Title: You're My Bertie Botts
Summary: It's the fifth summer holiday for the trio and spending it with a troubled Ginny at The Burrow leaves Harry wondering about the littlest Red Head and Hermione about the next oldest. A light fluffy HG RH
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, otherwise I would be married with children, have blonde hair, and be pretty darn rich!
Chapter Six: Emotional Speeches
Author Notes: I haven't even dared think how long it's been since I've last updated. And the annoying thing is that I've got all the story written, just not posted. So I apologise a thousand times and will try my best to keep posting throughout the week. If you haven't lost interest please keep r&ring. Becky xxxx
..."C'mon then Haz!" Ginny called.
"Haz? Are you kidding me?" he laughed, following her.
"Sorry!" she blushed, tugging him along before Ron and Hermione could stop them. "Maybe now they've got it fixed in their heads that they like each other, they might actually tell one another."
"Hmmm, maybe!" Harry smiled, "But knowing Ron, probably not!"...
"'Mione?" Ron said, filling the silence.
"Yes Ron." Hermione answered, her attention flicking from the whistling pinstriped fish to him.
"You know when you had that 'thing' with Viktor Krum?" He asked his forehead furrowed with concentration.
Hermione let out an annoyed sigh, "Yes."
"How...when did you know that you...that you liked him?" Ron asked. Hermione was surprised to see that his eye contact didn't fall to his lap, but kept completely locked with hers.
"That's not really the best example for romantic advice!" Hermione smiled.
"Why? I thought you really liked him?" Ron frowned.
"Ah well," Hermione blushed, a guilty grin on her face. "So did he!"
"But then why did you go to the Yule Ball with him?" said Ron, adjusting himself on the bench to face her better.
"Truth is," Hermione flushed, "the guy I really wanted to go with wasn't interested, he only wanted to go with someone pretty"
Ron let out a disbelieving grunt, "You know you're pretty, I've told you that before. And not interested? Why?"
"C'mon Ron," Hermione laughed, "Most people haven't noticed that I'm more than the girl behind the books. You didn't 'til fourth year!"
"Yeah well, I'm not particularly bright!" He chuckled. Although she knew it, Hermione always liked to hear others saying they weren't as clever as her. A comfortable silence fell between them again; Hermione casually threw flakes into the pond. "'Mione?" Ron said for the second time.
"Yes Ron!" Hermione reluctantly groaned.
"Do you... can you, possibly, think of forgiving me?" He asked, his face red.
"What do you mean?" she replied, swinging a leg up onto the bench and fiddling nervously with the bottom of her jeans.
"For what I said yesterday?" Ron's eyes averted Hermione's and he watched her hands twist the fraying denim of her trousers. She let out a shaky sigh and rested her chin on her knee.
"Depends." She smiled, exhaling loudly.
"On what?" Ron asked quickly, almost desperately.
"How much you're willing to grovel!" She watched a grin dance across Ron's lips and he laughed nervously, still unsure on her real answer. "Course I will. I'm pretty sure now you didn't mean it!"
"I didn't. I swe..." Ron started but was cut off as Hermione clapped a hand over his mouth.
"I know, don't worry about it. I was in a foul mood too, which didn't really help" She smirked. "It won't happen again?"
"Never!" Ron promised.
"Then it's sorted!" Hermione stated in a very matter-of-fact way.
"Cheers," Ron thanked her holding a trembling hand to seal what had been said. Ignoring his outstretched palm Hermione leant forwards and pulled him into a tight hug. Her arms lay tense around Ron's neck until she felt his grip close around her waist and rest on her hip. Ron smiled to himself, letting his hands run up and down Hermione's back, inhaling her scent. Before he could realise what he was doing Hermione had pulled out of Ron's grasp and sat back on the bench, gazing intently at him.
"Ron?"
"Hermione?" They said simultaneously, both laughed and offered the other to speak first. After several attempts to speak at the same time, Ron eventually beat Hermione to it.
"Hermione, I think there's something you should know." He said, his ears reddening and his cheeks glowing.
"What is it?" she asked timidly, although she had a hopeful feeling regarding what he was about to say.
"'Mione, I've never been the best of friends to you, hell I've never really been a good friend. To be a decent friend, you need to be able to trust one another, to tell each other the truth, all the time. That's why I've been a bad friend, I've been lying to you." He paused to see what effect his words had had on Hermione, her worried face told him they'd done the wrong thing. His lips curled into a slight smile. "I'm sorry, I'm no good at these big emotional speeches, probably 'cuz I have no emotions right?" But Hermione was absorbing every word he said in so much detail, with such interest she brushed her quote aside. "I'm a joker, a class clown. I can only get my feelings out through sarcasm and gags, and... jeez I'm bad at this. Basically, Hermione." He finally rested his eye contact level with hers and could see his panicky expression reflected in her deep hazel eyes, he felt her hand grip his knee lightly, as if to encourage him to let out what had been built up for so long. "You are the one I care about most, you are the..." Ron let out a silent chuckle, "you are the Bertie Botts Beans. I've got to learn better metaphors! I really like you Hermione, and not just as a friend. I've wanted to tell you for so long and its felt terrible keeping it bottled up inside. I've had so many snaps at you and arguments with you, but that's my reason why, I didn't want you to figure out... I guess I didn't want you to know I had any feelings, for anyone!" The crimson began to drain from his face leaving him pale, obviously shocked that he had actually said everything. Hermione still gazed at him but had a puzzled frown on her face. "Look 'Mione, if its irrelevant then we can just forget about the whole thing, that I ever said any of this, just go back to normal." Her frown didn't falter but her grip on his leg suddenly tightened. "'Mione please say something." Ron began to panic, his face turning red again.
She seemed almost stunned for a few seconds, unable to get her voice working. She cleared her throat nervously. "I don't want to go back to normal."
Ron's eyes widened and his mouth cracked into a huge beam. "You mean?"
"Yeah." Hermione smiled back, she leant forwards and hugged him again.
"So, if you're not doing anything next week. I mean if you're not going anywhere with anyone. Well that is if you want to, you don't have to, I'm just saying – "
"Ronald Weasley?" Hermione said, still grinning. "Are you trying to ask me on a date?"
He laughed, blushing furiously and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm failing horribly aren't I?"
Hermione nodded. "I'll save you the embarrassment and just give you the answer." Ron raised his eyebrows and chewed his lip, he winced as if expecting someone to hit him. Hermione tried not to mock his expression, she had waited long enough for him to ask, why shouldn't she make him wait for an answer? But his hopeful eyes were fixed into hers and she gave in. "I'd love to!"
As Hermione slipped her hand into Ron's, her concentration was elsewhere and was completely unaware of the excited pair behind a nearby tree giving each other an enthusiastic high-five!