactly the same thing.'She kissed me! Yay! Wait - I mean - no! She's my best friend, for heaven's sake, she's like a SISTER.. I do not like her in that - that way. Oh, so why do I wish it had been, well, more?'

The rest of the night was little more than a blur filled with noise and food. Danny and his friends were entertaining people by telling funny stories, and at the moment he was making people laugh hysterically with an uncanny imitation of Professor Snape. By three in the morning however most people, though still awake, were fairly quiet, the effects of the excitement having worn off somewhat. Only Danny seemed to be really energized still. But by half past three, even he had had enough and Hermione ordered people to go to bed. Ron was half asleep but protested, "Come on, Hermione, it's only one, lets keep going!" He stifled a huge yawn as he said it.

"No, Ron. It's been so much fun but if McGonagall finds out that we let this happen we'll be in big trouble," she said firmly.

"Oh alright, fair enough... ok, you lot, everyone off to bed, come on!" he said wearily, getting up and staggering towards the door with her.

Making sure that everyone was in bed took a while - quite a few people had to be woken up and literally dragged up the stairs. But finally, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were the only ones left. Harry and Ginny walked to the staircase that led to their dorms and Ron and Hermione walked towards theirs together too tired to talk.

They both entered their separate rooms and got ready for bed. Once Ron had finished putting on his pyjamas he looked at the clock - 3:47 am. With a jolt he realised that it was now Hermione's official birthday - in fact it had been for quite a while. He decided to go in and wish her a 'true' Happy Birthday. Knocking first - as previous experience had taught him - he walked in to find Hermione sitting on her bed in her nightie. She had placed the photo of them on her bedside table, facing her. Shifting his gaze from the picture he looked at Hermione. 'Wow she looks good in that - STOP IT!' he thought, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily in an attempt to banish the mental images he was having. Opening them, he found Hermione giving him a faintly quizzical look.

"Err - I just wanted to wish you an official Happy Birthday," he said, his voice sounding a little higher than usual. He cleared his throat and gestured limply at the clock on the wall. "'Cause, you know, it's like your real birthday now and everything..." he trailed off. He moved closer to the bed and sat down next to her, more confident now. "Hope you have a great day today," he said.

Hermione looked at him. "I did," she said. She shifted closer, almost unconsciously. "Thanks Ron."

The room was very dark - the soft light which partially illuminated it came from the silvery moon outside. Its cold beam fell upon Ron's face as she looked at him - somehow his eyes looked darker, more intense. Ron became aware of how quiet the room was, how close they were to each other. The soft, regular ticking of the clock sounded much louder than it should. He cleared his throat.

"You're welcome," he said. It came out as a choked whisper. He looked at her, really looked at her, and his stomach flipped over as he gazed into her deep brown eyes.

Hermione caught her breath, and her heart began to beat a little faster. Her hand shook a little as she reached up and brushed a section of Ron's hair out of his eyes. Her palm came to rest on his cheek. Ron couldn't tear his gaze away from her. The feeling of her hand on his face made his stomach turn with hot, heady excitement. They were so close - Ron could almost feel her body heat.

They began to lean in - closer, closer - Ron made to put his arm around Hermione, and was almost there when Hermione's elbow moved back, knocking the photograph off the table. The noise made them jump apart, nervously avoiding each other's eyes as each contemplated what had just happened. Ron leapt up off the bed and said shakily,

"So - err - happy birthday, um, I mean - I'm, err, going to bed now. Um. Night,"

Hermione replaced the photograph with a hand that trembled.

"Yeah - um - night," she replied. Her voice sounded unnatural, as if she was listening to the words coming from someone elses mouth. She said it casually enough; but she watched Ron's departing back until the door closed behind him.

She stared blankly at the door for a few minutes, her numb brain struggling to find a logical explanation for what had just happened, part of her wishing that Ron was still there. Then she flung herself backwards onto her bed and lay there with here eyes tight shut, her confused thoughts running circles in her brain like a mad terrier chasing its tail. 'Did what I think just happen? We were - he was - I was - we were going to - no, no, no! We were NOT! Impossible! It was probably just the excitement of the party or something. He does not like me that way!!! And I don't like him either.

With Ron in her head, she fell asleep.' Her last thought, as she drifted off was,

'I wonder if he does ...'

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