CHAPTER EIGHT – CONVERSATIONS

"No, I can't tell him," thought Hermione for the hundredth time that day. "I can't."

She had been thinking about what Ginny had told her all day. It was so hard to concentrate in class. "Ginny can't be right," she said to herself. "If I tell him how I feel he'll think I'm insane."

Hermione arrived to the Charms classroom early; she didn't want to be at the Great Hall with everyone. Fortunately, there was no one in the class. She started to wander around the desks thinking of Ron. She wanted so badly to let him know how she felt but didn't have the courage to do it. Hermione started humming to herself and just kept walking around the classroom, lost in her thoughts.

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"I'm going to… um… I'll see you later mate," said Ron to Harry as he stood up from the Gryffindor Table.

Harry raised an eyebrow at him and Ron turned around to leave the Great Hall.

He was going to find Hermione, he had to. She hadn't said where she was going, but Ron thought she was probably at the library.

After searching every aisle in the library, he realized Hermione wasn't there. "Where else could she be?" he thought and looked at his watch; the bell was going to ring in ten minutes. "Oh great."

Ron left the library and headed for Filtwick's class. He knew it was still a little early, but he was near and had no idea where Hermione was so he'd just go to the classroom.

As he opened the door of the room, he heard someone humming. It was so beautiful to hear whoever was doing it. She had an amazing voice. When Ron saw who had been humming, he smiled to himself and understood why he liked that voice so much. It was Hermione who was doing it; she was staring out the window.

Ron didn't want to interrupt her; he thought she was the most beautiful person alive. And listening to her voice, even if she wasn't actually singing, made him want to do great things. Her voice felt like heaven.

Suddenly, Hermione stopped. Ron wished she hadn't, he could listen to her for as long as he lived. Hermione sighed and turned around. When she saw Ron, she gasped.

Ron smiled at her and thought she looked beautiful. "I didn't know you had such a beautiful voice."

Hermione blushed a little. "I was just humming," she smiled at him.

Ron moved to the window and stood beside Hermione.

"Well it was beautiful," he said.

"Thanks," answered Hermione looking into his eyes.

"Hermione?" asked Ron slowly.

"Yeah?" she said almost in a whisper.

"Ther-" he started but was cut off by Seamus and Dean, who were just coming inside.

"Hey," they both said and went over to sit in the back of the room.

"Dammit," thought Ron.

Hermione smiled at Ron again and went to sit on the second row. Ron followed her and sat next to her. He was about to say something when several people came in, including Harry, who sat behind Ron.

When the second bell indicating start of class rang, and Professor Filtwick was trying to get everyone to be in silence, Ron punched his desk and then regretted doing so. Everyone turned to look at him because they had all heard his 'little exclamation' when he had punched the desk.

"Um… sorry," he said angrily.

"Ron is everything okay?" asked Hermione after looking at him for a couple of minutes.

"I… yeah…" he said. "Everything's fine."

"Okay," said Hermione sounding unconvinced.

Harry shook his head slowly, "When will these two stop this?" he thought.

The rest of the class went fine. Except for the fact that Ron was obviously angry and Hermione always asked him, 'is everything okay?', and he'd say 'yeah, everything's fine.'

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That night Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the Common Room doing homework.

"Why does Snape always give us so much work?" grunted Ron as he closed his Potions book hardly. "I hate him!"

"Well Ron he gave us this essay on Monday!" said Hermione matter-of-factly. "Maybe if you hadn't left it for last minute, you wouldn't be saying those things."

"I… I had other things to do!" said Ron defending himself. "Like… Quidditch practice…" he added as he saw the look on Hermione's face.

"Oh I see…" Hermione said sarcastically. "Yeah because Quidditch is much more important than school. Of course Ron, I'm sure Snape will understand."

"Come on Hermione! Look, Harry hasn't finished it yet either!" he said pointing at Harry.

"Of course he has!" said Hermione turning to look at Harry. "Right?"

Harry looked up from his book and played with the quill on his fingers. "I'm almost done," he said but nobody believed him.

"Oh Harry!" exclaimed Hermione. "How can you guys be so irresponsible?"

"I said I'm almost done!" said Harry. "Well, I'm… okay I've written like two paragraphs."

"I can't believe you two!" said Hermione angrily and buried her head on her Charms book, muttering something that neither Ron nor Harry could understand.

After an hour of sitting there, Harry had only accomplished to write one more paragraph and Ron was still on his first line.

"I don't know why we'll ever need this in life!" said Ron mad. "I have absolutely no idea what this means."

Hermione looked up and found Ron's eyes.

"Fine!" she said leaving her book on the table in front of her. "I'll help you both but first you have to promise you'll never leave your work for last minute."

"Oh Hermione thanks a lot!" said Harry beaming. "I promise!"

"Great! You're awesome!" shouted Ron. "I love you!"

With this, Hermione and Harry stared at Ron. Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "Did… did Ron just say…?" she thought. "No, he didn't mean it like that. He couldn't have."

