Hi!

Not much to say, but here's an update!

I really really really enjoy putting little snippets of Ron/Hermione interactions in this fic that weren't in the original, and I hope you enjoy it as well!

This chapter covers the beginning part of chapter 5 of the original.

Thanks to cheeeeeesy and be11a for the beta! They definitely made this chapter better!

Warning: cringy awkward sex ahead.

oOo

"Hey!" Ron panted as he came barreling through Hermione's bedroom door.

Hermione turned from her desk and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Hey yourself. What's going on?"

"I meant to come see you once you got home, but I fell asleep and-" he gave her a sheepish shrug.

"Oh," Hermione said, giving him a small smile. "Are you going to the party tonight?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded as he walked over to her bed and threw his body down on it. For a second, he thought he saw a flash of disappointment flicker across her features at his confirmation, but when she gave him a small smile he realized he'd imagined it. "But no party tomorrow night so maybe we could go to the movies or something?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Hermione replied as she ran her pen over her written essay looking for mistakes.

Ron took a couple of minutes to study her. It had been a few days since her birthday, and he'd been unable to keep the perfect day from his mind. She hadn't talked of it after that night, but he could sense that she'd been happier as well. He hadn't brought up her seeing him starkers either, as he knew she was embarrassed about the whole thing. Sure, he knew it had probably just been her being curious and not her lusting after him or anything, but it was still something and he smiled every time he thought about it.

With a sigh, Ron stood up and walked over to stand behind her. He bent down, taking the pen from her hand and setting it on the desk. Hermione turned and looked up at him, her face confused. He only smiled as he pulled her chair back before moving in front of her, taking her hands, and pulling her to her feet.

"Ron, what are you doing? I need to finish that essay!"

Ron didn't answer, instead leading her over to the bed and lying back on it, pulling her down so that she was lying next to him. She sighed but didn't resist, and when she was on the bed she snuggled closer into his side as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Dave is going to pick me up in about forty minutes, and I need a cuddle with my best friend before I go," he stated, his eyes closed.

Hermione let out a deep sigh of contentment that made Ron have to mentally force dirty thoughts out of his mind. "I suppose I could help you out with that," she murmured, her fingers lightly rubbing his shoulder as she turned to face him.

"Good. Because even though you're almost always busy, I need some of you too, Hermione."

She laughed. "Why is my best friend so needy?"

"I don't know. S'not my fault though, it's yours. You're just so wonderful," he said. And he meant it.

"You're so wonderful, Ron. You are the only person who gives me a sense of- I don't know, calm. Goodness knows I need that."

Ron smiled, nuzzling his nose into the hair on top of her head. "What can I say? I try."

Hermione said nothing, nuzzling into him further and letting out another one of those sighs that made Ron force back a groan. Yes, he loved her, but sometimes, especially in moments like these, he wanted her so badly that it was almost bloody impossible to keep his body in check so he didn't embarrass himself. He closed his eyes, imagining a forest full of spiders all around him, driving all thoughts of sex from his mind.

"How are classes going?" he asked, the quiet making him mental.

"Good. Just a lot of work. Easy work, but a lot of it."

Ron scoffed. "Of course. Everything is easy for a genius like you."

"I'm not a genius, Ron! I just have a thirst for knowledge and I work hard- that's all. You could easily be the same as me if you applied yourself. You aren't stupid, you know."

"Mmm," he hummed with a smile. "But why on earth would I ever want to do that?"

Hermione laughed. "Because hard work will make you successful, and you want to be successful one day, right?"

Ron shrugged, knowing he was going to exasperate her but he loved it. "I dunno. Still debating. Maybe I'll just live here forever, have Mum cook for me for the rest of my life."

"I'm not taking your bait today, Ronald Weasley."

"Bait?" he asked with mock innocence. "What are you talking about?"

"You are trying to get me irritated so I'll go on a rant just so you can not listen to a word I say and smile at me in that annoying way that makes me go insane!"

Ron chuckled. "You know me so well, Hermione."

"At least you aren't denying my claims."

"I'm not. I can't help it though, you look adorable when you ramble."

She moved her head back and glared up at him. "Adorable?"

He smiled. "The adorablest."

"That's not even a word," she retorted, still glaring at him, but Ron could see the corner of her mouth threatening to twitch up.

