Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

This chapter was inspired by... RUPERT'S BIRTHDAY! He turns 21 today! Yay! I'm so glad he knows that we love him so much! And plus, it all makes sense, because Hermione's birthday is in September, isn't it? Anyway, I can't stop hyperventilating... I hope you guys enjoy!

Ron's eyes flickered open due to the sunlight streaming in through his window. It looked like it would be a beautiful day today -- the perfect time for him to Apparate down to Diagon Alley and apply at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Hermione was right; he really should get a move on. It had been... what? Several days?

Days, he thought to himself. He'd lost track of time, and he'd never even bother to check the calendar since Hermione had left for Hogwarts, which, he thought, was about two weeks ago.

Ron sat up in bed and turned around to check his calendar. It was September 19. A few words were scrawled in his untidy handwriting in the small box. Ron squinted to get a better look at it, and felt his heart skip.

Hermione's Birthday.

"Hermione!" Ron said out loud, not even realizing that he was alone in his room. He got out of bed, still in pajamas, and ran out of his room.

He slowed down to a very slow walk as he descended the stairs.

He, of course, had been plotting what he would get Hermione for her birthday. But he hadn't noticed that time was running so fast. How could he be able to bake them all in just a few short hours? In just that time, Hermione would probably be fretting that Ron had forgotten her birthday. But he didn't.

Ron jumped the last step and figured that he was up way before anyone else was. Perfect. There would be no one in the kitchen; he would have it all to himself!

Ron grinned as he walked over to the oven. Now what? He had never given thought to how he would make them.

Bloody hell. How would he make them?

He walked over to the cupboards. Surely Mum must have a box of the mix somewhere! She had made them more times than he could count!

Yes!

Ron pulled open a cabinet to reveal a box of Barefoot Contessa Red Velvet Cupcake Mix. Just what he needed. Thanks Mum!

He pulled it down from the shelf and flipped it over to read the instructions.

Of course, he would need flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, baking soda, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, and food coloring. Oh no. What if Mum was missing one of the ingredients!? It would all be ruined!

Ron slid a hand over his eyes and sighed. No. He must not think like that. Mum must have these ingredients somewhere!

He decided to go look for them on his own, and starting pulling open cabinets and drawers to find the ingredients. Finally, after twenty long minutes of desperate searching, Ron straightened up and looked at the ingredients he had collected and compared it with the necessities on the box.

Perfect.

Ron grinned at the thought of Hermione's reaction when she found a batch of cupcakes in her dormitory. He'd be the best boyfriend in the world.

Pulling out a few bowls and cooking utensils, Ron set to work.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, peering around the doorway to the kitchen. What she saw nearly made her fall down in laughter.

Ron's face was covered in flour, his mum's apron splattered with butter and flour. He was mixing something in a bowl with an eggbeater, his face scrunched up in concentration.

Ginny walked towards him, already laughing. She couldn't hold it back. "What are you doing, Ron?"

"Hermione's -- birthday -- present," Ron panted, in between stirring.

"No really, what are you making?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows as she took in Ron's apperance once more.

"Red -- velvet -- cupcakes!"

"Wow," Ginny said. "you're sweeter than I thought."

Ron grinned. "Really?"

Ginny nodded. "Yep. I'm pretty sure she'd love this."

"She would?"

"Definitely. Harry's never done anything like this for me. You're a wonderful boyfriend, Ron." She patted Ron on the shoulder.

Ron smiled and returned back to his work. "Ah," he said, taking a glance at the box. "that's that. Erm... now, I'll have to... cream together the butter and sugar and add an egg one at a time."

"I'll leave you to your work," Ginny replied, nodding and leaving the kitchen.

Ron was left alone. He took the butter and sugar and creamed it, then he took a single egg and cracked it open. He added it to the mixing bowl and stirred it three times.

"Okay," Ron said to himself. "now... each egg after three stirs."

He followed the instructions on the box.

But what if he'd done it differently? What if he'd accidentally skipped one instruction on the box? Merlin's pants. She would hate him.

No, he must not think that, he assured himself. She would never hate him.

He grinned as he added the vanilla and red food coloring. It even smelled delicious. This doesn't seem as if it was done wrong.

Ron wiped his hands on the towel near the refrigerator and took out the cupcake pans. He poured the red velvet batter and placed it in the oven, setting the degrees to 350.

"There," he told himself.

Now, he'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

Hermione pulled open the door of her dormitory room, her eyes tearing up again. Ron had not sent any acknowledgement that he had remembered her birthday. He had not sent even a letter, let alone a birthday present.

She walked over to her bed, ready to collapse on it and break down, but recoiled in surprise.

A batch of cupcakes was lying on her bed, red velvet cupcakes. She must be dreaming. They were laden in a wooden basket filled with daises, her favorite flowers. Right next to them, a piece of parchment.

Hermione walked over and picked up the parchment, her heart skipping excitedly.

Dear Hermione,

Sorry it's late. It took long for me to make them. I love you.

P.S. Happy birthday.

Love,
Ron

Hermione closed her eyes and a few tears seeped out. Joyful tears.

Of course he hadn't forgotten, in fact, this was one of the few birthdays he'd given her something. And this time, it was so wonderful that she could hardly draw breaths. How did he know that her favorite kind of cupcakes were red velvet? How did he know that her favorite flowers were daisies?

Hermione sat down on her bed and unwrapped the gift basket. She took a single cupcake and stuffed it into her mouth. She could feel nothing but pleasure.

Oh my God, Ron, she thought. If he was here right now, she would kiss him and throw her arms around him and never let them go.

This was definitely the best birthday she's ever had.