Hello all! sorry for the time it took to update school and stuff. yeah in the first week in school was jammed with projects so I haven't been ableto update reciently, SORRY!

Chapter Four The Joy's of Hiking

"Hurry up RON!" Hermione called as she tossed Harry and Ginny their packs, Ron scurried out of the tent pulling on his trainers, "coming, COMING!" He called snatching his pack from the ground and jogging to join the others. They entered the woods behind the camp, and the cries of the birds echoed louder a bull frog croaked, and Hermione spun around enjoying the nature, and Harry and Ginny swung from tree to tree like monkeys.

"HERMIONE RON PEPOPLES I DON'T KNOW!" someone called from the woods. Hermione jerked her head up and looked around, she knew who the voice belonged to, she just needed to find her...

"Heeeello!" Amy cried jumping down from a tree directly in front of Ron and Hermione, her backpack clasps nearly coming undone, "You guys coming up to the point?" she asked. Ron opened his mouth to ask what the point was but Hermione cut him off, "Of course! You?" Amy nodded, 'you betcha! She turned to Harry and Ginny, who were perched in a tree watching the scene from above, "You're cute," she said looking pointedly at Harry. Ginny wrapped her arm around Harry's possessively, glaring down at Amy who laughed, Ginny looked at Hermione for an explanation on who this girl was and Hermione sighed, "Amy," she said putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, "This is Harry and Ginny, guys this is my friend Amy from my old neighborhood. Ginny looked down extending her hand for Amy to shake, "Ginny Weasley, That's my brother, who is completely in love with Hermione but won't admit it to anyone." Ron coughed, and Hermione blushed, Why did they have to pick now not to be subtle why!!!" Well" Ron said clearing his throat "Lets go find this point no one will tell me about." Hermione, glad for a change of subject, took Ron's arm and started marching up the hill. Harry looked pointedly at Ginny who raised her eyebrows innocently. Harry shook his head smirking at his girlfriend as they followed Hermione and Ron.

"How long is this gonna take Hermione!" Harry groaned as the hill began to level out. "We'll be there soon!" she yelled back to him, "this should be nothing to you Harry now stop groaning and keep up!"

Ron laughed, "Listen to her Harry! Or you'll find your self attacked by Hermione's specialty canneries!"

"You just wanna stay on Hermione's good side," Harry mumbled so only Ginny and with out his knowledge, Amy could hear, "So you don't get attacked again." Ginny giggled. Amy watched this exchange silently; there was something she didn't know about going on here and to Amy that was torture. Pure, agonizing, torture. Because Amy had to know everything and even when ahe knew everything she still needed to know more, the who what when how and why of everything.

"We're here!" Hermione called out interrupting Amy's train of thought and dropping the sack she was carrying, and pulled off her t-shirt to reveal a red, life-guard type bathing suit. Hermione ran to the edge of the cliff they were standing on, and jumped off.

Ron gasped and yelled Hermione's name as he heard a splash and some laughter, "Come on down Ron!" He heard her call.

Ron inched himself over to the ledge and looked down to see Hermione climbing back up the ledge. "Come on in!" Hermione Laughed as she reached the top of the cliff again. "It's fun!" Ron pulled his shirt off tossing it back to where they had dropped their bags, and gripped Hermione's hand, as they dropped off the ledge. An exciting sensation filled Ron's body as they fell. It was nothing like flying just he was falling and it scared him as well as exhilarated him. Ron cringed as they hit the water. "c-c-c-cold!" He stuttered and Hermione laughed, as they swam over and climbed back up the cliff. The teens spent the rest of the day jumping and swimming before going back to their temporary campsite.

Ron walked over as Hermione stoked the fire, she looked up and that familiar swooping sensation filled her as she looked up to see him. "Hey," she whispered setting the cook ware over the fire. "What's for dinner?" Ron asked pinning the supporters together. Hermione looked at him, "fish and…" Hermione trailed off as they looked into each other's eyes. Ron felt the same sensation he felt when they were falling, and ran.

"Harry?" Ron asked when he finally found his best friend, "Have you ever felt like you're falling?"

"Sure today why?" Harry answered lying back on his elbows.

"No," Ron said "not like that, like you know your feet are planted on the ground, but you're still falling."

"Ron you..."

"No Harry Ron Interrupted I'm not crazy, it's just that I'm falling and I don't know why but I'm just falling and fast."

"Ron, I wasn't going to tell you that you were crazy, I was going to say that you've got it bad."

"WHAT!"

Harry just laughed, "You're in love with Hermione mate."

