549The very Last Author's Note: It's fitting I end my last chapter of my last fanfiction story on Memorial Day. I just want to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed the loyal readership that you have honored me with by patiently waiting chapter after chapter.
With that, I have to warn you this last chapter is very, very long but it does come with a bit of twist and turns. I hope you like it.
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The very, very Last Annoying Author's Rant: If I heard it once, then I've heard it a million times. Ron is not a good choice for Hermione Granger. Harry, Draco, Neville, Blaise Zabini, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Goyle, Crabbe, Lupin, Victor, Oliver Wood, Severus Snape (yuck), Insert Your Name Here, and anybody else you ever read is a better boyfriend than all-around prat Ronald Weasley, aka Stupid Sidekick. Somehow whenever these trolls read the Harry Potter series, they view Ron as nothing more than a boy that's rude, crass, poor, tactless, argumentative, and in all around useless member of the Golden Trio. I'm sure you all have seen countless blogs, fanfictions, and profiles that reiterate this particular cult-like sentiment.
Now what I have to say to them is that I find that stereotype, closed-minded, unrealistic, and arrogant view to be completely rubbish that has absolutely nothing to do with the Harry Potter books. In fact, JKR has gone out of her way to show support of Ron as an intricate and worthy character in his own right. So in ending my last rant forever, I say to those that negatively view Ron Weasley - READ THE BOOKS!
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Old Secret Beta note - ::Cough, Harrysmom, Cough:: I think I'm cross-eyed now but at least there are no more "set down in this story. It's been a real pleasure being able to do this, even though he can drive me crazy like no one's business. Part of his charm I guess.
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A/N: Part of me wants to take this original dedication back from She-who-must-not-be-named, but the respectable part of me realizes that as bad as my grammar was in this story it would've been ten times worse without her help a long time ago.
Story is dedicated to the lovely, beautiful, exciting,
funny, witty, neurotic, sadistic, sexy,
brilliant, loving, radiant Amy,
aka Harrysmom.
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Chapter 63 – St Valentine's Massacre
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Ron's POV:
It wasn't as if he had a strong personal relationship with the Headmaster. In fact, the way the Headmaster was signing one scroll after another while listening to him rattle about his sordid love life, made him certain the Headmaster was merely tolerating his presence in his office. Albus often said that he had an open door policy with his students, but as Ron was pouring out his heart to the most powerful wizard in the world, he was starting to wonder how long before Albus Dumbledore magically pitched him out the office's tower window.
"I can't seem to do anything right. I tried to be more studious… and I even paid attention in all my classes… well, I tried too. Honestly, listening to Snape-"
"Professor Snape," interrupted Albus without taking his eyes off a Ministry scroll that he was reading.
Ron groaned a little inwardly before paying proper respect to the slimy git in the Dudgeon.
"Professor Snape… yes sir. Anyway he can be a bit er…. tedious," remarked Ron, trying to say bloody boring, but with a word that would not raise the ire of Albus.
"NEWT Potions are not as easy a topic as say, fake wand Chicken sword fighting in the back of Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classes," Albus calmly stated with a stern knowing look at Ron.
Ron felt a bit embarrassed as he remembered all those sword fights he had with Harry while Professor McGonagall rambled on and on about Transfiguration lessons and Hermione scowled disapprovingly at the both of them. Not that he didn't find it fun using Fred and George's fake wands during class.
"Ha… ah, I uh… I'm sorry about that," apologized a red-faced Ron. "I just felt like ever since she slapped me last night I can't seem to do anything right. Harry won't even talk to me about it. He's still barmy over me not telling him about Hermione being kidnapped. Not to mention he's not talking to Ginny and now she's angry at me for getting her boyfriend angry at her." Ron stated, and then exhaled a puff of air in frustration.
Albus, minus a comment or suggestion for Ron, dutifully signed a Ministry scroll, then shuffled the paperwork over on his desk to make room for the next scroll he had to read.
"I just, I don't know. Merlin, girls are daft and bloody mad. I don't know what she wants me to do. I felt like a right fraud the entire bloody day," Ron exasperated a bit more loudly for the Headmaster was showing almost no interest into what he was saying. "You know, I even skipped Quidditch practice and told her, get ready for this, I told her I would quit playing Quidditch to study for my NEWT exams in the library."
Ron made a horrid sour look on his face that was completely wasted on Albus; he didn't even bother to look up at him to see it.
"Can you believe that? Quit Quidditch, and do you know what her response was?"
Albus busily scratched his signature on another scroll.
Ron no longer able to hold onto the answer barked it out. "She just glanced over at me and gave this weak, too busy to care, little smile at me. Great Merlin, I totally go mental and off my rocker by offering to quit Quidditch and she doesn't even acknowledge it! How barmy is that?"
Albus, most likely sensing that he would have to make some sort of statement casually commented, "Some sacrifices are worth more than others."
Ron was a bit dumbfounded at what Albus had just said and continued to watch as the Headmaster wrote his signature on another scroll. He didn't even get to respond on what he said as he heard a soft knock on the office door behind him.
Albus commanded, "Enter" and the door magically opened to reveal the source of all his problems.
"Good evening, Headmaster. I'm sorry I'm late-" Hermione explained and then abruptly stopped as she finally noticed him sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk looking mortified.
Albus remarkably moved his attention away from the scrolls he was reading towards a now suddenly frozen Hermione standing there at the door holding a broom, feather duster, mop and a bucket. "Ah, Miss Granger, good to see you. Mr. Weasley and I were just talking about you."
Ron was flabbergasted to say the least. He just stared horrified with shock at the Headmaster for saying that to Hermione. He didn't even have the courage to look back again and see the more than likely furious look on Hermione's face.
