dearie me, a real author likes my story! squee!! thanks ShellyK, you're a goddess. :)

sigh: don’t sue; i’m cute.

"Hermione?" Harry ventured after seeing Hermione’s plate stay untouched. "You going to eat today?" Hermione looked quickly up at Harry & Ron, seemingly startled out of a daydream.

"Oh—er—I suppose I’m not hungry."

"You suppose?" Ron smirked. "You mean you actually don’t know?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Like I’ve tried to convince you before, Ron, I’m only human. I don’t have to have an answer for every inane question you ask."

He held up his hands. "All right, all right. Do what you want. We’re just trying to look out for your well-being; it’s our duty as your best friends, right, Harry?" Harry rolled his eyes in answer. Ron shook his head, returning to his food.

And nearly choked when he felt her hand warm on his thigh. He glanced over at her, but her gaze was still daydreamily focused on her plate of untouched food. Bloody good actress, that one. Have to watch out next—

He quickly lost track of outside thoughts as her hand traced fire up his thigh. And beyond.

His ears were roaring and his breath came out raggedly, despite his best efforts to the contrary. He wasn’t sure how much of this he was supposed to be able to take before highly embarrassing himself in front of the whole school. Or ravishing her right there on top of the lunch table. Hmmm … He looked over at her, not hiding the glint in his eyes.

She gave him a pointed look and glanced at her watch. "Oh, my goodness," she said airily, "look at the time. I really must be getting on with my studies. I’ll be in the library if you need me." She nodded at Harry and picked up her bag as if to leave. Harry glanced at Ron, then busied himself with his food. Ron sighed, then attempted to do the same.

Until he felt her walk up behind him and lean down. Her breath warmed his neck and his stomach somersaulted as she whispered in his ear. "That was a tease." She reached around him and set something on his plate, but he couldn’t quite focus on anything for a few minutes after she left. Harry’s snicker brought him back to his senses, and what he saw nearly killed him.

In the center of his nearly empty plate sat one perfect chocolate eclaire.

***

"Bloody hell. This is so ridiculous." It came out as a whisper, luckily for Ron. The hall full of bustling students didn’t notice Ron debating with himself about his best friend’s foolhardy—yet tantalizing—suggestion of a plan.

A plan which, in all honestly, Ron wasn’t sure he had the minimals to carry out. Drag her into an empty classroom and snog the daylights out of her. Sure. Old hat. No problem. He shook his head and decided Harry was nutters.

Then he saw her making her way down the hall towards the place where he stood. She was deeply ensconced in a book yet managing not to collide with anyone. Harry may be nutters, but -–

He wanted to.

He strode forward, snatched the book out of her hands and promptly led her down a smaller unused corridor.

"Ron?" She said his name incredulously. "What in God’s name are you doing? We have class in ten minutes!" Ron rolled his eyes. "You can’t just drag me off somewhere and—"

He stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the empty corridor and faced her. "For once in your life, Hermione, shush." He registered the indignant look on her face, found himself reaching up to touch her cheek for just a moment, then turned and walked further down the hallway, gripping her hand more tightly in his. She stayed quiet, but he could feel the disagreeableness coming off of her in waves. He took in a deep breath. If this backfires, I will pummel Harry.

But I bloody well won’t quit now. He kept walking to the end of the corridor. He pulled out his wand and muttered at the second door on the left, which opened with a creak then shut quietly behind them.

"Ron, I really don’t—"

He turned and leaned towards her, not attempting to hide the wicked grin on his face, and Hermione found herself backed up against one wall of the room. He saw her cheeks flush and she opened her mouth to again protest. "Just shush, Hermione!" He stepped as close as he could without actually touching her, so close he swore he could feel her heart beating, and looked down at her, taking everything in for as long as he could stand it.

She was so damn beautiful.

Her eyes were wide but they held onto his, and she darted her tongue out to lick her lips nervously. She let out a bewildered noise. "Do I have dirt on my nose or something?"

He smiled and took a few steps backwards, attempting to rediscover rational thought. Must stay suave. Time to show the ace. "Hold on." He pointed his wand to a dark corner of the room and muttered something that sounded like ‘accio chocolate.’

Hermione blinked as a small box sprang into Ron’s hand. She put a hand on her hip. "What exactly are you playing at, Ron?"

Ron chuckled. "Frustrated, Hermione?"

Her eyes widened indignantly at the innuendo. "Frustrated? I’m sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I don’t get ‘frustrated’ in that manner."

"Oh, really?" He smiled a slow smile and took a step towards her. She immediately tensed. He chuckled again and she glared at him, trying not to look flustered. "And I could never mistake you for someone else." He held her eyes and opened the small box, keeping it just out of her curious line of sight. She let out a frustrated noise and suddenly Ron had an image of a much younger Hermione stamping her foot when she didn’t get her way.

