Taking one last glance in the mirror and patting her chignon to make sure the Sleakeasy’s hair potion was doing its job, Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself before heading down the stairs to the common room. After five and half years, countless stolen glances over the top of her potions textbook, and so many ridiculous fights that she was amazed they were still talking to each other, she and Ron were actually going on a date tonight.

Well, to be perfectly honest, Hermione wasn’t quite sure if it was a date or not, and the uncertainty had been keeping her stomach in knots for the past twenty-four hours. Ron had seemed genuinely pleased when she asked him to attend the party with her all those weeks ago in Herbology class, but since then, they hadn’t so much as brushed arms against each other or spent a moment alone. There was even a stretch of two or three days when Ron seemed to be mad at her for no reason at all. She had toyed with the idea of forgetting the whole thing and asking someone else, but then Ron turned to her at dinner a few nights ago and said, “So I’ll meet you in the common room at eight for Slughorn’s party on Saturday, yeah?� Still, she had no idea what he was thinking. Perhaps he just wanted to go with her so he could gape at the all the other girls dressed up in their holiday gowns. Or maybe he would spend the whole evening droning on and on to Harry about the Chudley Cannons or that horrid Half-Blood Prince.

But then again, maybe he does think it’s a date, thought Hermione. Maybe, after all these years, Ron has gotten it through his thick skull that we’re absolutely perfect for each other. Maybe he’s even experienced that same jolt of electricity that shoots through my veins every time he accidentally touches my hand while reaching for a quill. Maybe.

Her palms were sweaty as she pushed open the door to the common room. There, leaning back against a purple velvet sofa, was Ron—handsome in a new set of dress robes, with his hair actually combed and staying in place for the moment—whispering with Harry about who knows what.

Ron looked up and smiled. “Hey, Hermione,� he said softly. “You look really pretty.�

“Thanks, you look nice, too.� She crossed her arms nervously and rocked back and forth on her new and not very comfortable sling-back heels. And then, silence. For the first time since they had known each other, Ron and Hermione couldn’t think of single thing to say to each other.

“Er, well, I’m going to meet Luna, so I’ll see you two there,� Harry said, chuckling at the fact that his two best friends, who usually talked so much he couldn’t get a word in edgewise, were suddenly struck dumb in each other’s presence.

Hermione watched Harry walk out and then looked back at Ron, who was tugging at his sleeves and blushing slightly. “Well, shall we?� he finally said as he bowed and swept his arm toward the portrait hole in an over-the-top gentlemanly gesture. Hermione giggled. “Yes, let’s. You know me, I hate to be late to anything, especially a party thrown by a professor. I might get marked down a grade.�

They climbed through the hole and walked side by side in silence for a few minutes. They passed a few other students who were dressed up for the party, and several others who seemed to be heading back to their dormitories or off to study for midterm exams. Hermione’s mind reeled—Is this what it’s going to be like all night? Awkward silences and uncomfortable heels? In that case, I should have just curled up in bed with a good book. Finally, when they turned into a hallway that was momentarily deserted, Ron stopped and said, “Wait a minute, Hermione, can I ask you something?�

She turned and looked at Ron. “Sure, what is it?�

“Well…this has been sort of driving me crazy for the last couple of weeks. I have to know, are we going to the party on a date, or just as friends? I mean, if you only asked me because you felt bad that you and Harry were invited and I wasn’t, that’s fine, but I need to know in advance so I don’t do anything stupid.�

Hermione crossed her arms again and tapped her foot. “Ronald, really, does everything have to be labeled?� Then she sighed and looked down, hardly able to meet his eye. “Do you think it’s a date or do you just want to go as friends?�

“You’re leaving it up to me?�

“I guess I am.�

Ron paused a moment and pretended to ponder the question deeply. “Then I’d like it to be a date, just to change things up. Is that okay?�

Hermione let the hint of a smile creep up her face, and said, “Okay.�

“Well, in that case, let’s do this properly,� Ron said, holding out his hand.

Hermione’s heart did a little tap dance as she took his hand—which, she noticed, was just as sweaty as her own, though also warm and pleasantly calloused from quidditch practice—and they turned and continued walking, once again in silence.

