Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitor

The wind was howling and rain was thrashing down onto the windows and roof of the dorm building.

A girl around the age of nineteen lay on her stomach on her bed, with her bare feet sticking up in the air. She was humming some tune while reading quite a thick novel. Her bushy brown hair had been pulled back to keep it out of her face as she read, and her brown eyes darted back and forth, devouring the content of the book.

Someone knocked on the door, and thinking that it was one of her classmates wanting to borrow some notes, she yelled a "come in!" without looking up from the book.

"Hey Hermione. Long time no see, huh?"

Immediately, Hermiones head jerked up. She knew that voice, even though she hadn't heard it for almost two years.

"Ron?"

Hermione jumped up and ran over to her red headed friend, engulfing him in a hug.

"Nice to see you too Hermione." Ron hugged her back in his usual awkward manner, while his ears turned the familiar bright red.

The hug ended, and Hermiones face became more serious.

"What are you doing here Ron? Didn't you start a job in the Magical Games and Sports department at the Ministry?"

Ron laughed and raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know that? What are you doing, stalking me?" He asked with a laugh.

Hermione whacked him playfully on the arm. "No, I just got an owl from Ginny and she told me."

Ron nodded. He walked over to Hermiones desk and began flipping through one of the many large textbooks. "I don't start work until Monday, and I was in the area so I decided to stop by." Ron looked over his shoulder at Hermione. "This isn't a bad time, is it? You don't have to study, or have a, er, date?" He was trying to be subtle, but it wasn't working.

The witch's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, but Hermione just shook her head. "Nope, I finished up most of my quarter exams today, and my roommates are the ones with dates, not me."

Ron turned his head back to the desk, and he picked up a framed photo of him, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Luna and Neville, all sitting under a beech tree near the lake on the Hogwarts grounds, and was taken the day finals ended in Ron's seventh year.

"So have you talked to Vicky lately?" Ron's voice went up a notch slightly, and his ears burned a fiery red.

Hermione opened her mouth, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't want to get in an argument with Ron. Instead she shook her head no. "I don't have time for too many letters. I'm lucky that I'm able to write to Ginny, Harry, and my parents. I'm mostly studying or training. I start my work at St. Mungos next week. I was going to drop in at the Burrow next Friday after I got off work."

Ron walked over to where Hermione was sitting on her bed, and sat down next to his bushy haired friend.

"So you don't regret moving here, and missing out on everything?" Ron asked, in a rather blunt way.

Hermione scowled slightly. "No, of course not! I always wanted to work in the medical field, and being a healer is the perfect job for me! I mean sure I wish I was closer to you, and Ginny, and Harry along with everyone else, but I don't regret coming to the Healer Academy."

Ron nodded again. He looked down at his folded hands that rested on his lap.

An awkward silence passed and finally Hermione cleared her throat, not wanting the silence to go on any longer. "So what are you doing in Scotland? You said that you where in the neighborhood, so that's why you dropped by."

Ron nodded for the umpteenth time. "I was helping the twins with the Hogsmeade branch of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. I would've visited sooner, it's just that…" His voice trailed off and Ron searched for the right words to say.

"You just couldn't find the time?" Hermione offered.

"No, it was more the fact that…" Ron sighed, and then stood up, running a hand through his red hair.

"Ron what is it? You know that you can tell me anything." Hermione stood, and placed a comforting hand on Rons shoulder, but Ron jerked away.

"I know that Hermione! I trust you it's just… Things were so much simpler when we where eleven… Hermione, I… I…" Ron paused. "When you got accepted into the Healer Academy, I felt horrible. I knew that this was your dream, so that's why I didn't say anything, but I couldn't imagine not seeing you all the time. We where going from spending a whole school year together, not counting when you'd come to the Burrow for Christmas, and over the summer, to not seeing each other at all." Ron walked over to Hermiones desk and leaned his hands on it.

"I wanted so badly to stop you from leaving England, but a voice kept telling me that being a Healer was what you wanted, and that I should let you pursue your dream job. So then I promised myself that I'd visit you all the time, but when the weekend rolled around, I knew once I came to see you, I wouldn't be able to leave, so I just stayed home, but not coming hurt as bad as coming and seeing you here all happy, without me in your life."

Hermiones eyes were glistening, and Ron knew that she was holding back tears. She walked over to him, reaching out for his hand, but Ron just stepped away. Hermione gave him a questioning look.

"Hermione I can't be near you. I get all warm, and my throat dries up, and I just can't think straight!" Ron closed his eyes. He didn't want to see Hermiones reaction. He just wanted to tell her and leave.

"Hermione, I like you, a lot. I might even love you."

Hermiones eyes widened, and she felt her face flush. She had dreamt about Ron confessing his feelings to her, and to be perfectly honest, she thought that she was going to have to confess her feelings first, but now that her dream had come true, she wasn't exactly sure what to say back.

"Ron… Ron… I…" Hermione stammered, trying to find the right words. Ron just shook his head in defeat.

"I shouldn't have come here," He muttered before turning and walking out of Hermiones dorm.

As soon as Ron slammed the door shut, Hermione found her voice.

"I think I love you too Ron."