Disclaimer: I own nothing. All props to JK Rowling.
Hermione stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were sitting at a table playing chess. Hermione walked past them, but stopped to whisper in Harry's ear. Harry simply nodded as Hermione continued up the stairs to her room.
"What'd she say?" Ron asked frantically.
"Who?" Harry replied. Ron kicked Harry under the table.
"Don't play that game with me, mate. What did Hermione say? Did she say something about me? She hates me, doesn't she? I knew it. I took a chance and it was bad. I'm such a wanker..."
"RON!!!" Harry yelled. "Calm down. You didn't take any chance. You didn't kiss her, remember? You were about to, but you didn't. So stop freaking out. You're not a wanker, either."
"Then tell me what she said!" Ron gasped.
"Fine." Harry moved his bishop three squares. "Checkmate." Ron stared at the board. He had just lost. He never lost. Not to Harry, anyway.
"You just beat me. At chess." Ron looked like he was trying to find more words, but he couldn't.
"Yes, I did. That's what Hermione told me. She told me that to move that bishop to that square and then I would win," Harry said, also thinking that he was going to buy Hermione the best Christmas present ever.
"She said that? Since when does she know how to play? She and I played once and she lost horribly!" Ron was dumbfounded. He got up and walked to the girl's side dormitories.
"HERMIONE!!!" he yelled. "HER-MY-OH-NEEEEEEEE!!!" Lavender Brown stuck her head out. She was in a robe and had a towel wrapped around her head.
"What are you on about, Ronald?" she asked.
"Hey, is Hermione up there?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to talk to her. I don't have to give you any reason why I would want to talk to MY best friend. Now tell her to get down here," Ron said impatiently.
"I think you could ask nicer," Lavender replied. Ron glared at her. He turned around and shouted into the common room.
"Hey Dean! Come see what your girlfriend looks like when she's just out of the shower!!" Ron yelled. Lavender squealed and ducked back into the room. A few moments later Hermione emerged.
"That wasn't very nice, Ron," she said critically.
"What? Dean's not even here... You think I'd actually tell Dean that I saw his girlfriend just after she's gotten out of the shower?" Ron retorted.
"Fine. What do you want?" Hermione said bitterly.
"Whoa. What did I do?" Ron asked.
"Nothing."
"I must have done something."
"I assure you, you didn't."
"Then why are you acting like it's that time of the month?"
"RONALD WEASLEY!!! JUST BECAUSE A GIRL IS IN A BAD MOOD IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S 'THAT TIME OF THE MONTH!!!" Hermione stormed back up the stairs and slammed the door shut.
"What the fuck did I do?" Ron asked Harry. Harry just shrugged. Ginny got up and walked up to Ron. She smacked him on the back of the head. "Oi! What was that for?" Ron asked. Ginny simply smiled at him and walked up the stairs. She knocked on Hermione's door and went inside.
"Hey you. What was that? I thought you liked Ron?" Ginny said.
"Oh my GOD! I never said that I like Ron! Why is everyone acting like we're getting married tomorrow??" Hermione said, quite frustrated.
"You're the only one acting like you're getting married tomorrow," Ginny said. Hermione raised her eyebrow. "The way you just blew up at him, only a bride would be that touchy," Ginny explained. Hermione sighed. She knew Ginny was right.
"I know. I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess I'm just upset that he keeps acting like there's nothing. I mean, earlier today he almost kissed me, but Harry interrupted. I'm just frustrated. I'm still trying to figure out if I like Ron. It's too much to also be trying to figure out if he likes me."
"Can I make a suggestion?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "Ask him!! Drag him into a corner or up to his room and ask him. The best way to figure out what someone's thinking is to ask them."
"I can't do that, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "Could you just walk up to Harry and tell him that you like him?"
"Yes, I could," Ginny said confidently. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Fine then" Ginny replied to Hermione's doubtful look. "Follow me. But after I'm done, you have to take Ron aside and talk to him. Deal?" Ginny walked out of the room and back downstairs. She sat down next to Harry. Harry looked at her.
"Hello Ginny. How are you?" he asked. Ginny's reply was her lips on his. Hermione gasped and put her hands over her mouth. Ron turned around to see what was going on. Ron's first reaction was to beat the bloody pulp out of the cockbite that was kissing his sister. Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Ron, it's ok. She kissed him. Can we go up to your room and talk?" She smiled at him, hoping to calm him down a bit. Ron nodded and walked upstairs, Hermione following after her. Ron held the door to his room open. Hermione waited.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.
