A/N: An AU based on a scene from the movies, not the books…

Melancholy

Ron Weasley was ecstatic as he sat back down at the long Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He was thrilled, amazed, and unabashedly happy, but there was just a touch of melancholy. Ron chose to ignore that slight negative feeling for the moment as he relived the last several hours of his life. He was ecstatic because his best friend had just sat down beside him for the first time in several months. He was thrilled and amazed that he and Harry had rescued Ginny and that she was ok. They had just come from McGonagall's office where they explained everything that had happened in the Chamber of Secrets. They had told the Headmaster and the Professor about the diary and how Tom Riddle had possessed his poor little sister. They explained how Lockhart had obliviated himself when Ron's wand backfired while he was casting the spell at both he and Harry. Harry had told Dumbledore and McGonagall how Fawkes was instrumental in both helping him kill the basilisk as well as healing him of the basilisk bite. Dumbledore was not surprised that Fawkes had brought the sorting hat containing the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry, as he was always sure of Harry's loyalty to him. Dumbledore was pleased that both Ron and Harry were not injured and had shooed them off to get cleaned up for the celebratory feast.

Harry and he had just settled down in the Great Hall when they had heard some strange noises from the end of the room. Ron wasn't sure what he heard, but it sounded like gasps. Both boys had raised their heads and then they both broke into the biggest grins they had had in ages. There at the end of the tables was their best friend, smiling back at them. They had been shocked speechless to see her looking so healthy and they had all run toward each other. Harry got to her first and was greeted with an enthusiastic hug from Hermione. When she let go of him and turned to Ron who was standing there with open arms, instead of a similar hug all he got was a handshake from her. Ron tried hard to cover his disappointment at not being hugged as well with a big smile and a casual "welcome back Hermione."

Shaking his head and letting go of his memories, Ron focused on the wonderful feast in front of him. Smiling again at Hermione on his right, Ron wondered again why Harry got the hug and he got only the handshake. 'She must fancy Harry' he thought to himself. 'Second best again, shite. I had hoped that she might fancy me. Merlin's saggy bollocks, now I have act like it's ok when they get together. Shite!'

Hermione had been talking to Harry when she turned to look at Ron with a look of surprise and astonishment.

"Did you really?!" she asked him.

"Uhm, uh, really what?" replied Ron, trying to understand what he had been missing while lost in his thoughts.

"Harry said you would visit me every night when I was petrified. Did you really?"

Ron's ears turned a slight pink as he answered, "oh, uhm, uh, yeah I did, is that all right? Harry was there too some of the time."

"Why would you do that? It must have been boring visiting someone who couldn't talk back?"

"Oh, uh, I would read to you and tell you all that you had missed in classes that day. I worked especially hard to take good notes and I would read those to you every night. I even read to you some Hogwarts, A History, because I knew it was your favorite. I thought that just maybe you might be kinda aware of what was going on and I just didn't want you to be lonely Hermione. I missed you terribly and I, uh, uhm, uh I just didn't want you to be alone." Having finished, Ron gave a weak smile and felt his ears go completely red.

Hermione just beamed back at him. "Well that was really nice of you, Ronald, I would love to read your notes over the summer if that's ok. And I wish I could have been awake enough to see you reading Hogwarts A History, now I'm sure I'll never see that happen."

"So true Hermione, so true," Ron answered back with an equal grin.

Hermione's voice got soft as she put her hand on Ron's and brought her face close to his, "thank you Ron for thinking of me."

Ron replied equally as soft, "of course Hermione, you're my best friend."

After the feast and celebrations that the Chamber of Secrets had been found and vanquished, all the Gryffindors headed up to their dorms to finalize their preparations to head home for the summer holidays. The only one not happy to be leaving school was Hermione who complained to everyone that she had missed so much and it wasn't fair to be going home already.

Of course Ron and Harry and all the other lions just ignored her.

The following morning they all rode the carriages down to Hogsmeade Station and boarded the Hogwarts Express heading for home. Ron, Harry, and Hermione all sat in their usual compartment talking about all the things that happened while Hermione was petrified. They went over in detail all that happened in the Chamber with Ginny and Tom Riddle. Ron was especially pleased to talk about Lockhart and what a fraud he was and how he had obliviated himself. They all wondered who their DADA professor would be next year.

After a while, Harry stood up and looked at Ron and Hermione and said, "I'm going to stretch my legs a bit and go find Ginny. We haven't really had a chance to talk about everything that happened and I want to make sure she's ok."

After Harry left Ron looked up at Hermione sitting across from him and realized that they were alone together for the first time since… well since he could remember. He wasn't sure what to talk about really, but the fact that she had hugged Harry and not him was forefront in his mind. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair and gave a weak cough. He wasn't sure he should say anything, but he couldn't help himself.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"I, uh, uhm, I mean, uhm, you gave Harry a hug yesterday when we first saw you, right?"

Hermione felt herself blush. She wasn't sure she liked where this conversation might go. "Uhm, yeah, I guess I did, but it was nothing important."

