A/N: Hey! 15 reviews! Yay! Alright well this is an important chapter because this is where they take their relationship to the next level! And to Anubee: the sequel is called One and Only and it will be up by the time this one is over I've already started writing it cuz I finished this one. To Daft Strangus: I already have finished this one and have started on the sequel because I finished. Thank you all reviewer! Love ya!

Chapter 21 – Vulnerability

Hermione opened her eyes and shifted slightly. She realized she was sitting in her living room with Ron's arm around her. The TV was on and from the looks of it outside of the window it was around one in the morning. Ron moved next to her he was pale and had a worried expression on his face. Hermione realized what woke her up. He was now muttering incoherent things. When she heard "spiders" she realized he was having a nightmare.

"Ron wake-up!" Hermione said. He wouldn't wake so Hermione tried shaking him. It was getting worse so she smacked him across the face.

"What?" He opened his eyes and looked around. His hand went to his face. "Ouch!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry but you wouldn't wake up and you were having a nightmare." Hermione said.

"Right. It was those damn spiders. They were ganging up on me, millions of little spiders and hundreds of giant ones, and then Dementors were flying by with knives and they were laughing at me." Ron said. Hermione tried her best to stifle a laugh. "It sounds funny but it wasn't."

"I know I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Good. How 'bout we get something to eat?"

"Mione, it's one am!" Ron exclaimed. "I swear I think your still sick." He put his hand to her forehead.

"Ron! I can not believe that you're actually telling me that you're not hungry." Hermione said sounding shocked. "Are you the one that's sick?" She put her hand to his forehead.

"No, no! I'm not saying that. You just never struck me as a person who eats at one in the morning."

"Well neither did I but I'm hungry and it's one am so come on." Ron laughed and stood up. Hermione led him into the kitchen and she took out some cookies from the cabinet. She put them on the table where Ron was sitting and then went to go get something to drink when the blender caught her eye. "You know, I'm in the mood for smoothies. Let's make smoothies." Hermione said. She walked over to the fridge.

"What's a smoofy?" Ron asked.

"It's a smoothie. It's a drink that you mix ice cream, strawberries in and other stuff. It's really good. Here come help me." Hermione instructed Ron to put all of the ingredients in while she measured them out.

"Now what do we do when everything's in?" Ron asked.

"You press the on button. But first you have to – Ron no!" Hermione shouted but Ron's finger had already hit the on button. The next thing they knew they were both covered head to toe in a red, goopy, sticky, dripping, messy, cold smoothie. It was dripping off of them as well as the appliances and rest of the kitchen.

"I didn't know we had to drink it like this." Ron said wiping it away from his eyes.

"We didn't but now we have to. You were supposed to put the top on first!" Hermione said. Ron laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Look at us." She looked from herself to Ron. She started chuckling. "We're covered in it!" She laughed harder. She started walking over to the counter to turn the blender off. Hermione just hit the button and turned around when she slipped in the smoothie mess. Ron went to catch her but when he did he fell. They both landed on the floor with a thud. Both of them fell into laughs.

"Ow! My butt!" Hermione laughed.

"What's wrong with your butt?" Ron asked.

"I fell on it stupid!"

"Oh right! Yeah!"

"Ron!"

"What?"

"Stop looking at my butt!"

"Who said I was looking?"

"I'm sitting down and your still looking at it!"

"What?"

"Oh come on! I catch you staring at me like that all the time!"

"I do not!" Ron protested too quickly.

"Ok! Yeah sure but it's ok because I do the same to you!"

"You do?"

"Oh yeah all of the time. Because I want you so bad!"

"Oh shut up! You can't blame me for doing anything wrong. Looking is not a crime."

"You punched Seamus for it!"

"Because he was staring at something he couldn't have. He didn't love you." Hermione smiled. She wasn't mad. She actually did look sometimes at him like that. And they did love each other so it wasn't a crime to look at the person you love. "And plus Mione the way he was staring at you he was just asking for a punch."

"How is that different?" Hermione joked.

"Because he was staring at you like this." He put his face barley a half a foot away from her chest. She laughed and picked up his chin.

"He didn't love me but you do." She whispered and pushed her lips on his. He kissed her back. This kiss seemed to have more passion than any other kiss. After a minute or two Ron tentatively held his hand near Hermione's shirt. He then pulled his hand away because he feared that he was moving too fast. Hermione took his hand and brought it back to her shirt. She pulled her face away from his for a moment. "And I love you." She murmured before their faces met again.

After a while Ron realized that he didn't want to take advantage of her.

