The Perfect Day

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up. Ron Weasley was grinning down at her, as she gathered her books from the common room floor.

"Oh, hello, Ron! I thought you had already gone down to breakfast."

"Hogsmeade trip today: you want to go with me?"

"What about Harry? Don't you want to go with him, too?" Hermione asked, straightening up.

"He's going with Ginny...you know...now that they're...going out."

"Yes, Ron. I know that they're going out," Hermione laughed.

As she and Ron climbed through the portrait hole, Hermione was very surprised at how gentleman-like Ron became: he held the door of the hole open for her, always let her go down first on the staircases, and even held the door to the Great Hall open for her. This was not to mention the fact, that he was barely eating anything at breakfast, just looking in her direction with a dumbfounded expression.

"Ron...Ron...earth to Ron!" Harry called, taking the seat, on the other side of Ron.

Ginny sat across from them, trying not to snigger.

"Wha-?"

"What IS going on with you? You're not even eating anything."

"Oh...um...not hungry."

"Well, that's a surprise...as you usually snog your muffins at breakfast!" Ginny laughed.

"I EAT them, thank you very much!" Ron glowered at Ginny, as Hermione gave a giggle.

Everyone proceeded to finish their breakfast.

"So, you two are going into Hogsmeadee together?" Ron asked Harry, indicating Harry and Ginny.

"Yeah...you going with anyone?" Harry asked, winking.

"Shut up, Harry!"

Harry gave a laugh, which proceeded Ron to go red once more.

"Harry, will you stop already? I think you can fry eggs on Ron's face by now!" Hermione laughed.

Ron had to bite his lip to keep from shooting a remark of his own back. He couldn't stop thinking about how, no matter how upset she was; Hermione would smile, or laugh, at his remarks.

"What are you guys doing till its time to go?" Harry asked.

"Well, I was thinking that we could all hang out on the grounds."

"Can't. Hermione and I are doing something upstairs...aren't we, Hermione?" Ginny asked pointedly.

"Oh, yeah."

"What ARE we doing?" Hermione mouthed at Ginny.

"Makeover." Ginny mumbled.

The journey up to the common room was the same as before, except for some small thing: Ron kept hanging back, practically treading on Hermione's feet.

"Ron...what ARE you doing?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure!"

"Go AWAY you two!" Ron said to Harry and Ginny.

Harry and Ginny went away, but not quietly. Both of them were laughing, like a pack of hyenas. Ron led Hermione out onto the grounds, where they sat under a Weeping Willow.

"Hermione...we've known each other, for a very long time, haven't we?"

"Yes. We have known each other seven years, and I couldn't be more grateful for that."

"Hermione, listen to me. Alright, I'll get right to the point...I love you."

Hermione's brown eyes became distinctly warmer.

"Say that again, Ron."

"I love you, Hermione. That's why I wanted to go to Hogsmeadee with you."

Hermione looked down at Ron's hand. It covered hers, however gently. Then without know what she was doing, without thinking, she leaned over to Ron, and kissed him.

At first, Ron looked dumbfounded. Then, without warning, he grabbed Hermione into one of the biggest embraces she had ever had.

"Um...Ron...Ron...I can't breathe!"

"Sorry!"

Ron and Hermione walked back up to the common room, hand in hand.

"I've done it! I did it! I have a REAL girlfriend!" Ron thought.

Back in the girl's dormitory, Ginny was straightening Hermione's hair.

"I tell you...it's going to look beautiful, once I'm done!"

"Ginny...I have a boyfriend," Hermione mumbled.

Ginny nearly dropped her wand.

"You're dating...Ron...oh, Hermione! I feel sooo sorry for you!"

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. So, did you two get some snogging done yet?"

"Um...well...no...not snogging. I did kiss him on the cheek."

"Wait till Fred and George hear about this one!" Ginny laughed, running her wand down Hermione's brown hair.

"Fred and George won't hear about it! Ron's NOT stupid enough to tell them!"

"He was stupid enough to tell them that I have five boyfriends. With Ron, you never know. There, I'm done. What do you think?"

Hermione turned to face the mirror. She hardly recognized herself. She had to admit it: for once, she looked beautiful. Better than she had at the Yule Ball. This was different. She had never had these feelings for anyone else.

"Ginny! I look gorgeous! I love you!"

"Alright...let's not get TOO emotional here. And...not to be rude or anything...but, that sounded a little conceited."

After that comment, Hermione and Ginny could barely move from laughing. While they tried on several different outfits for Hermione to wear, they had even more laughs. Ginny started a "fashion show", where she kept a running commentary, making Hermione fall over with laughter.

"That's it!"

Hermione finally found the perfect outfit: a sleeveless jean dress, and beautiful white sandals.

"Wait!"

Ginny found a beautiful, sequined scarf of hers, and tied it around the waistline of Hermione's dress.

"C'mon! Five minutes till twelve. Better go down, and meet your 'Ronniekins'."

"Shut up!"

Hermione descended the stairs first, a little shyly. She couldn't help noticing, how Seamus stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, or Dean whispering in Neville's ear, when she passed.

"Yeah...dream on, Dean..." Ginny whispered.

