I Can't Fight This Feeling

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Hermione walked slowly down the corridor on her way to Charms class, allowing Ron and Harry time to catch up with her. They'd been slow about leaving the Transfiguration classroom, and Hermione had been in a hurry to talk to Professor Flitwick about their previous homework assignment. But, seeing how they were practically running through the halls to catch up with her, she figured she could spare a second to see what they wanted.

She should have known it would be something stupid.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron called as they got closer. "Guess what we just found out?" his excited tone sparked her interest, and when his arm accidentally brushed hers, Hermione felt her heart jump.

She laughed shakily to cover the way her hands suddenly trembled.

"What?" she asked, more to Harry, who had come up on her other side, than to Ron. She didn't think she could safely look at him right then. She was too afraid she'd start blushing under that baby-blue gaze for absolutely no apparent reason. You know, it was strange. She never felt anything like this when Harry touched her.

"Gryffindor has their first Quidditch practice tomorrow!"

Harry's words shook her out of her musings and her gaze shifted from one boy to the other, eyebrows raised faintly. That was the news?

"And?" she prodded, thinking there had to be more to the story if they expected her to get excited about Quidditch.

"What do you mean, and?" Ron asked, incredulous. "What else does there have to be? Quidditch, Hermione, Quidditch. Broomsticks, flying balls... fun. Not that you know much about that," Ron added under his breath and immediately regretted it when he realized that Hermione had heard him.

Hermione felt her face grow hot. But it wasn't from embarrassment. It was fury. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Ronald Arthur Weasley?" And to think, two seconds ago, she'd been melting under his gaze...

"I-I-" Ron stammered, "Nothing. It didn't mean anything." Harry shot him a sympathetic look.

"Hmmph. It didn't sound like nothing to me." Hermione was still glaring at him, and several students hurried around them and on down the hall, casting furtive glances behind them. Harry wished wistfully that he could join them. He really didn't feel like listening to another argument between the two of them- wait a second, why couldn't he join those other students? It wasn't his fight after all.

He started walking, leaving the pair of them to it. If they wanted to yell the school down around them, that was their problem. Hermione was still glaring, and Ron looked displeased, but determined. What was worse was that Ron hadn't even told her the real news yet. And I so don't want to be around when it gets to that part, he thought with a sigh Even if it had been partly his idea...

Neither of them noticed when Harry left them and disappeared around the corner, and Hermione was so incensed by now that she didn't even care if they were late for Charms. She was going to have this out with him, here and now. She wasn't sure why his comment had bothered her so much, but it had, and she wasn't going to take it easily.

" 'Mione, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, you know I didn't."

Ron's soft voice pleaded with her not to get mad at him, his blue eyes clouded, and in spite of all her efforts to prevent it, Hermione felt herself softening. He hardly ever called her by her old nickname anymore. She often wished he'd do more often; it was so distinctly Ron. Not even Harry could call her that and really get away with it. It just ended up sounding stupid. But when Ron said it, it was so natural...

Hermione felt her anger melting away, and mentally slapped herself. Now was not the time to be having those thoughts. Now wasn't time to- Bloody hell, now was time to get to class!

Taking a deep breath, Hermione released the rest of her anger. "I know you didn't, Ron," she said as gently as she could, at the same time rearranging her books in her arm and starting to walk away. "Let's just forget about it and get to class, okay?" She didn't wait to hear his answer.

Ron hesitated a moment, then rushed to catch up with her. "I haven't even told you the best part yet."

Hermione's steps faltered and she risked a glance up at him. He was smiling at her, a hopeful expression in his eyes, and even as she smiled back, Hermione felt a surge of unease. "There's more?" she asked carefully.

She didn't want another argument if she could help it...

"Yep."

Hermione's brows furrowed with impatience at his sudden lack of eagerness "So...?"

"Maybe I should wait until after class," Ron wondered aloud, voice apprehensive. I don't think this was such a good idea...She's going to get mad at me again, and I hate when we fight.

You did it for her, he tried to remind himself. She needs to get away from those books of hers, she's going to end up with one permanently attached to her face if we don't watch out. And it was Harry's idea too!

That last part sounded a little too much like desperate self-justification for his liking, and firmed his resolve to wait until later. Later. I'll just tell her later.

