Disclaimer: I don't own anything, etc, etc.

Also, really sorry about the long, loooong wait. School sucks, and that's all there is to it. Hopefully, there won't be this long of a wait until the next update, but we shall see.

-o-O-o-

Hogsmeade in February was beautiful, but cold. Thankfully for Ron and Hermione's reluctance to engage in any blatant public displays of affection, Hogsmeade weekend had not fallen on Valentine's Day. Thus, Madame Puddifoot's was a perfectly decent and, more importantly, warm haven from the icy wind. It seemed that Harry's ill-begotten date with Cho here had been an anomaly, as the two settled down with a pot of coffee between them with no uneasy feelings.

As they finished the last of their coffee, Ron shot a scowl at the weather outdoors. It looked like it was going to snow any minute, steely clouds gathering above the quaint shops and houses. Still, they couldn't go back to Hogwarts yet. George had caught wind of the school outing, and came to check up on the WWW shop in the village, hoping that his siblings still in school would come out to visit him.

"C'mon, Ron," Hermione said encouragingly, not liking the pensive frown on Ron's face. "We'll make it a quick visit, and be back to school before the really bad stuff starts."

"Are you sure, Hermione? I don't want you to have to walk outside if it's snowing – you might slip or something."

"So could you, Ron." His protectiveness was sweet, but sometimes Hermione got a little tired of it. She was a perfectly capable witch, and Merlin knew she could probably handle herself better than he could. Still, it was endearing, and Hermione did nothing to act on the vague itch. "If it gets that bad, we can Floo back. I'm sure McGonagall will open up her office for snowbound students."

"Yeah, alright. You ready to go?"

"I just need to get my coat."

"Right." There was a bit of fumbling as they located their jackets and made their way to the door. Hermione sucked in the clean, cold air as a blast of wind hit them from the side. She grinned up at Ron, who looked down at her and shook his head in bemusement.

"Come on, then," she nearly shouted to be heard above the wind. "I haven't seen George in forever."

"You saw him just a month ago!"

"Yes, well…" she stuck her tongue out at him, and he smiled. How Hermione loved his smile, the way his eyes crinkled up and one end went higher than the other. He didn't have dimples, but there was something so charming and boyish that Hermione always felt herself smile when she saw him with a grin on his face.

George's shop was crowded, but not particularly busy. Students holding bags with bright purple WWW's on the sides crowded around the front window, looking at the sky. Every few minutes, a small group would leave the warmth of the shop and dare the wind to struggle back up to Hogwarts. Hermione hoped the rest of them left soon, or else they would get caught in something worse than a little cold air.

They saw Lee Jordan behind the counter, carefully counting out change for a younger girl. He handed the coins to her with a wink and a nod, before looking up to see Ron and Hermione. His grin flashed brilliantly over his dark face, and he motioned them over with a wave of his hand.

"How are you two? Long time, no see and all that," he said, shaking Ron's hand and pulling Hermione into a quick hug. "What's new with you lot, up on the hill?"

"Same old, same old," Ron chuckled.

"Quite a bit quieter without you, though, Lee. Peeves doesn't have quite the same… oomph," Hermione butted in.

"Well, that's too bad. There will someone coming in with the new crowd though. They just need to find their inner poltergeist." Lee continued to grin down at them while they chatted. They hadn't seen him since the summer – he rotated between the three WWW shops, making sure that everything was running smoothly. He was in the middle of telling them a story of some of George's less successful experiments when Hermione felt herself being swept up by a pair of arms.

"Ahh! Stop, George," she shrieked with laughter. "Put me down!"

"Whatever the sweet lady wishes," the remaining Weasley twin said with a grin, depositing her safely on the floor. "Ronald, nice to see you."

"Same here, though I don't appreciate you trying to kidnap my girlfriend from under my nose," Ron said, with a mock-scowl.

"Hermione, you wound me!" George cried, putting a hand to his heart. "What happened to our vows of undying love?"

"Alas," Hermione tried to say with a straight face, going along with the boy's play. "I was weak… Forgive me, my sweet!"

"I cannot! This betrayal has sore hurt me – I doubt I shall recover. I shall renounce love forever, and wander the lands, alone and uncaring." The four of them could take it no longer, and dissolved into peals of laughter. Hermione was only distantly aware of the younger students staring at them in curiosity and awe, so caught up was she in the laughter and general merriment.

"Now, I know you two will probably want to head back soon, judging by the state of affairs outside. Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, we're alright. Thank you, George," Hermione replied before Ron could get a chance to empty out the store. "But we can stay a bit longer – I haven't seen you in a while."

They ended up staying for an hour longer, and by the time they left, there was no one else in the shop. They ended up being showered in sweets as George and Lee waved them off, and Hermione waved right back. They were the only two on the path up to Hogwarts, with the exception of a pair up ahead of them. Hermione didn't recognize them until the boy turned his head to laugh at something the girl said, and then she saw the aristocratic profile. The smile looked odd on his face, which Hermione thought was rather sad, and she turned to look at Ron. Even now, in the freezing wind, he had a slight grin, which widened as he turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Mmmn. Nothing. Just," she looked at him again. "Don't stop smiling, okay?"

"What brought this on?" She nodded to the pair ahead of them, and his grin tightened a bit when he recognized the blond head.

"Oh…" And Hermione could tell that he understood, like he had just started always doing. "Well, he didn't really have a reason to smile, not really. And I… I have you." She didn't know what to say to that, so she went up on her tip-toes and gave him a peck on the lips. He reddened slightly, but bent down to return the favor. After a few minutes, he disentangled himself.

"As enjoyable as this, erm, is, do you suppose we could continue it inside?" She grinned and smacked his arm.

"Of course, you big, lovable teaspoon. Let's go." And with a grin, she led him back to the castle and up to the fire in their common room, and finished up a very enjoyable afternoon of talking, eating and, when Harry could avoid looking pained, snogging. Yes, a very enjoyable afternoon.

A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed! Once again, my deepest apologies for the long delay. Sadness… Also, I realize this chapter was the biggest piece of fluff ever, but whatevah. I'm a little out of practice, and winter has been going on way too long. I needed a little happiness. Anyhoo, reviews are much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

xoxo, GusGus