Disclaimer: Hey! Weren’t you paying attention in my last four stories? I DON’T OWN HARRY POTTER!

Dedication: For Eddie Lichtenhahn, a third grader in my school who died suddenly Monday, February 6, 2006. I never knew him, nor saw him, nor heard of him, but his death shook me like it shook my school, my friends, and everyone who heard of this tragedy. This story's for you, dude!

~*~*~

Ron was staring at the ceiling of his room in Grimmauld Place. His thoughts were upstairs with his best mate, Harry. Ron was wondering how he was doing. Of course, he was probably terrible after they learned that You-Know-Who might be possessing him. A knock on his closed door awoke Ron from his thoughts and brought him back to earth.

“Come in,� Ron said without averting his gaze.

Ginny walked in and slowly sat down on the edge of Ron’s bed. She turned very slowly to face him and said, “Are you worried about him, too?�

Ron didn’t need her to elaborate. “’Course I am, I’m his best mate, aren’t I? I reckon we shouldn’t have listened to the Order’s conversation. Then he’d be down here with us. Come in,� he added, as another knock on the door disturbed the unusual silence of Grimmauld Place.

Fred and George ambled in; they were carrying two bags that jiggled with every step the twins took. They dropped bags in front of Ron and Ginny.

“It’s your Christmas present,� George said, watching Ron and Ginny pick up the bags gingerly.

“We would have given it to you that day, but with dad in St. Mungo’s…� Fred’s voice trailed off.

Ron and Ginny both gasped audibly as they opened the jiggling sacks. It was filled to the brim with shiny, gold Galleons.

“There’s fifty for each of you,� George said.

“Mind, don’t spend it all in one place,� Fred grinned.

“Fred, George,� Ginny said breathlessly.

“Blimey,� said Ron, unable to say anymore.

“It’s no problem,� George said. Mrs. Black’s shrieks suddenly filled the quiet house. “What do you reckon?� he asked his twin.

“I think it’s worth a shot,� Fred responded, and without another word, the twins Disapparated.

Ron and Ginny sat in silence for the next few minute, both lost in their own thoughts. Then, the door burst open, revealing a shivering and snowflake-covered Hermione.

“Hermione!� Ginny squealed and leapt off the bed to greet her friend.

At once, Ron’s stomach instantly became filled with butterflies. He loved Hermione more than he could ever say, but he was too scared of her reaction to tell her.

“Hi, Ron,� Hermione said, and began to walk over toward him. She kissed him quickly on the cheek. Ron felt himself growing hot, and he silently cursed that damn Weasley blush.

“I thought you were skiing with your parents,� Ron said.

“I did for a while, but I decided to come and stay with you lot,� Hermione said, sitting down on Ron’s bed between Ron and Ginny.

“What, did Hermione find something she’s no good at?� Ron sniggered.

“No,� Hermione said defiantly, but blushing a little anyway. “It’s really good. Where’s Harry?� she asked, hastily changing the subject.

They explained about the conversation they overheard in St. Mungo’s and how Harry thought he’s being possessed by Voldemort.

“I’m going to go and try to talk to him,� said Hermione, and without further ado, she left the room.

“So,� Ginny said, turning to face Ron, “what are you getting Hermione for Christmas?�

“I dunno, I didn’t really think about it yet. Maybe a book?� Ron said, shrugging.

Ginny sighed exasperatedly and looked at Ron with pity and annoyance. “Oh, Ron, everyone knows you like her.�

Ron stomach flipped uncomfortably. “They do?�

“It’s so obvious. Why not get her something nice?� Ginny asked.

I don’t know here to get girl stuff,� Ron said ruefully.

“I do, we can go tomorrow, I have to pick up a few things anyway.�

“Okay,� Ron said, as Hermione walked into the room accompanied by Harry.