"Hermione maybe we should stop now." He said taking her hands off of her. The moan that escaped her lips turned into a whine.

"Why?" She asked.

"I don't want to take advantage of you in this vulnerable state."

"I am not vulnerable!"

"Hermione how far were you willing on letting us go?"

"If we love each other than where are the limits?"

"Look it should be special. Not on your kitchen floor when we're covered in smoothie. It has to happen at the right time. I love you and you love me. We'll wait until the right time and when it comes we'll know." Hermione sighed realizing that he was right. She was just caught up in the moment.

"Your actually being the sensible one this time Ron, I am shocked." She laughed a little and Ron laughed too. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being the one that realized that we should wait until it's the right time. But I'm not saying I'm vulnerable! I knew perfectly well what I was doing but I agree on waiting." Ron let out a little laugh.

"You aren't vulnerable." He laughed. "But here's your shirt." He handed her the shirt on the ground next to him.

"Oh it's pointless! I'm sticky anyways!" She threw her shirt behind her. The door to downstairs opened and a tired Harry who was barley awake walked through. His eyes were barley open but he saw Ron and Hermione on the ground covered in the same sticky stuff that was all over the kitchen. Hermione's arms sprung up to cover herself. Harry turned to go back downstairs muttering about bad dreams. Hermione and Ron started laughing. "Maybe I should go shower and clean up this mess before Ginny comes up." Hermione suggested.

"Good idea. You go shower and I'll clean this up. I don't think we should risk going downstairs or he might wake up again." Ron laughed.

"You know the shower is big enough for two." Hermione raised her eyebrows and put a seductive smirk on.

"Hermione!" Ron looked at her shocked.

"Ron chill I'm only joking but it's nice to know that you're not going to take advantage of me even when I'm vulnerable." She leaned over and gave him a small kiss.

"Wait." He held onto her arm.

"What?" She asked. He leaned on her neck and kissed it where the smoothie was spilt.

"It tastes even better than I though it did." He smiled at her. She kissed his cheek where there was smoothie.

"Yeah it does." She smiled at him and stood up. He watched her go.

"Damn sensibility!" Ron said out loud.

"I heard that!" Hermione said from the stairs.

"I still didn't take advantage!" Ron exclaimed back; she just laughed.

Hermione went into her room after she showered. She had realized Ron was right and they should wait but that didn't mean they couldn't fool around. As she finished changing into gray sweatpants and a white shirt she heard the shower turn off. Hermione brushed her hair out and lay back on her bed looking up at the ceiling. After a few minutes she figured Ron would be done getting changed now. She walked out of her room and into the hallway. When she knocked on the door Ron told her to come in.

"Hey!" He said.

"Hi!" She responded. Ron walked over to the side of his bed and laid down.

"Come on." He opened his arms and made room for her.

"Are you sure this isn't pushing it?" Hermione mocked a concerned face.

"Just come here!" Hermione laughed and lay down in Ron's arms.

"What should we tell Harry tomorrow?"

"The truth." Hermione looked shocked. But Ron continued. "He was dreaming and we were sleeping up here the whole time." Hermione laughed. After a minute they went silent and fell asleep.

Hermione woke up the next morning and didn't want to wake Ron so she carefully slid out of his arms and put a pillow in her place. Ron moved slightly and hugged the pillow. She giggled silently and left the room. When she got in the kitchen she noticed that everything looked clean. The blender was still on the counter and it still had smoothie stains in it. She started a pot of coffee and then went to the sink to clean out the blender. The door to downstairs opened and a yawning Harry came up.

"Morning." Harry yawned.

"Uh good morning." Hermione replied scrubbing the blender harder. She wished she had her wand so it would get cleaner faster.

"I had the craziest dream last night." Hermione turned off the water and tried to act casually. She saw Ron frozen on the last step staring at Harry in shock.

"Oh really about what?" she asked casually, pouring three cups of coffee.

"I was flying and the snitch was trying to catch me instead of the other way around." Harry said. "It was crazy." Hermione laughed out of relief. Ron came all of the way downstairs laughing himself.

"I had a nightmare with spiders and laughing Dementors carrying knifes." Ron said.

"Laughing Dememtors?" Harry asked. Ron nodded.

"They had knives too. I think I might need to lay off of the Scary Movies for a while." Ron said.

"That's a good idea." Hermione agreed and laughed nervously. Harry looked between the two.

"Are you two ok?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione looked at each other for a half a second.

"Yeah, yeah we're fine." Ron said. Harry raised his eyebrows but they were saved from further questioning because Ginny came up the stairs.

"Morning!" Ginny yawned.

