His Girl

Hermione Granger cursed the insistent tears that were streaming down her face, as she stood in the corner of the Great Hall. She forced herself to take slow shallow breaths and to stop this damn crying or her makeup would be streaking down her cheeks, which would only make her less attractive. But she couldn't help the pain of rejection as she watched him with all the other girls, not even noticing her absence. It only broke her heart that no matter how wretchedly she would miss him for the eternal days after Hogwarts that they would never see each other, he was not even missing her for the few minutes she had stepped away from the group. This seventeen year old beauty covered her mouth as a new surge of tears threatened to spill over, a sob shaking her shoulders as she turned to exit. Fairly running from the Great Hall, she collapsed onto the wall, slowly sliding down in agony as the tears over came her body in wrenching sobs.

Never had she thought that she would let these damn emotions get to her like that were now. She was always in control of everything. Her grades, her friends, even and especially her emotions. But now, she was falling apart at the thought of spending the rest of her life without him.

He had grown so much in the seven years she had known him. Ever since she had walked in on him on the Hogwarts Express, this red haired boy had plagued her thoughts forever more. And now, when they were finally of age for confessing such things, she couldn't utter the words. Him, the popular quidditch star of Gryffindor, and her, the ugly bookworm... such things could never be.

But that's now she viewed things. He was taller now, and very filled out, thanks to his quidditch training. He had grown out his orange-red hair, his ever sparkling blue eyes pierced her soul and his crooked smile that tortured her dreams... how could she not love such a man? For he was no longer the little boy no one knew - he was a full grown man that everyone knew. Especially the girls, and that meant Hermione no longer stood a chance. To all the other slim blonde beauties in the school, in the world - Hermione would just have to give up the dream of being his girl.

For that was the only thing she wanted in life. She wanted to be his girl. She wanted to be the girl to make him smile, to make him laugh. She wanted to be the girl in his arms, in his heart. She wanted to be the one and only girl in his life, the one that he loved so passionately, so completely, that he would die before spending another day without her. She wanted him to love her like she so wretchedly, so desperately loved him.

But no. It wasn't meant to be. She was only his bossy, bushy-haired best friend. He would never see her as anything beyond a friend, let alone a girl. Despite that fact that she had blossomed into a gorgeous young woman summer before last, forget all the subtle hints she had dropped over the past seven years - no matter how hard she tried, he would only shake his little red head of his, then blush adorably before changing the subject.

Even with Viktor, he had never said anything. Well, that wasn't totally true. He was very vocally against her choice to pursue the Bulgarian young man. And she could never understand why he was so dead set against Hermione going after his ex-favorite Quidditch player. Of course, the little imp on her shoulder told her to go with it, to play his little game and see where it lead to. She had never had any romantic inclination for 'Vicky' from the beginning, but it was obvious to everyone that Viktor liked her. And so she decided to see if there was any way she could make him jealous by dangling Viktor in his face. Obviously, despite his sudden anger in the issue, he never once indicated to her that she was the reason for his sudden change of heart.

It was a horrid feeling, being his best friend and nothing more. Hermione shook her head and gave up fighting these feelings, allowing the tears to run freely down her face. Of course, she could have hinted a little more, or held him a little longer - hell, she could have told him straight out how madly in love with him she was and kissed him squarely on the mouth! But that would only further incriminate her, embarrass her and diminish his sight of her. No, she would keep her dignity.

Better to lose dignity than love.

Hermione cursed the voice in the back of her mind for throwing such a wrench in her emotions. Yes, she knew that - the best thing in the world was love, and she had experienced it first hand. But the worst thing in the world was to have that love unreturned. What she experienced throughout her seven year friendship with him was bitter-sweet. She loved to be near him, to be with him, but to not have him completely, to not have his love and acceptance more fully broke her heart.

She closed her eyes at the image she saw in the mirror across the hallway in a large mirror, the ugly sight was too much to handle at the moment. She knew why he would never have any romantic interest in her - for she hardly looked like a girl! Her bushy brown hair that she had tried to slick down millions of timed before was frizzing out again. Her uninteresting brown eyes were now surrounded with streaking black makeup. Her smile was average, her body was that of a typical seventeen year old but her face had too many different stern and delicate feature differences to make anything look remotely attractive to anyone of the male gender. Maybe that was why she hid behind books all her life. She knew she would never amount to much of anything in a social circle, so she tried to make herself all she could be mentally.

Hermione sighed and stood, her tears subsiding now that the realization settled over her heart. No, she would never have Ronald Weasley. She would never be good enough to win his love.

"'Mione?"

The sound of his voice saying her name was almost like a dream. She didn't want him to see her like this, a puddle of tears on the floor, heartbroken over him. She turned away from him, her eyes closed.

