Chapter 1

"Ronald Weasley! You are the biggest prat that I've ever met in my entire life!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear."

"Oh SHUT UP Ron!" Hermione grabbed her Potions book off the table and started to storm up to her dormitory, but Harry caught her around the waist, mid-stride.

"No, I'm not going to let you two go to bed angry AGAIN!"

"Stuff a sock in it Harry," Ron responded moodily as he flopped back down on the couch.

"Ah! You both are so insufferable! Can't you last one day without being at each other's throats?!"

"We're insufferable?! Oh and like you fawning over Ginny everyday isn't insufferable! Honestly Harry!" Harry flinched at Hermione's words, but, much to his delight, found that the Common Room was empty save the three of them.

"Don't begrudge the man because he likes someone! Just because you're too busy having your nose stuck in a book to notice the opposite sex, doesn't mean he is!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ron wanted to take them back. Hermione's eyes started to well up with tears, but she bit them back defiantly.

"Just because I'm not a slut like all your girlfriends, doesn't mean I'm ignoring the opposite sex, Ronald." With that, Hermione turned around and stormed up the stairs to her dormitory.

"I ..." Ron clamped his mouth shut, not trusting himself to say anything more.

"Oh you've done it now, Ron."

"Me?! She just insulted me and all my girlfriends ... which in truth, all is like 2." Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully

"Merlin Ron you are such a prat!" Harry scowled at his best friend before storming up the boys' dormitory stairs.

"He's right ... I'm such a bloody prat." Ron buried his face in his hands; he'd been trying to 'get' Hermione for years now. But instead of flirting, he always ended up fighting with her. He'd make her angry and she'd insult him and then he'd go way to far with an insult and she'd storm off. That's the way it always happened and, he assumed, that's the way it always would be. Of course, until she gets tired of me and leaves all together. Ah! I don't want to think about that! I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for Hermione ... I suppose I ought to apologize and get it over with. Harry didn't want us to go to bed angry at each other, after all, Ron thought, wearily. He dragged himself off the couch and walked up the girls' dormitory stairs.

It was Christmas break, so he didn't need to worry about any of the other Sixth year Gryffindor girls being in the dormitory, as they had all gone home.

He knocked softly, almost hesitantly. "Hermione?"

"Go away, Ron!" He could tell she was crying, and it made him feel all the worse for what he had said.

"Please, 'Mione. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" There was a long pause, during which Ron was praying that Hermione would at least talk to him.

"Go away, Ron!" Sighing in defeat, Ron backed away from the door and trudged back to his own dormitory where he promptly flopped on the bed with a heavy sigh.

"Went that well, eh?"

"Shut up, Harry."

"Ron, I know you like her, there's no use trying to hide it," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"I don't like her ... I love her." Ron said the last part so quietly that Harry didn't hear it; hell Ron wasn't even sure he had said it aloud.

"Whatever you say, mate." Harry switched off the light and set his glasses on the bedside table. A few minutes later, his breathing slowed, signaling that he was asleep. Ron sat up and ran his hands through his hair frustrated. He wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight.

He couldn't say it was foreign to him; staying up most of the night mulling over a fight he'd had with Hermione and praying that she'd forgive him in the morning. He'd done it plenty of times before; he knew the routine. But every time, the little voice in the back of his mind got a little louder and a little more forceful. The voice that said she wasn't going to forgive him forever; sooner or later, she'd get fed up and stop being friends with him. He mentally thwacked himself repeatedly; if he let that day come, he'd never forgive himself.

He loved her ... he truly loved everything about her. Despite how he teased her, he really loved her bushy brown hair. It had gotten a lot less frizzy over the years and was now curly and soft. Or so Ron speculated it must be soft, but much to his dismay, he'd never really gotten the chance to run his hands through it like he wanted. He loved the way her chestnut eyes sparkled when she learned something new, as if it were the most fascinating piece of information she'd ever heard. Even if it only was the fact that Hippogriff dung could be used to strengthen memory potions. He loved the way she smelled; this odd mix between fresh wildflowers and vanilla.

He loved the way she managed to look pleased and annoyed at the same time. Like when he rambled on about the Cannons winning a game; she would roll her eyes but say something like, "That's brilliant, Ron," and seem genuinely happy that they had won. He loved how she ate so daintily; she'd cut everything up into small pieces and place them gingerly in her mouth. Whereas he cut things into oversized pieces, when he managed to cut them at all, and stuffed them in his mouth quite ungracefully.

Despite what some people thought, Ron found Hermione to be one of the most beautiful witches he'd ever met. Her eyes were the most entrancing chestnut brown and perfectly placed on her face. And her nose, cute as a button. Of course those utterly kissable lips. When she wasn't covering herself in those shapeless school robes (which she managed to make look damn good, by the way), she did have quite a nice body. Ron smiled happily at the thought.

He loved how gracefully she moved; even the few times she tripped and fell, she seemed to do it gracefully, as if she meant to. He often caught himself thinking that she glided, instead of walked. He admired the way she held her head up high, as if she owned the world. She did own the world ... well his world anyways.