~*~*~

Ron closed his eyes and tried to get to sleep, but knew it was no use. He kept thinking about what to get Hermione, and if she’d like it or not. He turned on his side to look at the clock. It read five a.m. He groaned and sat up, massaging his temples in an exhausted sort of way. He stood up and walked to the door, careful not to wake Harry up, who was sleeping fitfully. Ron though vaguely of going to the basement kitchen and making a cup of tea; he was surprised, but not at all disappointed, when he saw he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.

“You couldn’t sleep either?� Hermione asked, and Ron shook his head.

“I was going to make a cup of tea? Do you want a cup?� Ron asked.

“Sure,� Hermione said, smiling the smile that made Ron weak in the knees.

Hermione got the cups ready as Ron watched the kettle. He set Hermione’s cup down right by her fingers. Just as he was about to let go of the handle, she grabbed it. Hermione was holding Ron’s hand. They both blushed and pulled their hands back, saying “Sorry,� at the same time, making them blush even harder.

Ron hastily gulped down his tea, and walked over to look at Mrs. Black’s sleeping portrait. He was trying desperately to calm those damn butterflies in his stomach down. Hermione came over to join him when she was done with her tea. They both stared at the picture, not really looking at it, both lost in their own thoughts. Then, without any warning whatsoever, Mrs. Black, her eyes still closed, said very quietly, “Mudblood.�

Hermione fell over out of shock. Ron spun and caught her around her middle just before she hit the ground. For a moment that lasted forever, they stared deep into each other’s eyes, and the love they held for each other was more obvious than ever, but neither noticed it. Ron awoke from the trance and hastily helped Hermione up. They looked around awkwardly at anything but each other. Ron’s eyes fell upon a sprig of mistletoe hanging just above where they were standing.

“Bloody hell,� Ron said, utterly horrified.

Hermione looked at Ron questioningly, then followed his gaze up to the mistletoe; she began to blush furiously. They again tried to avoid each other’s eyes, but they both looked sideways at each other at the same time. Their gaze became locked as they stared again into each other’s eyes. Then, very slowly, they began to lean forward. Just as their eyes were flickering closed, a small, almost inaudible, “Hem, hem� rang through the room. Ginny was standing on the threshold of the room, smirking slighting, but other then that ignoring what she had just witnessed.

“Everyone’s waking up, and Mum says breakfast will be in a few minutes,� Ginny said.

Hermione mumbled something about leaving her book upstairs and fled the scene.

“So, are you ready to go today?� Ginny asked.

“Yeah,� Ron said. He knew he had to get a great present for Hermione. And he knew it had to be perfect.

~*~*~

(*A/N: So, how’s my first chapter story? Is it good? It is bad? Tell me your opinion by reviewing!*)

Disclaimer: I don’t know why I’m bothering, seeing as I’ve said I don’t own Harry Potter in my last four stories and in the previous chapter, but oh well. I don’t own Harry Potter.

(*A/N: This chapter picks up right where the other one left off.*)

~*~*~

Everyone came down a few minutes later. Ron and Hermione ate breakfast in silence, chancing a glance at the other when they thought they could chance it, and blushing furiously when they caught each other’s eyes. Ginny kept shooting smirks at the pair of them. Fred and George ate alarmingly fast and left before anyone else to go into their room. Harry and Hermione left soon afterwards. When it was only Ginny, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks left, Ginny asked to go to Diagon Alley with Ron for the day.

“No.�

“But, Mum,� Ginny whined, “Ron and I have to go to Diagon Alley.�

“No,� Mrs. Weasley repeated firmly. “I am not about to let my two youngest children go to Diagon Alley without any protection.�

Tonks, who was sitting next to Ginny sipping her morning tea, said, “I’ll go with them, Molly. I was going to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow anyway.�

“Can we, Mum?� Ginny pleaded. “We’ll be safe with Tonks.�

“Well,� Mrs. Weasley considered. “Oh, all right, but you both better mind Tonks, or you will be severely punished.�

“They’ll be fine, Molly,� Tonks assured her. “Now stop fretting.�

After they had finished breakfast, Tonks, Ron, and Ginny put on their traveling cloaks and grabbed their bags of gold. Then they walked over to the fire.

