Hellooo! Yes, I have been very slow lately… but…real life. I do, however, promise to update whenever I can :)

A tremendous thanks to all who are still reading this little fic of mine!

oOo

"I love you, Hermione," Ron whispered, his lips tantalizingly close to the object of his affection, her warm breath caressing his face in gentle puffs. "I love you so bloody much." Surprisingly, saying the words came easier than he had ever anticipated, and he had certainly rehearsed this moment countless times in his head. Yet, as he spoke, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy, the fear of rejection momentarily absent from his mind. It was the best feeling in the world to finally express his deepest emotions to the one he loved.

"I love you too," Hermione breathed, and Ron felt his heart swell with both love and elation. Although they were so close that he couldn't see her face clearly, he knew by the way her eyes crinkled at the corners that she was smiling at him. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it," she continued, causing Ron's happiness to deepen even further.

"Hey," he soothed, his hand tenderly stroking her cheek. "It's okay. Better late than never, right?" he assured her. "I'm just so happy that I can finally tell you. You don't know how horrible it was to keep it in all the time. It was like fucking torture."

She kissed him then, and any other words that he had been about to say vanished instantly. Ron moaned, but as he reached around to pull her closer, he found Hermione's lips were no longer pressed to his, and one of his arms was completely numb from an unknown weight resting on top of it. His eyes flew open, and his heart sank as he slowly realized that he and Hermione confessing their love to each other had only been a dream. He blinked up at a ceiling that wasn't his and remembered exactly where he was.

He was in Hermione's bed. He had spent the night with her.

She was pressed up against him, or rather, he was pressed up against her. To his horror, he realized that his morning arousal was digging into her belly. His breath hitched in alarm as he moved his hips away, mortified that he had unintentionally ground himself against her like that.

"Hermione?" he asked, his voice still groggy with sleep. If she was awake, surely she would be disgusted by him rubbing against her like a sex-crazed animal.

To his relief, she didn't answer him and her body lay still, so he assumed that he was safe. He turned so that his overly excited body part was no longer touching her, and relaxed onto the pillows, letting out a content sigh. With a small prayer of thanks to whatever gods were above, he took advantage of her close proximity and nuzzled his head into the top of her hair. He just lay there for a few minutes, daydreaming about waking up next to Hermione being a constant in his life, rather than a probable one-time thing.

A few minutes later, and with more than a little regret, he slowly and carefully peeled himself away from her and got out of bed before making his way to her bathroom across the hall. He was due to wake up for school soon and knew that it would be smart to get home before his mum found him missing. Once in the bathroom, he splashed his face with cold water, reminding himself again that his dream hadn't been real, and that Hermione was, and would always be, out of his reach- at least in a romantic sense. The sick feeling of unrequited love returned to settle in the bottom of his gut, but he was far too used to it by now to let it ruin his day. He knew Hermione would be waking up soon, so he figured he'd tell her goodbye before sneaking out of her house and back into his own room.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Hermione awake and standing in the middle of her room, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at him. The situation made him feel almost awkward, which was something he hardly felt when it came to her.

"Hey," he finally said. "Mornin'." He reached up to scratch his head, not knowing what else to do with his limbs.

"Hey," she responded, a smile starting to stretch across her face. She seemed to be amused by his unease and the thought helped calm him.

"Sleep well?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

She stared hard at him for a second before responding. "No. I think there was a giant... bed bug in bed with me." She pretended to shiver and Ron resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead let out a small laugh.

"Well," he said, "as long as it wasn't a spider."

"I would have preferred the spider," she shot back, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

He shook his head. "Now that is insulting!" Clearing his throat, he took a step closer to her and reached out and took her hand. "I would love to stay and argue, Hermione, but I gotta go get ready for school."

The mirth disappeared, and she looked almost sad as she nodded. "Same."

"Hope you have a great day." Smiling, he gave her hand a squeeze before turning around and walking out of her room and heading to his own house.

oOo

The day flew by without incident, but Ron couldn't shake off the memory of sleeping next to Hermione. He couldn't stop thinking about how she had held him so close and how it had felt so natural waking up next to her. He realized he would gladly endure the discomfort of a painfully numb arm every morning if it meant it was because Hermione had fallen asleep on it.

Hermione was supposed to be working late that night, so when he arrived home, he spent a few hours watching TV with Ginny. After a typical rambunctious Weasley family dinner, Ron retired to his room and flipped through a few magazines to pass the time. Just after nine, he heard the familiar tap of the pail against his window and grinned. When he stood up and opened his window, he was greeted by the sight of Hermione beaming across at him. She mouthed the word 'hi' and lifted her hand in a small wave, a gesture which he returned before retrieving the piece of paper from the pail.

