A/N: Okay, so a HUGE thanks must go to my beta Jonelle, whose Friends' knowledge helped inspire the last scene of this chapter. The first two scenes have been seen before and I'm not sure why I deleted this cahpter before. *shrugs* I'm working on a chapter for CoP next and then it's back to this one since I remember where I'm going with it next. Oh, and sorry for the lack of puffy scenes.

Chapter 6- Confusion, Happiness and Embarrassment

February 28

Hermione slowly picked at her plate of food, absent-mindedly twisting a lock of hair around her left index finger. Her friends' voices resounded in her ears, but she wasn't following their conversation. Instead she merely soaked in the feelings evoked by one particular voice. The deep timbre sent little vibrations up and down her limbs. Hermione knew it was strange to have a crush on someone that had all started with sound of his voice, but when Ron's voice had changed, so had Hermione's feelings for him. She had been deprived of hearing it for so long now, ever since he had started seeing Lavender. Ron, however, had recently broken it off with Lavender and as a result had started sitting with Harry at the Gryffindor table once more. Still, Hermione didn't know how to talk to him since their kiss on Kissing Friday, which resulted in her just sitting at the table, listening to the sound of his voice wash over her.

She was stuck in her thoughts until a large hand touched her shoulder. Startling, she turned around to see Ron standing behind her holding two rucksacks on one of his shoulders.

"Ron, hurry up. We have Quidditch practice. You know that Harry will make you fly extra laps if you're late," Ginny called to him as she hurried out of the Great Hall.

"I have to go get my gear from the Tower. I'll be there in a few minutes," he called back to her.

Hermione glanced down to the floor beside her to verify her supposition. "Ronald Weasley," she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips, "what are you doing with my bag?"

"Geez, 'Mione, I was just going to carry it up to the Tower for you. Angry much?" Ron replied.

"Ronald, are you implying that I'm incapable of carrying my own books up the stairs, even though I've been doing it for the past five years without a problem?" Hermione crossed her arms mid-rant and glared at Ron, who placidly just held out her bag for her to take.

"Well, they are kind of heavy, but you know what? It's not worth fighting over. I'll see you later at the library, Hermione," Ron responded calmly before heading out of the Great Hall. Hermione just stared at his retreating back, stunned. It wasn't worth fighting over? Since when did Ron Weasley back down from a fight? She cursed under her breath, wondering if he had figured out her strategy of starting a fight with him, just to hear his voice. He'll see me later at the library? Hermione couldn't believe the changes in Ron. It was like she had no idea who he was anymore. Realizing that she was still standing in the middle of the Great Hall, she looked around for anything she might have forgotten before heading to the library.

Hermione threw her rucksack onto the library table, earning her a scowl from Madam Pince. Her short burst of temper evaporated at the sound of the impact. Slumping down into the chair, Hermione rested her head on her hands. Just what was Ron playing at? He was so different from before. Now he was showing up in the library all the time, trying to carry her bag, their kiss…

Ron surely didn't realize that the kiss he gave her on Kissing Friday was her first kiss. Oh, she knew the rumours that Lavender and Parvati had started about her snogging Viktor, but they weren't true. She hadn't said anything to contradict the rumour because after all, what girl wants to admit to never being kissed? Plus, in her deepest of hearts, she had hoped it would make Ron somewhat jealous and realize that she was a girl. She had thought it had the desired effect when Ron had agreed to attend Professor Slughorn's party with her. Instead, it seemed to have the opposite--driving him right into Lavender's arms since Harry had later told her that Ron had not heard the rumours until right before he got together with Lavender. Then again, if he was attracted to Lavender, then there was little to no chance that he could be even slightly interested in her. She and Lavender couldn't be more different as the only thing they had in common was sharing a house dorm room.

Before Lavender entered the picture as Ron's girlfriend, at least Hermione had Ron's friendship, something for which she was willing to settle. Now it seemed that their friendship was damaged beyond repair. She really didn't know how to talk to him other than fighting and he wasn't cooperating with her in that area anymore. So not only had she lost her chance at being with Ron, but it also cost her his friendship. She wanted to put her head down and cry, but knew she could NOT break down in the library.