But then why would she want him? He was lanky and uncoordinated. He had this unflattering, flaming red hair and a rather displeasing splattering of freckles across his oversized nose. He was poor and never could get very good marks. He wasn't nearly as smart as she was, and definitely not as good at Quidditch as Harry. So, really, what did he have going for him?

Nothing ... that was the answer. A big fat zero. But then again, sometimes she'd look at him and he'd catch that strange glint in her eye. The one that said maybe she wanted to be a bit more than friends. And the fact that when she'd hug him, she'd linger a little longer than necessary. Not that Ron minded of course. Not to mention the way she'd kiss him on the cheek when he apologized after all of their fights. And the way she'd blush bright red afterwards, but smile nonetheless.

Come on now, why am I kidding myself? Why would Hermione want someone like me when she could have someone so much better? She deserves so much better than poor, ugly, stupid Ronald Weasley. She deserves someone that won't fight with her and that won't insult her like I just did.

But maybe ... if I change ... if I become the guy that she deserves! If I get better marks and work out more. If I stop fighting with her and stop insulting her. Maybe then, I'll be half the guy she deserves ... maybe she'll at least notice me. And then we can stop this nonsense and I can be out of my misery for good.

Because I just can't take this anymore. I see her everyday and everyday she gets more and more beautiful. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to keep up this act.

So that's the plan. I become the guy she deserves ... or at least half the guy she deserves. I guess it starts with an apology and some trips to the Library. Ron sighed and flopped down on his bed. He drifted off to sleep a few moments later, thinking of ways he could make Hermione proud of him.

Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory

I don't know why I let him get to me like that. But did he honestly have to be so heartless?! I mean ... it's not my fault that the one guy I want is completely unreachable. Hermione furiously wiped away a few tears that had leaked.

She heard a soft knock on the door, accompanied by, "Hermione?"

Biting back her tears for the second time that night, she yelled, "Go away, Ron!"

"Please, 'Mione. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Hermione stuffed her face into a pillow, trying to stifle the sobs that were racking her lean frame.

A few moments later, she regained some shreds of her composure and yelled, once again, "Go away, Ron!" She heard what she assumed was a heavy sigh and Ron walking away. Burying her face in the pillow once more, Hermione let her tears flow freely.

She didn't want to fight with Ron ... she hated fighting with Ron. She wanted so badly to be civil to him. Well no, what she truly wanted was to grab him and snog him senseless, but that's beside the point. No matter how hard she tried, they always ended up fighting.

However, there was one advantage. Ron would come crawling back to apologize for whatever scathing insult he had shot her that had ended the fight. He'd look so cute and torn up while shuffling his feet and fumbling through an apology. Then his ears would turn red when Hermione forgave him and his entire face would blush a color that rivaled his hair when she'd kiss him on the cheek.

In truth, Hermione lived for those moments. The little ones where she thought maybe, just maybe, he felt something more for her than just friendship. The way he'd smile that lopsided grin at her when she scolded them about studying; that grin that made her heart flutter and her stomach disappear. She loved that grin ... bloody hell, she loved everything about him.

She loved the way his eyes lit up when he saw a new broom or something else he liked, usually Quidditch-involved. She loved how perfect he looked on a broom; as if he had been born to fly. Harry looked good playing as well, but Ron looked perfect. He was completely in his element.

She loved his bright red hair and how it stuck up at odd angles when he ran his hands through it too many times, usually in frustration. She loved his signature Weasley freckles and how they stood out even more when he blushed. She loved the way he made her feel safe. When he hugged her, she felt like nothing could ever hurt her ... like everything was perfect in the world at that moment. But of course it wasn't, because to him, those were all just friendly hugs, nothing more, nothing less.

Nonetheless, she loved the way he'd tug on her arm like a little kid when he wanted her to do something. She found it endearing and quite adorable, especially when he threw in a puppy dog face. Something she never was able to turn down, to this day.

She loved the ---

Ah! This is nonsense, Hermione! Thinking about all the things you love about the guy when you're not ever going to get to do anything about it! He's never going to give someone like you a second look!

I mean, why would he want me? I'm short, ugly, my bushy hair's probably going to attack him if he even got close, I'm constantly hiding behind my books ... Hermione sighed heavily and turned her head to look out the window at the clear sky.

But maybe, just maybe ... if I were more outgoing and I didn't have such a know-it-all attitude. If I wore something other than those shapeless school robes.

That's it! I'll ... well I'm not going to turn myself into the next Lavender, no guy's worth that. But I can change, for the better. And then perhaps Ron will give me a second look. Then at least I won't feel so ashamed about my feelings, if I at least have some semblance of a chance with him. Hermione smiled and started to drift off to sleep, thinking about what changes the next day would have in store for her.

A/N: Alright so I was feeling depressed that I couldn't write about a couple being all lovey dovey and tripping over themselves and such because all the couples in my fanfics were already together. So I was writing this one shot and all of a sudden, right in the middle of it, I got this brilliant idea. So, being submissive to the demands of the voices, I decided that I had to expand this fic. Chapter 2 is well on its way, I promise! I would have started it right now, but my parents are already going to kill me for being up too late. I hope you all liked this, please please review! Hugs to all my loverly reviewers from my other stories and to anyone who is about to press that loverly purple button down there!