Ginny threw Floo Powder into the flames and said, “Diagon Alley�. In a whir or green and flames, Ginny vanished.

Tonks went next, her brown, bushy hair (which reminded Ron of Hermione’s) whipping out of sight as flames engulfed her.

Ron emptied the Floo Power from his hands into the flames. He took a deep breath and walked into them. Then he said in a clear voice, “Diagon Alley�. He tucked his elbows in and held his breath as he begun to spin at top speed.

~*~*~

Ron put his hands out in front of him as he fell forward toward the floor of the Leaky Cauldron. He pushed himself up, looking down at his bleeding hands.

“Here,� said Tonks. “I’ll fix that.� With a wave of her wand, she healed Ron’s wounds.

They went outside and tapped the third brick above the dustbin. The wall parted to reveal Diagon Alley.

As Ron made to go down the main road, Ginny grabbed the back of his robes and said, “We’re going this way, Ron,� pointing down a small, narrow alleyway Ron had never seen, nor noticed, before.

They walked down the path in silence until the reached the end. Ron let out a huge gasp.

Everything from the ground to the shops was a very vivid pink. The air smelled heavily of different type of perfumes. Witches of all shapes and sizes were fighting their way through the crowd to get to their destination. He looked at a sign above him. It read Witches’ Way.

“What the bloody hell is this place?� Ron asked, watching a band of witches bite, kick, and scratch their way up to a counter.

“This is Witches’ Way,� Ginny explained. “A special part of Diagon Alley filled with every witch’s needs. You’ll definitely find something Hermione’ll love here.�

“I don’t see why they need to send blokes to Azkaban,� Ron said, eyeing the pink around him with intent dislike. “They don’t need the dementors to drive them mad, just send them here.�

Tonks laughed; Ginny scowled.

“Anyway, Ginny,� Ron began, “What shop should I look in? There must be at least twenty-five, I have other things to do today.�

“Here,� Ginny said, pointing at the biggest and pinkest building in the Way. “They have the perfect thing for every girl.�

Ron read the sign; it read Perfume Place. Ron withheld a groan with intense difficulty. Whatever this place is, he thought bitterly, I’ll bet it’s nothing good.

“So, what do you do?� Ron asked Tonks.

“Oh, you’ll see,� she said, smiling in an annoying fashion. “I just hope you have enough money, that place is expensive, but it has the best.�

The best? Ron thought eagerly. Then I definitely have to get something for Hermione here. She deserves nothing but the best.

“Tonks and I will be in Regal Robes, okay? We’ll meet you at the sign when we’re done,� Ginny said, and set off toward her destination.

Ron ambled to Perfume Place, wondering vaguely what type of perfume to buy for Hermione, knowing full well he was no good at this kind of thing.

As he pushed open the door, a bell tinkled from somewhere in the depths of the shop. He noticed that even though this was the biggest shop in Witches’ Way, it appeared to be empty.

A small, plump witch with wavy gray hair came out from behind some curtains in the back of the shop. She smiled benignly at Ron and said in a kind, sweet voice, “Hello, deary, and welcome to my store. Are you here to buy something for your girlfriend? I have a special scent here; it’s a real bargain, only ten Galleons.�

“Thanks you, ma’am,� Ron said politely, “but she’s not my girlfriend. She’s one of my best friends, but I really like her, and I wanted to get her something special.�

“Ahhh,� she said, smiling, “okay, would you like to make her a perfume specially, or would you rather buy one made?�

“What do you mean, ‘make her a perfume specially’, ma’am?� he asked curiously.

