Hermione could barely contain her guilt at having lied to Harry about what she had overheard about his dream. She could only think that were she a house-elf and Harry her keeper she'd be ironing her hands or beating herself unconscious. Sometimes she felt she had the better half but most of the time she would have preferred self mutilation to the guilt.

She had lied to her bestfriend in order to protect her relationship with Ron. She was still madly in love with Ron; her knees still shook when they kissed, her pulse still sped up when he looked into her eyes, her breath still caught in her throat every time he walked into the room. She was beyond reason when it came to him, sometimes it scared her. She would do anything for him, and anything to keep him with her and protect that love.

the knowledge that her relationship with Ron was in danger kept her awake most nights. She knew that the dream Harry had had that night had been no fluke. The next day in classes she had watched him most carefully and found his stare lingered on Ron's body more than it should have. She knew that Ron was committed to her, knew that he was straight, but she couldn't shake the feeling that her relationship was in real danger.

"This is ridiculous" She muttered under her breath. How can there be a threat if the attraction is only one sided.

"I know how could Snape set us so much homework over the break, I have half a mind to march right up to him and tell him where he can shove his homework" Ron had started talking to her without her even noticing. He seamed to think she had been referring to the homework

They were currently up in her room trying to get some of the homework out of the way before the break started, on Hermione's insistence. The room was blissfully empty, both Parvati and Lavender went home for the holidays. They had a load of homework to do over the break and it was spread across the beds, which were all pushed together so that they could reach things more easily.

She looked up at him and the confusion must of shown on her face cause Ron stopped mid rant and had a look of confusion on his face to match hers "what don't tell me you think we need all this work"

"Huh? No, of course not. Completely unfair, please continue" She tried to cover for her loss of concentration on what Ron was saying.

"No, I'm done" Ron let out a deep breath and looked defeated. "Want to take a study break?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and grinned. He started to inch his hands forward but she slapped them roughly.

"We've only just started, lets finish this essay for professor Snape first, and then we can get something to snack on" only a little annoyed that he wanted to take a study break after only fifteen minutes. She liked fooling around with Ron but not at the expense of her grades, she had to make Head Girl next year.

Ron looked hurt for a moment or two but then went back to his homework muttering about how much of a tyrant she was. Hermione chose to ignore it.

She finished squeezing in her last little bit on the very edge of the parchment and looked up satisfied. Ron was still flipping through his notes trying to find something else to put down.

She watched his hair fall in his eyes and hang there for a moment before a hand came and swept it away. Ron nibbled on his bottom lip while he read a section from the book. He was sitting cross legged on the opposite side of the bed his head propped up on one hand. she could see the muscles in his arm flexing and wanted to feel those arms around her.

Her gaze traveled a little lower and she imagined what was hidden beneath the cloth. Her stomach did a flip flop and she felt the heat rise up in her face. She had the overwhelming urge to just walk over there and see for herself. She tried to shake the thought from her head but her eyes kept traveling from his luscious lips to his tousled hair than sliding beneath the belt of his pants.

She climbed over the stacks of homework and sat down beside him. He didn't even look up as she started moving some piles of homework safely out of the way. She placed one hand on his knee and leaned over him slightly under the pretense of checking his work. Then she slowly started moving her hand upwards along his inner thigh pressing her nails lightly on the fabric as she moved. She got to about four inches before the inseam of his pant leg ended when Ron let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes.

"what do you think you're doing?" It was a breathless sort of question, as if he were caught in a daydream. She moved her hand up higher and he looked at her

She grinned wickedly, moving her hand until it was placed right at his crotch and then rubbed lightly. "study break"

He let out another deep breath and she pushed him backwards on the bed unfolding his trapped legs for him. She climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs, and began to undo the button and zipper of his pants. Ron lay back, leaving her to her work, hands clasped behind his head. She tapped his hip bone sharply and said "up".

He thrust his hips into the air allowing her to yank his pats down to his knees. She gazed down at the red and gold snitch boxers for a moment before tugging them down as well. She gazed for the first time upon his fully erect penis and was pleasantly surprised. He was thick and long and ready and waiting.

