Disclaimer: All characters, places, storylines… pretty much everything but my elaborations on Ron and Hermione belong to the almighty Jo Rowling. I didn't feel comfortable rewriting direct quotes, so any quoted dialogue comes from The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

Chapter 3: Bliss and Irritation

At some point late in the evening, Hermione's eyes shot open as she heard her roommate clumsily open the door to their dormitory and slip into the bed several feet away. She could smell the fresh, clean smell of soap from where she must have taken a shower quite recently.

What time is it? Hermione grumbled sleepily. Fumbling for her wand from beside her bed, she thought, Quid tempus and at once, faint, fairy lights illuminated the canopy with the time 4:13 AM. She's been out with him all this time? she wondered incredulously, trying to ignore Lavender's contented sighs.

Hermione was about to roll over and try to fall asleep again when she heard Lavender whisper, "Pssst! Parvati!"

"Whathmmuhh?" Parvati groaned unintelligibly. "What time is it? Is everything okay?"

"Late. Anyway, I just got in," she said suggestively.

"Oh, Lavender, you didn't..." Parvati grumbled. "Him?"

"Yes," she said slowly, apparently confused by her friend's less than enthusiastic response.

Oh no… Hermione thought, unsure of how much more bad news her heart could stand.

"I thought you were holding out for Cormac. You've fancied him for ages. I just don't understand why on earth you'd go for Ron Weasley," Parvati replied. "He's so…crass and rather thick-headed if you ask me. What's the appeal?"

He's brave. And loyal. His smile makes his eyes light up. He has no idea how handsome he is…

"Well…he's pretty famous now, right? I mean, everyone knows his name now. He's Harry Potter's best friend. He fought all those Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic this summer so he's really brave. And he's a fantastic snog!" she giggled. "I'm so glad I broke things off with Cormac. He was too busy mooning over her anyway," she trailed off, making sure to speak quieter so as not to wake Hermione.

Still feigning sleep through the thick hangings around her bed, Hermione thought, Ugh…I wish he'd moon over someone else. He's vile. His ego-inflated head is far too big for his shoulders. Wait! No wonder Lavender's been such a prat to me ever since we made it back. That slag…

"Wait…I thought Cormac broke up with you," Parvati said.

Hermione could hear the breath catch in Lavender's throat. "He…he did," she said quietly. "I thought we were in a serious relationship, but he just used me as a convenient shag," her voice quivered. "He said he didn't want to anymore once he…once he saw her."

"You shagged Cormac?" Parvati nearly shrieked. "When? And why didn't you tell me?!"

So Ron wasn't her first victim then, hmm?

"Last summer before holidays. We met in the library while we were studying for O.W.L.'s and there was just this instant connection. It felt right at the time. That's why you didn't see much of me around then, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. It still doesn't explain why you didn't think to mention it to your best friend though," Parvati grumbled.

"I'm really sorry, Parvati. It was just this amazing new world to me at the time and I wanted to keep it all to myself. I was going to tell you at the start of term, but that was when Cormac told me he wanted to break things off. I was too embarrassed to mention it," she sniffled.

"What was it like with Cormac?" Parvati asked quietly, unable to restrain her curiosity.

"Unbelievable," she sighed. "Everything felt right with the universe when we were together. And dear god did he know what he was doing," she groaned.

"Lavender, you're not hooking up with Ron just to make Hermione angry, are you?" Parvati asked slowly, her voice dropping to an even lower whisper.

Hermione waited for what seemed like an eternity before she heard Lavender's hesitant reply, "No. I've just been incredibly lonely since Cormac ended it. I used to feel beautiful, amazing, and in control of myself, but I lost that feeling after Cormac. I'm attracted to Ron, especially after the match today, and seeing that he was attracted to me too made me feel powerful and needed again. That kind of attention is hard to resist," she sighed.

Stupid, stupid Ron…taking the first set of lips and hips to wander in your direction.

"Well…how'd it go with Ron then?" Parvati asked, politely curious.