She had quite a lot of work to catch up on. It was amazing how Ron's behaviour could confuse her so much that it would affect her concentration on her studies. But Ron was at Quidditch practice so he wouldn't be here distracting her. Now if she could just stop thinking about him for longer than five minutes, she might actually get some work done. Forcing all of her thoughts about one Ronald Weasley to the side, she set to work.

HPGWHGRWHPGWHGRWHPGWHGRWHPGWHGRW

Harry pulled up on his broom to watch Ginny dodge a Bludger before she launched the Quaffle through the left hoop. Ginny smirked at Ron in triumph before zooming off to practice flying the Chaser weave with Dean and Demelza. Rather than looking for the Snitch, which would signal the end of practice, Harry watched Ginny's hair whip around her face set ablaze by the setting sun's rays like red-gold flames in a fire. Her face was lit with a glow similar to the one she had after one of their encounters. Just thinking of some of their exploits made Harry's limbs shiver in anticipation, along with making a certain part of his anatomy bulge.

The past two weeks had been heavenly. Harry honestly wondered if he had switched lives with somebody, considering how happy Ginny made him. The only fly in the ointment was the agreement to sneak around that Ginny had suggested and he had agreed to. Why had he ever agreed? Wait, he knew the answer to that one, Dean and Ron. Ginny hadn't wanted it to seem like she was dumping Dean for him. Harry hadn't wanted to face the scrutiny and lecture he would get from Ron for even thinking about Ron's baby sister like that. Yet, he couldn't have anticipated how often he would long to climb to the top of the Astronomy Tower and shout that Ginny Weasley was his girl. These longings grew more insistent every time he saw other blokes flirting with said girl, which, as she was very beautiful, was quite often. He knew that the only way to keep himself from looking like a overgrown Neanderthal was to talk to her about going public with their relationship. Harry knew he would do just that the first opportunity he got.

Spotting a glint of gold, he flew off, chasing after the Snitch like he planned on chasing the happiness he had with Ginny.

HGRWHGRWHGRWHGRWHGRWHGRWHGRW

"Hermione, I know I messed up on Kissing Friday, but you have to understand how incredibly tempting your lips were. I just couldn't help myself. I know I had a girlfriend who wasn't you, but don't you see you were the one I wanted for my girlfriend?" Ron looked into the mirror, trying to determine if these would be the phrases that would gain him access to the heart of the one he so wanted. He sighed before slumping onto his bed.

"Thinking heavy thoughts, Ron?" Neville asked. Ron jumped so high that his head brushed the top of the curtain on the bed. Admittedly his head wasn't too far from it to begin with though.

"Merlin, Nev, give a bloke some warning next time," Ron said, hand over his heart that was thumping in his chest. But after thinking about his previous activities, Ron stared at Neville trying to see if he could read on Neville's face whether or not he had heard what Ron had been rehearsing in the mirror.

"So, Ron, how long has this affair with the mirror been going on? I'm a little shocked at the fact that you would prefer a two-dimensional object to Lavender, but then Lavender can get annoying…" Neville said, trailing off as he apparently thought about previous encounters with Ron's ex-girlfriend.

"I don't want the mirror, you prat. I was practising a talk that I want to have with someone," Ron admitted, looking everywhere but at Neville.

"Oh, you mean you've finally woken up to the fact that you're in love with Hermione?" Neville asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He sat on the edge of Harry's bed. Ron figured he did this since Harry's was the one closest to where Ron was sitting. Then the words that Neville said hit Ron fully.

"How? What? How did you know?" Ron stuttered in response.

"Let's see, I've lived with you and had classes with the both of you for," Neville placed a finger on his chin as if in thought, "five and a half years now. Ron, everyone in the castle can pretty much tell you that you're in love with Hermione and she's in love with you. Well, maybe not Crabbe and Goyle, but no one ever accused them of being intelligent."

Ron, being Ron, latched onto the part of Neville's sentence about him in love with Hermione and completely missed everything that came after. He stood up to pace back and forth between the beds.

