Disclaimer: All charcters belong to J.K. Rowling
'What's so special about Hermione Granger?' Ron thought to himself. 'Well she's got to be the smartest girl I've met, and she's not put off by hard work. Totally dedicated. To school, to S.P.E.W., to Harry and Ginny... to all her friends.' He stared at her from across the common room. She was sitting in a chair talking with Neville and Ginny. If you look closely, and Ron was looking closely, the moon light coming from the window above her head gave her this amazing unearthly glow.
"Ron?' Harry asked. "It's your move." He said pointing at the chess board.
"Yeah, I knew that. Just thinking about strategy."
"Sure didn't look like it. Looked a little like you were staring in Hermione's direction." Harry paused for Ron's response. When he didn't deny it like he normally would, Harry continued. "Still hung up about that fight at dinner?"
Ron moved his piece, taking one of Harry's knights. "Yeah, bugs me..." Ron sort of trailed off.
"Bet you Ginny's over there tearing you apart to make Hermione feel better." They both knew that's what Ginny did every time Ron and Hermione got into a fight.
"Probably." Ron wasn't really listening to Harry, now starring at the chess board, but still picturing her. 'What makes her special? Compassion? She's got that, too much sometimes. Wit. She can be funny sometimes, when she wants to be, when she relaxes...' Ron moved another chess piece idly.
"You can't do that." Harry said. "That's a pawn."
"Oh, sorry." Ron realized her didn't have many pieces left. He moved another pice and went back to thinking. 'What's so special?'
'You know what.' It was almost like another voice speaking in his head, but it spoke the truth. 'How about the way she's always self conciously touching her hair? The way she moves her hands when she explain things to you? The way she laughs at your jokes even when no one else will? Or how about the way she makes your heart race when she enters a room?'
"Check mate. I win." Harry said.
"That's nice, good game, gotta go do something..." Ron said as he got up and walked away as if in a daze. Her walked passed Ginny and Neville as if they weren't there, and stopped right in front of her. "Hermione, how can you be so..."
"So what Ron?" Hermione said angrily. "So intolerably intelligent? So unbelievably boring? So totally single minded? Such an idiotic girl? What Ron? What am I this time?" She finished, leaning back into her chair crossing her arms.
Ron looked at her, thn Ginny and Neville. "Nothing Hermione, nevermind."
As Ron was walking away he could hear Ginny talking. "Don't worry 'Mione he's just a prat." Ginny said patting Hermione's knee.
Then Ron did it. He turned back to them speaking softly, but knowing Hermione would hear it no matter what, though half hoping she wouldn't, he looked her in the eye and said, "I just wanted you to know... how you could be so beautiful." He gave a small shrug, then continued, "That's all. I just think you're beautiful." And he walked up the steps to his room.
"What did he say?" Neville asked, he hadn't caught it, but Ginny had and she hushed him. The words were ringing loudly in Hermione's ears. Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes as she ran for the safety of her room, Ginny closely behind. She was of no help though, the tears didn't stop until she was asleep.
She was not the only person crying themselves to sleep in the castle that night.