Hermione had to work very hard not to laugh. She and Ginny went downstairs to meet Harry and Ron at the entrance hall.

"Oh, Ronscicle!" Harry sang.

"Arrgh!!! When will everyone stop giving me stupid nicknames?"

"Fine...Won-won! Look at the staircase, and you'll see why I'm calling you stupid names."

"It's not L..."

"It's not Lavender, you stupid git! Look!"

Ron looked at the staircase. There was Hermione, looking more beautiful than Ron had ever seen her. He hair was beautiful, straight as a stick. Ron never thought he'd see Hermione in a dress like she had on right now.

"You...er...look...um...nice."

"Can't string two words together, huh, Won-won?" Hermione laughed.

Behind Ron, Harry and Ginny collapsed in laughter. Harry couldn't resist patting Hermione on the back, while Ginny whooped behind him.

"Ha-ha.... very funny. You know, I CAN change my mind about this!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and looked at Ginny, who was trying not to smirk. Behind them, they heard the rest of the students descending the marble staircase. Everyone went into the entrance hall, to be checked off, and be checked for dark objects, by Filch, the caretaker.

"We'll see you later," Ron said, to Harry and Ginny.

Without Harry and Ginny, conversation was a little more awkward. Hermione had talked to Ron lots of times alone before. WHY was this so hard now?

"Hermione.... are you okay? You're very quiet."

"Yeah...I just...this is my first "real" date, believe it or not."

Hermione tried not to notice Lavender's expression, as she passed them in the other direction. Lavender was looking positively murderous.

"When WILL she drop it? Honestly, she's even more thick than I am!"

Hermione laughed. As they walked along the crowded streets of Hogsmeade, Ron couldn't believe that it was Hermione's hand he was holding, her head on his shoulder. This was really happening.

"So, where to first?" Hermione asked.

The smell coming from Honeydukes was delectable. Ron's hunger steered him that way.

"Let's go to Honeydukes!"

"Should I have even asked?"

Inside, however, Hermione didn't regret Ron's decision. He and Hermione stocked up on all kinds of sweets, including Hermione's favorite (sherbet balls, and sugar quills). When Hermione took out her moneybag to pay for her sweets, Ron's hand covered her own.

"I'll pay for them.

Hermione's face registered shock. Never, had Ron offered to pay for her, or Harry.

"Well... that's very sweet of you."

Reluctant to leave the cold shop, they ventured into the hot air.

"How about if we go to The Three Broomsticks? We might find something cold there!"

Hermione was more that willing. It was a scorching day, but beautiful, netherless.

"Who did your hair? Ginny?"

"Yes. Do you like it?"

"It's gorgeous! I should ask Ginny to do my hair sometime. Mum is always telling me that I should keep it 'un-tousled'."

Hermione laughed. That sounded exactly like Mrs. Weasley.

"Ginny would probably fall over laughing, if we told her that!" She giggled.

"Yeah...you're right!"

Inside the bar, Ron went to get drinks while, Hermione found a table. She found a small one by a sunny, lit window. Hermione looked over at Ron at the bar. She noticed that he didn't look once at Madame Rosmerta. Yes, Hermione now knew that Ron had these feelings for her!

As Ron and Hermione drank their cold butterbeer (it was more popular in this weather than the steaming hot one), Ron avoided Hermione's eyes constantly. She knew that now he was a little shy!

"What are you going to be once you finish Hogwarts? Have you thought about it, yet?"

"Well I've thought about being an auror but I don't know if I'm good enough."

"You ARE good enough, Ron! You've got N.E.W.T.S in all the required subjects! Of course, you have to be very good at spells too."

"Yeah...I'm no good at spells."

"You're becoming a lot better, though! You were able to change your bird into a goblet yesterday, even before I did."

"Yeah...that's because, I was up late, practicing!"

"What have I told you? When you do your homework, everything works out!"

Ron gave a laugh. Hermione had been right all along.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I've always wanted to come back to Hogwarts, and teach transfiguration, since that's my best subject."

"You'd be REALLY good at that! I can really see you teaching Transfiguration, here!"

"I guess so...I am really going to miss my summers at your house, though! Those were a blast!"

"Hermione! You know that you're welcome anytime! I mean...c'mon! Mum practically BEGS you to come back next summer, when you see her on the station."

For the rest of the conversation, Ron began to get more comfortable looking into Hermione's eyes. Sure, he was getting redder, and redder the whole time, but, it was a start.

"I think we'd better get going. The sun's setting, and we're going to get in trouble...if we're late!" Hermione murmured concernedly.

"Hermione! It's our last year! C'mon!"

"We can STILL get expelled, and then...we've got no chances of a future after school because we ha..."

"I'm coming!" Ron laughed, rolling his eyes.

He and Hermione walked the streets back to Hogwarts. The streets were almost empty, apart from the other Hogwarts students. Inside the shops, the candles burned invitingly. It had been the perfect day...except for one thing.

"Oh...Ickle Ronniekins!!!"

Ron turned around, and ran after Harry, all the way back to Hogwarts, while Hermione and Ginny collapsed into laughter.