A/N: I hope you have all enjoyed reading my fic. I sure have enjoyed writing it. Without further ado, Chapter 5 or 6 depending on how you took the fake fourth. Again so sorry, but it was funny.(to ME!)

When Hermione got home, she retrieved her favorite book and began to read. It was no good. All she could think about was Rhys- NO, he was Ron. She didn't want ot think about him, but she coiuldn't help herself. She stuggled with an inward battle of her feelings all night.

He was so sweet and kind and a gentleman. But he wasn't real. He was fun to be around, and that smile-she sighed-oh that smile could make me weak in the knees. He lied to me the entire time we were together. However, he did sayhe loved me; Ron loves me! People don't just lie to the ones they love. He did say he was unsure of my feelings about him and that it scared him. Honestly, he could have just told me how he felt. I mean was he in Gryffindor after all. Then again, I wasn't brave enough to say how I felt either. But I would never have put up a false front and made him feel like a fool. He humilated me. I could barely stand the sight of him earlier today.

Yet still, despite all his wrongs, I Love him. I really love Ronald Weasley! And nothing he can do could ever change that. Great. Now, how do I fix this? I told him I would never talk to him again. Of course Ron and I both know that I didn't actually mean FOR-EV-ER. Doesn't he? Mum will know how to fix it.

And she was gone.

"Hermione Jane Granger," Mrs. Granger began to shriek, "you nearly gave me a heart attack! You usually let me know when you are coming home."

"Sorry, Mum. I just really needed to talk you," Hermione answered slightly ashamed.

"Talk? About what?" her mum asked solemnly.

"Ron," was Hermione's answer.

Katherine Granger patted her daughter's back and kissed her bushy head. "Hermione, you should just move on. He..."

Hermione interrupted her mother, which was not something she usually did. "No Mum, I'm past that. He told me he loved me," the young witch sighed exasperately.

Mrs. Granger smirked. "Oh, he did. That's just wonderful."

"Yes, well you have to hear the entire story." Hermione continued to tell her mother all about what had happened a few weeks ago. "He said he did it because he was afraid I didn't love him anymore and it was his way of finding out. Then I yelled at him and told him that I would never speak to him ever again, and I haven't-yet." Hermione heaved a great sigh. "But I was really quite infuriated with him at the time that I said it. And I wanted him to hurt as much as I did."

Katherine waited for Hermione to stop. "Aw Hermione, I am so sorry sweetie."

"I just want to know how to fix it. Do I apologize first or do I wait for him?"

Mrs. Granger looked confused. "He hasn't apologized yet?" she asked souding surprised.

"Unless you count the night I found out. He explained himself very thoroughly," she answered. "But I was so mad that I hardly listened to a word he said. How would you feel?"

Hermione's mum smiled at her. "There you have it. He's already sincerely apologized once. He'll ask your forgivness again if he really cares for you. All you have to do is give him the oppurtunity. However, I wouldn't let it happen too easily, just to make sure you know he truly is sorry," Mrs. Granger said wisely.

Hermione stood up and hugged her mother. "Mum you always know waht to do."

Katherine hugged her daughter too. "Thank you, but I am not as wise as you may think. Though I do try to be," she said with a bit of laughter.

That night Hermione thought about how she would finally talk to Ron after all that had happened. How would she get him to speak first? Then it clicked and she knew exactly what she would do.

Ginny's baby shower was in just a few hours. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were preparing for the guests to arrive. Fred and George were degnoming the garden and palcing spells around it so that the gnomes would be kept out for the next few hours. Mr. Weasley was conjuring up tables and chairs. Ginny's friend Luna Lovegood was decorating with pink and blue ribbons, bows, streamers, and flowers. They had to use both colors because Harry and Ginny wanted to be 'surprised' with the sex of their baby, but they both knew what they wanted.

Ron finished cleaning the fireplace so that the guests arriving by Floo wouldn't get covered in soot too badly. He then went upstairs to take a shower avoiding every one he could.

Hermione and Ginny were in Ginny's old room geeting ready. The guests would be arriving any minute now. "Ginny you look so adorable. Pregnancy suits you. It must be in your genes. I've seen the pictures of your mum when she was pregnant and she was beautiful and radiant like you," Hermione said while standing behind her friend and puuting her hands on Ginny's shoulders.

