Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took a bit longer to get out than the last one. I was having a little trouble of the inspiration variety, but here it is. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think, I really enjoy getting feedback. :-)

I awoke in the morning to the sounds of someone in my kitchen.

"Ouch! Shit!" I sat up and looked around, getting my bearings.

Last night seemed like a strange, far off dream starring two other people in the roles of Ron and I. I raised my hands over my head and stretched, twisting and pulling the sleep out of my muscles. I got out of bed and walked over to my dresser pulling out a loose fitting tank top and a pair of lacy green panties. Putting them on I left the room and headed down the hall towards my small kitchen. Waiting in the doorway I watched the tall figure standing in nothing but his crumple jeans drop a midnight blue mug on the floor, shattering it.

"Shit! Ugh!" He turned in the direction of the bedroom and found me standing there laughing. A sheepish grin spread across his face.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. But what the hell are you doing?" I asked curiously.

"I wanted to make breakfast, but I can't find anything in this bleeding kitchen." He glanced behind him.

"Yeah that's because there really isn't much in it. I don't really entertain." I raised my eyebrows at him pointedly.

That was an understatement. The only people other than Draco, Theo, and Blaise that had been in my apartment never stayed for breakfast, not that I would have wanted them to anyway.

"Oh, right. Well I started tea, anyway." He fidgeted awkwardly as I stared at him.

"Yes and broke my favorite mug."

"Shit. I'll fix it. Let me just go.." He trailed off as he squeezed past me out of the room.

I watched him jog down the hallway and back into the bedroom.

Bending down I began to pick up the sharp remnants of my mug. It really had been my favorite. It was the perfect size for either a large cup of tea or a small bowl of soup. I cradled the pieces in my hands as I carried them to the sink. Ron returned then brandishing his wand.

"Right." He stepped up beside me and pointed into the sink. "Reparo."

The shards jumped up in the sink and sealed themselves back together. I grabbed the now whole mug and put it on the counter just as the kettle started to whistle. Ron poured the water into my mug and the one he had set out for himself while I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box of spiced herbal tea.

"Thanks." I popped a bag into each cup.

"You're welcome. I'll be more careful next time."

'Next time.' I raised an eyebrow at the words but kept my attention focused on the cups before me. The idea of a repeat of last nights events sent a shiver of excitement along my spine. Since Draco I hadn't been with anyone on any kind of regular basis. It wasn't something I was looking for at the moment, especially with Weasley of all people. If I needed attention I found it and then afterwards since it was always a no strings sort of arrangement I was free to go about my business. Somehow though this thing with Ron had felt different from the start. He made me feel safe, even when he clearly intended the opposite. Deep down I knew Ron would never do anything to hurt me, not if he could help it. I let these revelations tumble around in my mind while I swirled the bag in my tea.

I finished doctoring my cup and stepped back to lean against the fridge door. My eyes followed Ron as he fixed his tea for himself. He was focused completely on the task in front of him which gave me the opportunity to take him in entirely. My attention was first drawn to his fiery waves, lying loosely around his ears and tickling the top of his neck. I slid my gaze to his face and the forever smile lighting his blue eyes. I settled there for a moment and watched as his tongue caught in the corner of his mouth in concentration. It was clearly a habit he had formed as a small boy that just stuck. It was such an innocent thing for a man of his size to do that something inside me warmed and I found myself wanting to be near him. Redirecting my thoughts I trailed my eyes down his neck to his well muscled shoulders and further along his arms to his strong hands and thin, adept fingers. The memory of those fingers flowing across my skin made me blush. I took a deep drink from my tea before continuing my examination. I took in the hair that spread handsomely across his chest, tapering to a shadow that disappeared beneath the waist of his jeans.

He finished preparing his tea and reclined against the stove across the kitchen from me. All of his drunken bravado from the night before was gone and I was left with nothing but a grown man sized puppy with a goofy grin spread wide across his face. My eyes darted to the floor as he caught me staring. We sipped our tea silently for a while, shooting glances at one another when we thought we wouldn't be seen. With every sip and every glance the tension between us mounted. All I could think about were his lips, and his tongue, and his hands. The way they had felt last night, the way they would feel this morning. Just when the tension became so great I thought I would burst I heard porcelain connect with counter. I looked up to see Ron push off from the stove and walked slowly towards me. He took the mug from my hands and set it gently down in the sink.

"So that there are no more accidents."

I giggled. He looked down at me seriously and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his chest. My arms went automatically round his neck as he leaned his face down to mine. Our lips met in a slow gentle kiss, nothing like the frenzied actions of the night before. This kiss was sweet and tentative. Not the kind of thing that would lead to meaningless sex with a stranger but something that would lead to intimacy and emotional vulnerability.

My heart beat hard and fast in my chest. The thought of him getting that close to me terrified me. I considered pushing him away, throwing him out of my apartment in nothing but his jeans but I held back. With a shock I realized that even though I was more scared than I had been before, all I wanted was to be close to him.

I tightened my grip around his neck pulling him deeper into the kiss and he responded in kind. We fell into a similar pattern to last night only this time every move was slower, more deliberate. We exploring and enjoying each other this time round. Ron turned us and we took a couple of clumsy steps back toward the bedroom. Stopping in the hallway Ron bent down and scooped me into his arms. He carried me into the bedroom and lay me down gently on the bed. Removing his pants he climbed up beside me. Sitting up I lifted my shirt off over my head and threw it to the floor. My panties came off next, landing in a heap on my shirt.

We lay there next to each other completely bare. Our hands making their way over each other's skin leaving fire in their wake. We kissed and then separated again to explore new areas, over and over and over. Finally I got to my knees and bent over him. With my fingers I found his most vulnerable places, his collarbones, the crease of his elbow, the skin around his bellybutton, and I planted kisses there. When the sensation became too much for him he took my face in his hands and pulled me on top of him. I settled there, straddling his hips and we rode the wave of emotion together. Lying against his chest with his arms clasped tight around me we came crashing down as one. He continued to hold me for a long while after as our breathing slowed and our heartbeats steadied.

A well of emotion flowed over in my chest as the warmth of his embrace engulfed me. Silent tears streamed down my face. I focused all my attention on keeping my breathing even but it was no use, a dam had broken inside me and soon I was sobbing uncontrollably. Ron said nothing. He simply ran a hand from the base of my neck to the small of my back. This small, loving gesture made the tears come harder as I was filled with a euphoric peace. Finally the stream subsided and I was able to slow my breathing. Soon the only remaining signs of my outpouring of emotion were the infrequent hiccups and the wet, salt trails down my cheeks. Ron continued rubbing my back even though I had clearly finished crying and I never wanted him to stop.

"Are you alright Pansy?" The sound of my name in his husky voice made me smile.

"Yeah. I'm alright." I muttered.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No, you're wonderful."

I nestled myself in tighter against him and sighed deeply. He chuckled quietly and gave me a long squeeze. We lay there like that until we dozed off and fell into a deep sleep.