"Love is that can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, World Series kinda stuff..." - from the movie." -Angels in the Outfield

Disclaimer: Okay, obviously I don't own any of this, with the exception of the plot line. I wish I did, but unfortunately I don't. However, if I could pick one thing to have in real life it would be Rupert Grint ;)

Chapter 2 - In Which Love Is Declared

Several weeks later Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were sitting under a big willow tree at the burrow. Ginny was seated in between Harry's legs, leaning back against his chest and Hermione was leaning against Ron.

"So have you two? You know?" Ginny asked pointing between her best friend and brother, causing both to blush a brilliant shade of red. Harry chuckled at them and wrapped his arms tighter around his girlfriend.

"Ginny, let them be."

"What? I was just wondering if they were officially 'dating'!" she told him, making the quotations with her fingers.

"I wasn't sure Ronnie boy over here would have enough courage to ask her to her face." She smirked at the glare she received from her older brother, and saw Hermione let out a breath she had obviously been holding. She looked between the two of them curiously.

"What did you think I meant?" she asked them looking between the two.

"Err…nothing…just that."

"Exactly what you said." They said at the same time. Ginny and Harry looked between the two. When Harry opened his mouth to say something Hermione cut him off.

"So! Ginny, you going back to Hogwarts?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject. But Harry and Ginny went along with it. Ginny thought for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to. My last year's schooling was rubbish. I really only am going for quidditch though."

"Still got that pipe dream eh Ginny?" Ron smirked, loving this age old argument.

"Sod off Ronald."

"Now, now, Ginevra, no need to get cross." Harry, sensing Ginny's growing frustration, squeezed her closer to him, in an effort to calm her.

"So what's the 'Golden Trio' going to do now?" she asked with a sigh.

"I have to find my parents and undo the spell and such." Ron looked down at his girlfriend.

"When do you have to leave?" he asked.

"I should really go soon. The sooner I can reverse it the less potential damage to my parents." They nodded.

"Kingsley offered Ron and I jobs as Aurors. So, I think that's what I'll do." Harry felt Ginny stiffen slightly in his arms when he said this and made a mental note to talk to her about it another time. Ron nodded in agreement.

"Me too."

Later that night after dinner the two young couples and Mr. & Mrs. Weasley were in the sitting room. Hermione and Ginny were on the couch talking quietly, and Harry and Ron were seated on opposite sides of the coffee table playing wizard's chess. And of course Ron was winning. Mr. Weasley was seated in a chair reading a magazine about muggle airplanes and Mrs. Weasley was seated in another chair knitting. Suddenly Molly spoke up.

"So, you four, what are you planning on doing next year?" she asked looking at them all in turn. Hermione spoke up first.

"Well, I plan on going back to school. I did miss out on a whole year's worth of schooling, I have a lot of catching up to do! I'm owling McGonagall tomorrow. I need to make sure I can get a spot as soon as possible!"

"Yeah I'm going back as well. And I'll owl McGonagall tomorrow as well. Though I doubt I need to reserve a spot." Ginny chuckled looking at her best friend and raising her eyebrows.

"I owled Kingsley today actually, I'm going to be starting Auror training in October." When his mother raised her eyebrows he continued,

"Kingsley made the offer to any 6th or 7th year student who fought, ahem, umm, in the war. You know, to do training without sitting for N.E.W.T.s." Mrs. Weasley nodded smiling, and looked to Harry, who swallowed the lump that had started forming in his throat. Glancing around, he realized that everyone was now focused on him.

"I, uhh, I think I'm leaning towards Auror as well." He said studying the game board closely and scratching the back of his neck. Ginny was staring at him, willing him to look at her. But he had yet to raise is eyes and she sighed angrily.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a little while." She stated and got up to exit the room. Harry looked up only once he heard the door slam behind her. He was met with a sharp look from Hermione and earning worried glances from Mr. & Mrs. Weasley. After several minutes of awkward silence Arthur and Molly excused themselves to bed, once Harry was sure they were upstairs he got up and moved towards the door, causing Ron to tense. Hermione patted the spot next to her on the couch and Ron got up and sat down next to her. She curled up into him and he put his arm around her.

"You know he won't hurt her again Ron."

"I know. But she's my little sister. I can't help it." Hermione nodded.

"Yeah. I know." she said quietly. He looked down at her.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just get it that's all."

"Sure, you just 'get it'. It's just that simple." She looked up at him now.

"Of course it's that simple."

"Right."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she spat, clearly getting annoyed at what he was implying.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you are anything but simple. So anything that you could possibly be thinking right now, is definitely not simple." She was still looking up at him.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?" he said finally looking down at her.

"I think…I…umm…."

"Hermione spit it out." she looked down at her hands nervously.

"IthinkIloveyou." She looked up at him quickly and saw that he had a confused look on his face. But she looked down so fast that she didn't see the goofy grin appear on his face, seconds after she looked down.

'Bloody hell. Why did I have to say that?'

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?" When she still refused to look up at him Ron gently lifted her chin with his finger.

"I know that I love you." He stated smiling down at her.

"Really? You're not just making that up? Because really, you have to say it just to make me feel better… What are you laughing at?"

"You're just like Ginny. You both ramble. I'd say it's more when you're nervous though…" Hermione launched herself at him, knocking him back she straddled him, and kissed him full on the lips. He responded immediately, and began to move his lips against hers. As the pressure of the kiss increased, he slowly ran his mouth along her bottom lip, willing her mouth to open. She acquiesced, and parted her lips, their tongues meeting. After several minutes the pair reluctantly broke apart, both breathing heavily, Hermione laid her head down on his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him after several more minutes.

"I'm trying to figure out when I started loving you." Hermione smiled but stayed silent for a while, and thought Ron was asleep until he spoke up again.

"I'm pretty sure it was when you told me I had dirt on my nose." Hermione giggled. "But I think I really realized that I at least liked you right after we had met Fluffy for the first time. Me, you, and Harry were standing at the door to the girls dorm stairs, and you said that being expelled was worse than being killed. Ha. You sure have gotten your priorities straightened out a bit more since then."

"Oh, you were so mean to me back then."

"All in good spirits." he said. "Well, most of the time." he added as an afterthought.

"If I didn't like you so much then I probably would have hexed you before we even had one class our first year!" She exclaimed causing Ron to chuckle at her.

"I probably would have deserved it."

"Mmhmm…" Ron looked down at his girlfriend and he saw that she was almost asleep. He smiled, kissed her forehead, wrapped his arms tighter around her, and fell asleep.

A/N: Hello all! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm so glad that this story is so well liked! I'm so so so so SO a million times sorry for the insanely long wait for this chapter. :(

I had planned to try and update roughly once a week, but I had some writer's block and just couldn't write for crap. Then I went on vacation, then my dad both came home on leave from the Air Force, then one of my brother's got engaged, then I went to visit my grandparents, & then my lovely bestfriend surprised me by coming home on leave from the Army! (I could kill him for stopping my heart though) Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon with happiness right now! But it all sure did put a halt to my writing. For which I will be sorry about forever I think, due to the simple fact that I feel like I've let you all down and none of these happenings are actually good excuses. So, once again I'm INSANELY, INCREDIBLY, HONESTLY, SORRY!

I know this chapter is on the short side, but I wanted to get something up. Hopefully this is somewhat good and can live up to everyone's expectations! I will warn you all now though, college classes start on this coming Monday for me, so updates may be hard to do. I'm hoping to quickly get into a routine which includes regular (or semi-regular) updates! Everybody cross your fingers!

Much love & thanks,

Meredith