She hurried down the stairs after Ginny, not wanting to be left behind. The dark wood creaked under her feet, slightly muffled by the forbidding burgundy carpet runner in the centre of the staircase.

The closer she got to the kitchen, the warmer the air surrounding her became. She could hear raucous chatter floating up from the kitchen. Ginny was almost at the bottom of the stairs, but she looked back and paused to wait for Hermione. She linked her arm through Hermione's, and said "Ok 'Mione, she likes you more, you ask about the cakes." Then she winked and dragged them into the cheery warmth of the kitchen.

Ron and George were sitting at the table, playing a round of chess. Ron had his back to her, but she could sense fierce concentration emanating from him, the kind only wizarding chess could bring out.

Ginny pulled out a chair beside him, and was halfway to seated when Molly spun around, the scraping of the ancient wooden chair alerting her to their presence. "Oh wonderful girls, I'm almost done cleaning up, Ginny, would you be a dear and wipe down the table?" she flicked her wand and brightly pattered yellow and red cloth swished across the room. Ginny easily snatched it out of the air, impressing Hermione with her quick, quidditch (and perhaps brother) honed reflexes. Ginny knew better than to argue, and sauntered across the kitchen to begin large lazy swipes of the table, purposesly getting in the way of Ron and George's chess match.

"Hermione dear, would you like a lemon cake?" Molly paused for a second and considered Hermione's appearance "My my don't you just look lovely!" She nodded in a satisfied way, as if the hair charm had been her doing. Then she enveloped Hermione into a warm hug, befri drawing back, and pushing a plate of tea cakes into Hermione's hands "Just lovely. Why don't you bring these over to the boys." She winked at Hermione and turned back to the feather duster she had been supervising. In the absence of her watchful eye it had began to twirl rapidly in the air, occasionally shooting off an errant feather.

Hermione internally shook her head at Molly's strange behaviour. Molly was kind, sure, but old fashioned. Hermione sometimes got the feeling she disapproved of her and Ginny for not being into more stereotypical "girly stuff".

It's not that either of them were opposed to it, but Ginny growing up with only brothers and Hermione without any seriously feminine women in her life meant neither of them had developed an interest at an early age. Besides, when it came to clothes Ginny could hardly afford anything new, it wasn't uncommon for her to wear her brother's hand-me-downs, and Hermione just didn't know where to start. At any rate, their dabble into cosmetic charms would probably get them some extra time out of cleaning for the next few days from Molly. She was known to pick favourites.

Hermione pulled the chair beside Ron out and sat down, placing the plate of cakes down beside the chess board

"Molly wanted me to give you these" She said, nudging Ron with her shoulder slightly when he didn't look away from the chess board.

George already had one cake stuffed in his mouth, and he watched them with narrowed eyes.

"Wonnikins! Pay attention! The lovely lady brought us some treats! Absolutely delightful Hermione" Crumbs sprayed from his overfilled mouth as he spoke

"Urgh, George, you're disgusting" Ginny said, eyeing him with revulsion from the end of the table. She balled up the cloth she'd been cleaning with and lobbed it at his head. "Clean up after yourself, Merlin!"

George dodged the cloth, and shot to his fit with exaggerated offence, his chair clattered backwards behind him "You insult my manners Wench!" He shouted, snatching the cloth from where it had fallen on the table "prepare to pay the price." He advanced on her, flicking the cloth ahead of him

"Mum!!" Ginny screeched, "He's attacking me!"

Molly spun around "Both of you, out of my kitchen! Now!" She drew her wand. "Don't make me say it twice!"

Ginny and George fled the kitchen, still cursing and threatening each other.

Ron caught Hermione's eye and gave her a sheepish 'sorry my family is loud and crazy' half grin. Hermione smiled back and shook her head gently. She gestured to the tea cakes

"Give one a go, I've heard some pretty good things"

Ron picked one up and took a bite. His eyes widened. "Blimey 'Mione, these are delicious, try!"

He held the cake up in front of her, and, unthinkingly, she leaned forward and took a bite from the proffered dessert.

She glanced up at him as she bit into it, sweet tangy lemon filling her senses. She could smell the sugary glaze wafting off of the cake, but something else too. It was comforting and familiar. It was Ron. The proximity to him was more enticing than the cake itself.

The intimacy of their the situation hit them both a split second after Hermione moved, their eye contact as she delicately took the cake from his hand with her mouth almost overwhelming.

Hermione, acting on a boldness she hadn't been previously aware of, didn't look away. She leaned back, nodding as she chewed, the cake really was delightful, airy moist, and tart.

Ron stared back at her for a few moments, before distractedly glanced around the kitchen, looking for anything else to rest his gaze on. He looked down at the chess board, then back at her

"Yeah they're wicked, mum's a great baker"

The bland sentence struck Hermione, and she picked a cake of plate and took a bite, only to occupy her hands

"mmhmm" she mumbled back. Clearly she'd made him uncomfortable. It was a fair reactions, she supposed. She probably wouldn't appreciate some random bloke eating out of her hand... although... he had offered. But no. He wasn't thinking. She'd thought the sparks upstairs earlier meant that their strictly 'friends with each other because we love Harry' policy could have some wiggle room, perhaps even enough to accommodate the butterflies she'd been getting in her stomach lately. She looked at him, nervously playing with the chessboard pieces in front of him. He didn't want her here.

