“So where are you taking her tonight?”
“We’re meeting at the Leaky Cauldron,” Ron told Harry as he finished dressing. “But I don’t know if we’re going to stay there.” Ron looked at him.
“I hope it goes well- you both deserve eachother,” Harry said.
Ron nodded. “Remember how Hermione and I would take long walks around the castle? And then that one time we came back and found you snogging with Ginny.”
“And then you got really off and we started wrestling on the floor.”
They laughed.
“But I have to admit, I was really glad you were the one that Ginny snogged with.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Now you tell me.”
Ron looked at his reflection once more in the mirror. He was wearing black robes that made his bright red hair stick out. “I look good, right?”
“You look good,” Harry said.
Ginny came to the bathroom door. “You look good, Ron.”
Karen came up behind her mother and gazed at Ron. “Wow! You look good!”
Michelle, who was trying to read a book on the sofa, pronouncing each word out loud, looked up when Ron came out of the bathroom, followed by Harry, Ginny, and Karen.
“You look good!” Michelle exclaimed, putting her book down.
This was just too weird for Ron. “All right, it’s almost seven.” He looked around at his sister’s family- his family- and they all smiled at him.
“Go and win her back, Uncle Ron!” Karen shouted. Ron grinned at her.
“Here I go!”
Ron Disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron.
*
The place looked exactly the same as the last time he saw it, which was just a month ago. It never changed. Even the bartender.
He greeted Tom, the same old innkeeper, and sat down at a table. He ordered a small butterbeer which he hoped would pass the time in which he waited for Hermione.
He didn’t have to wait long. In just a few minutes the doors opened once again and Hermione walked in. Her hair was up in a bun with a few hairs hanging down, and her bangs fell just below her eyes. Ron could barely resist her.
She sat down and ordered herself a firewhiskey.
“We aren’t prefects anymore,” she said when she saw the shock on Ron’s face.
Ron laughed. “We certainly aren’t.” He clinked glasses with Hermione and drank his butterbeer deeply.
“So are we going to stay here or walk around Diagon Alley?” Hermione asked him.
“What do you want to do?”
“Well, I’ve been sitting down all day.”
“Let’s go.”
Ron smiled at her as they left their drinks on the table and went to the back door, walked outside, and tapped on the brick wall. The wall vanished and in its place stood the street of Diagon Alley lit with candles. It was very romantic.
They walked down and bought an ice cream at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor- triple cherry fudge each.
As the hours passed, Ron realized how much Hermione had actually changed. Their constant bickering had changed into lively conversation and Ron was growing fond of Hermione all over again. He didn’t want the night to end, but didn’t have a choice when she grabbed his wrist and checked the time.
“Goodness, Ron, it’s one in the morning!” she cried, looking at him with wide eyes.
“We’ve been out here a long time,” Ron answered, gazing at her. They were sitting outside of the ice cream parlor again, watching the people walk by.
“Ron I really need to get some sleep- I have a big meeting today.” Hermione got up and picked up her bag.
Ron jumped up. “But today’s Saturday. Nobody works on Saturday!”
“I’m sorry, I would reschedule but it’s too late.”
Ron couldn’t believe it. He was having the time of his life with the most wonderful girl in the entire world, and she suddenly had to leave.
Hermione took his arm as he led her back through the wall. It was pointless, really, considering they would just Disapparate anyway, but he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.
Ron turned to her just before they went into the pub so they could have a moment to themselves. “I’m really glad you came with me tonight. I mean, I didn’t expect you to considering what I did to you-”
Hermione put her finger on his lips to silence him. They looked deep into each other’s eyes. Hermione took his hands in hers.
“I’ve been waiting for you for five years… you think I ever would have turned down a chance to spend an entire evening with you?”
Ron released his left hand and put it on Hermione’s cheek. He put one finger behind her neck and gently pulled her face towards his. He felt her chest push against his. He could feel the warmth of her lips an inch away and realized that she was all he ever wanted.