Disclaimer: Nothing owned, here. Pay all the gratitude to JK Rowling.

A/N: thanks everyone for your phenomenal reviews! I'm sorry I started this late, but my weeks have been hectic and sorry bout that. Anyways, I'm also really sorry about the anonymous reviews thing. I thought I allowed them, but I guess I didn't. Now it's changed so anyone can review, even anonymously. Please review! And enjoy this chapter! I loved this chapter!

Chapter 6: Confessions at a Midnight Luau

If emotions were weather, then they definitely knew how Ron and Hermione were feeling. Thunder clouds were booming outside, and had been booming outside for the past 2 hours, and rain was pounding every inch of the beach. Lightning struck a few times that lit up the entire hotel, and the atmosphere was very depressing. It was as if someone had died, and the weather had held a funeral in its wake. The palm trees swayed in the violent wind and South Shore looked a lot different than it had a few hours ago. Before when everything was simpler, happier.

They had all been restricted from the beach for those few hours, and were all secretly praying hard that the weather wouldn't cancel out the luau that would be held in just 4 hours time, on the beach just outside their hotel. McGonagall had threatened to snap the wand of anyone who would be so foolish as to leave the hotel building for any means, and while she said this, she cast a glare towards Fred and George, both of whom winked at their girlfriend or fiancée and tried to smile innocently.

Hermione had come back to her room just 20 minutes after her fight with Ron. She hadn't told the girls anything that happened, just went into the room, and sobbed into a pillow, yelling into it as if to make everything alright again. She wanted to take back everything that had happened, everything from lying to Ron to kissing Malfoy in the first place. She just wanted things to be the way they were before anything, before all the complications of life.

But deep down, she knew things would never be the same. She didn't really know if Ron had it in his heart to forgive her. She had gotten over her anger the instant he walked away and replaced it instead with flat out depression and sadness. She felt she had lost him, and to her, that was even worse than being angry with him at all. Why had she blown up at him like that? Why does she have to get so defensive every time he brings up Viktor?

She didn't know the answers this day, but maybe one day she would. She just hoped that say would come sooner rather than later. She needed to find herself, the answers within, and she knew that it might take some time.

She sighed deeply, and watched as a single last tear fell from her face. She just rolled over on her bed so now she was on her back, staring up at the ceiling, eyes red from crying for 2 hours straight, and she was now completely lost in thought.

Ron came into his room an hour after he and Hermione had fought, slamming the door behind him in his wake, and he was completely soaked from the rain. The rain had started the instant he had stormed off from Hermione, and he knew if he headed back to the hotel, he might run into her and that was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. So instead, he found a bench along the beach, and laid down on it, on his back, his frontal body towards the falling rain.

He had been thinking about his anger. His temper got the best of him sometimes, a lot of times actually, usually in the worst-case scenarios, too. With Hermione, they seemed to come more frequent. He wasn't the guy many people came to with relationship advice or asked for when it came to emotions, because he wasn't fully in tune with how he truly felt sometimes.

His stomach was in tight knots and he felt like crying. Being the tough guy he was and wanted to be, he had used some Gryffindor courage to hold back his tears, even though it only hurt him more internally. He felt like his heart had been torn in two, and someone was trying to staple it back together, but was having a hard time doing so, and had to keep taking out the staples and readjusting them, which made holes and made the pain all the more worse.

Once he snapped himself back into his own reality, and the fact that his clothes were now dripping wet inside and out, he sulked back up to his hotel room, a little anger resurfacing as he traced the moment back in his brain, and that's when he came into his room, angered and hurt. He just threw the other guys (who were playing poker) a look that said "I-don't-want-to-talk-to-anyone" and just went to the couch, muttering things to himself.

He didn't know that Ginny had called Harry and told him everything that eventually she caved in Hermione to tell her. Harry had no idea where Ron had been, but he knew better than to ask him. Instead, however, he decided against it.

"Ron. What did you do and how will it affect the rest of us?" Harry asked him, solemnly.

Ron stared at him blankly. He always knew. How did he always know? "I fought with Hermione." He mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Oh. That's it? You guys always fight. How is it that you're so miserable this time?"

"I think I may have screwed things up with her. For good." He sighed, unhappy.

"Dear God, what caused it and what happened?" Harry was trying not to sound amused. Those two were crazy in love, and neither realized the other felt the same way. It was all very amusing, and he knew it would never be over between them.