Then, just as they were about to turn down the corridor toward Professor Slughorn’s office, Ron unexpectedly pulled Hermione into a dark alcove.

“Sorry, Hermione, I have to ask you one more thing before we go into the party,� Ron said, looking down at their hands. “So, er, if this is a date, then there’s chance there might be a good-night kiss, right?�

This was certainly not what she was expecting to hear. Momentarily flustered, Hermione sputtered out, “Well, I guess that depends on how you behave tonight, Ron.�

“Well, my point is, even if there’s just the remote possibility of a good-night kiss, that’s all I’m going to be thinking about the whole night. You know me, I’m so bad at all this, I’ll make a complete mess of things. I’ll probably spill food on you and say something really stupid that will get you mad at me, and we’ll both have a lousy time.�

Hermione had no idea where he was going with this and was getting slightly annoyed. “Well, I’m sorry, then, what do you want me to do? Do you want us to skip the party just so you won’t be nervous?�

“No, no, not at all. I was just thinking that, well… maybe if we could get the good-night kiss over right now, then we can both just relax and enjoy ourselves at the party.�

“You want to get it over with? How romantic, Ron,� Hermione said. In all her fantasies of kissing Ron—and there had been many, many over the years—this was not at all how she had pictured it. But still, Ron was asking to kiss her, wasn’t he? There were no orchestras playing and he wasn’t dropping to his knee and declaring his everlasting love, but had she ever honestly expected that from him? Maybe this was how their first kiss was meant to be.

“Well, okay, if it will make you feel better, go ahead.� Hermione took a quick breath, squared her shoulders, and tilted her head up at him. Ron hesitated for just a moment, then leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. It was over so fast that Hermione barely had time to register what had happened.

“Okay, now I feel a lot better,� said Ron, exhaling and smiling. “Let’s go!� He grabbed her hand and started to walk back in the direction of the party, but Hermione pulled him back.

“Wait, Ron. That was…well, I hardly think that counted. It was so quick. I think we should try again.�

“What? I guess I’m not as experienced a kisser as Vicky, but I didn’t think it was that bad. If you expected me to…�

“Oh honestly, Ron, just kiss me again.�

For the first time that evening, Ron looked Hermione directly in the eye. She looked back up at him, smiled nervously, and nodded. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned in so his forehead was touching hers. “Okay, here goes nothing…� he whispered, before pressing his lips softly against hers. This time, he lingered, and Hermione felt her stomach do a back-flip as he pulled her closer and moved his hand around to the back of her neck, while his soft, full lips covered hers with a series of gentle kisses. She shivered and moved her hands around to his back, pressing herself as close to him as possible. After a few breathless moments during which Hermione felt as if she were falling down a deep and dizzying hole, they pulled apart, and once again, Ron leaned his head against Hermione’s.

“Wow,� Ron finally said.

Hermione giggled. “I know. Wow.�

“I’ve wanted to do that for the longest time.�

“Me too.�

“So why did we wait so long?�

“I know there are a million reasons, but I can’t remember a single one at the moment.�

Just then, they heard laughter and music as a group of students walked past the alcove and opened the door to the party. Ron stepped back, straightened his tie, and said, “Okay, I think I’m ready to go now, but I’ll need a drink or two to recover from that.�

As soon as they entered Professor Slughorn’s office, which was festooned with colorful wall hangings, flowers, and floating candles, Ron grabbed two glasses of mead from a passing tray and handed one to Hermione before gulping his own down in five seconds flat. They weren’t holding hands anymore, but Ron kept brushing his fingertips against Hermione’s as they stood chatting with Luna—Harry had been dragged off by Professor Slughorn and was trapped between him and two creepy-looking middle-aged wizards in a far corner. At one point Luna gave Hermione a quizzical look and said, “You know, there are special spirits in mead that make one’s authentic feelings express themselves more clearly.� Hermione quickly pulled her hand away from the vicinity of Ron’s and said, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Luna.� Then she said, “Let’s go say hello to our host, Ron.�

Ron dutifully followed behind Hermione as she approached her potions professor. “Ah, Miss Granger, so lovely to see you!� he said as he sipped a lime-green drink from a golden goblet. “I was just telling Sir Cumberson-Doyle here about that paper you wrote on the potential uses of terangulus root in treating the werewolf population. Brilliant, just brilliant! Some of the finest work I’ve ever seen from any Hogwarts student.� He then looked over her shoulder and noticed Ron. Leaning in toward Hermione, he whispered, “Oh dear, I think there’s been a mistake. Does Mr. Wormsley realize this is an invitation-only party?�

“Professor, Ronald is here as my date,� Hermione said, reaching for Ron’s hand.