"Yeah, but I didn't get a hug, you only shook my hand, and uh, I'm pretty sure I can figure out what's going on. Harry is a great guy and I can understand why anyone would fancy him and I want you to know that I won't get in Harry's way and that I'm, uhm, uh, I'm uh, ok with you two being together."

Hermione's mouth dropped and her blush deepened. "What? What are you talking about Ronald?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders and gave another weak smile. "It's ok Hermione, I'm ok with it. Surely you fancy Harry, I mean look at the hug you gave him. Why else would you hug him and then only shake my hand? Clearly you feel differently toward him than me and it's ok, I'm happy for you two, I just hope that you two will still have time for me next year."

Again Hermione looked shocked. "You think I fancy Harry?"

"Uh, yeah, that was a pretty intense hug you two had, and it looked like Harry liked it as much as you. It's ok, really, I'm ok, I just don't want things to get awkward."

"Ron, I don't fancy Harry, believe me. Harry is not who I fancy." Having said this Hermione realized that she might be going where she didn't want to. "Uhm, uh, I mean if I did fancy someone it isn't Harry."

Ron was puzzled and he looked it. "I don't understand. Why would you hug Harry and not me then?"

Hermione closed her eyes and looked down. She was quiet for what seemed like an eternity before she looked up at Ron. She said in a halting voice, "because Harry is safe," and she looked back down.

"Huh? I still don't get it."

"Harry is safe. Hugging Harry is like hugging a brother, so it's safe, please understand."

Now Ron was starting to get annoyed. He leaned forward to get as close to her as he could. "Hugging Harry is safe? So that means hugging me is not safe? That makes no sense."

Hermione looked back up with a pained expression on her face. "Oh Ron, can we please talk about something else?"

"But Hermione, I'm still confused and a bit annoyed. Why would I be unsafe to hug?"

"Please Ron, can we just let this go?"

"No Hermione, I can't! If I'm doing something that makes you uncomfortable I want to know. Why would I be unsafe to hug?"

Hermione wrung her hands and looked down before continuing in an incredibly soft voice. "Because if I hugged you, I was afraid I wouldn't want to let go and I was more worried that you wouldn't hug me back and that would be devastating." Hermione then leaned forward and covered her face with her hands as she scooted down the bench away from Ron.

Ron sat back and ran his hands through his hair as he tried to understand what she was saying. 'She was worried she wouldn't let go and that I wouldn't hug her back? Why would she think that?' Ron stared out the window and tried to figure it all out.

And then it came to him. He smiled to himself and sat straight up and realized what he needed to do. He scooted down the bench so that he was right in front of Hermione. He smiled as he reached across and took her hands. He smiled at her and waited until she looked up at him.

"Hermione, I just want you to know that if you hugged me I wouldn't want to let go as well. I would love to hold you for a long time."

Ron stood and then sat down next to her still holding her hands. He let go and continued to smile as he said, "let me know if this isn't ok" and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. After only a few seconds Ron felt Hermione's arms around his waist and her face was pressed against his chest.

Taking a deep breath, Ron whispered in her ear, "I fancy you, Hermione and it almost broke my heart when you hugged Harry and not me. I think I understand now why you didn't. I hope this is ok because I really like holding you."

Ron felt Hermione speak into his chest, "Oh, Ron," and she snuggled into him even tighter. "This is more than ok."

Ron held her for a while before letting go and leaning back. He took her head in his hands and looked her in the eyes and smiled. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers for a brief kiss. He was pleased when he could feel Hermione kissing him back.

"Wow" came from his mouth as he leaned back again. "Hermione? Was that ok?"

Hermione took his hands and placed them on her waist and then wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into another kiss.

"See, this is what I was afraid of. After hugging you I would want to kiss you like this and I was afraid you wouldn't kiss me back and I would be humiliated in front of everyone."

Ron pulled her in for another kiss. "Are you still afraid?"

Hermione smiled back. "Not anymore."

Ron tightened his arms around her into another hug. He whispered in her ear, "I really like you Hermione, and would you be my girlfriend? I know we'll be apart for the summer, but I promise I'll write. I would love to spend next year together."

Hermione looked and smiled as she said, "of course, I would love to be your girlfriend, only we need to figure out how to tell Harry about us."

Ron smiled as looked over her shoulder and saw Harry standing in the doorway.

"Oh, don't worry, I think he already knows," as he gestured toward the compartment door. Moving her head, Hermione saw Harry standing there with a big smile on his face.

Hermione let go of Ron and pulled back and looked sternly at Harry. "How much did you see?"

Harry laughed as he said, "I didn't see anything except my two best friends finally figuring themselves out. Now, I need to go tell Ginny, she bet me you two wouldn't get sorted until next year, but I told her it would be today. Why do you think I left you two alone? I can't wait to tell her I was right!"

As Harry left again, Ron and Hermione turned back toward each other and laughed. They both leaned in for one more kiss as they looked forward to next year.