"She kissed Malfoy last year. Twice." Harry gaped at him. "Let me finish. We ran into him on the beach and when I found out, I took it hard. I was very heated and angered, and even though I was sure that it really had been nothing, it still hurt me, Harry. I stormed off, and said some stuff I didn't mean. But I only said it because I was mad, and heartbroken. I'm the one she's supposed to be with. No one else. Me. Just me and her, together, forever. She's my soulmate, Harry, I know it." He was a little embarrassed that he had just admitted what he promised he would tell no one, and now was more depressed than ever.

And as though the outdoors had heard his words, the storm stopped brewing outside, and the clouds began to clear. Did Ron have more power than anyone ever realized?

"Mate, you've got to tell her." Harry looked him in the eye, not blinking. He knew Ron was sincere about everything he had just said, and he didn't want to embarrass him. He knew the sooner he got those two together, the less stress it would be on everyone.

"I can't. I ruined it."

"Hey, no you didn't. I can prove it to you, too. It's stopped raining and the sun is coming out. I'm positive that the Luau will still be on. Talk to her there, secluded or something. Open your heart to her, Ron. I can guarantee hers will be open for you, too." Harry tried to smile to comfort his friend. The red head sulked.

"You're off your rocker, you know that?"

"So you're going?" he sounded hopeful. This would be only too easy.

"And see her there? Absolutely not. I prefer it here, alone, Hermione-less, thanks."

"Ginny called before and said Hermione didn't want to go. She said she couldn't convince her out of it and that it would just be her and the other 2, if I was interested." Harry lied, trying to maintain eye contact. Ron, thick as he was, had a talent for telling when people lied to him.

"Honest?" the red headed boy asked, looking both disappointed by this bit of information, yet hopeful.

Harry crossed his fingers. "Yeah. So come on, we only get a trip once a year. Live a little!" he hit him in the head with a pillow.

"Fine, but only 'cause she won't be there. I can't think straight with her around."

"Mate, you can't think straight period."

"Sod off, Harry." And he smiled. This is great. Harry thought. He believed me. He'll be dead pissed when he finds out I lied to him. But it's for his own good. I can't take those two fighting all the time! I can only hope this plan works out to the way we planned. I wonder how Ginny's doing on convincing Hermione...

"Ginny. I'm not going, okay? You heard how I ruined things with Ron. I can't look him in the eye right now. He said some things that were just... that I don't even want to think about. He doesn't want to see me and I don't want to see him." Hermione pouted into her pillow, sitting on the couch now, knees pulled up against her chest and she was hugging a pillow. Her eyes were red from crying so much, but it seemed to lessen now that she had finally calmed down.

"Hermione. I know for a fact that you didn't ruin things with him. So calm down, and just come with us, will you? Have some fun." Ginny smiled weakly, trying to comfort and convince her, hoping she wouldn't have to lie.

"I'm not going, Gin. I told you already, I can't see him right now. I just can't." She sounded a little annoyed, worried her friend didn't hear her well.

"Who says you have to see him?" she smiled, again.

"What are you getting at?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Harry called before when you were in the bathroom, told me Ron didn't feel like going either. He couldn't convince him out of it. He told me it would just be him, Seamus, and Neville, if I was interested." She rolled her eyes for effect. "So, Ron won't be there."

Hermione looked up from her pillow. "He- He won't?" she perked up slightly, but wasn't sure if she had understood her correctly.

"No, he won't. Wanna make it a girls' night out then?"

"I don't know, Gin... I'm still trying to recover a bit. I think I just need a little time to myself right now."

"C'mon, it'll be a blast. We can toy with boys' minds, dance until the sun comes up, or at least till McGonnagal tells us to go to bed, and we can just relax. Hawaiian-style! What do you say? Please? Please?" she half-pleaded, half laughed. She pouted her lower lip out childishly, and Hermione laughed at her.

"Fine. But only 'cause he won't be there and I don't want you pleading ever again, Ginerva Weasley!" she laughed.

"Deal! C'mon, now we only have 2 ½ hours, now go get ready!" and she pointed Hermione in the direction of the bathroom. Hermione got up, dried her eyes, and walked off, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Two and a half hours, and toms of make-up later, the four girls were on their way down to the Midnight Beach Bash Luau right outside their hotel, walking with arms linked, laughing and smiling widely. Hermione was even beginning to forget how she had felt only a few hours before. They stepped out the doors, and stopped for a second to survey the scene.

