Hermione's Angst and Ron's Adoration

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.

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“I don’t understand why you have to be so horrible sometimes, Ronald Weasley!”

“Wel don don’t understand why you have to be such a know-it-all sometimes, Hermione Granger!”

The battle had been going on for an hour in the Gryffindor Common Room that first night back to Hogwarts. It was Harry, Ron and Hermione’s Seventh Year, and the year was already starting off bad. The entire evening had been ruined by Ron’s rude comments about Hermione and Viktor’s time spent together over the summer, and Hermione’s raving about Ron not being mature enough to handle anything at all. Hermione, a face flushed full of red angst, turned from the center of the common room and stormed up the stairs, entering the Girl’s Dormitory with a loud slamming of the door. Ron glared after her angrily, his expression softening after a few moments. It was only obvious that Ron was desperately in love with Hermione, but he just didn’t know how he could say it. She hated him; he was certain of this. How could he confess to this girl that he cared for so deeply that he honestly didn’t hate her as much as he acted?

The vacation with Viktor drove Ron insane with jealousy. Hermione had had a wonderful summer with Viktor, touring Bulgaria. While Hermione insisted that it was strictly a friendship, Ron couldn’t help but bulge his mind full of thoughts of Hermione secretly kissing Viktor. He shuddered to think of anything else that might have happened.

Ron trudged up the stairs, entering the Boy’s Dormitory with a sulky look. Harry glanced up from a book on the Chudley Cannons that he had been engrossed in, noticing Ron’s despairing look immediately.

“Another war?” Harry asked, closing the book and sitting up on his bed. Neville, Seamus and Dean stopped their game of Muggle poker and looked over at Ron and Harry, holding obvious interest in this.

“Yeah,” Ron said just as sulkily as he felt, flopping down on his bed and heaving a sigh at the ceiling. “She’s just so impossible, Harry. She doesn’t know anything.”

Harry snickered, “Hermione’s the Head Girl, Ron. She’s got top marks and invitations to the best Wizarding Post-Schools in England. You can’t really say…”

”I know that,” Ron said, feeling quite irritated now. “I didn’t mean it in that way, anyway.” He sat up furiously and yanked his curtains shut, not bothering to worry about putting on pajamas or un-doing his bed covers. “I’m going to bed.”

***

The next morning at breakfast, Hermione sat across the table from Harry and Ron, flipping through a few invitations she’d recently received.

“Oh, Harry!” Hermione exclaimed, holding up a golden-inked letter. “I’ve been accepted at the Ministry’s Post-School! Oh, I’d be taught by the best.”

“Hoorah,” Ron said sarcastically, poking his scrambled eggs absentmindedly across his plate. He knew that if Hermione went to a Post-School, he most likely wouldn’t be able to see her for a long time. This bothered him tremendously; this year could very well be his last chance to be with her. What if she refused, though? All of this worrying and anticipation would have been for nothing.

“That’s great, Hermione,” Harry said with a slight smile, giving Ron a short glare for his sarcasm. Hermione, however, acted as if Ron hadn’t made a comment at all. She stood up and heaved her bag of books over her shoulder.

“Well, if you two don’t mind, I have business with Professor McGonagall that I simply must attend to. Unlike some people, I have things to do,” Hermione said, directing her final statement towards Ron before walking away. Ron couldn’t help but watch her walk away. Her hips were swaying and her thick, curly brown hair bounced with every step. He sighed desperately, poking the rest of his eggs off his plate and onto the table.

“She hates me,” Ron said, a depressed look over his freckled face.“Not“Not true, Ron,” Harry said, trying to be comforting without getting annoyed at the same time. They’d had this talk several times before.

“Yeah,” Ron said, even more depressed than before. “She hardly even notices that I like her. I don’t know what I can even do to get her attention.” He watched Hermione exit the Great Hall and sighed again.

Harry rolled his eyes, “Ron, if you’re going to let her know, you’d better damn well do it soon. She’s never going to respond if you don’t do something now.”

“Yeah,” Ron said again, not really paying attention. Finally, after a few moments of daydreaming, he perked up. “Yeah! Yeah, Harry, I’ll go to the library when she’s there later tonight… she’s always there late anymore. And… and I’ll confess! Yeah, that would work!”

