A/N: Hey guys! So, this is my first fanfic, yay! I hope you enjoy it! Yes, it starts off slow, but it will eventually pick up. So, I hope you like it! :)

HERMIONE'S POV

With the school year drawing to a close, Hogwarts was bustling with excitement. Students were hurrying down the halls in their robes, talking excitedly; Teachers had started concluding the year's lessons. Everyone was starting to wind down in preparation of the summer holidays. Everyone except for one student, that is. Hermione Granger was going full speed ahead, just like any other day of the school year. Some things never change.

I sat in the corner of the Gryffindor common with a book in my lap, staring out the window. Rain splattered the school and its grounds with astounding force. This had been the worst storm I had seen in all my school years at Hogwarts. The fire crackled comfortably near me. All in all, the common room's inviting atmosphere was at its friendliest ever, despite the angry shower outside.

"The rain is terrible, isn't it, Hermione?" The comment startled me at first, then, I turned to my right to see that Lavender Brown had sat down in the armchair next to me.

"Oh, hello Lavender." I greeted. "Yes, I suppose it is."

What am I supposed to say? I thought. Lavender and I never talk. Actually, most girls and I don't talk… Except for Ginny.

"So, Hermione." Lavender began with purpose, like she had a specific reason she wanted to talk to me; there something she wanted to know. "What are you planning to do over the summer holidays?"

There it was. That's why she wanted to talk. But why did she care what I did over break?

"It'll be just like any other holiday. Quite uneventful, actually." I shrugged.

"Ah, I see. Will you be going anywhere specific?" Lavender put her elbow up on the arm of the chair and rested her chin

"Well I guess Harry and I may visit the Burrow, but nothing is set in stone yet." I didn't think this was as big of a deal as Lavender apparently had.

Lavender looked around the common room to make sure no one was listening and then dropped her voice to an excited whisper. "The Burrow. That's Ron's house, correct?"

"Yes, that is Ronald's house." I confirmed.

"You must be so excited!" She gushed. "How adorable! You're going to stay at his house!" Lavender was making this out to be more than what it actually was.

"Oh, no Lavender! Not in that way." I had to explain this, no matter how impatient it made me. Why did everyone just assume things like this? "Harry will be there too. I can see how it could be misconstrued," I didn't actually. Wasn't it obvious that Ron and I were just friends, and nothing more? "but my relationship with Ron is simply platonic. Nothing more."

"Oh, ok." She didn't look convinced. "Right." She said standing up. "Bye Hermione. Nice talking to you." And then she walked away, over to her friend Parvati, leaving me to sit and wonder.

Why does everyone think of Ronald and me in that way?

"I was right!" I heard Lavender whisper excitedly to Parvati as soon as she thought I was out of earshot. "She is going to visit him!"

"Oh! That's so sweet!" Parvati giggled.

The two girls' giggles were quite annoying. Parvati and Lavender loved gossip, today being no exception. They were also big believers that Ron and I would one day be together.

That, I thought, will never happen.

"Oof!" I heard someone say. I looked over to see that a distracted looking Neville Longbottom had tripped on his way down the stairs from the boys' dormitories, near where Harry and Ron were standing.

The books Neville were carrying were now randomly strewn about on the floor at the foot of the stairs. He knelt over and tried to gather his things in a flustered, failed attempt, dropping every other book he handled.

Ron, to my surprise, bent down to assist Neville. "Let me help." he said. Ron gathered all of Neville's books and stood up. Neville stood as well, though he wore a look of genuine surprise.

"Um, th- thanks Ron." He muttered and walked away, shaking his head in obvious confusion at this out- of- character act of kindness.

Ron turned and walked back to continue his conversation with Harry, who looked just as shocked as Neville had. I caught myself staring at the scene and quickly turned back to my book. Not quickly enough though, for Ron felt my gaze and looked over.

He flashed me the goofy lopsided grin that he always gives and looked away.

Ron and Harry's conversation, I discovered, was about quidditch. I, having no interest whatsoever in the subject, turned back to my book for real this time.

A few minutes later, I felt extremely tired, having had a rather difficult day.

This was a lot to say, considering most academic things came quite easily to me.

I packed up her things and headed up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

I awoke with an immense hunger and quickly got dressed. Then, I headed down to the common room to wait for Harry and Ron.

Ron, to my shock, was already there. He was sitting on the overstuffed couch across from the fire. He seemed to be deep in thought, just staring at the mixed colors of the warm flames.

"I don't believe it." I said as I came down the stairs. Ron's head jerked up from its previous position resting on his palm. "Ronald Weasley, first person awake? No, it can't be." I teased in mock surprise.

He laughed. "Why are you up so early?" I asked as I sat down on the same couch.

"I could as you the same question." He said with that all-too-familiar lopsided grin of his.

"Touché."

He took a deep breath inward. "I don't really know." he began. "I guess I just come down here early to think. You know, when it's quiet. No one's around to ruin it. I've found I've been coming here a lot lately."

"Well, would you like me to leave, then?" I didn't want to be a bother.

"What? No, why?" Ron was confused.

"Because you just said you liked to come down here alone. When it's quiet..."

Now it was my turn to be confused. Isn't alone time what he wanted?