"Oh… well I ah… I'll come back later then," Hermione quickly stuttered to the Headmaster, which completely shocked Ron that she wasn't screaming at him
"No need, Miss Granger." Albus continued with a warm knowing look on his face. "Please continue on with cleaning out my office and Ronald you can explain to me how you fail to understand what Miss Granger wants you to do."
If ever there was a moment when he normally would speak his mind, this wasn't one of them. He sat glued to the seat, face blood red in embarrassment, with a horrid expression that he couldn't possibly continue on with his discussion with Albus. That or any other discussion about his lack of a love life with Hermione; in fact, he immediately realized he would've been better off going to Hagrid or even Professor McGonagall than the cagey Headmaster.
For the next few seconds, that seemed to drag out longer than the teaching career of the ghostly Professor Binns, Ron heard nothing - short of the rapid beating of his heart. Nothing, not Hermione moving, not Hermione breathing, not even so much as the rustling of her robes as she pulled out her wand to shrink his bits off.
For whatever sick twisted reason that only a not-so great mind like Albus Dumbledore could think of, he casually broke the stalemate by suggesting to Ron that he should continue. "Ronald, my boy, so you were saying girls are daft and bloody mad and that you were at a loss why Miss Granger couldn't properly acknowledge your half-hearted attempt to quit Quidditch for her."
Ron's mouth dropped and he heard the unmistakable sound of Hermione inhaling air in anger that told him he was about to get an earful. Never had he wanted to jump on his broomstick and fly out of a bad situation so much in his life.
"Ronald… Ronald… hmm, perhaps it would help Miss Granger if you start cleaning and we can pretend that you're not in the room."
It was Hermione's turn to be embarrassed, not that it helped him in the least.
"Uh… maybe it would be better if I sweep and dust your office tomorrow."
Ron's heart may have been howling like bagpipes, but his wit was questioning why in the world would anybody sweep and dust an office if they could use magic. Something he personally hadn't done since the summer between his fourth and fifth year at Sirius' house. He could still remember the agonizing hours of manual labor that was wasted when it would've taken a few seconds if his Mum had let him used his wand instead.
"No need, Miss Granger, after all I'm quite sure if you start working that Ronald will regain his voice-"
Ron wasn't sure where Albus was heading with that line of thought, yet he knew he be better off by not being there to find out.
"I have to go," Ron hotly interrupted. "I have to uh… I have to do homework."
Ron jumped up from his seat to see Hermione standing there with a mixture of looks: anger, embarrassment, fear, and even a little bit of loss. What he should have been looking at was the obstructed path while he bolted for the door. He managed to clumsily trip on Hermione's bucket full of soapy water and grabbed out at Hermione and her mop to keep from falling. Not surprisingly, Hermione offered no strength to keep them upright even as she was unable to let go of the mop that Ron took with him to the stone floor. All she could do was shriek as she partially landed on top of his chest and the now wet soapy floor. Conversely, the broom that Hermione held in her other hand had landed hard with a jab in another section of his body that had immediately sent him crossed eyed in pain and unable to breathe.
This pandemonium promptly ended with an uproar of laughter from every Headmaster and Headmistress portrait that hung in Albus' office. Not that Ron was listening as he was busy groaning in pain from his privates being knocked on.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted in displeasure with him as she tried to get off him.
She suddenly shrieked again and landed higher up on his chest, so close in fact that he could have leaned down and kissed her if he had the use of a bag of ice to get his mind off his aching privates.
He shouted as she was having a hard time getting off him onto the soapy floor. "Hermione, clean the floor off."
"You can't! There's an Anti-magical Cleaning - agh!" Hermione shouted in outrage above the deafening background noise of laughter as she fell on top of him again.
She couldn't lift herself off him because her legs and feet couldn't grasp anything that was not slippery from the water to lever herself up with. Ron, with one hand still holding onto his aching privates, pulled out his wand and performed the Draught Charm to get rid of the soapy water. After that, he then performed the Cleaning Charm to clean up the office.
Immediately after he performed the spells, Hermione stopped trying to lift herself off his chest and instead looked straight down at him in opened mouth horror. That and the laughter from the Headmaster portraits only seemed to grow in intensity as Hermione looked away from him toward the Headmaster at his desk. For whatever reason, Ron noticed that Hermione's mind seemed to be racing as she tried to deduce logic out of the madness of them falling down onto one another. He shifted his head over to see a smirking Albus Dumbledore holding up a Ministry scroll close to his crescent moon glasses.
He then calmly spoke to Hermione, "It seems Auror Moody has received reports of Mr. Weasley's academic performance today. He has personally requested a tutor for Ronald before his upcoming examinations. Miss Granger, I'll leave this assignment to you then."
Hermione said nothing, didn't even try to get off him as she stared at the Headmaster with a incredulous look on her face.
Albus followed up with an order for them both. "I will ask that both of you perform this before the evening meals without interrupting your fellow students or the House Elves."
Ron had a feeling that the House Elves comment had something to do with Hermione and S.P.E.W. He also had a feeling that Albus already knew about their row in the Gryffindor Common room long before he even had mentioned it to him.
Hermione swiftly stood up and with the most British of voices affirmed her compliance to his orders. "Right then, good evening Headmaster."
With that Albus respectively nodded at the both of them as Hermione helped him off the floor and immediately dragged him by the arm out of the Headmaster's office. She stubbornly said nothing as she held onto his arm with a death grip and she dragged him thru the corridors, down the stairs, and straight for the 1st year Charms classroom.
After she pushed him inside he mentally told himself the next time he had a stupid theory about his life and a certain classroom or place – He would keep it to his bloody self.
