AN: Overnight, I hit 250 followers on tumblr To celebrate, I've written an upbeat HBP missing moment.

If this is happiness, I don't mind having this - Happiness, McFly (2020)

The sun was streaming through the heavy shutters of the sixth-year Gryffindor boys dormitory as Ron got ready for class. He straightened his tie, then pulled his jumper over his head before checking he had everything he needed for his full day of classes.

For once, the redhead was awake, showered, dressed, and heading down to breakfast before any of the others had even stopped snoring.

Ron stepped out of the dorm and bounced down the staircase, unable to stop the excitement that bubbled low in his belly. Ever since his poisoning, his subsequent recovery, and the hope that his relationship with Lavender might be coming to an end, he felt good as if everything was going his way.

If Ron were to tell Harry about this newfound feeling of happiness, his best friend would probably think he was a mad man. Ron had almost died, and yet here he was, grinning like an absolute fool. Not even the prospect of Double Potions could ruin his mood.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, feeling giddy as he laid eyes on the reason for his brilliant mood.

Hermione.

Sure, nothing had happened between them. Although Ron was vaguely aware that the way he was treating Lavender was awful, he wasn't a cheat. But Hermione had laid in wait at his bedside until he'd woken up, and the first thing he felt when he did was her petite fingers interlaced with his and their palms pressed together.

"G'morning."

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. The poor girl had her head buried in a book, and she jumped a mile at the sound of his voice. He hated distracting her while she was studying. It was her favourite thing to do after all. Still, a huge smile crossed her face as she lifted her head and set eyes on him.

"Good morning. How are you feeling today?"

"Brilliant!" Ron beamed, crossing the faded red carpet to close the gap between them with two long strides.

"How are you feeling brilliant? You've just survived a poisoning." She laughed. "I thought you might have wanted to stay in bed today?"

"Nah." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Exams are soon. I don't want to fall behind, do I?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Did Madam Pomfrey give you a personality transplant while you were recuperating?"

"Almost dying kind of gives you a new perspective on life, doesn't it?" Ron threw himself down on the sofa, almost missing the roll of her eye. Instead of annoying him, like it usually did, it sent a surge of glee pulsing through his body. He let himself sink into the squishy material. "And I thought that maybe I should make some effort."

She eyed him, the cogs turning rapidly behind those brilliant chocolate-brown eyes of hers. He yearned to reach out and stroke his thumb across her cheek to push all of the concern away.

But not yet.

He needed to have a plan, and he should take care of the Lavender issue first.

Unable to take the heat of her sceptical gaze any longer, Ron bolted up in his seat. "Breakfast?"

"Is Harry on his way down?"

"We don't have to do everything with Harry, do we?"

His question was loaded, and as Hermione's eyes narrowed, he knew she understood the context. His stomach lurched, and he wondered if he'd taken it too far already.

"No," she paused, drawing her lower lip between her teeth before pasting the smile back on her face. "I guess not. He'll know where to find us, anyway."

"Great!" Ron hopped up and held his hand out for Hermione.

She took it, and he tried his best to ignore the sensations shooting up his hand at the feel of her soft skin. As quickly as they'd made contact, she let go of him, and the loss of her touch threatened to destroy his excellent mood.

And he couldn't allow that.

Hermione hauled her massive bag over her shoulder, then Ron led them towards the portrait hole.

"Good morning, you pair, early breakfast? Oh, how I miss eating breakfast," the Fat Lady lamented as she swung open.

Ron ignored her. By now, the students of the House were used to the portrait whining about her stagnant life. At least she could visit the other artwork on the walls, which she often did. Her life wasn't that bad.

"You go first."

The suspicious look remained on Hermione's face as she scrambled through the hole, Ron soon joining her. He placed his hand on the small of her back as they made their way towards the staircase. Who knows why he did it? But it felt right.

"Just be careful, Ron." Their eyes met in understanding, and his heart soared. He needed to solve the Lavender problem and fast.

But for now, Ron revelled in his closeness with Hermione as they walked together, meandering their way down the moving staircases towards the Great Hall.

Yes, this was happiness. Taking baby steps with Hermione, focussing on fixing their friendship first, had been the right idea. If he thought back all those years ago to when he was staring into the Mirror of Erised, feeling the stark inadequacy of being the youngest of six boys; all with their own degrees of successfulness, Ron would never have guessed that he'd get such a strong feeling of belonging and acceptance from his best friends, and especially not from Hermione.

But here it was, and he found that he genuinely didn't mind it at all.