"I'm waiting for you to go through the doors," Hermione replied.
"I'm holding the door open for you, Hermione," Ron said irritably.
"Oh, right..." she said scrambling through the door. Ron followed her inside.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to talk." Hermione saw the uneasy look on his face. "That's ok, isn't it? For us just to talk?"
"Why'd you yell at me earlier?" Ron said bravely.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I was just being a moody girl," she said, smiling at him. Ron nodded. She assumed that was his way of accepting an apology. "Sit down," she said.
"What? Why?" Ron was still obviously irked that Hermione had shouted at him. Hermione sighed.
"Please, just sit down." She sat on his bed waiting for him to join her. Ron reluctantly sat next to her. Hermione scooted towards him and swung her legs over his. She was about to fall off the bed, so by instinct, Ron wrapped an arm around her waist. Hermione smiled up at him. It took Ron a moment or two to realize it was the same position they were in earlier. He reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She licked her lips, anticipating his kiss. Ron leaned closer. Hermione closed her eyes. She felt his breath on her face. He was so close, why didn't he just kiss her? His lips brushed hers... the door opened and Harry walked in.
"Holy crap. I'm sorry. I'm... I'm going now. Bye." Harry hurried back out.
"Honestly!" Hermione shouted. Ron chuckled.
"Maybe this just isn't supposed to happen, Hermione," he said. Hermione looked at him.
"You don't mean that. I know you don't."
"Well, whenever I try and kiss you, he bloody walks in! What am I supposed to do?"
"Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not supposed to kiss me," Hermione said. Ron nodded. He wanted to kiss her so badly. But Fate was trying to say something. Ron's train of thought was broken when Hermione put her arms around his neck. "Maybe I'm supposed to kiss you." Before Ron had even processed this, her lips were pressed against his. Ron couldn't believe it. He wrapped his arms around the gorgeous witch sitting on his bed, kissing him. He deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced a dance only lovers would know. Hermione's entire world was invaded by Ron. But she didn't mind. As long as Ron kept kissing her, everything would be ok.
Hermione stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron were sitting at a table playing chess. Hermione walked past them, but stopped to whisper in Harry's ear. Harry simply nodded as Hermione continued up the stairs to her room.
"What'd she say?" Ron asked frantically.
"Who?" Harry replied. Ron kicked Harry under the table.
"Don't play that game with me, mate. What did Hermione say? Did she say something about me? She hates me, doesn't she? I knew it. I took a chance and it was bad. I'm such a wanker..."
"RON!!!" Harry yelled. "Calm down. You didn't take any chance. You didn't kiss her, remember? You were about to, but you didn't. So stop freaking out. You're not a wanker, either."
"Then tell me what she said!" Ron gasped.
"Fine." Harry moved his bishop three squares. "Checkmate." Ron stared at the board. He had just lost. He never lost. Not to Harry, anyway.
"You just beat me. At chess." Ron looked like he was trying to find more words, but he couldn't.
"Yes, I did. That's what Hermione told me. She told me that to move that bishop to that square and then I would win," Harry said, also thinking that he was going to buy Hermione the best Christmas present ever.
"She said that? Since when does she know how to play? She and I played once and she lost horribly!" Ron was dumbfounded. He got up and walked to the girl's side dormitories.
"HERMIONE!!!" he yelled. "HER-MY-OH-NEEEEEEEE!!!" Lavender Brown stuck her head out. She was in a robe and had a towel wrapped around her head.
"What are you on about, Ronald?" she asked.
"Hey, is Hermione up there?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to talk to her. I don't have to give you any reason why I would want to talk to MY best friend. Now tell her to get down here," Ron said impatiently.
"I think you could ask nicer," Lavender replied. Ron glared at her. He turned around and shouted into the common room.
"Hey Dean! Come see what your girlfriend looks like when she's just out of the shower!!" Ron yelled. Lavender squealed and ducked back into the room. A few moments later Hermione emerged.
"That wasn't very nice, Ron," she said critically.
"What? Dean's not even here... You think I'd actually tell Dean that I saw his girlfriend just after she's gotten out of the shower?" Ron retorted.
"Fine. What do you want?" Hermione said bitterly.
