Sorrysorrysorrysorry! We're so sorry! I know it took so long, I don't even want to think about how long, I don't know what got into us, but uni's been really busy and blghh. You know, so sorry! So here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K Rowling.

As Hermione woke, sunshine poured through her window, causing her to smile in contentment. The memories of the night before flooded into her mind. Pictures of her romantic moment with Ron replayed themselves over and over again, and she lay in bed for what seemed an eternity just staring at the ceiling, thinking about Ron. Then she remembered Malfoy. She shivered in her bed, though it was warm. Malfoy had tried to… No. She wasn't going to think about it. Ron had taken care of him. She smiled as she remembered Ron running through the door and saving her. She forgot all about Malfoy.

It was so annoying; every time Ron and her tried to have some time to themselves, it was ruined. The staircase, the room under the staircase… She grimaced at the thought of Harry thinking about what she and Ron had been up to on the sofa.

She got dressed and made her way down the stairs to the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were sitting opposite each other at the Gryffindor table, not really talking. Hermione sat down next to Ron.

"Good morning," she said awkwardly.

"Hi."

"Hello."

Harry finished eating his breakfast rather quickly. "Uh, I have homework to do," he said lamely and walked off.

Ron groaned.

"We've got to go talk to him," Hermione said at once. "Tell him that nothing happened. Come on." She grabbed Ron's arm and attempted to pull him up.

"Aw Hermione!" Ron choked on a mouthful of food. "Breakfast!"

"Breakfast can wait," Hermione said sternly. "We've got to talk to Harry."

"Okay, okay," Ron said reluctantly.

They walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.

"Hey, I just realized I haven't been here all year!" Hermione exclaimed as they reached the Fat Lady.

"Um, yes, come on." They entered the common room and Parvati and Lavender walked up to them.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Parvati asked in surprise.

Hermione laughed. "I'm still allowed here you know! And it is a Saturday."

"You looking for Harry?" Lavender asked.

"Yes, have you seen him?"

"He just went up to his dormitory."

"Ah, thanks."

Ron and Hermione started towards the steps of the Boys dormitories, but were saved the trouble of walking up as Harry met them at the entrance. He stopped, looking surprised.

"Hi."

"Harry, listen," Hermione said, trying not to grin as Ron looked at his shoes in an embarrassed sort of way. "Last night when you walked in, we weren't doing anything or anything… you know… we were just…." Hermione trailed off.

"Having fun?" Harry questioned, his eyes twinkling.

"Look, we didn't have sex." Said Ron bluntly.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Okay then."

Hermione felt her face go red, but knew it would be nothing compared to Ron's ears.

"We were just mucking around," she said quietly. "We didn't do anything. We just kissed a bit."

"It's okay, you don't have to say," Harry said knowingly. "I mean, I won't bother pretending that I haven't been 'mucking around,' as you put it, with Ginny."

"WHAT!" Ron roared and punched Harry in the face.

"Ron," Hermione squealed, rushing to Harry's side as he held his nose.

"I'm okay," he said meekly.

"Ron, apologise!" Hermione said loudly, as a parent would speak to a child that had misbehaved.

But Ron was already at the base of the girl's staircase.

"Ginny!" he shouted up the staircase. "This is your brother speaking, and I'm ordering you to get down here! Now!"

"Ron calm down," Hermione said soothingly, rubbing his back… "She's sixteen after all."

But Ron was still fuming.

"What do you want Ron?" Ginny snapped as she came into view, wearing a dressing gown. "It's only nine thirty!"

Ron seemed to have trouble breathing.

"What. Have. You. Been. Doing. With. Harry?" He said, taking a deep breath between each word.

"Huh? What do you mean? Nothing!" Ginny said very quickly.

Ron narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

Ginny exchanged looks with Harry, who was still holding his nose in an irritated way. He shrugged.

"What have you guys been up to?" Ron asked furiously.

"Ron, give it a break, it is none of your business what I do!" Ginny said irritantly. "You're only a year older than me!"

"That doesn't make any difference." Ron said stubbornly. "I'm still your brother. It's my responsibility-"

"Aw shut up Ron! You're beginning to sound like Percy! Since when have you been the most responsible brother?" Ginny shouted.

Hermione suppressed a snort at the look of indignation on Ron's face.

"I'm writing to mum right now!" Ron said in a bossy voice.

Ginny's face went red with anger and Harry's mouth fell open with shock.

"You wouldn't dare," Ginny said in a hushed voice.

"Ron don't be stupid," Hermione snapped at him.

Suddenly a smug look came over Harry's face. "Yes Ron, you wouldn't." He said in a threatening voice. "Or I might have to tell something to Mrs. Weasley as well." He smirked.

Hermione's face went bright red, and Ron's mouth opened in shock.

"What?" asked Ginny, confused.

"Mate, come on," Ron said in a low voice. "You wouldn't."

