A/N: Wow! Over 100 reviews! I am in complete awe. Thank you SO much! I decided to celebrate by posting this chapter early. I actually wrote this chapter a while ago, but wasn't sure where to fit it in. I felt like this was the best place for it. The majority is a memory; it begins after the horizontal line. The next chapter will begin in present time.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing of hers!

Chapter 12

She lied in her bed utterly exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally - any way she could possibly be tired, she was. Yet, sleep did not claim her like it had the child resting deeply on her torso. She couldn't get the look in Ron's eyes out of her head. So, she thought back to the night when she'd seen that same look before and as she did, she drifted into a comfortable sleep.

There was a family dinner as a going away party at the Weasley's the night before the boys left for the Auror academy. Neville was invited since he was headed with Harry and Ron, but politely declined for a celebration with his grandmother. Bill and Fleur, Percy, and even Charlie were able to attend for the night. It was full of laughter and fun, although for a few, sadness lingered underneath. Mrs. Weasley tried to keep a happy face the entire night, but ended up retiring to bed earlier than usual. She was still coping with the loss of her child, and was dreading her youngest son leaving the next morning to pursue a dangerous career. She couldn't be prouder of her son, but she knew she also couldn't bare the loss of another child. George had been solemn since the war, but came with an attempt at a chipper attitude anyway. Ginny and Harry had be mending their relationship all summer and it was evident on Ginny's face that she was having a hard time allowing Harry to leave.

Hermione pushed her feelings to the side. Her two best friends would be leaving the next day. And that's just what they were. Her best friends. Ron and she never discussed the kiss they shared during the war. She was there to comfort him during Fred's funeral and after. More kisses were shared during those comforting times, but then abruptly stopped. Hermione was confused why. Although they never spoke about it, she enjoyed what they were doing- whatever it was. She wanted, needed, to be there for Ron; in whatever way that was. Now it was the middle of June and Ron would be leaving in the morning. She put on a happy face and enjoyed the company of the Weasley's. The alcohol and Firewhisky may have helped her a bit too… By the end of the night she was pleasantly warm, and felt a bit bolder than she normally would.

After the matriarch went to bed, the family started dispersing to their homes. Bill and Fleur said their goodbyes to Harry and Ron, and Flooed back to Shell Cottage. George gave Harry a handshake and Ron a hug while he whispered something to him. When the hug was broken Ron stood to his full height with tears glistening his eyes. Charlie gave them both a rough hug and Apparated to George's shop where he'd be staying the night. Percy began a polite goodbye as Ron engulfed him in a hug. Hermione smiled at the sight. Percy had still been a nervous and uncomfortable mess since his actions before the war. Ron didn't let things like that slide, and needed him to know that he was still part of their family. After, Mr. Weasley said his good nights and left to join his wife.

Down to four, Ginny hugged Ron tightly and then gave Harry a snug hug as well. She began to cry and Harry spoke soothingly to her. She stepped back and nodded her head, and headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Harry turned to Hermione next. He stepped closer and pulled her firmly against him. He whispered that he'd miss her and he would look out for Ron. She snorted and he released her from his embrace. Knowing that when Ron had his mind set about something, there was very little that could change it. If Ron decided to take a risk, Harry would hardly be able to stop him. He held onto her upper arms and leaned in and gave her a peck on her cheek. He stayed for a moment and spoke softly in her ear.

"Take a chance Hermione." He stepped back giving her a knowing look. She looked at him and sniffed, blinking back her tears. Harry nodded towards Ron, knowing that he'd see him in a few hours, and Apparated to Grimmauld Place on the spot. Hermione wiped her eyes and turned towards Ron. He was standing by the fireplace in one of his warm plaid shirts. He opened his arm and she raced to him. She sobbed in his shirt and he nuzzled his face into her hair. She stood in his embrace for the longest time. Saying nothing, just knowing that was the place she wanted to be for the remainder of her time. Time could freeze and she believed it would still not be long enough. He moved first, placing a small kiss to her forehead. He released her and she followed. She looked down, choking back more tears eager to burst free, turned, and strode to Ginny's room.

When she got there it was empty.

Ginny must have already left to meet Harry.

They had been sneaking around all summer, mainly going to Grimmauld Place where Harry had been staying. Hermione had been surprised how quickly they moved, considering they hadn't been together for very long. Ginny laughed when she saw Hermione's surprise. 'Life is short, so why wait?' she remembers her saying. 'When you know, you know. Harry and I definitely know.' Ginny gave her a suggestive wink, and burst into a fit of laughter. Hermione blushed profusely at that and was appalled at Ginny's brazenness, which in turn made Ginny laugh harder.