He stood up excitedly, knocking over his pumpkin juice and clanking his silverware loudly on his plate. Ron turned from the table, stumbling slightly, and practically ran out of the Great Hall.

***

Later that night, after all classes had ended and it would most definitely be quiet and empty in the library, Ron headed from the common room. He had a stroke of confidence running through him, repeating to himself over and over that this was going to go well. It just had to.

Still dressed in his black pants and a white button-up Hogwarts top, he had unbuttoned the top four buttons. He thought maybe she would find it more attractive. Ron had no idea what had come over him; two years ago, he had started working out to produce a “buff” and more “appealing” look that Hermione might find irresistible. His muscles weren’t that great, since his body weight was already tiny, but he did have them showing. He was much taller now, of course, and his red hair hadn’t changed. Maybe, by some stroke of small luck, Hermione would approve of this.

He entered the library quietly, noticing that even Madame Pince was gone. There were three solitary lamps lit, leaving the entire library to be considerably dark. He knew the lamps must be where Hermione was. Creeping around a bookshelf and glancing around, he finally noticed her. At that moment, Hermione was bent over a book (what else was new?), wearing her own ¾ sleeve white button-up top and skirt only. Ron heaved another sigh… Hermione had become… well, there was no other word for it. Hot. Her bushy hair was still rather out of control, but her face had formed into a full woman’s face, with beautiful features and twinkling brown eyes. Every guy in Hogwarts had to notice that Hermione definitely had breasts now. Ron couldn’t help but glance down at the last unbuttoned button on her top. It showed just the right amount of cleavage for him to start sweating. Two perfectly round C-cup breasts on her chest, a perfectly beautiful face, and a mind brighter than the Sun. Ron could feel his heart pounding faster, feeling somewhat guilty for the thoughts that were now running through his mind.

He stepped out of the shadows he had been in the previous few minutes, and cleared his throat. Hermione jumped, looking quite startled, scanning the library quickly for the source of the noise. Her eyes fell upon Ron Weasley, standing there looking somewhat nervous

“Ron?” Hermione snapped somewhat bitterly. “What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me!”

“S-Sorry,” Ron stuttered, feeling quite guilty now for startling her. “I just… needed to talk to you.” He stepped up to the table where she was at, and opened his mouth to pour out his heart when she held up a hand to stop him.

“Don’t!” Hermione said angrily, standing up and glaring furiouslI knI know what you came here for, and I am only going to say it one more damn time. I am not with Viktor Krum, in any way possible or thinkable, and if you could politely take your head out of your bum, you could realize that.”

Ron’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t even come to argue, and Hermione was already starting a fight. He stepped around to face her directly and said, “Look, I came here for a civilized talk, but I guess you just can’t comprehend that! How about YOU take youad oad out of YOUR bum and realize that?”

“Civilized?” Hermione laughed, causing Ron’s blood to boil. “You wouldn’t know civilized if a wizard etched the definition in that lump you call a brain.”

That had done it. Ron threw his hands in the air furiously and said, “What do you want from me, Hermione!? What have I done exactly to ruin your life?”

“Everything!” Hermione shrieked. “You have no perception of girls, and you have no idea how to treat them or speak witem! em! I’m of of your petty comments and your rudeness. Now, if you could possibly just tell me what is so bloody important that you had to have a civilized talk with me about, we can both get on our ways and not have to bother each other!”

“Okay!” Ron exclaimed, feeling his adrenaline rushing. He knew what he was going to do. “Okay, FINE! You wanna know what I had to say?”

He stepped right up to her, his face inches from hers, and placed his right hand on her face. Pulling her mouth up to meet his, he planted his lips onto hers and closed his eyes, allowing a passionately fiery kiss to dance across the ows ows being cast against the walls of the library. Surprisingly enough to him, Hermione didn’t pull away or slap him (which was what he expected). The kiss lasted for several seconds, before Ron felt Hermione’s tongue pass his lips suggestively. He parted his mouth as she did, their tongues dancing over each other’s in angry love. Ron couldn’t believe this was hapng… ng… it had turned out way better than expected. The kiss deepened, and ended abruptly. Hermione looked at Rod tod took a step back, not being able to take her gaze away from his eyes. Ron wondered what was going through her mind…