A/N: Okay, in between trying to find inspiration for my other fic (A New Era), this is something that has been a sort of situation in my head for AGES AND AGES. Ron and Hermione, no matter what anyone says, were NOT in love in the first book. What I mean to say is that even though you could see that that was where JK was taking their relationship, Ron disliked Hermione quite strongly then, and Hermione was a very insecure child with contempt for those who didn't follow rules (at the beginning, anyway). So what if these two somehow, accidentally, were given a glimpse of their mutual futures...? Set in first year. *laughs evilly*

03/02/11 - Fixed a few typos that were annoying me, and also wanted to tell any readers who put this on story alert - there probably won't be any more chapters to this fic. If I really want to stretch it out, I might do something from the POV of adult Ron & Hermione, but I'm not really sure at this stage... Anyhow, thanks for reading if you have already (go check out my other fic while you're waiting :) hehe), and if you're new here, hope you enjoy this one!

Be Careful What You Wish For ...

Hermione stomped away from the Great Hall. Honestly, boys were so annoying! That Ronald Weasley especially – he seemed to get no end of fun mocking her. She wiped her eyes angrily as she tried not to remember him jumping up and down in his seat during dinner, squealing "Professor, Professor!" in a high-pitched voice.

Hermione kept walking until she bumped into a wall. She looked up and realised that she was not, as she had thought, in front of the Gryffindor portrait hole. In fact, this was a corridor that she wasn't entirely familiar with. Having been rather upset, she had not paid proper attention to where she had been going. She walked to the end of the corridor, hoping to see a familiar portrait or statue, but was disappointed – there was only a portrait of a bruised-looking wizard attempting to teach trolls ballet. It would be pointless for her to take the stairs back downstairs, as she had no idea how she had ended up here in the first place. Hermione began to panic slightly – it was almost six o' clock and she still had loads of homework left to do – and pace up and down the corridor, thinking "Why are boys so stupid?" and "Will he EVER stop being so horrid to me?" and "I wish he'd just be nicer, we might actually get along. Hmph!"

On her third trip up the corridor she stopped suddenly. Hermione felt as if though something on her left had moved. When she turned to look, she found that a door had materialised where three seconds previously, there had been solid wall. Overcome by curiosity, Hermione pushed the door open and went in ...

Ron stormed up the stairs, fists clenched. He had left Harry behind in the Great Hall after the annoying know-it-all had left. Everyone had pressured him into going to find Hermione and apologising to her. Well, it was true that – maybe – he had taken things a little too far, but she had started it! Always sticking her nose into other people's business, interrupting every little conversation – Ron was fed up with her! And yet, he couldn't help but feel bad when he remembered how she had jumped up from her half-eaten dinner with unshed tears in her eyes and run out of the Great Hall.

Turning to the wall on his right, Ron kicked it in frustration, but nearly fell over with shock when it drew back to reveal the entrance to another corridor. Thoroughly intrigued, all thoughts of Hermione and apologies erased from his mind, he went through the hole in the wall. He found himself in a rather unfamiliar place and was interested in exploring it, until with a sickening feeling in his stomach, he heard the wall behind him drag as if it was closing the same way it had opened. Ron turned around and found that the opening had indeed been closed up. He tried to kick the wall open again, but to no avail.

Panicking now, he ran around the corridor, attempting to find something, anything, that he recognised. All he found was a portrait of some mad bloke who looked like he was training trolls for the ballet. Running up and down the corridor, he attempted to find a way out, but he found that the area where there would normally be a staircase had been blocked by a wall too. Ron let out a yell of frustration and anger, thinking to himself, "If it wasn't for stupid HERMIONE! This is all her fault! Will she ever stop being such a know-it-all and mind her own business? I wish she would lighten up a little, maybe then I'd be able to stay in the same room as her for over five minutes at a time!"

Ron had not, in all this time, stopped running up and down the corridor. Just as he was beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He turned to it sharply, taking out his wand even though he knew he wouldn't be able to do much with it. He relaxed when he saw that a door had appeared in the wall. Anxious to escape his prison, he ran towards it and yanked it open, stumbling through the doorway in his eagerness ...

Hermione had found herself in a very strange room as soon as she had entered through the mysterious door. It was dimly lit, with several small yellow and green orbs floating near the ceiling. The floor was almost completely bare, except for two armchairs, which stood facing a table in the centre of the Room. The table held a small basin-like object. Hermione walked closer to the table, intending to examine what was on it, but was stopped when she heard the door bang open. She turned around to see Ron Weasley stumble into the Room, tripping over his own feet, and with his wand aloft. Hermione's jaw dropped open.

"You! What are you doing here?" Hermione asked viciously.

Ron looked up as soon as she spoke. His jaw too, dropped open, as if she was the last person he had expected to see there (which she was).

"What ... what do you mean what am I ... Hey! I could ask you the same question! What are you doing here?" Ron picked himself up and dusted off his clothes.

