A/N: well finally im typing this. as you know, i already finished this (10 chapterz and epilogue), but ive been busy cuz ive also been writing more. i did a oneshot, and im almost done with another story, plus i started a cross-over. Imma try to post more often though, and sometime this week ill post the oneshot.

Chapter 6: Alone With Ron

The Halloween feast was okay. Hermione's mind was somewhere else and Ron knew it.

They went back up to the common room. Just the two of them. No Harry. No Ginny. Just Hermione and Ron. She was debating on whether or not to tell him about her dream. He didn't know about anything else that had been going on, but she knew he noticed she was a great deal happier than usual.

She decided to tell him about her latest dream.

"Ron," she began. "I need to tell you something. I had a...really weird dream, and...well...I wanted to tell you about it." So she told him about how they were running in the forest, and all those things he said, and then how he turned into Malfoy, who said he would always be there for her.

When she was done, Ron just said, "Yeah, that's definately a weird dream." He looked like he was thinking about something. He opened his mouth, probably to expand on what he just said, but then Harry came into the common room, looking shocked.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked him.

"Malfoy's acting strange," Harry simply replied.Ron smiled a little, and exchanged glances with Hermione, but Harry didn't notice.

"How? What did he do?" Hermione asked, interested.

"Well, I bumped into him, on accident, realized it was him, took out my wand, you know in case he wanted to fight, thought he'd be mad, but...he...well, he said he was sorry, and walked away. It was odd."

"That's weird," said Ron, looking shocked. "Hey, remember before? When he got that letter, and he was sad? Maybe it's something to do with that?"

"Yeah, that's probably it," said Harry, shaking his head, no doubt trying to get the thought out of his head. "So, what are you two doing in here...all alone, eh?" He asked, obviously implying something going on between Ron and Hermione, like kissing.

"Nothing," Hermione told him, although she wished something was going on. Then she got an idea. "Well actually, if you really want to know, we were kissing. Wait, do you need detail? Okay. Well, we put our lips together. Then, our tongues went into each others' mouths. Then, I put my arms around his neck, and he put his arms on my back. Then, he put-"

"Ugh! That's disgusting!" Harry exclaimed.

"You asked," Hermione told him.

"Now I'm going to go to bed. And instead of having dreams about Voldemort, I'll be having nightmares about you two snogging." And with that he went upstairs to the boys dormitory.

"Well that shut him up!" Hermione told Ron, while laughing. She laughed so hard that she fell on the couch. Ron turned really red, but then he started laughing, too. And laughing just made him turn more red.

Hermione wondered what Ron thought about her dream, but decided not to ask him.

………………………………………………

Hermione woke up from a dreamless sleep, feeling happy. She remembered the night before and smiled. She wondered if Harry really thought that her and Ron were making out. She laughed as she got out of bed.

Down in the common room, she found Ginny. They exchanged "Good mornings."

"You've been happier lately, Hermione. I know who you are these days. Being happy, is so much better, for everyone."

"Thanks, Ginny. You're a good friend." She realized that her friends had been noticing her more. She was so happy these days, and Ginny was right: it was better this way.

Talking helped, too. She talked to that cloaked boy all the time, and that definately cheered her up. He seemed to be getting more happy, too, talking to her.

Hermione hadn't got many notes from her "secret admirer," but she had been thinking about it a lot, and she thout perhaps it was the same person as the cloaked boy. It was possible, And it would mean the cloaked boy loved her, too.

………………………………………………………………..

All through November and December, Hermione and the cloaked boy met about ten times.

Christmas Eve came, and Hermione found herself happier than ever. She was always having a good time. She...appreciated life a lot more now.

She was in the common room, after dinner, thinking about how great her life has been lately, when Ron came in and sat next to her on the couch.

"You know, I love it when you smile. You're always really smiling these days, and...well...that makes me happy."

"Thanks, Ron. That means...a lot to me."Hermione was now sure she definately loved Ron, but this love wasn't going anywhere; it was just one-sided. She always wondered how he felt about her, but always assumed he only liked her as a good friend.

