Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever

Chapter Two:
Coming to Terms With Reality

Summary:
Ron's mind is working furiously… Yes, you read it right.

Disclaimer:
This story is written by a fan, for the fans. I make no profit from this story and I am totally fine with that. Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling and I make no claims of ownership regarding him or any other characters, situations, locations or plot points that are part of the Harry Potter universe.

I do however claim ownership of any original characters, situations, locations or plot points that are NOT part of the Harry Potter universe.

Rating:
PG-13

Author's Note:
This is a short one, but I think it concludes this little story.

• • •

Ron entered the Gryffindor boys' dormitories late that evening. Harry was already asleep in his bed, as were the rest of the boys. He was the only one still awake, and this suited him fine. He really wasn't in the mood to answer any questions tonight. The effect of the Veritaserum had weakened by now, but he still had no desire to talk to anyone. By tomorrow morning the effect should have worn off completely; or at least that was what Hermione had said.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and kicked off his shoes, followed by his socks. He then pulled off his robes and the rest of his clothes, leaving them in a random pile on the floor before walking over to his trunk and silently extracting his toothbrush.

When he arrived in the bathroom, he stopped suddenly halfway towards the sink. He didn't really want to brush his teeth tonight. Or rather, he didn't want to get rid of the taste of Hermione just yet.

Deciding that skipping one night couldn't hurt, he abruptly turned around again and replaced his toothbrush before crawling into bed.

But sleep wouldn't come.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw the same thing: Hermione, smiling happily at him, her eyes sparkling and lips red and swollen from excessive snogging.

It was a beautiful picture. If he could, he would frame it and put it on his bedside table. Perhaps Hermione knew some way to do it? He made a mental note to ask her tomorrow.

I would have to charm the picture though, he thought. Make it look like a picture of the Chudley Cannons or something. At least until our relationship is official.

BANG! That's when it really hit him. He was in a relationship with Hermione Granger! She was his girlfriend. The girl who he had been pining for since he first noticed girls were different from boys was his!

He suddenly felt a strong and totally unexpected urge to squeal, but he fought it down and settled for a huge grin instead. He was happier than he had been in a very long time.

He closed his eyes again and summoned the picture of his girlfriend again. It was slightly surreal to associate words such as 'girlfriend' with the girl who had been his best friend since he was eleven years old, but he could certainty get used to it. Also, having such a lengthy friendship as a basis for a romantic relationship meant that they both knew each other so well already that there would be no need to waste time on the 'getting to know each other' stage, but they could jump right to the good stuff.

Or at least, that was what Ron had thought. Instead, they had spent their first afternoon as a couple out by the lake, talking, with only the occasional snogging.

As the afternoon had passed them by, Ron began to realize just how little he really knew about his former best friend, now girlfriend.

He realized that they hadn't actually talked much about their own private lives with each other before. It had mostly been about Harry, or about the war. Or my studies, he finished the thought with an amused smile.

Today had been different though.

After the episode with the Veritaserum and his own unintentional confession of love for his best friend, they had wasted a wonderful twenty minutes snogging and embracing in the deserted corridor, neither having any wish to go to the by then halfway finished transfiguration lesson.

That's when Hermione suggested that they go somewhere more private, and Ron dragged her down to the lake. Not to their usual place though, but to a little area surrounded by bushes, keeping them mostly hidden from view.

There they spent the remainder of the afternoon leaning on each other, their backs resting against the thick trunk of a tree, talking about things they had never talked about before.

Hermione told him all about growing up in a muggle family. How she sometimes did things she couldn't explain, and how on one occasion, her parents had to be called to her school when she had unintentionally put duct tape over the mouths of her whole class because they were disturbing her concentration by talking too loud. Ron had chuckled a little at her admission. She was clearly embarrassed though, so he had given her a reassuring smile and squeezed her shoulders.

She then told him about not having any friends, because no one wanted to be associated with the 'freaky know-it-all' with her book obsession and giant front teeth. Ron had squeezed her harder and told her that he pitied them for missing out on the opportunity to make a wonderful friend.

Ron in his turn told her all about living with five older brothers, two of which were routined jokesters (and who often used magic without permission), two of which were allowed to use magic, and one who was an avid fan of rules and did everything to uphold them.