The witch said, “Please, call me Madam Miranda. Ma’am is what my mother goes by. Anyway,� Madam Miranda continued. “If you make her a special perfume, you will have to tell me everything about her, and her description will be turned into her own special scent.�

“I’ll do that,� Ron said at once.

Her smile fading slightly, Madam Miranda said, “It is a bit more expensive than just buying her a ready-made one, you know. The average price is usually twenty-five Galleons, but it depends on how good of a description you give me.�

“That’s okay, she’s worth everything,� Ron said, grinning at the beaming witch.

Her face brightened “May I ask your name, young sir?�

“My name’s Ron Weasley,� Ron said.

“And who is the lucky girl?� Madam Miranda asked.

Ron, blushing slightly, replied, “Her name’s Hermione Granger, and she’s one of my best friends.�

“She must be a very lucky girl,� Madam Miranda said. She bustled around the shop, gathering ingredients and sweeping away dust. She conjured a chair and said, “Here, deary, just let me get the ingredients together.�

After a few minutes, she came back and sat at the counter across from Ron. Then, setting down the cauldron and ingredients in her hands, she said, “Okay, sir, you need to give me an accurate description of her. First, give me a description of her.�

“Um, okay,� Ron said uncertainly. “Well, she has bushy, brown hair that’s really soft and silky. She’s really nice, and always tries to help people who she thinks are being bullied or mistreated. She’s the smartest witch in our year, and always helps me with my homework.�

“Okay, that’s good,� Madam Miranda said, throwing a few ingredients into the cauldron; it hissed and turned a murky, brownish color. “Now, I need a small synopsis of your time at Hogwarts together.�

Ron took a deep breath and began, “I was sitting with my best mate on the Hogwarts Express for our first year at Hogwarts when she came into our compartment. We thought she was really annoying, and she was for a while. Then she heard me insult her and she went to the bathroom and cried. I felt really bad, but then Harry and I learned that a troll was in the bathroom with her. While Harry detracted the troll, I levitated its club and dropped it on the troll’s head. Then we all became friends. Later, Harry, Hermione and I had to go save the Sorcerer’s Stone from You-Know-Who. I got knocked out by a Queen, but Hermione came back for me.�

“Hmm, that all happened in your first year?� Madam Miranda asked. When he nodded she threw some blue berries and red liquid into the cauldron; it fizzed again and turned to a violent green. “Now, please continue.� She didn’t ask him, it was merely a request.

Ron breathed again and said, “In our second year, this really foul little git named Draco Malfoy called her a Mudblood. I was really tired of him insulting Hermione, and then he’d just gone too far. I tried to curse him, and would’ve if my bloody wand wasn’t malfunctioning. Later, Hermione got Petrified by a Basilisk. I was so scared that she was going to die. But she got un-Petrified and was okay in the end.�

Madam Miranda threw a few more ingredients in; the potion frothed and turned a deep purple. When she noticed him watching her, she smiled and said, “I’m not stopping you, go on, please.�

Ron grinned and said, “In third year, our potions teacher, Snape, was a real prat to Hermione. I stood up for her, but I got a detention.�

She threw just one small seed into the potion; it did not change or do anything.

Ron drew breath and continued, “In fourth year, Harry and I had fight, so Hermione had to spend time with both of us. She was really nice about it, she comforted me. Then we had a Yule Ball, and I wanted to ask her so bad. Then just as I’m about to ask her, she ends up going with that stupid Bulgarian git, Viktor Krum. After Harry came out of the maze with Cedric, I had to comfort Hermione because she was really scared that Harry was going to die, too.�

Madam Miranda beamed at him and poured in a few more drops of a greenish substance.

“This is the last year, I promise,� Ron said, and she laughed. “We had to stay together at—er, my house. It was kind of fun, being there alone with her, no Harry to interrupt us. When Harry came he was livid because we were her and he was at his aunt and uncle’s. I tried out for Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and I got the position, but I was really nervous. Before our first game, she kissed me on the cheek. And, well, uh, that’s it.� he finished lamely.

