Yey chapter 4!!

Chapter 4: First Date

Ron awoke to find the common room buzzing with excitement. It was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year today. It had been 3 days since that night he and Hermione had declared their feelings for each other. They hadn't told anyone yet but they were hoping to go on a date during the Hogsmeade trip. The only thing was, how would they get rid of Harry? Ron had wanted to tell Harry but he wasn't sure weather he should because he might be jealous. Hermione had told him that Harry was still pining after Cho. Apparently she had managed to arrange for them to get together at Hogsmeade so Ron just had to trust her. He looked around the common room for her and spotted her sitting on the sofa with Harry and Ginny.

"Hey guys."

"Hi Ron, come sit down" Hermione moved over to make room for Ron. He found himself sandwiched between Harry and Hermione.

"I can't  wait for this trip to Hogsmeade, we can go and see Fred and George! They are coming to visit on business. It will be so much fun." Ginny giggled,  "I haven't seen them for ages."

"I'm hungry, lets go have some breakfast." Everyone agreed with Harry and they all went down for breakfast.

**********

When they got into Hogsmeade they went to Zonko's first. Ron wondered if he would manage to see Fred and George here but they didn't. they looked at the Zonko's products and Ron had to admit that Fred and George's products were at a very close standard to these and he was sure some were better. Their business must be doing really well now he had been giving out order forms at Hogwarts, a lot of the people there seemed very interested in them.

They bumped into Cho at Honeydukes and Hermione started chatting to her. Ron thought they must have arranged to meet here because they didn't seem to surprised to see each other. Harry tried to shuffle away from them but before he could get to far Cho asked him, "hey Harry! Would you like to go for a walk around Hogsmeade with me?" she put on a sweet smile.

"Uh, yeah sure." Harry managed to grunt and he and Cho walked off. Hermione caught Ron's eye and grinned. She signalled towards the door and they walked out of Honeydukes and headed for the Three Broomsticks.

Ron and Hermione went to a small table in the corner of the room and was slightly sheltered by the plants in pots around it. Ron went to the bar and got some Butterbeer for him and Hermione. He pulled his chair closer to her side and gave her her drink.

"Thanks Ron."

 They drank their Butterbeer in silence.

"So……."

"Alone at last." Hermione wrapped her fingers around Ron's. he looked up at her.

"Mmmmm." She looks so beautiful Ron thought. "Er.., Mione, when are we gunna start telling people about, you know, us, together and stuff."

"When we are ready, I suppose we can tell people now if we want to."

"Er, ok then." Ron sat there wondering what to do next. This dating stuff was hard. He thought he would feel a lot more comfortable if it was just the two of them together rather than them being specifically on a date. It seamed to make things a lot more awkward. He didn't understand the need for actual dating. Females were very confusing and even harder to please.

Hermione sighed beside him and lent her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her back whilst his other hand was intertwined with hers. Hermione looked up and moved closer to him, Ron leant in for the kiss.

"Hey Ron!" Fred and George walked into the Three Broomsticks closely followed by Ginny. Ron and Hermione quickly broke away from each other so fast you would have thought they had been hit by a Bludger.

"Ron? What were you two doing? You seemed to break away from each other very quickly." Fred sniggered.

"Nothing." Ron muttered going red.

"So why are you going red?" asked George.

Ginny looked from Ron to Hermione and back again. "You were kissing!  You were, weren't you Ron? Hermione?" she giggled. "I can't believe you two finally got together!"

Ron and Hermione both went very red.

"Ahhh! Ickle Ronnykins has got a girlfriend!"

"Have you got a girlfriend now Ronnykins? Aw my little baby is all grown up!" Fred and George teased Ron, speaking to him in baby voices and trying to pinch his cheeks.

"Oi! Geroff!" Ron, who was now so red he resembled a beetroot, tried to shake his brothers off him. Ginny meanwhile sat down next to Hermione and started asking her about how she and Ron got together. Ron was so embarrassed her wanted the floor to open up and swallow him right then. He had wanted to start telling people about him and Hermione, but not like this.

Fred and George grabbed a chair each and squeezed in either side of Ron.

"Ronny, what will your mummy say about this?" Fred teased.

"You're not going to tell her are you"

"I don't know. Do you think we should Fred?" George said.

"I think she has a right to know!" Fred grinned at Ron who scowled.

"You two had better not say anything to mum, or else I'll – I'll…"

"You'll what Ronnykins?" George asked him. Ron growled and glared at George.

Hermione tutted. "Honestly, you boys! Ron? Does it really matter who knows? And Fred and George, there is no need for you to tease him. I don't see your girlfriends anywhere around here."

"They don't have girlfriends." Ginny told her.

"Well you two can be quiet then." Said Hermione as though it finalised the matter.

Fred and George looked at each other and seemed to decide not to say anything more on the subject. Harry burst through the door of the Three Broomsticks soaked to the skin.

"When did it rain?" Ron asked him.

"It didn't," said Harry glumly. "Cho and I went to that place she used to go to with Cedric. What's it called? Oh yeah Madam Puddifoot's. Well we had a drink there and she started talking about Cedric and how she missed him, blah blah, and then she just threw her drink at me! Apparently I was being 'insensitive' but I have no idea what I did wrong!"

