It was the summer after the trio’s sixth year at Hogwarts, but this summer was very different from the last. Sure, Harry and Hermione were back at the Burrow with the Weasleys, but they all had lost Albus Dumbledore. It was hard to believe that such a great man has really gone, but they each had to accept it and come to terms with it in their own way.

But Dumbledore’s passing wasn’t the only thing that made this summer stand out.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had stayed close throughout these past six years, and in the aftermath of such a tragedy, they had, if possible, become even closer. Tragedies will do that to people…either the victims affected will spiral downward, ignoring the ones they love and wallowing in sorrow, or they will rise to the occasion and band together, vowing not to let anything break them apart. Well, the trio had clearly chosen the latter. They spent a good amount of time discussing their plans for finding and consequently destroying all of the Horcruxes, but they did try to enjoy their time together doing other things as well. Hermione finally broke down and tried her hand at Quidditch, which was extremely entertaining. And Ron and Harry both started reading more, trying to ascertain anything that could possibly help them with the Horcrux hunt. Hermione positively beamed whenever she saw either one of them reach for a book of their own free will.

One night, Harry and Ron had finally grown tired of their constant note-taking routine, so they closed their books and whipped out Ron’s tattered wizard chess set. Hermione pressed on a few seats down, filling up roll after roll of parchment with detailed notes. But Ron found it difficult to concentrate on the game before him. In fact, Harry had won the first game, and Ron hadn’t even realized it. Lately, it had been more difficult to concentrate when Hermione was in the room. He had trouble taking his eyes off her, prying them away only when someone was speaking to him or when she looked over and noticed him staring.

“Ron, mate, it’s your turn,� Harry said for the twelfth time that night. He snapped out of his reverie and glanced down at the faded chessboard. Harry smiled at him, wondering when he would finally admit his feelings for their other best friend. Ron finally made his move, and then his gaze shifted over to Hermione. She continued to make notes diligently, occasionally pushing a loose strand of her bushy chestnut hair behind her ear. He loved it when she did that. In fact, he loved everything about her, from her compassion for others to her fondness for reading and knowledge. It had taken him a long time to finally realize that he loved her, but he truly did. He loved that the room lit up when she came in, and how he felt this great warmth whenever she was around, like he had just swallowed a large amount of butterbeer.

Through the darkness
I can see your light
And you will always shine
And I can feel your heart in mine
Your face I've memorized
I idolize just you

While Ron and Harry continued to play, Hermione was slowly losing her ability to concentrate. She had been on the same page for about half an hour because she couldn’t help but think about Ron again. For years, her feelings for him had grown, and she finally admitted to herself that she loved him. She tried to deny it, but for once in her life, she listened to her heart rather than her head. She admired his loyalty to her and Harry, his bravery in everything they had faced up until this point. She hated it when people had only seen him as famous Harry Potter’s best friend, and not for the amazing person she knew him to be. He was insecure about this, and for years he received ridicule from Malfoy and his lackeys about it. They also teased him about his family’s lack of wealth, but he took it well (for the most part…he had attacked Malfoy on several occasions). She admired him for dealing with all of his pain the way that he did. He was still the same old loveable Ron, despite the constant criticism.

You walk past me
I can feel your pain
Time changes everything
One truth always stays the same
You're still you
After all
You're still you

Finally, Hermione decided to stop writing for a few minutes. She looked over at her two best friends, and her gaze met Ron’s. He grinned at her, which made her stomach flip-flop and made her face tinge pink. She soon noticed that Ron too was growing a little red, especially around his ears. He turned back to the chessboard, but she could still see that same grin as he attempted to concentrate on the game again. She smiled in spite of herself, and looked back at her notes. It was only then that she noticed that Ron’s name was doodled with hearts around it in several places. She quickly hid the incriminating parchment and closed the book she was reading, hoping that neither of her friends had noticed what she had written. I have got to do something about this soon, she thought as her face turned a darker shade of pink.

What she didn’t know was that Ron was thinking the same thing. When he saw her looking at him, he started to blush bright red. Damn the trademark Weasley blush, he thought to himself, but he smiled anyway. He couldn't help it. I need to do something about this soon, or I'm going to go mad. But Ron continued to think about how perfect she was in his eyes, ignoring his bishop that just got smashed to bits. There were plenty of people out there who only saw her as a bushy-haired know-it-all, but he knew that she was so much more than that. Hermione was strong, especially when it came to Malfoy’s hatred for muggleborns. For years, Malfoy criticized her and she just disregarded it. She never let it get to her when he criticized her friends, and she told them just to ignore him. Well, except for the time that she slapped him. That was brilliant, he chuckled to himself.

