Challenges:

I was sitting in front of Ron at breakfast eating my eggs and toast. Everything was calm until he spoke up.

"Hermione," he started inquisitively. I looked at him and nodded in response before turning back to my prophet. "How would you like to participate in a challenge?"

I was curious but cautious of what was to come.

"What kind of a challenge?" I asked.

"Well, for the next week, every day I will give you a task that you must complete before midnight." He answered. It didn't seem like him to give me such a simple task.

"Alright," I answered, "but we have to lay down some ground rules. I have the right to reject two of the 5 challenges in exchange for another one."

"Seems fair." He replied nodding.

"There will be one challenge a day for five days and you cannot add onto your challenge once you've given it to me."

"Ok."

"And you have to tell me my challenge at breakfast that day and no later." I finished.

"Deal." He stuck his hand out and I shook it. "So I have your first one."

Challenge #1:

"Already?" I asked incredulously.

"Well yes. I've been planning this for days." He replied as if the answer was an obvious one. "Now this one is fairly easy. Your first challenge is to not raise your hand to answer or ask a question for the entire day." He looked at me as if I would refuse his challenge.

"Ok." I replied calmly and I turned back to my paper. A few seconds later I looked up and saw that his jaw was hanging open is surprise at my answer.

I chuckled and went back to reading about the extinction of garden gnomes.

For that entire day, I did not answer a single question asked by a teacher nor did I ask any questions. I got several odd looks from most teachers and a few points were removed from Gryffindor from Snape because I was 'not paying attention'… as if.

Challenge #2:

I woke up on Tuesday tired and not really in the mood for school but knowing that I did not have a choice, I got up and went to the bathroom where I got dressed and then went down to the dining hall for breakfast.

When I got there, I saw Ron, Harry, Ginny and Neville sitting near the middle of the hall. I went over to them and saw that Ron was bouncing in his seat just a bit.

"Who gave Ronald caffeine?" I asked looking around. All three looked just as confused as I did.

"Hermione, I have your Challenge for the day!" he said a tad too excited.

"What's this?" asked Ginny. Harry explained it to her while I looked over at Ron.

"Hit me." I said as I grabbed a bowl and poured myself some cereal.

"Today, you have to hand in one of your assignments late!" He seemed very proud of himself for having come up with such a great challenge.

"Reject." I stated plainly.

"What!" he yelled.

"I reject." I repeated.

"You can't do that!"

"Actually, according to our Rules and Regulations, I am entitled to TWO rejects. This is one of them." I said and watched his face turn red, very amused.

"Fine." He looked pensive for a moment before turning to me. "You have to sneak out of your dorm with me tonight to go to the kitchens."

"Well, if it's with you, I'll do anything." I replied only half jokingly.

So that night, at 11, I went down to the common room in my sweats and an old t-shirt. I saw that Ron was sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace. I went up to him and sat on the armrest of the couch.

"Let's go." I said. Having just noticed me, he turned towards me and I was surprised not to see his usual bright features lit up by a smile. I shrugged it off and saw that he smiled as he nodded. We walked towards the door but as we were about to leave the common room, he stopped and put his finger to his throat as if to perform a voice enhancer spell.

"Miss Granger," he started very dramatically, "Tonight, you will embark on a journey to the KITCHENS! This will be the thrill of your life and it is the story you will tell to ou-" he stopped suddenly but retook his pace, "your grandchildren. Now before we leave, I must tell you about some security measures. Firstly, if I run, you run. Second, no talking, only whispering. Third, you have to do what I tell you to do. Fourth, and most importantly, you have to let me have the last chocolate éclair." I laughed at the last one but nodded in agreement at his rules.