She stood abruptly. "I'd better go check on Ginny" she said to him, with her best approximation on nonchalance. She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her in her tracks

"Wait! 'Mione, someone has to finish the game, stay a while?"

She slowly turned around, he was looking at her pleading from his seat at the table. He gestured towards George's discarded side of the chessboard

"It's your move".

Ironic. Seeing as she'd just made a move. Kind of. Well not really. The more she thought about it the more she wasn't sure if that was something friends just did. You know, gaze into each other's eyes whilst feeding the other cake. Regardless, it seemed like he still wanted to be around her. She didn't want anymore close calls. She resolved to be more guarded around him from now on.

She took a seat, examining the board. She really was rubbish at this game, a fact she knew Ron relished.

She considered her bishop, a roughly formed strategy someone along the lines of 'get the king' her only guide.

"Bishop to D 6"

"Ehhhhhhh you don't want to do that"

She paused, bishop in hand and looked up at him. He had a pained expression on his face like he hated to give his opponent any advice. He sighed

"Hermione, look at the board" She did. "Do you see that?" He point at the rook which would have taken her bishop and then been halfway behind her lines.

She huffed, maybe it was the competitive Gryffindor edge, but she really hated to lose. She crossed her arms and glared at him "Ok then, what would you do"

His expression softened into a smile, and he shook his edge at her, then laughed quietly to himself "I'm not usually one to give out my strategy 'Mione" He said, looking up at her with a grin.

She leaned forward, and found herself unconsciously mirroring his smile. "Make an exception? Otherwise I'll never learn, and you'll be playing boring easy games against me for the rest of your life. I'm a great student you know, it's to your own advantage to teach me."

"You just want to know how to beat me."

She shrugged "I guess we'll just have to find out"

He squinted at her for a moment, suspiciously, and looked right back at him. Then gave him a kick to the knee

"Bloody hell! what was that for!?"

"Less talking, more teaching!"

"Ok ok! Merlin, do you talk to McGonagall like that? Alright. It's your go"

She looked down at the board. Ron and George had only been a few moves in. She started to reach for a rook, before jerking her hand back. Sometimes she fell into the old muggle habit of trying to move the chess pieces herself, but Ron's board was ornery and she'd been left nursing fingers pricked by tiny swords more than once after a few pieces took offence.

"Rook to E-"

Ron cut her off "You don't want to do that either"

she scowled at him. "You don't even know where I was going to move it"

He smirked at her "I do so, you were going to move it here, to take my bishop, but then I could take it with pawn" He paused and looked up at her "A pawn, Hermione" He shook his head. "So what you want to do is move your pawn up, and next move your queen will be free to take my rook there"

He was right. That was where she was aiming. On one hand, she was annoyed; her competitive spirit did not take well to being told she was wrong. On the other hand... something about Ron teaching her how to do something, and the confidence in his voice as he explained the moves... She could listen to that all day.

She returned her focus to the board. His analysis seemed right, and she didn't really see any other moves.

She ordered her pawn where he suggested. He mirrored her move. He looked at her with a challenging glint in his eyes. She wasn't sure if he was daring her to make the move he told her to, or daring her not to.

She studied the board. She didn't want to take advice, but it didn't look like there were any alternatives. Besides, he was supposed to be helping her. He hadn't touched the sacrificial rook. She took it.

He nodded sagely "Excellent strategy."

She couldn't help but feel like this was some kind of trap, but the room had been defending the king, Ron was now in check.

He ordered his king sideways, but her bishop all the way down the board was there, he had no where else to go.

"Hermione I'm impressed, a checkmate in 3 moves"

She rolled her eyes at him. He'd clearly let her win, which rankled. "Ronald, how am I supposed to leave if you let me win?"

"What can I say? You're a fast learner, not to mention I heard you had a wicked teacher"

He smiled at her. At some point during the game Molly had left the kitchen, and the two of them were sitting across from each other at the table. Hermione got the impression neither of them knew what to say, but equally didn't want to end the conversation.

He held out his hand to her across the table, his palm facing upward, rough quidditch hewn callouses visible. She thought to move, place her delicate hand in his just to see the contrast, her pale, habitually ink stained hand in his large freckled one.

"My men please."

Evidently he had different ideas; he wanted the chess pieces she had captured back. She internally shook herself Control yourself! He would have thought you'd lost your mind!

She inclined her head dramatically, and carefully scooped up the chess pieces, who called gratuitous obscenities up at her with their tiny voices. She placed them in Ron's waiting hand.

"Y'know, I think muggle chess is better, there's far less heckling from the pieces"

Ron scoffed, and stood up "Typical muggle born" he said.

Hermione feigned offence and stood up, slapping him on the shoulder

"How dare you, and here I thought you were one of the bearable pure bloods, I guess not!"

She haughtily stuck her nose in the air, and made to strut from the room, walking around the table towards the kitchen door.

Ron reached out and grabbed her arm as she passed him

"Wait, wait, you know I was kidding, right?" Concern lined his face, and he swallowed nervously "Mione I really don't think any of that, It's not-"

"Ron! Ron I know, God, you think I would've been friends with you for the past five years if I thought that? No thank you, I have enough self respect not to associate with people who think I'm some kind of underclass" She shook her head "Ron I know you're not like that, don't worry"

He sighed, clearly relieved "Blimey, Ok, I thought i might've mucked it up there"

She shook her head at him, if only he knew how far from it he was.