I look up to
Everything you are
In my eyes you do no wrong
I've loved you for so long
And after all is said and done
You're still you
After all
You're still you

Hermione couldn’t take it anymore…she needed to think…to be alone with her thoughts. “I’m off to bed,� she said whilst gathering her books and parchment. Harry and Ron briefly heard her say “’night� as she hastened up the rickety staircase towards Ginny’s room.

Once she reached the top of the first staircase and out of earshot, she slowed her pace and sighed. Her head swam with thoughts of Ron, but she couldn’t seem to make much sense of her jumbled thoughts. What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if dating ruins our relationship? How will Harry react if we do become a couple?

She continued to consider all of these scenarios as she hastily put her notes away and plopped onto the squishy bed in Ginny’s room. She lay back, emitted yet another sigh, and fixed her pillow behind her head.

“A lot on your mind, Hermione?� came a voice from the bed next to hers. Hermione sat straight up in bed and her eyes flashed over to Ron’s loveable sister. Ginny chuckled in amusement, but Hermione couldn’t figure out what was so funny.

“Well, you didn’t even notice that I was sitting here when you came in, not to mention the exasperated sighs…come on, Hermione. I’m not that thick,� Ginny explained. “And I can only imagine who’s put you in such a state…I bet Ron has no idea, does he?�

Hermione just stared at Ginny, her mouth slightly agape. Sure, she had feelings for Ron, but she didn’t realize that someone else had noticed. “Well…you see…I was just thinking—“

“That’s obvious,� Ginny countered. But soon she became more serious. “Listen—I know my brother really well. He’s a good person with a big heart, and I think he deserves to be happy. And I don’t think there’s anyone else who can make him as happy as he is when he’s around you. You two deserve each other. And don’t try to deny it…I’ve seen the way you look at him, the way you two interact. You both just need to admit it.�

It took her a moment, but finally Hermione responded. “So…you really think he likes me too?� Ginny could feel the sincerity in her friend’s words. She couldn’t believe that Hermione was really questioning it. Was she that worried that Ron didn't love her too?

“Yes,� she responded matter-of-factly. “I know he does.� At this, Hermione sighed again, but it was a sigh of relief. She ran over to Ginny and pulled her into a great hug, almost crushing her. Hermione pulled away, wearing the biggest grin she’d ever had.

****************************************************************************

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron stayed downstairs and continued their chess game. As soon as Hermione’s footsteps died away, Harry decided that it was time to talk to Ron about her.
“So when are you going to tell her?� he asked casually, as though this sort of conversation happened on a regular basis. He finally moved his king and then looked over at Ron, awaiting his response.

Ron sat there for a second, not exactly sure how to respond. “Tell who what?� he answered innocently, even though he had a pretty good idea what his friend meant.

“You know what I mean,� Harry replied quickly, seeing right through the act. “Ron, you and I both know how you feel about Hermione. I just think that it’s going to drive you crazy until you finally tell her. “

At this, Ron sighed heavily. “I know. It has been driving me crazy. But you know me, Harry…I’m not the best at telling people emotional stuff like that. I’d probably just screw it up,� he said dejectedly, shifting his gaze to his hands.

“I doubt that. But you should at least consider it. I think she deserves to know,� Harry responded sincerely. Ron looked up at him, nodded his head, and then looked back at the chessboard. I guess that’s the end of that discussion, Harry thought as Ron’s attention shifted back to the game, which lasted for another fifteen minutes and culminated in Harry’s sixth win of the night.

“All right…I think I’ve had enough chess for one night,� said Harry as the game ended. They both packed up the game and headed towards the rickety staircase. They walked up the few flights to Ron’s room in silence, then changed quickly and got into bed. Harry looked over at Ron, who was clearly lost in thought, and quietly muttered “goodnight� before dimming the lights and falling asleep.