We walked out of the common room and turned right to the staircase. Everything went fine until all of a sudden, we heard Peeves. Ron froze but using his reflexes, he guided me into a hole in the wall. As we stepped in, a curtain fell as if it were there to hide students sneaking out. However, it was dark and I was squeezed up against Ron in a tiny enclosed space. As Peeves approached I hid my face in Ron's chest and he wrapped his arms around me protectively. We stayed like this long after Peeves was gone as a rather welcome security measure. Too soon, I felt his arms release me and I looked up, missing the smell of his shirt the moment my nose left it.

"You'll never be done by midnight if we stay here." He whispered. I breathed out and nodded.

We walked out and walked down to the hall in silence, something that was not usual for us. He led me to a room behind the Great Hall and we stopped in front of a painting of a fruit bowl.

"Tickle the pear." He said simply.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Tickle the pear." He repeated. I looked at him as if he were alien so he sighed and took my hand sticking out my finger and guiding it to the pear on the painting. He moved my finger up and down as if to tickle the pear. "Tickle the pear." He repeated again only this time, he was much closer to my ear and his words seemed enhanced by this fact.

The pear giggled and the portrait moved letting us through. We walked into the kitchens and a few passing house elves looked up and waved at Ron who waved back.

"How often do you come down here, Ron?" I asked.

"About three times a week." He answered as he shrugged. We walked further into the kitchen and he turned to look at me.

"You have succeeded in your day's challenge!" he said, adopting his tour guide's voice again. I laughed and smiled at him.

Challenge #3:

The next day, I woke up more tired than when I had gone to bed. Ron and I stayed in the kitchens for about two hours before heading back to our dorms. I then could not get to sleep until about three in the morning for the one and only reason that a certain redhead seemed permanently engraved on my mind.

So I went down to the common room and saw that Ron and Harry were there talking to Seamus. I went over to them and waved because of my lack of energy.

"Morning." Said Harry, "why do you look so tired?"

"Challenge." I stated plainly as I knew he would understand.

"Ah yes," he said nodding gravely, "and how late did you two get to bed?"

"Well, we got back around two but I didn't get to sleep until about three. So I'm tired." I said before yawning to prove my point. "Promise me I don't have to stay awake so late tonight, Ron." I looked over at him and made what I hoped was only a slightly embarrassing puppy dog face.

"I promise." He replied.

We walked down to the great hall and as soon as we were seated, I lay my head on Ron's shoulder, who was on my left side.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "why my shoulder? Why not Harry's? He's sitting right next to you too!"

"It's YOUR fault I'm so tired. You'll have to deal with the consequences." I explained as I put my head back on his shoulder. I grabbed a piece of toast and ate it rather awkwardly while trying to keep my head on his shoulder.

"Your challenge for the day is easy." He started. "You have to give a stupid answer to Snape when you answer a question."

Being too tried to complain, I agreed and continued eating.

Later that day, when Snape asked what the difference between glass and crystal phials was, I simply answered that one cost a lot more than the other. This caused an uproar of laughter from all the students present and another twenty points from Gryffindor.

Challenge #4:

Having gone to bed at about eight that night, I found myself rather awake that morning. I got dressed and met the boys in the common room again. We went down to the Great Hall together where Ron proceeded to tell me what my day's challenge would be.

"You have to screw up one of your essays on purpose." He said and I plainly told him that I rejected his challenge as it would jeopardize my education.

"Fine," he continued, "You have to stand on the bench of the Hall and sing so that everyone can hear."

"Ron!" I exclaimed, "That's not fair, you knew I would reject the other one so you gave me one that was worse!" he sat there laughing while I pulled a face at him. I noticed Harry laughing out of the corner of my eye and I turned to him to glare.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, trying to hold back his laughter, "but it's just so funny to imagine you up there. I can't imagine what it will actually look like!"

"Yes, very funny, Harry." I said before turning back to my food.

I tried not going to lunch to escape from Ron but to no avail. How he knew that I was in the library was beyond me but he managed to get me into the Great Hall. As I sat down, silence seemed to settle in amongst our group of friends. They had obviously been told about my challenge and were awaiting it with impatience. Ron stood up about half way through the meal and stuck out his hand to help me up onto the bench.

