Mostly, Hermione stayed because she wanted to continue the conversation.

Madam Pomfrey told her to say her goodbyes and get on to bed, but left her alone with Ron as she bustled off. For a moment, neither of them said anything. "Touch it and I'll kill you," Ron warned.

Hermione looked down, saw that she was midway through the motion of patting his injured leg reassuringly. She was a little more nervous about the fact that touching Ron right now could cause more issues. "We probably could have taken care of this ourselves, anyway," Ron said quickly. "What are we learning all these healing potions for, if we just run right to where we're going to get into trouble?"

In the background, a door slammed shut, and they could both hear Hagrid asking Madam Pomfrey how they were both doing. They listened for a moment as he was eventually shooed out, the door slamming again as he left in frustration and disappointment. "We'll talk to him tomorrow," Hermione said quietly.

There was another pause. "Hermione-"

She looked up.

"Look, what we were talking about..." Ron began. He wasn't looking at her, focusing on his bandaged leg.

"Yes?" she prodded.

He bit his lip. "I have no idea. I was hoping you would speak up there."

Against her better judgment, Hermione smiled, and laughed softly. Knowing it was all right now, Ron smiled, too. "Did you mean what you said?" she asked.

Ron was now blushing furiously, but he nodded. "Yeah. Did you?"

"Yes."

"So... where does that put us now?"

Hermione knew what she was supposed to do now, though for a split second she found herself unable to move. Regaining control of her motor functions, she leaned down, tentatively kissing his lips. When she moved to pull away, Ron arched forward, telling her that he wasn't quite ready to not be kissing her yet.

Hermione managed to pull back slightly, hoping the flush in her cheeks made her look pretty and not sickly. "She walks in beauty, like the night," Ron mumbled.

She couldn't help but stare at him with her jaw dropped. Well, there went pretty. "Ronald Weasley, did you just quote Lord Byron?" she gasped.

"No! I mean..."

"Where did you even learn that?"

Ron shrugged. "You had a book lying around. I might have picked it up once."

"And memorized a line?" Hermione asked, more pleased than she probably should have been.

"Shut up," he grumbled.

"All right, Miss Granger," Miss Pomfrey said, sweeping back into the room. "Mr. Weasley needs his rest. Go on, now."

Ron looked up at Hermione questioningly, and she gave him another smile. "I might have to leave more books around then," she said, delighting in Ron's embarrassed grin. "Sleep well."