Do you have any plans on Saturday?

Grinning, he wrote down his reply.

Not that I know of. Why?

Seeing as you invited me to prom, I'm in need of a new dress. I want you to come shopping with me while I pick one out.

Dress shopping? Wow, Hermione, that sounds like fun! Certainly it's the very best way to spend my Saturday.

I'm going to ignore the sarcasm and be happy that you've agreed to go.

Woah, woah, woah! Slow down there, Speedy! I never agreed to go!

It doesn't matter. You're going.

Fine. But don't ever say I've never done anything nice for you.

Have I ever said that?

Hmmm. I don't think you have but….

Okay then. And by the way, you can act like you don't want to go all you want, but I know you'd love to spend time with your best friend before she moves away.

Bloody hell, Hermione, don't remind me of that! I've been actively trying to avoid thinking about the fact that you're leaving me forever.

Not forever, Ronald. But in any case, I'm sorry for bringing it up.

I'm still not happy, but I accept the apology. Grudgingly.

How about we get some ice cream after shopping? My treat. Will that help?

Ice cream always helps, but only temporarily. How about letting me pick out your dress?

Ron chuckled as he sent the pail across to Hermione. He knew she would strongly object, but the truth was he didn't really want to pick out her dress, he was just deliberately trying to provoke a reaction from her because he found it amusing. She, however, saw right through his antics, her eyes rolling as she read his message.

Absolutely not! I will pick out my own dress, thank you very much.

Then what's the point of me going with you?

You are going with me because your opinion will be much appreciated.

Much appreciated? I didn't know my opinion meant so much to you, Hermione. I'm flattered.

Okay, Mr Flattered. I'm headed for a shower and then my bed is calling my name. I'll see you tomorrow.

Ron briefly considered mentioning how her bed was calling his name as well. In fact, he wished so much that he could again spend the night with her, even if it was just as innocent as last night had been. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that such a remark would be just as telling as confessing his feelings outright. Instead, he stayed silent, keeping his desires to himself.

Fine. I'll turn in as well. Goodnight.

oOo

"Okay. You go look on that rack," Hermione pointed to the rack of dresses on their left, "and I'll look on this one."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Ron said, giving her a small salute.

With a slight smile, Hermione turned to rummage through the dresses while Ron moved towards the rack she had pointed at. She had already informed him of her dress size and provided a brief description of what she was looking for: nothing too short or too revealing, and something more classy and simple instead of bright and colorful. He selected a few dresses he thought she might be interested in and dropped them into the cart set between them. When he stumbled upon a small, skimpy red dress, he laughed to himself. He knew Hermione would never choose such an outfit in a million years, but he couldn't resist the temptation. Ensuring she wasn't looking, he slipped the dress into the cart, making sure to cover it with several other dresses that were already in there.

"What are you grinning at?" Hermione asked when she turned around, two new dresses in her arms. Ron tried to keep his face straight as he shrugged. "Nothing."

He could sense from her expression that she didn't believe him, but she refrained from probing further and carried on with her task. As the cart reached halfway full, they made their way to the dressing rooms for Hermione to try on the dresses. Grateful for the chance to sit down, Ron settled on a bench right outside the door Hermione disappeared into. One by one, she emerged from the room wearing dress after dress, and Ron gave his feedback on each one. While some were better than others, none of them seemed to be the right one, and by the fourth dress, Ron was already feeling bored out of his mind.

"This is taking a bloody long time," he grumbled after she'd vanished into the small room to change yet again.

"It's hard to get these things off and on, Ronald," she chided, her voice carrying out effortlessly through the sizable gaps at the top and bottom of the changing room door. As she changed, Ron could easily see her ankles and feet, and watched as she took off one dress and put on another. Even though Hermione didn't know it, observing her in this manner was akin to teasing him, and he yearned to watch without a door in the way. That would definitely alleviate his boredom.

"You need help?" he asked, teasing.

"Nope!" she chirped back, causing him to frown.

"You're no fun," he replied just as she walked out wearing a gray dress that looked more like a potato sack than a dress.

"You like this one?" she asked.

He pursed his lips, trying to find the right words without insulting her. "Not particularly, no."

"What's wrong with it?!" she asked exasperatedly, her arms going up as she looked down at herself.

"First off, it looks way too big on you."

She nodded. "Fine, next."