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Hermione's POV:
I am such an idiot. Anti-magical Cleaning Hex my arse – why didn't I see it before? He just wanted me busy so I couldn't talk to the Elves before our evening meals. Hermione reasoned with herself as she dragged Ron into the 1st years Charms classroom.
She immediately saw the classroom was empty and performed a very nice Imperturbable Charm on the door, leaving a very nervous Ronald Weasley and her all alone.
"Hermione, I can explain," Ron said as he begged for forgiveness.
She was having none of it. "You - talked to Professor Dumbledore about us!"
"No, I mean er… yes. Harry isn't talking to me. Ginny won't talk to me, and I didn't know who else to go to," Ron reasoned with her as best as he could.
"Why didn't you come to me?" Hermione roared in contempt of his foolishness.
Ron gave her an absurd looked as he pointedly argued she was the person who he was having problems with. "You were the person I was talking about."
Hermione shook her head as she realized she had lost that point to him. She decided to move on in another direction. "Ron, why are you acting so, so - weird?"
"Me? Have you looked in the mirror lately? In case you forgot, you slapped me."
Hermione raised her hand to stop him. "About that, I want to apologize for my behavior last night. I'm still having … issues."
Ron's face crunched up in confusion as he asked, "What issues?"
She tried not to roll her eyes but even he couldn't be this simple-minded not to notice how she truly felt since Charlie's funeral.
"Charlie's death."
Ron shook his head that he understood and slowly took a seat in the front row of the classroom to listen to her.
"I've… I've been having a hard time dealing with the fact that my freedom came at a heavy price. I want you to know that if was anything I could do to trade places with Charlie – I do it in a sec-"
"Hold on, what are you on about?" Ron barked at her. "What do you mean trade places?"
Hermione gulped a little before she answered him, her body shaking a bit. "If… if I could be the one dead. I would happily switch places."
"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!" Ron retorted as he jumped up and shouted it in her face.
She tried to defend herself, but Ron never gave her a chance.
"Do you think it was supposed to be Charlie that's dead? I was walking right beside him when it happened. It should've been me!" Ron shouted as he banged on his chest to emphasize how he felt. "I'm the one who should be dead not Charlie. And you know what else, I've been thanking Merlin himself at how lucky it wasn't me."
Her mind was spinning at what Ron had just confessed and now she wanted to sit down as Ron continued to rant at her.
"I'm a right fraud, Hermione. Charlie was the brave one; I was scared silly ever since I heard you got pinched. Even after he died, Charlie was the one who told me to tackle Voldemort. I could barely think straight. Even trapped in the DeathEater camp it was you who reminded me to fight back and escape. I never would've made it out of there if it weren't for you."
Immediately she pointed out the delusion of his observation. "Ron, I was never there with you."
Ron's eyes seemed to light up as he looked worriedly over at her. She waited for him to explain and even raised an eyebrow that he better hurry about doing it.
"I… now don't act all mad at me," Ron begged. "You were there… in spirit, I ah… I felt your warm breath on the back of my neck. You know, whenever you're really close to me and you're helping me with my homework and you want me to get a move on," Ron babbled with a worried look on his face that she would think he was either lying or had lost it more than Luna Lovegood.
Hermione felt her face heat up a little bit at how Ron described some of their cozy homework sessions. She remembered that after a few of them she had to take a cold shower to keep her hormones in check.
Ron must've noticed it as his face started to turn red. "So, you see… it's uh really stupid to feel that way … you know, the way you feel, because I don't. I'm just glad it wasn't me. I know that sounds like a coward talking-"
"You're not a coward, Ron. In fact, next to Harry and my father you're the bravest man I ever met."
Her morbid guilt managed to give way to the warm smiling boyish-look that Ron was showering her with. She even felt the strength and courage to broach a resolution about their relationship.
"Ron, what are we?"
Ron's face once again bunched up in confusion as he mumbled, "Wizards."
"No Ron, what are we to each other?"
Ron smiled in understanding as he happily sat down beside her and comfortably pressed his warm, strong body against her.
"I've been hoping we'd be more than best friends."
Her body magnetically pulled toward him as she laid her head on top of his shoulders.
"Oh, so you no longer don't know anymore?" She asked in a way to remind him about what he said when he got back from the Preserve.
She could feel his hand reaching around her waist to hold her as he declared, "I knew, I just couldn't say I knew."
With that she playfully elbowed him in the stomach to remind him that he should've told her the truth in the first place.
"Okay… Yes, I know… and I should've answered truthfully. Like I said I was a bit of a coward."
Hermione leaned her head and sweetly kissed Ron on the cheek if for no other reason than to reward him for being honest with her. He immediately smiled and rested his head on top of hers.
"You know of course, I uh… I was kidding about quitting Quidditch," remarked Ron, a bit nervous that she would force him to keep his promise.
She laughed a little at how silly he was today and even mocked him with, "Hermione, I can't wait to start classes. Hermione, I can do this on my own. Let's see - Ginger root, no Graphorn."
She could feel the frown on his face as she described the ingredient he added to blow up his cauldron. Hermione lifted her head off his shoulders and decided how he could make it up to her.
"I'll let you off if you promise to buy me a St. Valentine's card tomorrow."
Inexplicably, Ron groaned at the thought of buying her a Valentine's card. He even whined against it. "Hermione, you can't be serious? I don't want to do any of that Valentine's dung."
Her eyes narrowed as her anger flared as she realized how lazy and tactless Ron could truly be. "You listen here, Ronald Weasley."
She jumped away and furiously scowled at him as she scolded, "I'm sick and tired of you not telling me how you feel about me. Draco could lie about it, yet you can even say it."