Madam Miranda had a slight frown as she added the last of the ingredients. Ron saw his perfume for Hermione had turned a murky black. He gingerly sniffed the air and quickly breathed out the putrid fumes. "Um," Ron began slowly, "is there something wrong with the perfume?"

“Huh? Oh, no, nothing to worry about, deary, I was just thinking. Most people only give me a teaspoon of love to work with. You gave me a cauldron full.� Madam Miranda said.

“Is that bad?� Ron asked tentatively.

“No, but it usually means it costs more,� Madam Miranda said. "And it means it looks and smells something terrible."

“How much will it cost?� Ron asked.

“Hm,� she said vaguely, counting all the ingredients and checking the cauldron. “Fifty Galleons,� she said.

Ron gasped; Fifty Galleons? He thought incredulously. That’s all the money Fred and George gave me. He thought of all the things he could have bought if he didn’t spend it all on Hermione. Then he thought of her, and how much she meant to him. I love Hermione, he thought in a final sort of tone, and she’s worth everything I have.

“I can always throw this out and you can redo it, you know,� Madam Miranda said.

“No,� Ron said firmly. “I’ll buy it.�

Madam Miranda seemed taken aback by the finality in his voice, but nevertheless poured the perfume into a bottle and tapped it with her wand. Ron watched as ribbons spun around the bottle and tied themselves in a neat little bow. She handed him the bottle and he handed her his sack of gold.

“Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I just know Hermione will love it,� Madam Miranda said, and waved to him as he exited the store.

“God, Ron, it took you long enough!� Ginny said, annoyed.

“Wotcher, Ron,� Tonks said. “Now that we’ve got everything we wanted, where to you want to go?�

“That’s okay, I really just want to go home,� Ron said.

“Are you sure?� Ginny asked incredulously.

“Yeah,� Ron said, stifling a yawn.

They left Diagon Alley through the fire, Tonks going first. Before she stepped into the fire, Ginny whispered, “How much did you spend on her?�

Ron blushed and muttered “Fifty Galleons.�

Ginny almost dropped her new robes. “What?� she said incredulously. “It was fifty Galleons? All the money that Fred and George gave you?" When he nodded, she pulled him into a backbreaking hug. “Oh, Ron! I just know Hermione will love it!� She sniffed the bottle. "Oh, erm, well, Hermione will still love it," but Ron caught a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

She smiled encouragingly at him, and disappeared in the fire. As Ron grabbed a bit of Floo Power, he wondered nervously what would happen if Hermione didn’t like it at all.

~*~*~

(A/N: I know that was a little long, but please bear with me and review! I promise to have the last chapter up soon!)

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, places, etc. etc. etc. Just the plotline.

(*A.N. Thanks to Monster Book of Monsters for coming up with ‘black, smelly goo!’*)

(*A.N. 2 This chapter is partially told in Hermione’s POV*)

~*~*~

His stomach fluttering painfully, Ron gave the perfume bottle to Ginny so she could put it under her and Hermione’s tree in their room. He didn’t want to think about the perfume, or Hermione, or all the money he wasted on that stupid, black, smelly goo. He didn’t want to imagine how much Hermione would laugh at him for giving her such a stupid and meaningless present. Ron wanted just to crawl in a hole, and never show his face again. That’s how dumb he felt for spending more money than he ever had in his life on a girl. One thing kept him going. The fact that he loved that girl he spent so much money on. He lay on his bed, haunted by his thoughts until his tiredness carried him into an uneasy sleep.

~*~*~

Hermione awoke the next morning sleepily, and it took her a few seconds to realize Ginny had poked her awake.

“What is it, Ginny, I was sleeping,� she muttered in an exhausted way.