“Oho! Well, isn’t that interesting? One never knows, does one? I always thought you and Mr. Potter… Well, never mind, lovely to see you Mr. Wrigley. Enjoy the party.�

Ron turned bright red, pulled his hand out of Hermione’s and stormed off toward the refreshment table, muttering something about not staying at a party where he wasn’t wanted.

“Ron, Ron!� said Hermione as she caught up with him. “Don’t be mad. You know that’s all rubbish.�

“Yeah? Maybe you should have just come with Harry, since everyone expects you two to get together anyway.�

“Ron, don’t be ridiculous. If I had wanted to come with Harry, I would have asked him, but I asked you. I wanted to come with you! I thought I made that very clear just before, in the hallway.�

“Well, maybe you’re having second thoughts. Wait, there’s McLaggen, why don’t you go see if he wants to take over as your date tonight? He’s an approved member of the Slug Club, isn’t he? Bunch of know-it-all….�

“Ronald Weasley, you’re being absolutely daft. Please don’t let the drunken ramblings of a pompous old git of a professor ruin our evening. I’ve been looking forward to this night for a long time, and I know you have, too. I really don’t want it to end like this.�

Ron put down the butterbeer he had been drinking and smiled. “Hermione, how many glasses of mead have you had? If I’m not mistaken, you just called one of your professors a pompous old git! What if he hears you and marks you down a grade?�

Hermione laughed and said, “Well, it’s true! Come on, let’s just say hello to a few more people, and then we can get out of here.�

“Really?�

“Really.� The truth was, Hermione didn’t want to leave the party—there were several members of the ministry and a well-known historian she would have liked to meet—but she suspected that Ron’s current return to good humor would only last until someone else made an insulting or pompous remark. If she wanted to experience another one of those mind-boggling kisses, she was going to have to cut her losses and leave sooner than later.

***********

Fifteen minutes later, Ron and Hermione were walking quickly down the hallway, hand in hand, laughing about the way Professor Trelawny had accidentally splashed half a glass of wine on a horrified-looking Cormac McLaggen, and debating whether that tall woman in the green robes was really Gwenog Jones or just a lookalike. When they got to the end of the hallway, they stopped, and Ron said, “So, where shall we go? I’ve heard the astronomy tower is really nice this time of night.�

“Ronald! I know all about what goes on in the astronomy tower. I room with Lavender Brown, remember?�

Ron blushed and said, “Er, yeah, I guess you’re right. Lavender has been acting really mental lately, by the way. She’s always giving me these weird looks when I see her in the common room or the Great Hall.�

“Oh, she probably just thinks you’re cute. Very understandable,� said Hermione. She stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Wait, I have an idea! Come on…�

She grabbed Ron’s hand and ran off down the corridor. When Ron saw which room they were approaching, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Hey, this is the library! You can’t possibly want to study now, can you?�

“Shhh,� Hermione replied. “I want to show you one of my favorite places in the castle.� She carefully pushed open the door and quietly led Ron through the dark, deserted stacks all the way through the history and biography sections, along the far wall, and back through the Arithmancy aisle. “No one ever comes back here,� she explained. They turned a corner, and Ron immediately saw where they were heading. Tucked behind two enormous mahogany bookcases was a small sitting area, with a couple of well-worn armchairs and a small round table piled high with books. There was a window opposite the chairs, and through it Ron spied a magnificent view of the lake and boathouse, with a half-moon shimmering through and providing the perfect amount of dim, romantic light.