"What do you mean everyone knows I'm in love with Hermione? I just broke up with Lavender. I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is even love," Ron ranted. Then he paused and collapsed on his bed, arms going up over his head. "Neville, what am I going to do?"

"Tell her. It's not that hard," Neville replied.

Since when does Neville give advice like this? Ron thought. "Um, did you catch what I was trying to do when I was talking to the mirror? I was trying to figure out how to approach her with it."

"Ron, she's your best friend, well, one of them. How difficult is it to just tell her?" Neville asked, exasperated.

"You don't understand. I kissed her."

"You what?" Neville's mouth dropped.

"On Kissing Friday. I kissed her and I was still seeing Lavender. Hermione hates me now, Nev." Ron grabbed his pillow and buried his face in it.

"No, she doesn't. But you're right in practicing what you're going to say. Knowing you, you'll just put your foot in your mouth. No, make that both feet," Neville mused.

After a few moments of silence, Neville broke it. "Ron, you could practise on me. Pretend like I'm Hermione."

Ron threw his pillow towards the head of the bed in his efforts to sit up to look at his friend. Trying to figure out if there was an angle as to why Neville would offer this, he studied his friend's face. What is up with Neville? This really wasn't like him.

Seeing Ron's examination, Neville shrugged. "It's totally up to you. I don't care one way or the other if you decide to try this out, but I do want to see you finally make Hermione happy. She's been through enough with you."

"What are you saying?" Ron asked.

"Just that it's about time she got the opportunity to be happy. Ron, every time she's attempted to be happy in a relationship with a guy of any sorts, other than Harry, you've ruined it."

"No. What? That can't be true, can it?" Ron ran his hand through his hair, scratching his head. He thought back over the years and when Hermione was with other guys. "The only guy I can think of her trying anything with is Krum and I most decidedly didn't do anything to ruin that."

"Oh, really? Interesting how your memory is different than mine. Even though I was otherwise occupied, even I know about the fight you two got into the night of the Yule Ball. Oh, and he wasn't the only one she tried anything with or did you forget that she had invited you to the Slug Club Christmas party at one point? But no, then again you had to be an idiot and start up with Lavender. You didn't want Krum to have her, but you made her feel like she wasn't worth a Knut. And you kissed her? Well, you need to start planning out what you want to say to her." Neville just shook his head at his friend. "Now come on and try out something on me."

Ron thought about it for a few minutes. "So what do you think? Should I be on my knees? I mean, isn't that the tried-and-true grovelling position?" Ron asked Neville.

"I think it might be a good idea after all you've done," Neville replied.

Ron complied by getting on his knees by his bed. "Should I be at her feet, too?"

Neville nodded. Ron crossed over to Neville while remaining on his knees. Clearing his throat, he started. "Hermione, Lavender pales in comparison to you."

Neville shook his head. "Ron, don't bring up Lavender! It's just a reminder of the girl you chose over Hermione."

Ron rocked his body to rest back on his heels for a moment. Biting his cheek, he thought about what he could say to explain to Hermione what he felt. He had a glimmer of inspiration hit, driving him back onto his knees. He grabbed Neville's hand.

"Nice touch," Neville said, lifting their joint hands. "Hermione would enjoy it."

Ron took a deep breath. "Did you know that your smile brightens my whole day? Each morning I look forward to the brilliance of it lighting up the room. The days when your laugh fills the room with--"

Two snickers were heard from the doorway. With eyes wide, Ron, with Neville's hand still in his, looked over to see Harry and Seamus clutching opposite sides of the door to prevent themselves from falling onto the floor with laughter. Ron dropped Neville's hand like a hot Quaffle. Slowly backing away, he almost didn't hear Seamus ask, "With?"

He missed Neville's response as his face flushed scarlet in embarrassment. He crawled to his bed before slowly pulling himself up onto it. Right before he buried his face in his pillow, he heard Seamus say, "I've always wondered if you two kids would get together."

Ron grabbed the other pillow to cover his head in shame. He knew he would never live this one down.