"It is now. Because I say so."

"That's not how it works, Ronald."

"Yes, huh!"

"Well, that was the best comeback ever."

"Glad you liked it."

Just then, there was a honking sound from outside, and they both froze.

"Shit!" he muttered. "Must be Dave. He's early."

Lying here as he was with Hermione, Ron didn't want to move a muscle, but when Hermione sat up and smoothed her hair out, Ron followed suit.

"I'll see you later, then?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, of course." He stood to his feet. "Later, Hermione Jean Granger."

He bent down to give her a chaste kiss on her forehead before turning around and heading downstairs and out of the front door before he could change his mind.

"What took you so long?" Dave asked as Ron climbed into the backseat, as the front was occupied by Charlotte.

"Was talking to Hermione. Hey Char."

"Hey yourself, Ron! Hermione's your best friend's name, right?"

"Yep," Ron replied as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Kind of rude, if you ask me," Dave teased before taking a drag on his cigarette. "Ron's my best friend, but the feelings aren't mutual. He'd rather be best friends with his pretty next door neighbor."

"Sorry, Dave- Hermione came first."

"And she's better than me, right?"

Although, in Ron's opinion, Hermione was better (well, if he was honest he thought that she was better than everyone else) he of course wasn't going to say that.

"Nah, just different."

"Different how?" Charlotte asked as she turned around to give Ron a curious look.

"Well she's uh- she stays to herself a lot...does a lot of work...not the partying type…" he muttered, now feeling uncomfortable. "Not so much the fun friend, but reliable and always there when I need her to be."

"Like I said!" laughed Dave. "Too bloody good to hang out with the likes of us."

Ron knew Dave was just teasing, but Ron would be lying if he said the words weren't affecting him. Hermione still refused to come to a party and he wondered if what Dave was saying wasn't partially true. Maybe Hermione did think that she was better than Ron and his friends- after all, that would explain a lot.

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he tried to push it down and not think on it anymore.

oOo

Over an hour later, Ron was barely tipsy, having won his seventh game of beer pong that night. He felt disappointed that nobody else was willing to play with him, so he headed to the living room to find someone to talk to.

"Hi, Ron," a voice called out behind him, and he turned around to see Lavender Brown.

Ron had only spoken to Lavender at school a handful of times before, and he was surprised that she'd come up to him.

"Oh. Hey Lavender," he greeted as she beamed up at him. "How are you doing?"

"I've been watching you play beer pong all night."

"Oh?" he said, his eyebrows raised.

She laughed. "Yes. I was sitting there, and as I watched, something occurred to me."

"What?" Ron asked, now curious.

"You're really cute, and I'm sorry to say that I've never noticed it before tonight. But I am definitely noticing now."

Ron tried to give her a smile, but it came out as sort of a grimace. Despite the fact that he didn't have much of a problem snogging or even having sex with girls at these parties, he'd never been good at accepting compliments.

"Do you want to find somewhere more private?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

Although Ron's first instinct was to say no as he sensed that Lavender probably wanted more from him than just sex, he nodded. Besides, maybe they wouldn't go all the way anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.

When they made it upstairs and found an empty room, Lavender pulled him into the room and shut and locked the door behind her. Before Ron could open his mouth and utter a word, Lavender pulled her own shirt off before tossing it onto the floor, her eyes hungry as she stared at him, awaiting his next move.

Ron took the sight of her in, and his body unwillingly started to react. Lavender had quite a nice body, and she smirked before pulling her small miniskirt down her legs, kicking it behind her once it was off. Ron reached down and pulled his own shirt off, and as soon as it hit the floor Lavender was throwing herself at him, kissing him at a frantic pace. He caught her, his hands splayed out on her back as she pushed him backwards towards the bed.

They fell together, landing in a position where Lavender was straddling him, and she sat up, a devious grin on her face. She reached down to undo his trousers, pushing them down a bit before pulling his cock out.

"So it's true what they say," she muttered as she started to stroke him.

"What?" Ron panted, only half listening as he was too busy concentrating on what her hand was doing.

"Ginger pubic hair," she said simply before leaning down and taking him into her mouth.

As she continued, Ron was sure that she'd done this before as it felt too good, and he tried to take deep breaths so he wouldn't blow his load too soon.

