As a thoroughly astonished Hermione was rooted to the spot opposite him, Ron stood in the ashes of the fire that had transported him. Embers that clung to the air around him produced menacing shadows across his face, the firelight streaked itself through his already flame coloured hair and caused his bright blue eyes to reflect the lights that bounced around the room.

'What did you mean?' Ron took the silence as a chance to start the conversation himself, he wanted answers and he was going to get them.

Hermione shook herself mentally before taking in what he had just asked, 'What?'

'What did you mean when you said you couldn't take any more heartache?'

'Ron, I really can't deal with this at the moment,' she implored, this wasn't what she had expected to happen and it was far too early for her to be dealing with something like this, especially with the impending arrival of her parents.

'But I need to know,' Ron pointed at himself and stepped out onto the hearth of the fireplace once the last of the embers had extinguished themselves, 'If you're afraid of hurting me then don't wait to tell me. I can assure you that you won't have to deal with any heartache on my part. I promise you, I'll understand completely.' This was a blatant lie, Ron knew full well that if Hermione told him she didn't reciprocate his feelings then his whole word would fall apart there and then.

However, instead of finding a look of regret and denial when he searched her eyes, Ron found himself confronted with confusion, 'Afraid of hurting you? Why would I hurt you?' Hermione was unable to comprehend the remark that Ron had just presented to her.

'Didn't you mean that you were scared to tell me you didn't like me because of how badly it might hurt me?'

'No,' Hermione said without thinking, suddenly unable to control her own expelling of explanations, 'I was afraid you were going to do exactly that to me, and I simply couldn't take that right now.'

'You like me…'

Abruptly regaining the ability to control her words, Hermione attempted to right herself, 'Ron, I…'

But it had just occurred to Ron as to what she had been subconsciously implying '…but how could you think I would do anything to hurt you? Don't you know…'

He was incapable of completing his speech as he was interrupted by Hermione who had taken a bold step towards him and was determined to set things straight, no longer caring about the complications which may come in the aftermath.

'I thought you only loved me as a friend. A lot of bad things have happened to me recently, if anything I wanted to hold onto the illusion that maybe things could work out. If I'd let you continue on to tell me you knew and didn't return my feelings when we were outside earlier then that would have broken my heart. That illusion was all I could hold on to until things are back to the way they were.'

Hermione was rather taken aback when she stopped for breath to find that Ron was taking her admission better than expected. So well, in fact, that he seemed to be finding it difficult to stifle a burst of laughter and mask a grin that wanted to be let loose across his freckled face. Instead, he was standing there shaking his head incredulously.

'You have no idea, do you? Hermione, think of all of those times we were alone together, the chess game, the wedding. Merlin, even that night in my room, I was so sure that you'd notice that there was something more than friendship in the way I treated you, I thought that you knew about my feelings. That was what I was going to tell you earlier, that I liked you. I needed to know where we stood in this relationship because it was driving me mad.'

Hermione was speechless as she processed the information. Once she had convinced herself that this was real she asked, 'So where do we stand exactly?'

They were now directly opposite each other with mere inches between them, neither could recall how it had came to be but they definitely weren't going to argue about it.

'You tell me.'

'I'm sure we'll figure it out.' Hermione reached out for Ron's hand and entwined her fingers in his own; she then looked up into his eyes and, seeing the sheer delight and feeling of completion that filled them, she smiled broadly.

Ron squeezes her hand in reply, 'I'm here for you; we'll get you through all of this, me, Harry, the twins, Ginny, just say the word. You'll never have to deal with things alone, you know that, right?'

'Yes, but right now you're here and that's all the support I need.'

'Really?'

'Yes, Ron, try not to sound too surprised. You can be useful sometimes.'

Ron couldn't stop himself from taking the prime opportunity to bring some Weasley humour to the situation, 'Well, that is a surprise. Imagine that! Me, finally of some use to the great Miss Hermione Granger, I need to contact Harry, my parents, by brothers! They'll be so proud of me…'

'Very funny.'

'Be my girlfriend?' Ron asked as he ceased with his antics and placed his arm around her waist and resting his hand on the base of her back.