“Oh, nothing, Fred and George just told me not to go downstairs. Percy sent back his jumper. No note, didn’t even ask how Dad was,� she sighed. “But, c’mon, it’s Christmas! Open your presents, go on, Hermione!�

Hermione, feeling less drowsy, got out of bed and tore open her presents. Her parents had sent her a Muggle book she had been dying to read, Pride and Prejudice. Harry had giving her a new book she also wanted, New Theory of Numerology. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave her the usual sweater and mince pies. Ginny laughed as Hermione opened some fudge and rock cakes from Hagrid; Hermione wasn’t all too sure if she would eat these. Tonks gave her some new hairclips that shined her name. Lupin and Sirius gave her a great Defense Against the Dark Arts book that had a lot of spells she could show Harry for the D.A. Ginny gave her a wand polishing kit. When she got to her last present, she caught of whiff of some ghastly, foul-smelling odor. She took of the ribbon and the perfume Ron got for her fell into her hand. She looked from the bottle, to Ginny, and back to the bottle, as if she expected it to be a joke. Hermione looked at the tag and saw it was from Ron. Anger welled up inside her. Did he always have to make fun of her? He couldn’t even get her a real present?

“Don’t you like it?� Ginny asked anxiously. “Ron went to a lot of trouble for that. I know, I was with him.�

The anger that had flared so fast in Hermione was extinguished. So Ron went to a lot of trouble for her? She looked warmly at the bottle of perfume; she noticed a small tag hanging, half-concealed, on one side.

“Hang on, what’s this?� Hermione asked Ginny, holding up the note.

“Dunno, Ron doesn’t seem the type to write a note along with a present,� Ginny shrugged. “But, c’mon, read it!�

Hermione opened the note and it read:

Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

Hello. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday. Your friend, Mr. Ronald Weasley came into my shop. He said you were special to him, and he wanted to get something special.
Now, I know this perfume smells like rotting eggs on the back of a hot car in summer, and looks like melted tar, but I assure you, it is special for two reasons.

Most of my perfumes are sweet, wonderful smelling. It is based on a description of the person. Mr. Weasley spent about thirty minutes giving me a description of you.
You may be wondering why this perfume smells and looks bad when all my others are good, if they are all based by description. Well, my perfume is also based on how much love the person has for the receiver of the perfume.

Most people only give me a small description and I give them a sweet, yet thin and almost meaningless perfume. In other words, they give me a teaspoon of love.

Mr. Weasley gave me an incredibly detailed description, so I had to give him a foul-smelling, strong scented perfume. Mr. Weasley gave me a cauldron full of love for you.
Mr. Weasley is something special. Keep him.

Wishing you the best,
Madam Miranda

Hermione looked at Ginny, thoroughly shocked. Ron…went to a lot of trouble….for her? Why had he wasted so much time on her?

“Ginny, did Harry get something like this? Not perfume, but something special?� Hermione asked.

“Not that I know of,� Ginny said.

Why had he gone to such lengths for me? Hermione wondered. Harry’s his best friend, but he didn’t get him anything special. Well, said a part of Hermione’s brain she tried to ignore, he might like you. He could have gotten you this to show his feelings. No, said the smartest part of Hermione, Ron’s too insensitive for that. Hmmm…still, this is a little unusual for him…I’ll ask him later…Without Harry around…

After writing a hasty note on a scrap of parchment, Hermione rushed downstairs to look for Ron; she met him and Harry on the way to the kitchens.

“Thanks for the book, Harry!� she said happily. “I’ve been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for ages! And that perfume is really unusual, Ron.� She waited on baited breath for an answer.

“No problem,� Ron said. Hermione scowled; he can’t even tell her a little more about this perfume? “Who’s that for, anyway?� he added.

“Kreacher,� Hermione said brightly.

As Hermione explained her plan about giving a quilt to Kreacher, she slipped the grubby piece of parchment in Ron’s hand when she was sure no one had seen her. Ron tried to look at her questioningly, but she had averted his gaze. He cautiously opened the piece of parchment.

