Hermione sat in the chair, looking at her shoes, unable to look Ron in the face. She forced herself not to cry as she spilled everything out: the anguish she�d been feeling, and how she was so scared facing Lucius, and finally, her love for him.
�Ron. There�s just one thing left unresolved. I care for you. . .a lot. But it seems that you really don�t care for me.�
�How would you get that indication?�
�Well, firstly, you and that. . .that girl! It seems your inseparable!�
�Blaise? Hermione! Certainly you should know by now what THAT was all about.�
�Yes. I certainly do! You�ve been seeing her!�
At this, Ron started laughing uncontrollably. �Seeing. . .Blaise? You must be joking. Come on, Hermione. Blaise isn�t remotely my type. Besides, she�s already seeing someone else.�
�Really? Who?�
�Terry Boot. He�s a Ravenclaw prefect. Hermione. . .you are so far behind the gossip. They�ve been going out since the beginning of the year.�
�But then what were you. . .and her. . .doing?�
�Blaise is a genius at this Herbology stuff. She�s been helping me with my project.�
�If you needed help, you could have just asked me.�
�But Hermione, you�re the one who distanced yourself from me.�
�I did no such thing!�
�Oh, really?�
�Yes! You were the one who drove ME away with your tears and your stupid cozy little library sessions! You made me believe for weeks that you�ve been seeing her.�
�Well, if it bothered you that much, you could have just asked me.�
�And what exactly was I supposed to say?�
�You could�ve tried, �Ron, are you and Blaise dating?� Or, �Ron, how would you like to go out with me?� to which I would have replied, �Yes.� �
�To which question?�
�Which one do you think?�
Hermione looked away from the floor and into Ron�s crystal blue eyes. Suddenly, she knew the answer to both of his questions.
"So you didn't. . .you never. . .?"
"No."
Suddenly, Hermione did something very out-of-character for her. She walked over to where the tall red-head was leaning on the couch, leaned over and kissed him.
It was a long kiss, and neither of them wanted to break it. It made Hermione go weak in the knees, she felt hot and cold all over, and she knew right then that she belonged with Ron.
She knew that she loved him.