"Well," Hermione faltered, not sure if she wanted to talk to him just yet, "I just... I just walked up here."

Ron looked at her sceptically.

"Oh, you just walked up to this really weird looking Room of Dim Lighting that no-one in the castle has ever seen before ... " Ron seemed to realise what he was saying and his voice faded away as he took a look around the Room. His face immediately assumed a wary expression.

"Hey ... I'm sure no-one has ever been here, and this place is ... creepy." Ron remembered, when Hermione refused to look at him, the real reason he had left dinner early in the first place.

"Look, uh, Hermione. I'm ... Well, you can be really annoying sometimes – well, a lot of the time – " he broke off when he saw that Hermione was looking at him now – with a vengeance. He backtracked quickly.

"Um, that's not what I meant! I mean, I'm ... I'm sorry I made fun of you, alright? Let's just get out of here, yeah?" Ron said, trying to placate her and plead with her simultaneously.

Hermione's face lost its dangerous look – for the most part. She seemed to accept the apology, and yet she had not eased up completely.

"Well, you go, then." Hermione eventually said – she would leave, just not with Ronald.

Ron, evidently uncomfortable with the whole situation, lightened up considerably at her words and agreed immediately. "Yeah, that's a great idea! I mean ... oh never mind. I'll ... I'll see you later then." And Ron turned to leave, pulling at the door. He tugged a little harder when it didn't open immediately. It didn't move. He turned around – Hermione was walking back to the little table.

"Hey ... Hermione?"

Hermione turned around, surprised that he was still there.

"What is it?"

"The door won't open." Bugger, Ron thought – he had been in more of these situations today than he was happy about.

Hermione's face looked worried as she came up to the door. She also tried to tug it open, but it stayed shut. An idea occurred to her.

"Wait, this should work ... "

She took out her wand and tapped the door with it confidently.

"Alohomora!"

Nothing happened, except that both Hermione and Ron began to panic – again.

"Why won't it open, why won't it open ... !" Ron rattled the doorknob, trying to get it open by sheer force of will, while Hermione buried her face in her hands and muttered incomprehensibly.

Suddenly, Ron let out a yell. Hermione jumped, and looked at him questioningly. He pointed at a small piece of parchment that had appeared on the door. They both leaned forward to read it.

Take the time to take a seat

And stop your silly rant

Then you're in for a little treat

– As your wishes I will grant

Baffled, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. What wishes? Either way, one thing was clear – they had to sit down or they weren't getting out of here ... Hermione slapped her forehead suddenly.

"Of course! It's telling us that we have to sit down for the Room to let us out! Take the time to take a seat – well, that part's obvious. As your wishes I will grant – well, we're wishing we could get out of here, right?"

Ron could see the logic in what she said.

"Well, yeah ... I suppose that's it. So we should sit down then, shouldn't we?"

Ron and Hermione went to the armchairs facing the tables, and sat down – Hermione on the left and Ron on the right. As soon as they had sat down, they craned their necks to see if the door behind them had opened.

It was still shut tight.

Hermione's face fell, and Ron turned back to the table in despair. That's when he noticed that something funny was going on with the grey basin-like object.

An eerie bluish smoke was rising slowly out of it. By the time Hermione had also turned around, the smoke had risen several feet above them. Both of them sat there, stunned, as the smoke spread to both the left and right sides of them, making a large, smoky screen across the Room. The front of the "screen" took on a glossy appearance, and Hermione was struck by a rather curious idea ...

"What if ... well, it's possible that it could ... Yes, that must be it!"

Ron looked at her in annoyance.

"Yeah, well, thanks for that. You explained everything so clearly just now."

Hermione looked at him in exasperation.

"I was thinking!"

"Oh, and where did that get you?"

"It's like a television."

Ron was confused. Yet the term sounded familiar ...

"A what?"

"A television. It's a device that Muggles use to see pictures and things. It's sort of like the Wizarding Wireless Network, but with pictures to accompany the words. Does that make sense?"

Ron thought about it. A Muggle device ... That was where he had heard of it!

"Yeah, hey, my dad talks about that stuff! Tellyvellies and fellytones ... Why do they all sound ridiculous?"

Hermione huffed. "Honestly, Ronald. They're televisions and telephones and they do not sound –"

But a rather loud popping sound cut her off. Ron and Hermione looked towards the screen of smoke, where large letters were starting to appear.

Watch and learn, stubborn young ones –

You may not be headed for doom;

So the more you pay attention

The faster you get out of this Room.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other, and reluctantly nodded.

"Well, here goes, then ... " Ron mumbled half-heartedly. "We're paying attention, now, whoever you are!" he shouted, aware of the fact that he was talking to a room.

Hermione simply sat there, white-faced and anxious.