Hermione listened as he described events such as the time when Fred and George had put a note on his back saying 'Hex me' with a very powerful sticking charm, and then proceeded to hex him every time they saw him. Or the one time Percy had joined them in a game of Quidditch, and kept reciting rules as often as possible, as if neither of them had ever played before.

They had kept talking about their respective families and childhoods until it became too cold to sit outside anymore, at which point they went back to the castle.

When they arrived in the common room, it was thankfully empty, and they sat (Or in Ron's case, half lay) down in the sofa In front of the fire, watching the glowing embers fade slowly into nothingness.

• • •

"I had fun today," Hermione said in a low, content voice, almost like a whisper, as she snuggled into his side, laying he legs across his lap and her head on his chest.

"Even though I made you miss Transfiguration?" Ron teased lightly.

"Yes. Believe it or not, I did," she answered.

"That's good," said Ron as he closed his eyes and started stroking her hair absentmindedly. Her curls were soft beneath his fingers, and he let his fingertips slowly sample the texture.

He took a few locks between his index and middle finger, pulling them up to his nose and drawing a deep breath, savouring the fruity smell or her shampoo.

Hermione turned her face up to look at him, but he didn't give her the chance to ask the question he could see forming on her face.

"You smell nice," he said simply, grinning down at her.

"Thanks," she replied, an embarrassed smile on her face as he looked away shyly.

"You're welcome," he said, not really knowing what else to say.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, occasionally expelling a satisfied sigh and receiving a reassuring squeeze back. Neither seemed in a hurry to move, and neither seemed to keep any track of time. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, but could just as easily have been merely ten minutes, Ron spoke again. He was, of course, very reluctant to leave their current position on the sofa, but he knew he would have to say something lest they both fall asleep. His eyelids were dangerously heavy already.

"Hermione?" he tried, but got no response. He moved his free hand (which had at this point moved to rest lightly on her neck, his thumb striking her pulse point) to her shoulder, shaking her gingerly, trying not to startle her. When he still got no response, he shook her harder, calling her name close to her ear.

"Hermione?"

YES! Ten points for Weasley, he thought as she stirred, making tired noises. Then she turned her head towards him so fast he was slightly afraid she might get a whiplash and stared at him in shock. Before he could react though, her face had transformed into a wicked grin.

"Hello," he said, grinning back at her.

"Hello," she replied, still grinning.

"I had a wonderful dream," she said.

"Yeah? What was it about?"

"You accidentally swallowed Veritaserum," she began, "and then you told me you love me."

"That wasn't a dream, Hermione."

"I know," she said. "And Ron?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."

Ron knew that she didn't expect an answer, but he still thought he should say something. Not a simple 'thank you' or 'I know' but something more meaningful. He wanted to show her just how much he really loved her...

So he bent down and kissed her.

"I think I love you even more now than I did this morning," he said when they broke apart. "But now I think it's time to put my sleeping beauty to bed."

"I'm sorry, your what?" she asked with a curious expression.

"Eeh... I mean... that is... Oh, never mind," he stuttered, blushing.

"I didn't think you read muggle fairy tales," she said.

"Muggles write tales about fairies?" he asked.

"Well, no... or yes, sometimes but... Oh, it doesn't matter."

"Alright," he said, deciding not to press the subject. He would have to ask her some time though.

"Anyway, let's get you to bed. I wouldn't fancy falling asleep here. It would be out all over the school in no time if someone finds us in the morning. As prefects we have to set an example to the other students after all," he said. He didn't really care about setting an example, even though he knew he probably should, but he knew it was a sure way to make Hermione go along with his wishes. And he was not disappointed.

"You're right," she said, planting a quick kiss on his lips before getting up.

He followed behind her until they reached the stairway leading up to the girls' dormitories, where she turned around to face him once more.

"eeh, See you tomorrow then," he said, felling slightly awkward.

"Yes. Tomorrow," she replied.

He reached up and cupped her face, simultaneously berating himself for acting so insecurely all of a sudden. This was Hermione for Merlin's sake! But perhaps that was part of the problem. He hadn't given her a goodnight kiss before. They usually just said 'goodnight', sometimes with a brief hug; and that was it.

But tonight she will bloody well get a goodnight kiss, he thought; and with that, he bent forward and claimed her lips.