"Go away, Ron. Please." she mumbled, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" he pleaded, walking up behind her and placing a hand on her uncovered shoulder. She turned around, shaking off his hand for the thrill of his touch sent her senses whirling. She looked up at him and her heart broke all over again. He was a vision of walking perfection; all that she wanted in a man, all that she wanted in life was embodied in Ron Weasley. He looked so good in his new robes, hair done nicely, cologne permeating everywhere... it was almost too perfect. Besides the fact that she was an emotionally drained mess in his sight was just too much...

"Nothing. Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Hermione said, wiping inseantly at her tears and straightening her dress. Then she turned to walk away but Ron grabbed her hand gently.

"Hermione, I will always worry about you." he said quietly, pulling her back to him, holding his hand in hers. She looked up into his dazzling blue eyes and felt her heart melt. His words meant the world to her, but if only he knew.

"Just tell me what's wrong." he said simply.

"Ron, I..." she sniffed, feeling her tears coming back. "I just don't want to leave here tomorrow, leave all our wonderful memories of Hogwarts and never hear from you or Harry again."

Ron suddenly wrapped in a warm secure hug as she once again began to sob. He held her close, his arms tightly around her waist, his hands moving soothingly over her back. She couldn't help but enjoy the way he held her, relishing his closeness and his affections. What she had told him was the truth, but not in its entirety. She would miss them, never hearing from her two best friends again would be hard. But to not see Ron's adorable face everyday, to live without the arguments or his dim-witted comments, that was more heart breaking than she wanted to think about.

"'Mione, we've been friends for almost seven years now. You think that finishing school is going to stop out annual Burrow party?" Ron chuckled, trying to make her feel better.

"But Ron, you're going to be this great quidditch star and Harry's going to be some famous Auror, and that's going to leave me behind to be a... a... nothing!" she cried. This really was one of her biggest fears. Despite all her years of endless study, it looked like her two best friends would surpass her after all.

"No." he said firmly, pulling back to look at her. "You are the brightest witch I have ever met. You know anything and everything about the past, present and future wizard world. Don't ever think for one minute that you are going to be left behind. You will always be one step ahead of Harry and a few steps ahead of me, at least. I've always tried to keep up with you, but I always seem to fall short of your expectations."

Hermione shook her head and held him close again. "Never." she mumbled. How could he possibly think that? He was all she wanted!

"And don't you worry about not keeping in touch. If it were my choice I'd have you and Harry right next door." Hermione nodded into his shoulder.

Then she thought she heard him say, "If it were my choice, I'd have you in my bed next to me."

"Excuse me?" she pulled back, not daring to believe what she had almost heard.

"Nothing, 'Mione." he smiled and cupped her chin, wiping at her tears gently. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." she muttered.

"Good. Then come dance with me." he insisted, tugging on her hand back to the Great Hall.

"Ron, stop. I look like a mess. My hair is bushy and my makeup is running, I -"

"No," he said, "There is no more beautiful sight right now than that of Hermione Jane Granger. Every person in this room when we walk in will be burning with jealousy knowing that I have this angelic figure of a woman on my arm."

She blushed at his compliment, but still persisted. "But Ron, I -"

"Hermione, your hair has always been bushy, I rather like it that way." he said, sending a shock to her heart. "As for your makeup, I can take care of that easily. Not that anyone will notice, it's too dark in that room to see anything correctly." he said wiping away the last streak of mascara on her cheek. "Now please, 'Mione, just one dance with me. For old times sake?"

Hermione was speechless as she let Ron lead her to the dance floor. Then taking her hand in his and placing his other hand rightly around her waist, he began to sway to the slow beat of the music, dancing away all her fears.

She placed her head on his solid chest and closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Nothing could have been closer to heaven than this. Slow dancing in the arms of Ron Weasley. How was she to know that such bliss was permissible on earth? Never before had she been held so affectionately in his arms, and she knew that such things would never happen again, so she cherished the moment, not daring to let another wonderful minute pass by.

"In all honesty, Hermione, that was my biggest fear."

"What?" she asked, shaking herself from her thoughts.

"I didn't want to lose touch with Harry. Or you. I couldn't live if I lost you as my friend." he said quietly. Then shaking his head with some sense of assurance, he continued. "And I always wondered what I could do to make myself more acceptable to you."

"What?" she exclaimed, looking up at him in shock. "Ron, you don't have to change for me. I like you just the way you are."

He sighed. "That's just it, 'Mione. You like me. You don't..."

"What?" Hermione breathed.

"I know you don't really like quidditch, but it's what I'm good at."

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"You're so much smarter than me. Such a know it all. I was sure that you'd go places and leave me behind. Harry, too. Of course, "The-Boy-Who-Loved' would get whatever kind of job he wanted. So I had to make something of myself to keep up with you two."

"You're wrong, Ron." Hermione said, tearing up again. "You don't have to prove yourself to me."

I love you for who you are.

"Oh, but I do,'Mione." he said with a smile, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Please don't do that." Hermione said quickly.

She saw the expression on his face and immediately felt guilty. He had always kissed her on the forehead, as a friend, but she couldn't take his kisses right now. Not when she was so fragile in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, rejection and pain written on his face.