A few seconds after Ron spoke, large blobs of colour began to distort the blue shade of the screen. A vertical white line cut the screen in half: on the left side appeared the words "Hermione's Wish", and on the other side appeared the words "Ron's Wish".

The two of them sat in their chairs, thoroughly confused. They had thought that their wish was to get out of the room. Regardless, they continued watching, their curiosity piqued.

The letters shrunk and settled across the top of the screen on their respective sides. Pictures started forming – a stairwell on Ron's side, and a courtyard on Hermione's side. It became evident that these pictures depicted two different scenes, but that both took place some time in the evening – the lighting was as dim as that of the Room that Ron and Hermione were currently in.

Suddenly, silhouettes appeared on both screens. They inched forward slowly, and their figures became clearer. The one on the stairwell appeared to be a woman, and the one in the courtyard looked like a man. As they came into full view, Ron and Hermione nearly fell out of their chairs in shock.

There on the smoky screens were two people who looked exactly like Ron and Hermione – except several years older.

The two eleven-year-olds gawked as their older selves made their way to the front of their respective screens. Screen-Ron and Screen-Hermione seemed to be almost indecently cheerful about something – they were smiling in a goofy, vacant manner at something that the real Ron and Hermione could not see. The bushy-haired, buck-teethed girl looked at Screen-Hermione: Her hair was sleek and shiny, with elegant curls framing her face. She looked stunning in a blue gown, and just as Hermione thought that this almost fantastical person couldn't look any more beautiful, she noticed her teeth.

They were all even – the same size – and they looked wonderful.

"Oh my goodness ... " Hermione was struck dumb.

Ron was in a similar state. He looked at his older self and found that he liked what he saw. There were no badges on what Screen-Ron was wearing, so he couldn't figure out whether he had achieved anything at Hogwarts or not, but he definitely looked smart. He was wearing a sort of fancy-looking robe of a dark blue colour, and his hair looked decent – respectable, even. He was really tall – blimey, he looked taller than Bill – and he didn't look like he slouched around all the time. All in all, Screen-Ron made a very good impression on his younger self.

"Do you think this could be real –" he started to ask Hermione, when they noticed a few strange things.

For one thing, Screen-Hermione had begun laughing and covering her face with her hands, and Screen-Ron had plucked a rose from a nearby bush, and was busy sniffing it. The real Hermione and Ron looked at each other: Hermione confused by her odd behaviour, Ron revolted by his older-self's sudden desire to act like a complete idiot. Then Hermione noticed something else that worried her.

"Ron ... "

"Yeah?" Ron looked at Hermione, wondering what else was to come.

"Why does the part with me ... er ... the girl, say Ron's Wish, and the part with the boy say Hermione's Wish?"

"What?"

Ron looked at the screen again, and found, to his horror, that Hermione was right. He could not explain it.

"Maybe ... maybe the Room made a mistake."

Hermione was not convinced, but what other explanation could there be?

"Yes ... yes, maybe. It must have."

They continued watching the strange spectacle on screen. Screen-Hermione had finally looked up from her hands, but her face was completely red and she was still grinning in a silly manner. Meanwhile, Screen-Ron had picked a few more roses to make up a small bouquet. Screen-Hermione began walking down the stairs at the same time that Screen-Ron began walking forward. Ron suddenly recognised the setting.

"Hey, this is at the Burrow!"

"Where?" Hermione asked, completely thrown.

"My house! But what are you doing on the stairs in my house? And where did the rose-bush come from?"

His questions remained unanswered, as Screen-Ron and Hermione kept walking forward. Suddenly, Ron seemed to come to some sort of realisation, as his face paled and his body slumped into his armchair.

"Oh no ... oh no, no, no, no ... Why are they walking towards each ... NO, TURN BACK!"

Hermione glared at Ron, wondering why he was behaving so oddly – although that did seem to be understating it. Ron looked to be terrified of something.

She looked back at the screen, and her eyes widened in horror as she realised what Ron had. Because as she watched, the screens – which had until now been split in the middle by the line – merged together and the lines disappeared, revealing only one scene now – where Screen-Ron and Screen-Hermione stared in a love-struck manner into each other's eyes.

There was silence in the Room as the couple inched closer together, because Ron and Hermione were speechless with shock. They watched, feeling as though something was compelling them to keep doing so, because they could not have done so of their own free will. They watched as Screen-Ron held his hand out to Screen-Hermione, and as she took it. They watched as the couple whispered words to each other that they could not hear. They watched as they drew ever closer to one another, as he held her chin and tilted her face up to his, and as they leaned towards each other and –

Kissed.

Ron and Hermione – on a screen of possible fiction, it was true, but Ron and Hermione nevertheless – were snogging each other.

The real Ron and Hermione, still seated in their armchairs, turned slowly to face each other. Their expressions mirrored each other's – both had their mouths wide open in horror, shock, revulsion – and Hermione screamed, and Ron fainted dead away.