"Gorgeous." Hannah whispered.

"Dreamy." Luna sighed, dreamily.

"Incredible." Hermione smiled.

The beach was decorated with many flaming tiki torches that lined the bamboo dance floor. Bunches of brightly colored hibiscus flowers were sprinkled and hung everywhere, and there were several small, bamboo cabanas that were scattered about and various couples were already occupying the tables underneath. Crepe paper lantern nights were strung all over, magically held up in the air, and the sky was a clear, midnight blue, and was dotted with various stars. Someone was playing a guitar, and several people were surrounding him, mystified and entranced. He was singing an acoustic melody:

Am I living it right?

Am I living it right?

Am I living it right?

Why? Why, Georgia, Why?

"Let's Par-tay!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs, and the four girls kicked off their flip flops and ran down to the sand, kicking sand up lightly in their tracks. They ran as fast as their legs would take them through the sand, up to who was playing the beautiful music.

As they neared within 10 feet of the little stage, they had to shield their eyes from the bright lights that seemed to magically dwell on the musician. They stepped closer, and saw on stage...

"Neville!" Luna shrieked, jumping up and down to fight her way through the crowd and trying to wave him down as he played the final chord of John Mayer's "Why Georgia".

He scanned the crowd, and his eyes fell upon "his girl", "his Luna", if he could call her that yet. Ah well, close enough. His eyes locked hers and they shared a smile for several seconds. He cleared his throat, preparing another song.

"This next song goes out to a very special girl in the audience." He said, and then continued in a lower voice, "you know who you are."

Luna glowed and the girls patted her on the back and then focused their attention to their friend, and fellow classmate. He strummed the guitar, and began his next piece, which was another guitar one. It was popular, even at Hogwarts, and though played on electrics, Neville seemed to play it magnificently on acoustic. He cast one more smile at Luna, and began.

Beauty queen of only eighteen

She had some trouble with herself

He was always there to help her

She always belonged to someone else.

All the girls in his little audience shrieked with delight and excitement, and began mouthing the words with him. Several began dancing. Hermione was really happy for one of her best friends, but she couldn't help but be jealous. She scanned the crowd, and spotted Harry and Seamus.

She nudged Ginny in the sides and nodded her head over to where the two boys stood. Ginny repeated the action to Hannah, and the three girls left their mesmerized friend to watch "her guy" in peace.

They navigated their way through the crowd politely, across the other end of the little lit area, which was lit by several tiki torches and lantern lights. Neville was wearing a scarlet colored Hawaiian shirt, and a hemp leu made of shells.

I don't mind spending everyday

Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Look for the girl with the broken smile

Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

And she will be loved

She will be loved

Couples swayed back and forth to his music, and the girls, though intrigued, seemed to have other things on their mind to get to. At last they saw a raven-haired boy standing next to a brown-haired boy, who was talking animatedly to the tall raven-haired boy about something, excitedly. The girls walked forward.

"Harry!" Ginny called out, running over to him and engulfing him in a huge hug. Harry smiled, and though taken aback, hugged back full-heartedly.

"Hey you" Hannah winked at Seamus and he embraced her in a rather "friendly" hug, lasting for several very long seconds.

"Hey Harry" Hermione said sweetly, hugging him quickly.

"Mione! You came!" he shouted, but not too loudly.

"I know, can ya believe it?" she smiled.

"Honestly, no." she slapped him on the arm lightly and playfully. "Anyways, Me and my buddy Seamus here were just talking about you gals. It's quite a party down here." He nodded his head over to the main dance floor, where a half-drunk George was leading a conga line wearing a coconut bra and a grass skirt.

Hermione and Hannah laughed hysterically and Ginny shielded her eyes, as though scarred. Over there, Fred was twirling his fiancée around the dance floor, sweeping her off her feet, literally.

"You ladies wanna dance?" Seamus asked, more to Hannah than to anyone else.

"Hey guys, I got the drinks," said a deep voice behind the guys, about five feet away. He nudged his way through Harry and Seamus, and his red hair and baby blue eyes were only distinguishable. He was laughing, and then turned to look into the faces of a guilty Harry and a Ginny, a clueless Hannah and Seamus, and a shocked Hermione.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Ron croaked out, his voice several pitches higher than normal. He blushed crimson, embarrassed that he hadn't seen this coming.