"I think so too. I'm really going to miss it no matter how much I have complained these past few months," Ginny replied with her hands on her round belly. " You look very nice. Is there someone you're trying to impress?" Ginny asked wiggling her eyebrows at Hermione. "I hope it's not my git of a brother, Ron. I still can't believe he would do something like that to you. I would hex him to the afterlife if I were you. But what I really can't believe is that you want him after all that."

Hermione began to blush a little. "Only if he still wants me. He has to make the first move though. He's the man and I'm very traditional."

"Does that sound like Ron to you?" Ginny inquired. "I mean the only way he even went out with Lavender or any of those other girls was because they were willing to make known that they were available to him. Lavender was all about getting his attention only on her."

They left the room and went downstairs.

"I really do not want to be compared to Lavender Brown. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. She's a nice girl, but we're way too different," Hermione said. "She's so willing to put herself out there. I'd rather be romanced before I did anything."

"What did you do?" Ron asked as he entered the sitting room with Harry.

"Huh? Oh nothing," Hermione muttered. Oh Merlin. Hopefully they didn't hear too much. I would be soooo embarrassed.

"Oh-ho. So you do talk," Ron said teasingly. Harry and Ginny decided to go out to the garden. "I didn't think you'd would ever so much as acknowledge my presence. The other day you were so distant." Ron sat next to Hermione on the couch. "Hermione, I really am trully sorry. I want so bad to take back everything bad that I have ever done to you. But what I want more than anything is your forgivness," Ron finished sincerely.

Hermione was about to say something when someone stepped out of the fireplace. "Hello Ron. Hermione." It was Lavender. Pavarti and her twin sister Padma were right behind her.

"Hello Lavender," Hermione said. She turned to Ron. "Perhaps we ought to head out to the Garden since guests are beginning to arrive."

They trooped outside. Almost immediately, Lavender, Pavarti, and Padma went over to Ginny to hug her and touch her swollen belly.

Other guests arrived moments later. First was Bill and Fluer and their two children. Next some of Ginny's Great Aunts. Then Susan Bones, Alicia Spinnet, Amgelina and Fred with their three kids, Katie and George and their three year old son, and Hannah Abbot. Their were a few more guests that arrived much later.

The Baby Shower went really well. The guests enjoyed the freshly brewed butterbeer and homemade cookies and cakes- was there anything Molly could not cook.(A/N: the answer is NOPE!) They played a few Baby Shower games and watched Ginny as opened her many gifts. Afterwords the gusets all beagn to leave and the garden was a bit on the messy side. Ron began to vanish things with a few flicks of his wand. Hermione decided to see if there was anything he might need her to do.

"Ron, would you like any help?" she asked politely.

Ron made a face at her that clearly said 'HUH?'.

"What is it Ron?" she asked tentatively. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"I'm just surprised that you would want to help a despicable low-life like me."

"I never said that you were a despicable low-life."

"It was implied, and I feel that way about myself," he said remorsfully. "You know, I really am sorry. I wasn't thinking about how you would feel when you found out. I was a git. I sincerely apologize," he said.

Hermione had a small smile on her face. "It's okay Ron. I forgive you. I said things that I didn't mean and I'm sorry if I hurt you with what I said. I was just a wee bit upset."

Ron laughed. "Yeah just a WEE BIT. If that was a wee bit, then I would hate to see you get totally angry."

They finished cleaning up the garden and decided to go inside since it was getting pretty hot and the sun was shining very brightly in the noon sky.

The Burrow was nice and cool compared to the weather outside. Ginny went upsatairs to take a nap- being pregnant made her really tired. Ron and Harry were into a rousing game of Wizards Chess while Hermione chatted with Molly, Katie, and Angelina. Fred and George were entertaining Arthur and the kids with muggle magic.

"Checkmate," Ron said cheekily.

"Yeah, well I almost had you," Harry retorted. "I have beaten you before."

"Only because I didn't bring my 'A' game," Ron shot back.

Harry smirked at Ron. "'A' game my arse. You were too busy making lovie eyes at..." Hary's mouth was covered by Ron's big hand. Ron knew what he was going to say. The first time I lost to him was the Summer after third year. I couldn't help it. I had just admitted that I had to myself liked Hermione since like second year.

"While this verbal sparring is more fun than..." Ron thought a bit then said "well something that's very fun, I think I would rather go for a walk before dinner to work up an appetite."

Harry laughed. "You. Work up. An appetite?" he continued laughing as Ron walked out the door and into the garden.

He walked down the path and away from the Burrow towards some trees. He looked at the sky and the earth and spotted the pond. He went and sat on the dock and looked into the murky, muddy water.