****************************************************************************

The next morning was business as usual. The Burrow was brimming with activity as the family ate breakfast and readied themselves for the day. Hermione woke up early as usual, and spent the morning helping Mrs. Weasley prepare breakfast. Mr. Weasley came down a few minutes later, grabbing a few pieces of toast and a muffin before Apparating to the Ministry. Ginny followed close behind, sitting down to enjoy bacon and eggs and chatting animatedly with her mother and Hermione. The twins also made an appearance for a few minutes, saying that they wanted the family to stop by their shop in Diagon Alley sometime soon, since it had been recently remodeled a bit. Before Mrs. Weasley could respond, Harry and Ron slowly came down the stairs, hair still untidy and donning sleepy expressions. Ron tried to fix his hair the second he saw Hermione in the kitchen, and at this, Fred and George attempted to hold back their laughter, but to no avail. Ron glared at them before taking a seat next to Harry and helped himself to large portions of bacon, eggs, and toast.

“Well, you should stop by sometime on Saturday,� Fred said after he stopped laughing. “All the renovations should be done by then. And hopefully the gits we hired will have finished extorting every Sickle out of us by then.�

George nodded fervently in agreement. “You’d think we asked them to tear down the place and rebuild it without magic. But it’ll be worth it once they’ve finished.�

“Come on, George. We’d better be off…they’re probably there already, charging us some sort of late fee for not being there the second they arrived.� So the family agreed to visit on Saturday and the twins quickly Apparated to work.

The morning passed relatively quickly. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny spent their time degnoming the garden before trying to help Hermione with her Quidditch game. By the time lunchtime came, they were exhausted but pleased with her progress. Harry and Ron continued to give her tips as they walked into the kitchen and sat down for lunch. But before they could start on Mrs. Weasley’s sandwiches, they were interrupted by Mr. Weasley’s unexpected arrival with a large, shiny black piano.

“Isn’t it magnificent?� he asked excitedly as he floated it over to a corner of the living room. “Dedalus Diggle bewitched it to play tunes at random intervals during the day and sold it to a muggle woman. But when the piano started to sing too, the woman began to suspect that something dodgy was going on. So after a good memory charm and a really large fine, we sorted things out. And now we get to keep it!� he finished excitedly.

Mrs. Weasley wasn’t as excited about the piano. “Arthur, I don’t know if we really have room for a piano…besides, do you even know how to play?�

Mr. Weasley looked slightly distraught. “Well, no,� he answered, “but I’d love to learn!�

“I could teach you, Mr. Weasley,� interjected Hermione. “My parents gave me lessons when I was younger,� she explained. She quickly grabbed a chair from the table and sat down in front of the keys, eyeing them with a smile. She thought for a moment, then placed her delicate fingers on the keys and began to play a slow but beautiful melody. The room fell silent as they focused their attention on the music that floated through the air. A few minutes later, Hermione finished the song and looked up at the Weasleys and Harry, who all began clapping furiously. She blushed and gave a quick bow before Mr. Weasley took her aside to ask her more about learning to play.

Ron stood there in shock. He had no idea that Hermione could play the piano, but now he had even more respect for her than he did before. “That was amazing,� he told her earnestly after pulling his dad away from her. She smiled at him and started blushing again.

“Well, it’s really easy to learn,� she told him. “I could teach you too, you know.�

Ron didn’t even need to think about it. “Yeah, that’d be great. Maybe you could show me tonight?� he asked hesitantly, but was relieved when she nodded enthusiastically. Now I just wish I knew how to speed up time…tonight is simply too far away from right now, he thought.

A/N: So there's the first half...sorry to leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger, but there we are. Hope you enjoyed!

The day dragged on in Ron’s opinion, but finally they had finished dinner and dispersed. Harry could tell just how much his friend had been looking forward to the “lesson� with Hermione, so he convinced Ginny to play chess upstairs. When she looked at him inquisitively, he motioned over to the piano, where Ron and Hermione were quietly talking. She grinned broadly and followed Harry without question. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley retreated upstairs as well, leaving Ron and Hermione alone in the living room.

Once they left, Ron pulled up a chair and placed it next to Hermione’s at the piano. But as soon as he sat down, he realized just how nervous she was making him. It was as though he had forgotten how to act around her. Unfortunately, he had no idea that Hermione was feeling the same way. She noticed that the room seemed hotter than it was before, but then realized that it was probably just the fact that Ron was there…with her…alone…

Just relax, she told herself, but it didn't seem to do much good. Focus. You're just showing Ron how to play. It's no big deal. But it was a big deal. Any time that she could spend alone with him was a big deal to her.

