Once again, you guys rock. I'm trying to get a few chapters done this week so I can get to the ones I have big plans for . I hope you like !

Mudblood

I saw it in her eyes, the pain the suffering, and the thing that killed more more, the humiliation. How dare Malfoy use that word! The word that earnt you a shouting at if Mum heard it. Worse than any swear word around.

And he had used it against her.

And I could have killed him with my bear hands.

Hermione was crying, I mean bloody crying. How is it she always seems to be crying where I'm involved? Why didn't I defend her properly. Oh ! That's right ! Im a numpty who can't even cast a simple spell without it backfiring. This is all my fault, if I hadn't stolen the car, then my wand wouldn't have broken, and everything would be different. She wouldn't be carrying that name around with her like a label.

We were finishing some of Snape's ruddy essay in the common room, on the evening of the 'Malfoy incident' shall we call it, and I could see that she was still worrying. Harry had gone up to bed, and I decided enough was enough.

"Hermione?"

"Hm?" she looked up from her book, placing her quill down and looking at me expectantly.

"You know me and Harry don't care your muggle born don't you?"

She instantly became flustered, picking her quill back up once more, blushing in the fire light.

"What? Don't be so stupid-"

"Hermione, listen. Really, I couldn't care. Niether does Harry. You could be half blood, pure blood, or muggle born. You could be white, black, asian, african, hell you could even be what ever the hell Luna Lovegood is, because that girls an entirely different species all together I'm telling you" Hermione tutted and threw him a dissaproving look "But I couldn't care less. I hang around with you because you can, on occasions, be fun. I won't deny that I think you could be a little more relaxed about the rules-"

"Absolutely not"

"-but the only people who want to change you are the 'pure - blood' Slytherins. And even they're not full pure blood! My dad told me that somewhere along the line, Draco is related to me, yeah I know, discusting, and even we know there are muggle borns and half bloods in our family tree. So all this rubbish he's boasting about isn't one bit true"

Hermione was smiling at Ron fondly, shaking her head.

"I'm just saying, it's only the Slytherin's that think that, no- one else gives a damn!"

"Ronald! If your mother heard you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I've already had one howler thanks"

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks..."

"Anytime"

And they continued to finish their homework, Hermione occasionally sneaking a peak over her book, and started to ponder what a magnificent colour Ron's hair was.

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He remembered the time Hermione stood up to Draco Malfoy, and exactly how much it turned him on right there that minute. He's seen her punch him in the face before, even sneer and laugh, but never had she taken a stand. We were already late for Transfiguration, and we were just starting our sixth year, and Professor McGonagall didn't appreciate lateness, something Ron knew from experience. Hermione briskly walked down the corridor, gathering her books in her arms as they threatened to drop, Harry and Ron closely following her.

"Hermione, were only a few minute's late, there's still loads of people in the corridors"

"I don't care, we've only been back a few weeks, and were starting that new switching spell today"

"Oh yes, wouldn't want to have lateness on your record would you mudblood"

All three of them stopped at the same time, as did many in the corridor. Hermione shook her head, and continued walking, but Ron had walked over to Malfoy, ready for a fight. Harry followed him, pulling him back.

"Ron, don't rise to it-"

"How bloody dare you!"

Hermione groaned and turned towards them "Ron, get here now!"

"Yes, Ron, run along to your mudblood girlfriend. Go on, skip along!" Malfoy laughed, Crabbe and Goyle laughing like buffoons.

"She's got more magical ability in her big toe than you've got in your whole body you wart!"

"Come on Ron, he wants a reaction" Hermione said to him, Harry trying to pull his arm, shooting Malfoy dirty looks.

By now the whole corridor had stopped to listen. Ginny Weasley and her fellow fifth year students were outside the nearest classroom, no-one daring to breathe.

"Did you hear something?" he asked Goyle, who shook his head, as though getting rid of flies. "Nor me, must have been the dirt on my shoe attempting to communicate"

Hermione's blood boiled. They were already late !