Ron eyes flashed with a wave of jealousy after she mentioned Draco's name to him. He quickly stood up to argue with her. "Haven't I done enough to show you how I feel? I never saw Draco lifting so much as his spoiled little pinky finger to prove that he loved you."
She was now more determined than ever before. "No, he never did and you know what?"
Ron barked back at her, "What?"
"All he had to do was tell me he loved me."
Ron stood there speechless. She waited and she waited some more but he simply looked like he just saw a spider. It quite simply broke her heart that the one man she truly loved couldn't even muster the courage to say three little words to her.
She turned on her heels, performed the counter spell to the Imperturbable Charm and resolutely decided to leave Ronald Weasley forever.
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Ron's POV:
"Stupid." –bang- "Stupid." –bang- "Stupid," muttered Ron banging the back of his head against the same tree by the lake that he banged his head against four months ago.
"Stop hitting the tree, it's not the tree's fault you're a stupid prat," Ginny sniped at him as she walked over to him.
"Leave me alone," growled Ron, not wanting to listen to his sister's taunts.
"Nope, I love you," bravely replied Ginny, sitting down beside him by the frozen Weeping Willow tree.
"Why?" angrily griped Ron at his sister.
Ginny punched him in the ribs before resting her head on top of his shoulder.
"You will be happy to knowmy dear brother, I got Harry to talk to me again. The git even apologized for being almost as stubborn as you."
Ron had totally forgotten about Harry and how bad he was feeling.
"How is he?" Ron inquired.
"Better… it took a while. I told him about the time Fred and George stole your swimming trunks then laugh at you when you came out of the water."
"Hey, the water was ice cold! How many times do I have to say that?"
"Whatever Twinkie," Ginny giggled at Fred and George's nickname for him.
Ron softly elbowed Ginny to stop her giggling.
"I might've ruined everything with Hermione," admitted Ron hanging his head in shame as Ginny continued to rest her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe it. I blew it before I even had a chance to finally, finally date her. I am such a loser… I should've stayed at the Preserve."
His last remarked seemed to bring out an ultimatum from Ginny. "I do not ever want to hear you say that again. In fact, I do not EVER want to hear you or anybody else in my family wanting to chase Dragons. Do I make myself clear?"
Ginny had lifted her head off his shoulder and was now waving her finger in his face as if her word was as good as Mum's on the subject.
Ron could tell from the Mum like scowl on Ginny's face that she meant what she said. Nonetheless, he was his own man and he wasn't about to listen to his little sister.
"Yeah, whatever little sis." Ron stated, maybe a bit too boldly.
Ron watched as Ginny's eye lids narrowed into angry slits. She swiftly whipped out her wand and shoved it straight underneath his chin. She then changed her scowl into a smirk as she slowly said the words she said to him before.
"I… do… not… ever… want… to… hear… you… or anybody else… in my family… wanting… to… chase… Dragons." She shoved her wand a bit deeper into his chin before finishing. "Do… I… make… myself… clear?"
Ron steady his nerves then smiled to her before he pushed her wand away from his chin. Instead of chastising her, he wisely changed the subject back to his underlying problem.
"She wanted me to give her a St. Valentine's love letter and then I tried to talk her out of it-"
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him at how he changed the subject, yet she was willing to listened to him explain what happened.
"She wouldn't have any of it. She just went barking and said that all Draco had to do was tell her how much he loved her. Lying little ferret," Ron grumbled at how easy if was for Hermione to believe in Draco. "I can't believe she'd be that naive to believe every frigging bloke that comes up to her and simply says I love you to her."
"She was, but not now," Ginny, told him with a serious look.
Ron was completely lost as to what she meant. He looked over at his little sister to see a smug, knowing look on her face.
"She'll never make that mistake again, Ron. She will never believe Draco or any other boy for that matter, that simply comes up to her and says I love you."
Ron didn't know what else to say other than, "Good, she shouldn't believe them. They're just trying to get into her pants."
Ginny nodded in agreement as she once again rested her head on top of his shoulder.
"Here's the deal, Ron. She would believe you if you said it."
Ron tried not to jump when she said that but it was like an involuntary body reflex. Ginny lifted her head off him and smiled as she further told him, "You're the only man in her life that's proven you're willing to back up what you say."
Ron now understood by what Ginny meant, though he was still at a lost on what he was going to do next.
"Ron, I never told you this, but other than Harry, I don't know anyone else who can do a comeback better than you can."
"You're mad," Ron cracked, rolling his eyes at his sister.
"Am I? Remember when we played our last Quidditch game of the season two years ago?"
Ron voiced a weak, "Yeah," not sure where Ginny was going with this.
"No one, including yourself, thought we would win the Quidditch cup. I did," Ginny smugly told him.
"That's because you're almost as good a Seeker as Harry is," Ron offered to his little sister without getting too groupie on her
"Thank you, but that still wouldn't have won us the cup. It was you, Ron, that won it for us."
Ron could only remember how frustrated he felt before that game. Almost the entire season he couldn't break loose of the feeling about just how lousy a Quidditch player he really was. Then at the last game he finally seceded that he had nothing else to lose, as the game and the cup looked out of reach so he simply started to play without fear. One save, two save and the next thing he knew he was holding up the House Quidditch cup.
"I had nothing to lose; I thought the cup was already lost. I didn't even realize we won it until after Madam Hooch blew her whistle and everyone congratulated me," Ron remarked to his little sister as he remembered the joyous feeling he had that day.
"Ron, Hermione told me that at your Welcome Back Party she thought you were walking across the dance floor to ask her to dance. She cried to me that if you had asked her to dance with you in front of everyone, then that would've been the happiest moment of her life," Ginny commented to him in a suggestive manner.