"Whoa. What did I do?" Ron asked.
"Nothing."
"I must have done something."
"I assure you, you didn't."
"Then why are you acting like it's that time of the month?"
"RONALD WEASLEY!!! JUST BECAUSE A GIRL IS IN A BAD MOOD IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S 'THAT TIME OF THE MONTH!!!" Hermione stormed back up the stairs and slammed the door shut.
"What the fuck did I do?" Ron asked Harry. Harry just shrugged. Ginny got up and walked up to Ron. She smacked him on the back of the head. "Oi! What was that for?" Ron asked. Ginny simply smiled at him and walked up the stairs. She knocked on Hermione's door and went inside.
"Hey you. What was that? I thought you liked Ron?" Ginny said.
"Oh my GOD! I never said that I like Ron! Why is everyone acting like we're getting married tomorrow??" Hermione said, quite frustrated.
"You're the only one acting like you're getting married tomorrow," Ginny said. Hermione raised her eyebrow. "The way you just blew up at him, only a bride would be that touchy," Ginny explained. Hermione sighed. She knew Ginny was right.
"I know. I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess I'm just upset that he keeps acting like there's nothing. I mean, earlier today he almost kissed me, but Harry interrupted. I'm just frustrated. I'm still trying to figure out if I like Ron. It's too much to also be trying to figure out if he likes me."
"Can I make a suggestion?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "Ask him!! Drag him into a corner or up to his room and ask him. The best way to figure out what someone's thinking is to ask them."
"I can't do that, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "Could you just walk up to Harry and tell him that you like him?"
"Yes, I could," Ginny said confidently. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Fine then" Ginny replied to Hermione's doubtful look. "Follow me. But after I'm done, you have to take Ron aside and talk to him. Deal?" Ginny walked out of the room and back downstairs. She sat down next to Harry. Harry looked at her.
"Hello Ginny. How are you?" he asked. Ginny's reply was her lips on his. Hermione gasped and put her hands over her mouth. Ron turned around to see what was going on. Ron's first reaction was to beat the bloody pulp out of the cockbite that was kissing his sister. Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Ron, it's ok. She kissed him. Can we go up to your room and talk?" She smiled at him, hoping to calm him down a bit. Ron nodded and walked upstairs, Hermione following after her. Ron held the door to his room open. Hermione waited.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.
"I'm waiting for you to go through the doors," Hermione replied.
"I'm holding the door open for you, Hermione," Ron said irritably.
"Oh, right..." she said scrambling through the door. Ron followed her inside.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to talk." Hermione saw the uneasy look on his face. "That's ok, isn't it? For us just to talk?"
"Why'd you yell at me earlier?" Ron said bravely.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I was just being a moody girl," she said, smiling at him. Ron nodded. She assumed that was his way of accepting an apology. "Sit down," she said.
"What? Why?" Ron was still obviously irked that Hermione had shouted at him. Hermione sighed.
"Please, just sit down." She sat on his bed waiting for him to join her. Ron reluctantly sat next to her. Hermione scooted towards him and swung her legs over his. She was about to fall off the bed, so by instinct, Ron wrapped an arm around her waist. Hermione smiled up at him. It took Ron a moment or two to realize it was the same position they were in earlier. He reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She licked her lips, anticipating his kiss. Ron leaned closer. Hermione closed her eyes. She felt his breath on her face. He was so close, why didn't he just kiss her? His lips brushed hers... the door opened and Harry walked in.
"Holy crap. I'm sorry. I'm... I'm going now. Bye." Harry hurried back out.
"Honestly!" Hermione shouted. Ron chuckled.
"Maybe this just isn't supposed to happen, Hermione," he said. Hermione looked at him.
"You don't mean that. I know you don't."
"Well, whenever I try and kiss you, he bloody walks in! What am I supposed to do?"
"Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not supposed to kiss me," Hermione said. Ron nodded. He wanted to kiss her so badly. But Fate was trying to say something. Ron's train of thought was broken when Hermione put her arms around his neck. "Maybe I'm supposed to kiss you." Before Ron had even processed this, her lips were pressed against his. Ron couldn't believe it. He wrapped his arms around the gorgeous witch sitting on his bed, kissing him. He deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced a dance only lovers would know. Hermione's entire world was invaded by Ron. But she didn't mind. As long as Ron kept kissing her, everything would be ok.