Being who you want to be.

"We had just finished with that battle at the Department of Mysteries. I had recovered from that spell that turned me into a bigger idiot than I normally was and the welts on my arm from that stupid brain I got attacked by were fading. I had spent the last two days thinking how beautiful Hermione was and that despite the fact that she was just two beds over I was never going to be brave enough to tell her. So as you can imagine I wasn't feeling very good about myself, not to mention I wasn't quite done being jealous of Harry?"

"What?" Harry blurted out. "You were jealous of me?"

"Well sure mate most of the guys here have been at some point."

"Why me of all people?" Harry stammered.

"Well it could be because you're the Boy Who lived. Or it could be because you won the Tri-Wizard Tourney. Or It could be because your rich. Or it could be because you're famous. Or it could be because your probably the best Seeker Gryffindor has ever had. Or it could be..."

Seamus, Dean and Neville all laughed and nodded at the same time.

"Ok ok I understand what you are saying." smirked Harry

"So I was stuck in the hospital wing trying to think of who I could talk to about it. I couldn't talk to Harry because he had big problems right then. I couldn't talk to Herminone because if I could have done that I would have felt a lot better to begin with. Fred and George would have teased me mercilessly. So I decided on Bill, well Bill sent back a message that if I wanted he could get me a job in Egypt and we could spend our off time just talking."

"So that's why you were so quiet the last couple of days we were in the hospital wing." Hermione murmured.

"Yeah I was thinking and since I hadn't done a great deal of that over the last couple of years it was taking some effort."

"Turns out I only needed to talk to Bill for one night. Bill just said that I should stop comparing myself to other people. What I really needed to do was decide who I was and then be that person. So I spent a lot of time reading and Flooing back to the Gringotts library doing research."

"You went to the library?" Hermione asked a shocked expression on her face.

"Yes cutie I did. That where they keep the books for research you know?" he teased

"I knew that I just didn't know that you did!"

Ginny sprayed butterbeer all over Harry.

"Sorry Harry." She said still laughing.

"No problem Ginny now I don't have to shower." Harry giggled.

"Yes you do." Seamus, Dean and Neville said at the same time.

At that the room broke up in laughter.

"So Ron what did you research?" Lavender finally managed to say.

"Well really two things that ended up being the same one. I found out that Love can be used as a way of making spells more powerful."

"Love?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah there are lots of kinds of love. Love for your best mate. Love for your family. Love for your house. Love for the little know it all who stole your heart." he said softly kissing Hermione on the tip of her nose.

"Is that anything like love for the oblivious git who didn't invite you to the Yule Ball?" she said laying her head back on his chest.

"Yes it's exactly like that." Ron laughed.

"So I figured out that we need to forge stronger bonds with all of our friends in Griffindor if we are going to survive the coming war. We also need to become closer with the other Houses as well. Just like the Sorting hat said. Hermione was right all along about that."

"Even Slytherin?" asked Neville.

"Yeah Neville even them, though Malfoy is going to have to be dealt with."

Harry spoke up at this "What do you mean dealt with?"

"I mean we have been taking his shite for years and I'm sick of it but more than that he keeps the Houses mad at each other."

"After I figured all of this out I was eager to get back and take care of some things. Of course right before I was supposed to leave the Death Eaters attacked. Which I guess you guys saw in the Daily Prophet."

"Yeah we all saw it. Did you really kill one of them?" Seamus mumbled looking at the floor.

"Yeah Seamus I really killed him. I wish I hadn't have had to but I did."

"How did you do it if you don't mind my asking."

Hermione, Harry and Ginny all glared at him.

"I used the Avada Kedavra curse." He said his eyes misting.

The rest of the Gryffindors just starred at him.

"I would have done it too." Neville blurted out. "They ought to give you a medal."

Ron just shook his head "Harry I finally beat you at something besides chess."

"What's that mate?" Harry said concern creeping into his expression.

"I killed a man before you." Ron's voiced cracked on the final word and tears started streaming down his cheeks.

Hermione pulled him into a fierce hug and a second later Harry joined them, then Ginny and Neville, then Lavender.

Soon all of the Gryffindor were huddled around Ron who couldn't stop crying over the death of a man whose name he didn't know.

Ron looked up at all the people around him "Oh Merlin help me, I'd do it again to protect you guys."

Several minutes passed and then Parvati stirred "I have got to go to bed. We are all going to be hurting tomorrow during class."

Several voices agreed with her and soon everyone was heading towards their dorms.

"I forgot to ask you Hermione, I take it this means you guys are officially a couple now?" Lavender asked.

Hermione was about to look over her shoulder at Ron when she heard his voice.

"We have been a couple for years now. I was just too stupid to notice."

"Hermione wake up. You have a delivery." Lavender shook her gently.

Hermione sat up and looked around. Lavender was holding a bundle of flowers which still had the morning dew on them.

"This was sitting on the window ledge when I woke up along with this note." she smiled at Hermione.

Good morning Beautiful,

I had a hard time sleeping so I thought I would go get you a little present. I hope you like them. I got a little dirty getting them so I will need a long shower after I drop these off. Would you please make sure that the food doesn't disappear before I get to breakfast?

P.S. tell Harry to stop dreaming about Ginny.

The unworthy object of your affection,

Ron

Herminone got up and started to get dressed.

If he learned that from reading I am definitely going to take him to the library more often.

Hermione met Harry in the common room and they went down to breakfast together.

"Hey have you seen Ron?"

"Yeah he got up really early. I don't think he's been sleeping very well since the fight with the Death Eaters."

"Yeah I can imagine."

They both grabbed seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Oh yeah Harry, Ron says you should stop dreaming about Ginny." Hermione giggled.

Harry just stared at her open mouthed.

After a moment Harry shook his head and grinned at her.

Harry started loading his plate with eggs and bacon. He also noticed that Hermione has finished getting her food and had started loading the plate for the seat next to her.

Never one to let a good opportunity to tease Hermione pass by, he was about to remark on it when he heard a cold insolent voice coming from behind him.

"So Potty, Mudblood has your boy in a bin lost his other eye yet?"