Hermione shook her head back to the present, and started to gather her nightclothes when she heard steps outside of her door. They stopped. She heard the floorboard creak. A moment passed with no sound. Then the floor whined again, and steps were retreating up the stairs. Removing her gaze from the door, Hermione finished gathering her toiletries and walked to the hallway. The house felt empty to her. Just four of them currently there. She entered the bathroom and began to undress. It had been a hot summer, much warmer than usual. She took a cool shower and changed into a light vest and cotton shorts. She charmed her hair to get most of the moisture out, leaving it slightly damp. Hermione brushed her teeth, gathered her things, and headed back to Ginny's room.

She put her items away and laid down in her freshly washed sheets. She sighed.

He'll be gone in the morning. By the time he gets back, I'll be at Hogwarts. Six months without seeing him will be horrid…

Hermione sighed. She could write him but not the way she wanted to. She'd be writing him as his best friend and nothing else. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. However, her brain had other ideas. She kept thinking back on the words Harry spoke to her. 'Take a chance Hermione.' She knew what he was talking about. He wanted Ron and her to admit their feelings to one another. 'I want that too' she thought.

We were making our way towards that, but… he stopped. He ended whatever we had going. I wish I knew why. Hermione shook her head.

"This is ridiculous." She spoke to the empty room. She got up and tiptoed out of the room. Hermione shut the door silently and padded up the stairs towards Ron's room.

…

Ron was lying in his bed. He kicked off his comforter and now just had a light cover over him. He couldn't believe how hot the summer was, he was wearing a t-shirt and light pajama bottoms. Stretching his long body out, he pulled his arms behind his head, resting on his pillow. Ron thought back on the day. Hermione looked beautiful. She was wearing a teal summer dress with a lightweight cream cardigan. Ron couldn't remember the last time she'd put so much effort into how she looked. Perhaps Bill's wedding? Ron loved the way she'd always looked, no fuss, no frills, yet she was still gorgeous.

And you screwed it up Ron.

He thought back to the beginning of the summer and how she was always there to comfort him; she was the only one who could. Some days it was really difficult. He felt so conflicted, so glad they won the war and could now have a positive outlook on their future, yet, so many deaths, including Fred's. She was there to gently comfort him, to make him feel better. He started to get lost in the kisses she gave. That's when he stopped.

He needed to handle Fred's death without hurting Hermione. She deserved more than just being his comfort. She needed to be told the truth about how he felt about her. So he distanced himself. He has been trying to work out how it should be done, but the time passed too quickly and he missed his chance. Even tonight, when he walked to her room, he just froze. He stood there unsure what he would say, what she would say. He just continued up the stairs to his bedroom.

Some Gryffindor.

He missed his chance.

Maybe tomorrow before I leave. Or now, I could do down there and wake her up and-

His thoughts were interrupted by a small knock on the door, if it were any quieter, he wouldn't have heard it. Without a response the door opened revealing Hermione. She shut the door without a sound and silently sauntered to Ron.

"Ron?" Hermione whispered. "Ron, are you awake?"

"Yea." He murmured, sitting up on his forearms.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" She swallowed.

"I couldn't sleep," She stated, teetering from foot to foot uncomfortably. He pulled his sheet off and scooted over to make room for her. She gave a small smile and climbed into bed with him, he pulled up the covers as she turned to face him.

In all of the times after the war, they had never laid in a bed together. The seriousness of what Hermione was going to do was becoming real. She snuggled in closer to him and looked into his eyes. He bore right back into hers. She reached her hand out and brushed his hair back from his face. He sighed, but kept watching Hermione. Her hand traveled lower on his face as she ran her thumb along his right eyebrow. Still moving down she reached his lips. She traced them gently, and closed the distance to meet them to hers. She exhaled as she kissed him. His lips were so soft and the kiss was sweet. He kissed her gently back, not daring to move any other part of his body. She broke the kiss and tilted her head back slightly to meet his eyes again. He opened his as she left his lips.

"Ron, I… I love you." As soon as the words left Hermione's mouth, a huge grin spread across her face. She had finally told him. It didn't matter what he said back, she had done what she came to do. Well, that was a lie, it did matter what he said. She looked back at him for a response. What she saw was his face approaching hers again and before she knew it she was being kissed, much more passionately than before. Ron's hand wound its way into her curls, pressing her into the kiss. Hermione opened her mouth to him, deepening the kiss even further. They had kissed many times before, but it had never been like this. The kiss broke a few moments later, leaving both breathing heavy.

"I love you Hermione Granger. I always have. I've wasted so much time not telling you…" Hermione was so thrilled she could scream. Happy tears leaked from the corner of her eyes as she was met with Ron's lips again. She couldn't believe it was finally happening. Ron had said he loved her back. She always thought, there might be something between them. But, she had never believed that he would actually love her, let alone admit it. Yet, here he was kissing her like he needed her to live.