"So..." Ron's voice trailed off, as though he didn't have anything to say.

"So...how have you been?" Hermione asked him.

"Well pretty good. You know, ever since Harry and Cho started dating at the begginning of the month, I've been uh...pretty lonely."

"Yeah? You've still been haging out with him, though."

"Oh yeah, that's fun," Ron said sarcastically. "All they do is talk, ignore me, kiss, ignore me, whisper into each others' ears, oh, and did I mention…ignore me!"

"Maybe you should find a girlfriend," Hermione suggested, although she didn't really want to.

"Well there's this amazing girl, that I really like, but…I don't think she feels the same."

"So ask her," Hermione told him, as her heart sunk lower and lower.

"It's complicated though. We're friends. It would just…ruin the friendship."

"Oh." She wondered who it was. What a lucky girl. I wish Ron would call me amazing…

"Hermione?"

"Oh, sorry. I guess I started…er…daydreaming…"

"About what?"

"What?" Hermione was confused.

"What were you daydreaming about?"

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "A miracle again."

"Another miracle?" Ron asked her.

"No, the same one."

"So, what's the miracle?"

Hermione thought about it. She finally came up with an answer. She smiled. "The miracle of love."

"Have you ever been in love, Hermione?"

She wondered why he was asking this. Why did it matter? Friends sure could be nosy, she thought. "Yeah, I have." She realized she was in love with two guys. She wondered if either one ever thought about loving her. She knew Ron wouldn't. She started thinking about it, and before she knew it, Ron was calling her again.

"Hermione?"

"Sorry. Sorry. I need to stop doing that. So have you ever been in love, Ron?"

"Yeah, I am right now."

Hermione's heart just kept sinking, as she asked, "With who?" Tears were being forced back, that were threatening to fall from her hazel eyes.

"The most beautiful girl ever, and-" But Hermione's heart had now sunk down to her feet, and she muttered that she had to go and ran out of the common room, as fast as she could, leaving her heart behind, it seemed. No matter what he had to say, she wouldn't let him see her cry.

Ron's in love. Ron's in love. And there's nothing I could do about it. Ron's in love. All the way to the bathroom, she ran, those torturing words teased her, echoing in her mind over, and over again.

……………………………………………………………………………

Hermione had left the bathroom, and headed for the common room at about nine o'clock, after crying her eyes out for two hours.

As she went into the common room, she saw the one person she definitely didn't want to see at that moment.

"Hi, Hermione."

"Oh. Hey, Ron. Sorry about before. I had just remembered I had to…er…meet someone."

"Oh," he said, but he didn't sound too convinced. "A note came for you."

"Did you read it?" Hermione didn't mean to say it so accusingly, but the words just seemed to glide right out of her mouth.

"No," said Ron, suspiciously. "Why? Is it about me?" He asked, picking the note up from the table.

How the hell would she know? The note just came. "Wouldn't know. I haven't read it yet, obviously. But I wouldn't think so," she said, and she was glad when he handed it to her.

She opened it. It said…

Hermione-

I guess it's a waste of time writing notes to you signed "secret admirer" and the "cloaked boy," as you call me. As you may have guessed, I am both. I'm the cloaked boy that secretly admirers you. The only secret is: Who am I? Well, I promise you will know when the time is right. I love you, Hermione.

She smiled as she read the last few words. When she looked up, she realized Ron had been watching her read it.

"So, who's the note from?" Ron asked.

"Well, I don't know," Hermione answered truthfully.

"No, really."

"Really, I don't know. It's not signed."

"Can I see it?"

"No." But she said it quickly, and then saw Ron's face, which looked hurt. "Sorry, it's just…personal," she added.

"Oh, okay." He still looked hurt, but not as much. She knew he was used to her and Ginny keeping "personal" secrets-usually having to do with girl stuff-from him.

"Well er…I guess I'll go to bed now," she told him, faking a heavy yawn, and walking up to her dormitory.

She wasn't tired at all.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter, plz plz plz review!!!

Disclaimer: Until I get J.K. Rowling drunk, and make her say I own everything, the characters are still hers.