"You want me to dance with her?" Ron asked, with a confused look on his face.
Ginny's eyes immediately began to roll as she snapped, "No, you git. She wanted for you to publicly declare your love for her."
Admittedly, Ron was still a bit confused as his sister huffed out in frustration for him failing to understand what she was hinting at.
"Ron, tomorrow we have the St. Valentine's banquet." Ginny stated, a little bit annoyed that she had to give him a bigger hint. She even waved her hands out at him like she was trying to have him speak.
Ron decided to break in with a possible plan of action that Ginny was fishing for. "You want me to give her a Valentine's card during the banquet?"
Ginny whole body seemed to fall as she growled, "No, you stupid git! Tell her how much you love her!"
"Oh… wait - in front of everybody?"
"YES!"
"I'll be the laughing stock of Hogwarts," cried Ron outraged at how much teasing he would get from his fellow classmates and brothers if he did that.
Ginny flashed a knowing smirk at him before saying, "Ron she still loves you and right now you have nothing else to lose. Now get off your arse and make a comeback!"
Ron understood at last about what he had to do. He reluctantly nodded his head in agreement after realizing he didn't have a choice. He knew in his heart that she was the only girl he would ever love.
"Okay, Ginny, please go make sure Hermione shows up for the banquet."
"Good luck," Ginny offered as she stood up beside Ron and then kissed him on the cheek for luck.
:::
Harry's POV:
"Merlin, I'm lousy at this," groaned Ron after reading back to him what he wrote.
"We're going to be late. That's all you got so far?" Harry inquired, walking over to Ron sitting at a desk in the 7th year boys Gryffindor room.
"Nothing but rubbish. I'd starve to death if I had to be a romance writer," Ron griped, while looking down at the wastebasket beside his desk that was full of balled up papers of his earlier drafts.
-Pop-
"Mr. Wheezy! I have your clothes cleaned and press for you. We even lengthen the pants and patched up the holes in your shirt," explained an animated Dobby holding Ron's clothes up above his head.
"Thanks, Dobby. Can I pay you for it?" Ron offered to him, seeing that he was ready to give his last Galleon to Dobby for cleaning and altering his clothes.
"No sir, Mr. Wheezy is Dobby's friend."
"And you're mine. Thank you, Dobby," Harry added to Dobby beaming with pride, since he was more than happy to help them.
"So is Mr. Wheezy going to…he-he-he…going to ask Miss Granger to be his girlfriend? He-he-he," Dobby giggled at him while he peered over at Ron's two-foot long speech.
"Yeah, Dobby, if she will have me," Ron noted, without trying to be rude to Dobby's giggling and Harry's teasing smirk.
"He-he-he… she likes Mr. Wheezy too… he-he-he." Dobby announced with his face turning redder than some of the elf hats' he was wearing that Hermione had made.
"I hope so, because this rambling muck of a speech I wrote wouldn't convince Crabbe," Ron muttered, in contempt of his own work.
Ron started scratching through another sentence in an effort to write something romantic that made sense.
"Just be yourself, Ron, and say what your heart feels," suggested Harry.
He walked over to the door guiding Dobby along with him to give Ron some needed privacy.
Before he descended the stairs he told Ron, "I'll go down to dinner and try to stall them a little bit for you. Finish what you have and get dressed."
Ron exhaled a bit in frustration before he turned his head in his direction.
"Harry, I ah… I know you're still sore at me for not telling you about Hermione and then me leaving to find her."
Harry couldn't stop his anger from boiling to the surface even if he was on talking terms with Ron again.
"You bloody right I'm sore. I remember some git telling me that we couldn't hide stuff from one another."
Harry felt a bit pleased to see Ron looking a bit guilty as he nodded his head in agreement. Of course, he always had a problem of never being able to hate Ron for long.
"I wouldn't blame you, if you wanted to get a new Mate," Ron offered to him fearing that he might accept.
Harry knew that there was no other Best Mate for him, even if he wanted it, which he absolutely didn't. Ron may be a stubborn git, he thought, but he was a git that was willing to share his family and fight alongside him to their deaths. Therefore, to Harry, whatever else Ron was, he would first and foremost be his Best Mate. Besides, he was a good Keeper and Harry knew they were hard to find.
"No, I've decided to put you on a probationary period. If you start showing up for Quidditch practices I might even consider forgetting about your little Twinkie incident," Harry offered, even though he had no intention of forgetting about the funny and embarrassing story Ginny had told him about Ron.
"The water was ice cold," growled Ron giving him a murderous look that only made him smile even bigger.
"Whatever Twinkie, hurry it up." Harry cheeked and even Dobby giggled a bit.
Ron immediately frowned then shook his head before saying something nice to the both of them. "Thanks Harry and thanks Dobby."
"Hey, that's what Best Mates are for, to help one another." Harry replied, smiling back at him as they left.
:::
Ginny's POV:
"I swear my brother is going to be late for his own funeral," Ginny griped as she stood outside of the Great Hall waiting for Ron.
Unfortunately, the Great Hall door opened to reveal an equally flustered Professor McGonagall.
"Miss Weasley, is your brother coming or not?"
"He's coming Professor, he's just late as usual," Ginny remarked, and then turned her head when she heard someone running down the hallway toward them.
As she suspected, a disheveled Ron turned the corner dashing toward them. He immediately stopped running after he no doubt saw the stern disapproving face of Professor McGonagall.
"Mr. Weasley, after seven years of teaching you; I would think you would have had learn the importance of being on time," Professor McGonagall snapped at him, which brought out a look of trepidation from Ron.
"Sorry Professor," Ron replied, while walking up to them and straightening out his robe.
Ginny immediately noticed that his house tie was askew to the right and not tied properly.
