Chapter 5: Hermione's Day Off

Harry and Ron walked slowly down the Spiral Staircase. Harry had already started the Polyjuice Potion, and now Ron was going to start on his half of the agreement.

"Ron, I'm going to go down to the girls' bathroom now to keep working on the potion," Harry said. "So, you're going to have to keep Hermione preoccupied. It's hard enough to never see her but to stay in a bathroom all day with Moaning Myrtle now that's Hell."

"I'm sorry, Mate," Ron apologized.

"No, it's alright. Just make sure that she doesn't find out what we're doing!"

"Right."

"Even if I'm going to go mad," Harry whispered to himself.

They marched down the steps where Hermione was at the bottom, facing away from them. Harry softly gasped and froze in his place. He pulled himself to the wall and urged Ron to keep walking. As he did, Hermione turned around. His heart skipped a beat, then another, and then before he knew it, his heart felt like it wasn't beating at all.

"Ron!" Hermione jolted happily. "Where's Harry?"

"I don't know."

Harry stood there on the steps, trying not to make himself heard or seen.

"Oh, I'd better go start studying for the N.E.W.T.S.," she said.

"Hermione, we just started school!" Ron exclaimed in sheer disbelief.

"So? I want to be ready for the test," she said, proceeding to the steps.

Ron saw the way she was going and grabbed her hand, "Wha-what are you doing?" said Hermione.

"Er," Ron started, looking at their hands and then letting her hand go. "If you're going to study until the actual N.E.W.T.S. come then let today be a pre-study day. Just for today lets have some fun!"

Hermione lightly laughed, "No, Ron. I don't think that that's a good idea."

"Blimey, Hermione! Stop thinking! Just for one day in your life put down your books," Ron pushed Hermione's books for out of her hand and onto the floor as she loudly gasped. "And forget about school."

"But…"

Ron put his index finger on her lips, "Please?"

Hermione smiled at him and nodded gently. They walked out of the room. Harry was still standing there on the staircase. He walked down the stairs again ready to leave the room, walking towards the portrait door. Then someone swiftly fly open the door, making Harry jump to the side to not be seen. Not to his surprise he saw Hermione walk in.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed.

"Let me just get a coat," she said patiently.

"NO!"

"Ron, what's the matter?" Hermione said, stopping to turn to him.

Harry was standing in clear view of Ron. Ron run to Hermione and pulled her to face the right side of the room where Harry was on the opposite of. He was standing a few feet behind Hermione.

"Take mine," Ron said, taking him coat off and putting it on her.

"No, I am capable of getting one for myself," Hermione said, handing it back to him.

"It's alright! I'm hot right now."

"Fine, if you insist."

Ron linked arms with Hermione and pulled her out of the room. He looked back at Harry as she started to put the coat on. Harry fell onto on of the chairs and sighed right as the door shut. Outside of the door Hermione and Ron walked down the corridor together. Hermione glanced down at hers and Ron's linked arms. She giggled nervously, making Ron look too. He's ears turned red and let her go.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Ron actually had no idea of where the two could go.

"It's a surprise," he said at the top of his head.

"Alright."

He lead them out of the school. They started to walk to nowhere. Now Hermione could tell that he was just making them walk anywhere.

"Ron, you didn't have anything planned, didn't you?" she said.

"No, I'm sorry. I have no idea where we're going."

"It's alight. An unplanned day together might be fun. Come on. Lets go to the lake," Hermione said.

It was her turn to link arms with him. Once they got there they sat on the rocks next to the lake.

"Lets try to freeze it over." Hermione said abruptly.

"Don't you have to do something like that on the N.E.W.T.S.?"

"I just though that…"

"No."

"Fine. Well what do you want to do?"

He was flustered. He had nothing planned nor did she obviously.

"We could, um, talk," he said in a question like form.

"How about truth or dare?"

Ron laughed, "I'd've never though that you would say that, Hermione."

She just smiled at him and said, "Ron, truth or dare?"

"Um…Dare."

Hermione laughed, knowing that is what she though that's what he would pick. He didn't want to seem too wimpy by picking Truth, so he picked dare.

"Lets think. I dare you to jump into the water fully clothed."

"Is that all you've got?"

"Why? Do you want me to saw with no cloths?"

"No, neverwmind"

Ron picked himself up and ran into the lake, fully clothed. After a few seconds he got out. She could tell that he was shivering and cold.

"My turn," he said, sitting back on the rock beside her, dripping wet. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Are you in love with any of your friends?"

"Of course, I love you guys!" she said, looking at Ron facial expression made her rethink that sentence. "Ron, what…Truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Indeed, Ron was hiding everything from Hermione. Everything from this hidden Polyjuice potion plan to how freezing he was and to him completely falling in love with her. She just looked at him with a flood of curiosity filling her eyes. If he had to be honest he would say that he started to like her in their fourth year. When he saw her at the Yule Ball with Krum he got so jealous. But he hadn't really realized he loved her until last year. He might have been with Lavender but he was obviously in love with her. Ron would then say that he had a strong feeling that she was in love with Harry, and that they were making a Polyjuice potion to trick her into telling him if she was. So, it was now or never.

"I'm freezing!" he said.

"Sorry," Hermione said, pulling off his jacket and placing it on him, "Lets go in. You can change your cloth and we'll continue my pre-study day."

He nodded and walked with her as they headed inside.

XOXO

Hope that you liked that... Sorry it take a while for me to update... I have school and everything and I also have 2 other stories... But if you really want an update before anyone else check out my one site... Its in my profile, Magics Heart... I update there before anywhere else... and to all authors bring your stories... its a fanfiction site...