"Harry, you really have no idea when It comes to girls do you?" Ginny said. Harry grunted and sat down in between George and Ginny.

"Here Harry, have a Butterbeer on me." George passed Harry a drink.

"So," Harry said. "What have you lot been up to?"

"Well George and I have juts done a great deal with Zonko's, but we cant really tell you too much about that. Its top secret." Fred tapped his nose and winked.

"I just met up with Fred and George." Ginny said.

"What about you Ron? Hermione? what have you two been doing?" Harry looked at the two of them. Ron's ears had started to go red and Hermione had suddenly become very interested in the floor.

Fred sniggered. "Ron's been having a drink with his girlfriend!"

Harry looked around the table. "But where is she? The only girls here are Ginny and Hermio-" he stopped in mid sentence and gawped at Ron who got steadily redder.

"But you – you and – what? – I – err – Hermione? – wha? – why?- when? – ah!" Harry stopped gibbering and just sat there gob smacked.

Fred offered to swap seats with Ron so that he could sit next to Hermione. they swapped and Hermione shuffled closer to him. She wrapped hr arm around Ron's waist and Ron put his arm around hers. Harry goggled at them.

"When did this happen?"

"Well, you know that first night you had Occlumency and I was up late doing homework? Well when I had finished it Hermione came down to check it and, um, well we just got talking and all of our feelings just sort of spilled out."

"Oh, right. Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked

"Dunno, just waiting for the right time I suppose. It don't change anything between the three of us does it?" Ron said, looking slightly worried.

"It will a bit 'cause your relationship is now slightly different, but then again I'm used to you two flirting with each other now. You've been doing it for a while now."

"You noticed?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

**********

Ron sat in the common room with Hermione, waiting for Harry to get back from talking with Lupin. He had been got for a while now. Ron thought they must have been talking about Sirius. He felt Hermione snuggle up next to him. Ron sat looking at the crackling fire just savouring the moment.

Harry came in through the portrait hole and slumped down next to Ron. "I need to tell you two something." Harry whispered to him. "but we need to wait for the common room to empty."

Ron looked around the room. There was a little group of first years chatting away in the corner and a sixth year doing her homework. The first years soon went up to bed but the sixth year spent another half an hour on her homework. When the three of them were finally alone Harry had forgotten he wanted to say anything. So they had to wait another ten minuets for Harry to remember.

 "Oh yeah, I remember now. I was gunna tell you about what happened when I went to see Lupin. I asked him about Midnight but he only told me that she was his companion. Then I said that Snape seemed to know her well and he said, "Professor Snape, Harry, and yes I suppose he would know her well." When I asked him what he meant he just smiled and changed the subject." Harry paused.

"Why is Lupin being so secretive about Midnight I wonder." Said Hermione. She seemed to be saying this to herself more than to anyone else and looked deep in thought as if she was figuring out something.

"That's not all that happened. When I left the room I heard Lupin talking to someone and I am sure it was the same woman Snape was talking to!"

"What were they talking about?" Ron asked, Hermione still appeared to be deep in thought.

"Well at first he was telling her about how he missed Sirius and she was comforting him. Then they …. Um well – err…."

"They what?"

"Um, they started talking about their feelings for each other. I think someone must have spiked the pumpkin juice because everyone seems to be getting together. First you two and now Lupin and some woman." Harry's voice squeaked. Ron thought he might have been a little jealous.

"I really would like to know who this woman is. She knows Snape very well and she seems to have won Lupin's affection, but we don't know where she's come from. We don't even know if she is a witch, though I have a suspicion that she is." Hermione said.

"I wanna know what's with Midnight?" said Ron.

"Did you say that Lupin said that Snape knew Midnight well?"

"Yeah I did. Why Hermione?" Harry asked her.

"Hmmmm, no reason. I just thought that I need to go to the library to check something."

"That's your answer to everything Hermione, go to the library. I think she must be getting there by floo powder seeing as she cant apparate in the Hogwarts grounds." Ron said looking at Hermione.

"Ha ha, very funny Ron," Hermione said narrowing her eyes. "But there is a way we could find out if she has been travelling by floo powder, even thought I'm sure she hasn't. All we have to do is perform a charm on the fireplace and it will show us who has been using it in the floo network."

"And I suppose you know this charm?" Ron questioned.

"Yes I do, thank you very much Ron. What room were they in Harry?"

"It was the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom both times."

"Right so all we have to do is create a diversion so that we can get Lupin and Midnight out of the room  so I can get in there and perform the charm." Hermione said.

"And how do you suppose we manage that?" said Ron.

"Well, I think Harry will be able to create a diversion by telling Lupin he needs to show him something or tell him something somewhere else. Then Ron could stand guard with the marauders map and I could go in and perform the charm."

"Right. So when will we do this?"

"How about Halloween Ron? That's quite soon. In about a week." Hermione suggested.

"Ok"

"Ok"

"Ok" They all agreed to find out about this mystery woman on Halloween.

----I wrote this chapter while I was on holiday tell me what you think!------