The corner of his mouth turned up. "Don’t act daft, Hermione. You knew this was coming, being the brilliant witch you are."

She put on her best annoyed face. "I’m sorry; you’re going to have to be more specific. What exactly is ‘this’?"

Ron smiled slyly. "This," he said, "is simply —" He watched her watch his hand dip into the small box. "–- inevitability." And out he pulled an eclair.

She took in a sharp breath but immediately put on a straight face and looked at him, as if the sweet in his hand was nothing interesting. "Quite a big word, Ron."

"I do pay attention in class occasionally."

She scoffed. "Occasionally. When you’re not fantasizing about women covered in various desserts." Her cheeks flushed but she bit her lip and put on a most stubborn face.

He paused, looking at her steadily. He felt his face warm, but took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "I don’t fantasize about women covered in chocolate, Hermione."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why, Ron, I had no idea."

He rolled his eyes, supressing an urge to stamp his own foot. "Hermione! I am trying to make a point here!"

She lost the teasing look and tilted her head up defiantly. "Then make it."

He faltered. Bloody hell. Obviously she planned on making this difficult for him.

He met her gaze pointedly. "I only fantasize about one woman. And I think you know that." She blinked. "They’re the best fantasies I’ve had, actually." He sighed and regarded the eclair with a small smile. "And, yes, you often happen to be covered in chocolate, I must admit."

Her eyes widened and he swore he saw some delight in them. Then they narrowed into a mocking glare. "During McGonnagall’s class! That’s what you were thinking about? Unbelievable!"

He blinked. Women are so bizarre. But he was not deterred. Defensiveness was a tactic he could deal with. He raised an eyebrow at her. "You’re one to talk."

She bristled, clearly feeling the need to launch into a tirade. "Ron, this is getting very tiresome!  You are so —" She sputtered for a word.

He took a quiet step towards her. "Charming."

She found one. "— Ridiculous! And —"

He took another unnoticed step. "Wholesome."

She thought of another one quickly. "Troublesome!" she said emphatically. She met his eyes triumphantly—and realized his sudden nearness. A small gasp came from her mouth, her lips forming a small ‘o’ as she looked anywhere but at him.

He smiled and held up the sweet. "Eclair, Hermione?" She blinked. "Better take me up on it, because I find it quite appealing myself—which i think you know—and i might not want to share." He slowly pulled the eclair into two pieces and offered one to her. She blinked again, then her eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

He watched her, reveling in having the upper hand.

The she got a wicked look on her face and reached for the proffered half-eclair. He watched as she slowly dipped a finger into the pastry filling and brought it up to her lips.

His face grew very warm and all other thought was banished from his mind as she slowly licked the her finger clean. She brought her hand down but he couldn’t look away.

Her eyes were on him and a corner of her mouth quirked up. "Ron?"

He somehow managed to find his voice. "Yes?"

"Don’t you think we’ve had enough teasing?"

His heart fell ass over teakettle and he almost asked her to repeat herself. He must have had a blank look on his face because she laughed, a wonderful sound that cleared his head and brought him back to the brilliance of reality.

Her face was tilted up towards him, cheeks flushed and a small smile gracing her lips. He couldn’t help it— He kissed her.

It felt slightly like diving off a cliff but tasted like vanilla cream. And something else, something he couldn’t do justice with words, so he kept his mouth on hers, tasting her over and over again. Thoughts slipped around each other, surfacing only occasionally. Harry deserves a medal. This is unbelievable. Heat rose and his whole body seemed alive in a new way.

Too soon it was over. He felt her pull away and put her forehead against his. "Class," she breathed.

He groaned but had to admit she was right. He looked at her, pouting a little, then backed away. "Fine." She looked at him teasingly and slipped out the door.

He stood for a moment in the empty room, willing his heart to slow. And willing himself never to forget what it had been like to kiss Hermione. He couldn’t stop smiling as he sauntered down the hall, relishing the ever-so-sweet eclair.

He saw her darting into the Charms classroom as he entered the deserted main hallway, licking the last bits of chocolate off his fingers. She stopped, hand on the doorknob, and spoke in a low voice. "So, Ron—" She gave him a slow half-smile. "How did it taste?"

His ears warmed but he didn’t miss a beat. He shot her a wicked look. "Brilliant."

--------

more blatant movie plagiarism! Snatch, The Matrix, and 10 Things I Hate About You (the brilliant movie filmed in my hometown! <squeal!>) (pudadingding, I owe you one too.)

<blink> hope it wasn’t a let-down. anticipation can kill, i know. believe it or not, there’s more to come.