"Honestly, Ron, can't you tie a decent knot? Give it here," Ginny barked to him, at the same time as she yanked the tie off his head.
"I was in a hurry," Ron protested, while Ginny retied his house tie on herself in a Windsor knot for Ron to wear.
"As usual," Professor McGonagall snidely pointed out. She then reached into Ron's robes and pulled out his speech.
"Professor? I just-" remarked an embarrassed Ron while Professor McGonagall pulled out her feather quill from inside her long red dress.
"Hmm. No, this paragraph won't do at all. Move this paragraph in front of this one. Oh this is good – start with this one. Ending is not too bad," stated Professor McGonagall as she magically edited Ron's speech.
The words Ron had previously written out started to fly magically off and around the paper as she ordered.
"Hmm… much better. Not bad, Mr. Weasley. I wish you would show this much passion toward your NEWTs'," Professor McGonagall commented, looking sternly at a nervous Ron.
By now Ginny had finished tying Ron's tie and had slipped it from around her neck and handed it to Ron. She even straightened it out, before shuffling his unruly red hair back into place.
"I just want to say thank you, to both of you," Ron stated in a humble tone for helping him.
"You're welcome, Mr. Weasley… Ronald," Professor McGonagall accepted as she dropped her usual formal manner to call Ron by his first name. "Now first Albus is going to give a speech to the entire school. After that you can ask Miss Granger. Now for Merlin sake, Ronald don't get upset if certain students-"
"Malfoy," Ginny interrupted with who the certain student would be that would make it tough for Ron to give his speech.
Right then and there she secretly pledged to give Draco Malfoy a Bat Bogey Hex if he so much as looked Ron and Hermione's way.
"Exactly, just ignore him and the rest. It's like playing Quidditch, Ronald. You have to ignore the crowds yelling to concentrate on what is at hand and you will do fine," Professor McGonagall coached him, because Ron looked nervous and sweaty.
"One other thing, I thought you might want to wear this again. A knight in shining armor must never forget his shield," Professor McGonagall stated as she pulled out a shiny gold Gryffindor Prefect badge.
She didn't even wait for Ron's response as she pinned it onto Ron's robe.
"Ah…thank you, Professor," Ron replied, looking a bit stunned to see the Gryffindor Prefect badge on his robe again.
"Now remember, Ronald wait till after Albus' speech and good luck," Professor McGonagall finished, and then reached over to hug Ron for support.
Ginny followed Professor McGonagall with her own hug for Ron as she gave him a final look over.
Not bad, now for Merlin's sake - don't screw this up you prat. Ginny thought to herself as she warmly smiled at her brother.
:::
Ron's POV:
Ron inhaled a deep breath before entering the Great Hall behind Professor McGonagall and his sister. He probably shouldn't have looked around to see everyone impatiently waiting for him seeing that none of their food had been magically served. In fact, the only person not to stare impatiently at him was Hermione. She was pointedly staring away from him in the direction of the Head Table. Ron had nervously walked over to the Gryffindor table to take his usual seat beside Hermione. Upon sitting down, Professor Dumbledore stood up to gain everyone's attention.
"We are gathered here tonight to partake in Hogwarts Annual St. Valentine's Day banquet, but before we start feeding ourselves. I wish to say a few words about love."
Some of the younger girls throughout the Great Hall started to giggle and excitedly talk with one another, while some of the younger boys softly moaned.
"Love is a splendid thing to have, this we all know. However, years of experience have taught me that there are indeed two different types of love, True and False Love. False Love can be compared to the allure of the Dark Arts." Professor Dumbledore stated to everyone and then hesitated after mentioning Dark Arts to see the sudden interest of Professor Snape.
"The Dark Arts and False Love can hold sway over our hearts and minds. They falsely promise us with whatever our heart desires: power, respect, caring, understanding, and even love. In the end, we are left with none of these. We are left instead with tears and pain for foolishly believing in False Love and the Dark Arts."
Ron looked over at Professor Snape dropping his gaze from Professor Dumbledore to his empty dinner plate. He could tell from the look of regret on Professor Snape's face that his plate wasn't the only thing that was empty. He also managed to glance over toward her Draco Malfoy sitting at the Slytherin table totally bored with Professor Dumbledore's speech. Finally, he looked forward to see Hermione listening to every word Professor Dumbledore had said.
"Then there is True Love in contrast. True Love can come in many forms. We have True Love of sacrificing and caring from a parent."
Ron looked over the table to see Harry thinking about his Mum and Dad.
"We have here today the True Love of teaching that all of the people on this side of the table share."
Ron watched as Professor Snape flashed a sneer toward Harry and him, proving he would never hold that love for them.
"Finally, we have True Love between two people. They will know each other completely with their faults, their weakness, and their strengths. Knowing all this they still unconditional pledge their love toward one another. It's truly a remarkable thing to see and worthy of the greatest magical spell that we can ever create. For we all have made mistakes and we are all with faults."
Professor Dumbledore hesitated for a second to look directly at Hermione.
"Bossiness, pride, arrogance, a competitive nature that borders on fanatical obsession to be the best, and a streak of stubbornness that I would wager Hogwarts has never seen so much since it was founded."
Ron listened to Hermione softly gulp before he turned his gaze back toward Professor Dumbledore. However, he had to smirk to himself that Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Lavander, Parvati, as well as much of the Gryffindor table were all looking straight at Hermione.
It was short-lived as Professor Dumbledore gazed down his crescent moon glasses toward him.
"Then there are those that contain faults that some would say was rude, lazy, prideful, tactless, argumentative, and equally as stubborn."