"Morning." They responded.

"What's wrong with you Gin? You seem awake and not grumpy." Hermione said.

"I fell asleep about a minute after you two went upstairs." Ginny responded with a smile and a wink at Harry. "What about you two?"

"Us too – " Hermione said.

" – We fell asleep after the movie." Ron said at exactly the same time. Then Ron repeated what Hermione said and Hermione repeated what Ron said at the same time.

"I uh fell asleep right away too but Ron fell asleep after the movie." Hermione said quickly before it could get more confusing. Ron nodded his head in agreement. Harry and Ginny looked at each other disbelievingly before looking at Ron and Hermione with the same look. "Anybody hungry? I could make breakfast."

"You know, I'm starving. What's for breakfast?" Ron said.

"Let me look." She opened the fridge and the container of the strawberries that they didn't use last night fell out. Ron couldn't help but laugh and Hermione busted out laughing too. Both of them were doubled over in laughter. Harry and Ginny looked at the two roaring with laughter over strawberries.

"I think I'll go get dressed now because I don't trust you to make breakfast." Harry said starting for the stairs.

"And I don't trust being alone with these two right now so I'm coming with you." Ginny said and hurried after him. Hermione picked up the strawberry container and put it on the table. Their laughter was slowly dieing down but they were still chuckling. Hermione took a strawberry out of the container and held it up to Ron.

"Strawberry?" She asked. Ron took a bite out of it.

"Sure!" He said with a full mouth. She giggled. "It's much less sticky this way."

"Yes it is!" Ron went to kiss her but when he moved her hair he noticed something on her neck.

"Hermione, you might want to keep your hair down for a while. Especially if your parents are coming home in a few days." Ron said. "I don't think they'll like me too much anymore."

"Why?" Hermione asked confused.

"Your neck." Ron pointed to the bite marks on her neck.

"Oh I can get rid of it simple." She responded. She moved closer and pushed up against him. His lips crashed down upon hers. There was a crack from the living room but they were too busy to notice it. Ron and Hermione were as close as they could possibly get. Ron's arms were wrapped around her middle and his hands were on her backside. Ron was starting to go down her neck kissing again.

"Hello is anyone here?" George called walking into the kitchen. "Oh sorry didn't mean to interrupt anything!" George laughed as Ron and Hermione sprung apart.

"You know we really need to stop doing this in the kitchen." Hermione muttered to Ron. Ron nodded but his face was red.

"Hermione, you uh have something on your neck." George pointed out. Hermione put her hair so it covered her neck.

"Thanks Captain Obvious." Hermione said. George was trying to control his laughter.

"So you do this often in the kitchen? It looked pretty serious. Are Harry and Ginny gone?" George asked. Ron and Hermione glared.

"What do you want?" Ron asked.

"No, no I can wait you two continue and I'll be in the living room." George laughed his way into the other room.

"The stupid git does it in public and then goes and makes fun of us because we were doing it where we couldn't be seen before he came." Ron said. Before Hermione could speak George spoke from the other room.

"Yeah but I didn't grab her in public and She didn't have bite marks on her neck." They heard George chuckling from the living room. Hermione was pink as Harry and Ginny came down the stairs dressed. "Are you two done yet? Can I come in?"

"Yes!" Hermione screamed. "We finished when you interrupted!" She was now red. George came in laughing.

"You didn't look done to me." He laughed. Hermione punched him on the arm. "Ow!"

"Shut up! What do you want?" Hermione asked.

"I need to use the phone." He said.

"Why do you even bother with a muggle George?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not anymore?" He responded.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"You see our relationship was purely snogging and other stuff." He looked to Ron and Hermione. "I was waiting for more and now I've found someone who I want to try for more with."

"Who?" Hermione asked grudgingly. She wanted to know although she was mad at him.

"Alicia. She was passing through the shop and I asked her out." George responded. "May I use the phone?" Hermione gave a slight nod and sighed.

"I'm going to go change and we can do something." Hermione said. Harry and Ginny nodded as she started for the stairs. Ron started after her. George had the phone in his hand and was just about to start dialing when he looked at Ron.

"You know Ron maybe we need to have the talk." George said. He said "the talk" like it was a scary word. Ron turned red and glared at George.

"Shut up!" Ron said and George laughed harder. Ron went up the stairs after Hermione. Hermione was at the top of the stairs waiting for him. She pushed him up against the wall and they resumed their positions.

"We have to stop doing this where people can walk in on us." Hermione said as Ron kissed her neck.

"Like the hallway?" Ron asked with a smirk.