"Milady." He said rather gallantly whilst bowing his head. I took his hand in a rather unladylike manner and stomped up to the bench to sing. Everyone at our table looked up at me expectantly so I took a deep breath and started singing what I thought would be the least embarrassing song.

"Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

"Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

"Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this

"Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me"

All seemed silent for a second before everyone who had heard burst out laughing and pointing. I stomped back down where I saw that all my friends faces were bright and smiling.

"Well," Ron was the first to speak up, "now that we have all established that Hermione can sing, let's get back to eating." Everyone -even me- started laughing at how 'Ron' that line was.

Challenge #5:

When I woke up that Friday, the first thing I thought was today was the last day before the week end and then I thought that Ron would be giving me my last challenge. We had arranged at the start of the year that on Friday mornings we would meet up in the common room to go to breakfast together because Harry had a free period to sleep in on Fridays. Today was no exception so as usual, we met up and went down to breakfast.

"Happy that today's the last day of challenges?" he asked me on the way down.

"Yes, but I will miss them dearly." I said sarcastically.

We got down to the Hall and we sat down near the door.

"So, what's my last task?"

"You have to tell someone you love them. And not just friend-love them, really love them." He said quietly after having looked at me for a while.

"No."

"See, that's the thing, that's not an option. You've already used up your rejects." Though he could very well have been joking, he was not and that intimidated me a bit.

"Fine." I replied as I took my bag and stalked off to my next class.

During that entire first period, I only thought about what I was going to have to do. Of course there was only one person that I wanted to say the three simple words 'I love you' to. Coincidentally, he was the one person to whom I could not say them.

For the entire day, I tried to stay away from Ron but at dinner, we crossed paths again. He did not seem fazed by his challenge but still acted rather careful around me.

When we went back to the common room after dinner, I got started on homework whilst Ron and Harry proceeded to have a stupid conversation. About ten minutes after having started, I turned to the boys in aggravation.

"Guys, can you please try to keep it down. I'm trying to work here." They obliged for about 30 seconds before starting up with the noise again.

"How about you try to work for a bit?"

"Only if you help me write my essay." Said Ron looking at me.

"Do you really think that after all these years, you can still talk me into doing your work for you." By now, I had put down my quill and I was pivoting in my chair to face him properly.

"It's now my fault that you do anything for me!" he replied looking as if he could start to get mad any minute.

"I'd do ANYTHING for you? Is that what you think?"

"Yes it's what I think!" We were both near yelling by now.

"Well you're wrong!"

"Oh I'm wrong. Ok. Miss Know-it-all is back with her know-it-all answer! As per USUAL, she has to butt in because her know-it-all answers are all she has!" everyone present gasped and I was choked for words.

"Well if you didn't always say STUPID THINGS maybe you would be right every once in a while!"

"Oh go ahead with your insults! Everyone KNOWS that they are only to hide how HURT you really are!"

There were a few seconds of silence.

"Of course I'm hurt." I said, in what was almost but not quite a whisper. "You think that your constant chain of insults don't hurt me? Here I am, loving you, and there you are, never even looking twice at me."

This time, there were more than just a few seconds of silence as everyone took in my words.

"Challenge complete." I whispered. I walked up to the staircase leading up to my dorm.

Just as I was about to walk up the first step, I felt a very familiar hand on my wrist and I stopped. I was pulled down and swiveled on the spot so that my eyes were fixed onto two blue ones. Before I knew it, I had a pair of lips on mine, one arm around my waist pulling me closer to the body, one hand getting lost in the mess that was my hair.

I suddenly heard cheers and awed sighs. I broke away from his lips and looked around. I saw people high fiving, some people were handing over money, others receiving it and I wondered what they had all bet on. The one who seemed to be receiving the most money though was Harry who was looking at us beaming.

I looked back into Ron's eyes and thought that this was the best reward for the completion of a challenge. Ever.