✰ say so ✰

The Woes Of Valentines Day/ Romione

There were a long list of really amazing things about being Ron Weasley's girlfriend; however, Hermione thought with a sigh, Valentine romance was apparently not on that list. She had been more than a little thrilled when she discovered that Valentine's Day would coincide with a Hogsmeade weekend and one of Ron's rare weekends off from training. Now, Hermione had always prided herself in not succumbing to what she had frequently referred to as a "rubbish consumeristic excuse for a holiday", but she hated to admit that this year was different.

In fact, many things that she had previously scoffed at were now commonplace. She wrote Ron horribly sentimental letters, referred to him frequently in conversation: My boyfriend always says, or Well, my boyfriend and I..., kissed him in the presence of other people, and all without feeling an ounce of shame. It wasn't surprising then, that she had spent the last month envisioning a day filled with tea at Madame Puddifoots, heart shaped confections, and passionate kisses. The scenario that she had played over and over in her mind usually ended in them abandoning their tea in favor of a more private location. They had not talked about it in their letters, but she couldn't help but hope that he had made arrangements for a room, one with a large bed and if there were a few rose petals and candles scattered about what would that hurt?

So far the day had consisted of a trip to Tomes and Scrolls, where she did finally buy a small stack of new books when it became obvious Ron was not in a hurry; a visit to Scrivinshafts where Ron acquired a new quill that was suggested to the new recruits as every Auror's favorite. They had not so much as paused at Madame Puddifoots, and now she was beginning to wonder if there might be something wrong.

Maybe it was nothing. To be perfectly honest she had never seen Ron get excited about Valentine's Day in the past, they had joked about it many times over the years when the rest of the students seem to go quite mad. Even in sixth year he had not, much to her delight at the time, even gotten Lavender a card or a gift, Oh, honestly, are you still grinning about that? The poor girl had been devastated, weeping on Pavarti's shoulder about it until the wee hours!

Oh, well, as long as they were together she guessed that the rest just didn't matter. She decided to enjoy the remainder of the day even if it didn't live up to some silly expectation. As they walked through the crowded street, she gripped his hand just a little tighter.

"Hermione?"

"Hm?"

"You alright?"

"Yes, of course! Why do you ask?" She stopped and looked up at him, praying that her poor attitude had not hurt his feelings.

"Well, I just wanted today to be what you wanted and I...well I'm usually rubbish at this so I tried to remember everything we talked about."

"Well, I just wanted today to be what you wanted and I...well I'm usually rubbish at this so I tried to remember everything we talked about."

She unfolded it, still perplexed, until she saw Valentine's Day...Brilliant or Barmy? in Ron's large sloping hand with a neatly printed chart in her own hand beneath.

"Ron? I can't believe...you kept this!! When did we make it? Fourth year? Fifth?"

Tears blurred her vision as she examined the list they had made together, laughing in the common room as so many of their fellow Gryffindors were entranced by Valentine mania. There among the entries in the "Brilliant" category were "Buying New Books","Shopping for Quills" ,"Candies at Honeydukes (as long as they aren't heart shaped); while under the "Barmy" column were "Madame Pudifoots", "Ridiculous Love Poems", and "Wasting Galleons on Cupid Themed Atrocities". How could she have forgotten?

"At first when I found out I would get to see you this weekend, I started planning all sorts of barmy things...drove myself mental trying to think of a way to make it perfect for you," he paused, looking more than a little embarrassed, "but then I got a letter from Dad and he said that I shouldn't worry so much, that I knew you better than anyone else did, that I would know what you would like to do....that's when I remembered that we had already planned the perfect day."

"Honestly, any day that I get to spend with you is as perfect as I will ever need," she reached up with her free hand and cupped his cheek, rosy from the chilly wind.

"I feel the same way, you know that don't you?"

"I do, but there is something YOU need to know."

"My list may have changed since fourth year," she whispered into his ear, "But you'd have to dig deeper to find out how."

Ron growled his reply, "Good thing I reserved a room in a prestigious hotel, then."

"Then why in the name of Merlin are we standing here?"

***

Hours later Hermione rolled over to find Ron padding across the rented room, "Not that I don't appreciate the view, but what in the world are you doing out of this bed?"

"Sorry, had a little updating to do," he flashed her a cheeky grin as he bent over the desk, brandishing his new quill.

"Hope I didn't make the barmy list."

"Guess you'll just have to look and see,"

Hermione bounded across the room, as starkers as her boyfriend, to find that he had written RED LACE KNICKERS in large block letters at the bottom of the brilliant column. She grabbed the quill and added her own entry: STAYING IN BED TOGETHER ALL DAY.

Without another word, Ron, scooped her up and took them both back to bed, because really, who was he to disappoint his Valentine?

(Sooo That was quite a long run!!he h3)