"Harry…" Hermione trailed off.

"Of course I won't." Harry rolled his eyes. "But come on Ron, don't."

"He won't," Hermione said firmly and grabbing Ron's arm, pulled him out of the common room.

Ron gaped soundlessly at her, making her laugh.

"Leave them alone Ron," she said calmly. "They deserve privacy."

Ron slowly calmed down. "Okay, okay. But it's not like he had to tell us that! And as for him threatening to tell my mum…"

"He was just joking," Hermione said soothingly. "Hey have you done that potions essay?"

So they spent the rest of the day in the library working on their extremely difficult potions essay. Well, in actual fact Hermione did, while Ron occasionally wrote a sentence while grumbling about Snape and what he'd like to do with him.

"Hey, Ron?" Hermione interrupted finally, as Ron started going into a long description of boiling Snape in a cauldron of his own potion.

"Yes?"

"Do you think you should do your essay?"

Ron groaned. "But Hermione…"

"Oh don't whine," she giggled. "Oh, and by the way I was thinking…"

Ron waited a few seconds. "Do you want to tell me?"

"Right, I was thinking," she lowered her voice slightly. "We need to find somewhere where we can get a bit of privacy."

Ron's ears went pink. "Right," he muttered.

"Because I really don't think the last two spots have been that great," she went on briskly. "We always get, well, interrupted."

"Uhuh," Ron mumbled, suddenly becoming very interested in his potions essay.

"And I've been thinking, we can't use a dormitory, because we'll just get walked in on, under the staircase is to loud so what do you think?"

"I dunno, how about the Room of Requirement?" Ron suggested.

"Oh yes! Great idea!" said Hermione brightly. "I hadn't thought of that." Then she bit her lip. "Except, it's not exactly like no one knows about it anymore."

"Yeah, you're right," Ron said. "Oh well. We'll just have to continue this conversation-"

He stopped at the look on her face. "Well come on Hermione, this isn't the best place in the world to talk about this," he said, glancing around the silent library.

"Fine," Hermione huffed. "We'll talk about it later."

"Okay great," Ron breathed. "I just don't want anyone to hear, and look Parvati and Lavender are just over at that table, if they heard us the whole school would know in a matter of days."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay."

However they didn't talk about it later, and weeks past, and the months rolled into November and December.

The castle was getting colder now, and the common room was cramped full of studying fifth and seventh years, plus other students.

Hermione woke early on Christmas day. She got out of bed and looked through all the presents at the base of her bed. There was a card and a scarf from her parents, some homemade toffee from Mrs. Weasley, a book on advanced transfiguration from Harry (she'd told him what she wanted) and there were some chocolates from Ginny. But nothing from Ron.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at this. That was odd. She'd gotten him chocolates and a chudley cannons guide book.

She made her way down to the Great Hall where she met Ron, Harry and Ginny who were sitting at the Gryffindor table.

"Hi!" She greeted them, taking a seat. "Merry Christmas!"

"You too," Harry said, nodding at her. "Thanks for the present! And Ron, thanks for the hat. I liked yours as well, Ginny," he added, seeing the annoyed look on her face.

Hermione frowned at this. Ron had given Harry a present but not her?

"Merry Christmas!" Ginny said cheerfully, leaning across the table to give Hermione a hug.

"Hey, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ron asked quietly.

"Yes, sure," replied Hermione, and she got up and followed him out of the hall. She felt a little nervous. Why did Ron want to talk to her privately?

Ron stopped at the stairs and turned to face her. His grin settled her worries immediately.

"Merry Christmas Hermione!" he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Hermione smiled up at him. "You scared me!" She said grinning back at him. "You seemed so serious and everything."

"Oh sorry, I've got something for you though." He said brightly, reaching into the pocket of his robes. He pulled a small box out of his pocket, and handed it to her.

Hermione took it in her hands. It was quite small and square, covered with deep purple velvet. She undid the clasp and flicked the box open. Inside, sitting on a tiny pillow was a silver necklace. Hermione gasped.

"Ron! This must have been really expensive!"

"It doesn't matter how much it was. Do you like it?" He said smiling at her.

Hermione took it out of the box and held it up to her face. It was beautiful. Quite simple, just silver chains entwined with each other. At the end there was a tear shaped pink tinged pearl.

"It's amazing," Hermione breathed. "Ron, thank you so much!" she flung her arms around him again, kissing him.

The end of the Christmas holidays came quicker than any of them could have expected, what with all the homework and studying that the seventh years were doing. Malfoy barely communicated with them anymore, Hermione had a strong feeling that he was petrified that she might tell a teacher of what he had attempted to do to her. She had no intentions of telling, as long as he didn't try anything else.

Oh I know I know. It took so long, and it's not even that interesting a chapter. But please review anyway! Reviews make us write faster! (Next chapter shouldn't take as long.)

Mkanda