Hermione expected her first kiss to knock her off her feet, for the world to spin; however, before any of this could happen, Ron had shoved Draco backwards.

“You filthy piece of slime!” Ron roared, whipping his wand up to Malfoy’s face.

“Stop, stop!” Hermione cried and shoved the two apart. “Ronald, leave, now!”

His face was bright red and his hair was tousled; however, Hermione’s words seemed to reach the better part of his conscious. He reluctantly nodded and lowered his wand.

After he’d stormed out of the room, Hermione turned to Malfoy. “What was that?”

“Normally, we’d call it a snog.”

“All right, let me rephrase that. Why?”

“Why not?”

“Because you hate me, and I hate you.”

“It was just acting.”

“Was it?” hissed Hermione, glaring at him.

“Yes. And look, it got Ickle Ronniekins jealous. Isn’t that why you brought him?”

“No,” she replied through gritted teeth. “He came willingly.”

“Because you told him we had to kiss.”

“Because he wanted to support me.”

“Mmhmm,” he answered sarcastically, at the door to leave. “Support. Right.”

After he was gone, Hermione slowly picked up her things and headed to the Common Room.

….

Once the portrait had closed, Hermione automatically found Ron sulking, sitting in a chair by the fire.

“Hey,” she said softly. “Listen, I'm really sorry about that. We hadn’t even practiced the kiss before… he was just trying to make you mad.”

“I don’t care.”

“Of course you don’t. That’s why you won’t look at me.” She got down on her knees and looked him up in the eyes. “Malfoy is a prat, all right? We all know it. He knows it… his own mum probably even knows it.”

Ron laughed a little, despite his anger. Finally, his eyes met hers and he sighed. “’Mione… Did… did… never mind.”

“What?” she asked, pulling herself up a little to be closer to his height.

“Did you… Did you enjoy it?”

“Oh, yes. I loved giving my first kiss away to Malfoy.”

“He was your first kiss?” Ron asked, shaking his head a little. “You know it doesn’t count, right? Not unless you meant it.”

“I didn’t,” she sighed.

Ron bit his lip and rested his hand on Hermione’s face. He leaned just in a little and she didn’t pull back. Her eyes were wide and she looked a little shocked, but as their faces came closer, her expression relaxed.

They were just about to kiss when Harry entered the room.

….

“You didn’t come in on anything,” Ron snapped at Harry for what felt like the hundredth time. “I was just whispering something to her.”

“To her lips? Right, anyway… Just, I'm really sorry, all right, mate? I know you and Hermione have had something going on for a while now…”

“We haven’t,” denied Ron shortly, but as he said that, his insides squirmed. He wasn’t even sure if he and Hermione had something. Their relationship was so complex. One minute they’d be laughing and enjoying each other’s company, and just seconds later they’d be yelling so fierce that they’d start pulling out their own (if not each other’s) hair.

Ron knew that he loved Hermione… he just didn’t know if he was in love with her.

Nevertheless, there remained the fact that shocked them both: she didn’t pull back.

….

By this point Hermione was more than confused. Draco had kissed her, though he said he was just acting. He had plenty of other techniques to make Ron mad. Why use this one?

“Because it made you mad, too,” Malfoy said when she asked him later at rehearsal.

“Did not.”

“Did too, or you wouldn’t be asking me about this.” He sighed and pulled her aside, away from overhearing ears. “We needed to work on the kiss. You needed to get Weasley to notice you, and he needed a reason to show that he cared. Ta da! We all win. The play is in less than two weeks. While we’re acting, you need to forget all of this, okay? It’ll affect us both if you don’t.”

They went back to center stage just in time for Dumbledore to enter. Everyone took a seat and the Headmaster smiled.

“You have all come far in this production… I cannot express how happy and proud that makes me. Now, the play is in less than two weeks. I have new schedules to hand out that address dress rehearsals, times, and other important factors… I just wanted to stop by to tell you how much this means to me, and to Hogwarts. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up in front of your classmates.”

“Or persuasion,” Hermione heard Draco snigger. She shot him a glare and then tried to turn back into the Headmaster’s speech, but it was over. Sighing, she stood up and prepared for another run-through.

Hermione was more nervous that she should’ve been. She wished that the Headmaster wasn’t watching.

“Charlie, what are we supposed to do?” she cried, flinging herself away from Draco. “Your dad would kill you if he knew that we were together.”

“And I'm supposed to care?” he asked, grabbing Hermione’s arm and pulling her closer. “You’re the only one that’s ever been important to me. I love you.”

“I love you too, Charlie.”

As he leaned in, she got butterflies all over again. Everyone was watching… but she didn’t care about that. She was nervous… just nervous to be kissed.

Their lips met, and nothing else mattered.