Unexpected Love

"Ron, not locust wings! What are you thinking?" Hermione whispered to Ron as she grabbed his hand to stop him from adding the wrong ingredient once again to his magnifying mixture.

"Sorry, sorry," muttered Ron, picking up a jar of cobra venom, the right ingredient. Lately, Ron couldn't keep his eyes off of Hermione. Most people looked right past her features, and put her in the "teacher's pet" category, but Ron could see that she was actually a stunningly good looking witch.

"Class, your cauldron should be giving off a reddish glow once you've added the venom," said Snape.

Ron's cauldron was not giving off a red glow, but was emitting red sparks in a great a quantity.

"Hey, Weasley!" Malfoy shouted from behind him. "You can't even manage to add the right ingredients? I guess you need your mudblood girlfriend to help you."

"Go stick your head in your cauldron, Malfoy,"retorted Ron.

Malfoy made a face like he just caught a whiff of dragon dung, and said in a slimy voice, "You think you could've picked somebody a little better looking. She may have brains, but she's lacking in the beauty department. I guess that'll suit you, though, she'll look just like your mum."

"She's not my girlfriend," said Ron, locking eyes with Hermione, but quickly looking away, sure that he was blushing. Oh, how Ron would love Hermione to be his girlfriend, but he could never admit it. She would definitely say no if he asked, and that would make things really awkward between them.

Harry leaned over to Ron and said, "Ron, you're blushing."

"No I'm not, that's just the heat of my cauldron," he said, putting his hands over his face.

Snape walked over with his clipboard, his lip curling as he peered into Harry's and Ron's cauldrons.

"That's supposed to be a magnifying mixture? I'll give it a four at best," he said, but marking a number on his clipboard that looked suspiciously like a zero. Snape then started checking the mixtures of the Slytherin students, giving all of them nines or tens.

"C'mon you guys, Charms is next," said Hermione as she scooped up her book bag and pushed back her fluffy hair. Ron always noticed that her hair smelled like the lake. Not a bad smell, just fresh.

"Ron, are you alright?" asked Harry, putting his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Erm...yeah, I'm alright."

Harry was eyeing Ron suspiciously, and started grinning. Ron stopped in the middle of the crowded hallway. "What?" asked Ron. "Why are you smiling?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," said Harry, pushing Ron to hurry him along. Hermione was already way ahead of them, and class was probably about to start soon. "It's just that I saw the way you looked at Hermione during potions. And how you turn red whenever you make eye contact with her."

"I do not," said Ron. But after seeing the look on Harry's face, he knew that Harry had noticed his secret desire for Hermione. "Well, alright. I do kind of like her. I like her a lot. Just don't tell her, OK, Harry?"

"Yeah, I'll keep the secret. But are you going to tell her eventually?"

"Only if I know she likes me. You don't think you could find out, could you?"

Harry seemed unsure. He said, "I'll try mate, but, I don't think It'll be possible. You know how Hermione keeps things bottled up. You might try asking your sister, though."

"Yeah, good idea," said Ron. I could never ask Ginny, that would be way too embarrassing. Ron hung his head down. You could tell he was depressed. Harry and Ron hurried off to Charms, unaware of the eventful night the would happen all too soon.

*****

Harry, Ron, and Hermione tromped lazily through the portrait hole and into the common room, exhausted after a hard day of magic. Care of Magical Creatures had been especially tough, as Hagrid had them chase and catch Crumpulas(magical rabbit-like animals whose fur has healing powers for burns). Ron had tried to act normal around Hermione, but despite his greatest efforts, was unable to function normally.

"Ron, are you alright? You look sick," said Hermione. She set her books down on the nearest table and walked over to Ron. "Go to bed, Ron, you look terrible. Is something bothering you?"

"No, I'm just a little stressed. You know, all this school work." If you only knew thought Ron."Yeah, I'm going to bed now. See you guys tomorrow," said Ron. He grabbed his books off of the floor, and proceeded up the stairs to his dormitory.

*****

It was the middle of the night, on a surprisingly humid day in May. Hermione was the only one in her dormitory still stirring. She couldn't sleep, partly because of her worry about Ron, partly because of the stifling, muggy air, which caused her pyjamas to stick to her body. I've got to get out of here she thought. I'll go take a bath. That'll cool me down, and it's always so relaxing. She hopped down from her four-poster and grabbed a towel from her trunk. She entered the common room, and placed a Disillusionment Charm upon herself. Once through the portrait hole and safely disguised, she started walking towards that bathroom, but passed right by the door. She proceed onto Hogwarts grounds, and stopped only when she reached the shore of the lake, as she's done almost every night that it's been warm. She stripped her clothes off, placed them on the cool grass, and waded out into the water. She felt so relaxed in the warm water. She loved the clean smell of the lake, and the aloneness.

Back in the boys' dormitory, Ron also was awake. It's so hot he thought. His mind often wandered to thoughts of Hermione on these sleepless nights. Stop thinking about her Ron he said to himself. It'll never happen between you two, and it's only making you hotter. Ron couldn't stand sitting still anymore. He needed a walk. Ron put on Harry's invisibility cloak and left the common room. I know what will cool me off he thought. A nice stroll by the lake.