“Wow, this is brilliant, Hermione! Why haven’t you ever shown this to me before?�

Hermione ran her hand along the back of a chair, picking at a frayed spot of the upholstery and said, “Well, to be honest, I usually come here to be alone when I’m upset about something. After the whole troll incident during first year, I wasn’t so keen on hiding in Myrtle’s bathroom anymore.�

Ron swallowed hard, instinctively understanding that Hermione probably spent a lot of time here crying over things he had said or done.

“Well, I’m really glad you’re showing it to me now,� he finally said, plopping down in one of the armchairs. Hermione sat down in the other one and looked across the table at him.

“Hermione, you’re sitting so far away, I can hardly see you!� said Ron.

“Well, there isn’t enough room in that chair for two people,� she replied.

“Sure there is,� said Ron, patting his hands on his thighs.

Hermione, spurred on by the two glasses of mead she’d finished at the party, stepped in between Ron’s legs and delicately balanced herself on his right thigh. Ron put his arms around her waist and jokingly bounced her up and down on his knee. Hermione laughed and said, “I feel like I’m at Harrods telling Father Christmas about the new doll I want.�

Ron stroked his chin and said, “I think I need some long white whiskers to pull that one off.�

Hermione touched his face and said, “I’ve noticed you’ve grown quite a few whiskers this year. I think it’s very handsome.�

The joking mood changed in an instant as Ron put his hand over Hermione’s, which was resting on his cheek, kissed her palm, and looked up into her eyes. Hermione leaned down and kissed him. He pulled her close and kissed her back with even more passion than he had earlier that evening in the hallway. Hermione kicked off her shoes and pulled her knees up so she was cuddled into Ron’s lap like a kitten, running her fingers through his silky red hair and peppering his chin and cheeks with kisses before moving back to his lips, which soon opened for a very grown-up kiss that was like nothing either of them had ever experienced before. It made her heart pound and her stomach feel as if it had dropped down deep into her loins. Finally, before she completely spun out of control, she pulled back. Ron kissed her on the nose and whispered, “Hey.�

“Hey,� she whispered back. Ron touched the back of her head and said, “Your hair looks really pretty like this, but I miss the wild curls.�

Hermione reached back, pulled out the dozen or so clips and pins that were holding her mane in place, shook it out, and said, “Is that better?�

“Much,� said Ron. “Because now I can do this.� He ran his fingers through her hair, and Hermione closed her eyes, put her head down on his shoulder, and sighed with pleasure.

“Ron?�

“Yes, Hermione?� Ron answered as he stroked her hair with one hand and rubbed her back with the other.

“This is so lovely, being here with you. But I can’t help but wonder, what will happen tomorrow?�

“What should happen tomorrow?� Ron asked, gently kissing the top of her head

“Well, once the effects of the all that alcohol have worn off, and we’re back to wearing our regular school clothes and sitting in the library with Harry and Ginny and Neville, is everything going to go back to the way it was? Or do you think things have changed between us?�

Ron sat back, momentarily stilling his hands, much to Hermione’s dismay. “Hermione, I sort of thought…well, from the moment we kissed before the party—the second time we kissed, I mean, the one that counted—I sort of thought that meant you’re my girlfriend now. I mean, if you want to be. I would certainly like to be your boyfriend.�

Hermione looked up. “Really?�

“Of course. Hermione, you may be brilliant, but if you don’t know how I feel by now, then you’re not very observant.�

Hermione traced Ron’s face with her finger, landing on his lips. “I would really like that. I’ve never had a boyfriend before.�

“Well, I’ve never had a girlfriend, so we’ll have to figure this whole thing out together,� Ron said before leaning in for another kiss. After just a few seconds though, he sat up and said, “Wait, what about Krum? Wasn’t he your boyfriend?�

“Viktor? I’d hardly count one date and one chaste little peck as a relationship, Ron.�

“You didn’t snog him?�

“No, of course not! What you and I have done just now in this chair is far more intimate than anything Viktor and I ever did.�

Ron smiled and made a mental note to kill his sister Ginny for spreading misinformation, and then went back to the business of snogging Hermione. His hands roamed across the bare skin of her upper back, and he found himself pulling the strap of her gown down to give himself better access to the creamy skin of her shoulder. Hermione, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough of Ron’s hair and the feel of his strong back muscles under her hands. She kissed him all over his face and neck while cuddling even closer. She realized that she could feel something hard pressing against the side of her thigh from the vicinity of his lap, and she knew she should be mortified, but she was enjoying herself far too much to work up any indignation.