She slowly began to point out the differences between the white keys and the black keys, and explained the scales and notes that he would need to memorize. Hermione began to relax as she spoke; she tried to focus more on what she was saying rather than the way that he was looking at her.

Ron was listening intently, but he couldn’t help but watch her and smile. She was so excited about explaining something that she knew a great deal about, and it made him happy just to see her happy. Gradually, his anxiousness disappeared and was replaced with this desire to learn to play the piano really well. He wanted to make her proud…perhaps even impress her with something that he could potentially be good at.

There were times throughout the hour they played that they came close to discussing their feelings for each other, but one of them would change the subject or make a joke to avoid that discussion. Needless to say, they both went to bed that night content, feeling a little closer than before and taking pride in sharing a love of the piano with the other.

****************************************************

Ron became very good at the piano over the next few weeks. He and Hermione spent a few more nights practicing together, and he would stay up late every night and practice while everyone slept. For some reason, playing the piano felt right, and he thought that it was one more way to get closer to Hermione. He found a few songbooks in Diagon Alley the day they went to visit Fred and George, so he continually practiced but kept the songbooks to himself.

One night, Ron decided that it was time to show Hermione what he had been practicing. After Harry and Ginny and his parents had turned in, Ron looked over at Hermione, who was reading a book on the couch.

“Hermione?� he called softly from the piano.

“Hmmm?�

“Can you come over here for a minute? There’s something I want to show you.�

“Okay,� she agreed. She placed the book on the couch and took a seat next to Ron. He took a deep breath and continued.

“I’ve been practicing the piano for a few weeks now, and I think I’ve gotten pretty good. Not as good as you, but I’ve been really trying.�

She smiled at him. “I know, Ron. You’ve progressed really well. I’m quite proud…�

“There’s more,� he interrupted. She looked at him inquisitively as he continued.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a long time now. I don’t know when I started feeling the way I do, or why…but I’m really not good at explaining stuff like that. So I thought it’d be better if I…well…showed you.� Then he pulled out one of the songbooks he had bought, and placed it in front of him. He positioned his fingers on the keys, and began to play and sing quietly.

Through the darkness
I can see your light
And you will always shine
And I can feel your heart in mine
Your face I’ve memorized
I idolize just you

Hermione immediately recognized the song. He father used to play this song for her mother when she was younger. It made her heart swell every time she heard it. And for Ron to be singing and playing it for her, about her…it made her happier than she’d ever been in her whole life. She began singing quietly along with him, which made him smile and turn a little red. But he continued.

I look up to
Everything you are
In my eyes you do no wrong
I’ve loved you for so long
And after all is said and done
You’re still you
After all
You’re still you

You walk past me
I can feel your pain
Time changes everything
One truth always stays the same
You’re still you
After all
You’re still you

I look up to
Everything you are
In my eyes you do no wrong
And I believe in you
Although you never asked me to
I will remember you
And what life put you through

And in this cruel and lonely world
I have found one love
You’re still you
After all
You’re still you

When he finished playing, Ron turned at Hermione. She was smiling at him with tears in her eyes.

“Ron, that means the world to me.� She quietly explained that her parents used to sing this to each other. “I can’t adequately express to you just how much you’ve touched me. Not just tonight, either. You have been such an influence on my life since the day I met you. In fact, I can’t imagine life without you. I…I love you, Ron.�

It was his turn to have his heart swell. He stood up and took both her little hands in his. She followed his lead, shaking as she slowly rose from her chair. “I love you too, Hermione. I always have.� They both stood there for a minute, absorbing what had just been said and gazing at each other. Then, slowly, he leaned his head closer to hers and closed his eyes. Her heart fluttered as she closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss. A jolt of energy shot through both of them as their lips touched, and finally six years of romantic tension had been released. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his strong arms pulled her close. She ran her hands through his messy hair and his arms held her waist delicately.

It took a great deal of effort for them to finally part, but they did, and they continued to hold each other close for a long time afterward. As they sat together a few minutes later on the couch, he hesitantly slipped his arm around her shoulders, and she placed her head on his chest.

Perfect, he thought to himself. Absolutely perfect.

A/N: TA DA! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it lol. Hope you liked it! :)