Hermione had always planned on waiting until marriage. She thought it was so romantic to save something that could only be given once for the man she'd spend the rest of her life with. And ever since she was eleven, that man had been Ron. At this moment however, her need was far overpowering her thoughts. Hermione needed to get closer to Ron. She wasn't sure what was coming over her. There was this growing need in her body that said she needed to be as physically close to him as possible. The heat was growing more intense and she didn't know how much longer she could continue without more. As his lips caressed hers she slipped her hands under his shirt and traveled across his firm chest. A small moan escaped from her and he gave a small laugh against her lips. He moved his hands to caress her waist; massaging her skin gently, which broke into goosebumps. He stopped the kiss to tear his shirt from his body. She'd seen him before, but never like this. Never with lust filled eyes. The moonlight highlighting his body, lean, strong, and now hovering over hers, so very close.

He lowered himself to press his now stark chest into her. Feeling bold, she quickly removed her vest; leaving her bare to him. He looked over her; her chest moving rapidly because of her nerves. His eyes were quickly brought back to hers. And just like that he was kissing her again. She pressed into him, their bare chests now touching without restriction. The feeling was exquisite. Things were moving quickly, their breathing becoming faster, as Ron moved from her lips to her neck, then to her collarbone, preparing to move lower. Hermione gripped Ron's pajama bottoms sitting low on his hips, which had begun to rock. He instantly froze and pushed upwards to look at her. Her hands bunched his bottoms and he eyed her curiously.

"Hermione."

She continued to slip her hands beneath the fabric, meeting Ron's eyes the entire time. He swallowed and spoke again.

"Are you sure?" His eyes were wide, searching Hermione's. She nodded, bringing her mouth up to reach his, but before she could touch, he pulled back. She looked at him confused. Her heart seized.

"Are you sure, Hermione? I can't do this unless you're absolutely sure." He bore into her eyes. He wanted every ounce of him understood. She smiled at him and brought her hand to his face brushing her thumb over his cheek. He leaned into her touch.

"I love you Ronald. I want you, I've always wanted you," She whispered. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and dove in for another kiss.

…

He still lay atop of her, still intimately attached below. Both of them were catching their breath after the act they had preformed. As their breathing became slower, Ron tried to move to the side. However, as he did so, Hermione quickly curled her arms around him and pulled him close; his face resting between her shoulder and head. She wanted to be as close to him as possible. He gave a small chuckle and relaxed into her. After a few moments of the pure bliss, Ron pulled back enough to gaze into her eyes.

Merlin, she is beautiful.

He thought as he moved his arms up, to interlace his fingers in her hair. He brushed his thumb over her cheek.

"I love you Hermione."

She smiled at his words and kissed him again.

…

She awoke to the room slightly lighter than it had been hours earlier. When Hermione opened her eyes she had a moment of hesitation of why she was in a room with Chudley Cannon posters plastered on the walls. She took a deep breath and instantly knew the aroma that awaited her. Ron. It was all him. She nuzzled deeper into the pillow breathing in her favorite smell. Hermione knew if she turned over, she would find him. She shifted to view the other side of the bed, finding that she was in fact, alone.

She slowly rose up to search the room from the bed for him. As she did so, she felt a dull ache between her hips. Wincing a bit at the sudden pain, she thought back to what they did the previous night; a small smile creeping across her face.

It was then when the door opened, presenting a fully dressed Ron with toothbrush in hand. He stared at her for a few moments, taking her all in. He let out a slight laugh. He clicked the door shut.

"You're bloody lucky it was me who came in and not mum." He nodded towards her. She took into account that she was still naked from the activities last night, and as she sat up, the sheet fell, revealing all to Ron. She gave a slight blush and pulled the covers up.

"Hey, I never said I minded!" He jokingly whispered. The redhead bent down to pack away his toothbrush. Then, Ron stood again and paced over to the bed. He sat and faced Hermione, taking one of her hands in his and rubbed his thumb over her soft knuckles.

"I have to be at the Portkey in five minutes." He caught her eye and saw tears forming. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. She sunk into his embrace and sobbed. She pulled her arms from under his to encase them tightly around Ron. She felt that if she let him go, she would completely lose it. He gave her kisses to her bushy hair, whispering soft and comforting words. After a few moments had passed, he pulled back. He wiped the tears from her face, and gave her a final kiss. He tried to put everything he felt into it. All the love, loyalty, and trust he had for this woman. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with her, in that moment, forever. He reluctantly broke the kiss and stood. He knew if he stayed any longer then he would miss his Portkey and all the pain was for naught. He grabbed his knapsack and walked toward his door. He made a final turn, facing her once more.

"Goodbye Hermione," He whispered, his voice dry and cracked from holding in his emotions.

"Bye Ron."

Tears still falling from her face. He left through the door, shutting it with a small click.

A/N: I would love any and all feedback on this chapter! Please share what you think!