"Ron, now! Were going to get detentions, were five minutes late as it is!" she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Ron pulled back at her touch.

"Weasley? Your family has such a pure line. It's a shame to shatter it over one, sorry to say, unattractive plain silly schoolgirl. I honestly thought you could do better!"

The crowd were gawping. Hermione blinked back tears. She had heard a lot off Malfoy, but this was a low blow. She could feel Ron bubbling like couldron next to her, ready to explode any second. She told herself to remain calm, and do something she should have done a long time ago.

"Ron, hold my bag?" Before he replied, she dumped her bag and books into his arms.

"Look!" Hermione said loudly to the whole corridor, taking a few steps towards Malfoy "I don't actually care, what blood status I or anyone else may be! It is not in my interests to care about such irrelevant things! Now, Draco, i've punched you once in the face once, the result being you ran off crying like an infant, I don't want to have to resort to that again!".

The crowd cheered and erupted into laughter, Goyle sniggered for a moment before Malfoy pushed him in rage. McGonagall chose this moment to come sweeping down the hallway in her long billowing robes, and ask why everyone was standing around, she had a lesson to teach ! However she got her answer as she spotted which way everyone was looking.

"I hope there isn't any trouble here Miss. Granger?"

"Oh, no absolutley not Professor, just reminding Malfoy to set an example to the younger years" she smiled kindly at the first years again "He knows what happens when he doesn't " she mumbled, walking past the Professor. Malfoy sneered and walked away.

They sat down in the lesson, Ron could have sworn McGonagall gave Hermione a small smile, but it must have been a trick of the light...

"That was bloody brilliant Hermione"

"Yes, well, somebody had to say-"

"I've been saying it for years!"

"With your fists!"

Ron had nothing to say to this, and sat down, looking up at Hermione every so often, amazing and bemused by this girl who he had grown to love. He flicked his wand when the Professor told him to, he made notes, nearly tipping over his ink many a time, and near the end of the lesson, he looked up once more.

Hermione Granger was looking straight at him. She smiled, blushed and looked back down.

What the hell did that mean!

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"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Want some company?"

"Sure"

It was a cold night, Hermione still recovering from the incidents at Malfoy Manor. Ron scooted over and made room for her next to the blue-bell flames. She sat down and hissed, putting pressure on her wrist.

"Is it still hurting, do you need-"

"No, really its fine, just a little irritated is all"

"Well, maybe your bandages need to be changed?"

Hermione's heart beat sped up irrationally, beating againts her ribs a hundred miles an hour.

"I can't do it myself, and Harry's asleep", she swears her cheeks are brighter than the blue bell flames.

"I can help!" Ron said eagerly, then blushing, realising how forward her sounded "If you want, I mean you could wait for Harry to wake up. I'm not really that good at -"

"Please" she almost whispered, looking up at him reluctantly.

Ron gulped, seeing the flames of the blue bell flames reflecting in her eyes. He nodded, told her to wait there, and arrived back a second later with Hermione's beaded bag. The though of Ron holding her bag sent silly swoops around her stomach, his strong, large hands covering the soft fabric. She wandered what they would feel like against her soft skin-

"Accio bandage, accio dittany" he said, the objects zooming out on request.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably on the ground. She smiled as Ron unwrapped the layers of material, using his wand to sever the ends, making them long enough for her wound.

"Right so, if I take this one off first, that okay?" he nodded towards Hermione's wrist. She nodded automatically, and watched mesmerised as he held her wrist delicatley, unwrapping the now dirty and grimey bandage, blood marks seeping their way through. She felt the fabric tear away from her skin, and the cold air hit it, and shuffled once more uncomfortably, this time from pain. She looked away, towards the woods, at the tent, anywhere but at her arm.

"Hermione" said Ron, tenderly, his voice oozing of concern "Am I hurting you?"