"Ron? I should be asking you the same question." Her voice was dry, she had clearly stopped breathing for the past few seconds. Harry and Ginny, clueless as to handle the situation, tried to act innocent, but couldn't hide the guilt in their eyes.

"Harry told me it'd just be us guys." His voice was trying to recover, but was still a little higher than usual.

"Funny, Ginny told me it'd just-"she broke off and turned her head slowly to see Ginny's 'innocent' face trying to smile back at her. "Ginerva Molly Weasley!" she said, in a low voice, causing everyone in their little circle to jump.

"You lied to me!" she began to raise her voice.

"Not lied- well, okay, maybe, but it was for you own good!" Ginny attempted.

"I can't believe this!" she said, and she walked past them, out of the crowd, and down the beach, huffing absent-mindedly.

Ron turned to Harry. "I can't believe it either, Mate. I'll see you later." He said, huffing, yet calm. He shoved the drinks into Seamus and Harry's hand, and walked off, his fists clenched.

"Your plan had better work, Ginny." Harry sighed, watching the direction the two had stormed off in.

"It will. I hope." She said, biting her lower lip. She was nervous, but didn't want to show it. If this worked, they'd love her for life. If it backfired, she was as good as being on Voldemort's hit list. She hoped it worked, but one could never know. People act in mysterious ways, after all.

Hermione stopped walking once the she couldn't see the faces in the light anymore. She was about 150 feet from the area, crossing into the line of another hotel. The lights could barely reach there, giving her just enough light to see 6 feet in front of her. She collapsed onto the sand and just stared out at the ocean, sighing deeply.

"Mione?" came a very familiar voice a few feet away from her. She continued to look out at the ocean, and only took full notice to the figure when he stepped into her range of vision. "Hey you." Ron smiled at her, sitting himself down in the sand next to her and turning to face her. She turned to face him, feeling it would be rude and impossible to just ignore him.

"Hey" she said quietly.

"Look, I want you to know I had no part in this. It was all Harry and Ginny, I swear." He looked at her, sympathetic and solemn.

She smiled. "I know, Ginny's a horrible liar." And they both laughed lightly. She turned to look at him full on, and looked into his eyes.

"Ron, I feel I owe you an apology." She said, feeling her stomach in knots.

"You have nothing to apologize about. I was the one who should have been more understanding. I shouldn't have blown up at you and I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me. I also shouldn't have said some things I really didn't mean. I'm sorry, Hermione." He looked her in the eyes, and she could see that he really meant it. She smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, Ron. I know you, I've seen your temper and I know when you say things you don't really mean. I'm your best friend, I'm supposed to know these things."

"So you forgive me?" he looked hopeful.

"Absolutely." They shared a smile and gave each other a nice little hug.

"Ron, I'm sorry, too. I should have told you about Malfoy sooner. I don't even know why it happened. But I never wanted to recall those moments ever, I guess what's why I kept it from you. Because keeping it from you was a lot easier, or so I thought, than facing the truth. I'm really sorry." She seemed disappointed with herself, and looked down the whole time she was telling him this.

He put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so he was fixing his eyes on hers. "Hey, it was nothing, right? I just got mad 'cause I was a little... -erm... Jealous." He said, and his ears turned pink, and it was his turn to look away from her.

Hermione, puzzled, shifted her weight in the sand, and turned to him. "Why would you be jealous? And of Malfoy no doubt." She asked him, very confused.

"It's not- erm- just- uh- him that I'm jealous of. It's Vicky, too." His ears turned even pinker, and he talked very quietly, almost to himself.

"Viktor." She corrected him automatically.

"Yeah, right, sorry." He said, almost in a whisper.

"Why would you be jealous of Viktor, too? Why's he in the picture again?" she was genuinely confused now, yet very curious. She chose her words carefully, so she wouldn't set his temper off again.

He turned to look at her, locking their eyes. His face was beat red, and his voice wavered a little nervously as he spoke, yet he sounded brave and dignified. "Because they've gotten everything I've ever wanted since I was in third year." He looked away again, embarrassed he had just let his secret slip.

"And what would that be?" she asked, very curiously.