` Ron,
Please meet me in the basement kitchen tonight around three. I don’t want to be overheard. I need to ask you a few questions about the perfume you gave me.

Love from,

Hermione

Ron gulped and followed Harry and Hermione on their way to give Kreacher his new quilt. He wondered if he would be laughed at, or would she just give it back to him. With his heart sinking out off his chest and landing somewhere near his feet, he listened and conversed half-heartedly with Harry and Hermione, dreading what would come later.

~*~*~

(A/N: Yes, I said there would be 3 chapters, but I made it a little bit longer, so read, review, and I’ll have the next (and I think the last) chapter up soon!)

Ron, full of Christmas dinner and dessert, couldn’t sleep. He was nervous about his secret meeting with Hermione at three A.M. He knew it was because he got her a stupid present. He just knew it. That’s the last time I listen to Ginny. Ron though angrily.

Harry, who fell asleep almost instantly, was dozing fitfully. Ron watching him thoughtfully for a while then snapped out of to start to worry again. He half-glanced at the clock, dreading what time it was. It was 2:30.

Ron’s heart floated out of his chest and landed somewhere in his left toe. He stood up and began to dress silently, breathing heavy and his heart, which had returned up past his chest to his throat, pounding against his Adam’s apple.

Although it was a little before the time Hermione had suggested, Ron went down to the kitchen early, knowing he couldn’t stand much longer standing and waiting in that damn room. He started the range fire and began to heat up the tea kettle, better to clam up his bloody nerves.

As he sat down with his hot, steaming cup, Hermione walked in, just as Ron took a long draft of the drink with his eyes closed. Before she could stop herself, Hermione gasped in surprise, “Ron! What are you doing here? I didn’t expect you for fifteen more minutes!�

Ron immediately spit out the scalding hot tea, stood up hurriedly, and spilled the rest of the fluid down his front. He jumped out of surprise when he looked at her, cursed as he felt the steaming drink sinking into his skin, and rounded on Hermione, “Dammit, Hermione, why they hell’d you scare me?�

“I’m so sorry, Ron!� Hermione said, rushing over with a cold, wet rag she’d found by the sink to wipe his hot, soaking wet shirt with.

“Yeah, well, just don’t do that again,� Ron said gruffly, trying to clean himself free of the hot drink now piercing his skin like daggers.

“Here, let me help you,� she said gently, wiping his clothes and chest with the rag. “My mother used to do this whenever I got burned.� She wiped his chin. She thought she heard a muffled giggle and a hushed “Shh!� from the hall near Mrs. Black’s portrait, but thought she must have imagined it.

For a few moments, Ron allowed himself to be cleaned up by Hermione, his stomach clenching painfully every time he looked at her. Ok, Ron thought to himself, ok; this is ok, maybe….maybe she’ll forget…no, no, Hermione’d never forget what she came for...if I relax, then maybe I can go to bed and we can just forget this.

When Hermione finished wiping his chest, shirt, and face, Ron, blushing slightly, said, “Thanks a lot, Hermione.�

“No problem, Ron,� she replied, blushing faintly herself. “It’s the least I can do, you know, because I wanted to meet you so late.�

Ron’s stomach jolted horribly. Oh, God, she remembered! Bloody hell, bloody hell, bloody hell!

“Um,� Ron began tentatively, “w-why did you want to meet me so late, anyway?�

“Oh, I just had a few questions about that perfume you gave me,� Hermione said brightly.

“L-Like what?� Ron said nervously.

“Oh, that witch who you bought it from, Madam Miranda, or whatever—“

“How do you know about Madam Miranda?� Ron asked sharply.

“She put his on the bottle,� said Hermione in surprise, holding out this small note from her bottle of perfume and giving it to Ron. “I thought you told her to, so I didn’t worry about it.�

Ron took the note and read it to himself. He sat there for a few minutes, shell-shocked that Madam Miranda would do this to him. It’s not like she had been a friend, but Ron told her his deepest, darkest secret, that not even Harry knew about! And she as good as told Hermione!

