A/N: I know rather short. But next chapter will be back to H/G and their plans for sneaking around.... But I had to include my second favorite couple. :) Thanks to Jonelle, who helped me come up with this idea and to Ella, who is a fantastic beta.

Chapter 3- The Kiss

Hermione Granger sighed heavily as she sat on her bed in her dorm room. She had pulled the curtains tight so that Lavender and Parvati wouldn't see her brooding. Normally, she left that pastime to Harry, but today being Valentine's Day, well, she didn't even really want to think about it. Yet, she didn't want to go downstairs to the Common Room on the off chance that Ron would be there with her. Honestly, she thought she had given Ron all the right signals, and really, how thick could a boy be? But still he had chosen Lavender? Don't get her wrong, Lavender was a Gryffindor and her roommate. She got along fairly well with her considering the fact that Lavender was a lot like the girls who teased Hermione unmercifully when she was in primary school. Maybe it was the fact that they at least had magic in common, but Hermione wasn't so upset that Lavender was seeing Ron. After all, it just showed that Lavender had good taste.

No, the person she was really upset with was none other than Ron Weasley. She had thought that he would have figured out that the way they snapped at each other was a form of foreplay, but no, apparently he's just too dense. Oh, and let's not forget Ron's jealous behaviour at the Yule Ball. Did that wake him up? No.

Tears started to slide down her face, but she hastily wiped them from her cheeks and took a deep breath. Hermione decided that she had to get out of that room. Maybe she could go to the library or go on patrol. She knew that Harry had snuck off somewhere right after last class, so he would not help distract her. She needed to do something to get her mind off Ron.

Determined, she crossed to the loo, splashed water on her face before pulling out a towel and blotting her face dry. Taking a look at herself in the mirror-- something she generally avoided doing--, she thought that no one could really tell what she had been doing up here. Besides, no one would get close enough to spot the slight red rims of her eyes. Straightening her uniform blouse, she opened the door and headed down the stairs.

After a quick glance up to view the room before looking back at her feet to make sure she didn't miss a step, Hermione skidded to a stop. Her eyes widened as she saw boys roaming the room kissing girl after girl and the girls were just letting them. Well, this would just have to stop! Clearing her throat, she called for attention.

"Everyone! Everyone! Please listen up." Hermione fairly yelled to get heard above the din. No one stopped or even seemed to pay her any mind. Straightening her back, she cast a quick Sonorous on herself before trying to get their attention once more.

"Boys, while yes, it is the holiday known as Kissing Friday that custom has not been celebrated since the nineteen-forties. So please, stop before I have to go to Professor McGonagall," Hermione told the room. She cast a Quietus at her throat, even though she saw boys picking up right where they left off. Her mind was nearly frozen in panic as she didn't know how she was going to deal with this. She let out a small scream as she silently cursed one Harry James Potter. "I knew this would happen. Oh, I'm going to kill Harry," she muttered under her breath.

Hermione stepped off the stair and right into Ron. She stumbled slightly, causing Ron to grab her arms to help her balance once more. She glanced up at him slightly before blushing and saying, "Sorry."

"Hermione, did you just say something about Harry? Do you know where he is?" Ron asked. She looked into his incredibly blue eyes. She didn't know why Ginny thought green eyes were so great, blue ones could just melt your heart. For a moment, she forgot what he asked her, but then her brain powered up.

"I don't know where the prat is and he better not let me find him. Or he'll have worse to deal with than some birds circling his head," Hermione said, her eyes flashing.

"What's happened? Why are you mad with him?" Ron seemed sincere, but she had had enough of his indifference toward her.

"Why? What do you care? It's not like you've spent any time with us the past few months. I mean, really, why don't you just go find Lavender?" Hermione lashed out, uncaring about the scene she was creating. Ron simply grabbed her hands, which were flying around and trapped them between their bodies as he stepped closer to her. She let out a shocked gasp. The heat that was rolling off his body ignited a fire in her. She knew that she must have looked like a guppy out of water, but the feelings that were rushing through were like none she had experienced before. She fought to get her hands free, but Ron was too strong.

"Bloody hell, Hermione. Calm down. Just tell me why you're upset with Harry. He didn't stand you up or anything, did he?" Ron said quietly and calmly. If she had been thinking straight, she would have thought that a Ron who was calm was a dangerous one. At this point, however she was beyond mad. How dare he insinuate that she and Harry were a couple and that Harry would have stood her up!

"Ronald Weasley, are you implying that I'm the kind of girl who would get stood up? Besides, I have never thought of Harry like that. He's like my brother. I honestly can't believe you! I'm mad with him because all of this" she tried to gesture to the room, but Ron still refused to let go of her hands, "is his fault. He had to tell everyone about the custom that was mentioned in my book. Let go of my hands, Ron! I have to go see Professor McGonagall." Her chest heaving in anger, she was about to let loose some of the epithets that she had heard Ron and some of the older boys use when Ron pulled her up on her toes. Startled, her mouth fell slightly open as Ron descended his head to lay his lips on hers. He had let go of her hands, but it slipped Hermione's notice as her eyelids fluttered closed. Without being aware of what it was she was doing, her hands crept up his chest to encircle Ron's neck. As his lips massaged hers, she felt his tongue creep out to gently prod her lips. She slammed them closed and pulled back. What the …

Forgetting about everything but what had just happened, Hermione backed away, tripping on the stairs. When Ron tried to help her, she scrambled back out of his reach. She couldn't get her mind to work. Why was Ron doing this to her? He had Lavender. He had made his choice very clear. Why would he kiss her? She raced up the stairs to her room, ignoring Ron's desperate pleas for her to come back.