Before he went totally insane, Lavender was popping off of him breathing heavily. "Do you have a condom?" she asked. "I want you inside of me."

Ron nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a condom. Not that he expected to get laid at every party, but he wanted to be prepared just in case.

He started to rip the wrapper, but Lavender obviously got impatient because she snatched it from him, getting the condom out of the wrapper and rolling it onto him.

Ron was about to ask for her opinion on how they wanted to do this, when Lavender hastily got rid of her bra and knickers and slammed herself on top of him. Ron gasped as she started bouncing up and down on him, screaming at full volume.

"Ohgod, Ron, you feel so good!"

Ron stared up at her, his eyes wide. She was being so loud he was sure that everyone at the party could hear them. He felt his ears redden as she continued, sounding like a squealing pig screaming his name as she rode him, her own hand rubbing on her clit.

"Oh! I'm coming, I'm coming!" she yelled out, her voice now impossibly louder.

Ron grabbed her hips and gave several hard thrusts up into her, reaching his completion as well. Lavender fell forward onto his chest as they both regained their breath.

"You were so good at that, Ron," she said, her heavily coated eyelashes blinking up at him.

Ron resisted the urge to say that he had done absolutely nothing.

"Uh, thanks Lavender," Ron said, feeling his ears start to burn again.

She stood up and started picking her clothes off the floor and Ron watched her get dressed, still wondering if that had even just happened.

"Let's do that again," Lavender said as soon as she was fully dressed. "I don't normally shag people just for the fun of it though," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I just made an exception for you."

Ron didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing.

"Anyway," Lavender continued in a chirpy voice. "I'd like to go out on a date before we have a repeat of tonight." She shot him a wink as he gaped at her.

"I've got to tell Parvati about this! See you downstairs!"

She left the room, closing the door behind her, and after a moment, Ron ran his hands down his face. "Should have stopped," he moaned to himself.

He moved off the bed and went into the small adjoining bathroom where he disposed of the condom and cleaned himself some. When he made it downstairs, Dave smirked at him in a way that made Ron know that he heard, or at least heard of what had just happened. He made his way to Ron and whispered in his ear.

"Ron! You feel so good!"

Ron shoved his friend away from him. "Sod off!" he hissed, his mood now sour.

Just then, he felt a vice-like grip on his arm and turned to see Lavender, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Ron!" she smiled, handing him a shot.

Ron shrugged, taking the shot, feeling a bit better about the situation.

By the end of the night, he'd had two more shots, and everything everyone was saying was funny. Lavender hadn't let go of him, but his good mood kept him from caring too much about it. He was certain that she would get over what had happened, and that she wouldn't expect him to ask her out or anything. He certainly wasn't interested in her like that.

When he'd felt like he'd had enough, Dave drove him home. Ron wasn't too thrilled when Lavender insisted that she ride along, but he was too nice to say anything to the contrary. She sat in the back with him, her body pressed tightly to his side. He could tell by the way she kept angling her face and dipping her head that she wanted him to kiss her, but he ignored her and kept an ongoing conversation with Dave instead.

When they made it to his house, Dave was telling him a joke that made him burst out laughing, and he climbed out of the car, telling Dave that his joke had been a good one. To his dismay, Lavender jumped out of the car as well, throwing her arms around his neck, her hands running through his hair.

"Call me, okay? I'm going to miss you terribly until we talk again."

Ron gave her a stiff smile, returning her hug. This was the time to politely let her know that he didn't date. "Lavender, I-"

He was cut off by her mouth on his, and he pulled back as she tried to pry her tongue into his mouth. Instinctively, Ron's eyes went to Hermione's curtains and saw that they were moving, the light of her lamp visible through the fabric.

"Come on, Lav!" Dave called, saving him. "I gotta get back to Char."

Lavender gave him one last chaste kiss before jumping into the car, and Ron sighed in relief as the car headed down the street away from him. He immediately turned and headed into his house, knowing that Hermione had probably seen Lavender kissing him, and not knowing how she would react.

He'd never wanted Hermione to see him with anyone else, because on a subconscious level, he wanted her to know that he was free for her in the off chance she would return his feelings one day.