“I can’t believe her!� Ron burst out angrily. “She didn’t ask me to put a bloody note on!�

“Ron!� Hermione said, looking scandalized at his outburst. “Ron, you mean, you didn’t tell her to write that note?�

“No! And for fifty galleons for that bloody perfume, she shouldn’t have put anything on that I didn’t authorize!� Rom screamed to Hermione. He though he heard two gasps, but reckoned he must have just imagined them.

Hermione froze. Ron spent fifty Galleons on her? Her? One of his best friends? She looked over at Ron, who was breathing rather heavily and looking murderous.

“Ron….� She began. “W-Why did you spend fifty Galleons on me? Did you spend that much on Harry?�

Ron’s stomach dissolved into nothing. As he realized that he must have screamed it when he was yelling about Madam Miranda, he lost his voice and mouthed silently at Hermione. He gulped, found his Gryffindor courage and his voice, and muttered, “Yeah, I spent fifty Galleons on you. I didn’t spend too much on Harry, though. I only got him a big box of Every-Flavor Beans that cost only 12 Sickles.�

“But, then, why’d you spend so much on me?� Hermione asked, her stomach quivering with anticipation and nerves.

Ron looked at his feet. He stood up, and walked out of the kitchen to Mrs. Black’s portrait, staring at it, but not really seeing it at all. Oh, God, how the hell am I gonna get myself out of this one? Ron thought to himself. Want do I do, what do I do?

Before Ron had decided on whether to run or stay and tell the truth, Hermione came out of the kitchen and settled herself next to Ron and grabbed his shoulder. She turned his head to face hers. “Ron,� she whispered, “I promise, whatever the reason, I won’t hate you, please, just tell me.�

Ron sighed nervously, took an unsteady breath and said nervously yet firmly, “I-“I love you, Hermione, and you’re worth everything I had.�

“Oh, Ron!� Hermione said as she flung herself into his arms and began to cry with happiness. Ron could have sworn he heard sniggering from behind him, but was too busy hugging Hermione to pay much attention. She wiped her eyes, looked up into his eyes, and said, “I hoped it was something like that. I love you, too, Ron.�

Ron laughed nervously as Hermione relinquished her grip around his neck. They looked around awkwardly at anything but each other until Ron’s eye – for the second time in three days – saw mistletoe hanging above where he and Hermione where standing.

“Bloody hell, said Ron, horrified. “Not again!

Hermione looked up, saw the mistletoe, and said defiantly to Ron, “What do you mean ‘not again?’ I thought you loved me. Don’t you want to kiss me?�

“Yes, of course I do, but…�Ron paused, thinking on how to word this; “I—I guess I’m afraid that if I kiss you, you’ll say it was all a mistake…� he broke off, looking worried and dejected.

“Oh, Ron,� Hermione said, touching his face and caressing it, “don’t ever worry about that. It was never a mistake, loving you. And it never will be.�

Ron smiled at her. He leaned forward, entranced by her eyes, which were full of a passionate fire he only saw when she talked about S.P.E.W. Hermione tilted her face up to meet his. As their lips touched, they swore they heard applause and a wolf whistle in their heads. The kiss became more intense. It didn’t look like either of them would be surfacing soon.

Ginny and Harry scurried silently out of the hall, making sure they were still completely covered by the Invisibility Cloak, muttering together, “Finally!�

“That was close,� Ginny whispered to Harry. “I thought for sure they were going to wake up when they heard us clapping and cheering.�

“Or when we sniggered and gasped,� Harry nodded. “We were a lot louder than we should have.�

They breathed a sigh of relief as they bid each other good night. Harry took of his glasses and the Invisibility Cloak, smiling to himself as he saw Ron’s empty bed. Tomorrow was going to be a good day indeed.


The End