Ron, meanwhile, was so caught up in the moment that he actually bit Hermione’s shoulder. She yelped and laughed, but then sat straight up.

“Did you hear that?� she asked Ron, putting her hand on his chest and pushing him away.

“Nope, didn’t hear anything,� he said, trying to pull her back.

“No, listen, I think I heard…�

“Miss Granger! Is that you again?� Hermione had just enough time to pull the strap of her dress back up and move her feet down to the floor, when Madam Pince rounded the corner and stood in front of the disheveled couple, shining a lantern in their faces.

“Oh! Well, this is an interesting turn of events,� the librarian said, and Hermione could swear she saw the corner of Madam Pince’s mouth turn up in a small smile.

“Sorry, I was just showing Ron my favorite reading spot,� said Hermione.

“Hmm, it looks like you were showing him quite a bit more than that, Miss Granger. Now, I should report you to Mr. Filch for being in the library after hours, but because your behavior has always been so exemplary, Miss Granger, I am willing to look the other way just this once. You, on the other hand, Mr. Weasley…�

“I’m very sorry, Madam Pince. I promise it won’t happen again,� said Ron, looking down and trying to adjust his robes, which had become untucked and even unbuttoned in a few places.

“Hmm. Well, alright. Now if you both go back to your dormitories—your separate dormitories—straight away, we can pretend this never happened.�

“Thank you, Madam Pince,� said Hermione.

“Yeah, thanks,� echoed Ron. Hermione put her shoes back on, and as the three of them turned to walk back out, Madam Pince leaned into Hermione’s ear and whispered, “It’s nice to see you here doing something here other than crying, Hermione.�

Ron and Hermione made it halfway back to Gryffindor tower before they both burst into laughter. “That’s something I bet she’s never seen in the Arithmancy stacks before,� said Ron.

“Oh Merlin, how am I ever going to look her in the face again?� said Hermione. “You were practically eating my shoulder when she walked in!�

“Well, I guess we’ll have to find a new hiding place,� said Ron. “I’m sure there are plenty of nooks and crannies in this big castle. Like this one, for example.� He grabbed Hermione, pulled her into a small niche behind a tapestry, and started kissing her neck.

“Ron! We have to get back, it’s getting late, and we promised Madam Pince we’d go straight to the dormitories!�

“I know, but I just want to give you one more good-night kiss before we get to the common room. I don’t want all those annoying prats to see me doing this to you,� he said as he leaned in for one last knee-buckling kiss.

Finally, after several heated, sweaty moments, Ron and Hermione pulled themselves apart and walked back to the common room. Dean and Seamus were playing cards, and several other students were scattered about chatting or doing homework. Ron kissed Hermione quickly on the cheek, said, “Well, good-night, then,� and ran up the stairs to his room without so much as word to his roommates.

“Have a nice time tonight?� Parvati asked Hermione from her spot on the sofa. She had helped Hermione put her hair up earlier that evening and couldn’t help noticing that her sleek updo had become a Medusa-like tangle of curls.

Hermione looked up, slightly dazed, and said, “Oh yes, it was a lovely party,� before heading up to her own room. As she washed her face and hung up her gown, she replayed every moment of the evening in her mind. Finally, dropping into her bed, she sighed and thought about what it would mean to have Ron as her boyfriend. She knew it would not be easy. He was jealous and insecure, and despite their almost perfect evening, she knew that they would soon enough get into a fight over something silly, he would say something to insult her, and there was a pretty good chance he would eventually break her heart. And who were they kidding? With news from the outside world getting darker every moment, and Voldemort’s forces getting stronger by the day, this was probably the worst time in wizarding history to embark on a new relationship.

But those kisses, and that look in his eyes… now that she had tasted what it was like to be with Ron, she knew she would be powerless to resist. As she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, she vowed to simply take it one day at a time. While she suspected their current state of bliss couldn’t last, she was going to enjoy it as long as she possibly could.