The Hint

"Ron, your game's a little off today," Harry pointed out, with a hint of glee in his voice.

"Sod off, Harry. You're still not going to win," stated Ron, matter of factly; directing his chess piece forward.

It was 11pm and Ron and Harry were still finishing up their late night chess game in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So are you going to get more of those fantastic sugar quills when we visit Honeydukes tomorrow," asked Harry. "They're excellent, especially during Professor Binn's attention-grabbing lectures," Harry joked sarcastically.

Ron just smiled in response. Buying sugar quills was the last thing on his mind a the present moment. Christmas was fast approaching and he needed to do some last minute shopping. He knew he could satisfy Harry with some chocolate frogs and a bag of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, but he was still racking his brain for an idea of what to get for the other third of their trio.

Hermione.

Ron wasn't sure why he was this worried about how Hermione would feel about her gift. Why couldn't he just get her a book, like Harry? For some reason that just didn't seem to cut it this year.

Since she had visited The Burrow that summer, Ron had some pretty startling revelations concerning Hermione. He definitely began noticing her differently. Had her eyes always been that magnificent color of chocolate brown? He also began noticing how much the Hogwarts robes really did hide. This summer had consisted of many awkward silences, a handful of red-tipped ears, and quite a lot of embarrassing dreams on Ron's part.

Why was he feeling this way around her? It was just Hermione, one of his best friends. One of his best friends that suddenly seemed so much more... tantalizing than Harry.

As he was searching for the perfect gift for Hermione in his mind, he climbed onto his four poster, remembering all the good... and bad times he had faced with Hermione.

When I first met her on the Hogwarts Express, and she told me I had dirt on my nose. ...As if I cared at that age.

He smiled into the darkness, recalling how Hermione had already known a spell, even before stepping onto Hogwarts grounds, making Ron feel stupid for the first time out of many that were yet to come.

I remember all the times that Harry and I would go off on a rant, after Hermione had urged us that great things could come from studying and doing well in school. After all, we did want to be Aurors, Hermione repeatedly reminded us, and that takes a lot of work.

Okay, well maybe Harry and I haven't exactly grown out of that little habit, but at least I know that Hermione cares about us.

He rethought: At least I know that Hermione cares about us.

He sighed. Us.

Sometimes he really wondered if Hermione cared for both him and Harry the same.

I mean, we both do always give her books, and she does always wish us both luck before Quidditch matches.

He began comparing how he and his best mate treat Hermione. Were there really any differences?

What if Harry feels the same way I do about Hermione? What if he's thinking of doing something about his feelings?!

Ron looked over at Harry's bed, spreading apart the curtains with his wand.

"Fast asleep, thank Merlin," Ron muttered quietly.

Ron shut his eyes, trying to relax, realizing the other boys had already been asleep for hours. A sudden thought pushed sleep directly out of his mind.

WHAT IF HE'S DREAMING ABOUT HER?!

He quickly laughed at himself, thinking, You're mental Weasley! Go to sleep you stupid git!

Ron shut his eyes, trying to push the mental image of Harry with Hermione out of his mind. When he finally fell asleep, the idea of Hermione fancying Harry no longer seemed so ludacris. He silently promised himself to keep a very watchful eye on just how friendly Harry acted around Hermione. This isn't going to happen, not while I'm around. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was NOT going to steal the Know-It-All that was driving him crazy.

Ron was having a horrible dream. Not only had You-Know-Who captured Harry, but he had taken Hermione as well. Ron was being tortured by a tickling spell and was also being repeatedly hit over the head. Hard.

"Ron! Wake up you stupid beast! Today's Hogsmeade!" Harry threatened, "You better get your lazy arse up unless you want me to leave without you!" Harry swung his pillow down over Ron's head for the hundreth time. He looked down at Seamus who was still tickling Ron's feet with a feather.

"How in the name of Merlin does Ron's mum ever get him up in the morning," Seamus whined.

"No idea," Harry replied. "He must've been up late or something last night."

Just as Harry said this, Ron woke immediately. Harry, not noticing it, continued to wallop Ron over the head with his pillow.

"Bloody hell, Harry! What in the name of Merlin do you think you're doing," Ron yelled.

Seamus laughed, "Well if you would have gotten up before breakfast like everyone else, we wouldn't have had to do this to you. In five seconds I was about to give up and go to Hogsmeade without your sleepy arse!"

Ron groaned. It really was a Hogsmeade weekend, and he really did have to find the perfect present for Hermione today. He had wanted to atleast wake up early so he could go have a good breakfast before the stress of finding the right gift returned.

Muttering a few choice words under his breath, Ron stumbled out of bed, hurrying to get ready so his friends wouldn't leave without him. In 10 minutes flat, Ron was ready, running down the stairs to the Common Room on his way to the Great Hall, hoping to be able to catch a few pieces of toast to eat on the run. With no such luck, he took off out the main doors to where the horseless carriages were waiting. He spotted Hermione with her bushy hair leaning out of the carriage looking for someone.

"Ron, over here," she yelled, "we've saved a seat for you!"

Ron gratefully trotted over to the carriage and climbed in. The Trio was sharing a carriage with Neville, Ginny, and Luna. It seemed as though Luna and Neville were attached at the hip these days. Ron grinned to no one in particular, was very pleased to see Neville so happy.

He let his thoughts wander until he heard laughing around him. He glanced up, only to see Hermione, red faced, laughing very hard at something Harry had just mentioned to her. Ron scowled, he knew Harry was his best mate, but he couldn't help feel as though Harry was trespassing on his territory. With his girl.

He knew Hermione would absolutely kill him if she heard him refer to her in that way. He could just picture her now, "RONALD WEASLEY! No person is EVER under the possession of another! You make it sound as though you're my master! Or owner even! How dare you!" The imaginary Hermione now turned abruptly and marched up the girl's staircase leading to the girl's dormitories.

Ron couldn't help it. Ever since he'd started having those-ehem-feelings for her, he felt as though he wanted to protect her and show her that she meant everything to him.

Too bad I'm too much of a ninny. I can hardly even pluck up the courage to talk to her when Harry's not around. No wonder she feels more at ease with Harry. He sighed. Could even the perfect Christmas present give her a hint if she's so- he hated to think it- infatuated with Harry?

As they arrived at Hogsmeade the six of them hopped out of the carriages and parted directions. Ron had promised himself that he was going to make the best out of this day, have a couple butterbeers, and find the perfect present for Hermione.

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So thats the end of Chapter 1! Hope you're satisfied, and if you're not, then hopefully you will be at Chapter 2! Keep checking back, or subscribe to this story. But please, please drop a review. It means so much to me that people actually care to read it! Thanks!