Lavender paused again before replying, "I didn't feel the same spark I felt with Cormac, but I'm sure things will change the longer we're together. We were both pretty nervous. I could tell Ron's never been with a girl before, and things were fairly awkward."

I'm sure enjoyed himself nonetheless Hermione thought darkly.

"But it's still very exciting! I feel unstoppable again," Lavender squealed. Hermione could hear the grin in her roommate's voice. "Anyway, we should really get to bed. I'm exhausted," she yawned.

"Goodnight then," Parvati mumbled as she pulled the curtains closed around her bed.

Goodnight Hermione thought as she angrily rearranged her pillow. Giving it a much needed punch to redistribute the feathers, she rolled onto her other side and pulled it into her arms. As she closed her eyes, returning to her dreamless sleep, a solitary tear trailed down her face.


When Ron made it back into the boy's dormitory, the snores and calm breathing of Harry, Dean, Neville, and Seamus filled the room. Tiptoeing around the brazier and its radiating warmth, he silently made it to his bed and pulled the curtains closed around him.

Bloody hell… he marveled as he brought his hands to rest beneath his head. I can't believe that happened. And so quickly too. Lavender's never given me the time of day before. And then just like that, we're shagging. Is it really that simple? Will we do it again? Oh god…was I a complete bore?

As the minutes crept by, Ron's subconscious continued to barrage him with questions, doubts, and fleeting glimpses of his evening with Lavender. Finally feeling exhausted from the night's exertions, he groggily closed his eyes while an image of a girl with untamed hair and warm, impossibly deep brown eyes briefly flashed in his mind.

"Ron...Ron," Harry called the next morning. Ron groaned and stretched as he stiffly made his way out of bed. When he pulled back the curtains, he saw Harry on the bed across from him putting on a new pair of socks. Harry grinned hesitantly at him. "Morning," he mumbled. "Good night?"

Ron yawned and slowly crossed the room to his trunk to grab a clean pair of trousers. As he donned them, he replied, "Bloody fantastic," and grinned from ear to ear. "I shagged Lavender."

Ron saw some slight color rise to Harry's cheeks, obviously uncomfortable discussing personal matters. "That's uh… that's great, Ron," Harry paused a few moments. "You fancy some breakfast?" he hastily changed the subject.

"Yeah, alright then," Ron said as he scrambled to put on his remaining clothes.

A few moments later, they were descending the staircase towards the Great Hall. The castle was quieter on a Sunday morning with students and staff enjoying a day without a hectic schedule and an opportunity to relax. A few of the students who had insisted on an early breakfast were now making their way back to their dormitories to make use of the rest of their day.

For not receiving many hours of sleep, Ron was in an unusually cheery, alert mood, a fact that didn't escape Harry's notice as they neared the landing. It usually took an act of God to wake up Ron on a normal basis.

"You think Hermione is already here?" Ron asked. "I hope she's gotten over whatever had her wand in a knot. I can't stand it when she's like that." She's a right nightmare is what she is…

"She usually makes it to the breakfast table long before we do so I wouldn't doubt it," Harry replied. However, as they stepped through the entryway to the Great Hall, they didn't spot the familiar sight of her frizzy hair at the Gryffindor table. Ron sighed in relief as they found their seats at the table and tucked in to a much welcome breakfast.


"I'm soooo hungry," Hermione awoke to hear Lavender trilling from their room. "My stomach keeps making the most ghastly sounds," she giggled. "You coming Parvati?"

Hermione ripped her curtains open and glared venomously at her roommate. "Do you mind keeping it down? I'm still trying to sleep," Hermione almost growled.

Lavender looked quite taken aback by Hermione's less than polite manner and had a look frozen on her face as though she had been slapped. After the initial shock wore off, Lavender donned her defiant gaze and spat, "What in the hell has got into you? Sorry for disturbing your beauty rest, your majesty." Without another word, she stomped out of the dormitory mumbling angrily to herself the whole way down.