'Of course!'

Again, Ron couldn't help it, 'After all, we are not so much brother and sister to make it improper.'

'Brother and sister?' Hermione laughed, swinging her spare arm around his neck, 'no, indeed we are not.' Note to self, she thought, keep Ron away from her fiction books in future. The appropriate quotes were starting to get her into some serious trouble.

'You're as bad as me.' Ron pointed out

Hermione pulled against his neck to double him over until he was leaning slightly over her, 'Maybe even worse,' she whispered. And with that she kissed him firmly on the lips.

It was a long time coming and they could both tell, there was longing as they held tightly onto one another. And though it was a gentle and tender kiss, as all first kisses should be, there was a sense of urgency and want, as if they were each being given something that had been out of their reach for so long. Stepping away from the hearth of the fireplace into the room, they both held onto each other more and more tightly with every step, neither wanting to let the other go even for a second. All of those uncomfortable moments and near misses had taken their toll on their feelings; it had made them greater than ever.

Neither of the two lovers felt any discomfort over crossing the boundary from friendship to relationship, in a way it was as it had been for the last several years. Ever since the day that Hermione had awoken from her petrifaction in their second year and both had found that, when confronted with each other in the great hall, they had missed each other greatly and didn't want to be separated without a good reason ever again.

Since that day the arguments had increased in a hope that hate would counteract the attraction, feelings had become stronger and both had found themselves in a war against the other in a fight to see who could make whom more jealous. It had finally taken a shock change in relationship, the worst and most realistic change of all, to take it over the top.

Now as they stood in each other's arms they knew that it had all paid off, they were blissfully happy and could have stayed that way if they hadn't been interrupted by the arrival that Hermione had been waiting for.

'Honestly, we're gone for a few months and come back to this?' a strong male voice laced with a hint of feigned disgust and amazement cut the atmosphere.

At this prompt Hermione untangled herself from Ron's spindly frame rather reluctantly then ran towards the fireplace, 'dad!' Mr Granger wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her tight. Her mother smiled warmly and was immediately invited into the long-delayed family reunion. Ron simply stood there and smiled, Hermione was happy and in the end that was all that mattered.

After a moment or two of welcoming and reassurance between members of the Granger family, Mr Granger looked up at Ron who was still standing in the middle of the living room, 'hello there.' Hermione took this as a cue to step backwards out of the constructed triangle between them and after a few steps found herself back at Ron's side.

'Mum, dad, you remember Ron, he's my…' She was about to say "school friend" when she was pleasantly reminded of their newfound relationship as she felt his warm and comforting grip on her left hand, '…boyfriend,' she concluded as a look of pure happiness spread rapidly across her face.

'Of course,' Mr Granger said cheerfully, walking towards them with his wife at his side, 'Ron Weasley! It's a pleasure to see you again, and under such happy circumstances. I can't think of anybody I'd be more happy to see my daughter with.'

'You should join us for lunch,' Mrs Granger said, acting in a way that made Ron realise where Hermione had inherited her captivating smile.

'I'd be delighted to, Mrs Granger,' Ron replied politely and agreeably, following the two adults as they lead the way to the kitchen, 'I like your parents, I think we're going to get on well.'

Hermione rolled her eyes at this statement, 'they offered you food, Ron, you would have become best friends with Grawp if the first thing he had done was offer you a bacon sandwich.'

'Looks like we got off on the right foot then.'

'I've said it before and I'll say it again, you're impossible Ronald Weasley,' Hermione scolded playfully.

'And you're stuck with me.'

'For once, I couldn't be happier.'

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ok, big apologies, it's been a while as I've had an awful lot of work to get done and have hardly found the time to write much fiction stuff. But luckily here it is, the bit you've all been waiting for, I hope it doesn't disappoint.

To those of you that just wanted the love story this is where we part ways, I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it; however, for those of you in this for the romance I am going to continue adding to this story as we follow Ron and Hermione through their budding relationship so please keep reading and reviewing.

As always, best wishes and happy reading,

Raindrop