Ron suddenly didn't feel like smirking after Albus had said that. In fact, he was feeling uncomfortable as everyone around him except Hermione was staring directly at him. As if on instinct his hand reached out underneath the table to grab and hold Hermione's hand. It was a bit reassuring to feel her warm comforting hand wrapping around his. Even though she continued to look forward at Professor Dumbledore, he could tell by her shoulder and arm pulling backward that she wanted to hold his hand as much as he wanted to hold her's.
"In spite of our individual faults and weakness, True Love can embrace it with understanding and caring. Thus an unbreakable bond will be forged that can withstand the fires of disagreement and the coldness of time apart. So let us all raise our goblets on St. Valentine's Day to celebrate True Love. The one love worth having."
Professor Dumbledore lifted his gold emerald and ruby encrusted goblet along with all the Professors, and students except Ron and Hermione who were still holding hands underneath their table.
"To True Love!"
"True Love! Here, here."
Ron watched as Hermione turned around in her seat to look directly at him. She was wearing a mixture of looks for him: desire, regret, and love. He smiled to her before wiping a tear that was running down her face with his thumb.
:::
Ginny's POV:
"Now is there anyone who wishes to say anything before we eat?" Professor Dumbledore offered on cue as he was looked over at Hermione and Ron still gazing at one another.
Ginny sitting beside a smiling Harry had to stoop down almost completely underneath the Gryffindor table in order to kick Ron to gain his attention.
"Ow," Ron moaned, breaking his love trance with Hermione to look around to see who kicked him.
"Anybody at all that wishes to say something?" stated Professor Dumbledore again, a bit annoyed with Ron for not speaking up already.
Ron realizing it was his turn to say something stood up and respectfully nodded at the Headmaster. The Headmaster with a comfortable small smile playing across his face retook his seat in his high chair.
:::
Hermione's POV:
To Hermione's confusion and then to her sheer amazement, Ron went down on a single knee as he removed a paper from his robe whilst everyone was watching them. Not only that, but he was wearing a Gryffindor Prefect badge and a clean school uniform. Unfortunately, by the time she figured out what Ron was going to do she couldn't stop crying. She couldn't even stop her heart from racing as she watched a dashing Ronald Weasley on his knee talking to her.
I love him, Hermione reflected, seeing that she was having a hard time hearing and thinking on what he was saying because a flood of True Love had swept over her.
:::
Ron's POV:
"Now is there anyone who wishes to say anything before we eat?" suggested Professor Dumbledore as Ron was still staring with regret and love at Hermione's soft chocolate brown eyes.
A strong kick suddenly hit him in his lower leg.
"Ow," Ron snapped, breaking his gaze from Hermione to look over the table to see his sister rising up into her seat and motioning for him to get up.
"Anybody at all that wishes to say something?" Professor Dumbledore declared with a bit of irritation in his voice.
Bloody hell. Relax and just read off the paper. After all it's not like my fate depends upon this – yeah right, Ron thought to himself as he timidly stood up.
He respectfully nodded to Professor Dumbledore before going down on a knee before a speechless Hermione. He pulled out his edited speech then took a deep breath. Finally, he gave one last look up at Hermione to see even more tears rolling down her face.
"Hermione, please don't do that. I'll never be able to finish this," Ron softly begged her.
He looked down at his paper to orate what he wrote, "Hermione I have a confession-"
"We can't hear you!" screamed a girl from the direction of the Hufflepuff table.
"I have a confession!" Ron rudely snapped in her direction before he mentally scolded himself not to listen to anyone else and focus on his speech.
"For the last few years I've loved my best friend. She is beautiful, brave, caring, and someone I dearly want to be a boyfriend too. In spite of this, I never had the courage to ask her out for fear of losing her life trusting friendship. Our friendship survived throughout the years with crazy adventures, hardships, arguments, disagreements, misunderstandings, and even lies. This friendship is like no other and to idly dismiss it as just another normal friendship a person has with another person is to totally disregard how important it is for me.
My problem is that there is more than just this incredible friendship that we share. You see as much as I stupidly screw up or try to run away from it, I can't help but feel something more than friendship toward you. The truth is Hermione Granger - I love you."
Ron paused to breathe again as a lot of girls started a wave of awing at him.
"It's amazing really. I love you when you nag at me for not doing my homework. I even love you when you boss me around during our endless tours of Prefect Patrols. I love you when you complain at me for breaking curfew to sneak down to the kitchen to grab a late night snack."
The Great Hall broke out in laughter as Professor McGonagall was knowingly shaking her head that she doesn't approve of his late night kitchen raids. All the while, Professor Dumbledore was softly chuckling by her side. Ron determined to stay focused continued on with his speech.
"I love you even when you fight for lost causes!" Ron shouted over the laughter of his fellow students. "I even loved you when I caught you in the arms of another."
"Haha-ha! What a pathetic loser! She wasn't even-" Draco chuckled aloud from the Slytherin table behind him.
"Engorgio vespertilio!" Ginny shouted after she quickly jumped up from her seat and pointed her wand toward Draco.
Ron noticed a brown magical spell shoot from Ginny's wand, over his head and straight toward Draco.
"AAGGHH!" Draco hollered as small brown bogeys came out of his nose and enlarging into flying bats that attacked him.
"Even then I still loved you!" Ron shouted, determined to continue in spite of the noise and distraction around him.
"Miss Weasley!" shouted an angry Professor McGonagall.
"It hurt me so much that I didn't ever want to live here anymore without your love! That's why tonight-"
"Get them off me! You'll pay… you'll all pay! AAGGHHH!" Draco swore, while being attacked by numerous brown bat-bogeys as he retreated out of the Great Hall for safety.
"-Hermione, I want to publicly declare my love for you!"