"Yeah kinda like the hallway." She laughed and grabbed him by the shirt. She brought his face to hers and they backed up to the nearest door. Ron twisted the knob and they backed up into the hall closet. Hermione closed the door behind them. "Nobody will interrupt in here." She whispered as their faces parted for a few seconds so they could get situated in the cramped closet.

"We only have a few minutes though." Ron said.

"Well than let's make the best of those few minutes." Hermione replied.

A few minutes later Hermione and Ron decided that they needed to stop so they could get changed and go down stairs.

"Hermione are you sure this is ok with you and everything?" Ron asked as he stopped Hermione from walking out. "It's hasn't even been 24 hours and we've already gotten pretty crazy three times."

"Ron if it wasn't we wouldn't be doing it. I love you and we've been dating for over a month. We've known each other for six years. I think it's ok if we bring our relationship to the next level. Are you ok with it?"

"Yeah it is it's just… down in the kitchen I couldn't help it you were just…"

"Ron, we know where to stop… for now. But besides that I can't help the fact that you can't get enough of me!" She laughed.

"You started it!"

"So I did. What are you going to do?"

"This!" He kissed her hard and placed his hands back on her butt again he pulled away after a minute leaving Hermione waiting for more. "We will finish later." He walked out of the closet leaving Hermione to be the one left standing there with a grin. She chuckled slightly and left the closet.

Hermione changed into a skirt and a blue short sleeve shirt with pink writing advertising the store she bought it from. She slipped her feet into white shoes and made the hikki marks on her neck disappear. When she was done getting ready she went downstairs. Harry, Ginny, George, and Ron were sitting at the table with coffee. Hermione put on a calm look for Ron and walked down and went to the counter and started to pour another cup of coffee. She could feel Ron's eyes on her. She pulled up a chair at the table and sat down across from Ron. He stared at her with a half smile. She smiled back and held the stare. They continued to stare as they drank their coffee. George, Ginny, and Harry were absorbed in their own conversation. Ron slightly jerked his head upwards.

"Wanna finish now?" He mouthed. She shook her head.

"Later." She mouthed back and winked. Ron nodded. "So what do we want to do today?" She asked. "Are you staying?" She looked at George.

"Yeah I guess." George responded.

"Swimming?" Ron asked eyeing Hermione.

"Nah, I'm tired of that." Harry said.

"Oh." Ron replied, disappointed.

"We could go –" Ginny started.

"We aren't going shopping!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione exclaimed together. Ginny looked crestfallen. They all looked to Hermione.

"Don't look at me I'm out of ideas!" Hermione said. "That's why I asked you!" They continued to look. "Fine let's go drive around and find something to do and we'll go out for lunch." They nodded and agreed. Everyone stood up and started for the door. Ron hung back with Hermione for a second. Hermione noticed he looked disappointed. "You've seen me in a bathing suit before what's the problem?" She asked.

"It's never been so fascinating before." Ron said with a smile. She walked in front of him and stood on her tippy toes, to reach his ear.

"Meet me in the pool tonight after everyone else goes to sleep. We can go for a swim." She whispered in his ear. She walked out to the car swaying her hips more than normal. Ron watched her go and had to take and extra second to collect himself before he followed her out. Hermione drove around bored. She drove past the boardwalk. George ducked down when he noticed something.

"Drive faster Hermione!" He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"She's here!" George responded. She drove extra slow on purpose because there were no cars behind her. "Hermione!" She laughed and sped up. When they past it George sat up.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"I thought you broke up with her." Ginny said.

"Well I told her that I was moving." George responded. "I didn't want the same thing that happened to Fred to happen to me."

"Where did you tell her you were moving?" Ron asked with a half laugh.

"China." George responded. All four of them busted out laughing.

After driving around for a bit they couldn't find anything to do so they stopped for lunch at a restaurant. Once they ordered it was silent.

"So..." Hermione said. They looked at her. "Sorry I'm just trying to make conversation." Nobody said anything. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. She winked and he winked back. It got really dull after that. "So China that's fascinating. What did you tell her you had to go to China for?"

"Work." George said.

"And what exactly do you do that would bring you to China?" Harry asked.

"I just told her it was for work I don't know what muggle job would require me to go to China. She asked if I was coming back and I told her that I had to stay in China for the rest of my life. I felt bad but she didn't seem too upset." George said.

"Right and your going to try and make it work with Alicia now?" Ginny asked.

"Exactly." George responded. Their food came and they talked on Alicia's job at Gringotts and stuff like that. After lunch they got back in the car and drove around. When they passed a movie theater Hermione pulled the car over.