"You." He said simply, looking her in the eyes again, a smile on his lips.

"Me?" he nodded. "Ron, you like me?" she asked, astounded, and very excited, making sure she had interpreted him correctly.

"Yeah, I do. I really do." He said, still maintaining eye contact. "But look, 'Mione, if it's too weird, I can just pretend nothing ever happened. I really don't want to lose you as a friend. You're the best person I've ever known. I can't lose you." He said, quickly.

She blushed slightly and cleared her throat to stop his rambling. "Ron?"

"Yes?" he looked nervous.

"Let me speak."

"Okay, just let me down easy, will ya?" he teased.

"You haven't even let me said what I was going to say yet."

"Sorry." He mumbled.

She took a deep breath and continued, smiling, her heart jumping with joy inside her chest. "Ron. You're the best person I've ever known. You're the sweetest guy on the planet and you make my life more interesting, and a hell of a lot of fun." She smiled and Ron raised an eyebrow at her as he caught her swearing. "I've always liked you as a friend." He doubted his luck. "But I've loved you as more than a friend since third year, too."

"Seriously?" he asked her, unsure if it was all a scheme or not. Inside his chest, his heart was beating very quickly from excitement and he tried to contain himself to get out a steady statement.

"Of course." She smiled, and he smiled back at her.

Unsure of what to with herself now, though overbearingly excited to say the least; she subconsciously moved closer to him and hugged him very firmly around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, taking the hug to his fullest advantage, soaking in every ounce of the moment; the way the ocean beat the sand, the way the sand felt between his toes, the way her face lit up when she spoke to him. He wanted to remember it forever. He hugged her gently, and very considerately, relaxing and feeling the comfortable feeling it felt to have her in his arms, in his embrace.

He was very disappointed when he felt her grip on him relax and he could feel her pull away. Before he even knew what he was doing, as she was already turning back to look at the ocean now, almost free of his grip, except they were holding hands, with interlaced fingers, he had gathered up all of his Gryffindor courage almost out of thin air.

"Mione?" he asked, quickly.

But before she could answer, before she could utter a sound, he had spun her close to him by her hand that they had been holding. And in one swift, quick movement, his lips were pressed against hers, firm, yet tender. Hermione closed her eyes immediately on a reflex, and subconsciously, it took her a second before she realized what had happened.

The moment she realized it was the moment she had smiled into the kiss, and kissed him back, deepening it slightly, putting her hands behind his neck, as if to pull him in closer. Ron kissed her back, with some passion he had built up inside him for the past 4 years. The past four years of anticipating, of wondering, of longing.

Hermione kissed him back again, running her fingers through his hair, taking in its texture. Ron kissed her back, a little more passionately, but no so much as to get carried away, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently massaging her back.

Unknowing what might happen if they carried on like this, Ron broke away, smiling, and a very, very deep shade of scarlet. He stared into her eyes, finally having what he's always wanted, and knew in his mind, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. To his Hermione. She smiled back at him, gazing into those baby-blue eyes she adored. She, too, was dawning a very dark crimson about her face, but ignored the heat on her face as she stared into the face of innocence, the face of love, staring back at her.

Ron closed his eyes, and, with their foreheads touching, whispered to her, "I love you, Hermione. I always have, and I always will."

She closed her eyes, too, and, smiling bigger than she ever had in her life, smiling as if she had just gotten an entire library for Christmas, she whispered back, "I love you, too, Ron. Forever, and for always."

"Do me a favor?" he whispered, smiling, and still had his eyes shut.

"Anything." She whispered back.

"Be my girlfriend, Hermione Granger?" he asked, hopeful, and gentle.

"Without a doubt. I wouldn't want it any other way." She smiled, enjoying their time.

And he kissed her again, sweetly, lightly, and broke away after she had kissed him back gently. And the new couple sat side-by-side, fingers interlocked, in the sand, staring out at the ocean, seeing their whole future before them.

A/N: Yay! They kissed! dances around Hehe I loved this chapter! It was awesome to write... after this one I'm gonna do a short little aftermath one that'll interrupt my regular outline a little just 'cause I didn't have it planned but I think it'll be fun to just continue this chapter slightly. So yeah, it'll only be a couple pages- so look for that one soon! Please Review! I love you all a lot more if you do! I need inputs- love or hate it?