The next time she walked out of the room, Ron's body gave an involuntary jolt. Hermione stood before him, proudly wearing the skimpy red dress he'd forgotten he'd put into the cart. The top part of the dress showed way more cleavage than he'd ever seen from her, and it was so short that the bottom part barely covered her small but shapely bum. Ron shifted uncomfortably in his seat, attempting to quell his lower half's immediate arousal upon seeing her showing so much skin.

"What about this one?" she asked, her expression innocent yet daring him to tell her the truth.

Eying her up and down, he nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, I like that one," he replied, a stupid grin spreading across his face.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes before turning back into the changing room, and he chuckled, unable to resist. Just when he believed she would never do something like that, she surprised him by doing the exact opposite of what he expected her to do.

Merlin, he loved her.

The next time she appeared, she was wearing a simple black dress. It was elegant though, and the silky material hugged her every curve. When she gave a small spin for him, he noticed that the entirety of her back was exposed. The dress was long and swept the floor gracefully as she moved. Although the dress was lovely, it was the look in Hermione's eyes that captivated Ron the most. She appeared ecstatic, as if she had just discovered a dress that was made just for her. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth, and her eyes brimmed with hope as she gazed at him, anticipating his reaction. He smiled at her, and she returned it.

"That one's really pretty," he said earnestly.

Hermione looked down at the dress, her hands moving down her sides reverently. "I like it," she said in a soft voice.

"Well, I love it."

He stood up, and she raised her head to look up at him. "You think this is the one?" she asked.

He nodded. "Oh, definitely. You don't even need to try on any others. You look perfect."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not just saying that so we'll be done shopping?"

"Would I do that?" He took her hand and placed a kiss on her palm before lifting her arm and instructing her to twirl, which she did. "This is the one."

Hermione let out a small squeal before hugging him around his neck, Ron returning the gesture and wrapping his arms around her, her toes barely touching the floor as she clung to him.

oOo

Later, as they entered Ron's favorite ice cream parlor, Hermione holding the white box containing her new dress, the girl behind the counter greeted them with a bright smile. She was new there, as Ron had never seen her before today. "We have a variety of flavors and toppings," she explained. "Take your time and let me know when you're ready." Although the girl's words were likely meant for both of them, she kept her eyes fixed on Ron as she spoke. When Hermione moved to study the delectable ice cream cakes that were on display in the glass freezer, the girl shot Ron a quick wink and another smile.

"No need," Ron replied, smiling back at her to be polite. "She'll have sweet cream with strawberries." He gestured towards Hermione, "And I'll have sweet cream with snickers, butterfingers, and chocolate chips."

As the girl prepared their orders, Ron noticed she was still sneaking glances at him. When Ron glanced at Hermione, who was still standing near the cakes, he noticed a peculiar expression on her face. She was now observing the ice cream shop's latest staff member with narrowed eyes, and the expression caught Ron off guard. Although this wasn't the first time he'd detected minor signs of jealousy coming from her, he remained uncertain if it was actually jealousy or something else altogether.

"Do you know her?" he asked Hermione as they exited the ice cream shop and settled onto a bench in front. "You were staring at her funny." Hermione's cheeks flushed a deeper shade, and she avoided making eye contact. "Well, do you?" he pressed when she didn't answer.

"I don't know her," she responded, still not looking at him. "And I wasn't staring at her funny," she added.

Ron took a long lick of ice cream before casting his bait. "Well," he started. "She's rather cute, yeah? I think she was even flirting with me." At this, Hermione finally turned to him. There was now a scowl on her face, and Ron had to bite back a laugh before continuing. "Maybe I should-"

"You're supposed to be spending time with me, not drooling over some ice cream girl who doesn't have the decency not to openly ogle her customers," she interjected, her tone sharp.

Ron couldn't help but laugh, much to Hermione's annoyance. "You're so cute when you're angry," he declared. Reaching out with his free hand, he smoothed out the furrow between her eyebrows.

"You're ridiculous," she huffed, smacking his hand away.

"If you don't want me to talk to her, Hermione, just say so," he said, pausing to take another lick of his ice cream cone while bracing himself for her reply.

"Oh no, Ronald Weasley," she scolded him. "I'm your best friend, not your boss. If you want to go talk to her, there's nothing stopping you."

More than a little disappointed at her answer, Ron sighed. "But would you rather I not?" he prodded.

After a moment, Hermione nodded. "I'd rather you not," she admitted.

"Well then," he said, scooting further closer to her and maneuvering his free arm around her shoulders. "That's all you had to say in the first place."