"Ok we're seeing a movie because there is nothing else to do." She said. The others agreed and they got out of the car. Inside the movie theaters Hermione stared at the list of movies playing. "What do we want to see?" She asked. "What about Dukes of Hazzard?"

"Yeah Jes –" Harry started but then stopped when he realized what he was going to say. Hermione gave him a look with her eyebrows raised. She knew what he was going to say and tried to stop herself from laughing. She knew Ron would do say something stupid like that too but Harry was lucky he caught himself. Harry was glad that only Hermione caught what he was going to say about Jessica Simpson.

"Ok maybe not." Hermione said still looking at Harry. Harry looked away.

"Why not." Ron asked.

"I saw it before it's bad." Harry said.

"I saw the previews for it on TV – Oh." Ron said and looked at Ginny when he realized what Harry was going to say. Ron didn't blame Harry because he would have said the same thing just not in front of Hermione. They looked back up at the list. "Yeah let's see something else. What about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? What's that about?"

"Charlie goes to the chocolate factory blah, blah, blah, boring." Harry said.

"What about Red Eye?" Ginny suggested.

"No." Hermione said looking at Ron.

"How about Wedding Crashers?" George suggested.

"Okay." Hermione agreed.

"I saw the previews on TV it looks good." Ron said. Harry and Ginny shrugged. As they were sitting in the movie theater the lights started to dim and the movie started. They were the only people in there. All of them chose a seat in the back row. Hermione had popcorn for her and Ron to share while the others bought their own of whatever they wanted. Ron had gotten a drink for them to both share. The previews started.

"Want some popcorn?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Sure." Ron answered and held out his hand for some. Hermione took a handful and instead of putting it in Ron's hand she shoved it in his mouth. "Thanks!" He said spitting some out in front of him. Hermione giggled and handed him the bag this time. He smiled and took some popcorn himself. He took the handful and shoved it in Hermione's mouth.

"Gee thanks!" She exclaimed and popcorn sprayed the seats in front of her. Ron laughed quietly. Hermione was trying not to laugh so she could swallow the popcorn but she was having trouble.

"What are you doing?" George asked. Hermione was trying to hold it in but she spit the popcorn on the seats in front of her and started laughing like crazy. Ron was laughing at her and Harry, Ginny, and George were laughing at both of them. After a few minutes Hermione was still laughing and couldn't stop.

"What are we laughing at?" Harry chuckled.

"I don't remember!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing.

"Hermione, I think being inside has gotten to you maybe you need fresh air." Harry suggested.

"No I'm fine. I'm fine." She sat up and stopped laughing but when she looked at Ron they both started laughing again.

"What are you laughing at?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know." Ron laughed. A minute later Hermione and Ron had their laughter under control and the movie started. Around a funny part in the middle of the movie Ginny was in mid-sip when she started laughing.

"Ow!" She exclaimed holding her nose. "It came out of my nose!" She exclaimed. Harry was in mid-sip as well but he sprayed the empty row of seats in front of them with soda. All five of them were laughing now. George pulled a bottle of some green liquid out of his pocket.

"Watch this. Fred and I invented it a few weeks ago for the shop." He downed the whole bottle and they all watched expectantly waiting. Five seconds later a green liquid shot out of his nose. They all laughed again. "You're supposed to put it in someone's drink and then it starts coming out of their nose! Isn't it great?" He laughed. The door to the movie theater opened and a movie worker walked in. George's hands went straight for his nostrils. Liquid was dripping down still but it wasn't shooting out. The movie worker looked around and saw all five of them trying not to laugh as they watched the movie like they had always been. He looked around to check if anyone else was there but when he found no one he left. George released his nose and the rest of the liquid shot out. The other four were dying with laughter. George wiped his nose clean and laughed with the rest of them. When the movie was over the lights came back on and they saw the mess in front of them. Popcorn, soda puddles, and the green liquid was covering the floor in front of them. Their laughter began once more.

"That was the funniest movie I've ever seen." Hermione laughed.

"I could agree with you there." George said. "It's one of the only movies I saw." They all laughed and left the theater. When they were leaving the movie person gave them a strange look before they walked out of the door. They continued to laugh when they were outside.

A/N: So let me know what you think! I don't know about you but whenever I go to thee movies with my friends I barley get to watch the movie because I joke around too much! Last time I went I was laughing so hard that coolata came out of my nose (It hurt bad!) How about how they were and all when they took it to the next level do you think that went ok? And George and Alicia? Let me know what you think. If I get enough by tomorrow I will update but Tuesday I can't because I have Youth to Youth! So please review!