Ron didn't notice that someone had followed him until he saw her relection in the water. "Hermione, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you. I was wondering what you were doing out here all alone."

Ron replied, "Just thinking."

"Hmm. About what?" Hermione questioned.

"Erm. Care to take a walk while I tell you?"

"Alright."

They walked down a little path past the clearing in the trees where they would often play Quidditch to a grassy knoll sprinkled with wild flowers. The sun was still bright and hot, but it was beggining to go down. There was a nice cool breeze that caused the tall, wild grass to sway this way and that.

This palce seems so familiar. Hermione looked at Ron. "Ron is this the place that...?" Ron's head snapped up so quickly that she stopped mid-sentence. He had just noticed it too.

"Yeah, erm, sorry. I, er, we can go somewhere else. I didn't mean to come here." Ron turned slightly pink as he said this. Great. I'm twenty-five years old and I still can't hold a blush around Hermione, Ron thought.

Hermione thought for a second. "No, that's alright. It's a really beautiful place, yeah? I didn't really get to enjoy it's splendor that night."

"That night," Ron repeated glumly. "I really am very sorry Hermione. I hate that I was so stupid to do that to you. Honestly, I'm sorry."

"RON, you are not and have never been stupid. Besides from a pranksters paradigm it was rather brilliant with the whole life sotry and all. I didn't know you were that creative." Ron had an amused smile on his face.

"Thanks for that."

Hermione smiled back at Ron."I have one question. You said you only did it because you were scared that if you came right out with your feelings that I would turn you down. Why would I turn you down? We were practically together before the war. When it was all over though, I was stuck in St. Mungo's for well over a year and you just sort of moved on. Were my feelings for you that unclear still?"

"I just didn't think you felt that way anymore. And you try being in my position as the best friend of Harry Potter and see how many girls are throwing themselves at you. Some of them were a little sincere when they said they liked me." He paused a moment. "Then when you did get out of St. Mungo's you went straight to work for the ministry and just as many guys were after you and you were always out with the straight-laced, brainy guys never the fun-loving carefree guys. I knew I was far from straight-laced or brainy so I figured I didn't really have a chance. But then Ginny said something about how you never saw any of those guys more than once, so I thought that just maybe you might still have feelings for me. Then I thought what if there was someone else? So I had to know, but I was too scared to just ask you," he finished a little short of breath.

"Well, that does make some sense. Maybe we both should have been open with our feelings earlier. Maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Like it would have worked back then," Ron said, "when I first knew I had these feelings."

"Back when? When did you first realize you felt this way about me?" Hermione asked inquisitroially.

"Sndrdyr," Ron mumbled softly.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Second year!" he said. "But I didn't admit anything to myself until the Summer after third year before the Yule Ball and before Krum. And by sixth year I was just too afraid and daft to say something. Some Gryffindor I turned out to be, huh?" He looked at Hermione. "I can't even tell the girl I love that I love her."

Hermione beamed up at Ron. Playfully she said in her most Hermioneish fashion "Honestly Ronald, It can't be that hard. You just take her genlty into your arms, look her in the eyes and say 'I love You', then kiss her," she explained.

Ron smiled at her. "Hermione... what I want...I just..." he sighed "I Love YOU, only you.," he managed to say as he grabbed her round the waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her longingly.

The kiss was indescribable.(A/N: Siriusly it was so perfect and full of love and passion that even I, the author, can't even think of the words to describe it and I have a thesaurus and a dictionary at ny disposal.That's just how amazing and wonderful and powerful, and magical, and out of this world that kiss was.)

When the kiss ended, they bith just smiled at each other. Hermione looked up at Ron and pulled him into a warm embrace. Her head wasnestled into his soft yet srtong chest, and his head reasted on top of hers as they gazed out into the sunset. Oh, how I've waited and longed for this moment; tobe this near Ron and to have him hold me like this. Sweet Bliss. She looked up and pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly foe a moment. It's wonderful to be able to do that with no worries. "I love you, Ronald Weasley," she sighed contentedly.

The two of them just sat htre for a while and held each other as the sun set.

"It's going to get dark soon and your mum probably has supper done by now so shouldn't we go back?" Hermione asked.

At the mere mention of food Ron's stomach growled. "Yes," he answered holding his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her up off the ground.

"Thank you."

"Any time I have the chance to hold your hand I'll take it even if it is just to hlep you up, especially to help you up." Ron replied and as she stood up to full height he leaned down to kiss her.

She blushed the entire time they held hands on the way back to the Burrow.