Ever since she had snapped at him for talking about his endeavors with other girls on her birthday, he hadn't said anything to her, not wanting to upset her. She was probably mad right now about what she'd witnessed, and Ron was extremely embarrassed about it, especially because he hadn't even wanted to kiss Lavender in the first place.

Breathless, he made it up to his room and wrote her a note.

Saw your lamp on. Why are you awake?

She had been awake, because she came to the window instantly.

Why does it matter? It's not like you give a rat's ass anyway. You always leave me.

Ron's face furrowed in confusion as he read her note. She was definitely angry at him.

Ok. What's got your knickers in a twist? I was just asking.

Nothing. I'm fine.

She clearly was not fine, and Ron wanted to know why.

I saw you watching me outside. Is it because Lavender kissed me? Sorry you had to see that.

First off, It's none of my concern who you kiss. Don't flatter yourself. Go on and kiss every girl in the world Ron. ' .

The words stung. It wasn't his fault that Lavender had kissed him, and he felt his own anger start to flare up.

Ok. Good to know that I have your permission now. Thanks Hermione.

Just shag any girl who opens her legs for you. Might as well.

Her arms were crossed as she shot daggers at him, her expression furious.

Fine. I will.

I mean, does it make you feel better about yourself, Ron? You treat girls like objects and frankly, it's disgusting.

He was now reaching dangerous levels of anger, and he gave her the meanest glare he could muster.

Not that it's any of your damn business, but believe it or not, I have never disrespected any girl, nor have I treated any of them as 'objects'. It's just sex and it doesn't mean anything.

Well it should. Sex shouldn't be meaningless.

Oh, right. I forgot that sex should only happen missionary position on a bed filled with rose petals between people who are deeply in love with each other. How foolish of me.

Now you're making fun of me.

Yeah, I am, because you're being barmy. Why do you suddenly care about what I do, or who I have sex with?

I don't.

Then why are you nagging at me like I'm a fucking idiot?

Because you are.

As he read the note, he again thought of the conversation that had occurred in Dave's car before the party. He may have been in love with Hermione, but he wasn't going to just roll over and take her insults, so he decided to throw a few stones of his own.

Really? Well I'd rather be that than a stuck-up snob who thinks that she's better than everyone else.

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief and Ron felt a small stab of satisfaction. In all their years of friendship, Ron had never said anything like that to her, but right now he wanted her to feel the same as she was making him feel.

Not once have I ever said that I am better than anyone else.

You don't have to Hermione, it's obvious what you think. How many times have I invited you to come with me, and how many times have you accepted my invitation?

You already know that partying isn't my thing. That doesn't mean that I'm stuck-up.

Ha! You're kidding yourself. You think that you are better than all of my friends, admit it. Maybe if you came to a party and got laid you would learn how to chill the fuck out.

He omitted the part about how if she did have sex with any of his friends at a party, it would probably destroy him, but his anger had taken over and he was on a roll.

You're a complete and total ass.

Of course I am, Hermione. God forbid I speak my mind around you. I'm only allowed to use a specific 'Hermione Granger approved' vocabulary when speaking to you.

Go to hell.

This isn't hell already?

Get over yourself.

Admit it, you're just jealous that I'm getting some and you aren't.

Even though Ron still wasn't sure why she was so angry at him, he knew it wasn't that, but his defense was kicking in, and he couldn't stop himself.

HAHAHA! Actually, I feel sorry for the girls that you mess around with. I don't know what they can possibly see in someone like you.

The words cut far deeper than he was sure Hermione knew, and he felt the tears stinging behind his eyelids and he blinked them back, not allowing them to fall.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

It means that you're an immature child who's incapable of having real feelings. Furthermore, I bet that you're not even good in bed.

With that, Ron stared across at Hermione, more furious than he had ever been in his entire life. Never in a million years would he have imagined that he could feel the way he currently was towards her, the person that he cared for the most, and the intensity of it caused his body to shake from the rage and the pain.

Not capable of real feelings? If only she fucking knew.

Still maintaining eye contact with her, he crumbled up the note in his fist before reaching up, slamming his window shut and closing his curtains.

He wasn't going to allow her to treat him this way, and he felt both vindicated and broken as he fell down onto his bed, like there was a heavy rock on his chest making it hard to breathe.