The next morning, Ron woke up with a clearer head. He got dressed and went down to breakfast where he found Hermione sitting with Ginny, eating a piece of toast.

He sat down next to her and accepted the jammy kiss she placed on his lips.

'Hermione can I talk to you in private?' he asked.

'Sorry honey, I've got to go to the library.'

'It's a Saturday morning, that can wait, this is important.'

'Oh all right, but make it quick.'

He took her back to his dormitory so that they could be guaranteed privacy and sat her down on the bed.

'There are two things really, and neither of these are going to be easy.'

Hermione had a worried look across her face now.

'What is it Ron, you're scaring me.'

'Please let me get though this before you talk ok?'

'Sure.'

'Ok, here goes. Lately I've been feeling like I'm with you for all the wrong reasons. At first I was flattered that you liked me so much that I guess I was blinded by the fact that I don't think I ever really liked you as more than a friend. I love you Hermione, but I'm not in love with you, and you of all people know how important that is. I just think that our dynamic is better as friends, and I definitely still want to be friends. I know this is kind of a shock but I don't want to get to four weeks and then break up with you after sex, I respect you too much for that.'

Hermione sat in silence, biting back her tears.

'Hermione, please say something. Ron begged.

Hermione sniffed. 'I understand, and I kind of knew it was coming in a way, you've never been quite right with me. You know I love you Ron, and I'm in love with you and I don't mind being with you for the wrong reasons, I just want to be with you.'

'But Hermione, I don't feel the same way.'

'I don't care. The only one who stands to get hurt by this is me and I'm ok with that. Please don't leave me Ron!'

'I have to, it wouldn't be fair on either of us to carry on,' he said softly, tears now welling up in his own eyes. 'Maybe the second thing I have to tell you will make you see things clearer. Last night Pansy and I kissed. It didn't mean anything and I don't feel anything for her, but it just sort of happened and I can't deny that it didn't. This isn't why I'm breaking up with you. I just wanted you to know it happened.'

Hermione was rocking backward and forward on the bed, tears freely flowing down her flushed cheeks.

'But I can get over that! Please Ron.'

'No, Hermione.'

Suddenly struck by an idea, she stopped crying and wiped away her tears.

'So who are you going to have sex with now?'

Ron shrugged, 'no one for a while I guess.'

'I'll still do it with you. It won't be as boyfriend and girlfriend, it'll just be a friend helping another out. You need to have sex, and I want to have sex with you, it's simple.'

'But there are feelings involved and I don't think it's a good idea.'

'Ron, you know you want to. This won't get messy it'll just be a one time thing.'

'I do want to, I just don't want to hurt you further.'

'You won't. So it's settled then, tonight in my dormitory at seven o'clock, I'll be waiting,' and she left his dormitory with a smile.

That night, after a rushed dinner with Harry, Ron hurried back to his dormitory to get changed. He wasn't entirely sure what to wear since it would all be coming off anyway. He chose dark jeans and a smart-casual shirt that he rolled up to his elbows.

He buttoned it up with shaking fingers. He was really nervous and still wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. He wanted to have sex and Hermione was offering it on a plate, but he still felt like he was using her. When he had told Harry what was happening he shared the same concerns, but told Ron it was up to him what he did in the end.

Just as Ron was about to leave, there was a loud knock on his door and a first year boy came in nervously.

'Pansy Parkinson is here to see you,' he said.

'Oh,' said Ron in surprise, 'ok send her up.'

A minute later Pansy came in.

'What do you want?' Ron asked.

'Well I spoke to Harry at lunch time, asking where you were, and he told me about the Hermione thing.'

'That git. I told him to keep it to himself!'

'He's worried about you, and Hermione, and he's got reason to be, this is stupid.'

'No it's not, we're just helping each other out.'

'Oh yeah? How is this helping her?'

'Well she wants to do it with me.'

'Ron, she'll probably try and trap you into going back out with her.'

'No she wont, you don't know her, Hermione's not like that.'

'Yeah but I know women, and we're like that.'

'No Pansy, you're like that. Just because you use stupid tricks and mind games to make boys fall for you, doesn't mean all girls do.'

Pansy looked shocked and hurt at his words.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean that,' Ron mumbled, reaching forward to take her hand.

Pansy snapped it back.

'Ron, I think you're making a big mistake. You shouldn't sleep with her and deep down you know why. I just hope you to realise it before it's too late.' She gave him a meaningful glare and then swept out of the room.

Putting that strange conversation to the back of his mind, Ron left his dormitory and went to Hermione's. He had no idea what Pansy had been talking about, and didn't think he was doing the wrong thing.

He knocked on the door and Hermione opened it, wearing a knee length patterned skirt and a plain white t-shirt. She smiled at him and pulled him inside by the hand. She seemed a lot less nervous than Ron, understandably.

'So are we just going to get straight on with it?' Ron asked awkwardly.

Hermione let out a soft giggle. 'I suppose.'

They both stood watching each other, willing the other to make the first move. Eventually Hermione stepped forward into Ron's body and kissed him lightly on the lips. He held her around the waist and leant into her soft lips again, making this kiss longer than the last. Slowly, her arms snaked around his neck and he mouth opened a fraction to let him know she wanted more. He grazed her top lip with his tongue before sliding into her mouth and teasing the tip of her own tongue.

Gaining confidence, he broke away from the kiss and pulled her gently to her bed, where they sat down on the edge and began to kiss again. Hermione leant hard into his body, trying to making him fall back into a lying position, but Ron's naivety made him misread the signals and he pulled her into a tight hug. Once released, Hermione lay herself down and patted the bad next to her to make Ron follow suit.