The commotion in the Great Hall had finally simmered down and everyone went back to listening to his speech to Hermione.
"My problem is I don't know how to be this great and wonderful boyfriend that you deserve. I'm poor, clueless most of the time, prideful, not that really good looking, nor am I famous. To the day I die and no matter what I do - I'll always be remembered as Harry's best friend and sidekick.
Now, I've grown up a little to realize that wealth and fame don't matter. It's love, True Love that's worth having. Therefore, I can live with being called Harry's funny, poor sidekick if I can still have your love and respect. I want you to know, that I will always be there by your side.
I can promise you this; you will never find anyone else who will gladly fight Dragons, Vampires, Death Eaters, and Dark Lords for your love. I have and I will, because I love you."
Ron inhaled what might be his last breath, and felt his last heartbeat before asking.
"Even after doing all of that, I know in my heart that you deserve better than I could possibly ever offer. But Hermione what I'm trying to say is," Ron stated, and then he paused. Instead of continuing he wiped away the tears from Hermione's face with his hands. Then she had reached out and held onto his right hand forcing him to give up wiping her tears from her cheek. He reluctantly went back to his speech.
"Hermione Jane Granger, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"
The Great Hall was oddly silent to him as everybody including himself, waited for Hermione's response. It didn't help that his stomach was twisting into knots and he had an urge to throw up from the fear of her saying no. In fact, he didn't know how much longer he could hold out.
:::
Ginny's POV:
As Ginny watched Hermione just set there with a stupid teary-eyed goofy lovesick look on her face she knew she had to act. She once again had to stoop down almost completely underneath the Gryffindor table in order to kick Hermione to gain her attention.
"Y..Yes! Yes!" shrieked a happy Hermione coming to life as she threw her arms around Ron's neck and swooped down to kiss him.
Ginny radiantly smiled as she told Harry that if this kept up she would have to charge a service for kicking people to gain their attention. He laughed in agreement as he bent down and planted a deep sensual kiss of celebration on her. She immediately rejoiced from his kiss by thinking how she could have more of a private celebration with him later that night.
:::
Ron's POV:
Ron happily couldn't remember anything after the smoldering kiss he had with Hermione. To his surprise Harry told him afterwards that he received a standing ovation from the entire school, even a good many students from the Slytherin table.
The one part he did remember was that she had finally said yes and it brought out a huge smile on his face.
"Ron… Ron! Snap out of it you prat!" Ginny warned with her hands waving across his face.
"Hermione wanted me to remind you that you have a Prefect Patrol tonight," Ginny smugly informed him and seemed to be in a hurry for him to leave Harry and her alone.
"Tonight! I just got the badge back less than an hour ago."
It didn't seem to matter to Ginny as she started pushing him toward the Gryffindor tunnel entrance.
"Aw Merlin! Fine," Ron griped, and then unenthusiastically started moving under his own power to walk out of the Gryffindor Common room.
He once again had to prepare himself to doing a long boring patrol with Mrs. Norris or Mr. Filch. Something he was more than happy to give up the first time around when he gave away his badge.
Ron grudgingly walked out the Fat Lady portrait to see a tabby looking Norwegian Cat patiently waiting for him in the hallway.
"Yeah I know, let's go," muttered Ron hanging his head down as he started to patrol the empty halls.
"You're late, Mr. Weasley," stated a familiar voice briskly walking down the hallway to join him.
Ron turned his head around to see the smiling face of Hermione walking straight up to him to kiss him on the lips.
"Hermione, where have you been? You took off after dinner," Ron stated, even though he was smiling back at his new girlfriend.
"Let's see, I had to re-write the Prefect Patrol with you now in it. I then worked out a study schedule for you that include your Quidditch practice time, Prefect Patrols, and-" Hermione explained to Ron as they started walking the patrol together.
"What… wait a minute, you mean to tell me I now have a schedule?" Ron interrupted, stopping in the middle of the hall to scowl at a smiling Hermione.
"Yes, but I'll help you Ron," Hermione offered with her hand wrapping around his.
"Bugger," Ron moaned, firmly holding onto her hand for support. "Hermione, I have a lot of Quidditch practices that I need to make up. Not to mention, I'm way behind in NEWTs'. "
"Yes, I know. I'm going to help tutor you before and after your practices."
Ron raised his other hand to point out something to Hermione, but she immediately cut him off with the answer.
"Don't worry, I scheduled some free time for you to play Wizard's Chess with Harry."
Ron lowered his hand and hesitantly smiled his agreement that he would do it.
"And Ron, from now on I always want you to tell me your true feelings, your plans, your dreams-" Hermione requested, while wearing a loving, pleading look on her face.
"Oh okay, I've always had this dream of you stripping in front of me while singing Weasley is my King." Ron cheeked at her with a suggestive smile.
He even took the liberty to gaze up and down her body, ravishing every second of it.
"You are such a pig," Hermione scathed, but Ron could tell from the pink blush on her face that she wasn't offended that much.
This was a bit of a surprise to him, even more so that they were standing right outside of their 1st year's Charms classroom. It must've been their raging hormones as Ron tilted his head toward the door and Hermione immediately understood what he was suggesting. She gently pulled him inside and closed the door behind them leaving Mrs. Norris standing outside.
:::
Argus Filch's POV:
"There you are my pretty," Argus said, walking up to his cat, Mrs. Norris, outside a Charms classroom.
"Weasley is our King, Weasley can save anything, he never leaves a single ring, that's why Gryffindors all sing: WEASLEY…IS…MY…KING!"
"What the… agh not that bloody rotten song. I can't stand to hear another minute of it. Come my pretty, maybe we can find some students trying to sneak into the kitchen."
The END!