"No, it's fine. It's just so..." Ron waited, for a response "...ugly" she whispered, feeling now mortified that Ron was looking at this version of herself, the words slashed into her arm like a brand, a label. She swallowed, and then she felt something on her chin, gentle fingers, tipping her head slightly upwards. She reluctantly allowed his eyes to bore into hers, and a tear ran down her cheek.

"I can assure you, you're anything but" he whispered back.

Hermione couldn't help herself, she smiled, more than smiled, positively beamed at Ron, which made him grin back, knowing he was making her happy, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. He let her chin down, and stroked along her fingers, and making Hermione gasp, brought her arm to his lips.

"M" he whispered "Magnificent" kissing the first letter,

"U" he kissed again "Understanding"

"D...daring"

"B" he kissed "bloody brilliant" which made Hermione and himself laugh.

"L... limitless"

"O" he kissed once more "outstanding"

"O" he thought for a moment, Hermione giggling at him "One of a kind" which made her quiet down

"D" he finally kissed the last letter, looking up at her, their faces inches apart. He decided he had to do this, he had to take the leap, he had to show her he was sorry, for everything, that ugly was the last thing on his mind. That he spent nearly every waking moment, thinking about her, trying to impress her, wanting her, needing her, and feeling like there was nothing in the world that could complete him "... desirable"

He gulped, not now being able to look her in the eye. He picked up the dittany as starting gently rubbing it into her forearm, keeping his eyes on the task at hand, hoping his imagination didn't wander. But of course it did. He didn't look up at Hermione again until her fresh bandage was securley around her arm, and when she got up to go, she rubbed the back of his hand with hers, unknowing to Ron that she was beaming.

"You are my king Ronald Weasley",giving him a kiss on the cheek, and walked back into the tent with humming the tune.

And Ron didn't think he could have grinned any wider.

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"Dad?"

"Huh?"

"How did Mom get that scar on her arm?"

Ron smiled at his daughter. Rose, having turned eight a few months ago, was becoming more curious by the day about the world around her. Ron sighed.

"Not all people are good in this world Rose. Remember those boys from Abbey Road who pushed over your bike? "

She nodded, her brown eyes looking into his blue.

"Well, I'd love to tell you that when you get older, everyone is kinder, nicer, and more caring to one another. But I'm afraid that's just not true"

"It isn't?"

"No, there will be the odd people, not all the time mind you, but the odd one, that you won't get along with, that won't like you and they will make it very clear"

"Oh"

"Yeah, well, it just so happens that when we were at war, Hermio- Mom, came across a few of these people, very horrible people, who wanted to make it very clear that they didn't like her, just like the boys with your bike"

"Well, they won't be doing it again. I'll have my own wand in a couple of years, I'll show them whose boss"

"I'm sure your mother would appreciate that very much" Ron chuckled "But these people are gone for good now, have been for a long time. There's no need for that"

"Hugo says that he doesn't like me. This morning he gave Crookshanks my cereal you know? And he ate it!"

"Well , thats a different thing altogether. Didn't you lock Pig in his wardrobe, scared him half to death when he opened it? "

"Maybe. Was funny though" she giggled uncontrollably.

"I was a bit wasnt - no Rose, you can't just do things like that" Ron said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Sorry Dad" she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She ran off to play with Hugo in the garden. He knew he would let her off. There's no way he can look into those eyes, Hermione's eyes, and not be forgiving.

"I heard that Ronald!"

Ron turned round from the window as he watched his children play in the garden, chasing a gnome through the bushes.

"What? I didn't -"

"It was a bit funny"

"Ah, yes, but I did tell her it was wrong"

"Eventually"

He turned and gave her a cheeky grin, something he always loved doing. And it was right, it earnt him a well deserved kiss. He explained to her the questions Rose had been asking. Hermione just smiled. No longer did such an eight letter word affect her. It was in the past, forgotton. Now she had eight other letters to think about: Rose and Hugo. They were her life. Hermione grinned as she watched the children attempt to lure a gnome out of one of the rabbit holes.

Ron picked up Hermione's arm, and kissed right over the spot where the scar remained.

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