"No, it's not that, Ron." she said, wondering how to explain to him how dreadfully she did want his kiss. "I just... want to dance with you, is all."

Suddenly, he chuckled. "Then I should have done this a long time ago."

"Huh?" Hermione looked up at him in confusion.

"I shouldn't have been such a git in our fourth year. I should have put my fears aside and asked you to the Yule Ball, regardless of the rejection I would get." he said, looking down at her with a sad smile.

"What?" Hermione said incredulously. "Who said I would turn you down?"

"Oh, come on, 'Mione. What would you want with a red headed fool like me? Besides, did I even stand a chance with Viktor around?"

Hermione closed her eyes. Great - another plan from the great mind of Hermione Granger down the drain. Not only had she been wrong about everything, her plan had back-fired.

"Of course, Ron. I -"

"You should know that I very much saw you for a girl back then. Quite a lovely girl actually. Just never got up the courage enough to tell you how I felt about the whole situation."

No. Bloody. Way.

"What sitiuation?" she asked, not daring to believe.

"You and Viktor. That always made me so bloody jealous."

Hermione's heart sunk. "You're joking."

"No way. I've never felt so horrible in my life, when I knew that you were going out with my favorite quidditch player. Hated him from that day on."

"I never went out with him, Ron. We're only friends." Hermione insisted.

"Still, I never had a chance." he said looking at her sadly.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, near tears again for about the twentieth time that night. Her poor heart was pounding, dying to know what he was insinuating. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Ron sighed. "You may never want to talk to me again, but I've got to get this off my chest, and quick, too. I just might lose my nerve."

Then, in the blink of an eye, they were no longer dancing. Ron held her face with one hand and her waist with the other as he slowly bent down and kissed her. Hermione could not believe what was happening. She was lost in this dream-like moment, touching his face carefully to be sure that it was real. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed him back, something she had wanted to do forever it seemed. Never had she expected this to happen, but she welcomed it, holding him as close to her as possible. Ron suddenly pulled back, stars in his beautiful blue eyes.

"May I ask what that was for?" Hermione asked, a bit breathless.

"I'm so sorry, 'Mione." he said, cupping her face. gently.

"You're sorry?" she exclaimed. "You kiss me like that and tell me you're sorry?!"

"Well, I... I don't know what to say, Hermione, except that I love you. I always have. Ever since you were that bossy little brat of a thing, walking into my room on the Hogwarts Express and telling me I had dirt on my nose, I was immediately smitten with you. But I've been fighting it since then, because I knew that you were always way out of my league, too far for me to even try to get. Little did I know that we would soon be the best of friends, and that I wouldn't have the chance or the choice not to fall in love with you.

"I don't want to leave Hogwarts, Hermione. Because that means I can't see you everyday. I can't see your beautiful smile, your shining face, urging me on, arguing with me about what's the right and wrong way to do things." he said with a chuckle as she too laughed through her tears. "All those bloody arguments and fights we always had, all those times I was ever cross with you, I didn't mean it, I swear. I only wanted to get your attention, I only wanted to learn more about so that I could find out how I could win your heart."

Ron shook his head and wiped her tears away once more as he cupped her face."But apparently, I failed on all counts. Because here you are, crying in my arms, and I'm confessing my undying love to you, probably ruining a great seven year friendship."

He smiled down at her wearily. "I can't bare to see you cry. It makes me feel like I should flog myself somehow. I feel like it's all my fault you're in pain, 'Mione, but now you won't stop bawling."

Hermione suddenly giggled through her many tears and threw her arms around his neck, placing kiss after kiss on his lips, never wanting to let go. He loved her. He loved her! There was no way possible that she was meant to have this much happiness in life. The man of her dreams was in love with her - it was like some fairy tale come true.

He finally pulled back to look at her face once more. "Why do you insist on crying? Am I that bad of a kisser?"

Hermione laughed out loud. "No, you really are a git. I'm crying because I'm so bloody happy I could die right now."

"Well, please don't." Ron chuckled. "I want you to hang around with me for a while. We've got a few years of kisses to make up for."

She nodded. "Yes, sir. That we do."

"I never thought I'd hear you agree to kiss me." Ron said looking down at her.

"Same here."

"No way. You've always been the one girl I've had my sights on. I'm just too stubborn, to cowardly to tell the woman I love how I feel."

"But not any more?" Hermione said looking up at him lovingly.

"Not anymore." he said reassuringly. "Now, you're my 'Mione. You're my girl."

Placing another kiss on her lips, she felt tears of joy in her eyes and she smiled as he kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, leaning in and giving in to all her past reservations. His girl... Life was now perfect. She was his girl.

Suddenly she pulled away and smiled. "They're just tears of joy, Ron." she said, seeing the worried look on his face. "And don't worry - you're a great kisser."

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A/N: Let me know what you think! R & R!!!

-grin-