Parvati hesitantly walked towards Hermione and perched on the edge of Lavender's bed next to her. "Hermione? Are you feeling okay?" she asked quietly.

Oh bugger… I didn't mean for that to happen. "I'm…I'm just feeling a bit under the weather, Parvati. I didn't sleep too well last night and I'm not feeling myself today," she finished lamely.

Parvati assessed Hermione with her knowing, dark eyes, having a slight inkling of what the truth of the matter was. When Hermione began to squirm under her scrutiny, she eased herself onto her feet and crossed to the end of Hermione's bed. "You might want to stay in bed if you're not feeling well. The workload is sure to pick up this week since end-of-term exams are getting nearer. You want to be working in top condition, right?"

"Well…yes, I suppose so," she mumbled quietly.

"It's settled then. You stay here and get rested and I will do what I can to keep Lavender diverted so that you can have some peace. We both know how excitable she can get."

"Yes…yes we do," Hermione muttered darkly, leaning back into her pillow.

"Do you want me to bring you some breakfast later?" Parvati asked.

Food sounds absolutely horrid right now. I probably couldn't keep it down. "Maybe later, thanks," she replied.

Parvati smiled sadly at Hermione as she made her way towards the staircase. "Feel better," she said as she closed the dormitory door.

Hoping for the nothingness sleep provided her, Hermione closed the curtains once again and desperately tried to return to her painless slumber.


Having finished their breakfast, Ron and Harry exited the Great Hall to return to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione had not showed up during their meal and Harry had been unwillingly subjected to Ron's play-by-play description of his time with Lavender. Feeling slightly queasy, and unable to stomach much more of his toast and jam, Harry had insisted that they make their way back upstairs to play a game of Wizard's Chess.

As they climbed, Ron suddenly froze in his tracks as he saw Lavender descend the stairs with Parvati not too far behind her. Dear God, she's lovely. His breath caught in his chest and anything charming, witty, clever, or intelligible he could have imagined saying in that moment were lost in a simple, awkward, "…Oh. Hello…"

Lavender's face flushed as she planted herself directly in front of Ron. Suddenly eyeing Cormac beginning to ascend the stairs nearby, she poured every ounce of enthusiasm into her "Good morning to you too." Grinning mischievously, she grabbed Ron by the hand and sped past a slack-jawed Harry and Parvati on down the stairs.

Not caring where they were going, Ron felt his blood pounding with excitement as Lavender led him back down the stairs and towards an old broom cupboard on the far side of the first level. Hastily closing themselves inside, Lavender frantically brought her lips to rest against Ron's as she moved them with unfettered enthusiasm.

Groaning from the attention, Ron hurriedly tried to open her robes and begin unbuttoning the many buttons on her blouse underneath. Lavender, becoming impatient with his struggle in the darkness, removed them both for him and pressed herself greedily against his body.

Ron's hand blindly groped around for a moment before successfully locating her fabric-covered breast. He covered it with his hand and began kneading it and pressing it with the same awe and arousal as he did the night before. He nearly lost all control when Lavender moaned into his mouth from his determined caresses. I'm never going to be able to get anything done. Every free moment I get, I know exactly what I'll be doing he moaned as Lavender's hand made contact with his arousal.

Though Ron did not know how much time they spent in the tiny broom closet, a fully clothed Ron finally emerged some time later dragging a breathless Lavender behind him. Their hands firmly linked, they ascended the stairs together, exchanging starry-eyed glances the entire walk back to the common room. Ignoring the reproachful gazes of both Parvati and Harry, the pair made their way to the nook where they shared their first embrace the night before, unwilling to let their new flame of passion die out just yet.

AN: Hello, all! I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. It is my hope that I will be able to regularly update over the summer so please stay tuned! Your feedback is much appreciated and I thank you for your patience with Ron. He is a hot-blooded, daft teenage boy at this point in the story and has quite a lot of growing up to do.

Cheers!

-Mimi