10:53 PM

Hermione laid on top of the covers on her bed. She was once again staying at the burrow and she was sleeping in Ginny’s room. Well trying to sleep anyway. Hermione stared at the ceiling as she listened Ginny’s deep breathing. The house was quiet. Looking out the window, she could see the star filled sky and longed to be outside. After getting up and putting a robe over her pajamas, Hermione made her way down the stairs and outside to the Burrow’s garden. She was shocked to see that she wasn’t the only one who was having problems sleeping.

“What are you still doing awake?” Hermione asked as she sat next to the lanky, red headed boy. She watched as he turned his head and smiled at her.

“I could ask the same of you,” he answered with a wicked smile. Hermione laughed out loud as she nudged Ron with her shoulder.

“I just couldn’t sleep,” answered Hermione with a shrug. “What about you?”

“Me either.”

“Well, what are you doing out here?” It was a warm summer’s night with a cool breeze that brought the scent of honeysuckles and the songs of crickets that embraced them, protecting them from the dangers that laid outside the small fences of the garden.

“Just thinking.” Ron stared at the night’s sky. Hermione looked at Ron, eager for him to continue or at least show some small sign of recognition, but her remained silent and steadfast, never looking away from the stars.

“Oh well, if you want to be alone I’ll just go back inside.” Hermione stood up.

“Wait don’t go.” Ron looked at Hermione. “Stay and talk to me until you get tired.” Ron smiled at Hermione before taking her hand and pulling her back down to the bench. Hermione looked at Ron and with a small smirk, raised her eyebrow and looked into his eyes.

“I thought you were thinking.”

“I was but too much of a good thing, you know?” Ron answered with a laugh. “Talk to me.”

12:07 AM

“And when I was six, my parents got me my first pet.” Hermione smiled when she saw the look on Ron’s face.

“What did they get you?” asked Ron.

“A goldfish,” answered Hermione laughing, “which I named Gilligan and managed to kill in a week.”

“What? You killed him. That’s sad.”

“Not really. My parents tried to replace him while I was at school so I wouldn’t know but they couldn’t find a fish that matched, so when I got home I knew it wasn’t Gilligan.” Hermione answered with a shrug. “I named the new fish Skipper.”

1:28 AM
“When I was three, I used to always follow Fred and George around. Well this one day they asked me if I wanted to play a game with them.” Ron rolled over onto his stomach and looked up at Hermione from his position on the grass. Hermione was laid out across the bench the two had shared earlier.

“What was the game?” asked Hermione.

“It was called, ‘Hide the Baby’ and apparently I was very eager to play.” Hermione began to laugh as Ron recalled the tale. “From what I know now, it took 200 wizards three days to find me. It was a world wide hunt.” Hermione was laughing so hard that tears had begun to slid down her face. “And do you know where they finally found me?” asked a laughing Ron.

“Where?” asked Hermione still trying to catch her breathe.

“At the bottom of a barrel of Every Flavor Beans in the storage area at Honeydukes!” Ron was laughing hard now, rolling on the grass. “No one could figure out how I got there. Mum gave Fred and George such a thrashing that you can still see the marks.”

“Well at least that explains why you eat so much sugar,” said Hermione still laughing.

2:11 AM

“Butterbeer. Chocolate or Vanilla?” Ron smiled at Hermione, this game had been her idea.

“Vanilla. Fairies or Pixies?” asked Hermione.

“Pixies. Dragons or Giants?”

“Ummmm, giants I guess. Homework or Hanging out?”

“Come on Hermione, that’s too easy. Give me a harder one.”

“You want a hard one, fine. Me or Harry?”

“That’s not a fair question.”

3:53 AM

“I want to be a hero, Hermione.” Ron leaned against the tree the two were sitting under. Sitting side by side, Ron and Hermione were staring at the stars as they talked. “I want people to look up to me. I want to save the world.” He turned to face Hermione and stared into her eyes. “Is that selfish?”

“No, it’s the truth.” Hermione smiled at him. “You want to save people.”

“That’s not it. Sure I want to save people, but that’s not why I want to be a hero. I want people to look to me. I want to be recognized. All my life I have been a Weasley or Fred and Georges annoying little brother or Harry Potter’s best friend. I have never been just Ron. I want to be something special.”

“Right here in this very moment, you are just Ron. To me, you have always been just Ron. And you are something special.”

“You have to say that, you’re my best friend.”

“I am here with you because I am your best friend. I said those things because they are true.”

4:35 AM
“I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been a witch.”

“What do you mean?” Ron turned to face Hermione, seeing the moonlight reflecting in her eyes.

“I wasn’t happy as a muggle. I didn’t have any friends.” Hermione gave Ron a small little smile before continuing. “That’s why it hurt so bad when you said that no one liked me.” Ron looked hurt as he saw the tears welling in Hermione’s eyes. “I don’t blame you now, Ron, you were a kid. You’re a boy. Insensitivity is a requirement. I remember sitting in that bathroom for hours, just thinking about how I was going to become this old spinster women, who lived with a dozen cats, because I was impossible to be friends with.” Hermione smiled again and this time touched Ron’s hand. “And then you and Harry came and saved me. Not only from the troll but from the future. You saved me from myself.”

5:18 AM

Hermione’s eyes finally began to feel heavy as she laid her head on Ron’s shoulder and watched as the first pink rays of sunlight peaked over the hills. She looked up at Ron and noticed the stubble that had grown in over night. He too looked as if the sandman had finally found him. Hermione snuggled closer to Ron and felt his arm tighten around her shoulder.

“Ron, are you ready to go in?” Hermione asked, hating herself for breaking the tranquil moment but wanting Ron to be comfortable at the same time.

“Only if you want to,” came the sleepy reply from the red headed boy. Hermione smiled as she snuggled closer to Ron and together they watched the sun rise high into the sky. Hermione could feel the warmth on her cheeks and no longer felt sleepy. She could hear a rooster crowing in the distance. Hermione looked at Ron and his eyes opened as the sounds and smell of sizzling bacon drifted by them. Hermione laughed as she stood and turned around to offer him a hand. After rising, Ron kept Hermione’s hand and pulled her close to him. With her hand place lightly on his chest, Hermione looked into Ron’s blue eyes. He reached up and pushed a stray curl behind her ear before lifting her chin.

“Ron, what is it?” Hermione asked, breathing heavily.

“You’re the only one I want to share my nights and sunrises with.” Ron’s thumb was slowly moving along the ridge of her cheek bone as he looked into her eyes for some sign of affection. Any little glance that would give him the courage to make the next move. He watched as her eyes softened and filled with desire. Taking this as his cue, Ron bent down and slowly and softly kissed Hermione on her pink lips. A smile spread across her face as she pulled away. Still holding hands, they walked back to the burrow, a new love being born in the bright sunlight of a new day.