Hermione frowned slightly, but nodded her agreement. "Good idea. Let's wait until class is over. I have something important to discuss with Professor Flitwick, so I really need to get there a bit early."

Unfortunately, they arrived just as class was starting, and Hermione realized that the discussion she'd planned on having with the Charms professor was going to have to wait.

They walked into the classroom one after the other, Ron stepping back to allow Hermione to go first, like he always did. It was funny, she decided as she walked to her desk. She had never really noticed how considerate it was of him. He was truly a gentleman...

And then she snorted with laughter at her own stupid thoughts. Ron? A gentleman? Not even.

It wasn't until she came back to reality a second later that she realized everyone was staring at her.

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?" Professor Flitwick asked, a concerned frown on his face. He couldn't have his best student ill. It just wouldn't do...

Hermione felt her face burning, and slouched down in her seat a little. "I'm fine, Professor," she mumbled, not immune to the snickers of her classmates around her. Even Harry was smiling, though he tried to cover the expression with his hand.

"Alright then," the Professor continued. "Now, about those vanishing charms..."

Hermione perked up again, quill in hand as she prepared to jot down notes. She was writing rapidly when a new awareness hit her. Someone was still staring at her. Looking up, she jerked her head quickly to the side and met Ron's eyes. There was something odd about them, something she'd never seen before. A vague kind of dreaminess, almost as if his eyes were focused on her but he wasn't really looking.

Kind of like the way I look at him sometimes when he can't see me, she thought suddenly, and the comparison hit her like a physical blow. But that's silly, she argued with herself. Why would Ron possibly be looking at me that way? I mean...its Ron.

Her reasoning didn't help, and it didn't make the odd feeling go away. If anything, it seemed to intensify it, so that when Ron blinked and the vague look disappeared from his eyes abruptly, she felt herself blushing again. Now she was the one who had gotten caught staring. She averted her gaze quickly, hoping Ron hadn't noticed the rosy hue that stained her cheeks but certain that he had.

The rest of the class was spent with her pretending to take notes and pay attention while really glancing covertly out of the corner of her eye to where Ron sat at his desk. He didn't look at her again, just kept his eyes locked carefully on the front of the room. Hermione was oddly disappointed.

After the class was over, Harry and Ron waited outside the door, conversing in low voices, while Hermione had her discussion with the professor. The boys seemed to be arguing about something, she discovered as she approached, but their voices stopped as soon as she walked out.

She smiled amusedly at them, the chat with Professor Flitwick fully restoring her good mood. "Oh, you can go on if you like, don't let me stop you"

Ron shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously, and Harry glanced away; neither of them replied. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she looked at them warily. "Okay, spill, what is it? What's going on?"

There was still no answer. Her eyes narrowed further, this time with more than a hint of impatience. "Alright, Ron, you said you wanted to tell me something after class. Now speak up."

Ron bit his lip, unsure how to reply. "Harry'll tell you," he said quickly, glancing at Harry and hoping his friend would oblige him. Ron was a little sorry he'd put Harry on the spot, especially because he had just so adamantly been insisting that Ron had to be the one to tell her, but maybe his best friend would have pity on him and help him out.

Fat chance. Harry just looked at him, his green eyes unreadable to all but a few people. And Ron was one of them.

He groaned inwardly, knowing it was no use. It had been his mouth that had voiced the idea, and it was his responsibility to tell her.

Taking a deep breath, Ron told her. "WesignedyouupfortheQuidditchteam," he mumbled so fast that it was impossible for her to have heard him.

Hermione gave him a blank stare. "What?"

He sighed. There was no getting around it. "We signed you up for the Quidditch team."

If looks could kill, Ron would have been six feet under in two seconds flat. "You did what?" Hermione's voice was deadly calm.

Ron didn't answer, just cringed and looked away. He knew she'd heard him. Hermione glanced towards Harry, but he refused to meet her eyes.

"Of all the dirty, rotten-How could you do that?" she asked, the pitch and volume of her voice getting higher and higher.

Her face was not a pretty sight either, all clouded and ominous looking. Ron found himself mentally comparing her to a raging thunderstorm.

A/N: That's it for now, but don't worry, I plan on updating this story often, with probably not more than two days in between each posting. Hope that suits everyone. Oh, and don't worry about me not being able to do it, because I am happy to say that I've actually already finished writing the entire story. So it will be finished!

Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers, I love you all!