"Oh that." He said as he outstretched his legs from their cross-legged position and leaned back. "No you're perfectly fine there."

About that time, Harry came down the stairs. "Well, it's about bloody time! It took you two long enough!"

Ron and I were thoroughly confused until they realized that, in the process of

Ron leaning back, he had put his arm around the back of the couch. Resulting in, what looked like, he had put his arm around me.

We both understood at the same time, our faces reddening in unison.

Both stammering, we quickly scrambled to our feet.

"We were just-"

"That was an accident-"

"- didn't realize-"

"-unintentional-"

"We didn't notice!" we suddenly stated simultaneously.

Harry laughed, although looking disappointed, and all three of us walked down

to breakfast.

After sitting, Ron decided to be his annoying self again. "Hey Harry. I wonder which one of these blokes Hermione's staring at." He followed my gaze.

"Ronald, I'm not like… Lavender Brown. I don't just go staring at men all day. I have better, more important things to occupy my time with."

"That sure didn't stop you yesterday from staring at me while I helped Neville." Ron smiled

smugly. My face turned a deep shade of scarlet before choking on my breakfast.

Harry just snorted.

"That's completely different, Ronald. You were being nice, so it was totally out of

character." I scoffed before gathering up my things and mumbling something about

the library.

Harry snorted again.

RON'S POV

Hermione hadn't talked to Ron all day. Ever since he had pointed out how she was staring at him last night. He didn't really care she was staring; he had realized just how out of character his kindness was.

"I didn't mean to be a jerk to her." I said to Harry in the common room later that evening. "I just am. It's like I can't even help but be rude to her..."

"Well," Harry began. "You've always been a jerk to her. Why is it just now bothering you?" He had his eyes fixed on the fire. He was deep in thought, not really caring about the conversation taking place.

"I don't know!" I said in an exasperated manor. I flung myself backwards on the couch. The very same couch that I sat on with Hermione earlier today.

"Maybe it's because you fa-" Harry started to say something but I cut him off.

"If you were about to say fancy, then no, that isn't true. I do not fancy Hermione Granger." I spat. Why would Harry think that?

"Sure, Ron." Said a passing by Lavender Brown.

"Whatever you say." Her best friend, Parvati Patil added.

Harry laughed, like he knew something I didn't. He'd been doing that a lot lately. I just rolled my eyes.

"And what exactly did you mean this morning by 'It took you two long enough'?" I added, annoyed.

"Oh, I- um... Oh nothing." Harry smirked his superior smirk again, as if he had some monstrous secret.

"Why is everything so funny to you lately? What are you trying to hide? What do you know that I don't?"

"That, mate, you're just going to have to figure out on your own." Harry stood up and stretched. "I'm going to turn in for the night."

And with that, Harry headed up the stairs leading to the boys' dormitories. He left me there with an apparently obvious look of confusion on my face.

"Hello Ron. What's bothering you?" said one of our roommates, Seamus Finnegan.

I mumbled something about nothing being wrong and rearranged my facial expression. Seamus, seeming satisfied with this less-than-decent answer, walked away.

After a few more minutes of sitting and just watching the fire, I decided to go find Hermione and apologize about this morning at breakfast. She obviously wasn't staring at anyone. I just liked to tease her.

Hermione, without a doubt, would be in the library. I went to go look there.

I walked through the empty corridors and only passed one other living creature- Crookshanks. Crookshanks was Hermione's cat and my enemy. He somehow sensed that I despised him, so he returned the hatred.

When I entered the library, all I saw were a few first years. I walked in a little farther and then spotted Hermione.

This didn't surprise me, finding her in the library. She had surrounded herself in a mountain of books for each and every subject. While scribbling furiously on a scrap piece of parchment, she tucked a stray strand of her bushy brown hair behind her ear.

"Uh, hi 'Mione." I started uncertainly. Why had I even come here?

"Hello, Ronald." She sad dismissively, not looking up all the while. It was obvious she was still mad at me over what I said this morning. That was understandable.

"So," I began. What was I supposed to say, anyways? "I'm, er, sorry. For... You know... What I said at, uh, breakfast..." My voice trailed off and I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Ok. Thank you, Ron." Hermione replied, still looking at her parchment.

"So... Is that it?" I asked. 'Ok. Thank you, Ron.' was all I got? Well that was lousy.

"Well what else do you want?" She didn't mean it in an ill-mannered way, nor did it come across as that.

"I, er, well I don't know..." How do you answer the question that answers your question? "I should probably go then."

I turned to leave but Hermione wasn't done talking. "Ron!" She called out. All of the little first years' heads turned. "We have our potions essay due tomorrow!"

"Oh, I got that done ages ago." I haven't even started.

"I bet you haven't even begun." Hermione crossed her arms stubbornly. She was finally looking up from her parchment.

Dang it. How does she always know?

"No, you're right. I haven't."

"Well, Ronald, you have to turn something in. Let's go and work on them." She sighed and mumbled something about always being the responsible one while she gathered up her things.

We were almost to the common room and had walked in silence until I couldn't take not saying anything anymore.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?" She wasn't really paying attention. She had seemed to act a bit distant lately, though.

"You're amazing."

Hermione smiled and walked through the portrait hole.