Ron looked shocked at his own words. He turned to look from Hermione to Harry, who turned his shocked expression into a big smile.

The three of them stayed looking at each other for what seemed hours.

"I… um… I p-promise I'll… never leave my h-homework for l-last mi-minute," said Ron with his ears red.

"Right… err… yeah… okay," said Hermione turning a little red too. "We… um… what is it that you don't get?"

Hermione kneeled beside Ron and made a sign to Harry indicating him to sit too. Harry bent down across the table, facing Ron and Hermione. As he saw his two best friends he couldn't think of anything else than the two of them. "They practically belong together," he thought and couldn't wait to finally see them as a couple.

"Yeah… um… this thing here," said Ron pointing at the book. "It doesn't make any sense."

Hermione started to explain to Harry and Ron about the potion. She explained everything she knew. And the only thing Ron could do was look at her while she talked. He tried to focus on what she was saying, but it was hard.

"You can write that," said Hermione.

Harry started to write something on his parchment, but Ron, on the other hand, hadn't heard a word of what Hermione had said so he just pretended to write something.

"Ron, what are you doing?" asked Hermione looking down and his essay.

"I… uh… I'm just…" he started.

Hermione smiled at him. "You can start by the definition."

"Right," he said trying hard not to look or sound stupid. He started to write a few things down, but when he read what he'd written, he wished he'd listened to Hermione.

"Ron let me help you," said Hermione taking Ron's quill. She started to re-write the definition of the potion and when she was finished, she gave Ron his quill back and smiled at him. "Last time I do this."

"Hey guys I'm going to bed now," said Harry as he stood up. "I'll just finish this tomorrow before Potions."

Hermione sent him an angry look and Harry knew it was mostly because she didn't want to be left alone with Ron.

"Night mate," said Ron.

"Bye," answered Harry and left the Common Room.

Ron and Hermione were the only ones in the Common Room by now. Hermione didn't want to be alone with him. Not that she didn't like it, but she felt weird, with what Ginny had said and all that…

"Thanks Hermione," said Ron smiling at her. "You saved my life."

Hermione laughed a little and then said, "You still have to write about its properties."

"Yeah I know," he said looking down at his essay. Then, he looked up at Hermione again. "Hermione?" he said.

"Yes Ron?"

"I… um… is there something you'd… you'd want to… t-tell me?" he asked looking deep into her eyes.

Hermione hid the fact that she was absolutely shocked by his question. "W-what do you mean?" she asked trying hard not to reflect her shock in her voice.

"I mean that… you… is there… err… something you want to tell me?" he asked again, a little nervous.

"Why is he asking me this?" thought Hermione. "He can't know…"

"I… no… not something in particular," she said. "Why do you ask?"

Ron looked disappointed, but he wasn't convinced. He turned to look at his essay then. "Because… I don't know… I just…" he couldn't seem to find the words for what he wanted to say. And as if he'd remembered something, he lifted his head and looked at Hermione. "You sure?"

"Yes Ron, I'm sure," Hermione said.

"I just… I thought you…" they were so close to each other. Hermione could feel Ron's breath. She looked deep into his eyes and felt his hand on hers. Their lips were only inches away now. Hermione closed her eyes but opened them quickly as she realized what was happening. She moved her head back and pulled her hand. She thought of what Ginny had told her that morning. "You have to tell him Hermione. Just do it, or you'll regret it later."

"Hermione… I…" Ron said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what Ron?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.

"This, making it hard for us."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes. Ron was making it sound as if it was her fault. And in some ways, it was. She was the one who had made a mess out of everything. But it just hurt more to hear it from Ron.

"Ron that's… that's not true," she said sadly. "I t-told you how I feel."

"Hermione come on!"

"What do you want me to say?"

There was a pause. Ron looked into Hermione's eyes and then finally said, "The truth. Just tell me the truth Hermione."

Hermione closed her eyes and recalled the past events in her head. Detention… how could Harry say that? It should've been Ron. And then the 'date' in the Room of Requirement, he was so sweet to me and then I just lied to him.

Hermione couldn't hold back tears from coming down, she wondered why love was so complicated.

"Hermione…" Ron whispered. "I know you didn't mean what you said last week. You couldn't have."

"What makes you say that Ron?" asked Hermione.

She didn't know for how long she'd be able to take this. It was just too painful.

"I just know Hermione," he said taking her hand.

She looked down at their hands and removed hers. "You said you believed me."

"Well but now I don't," he said. "I don't know why you're not willing to do this, but I just want you to know that I'll be here. I'll be waiting for you Hermione."

Hermione looked at him and couldn't think of any other moment where she had loved him more. He stood up and without saying anything else, or putting away his homework, he left for the boys' room, leaving Hermione sobbing alone in the Common Room.

A.N. – So? What do you think? Please review… you don't know how happy it makes me to see your critics. Good or bad ones, they're always great to read.