Eager to move things forward, Hermione slid her cold hand up Ron's shirt and began to stroke his flat stomach. Ron shivered at the touch and increased the pressure of the kiss, pushing her hair back from her cheeks as he did. Hermione moved her hand up to Ron's body chest. He breast bone jutted forward in a lump and for some reason Hermione really liked it. She roamed her hand around and found his right nipple, which she pinched and caressed until it formed a nub.

Ron started to self-consciously slide his own hand up Hermione's t-shirt as Hermione set about unbuttoning his. Eventually, his hand found her breast and he started to lightly stroke the material of her bra. Hermione was too shy to tell him she couldn't feel anything, so just mentally willed him to go under her bra.

After spending ample time on his now-bare chest, she moved her hand down to his trousers. She cupped his crotch and gave the already large bulge a squeeze. Then she reached back upwards and fiddle with his belt loop, trying to get his trousers undone.

Meanwhile, Ron was still fumbling with Hermione's bra. He had been desperately trying to get inside it without taking off her t-shirt but it wasn't working. He gently peeled the bottom of her top up to show her what he was doing and she lifted herself off the bed so that he could slide it over her head.

He marvelled at her breasts which were small and encased in a plain white bra. To stop him staring, Hermione resumed the kiss. She had managed to get his belt unbuckled and was unbuttoning his fly. Ron, breathless with nerves, stopped the kiss. He was unable to concentrate on anything else as his friends hand slid southward, under his waistband. She gripped his length through his cotton boxer shorts and gently moved her hand in fractional up and down movements.

Ron exhaled quickly and shut his eyes tight.

'I can't do this!' he suddenly blurted out.

'What?' Hermione asked incredulously.

'I can't do this,' Ron repeated. He scrambled to the edge of the bed and started quickly buttoning his shirt back up. He had suddenly realised what Pansy had meant when she said he knew he shouldn't sleep with Hermione. He was in love with her and it should be her he was sleeping with.

Hermione watched in annoyed silence as Ron buckled his belt back up. He stood to leave, but Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him.

'This is about Pansy isn't it?' she asked.

Ron sat back down and looked into her eyes.

'Yes,' he whispered.

Hermione nodded her acceptance.

'I knew you loved her,' she said, 'I can see it in your eyes.'

'I'm really sorry Hermione. I never meant to hurt you or mess you around. I just didn't even realise it until a minute ago.'

'I understand Ron, and I'm happy for you. Go on, be with her.'

Ron smiled and kissed her on the cheek before leaving her dormitory.

In the common room Harry and Ginny accosted him, demanding to know what had happened and what it was like. By Ron's beaming smile they thought it must have been good, but he just barged past them without a second to spare. He exited Gryffindor tower and ran flat out all the way to the dungeons. He banged furiously on the door, desperate for someone to answer him. After a few minutes, just as he was about to give up, a seventh year girl opened the door.

'What the hell are you doing? It's nearly midnight.' She demanded.

'I need to speak to Pansy Parkinson,' he said, 'its important.'

'Yeah well you can't. You're not coming in here.'

'I've been in before!'

'I don't care, you're a filthy little Gryffindor and I don't want you in here,' and she slammed the door in his face.

Racking his brains about what to do he decided to climb directly up to her dormitory. He just had to see her tonight.

He ran out of the entrance hall and through the grounds around the castle. He ran down the fire escape that leads to the dungeons and nearly slipped on the wet steps. Taking a moment to steady himself, he started running again and finally found himself at a row of windows way below ground level that were the Slytherin dormitories. He peered into each room and finally found the one he knew Pansy lived in. He banged on the window and a girl he didn't recognise came and opened it.

'What the hell are you doing?' she asked, shivering as a gust of cold wind rushed into the room.

'I need to see Pansy,' Ron said.

'Well you can't come in. This is a girl's dormitory and we were all asleep before you started knocking!'

'It's really important!'

'Sorry,' she said, not looking sorry at all and started to shut the window.

Ron slammed his hand under the window and prised it open again. The girl screamed and jumped back into the room.

'Someone's breaking in!' she squealed, and several other girls poked their head around their bed to see what was happening.

'Get out!' a thuggish girl in a quidditch shirt shouted.

'I'll just be a minute; I really need to talk to Pansy.'

Before any of the girls could do anything Ron sprinted round to Pansy's bed where the hangings were still closed. He tried to pull them back but she had put a locking charm on them.

'Pansy!' he called, knocking on the wall next to her bed, 'It's me Ron. I didn't do it. I realised what you mean and it's true, I love you! It's you I want to be with!'

Pansy poked her head around her hangings. She was beaming. She climbed out of her bed and kissed Ron on the lips.

'Why are you're hangings locked?' he asked when they had finished kissing.

'Oh no reason,' she said brightly.

Ron narrowed his eyes at her. She didn't look like she was telling the truth. He sidestepped her and before she had time to grab him, he pulled open the now unlocked hangings to reveal Blaise lying on the bed in just his boxer shorts.

'So you didn't mean what you said earlier. You don't love me.' He said furiously.

'No Ron, I do love you! This isn't want it seems!'

'No I think it's exactly what it seems!' Ron shouted and tuned away from her. He hurried, embarrassed and hurt, to the window. He scrambled through it, being watched by the entire dormitory.

'Ron!' Pansy shouted into the night, but Ron had already disappeared.