She put her arms on either side of his hips and looked up at him making sure to catch his eye before descending downwards. She looked up at him as she placed a smooth tentative kiss the head of his penis. He gasped threw his head back. She opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around him taking in as much as she could. She sucked lightly and drew herself back up.

she placed one hand and the base of his penis and gave it a few firm strokes before descending again. She swirled her tongue once around the entire thing before it became impossible to do so. She trailed her tongue along the thick vein on the underside of his shaft and began a firm steady rhythm of strokes with her hand. Ron began to jerk his hips up impatiently nearly making her gag a few times before he came in the back of her mouth.

She swallowed the funky salty taste in her mouth and wondered vaguely how other girls could stand the taste and not vomit. She wiped her mouth off on the back of her sleeve and took a glass of water from the bedside table.

Ron was still breathing heavily when she crawled up to snuggle in his arms. It was nearly midnight and they were both tired form studying. They fell asleep like that and stayed that way till Ron awoke in the early hours of the morning.

Two things woke him up, one he had lost all feeling in the arm that Hermione was lying on. And two, the sound of crunching parchment as he rolled over. Ron decided to go back to his own dormitory in case anyone came looking for him. He pulled up his pants, which were still around his knees, and walked out the door, closing it as quietly as he could.

When Ron got back to the dorm room he flopped down on the bed and fell into the dreamless sleep. He was too tired to notice that aside from the empty beds of the people who home for the holidays, which included everyone aside from himself and Harry, Harry's bed was suspiciously empty as well.

Hermione woke at noon the next day feeling rested and happy. It was moments before she realized that there should have been someone else in the bed with her. Why hadn't Ron woken her when he got up that morning? She was confused and little hurt that he had just left her in bed alone.

She showered and dressed and went down to the great hall for breakfast. Harry and Ron were sitting at the table laughing wildly at something Harry had said. She sat down next to Ron and intertwined her fingers with his. He was rocking back and forth laughing and gasping for breath.

She looked up at Harry who was wiping the tears from his eyes. His face was completely red and he couldn't seem to get enough air

YOU'RE JOKING! YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHITTIN' ME! HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT. WHAT A 'TARD" Ron could barely get the words out. He pulled his hand away from Hermione's and ran it through his hair messing it up further. His face was also beet red he looked like a hairy tomato.

Hermione frowned at him; he didn't even seem to notice she joined them. She wasn't about to take that lying down, she removed her hand from the top of the table and placed it on his thigh. He looked at her finally.

"Morning, How'd you sleep?" Ron asked politely he took the hand from his leg and held it in his.

He smiled at her and her world fell away. "Fine, I slept fine. And you?" She said somewhat dreamily.

"Great thanks." He turned to Harry "You want to go now?" he asked his best friend

"Hmm? Where are you guys going, can I come too." She asked a little put off by not knowing what was going on.

"well Harry and I were just saying it is such a nice sunny day, I mean for winter, and since it's break we should take the opportunity to practice Quidditch" He smiled down at her "I'd invite you to join us but I know how you hate flying, besides you can use the alone time to get caught up on homework and make copies of your notes for us" He seemed really pleased.

"Right, okay, see you later then" she was completely disappointed. She had wanted to spend the day with Ron. Not doing his homework.

"See you" Ron seemed to miss the thread of sadness that ran through Hermione's voice.

Hermione spent the entire day doing her homework and contemplating things between her and Ron. She didn't regret what she had done the night before but she felt confused by Ron's reaction. Thoughts and insecurities shot through her mind. What if she wasn't good? What if Ron didn't want her anymore? It wasn't like Hermione to second guess herself. She was almost certain she had done everything right, just the way Lavender had described it so many times.

Hermione spent the next few days thinking too hard until it was Christmas eve and she hadn't even realized it. She had plans with Ron that night. They were going to have a nice quiet evening spent in front of the common room fire.