"I'm not in love with Hermione!" Ron protested "It's impossible! I mean we're best mates for crying out loud!"

Harry just sat there trying to cover up as laugh, "I've seen the way you look at her mate… just like I look at your sister." Harry said, putting his hand on Ron's shoulder in a brotherly manner. "You're missing out mate. I learned that the hard way." Harry said pausing "Lets just say the sooner you admit it to yourself you can admit it to her."

Ron just looked at this best friend. "Lets say, hypothetically, I liked Hermione, there's no way she'd ever like me back Harry, she's too good for me. She's perfect, smart pretty kind thoughtful and I'm as dumb as a stick with the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Harry just smirked, "There's no hypothetically needed in that Ron, You just admitted it."

Meanwhile, unknown to the boys, Hermione and Ginny were having just about the same conversation, but a little more so.

"What am I supposed to do Gin! Walk right up to him and say, 'guess what Ron, I love you'?

Ginny smirked, "Yes, or you could wait for him to win a quidditch match…"

Hermione just groaned "But Ginny what if he says no, then our friendship will be ruined and I'll never ask anyone out again and become an old spinster with fifty million cats! I don't want that many cats Ginny! I'll have nightmares about cats! Or one of them will try to kill us all by weaving itself between our legs as we walk down the stairs causing us o trip and crack our sculls open. Then they'll eat our brains gain human knowledge and take over the world as we know it and become evil cat rulers!"

Ginny couldn't hold in her laughter anymore, "You can't possibly believe that Hermione…"

'Hermione just folded her arms across her chest, "It could happen," she said pouting. Ginny laughed again, "Just ask him Hermione, he's Ron, he won't say no, now get some sleep.

Hermione stretched, as she watched Ron roll over in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent, Hermione blushed, seeing Ginny looking at her from her spot next to Harry. Hermione walked out of the tent to make breakfast, because it seemed that none of the others were going to move anytime soon.

Ron felt suddenly cold and tried to pull the blanket over him that was already there. "Bullocks!" Ron grumbled getting up to go out side, where Hermione already had a fire going. She was sweating a little from the heat of the fire and her hair was pulled back into a swift knot, but Ron thought she looked beautiful.

"You're up early," she said wiping the sweat off her brow while taking in his appearance, red hair everywhere, gorgeous, bright blue eyes, and those trademark freckles. 'I really do like him' Hermione thought as she flipped a pancake, and Ron gave her his lopsided grin 'no I love him' Unknown to them Amy was peeking out of her tent watching their exchange.

Ron laughed as he helped Hermione mix pancake batter. "Do you realize how much we've broken the rules in the what? Last three days? You've sure changed since first year when you were yelling at me for poking peoples eyes out."

Hermione managed a "shhhh" between her laughs "Professor Smithe makes rounds in the morning!"

"Oops!" Ron said laughing "So what are we doing today?"

Hermione finished chewing and answered, "Packing up camp and hiking a bit more. There's a really pretty spot I saw the other day, that I want to explore, and maybe we'll go swimming again."

"Sounds like fun," Ginny said as she and Harry exited the tent and sat down for breakfast.

Breaking down camp was an ordeal, considering that Harry and Ginny hadn't been there when Hermione and Ron had broken it down at the campsite in the first place. But after all was said and done the group agreed to hike a little more before going swimming. About halfway along the trail Ginny winked at Hermione who blushed ad grabbed Ron's upper arm, "Lets go over here, there's something I want to look at." she said leading Ron into the clearing. Hermione gasped as she took in the full beauty of the clearing. There were blossoming apple and orange trees and petals that had fallen on to the ground. "Wow, this is nice... "Ron said taking her hand and looking around the clearing."Ron," Hermione, said taking his hands in hers and facing him. "You've always been my best friend," "And you mine" Ron interrupted but Hermione silenced him with a finger to his lips, "But I think, over the years, we've crossed the friendship line drastically. And well we'll never go back so what I guess I'm trying to say is that I like, no I love you Ron Weasley, will you go out with me?"

Ron smiled wide relieved that he hadn't made the first move and excited that Hermione felt the same as him. When there was no answer she began rambling nervously. "I mean it's ok I guess I'm no Lavan." Hermione was cut off by Ron's lips crashing down on hers. Hermione gasped against his mouth and arched herself against him toying with the hair at the base of his neck. When they finally broke the kiss for lack of air, Ron brushed a lock of hair behind Hermione's ear. "I love you Hermione." He said before kissing her again.

SO they're together. Should Icontinue?? because I really don't want to waste space on the site for a story no ones going to read now that they're together. I have Ideas but well yeah

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