Hermione woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. Ron was still next to her, asleep in his Chudley Cannon's jersey and boxers. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off him. Sure, they had shared kisses several times. But, this one seemed different. It was as if some long-forgotten desire had actualised right within her heart.

Hermione stepped out of the bed in her negligee and advanced towards the kitchen, still rubbing her eyes in disbelief. She had loved Ron since fourth year, but never once had she thought that that childhood infatuation would bring her this far. Never once had she thought that she'll wake up one morning, only to see Ron sleeping next to her.

As she stirred her espresso in her coffee-stained Minions Mug, she was greeted by a slight scuffling inside her room. Hermione stared at her clock in wonder. 6 a.m. and Ron was awake! She slid her mug onto her kitchen slab and dashed inside, only to see Ron rummaging through the contents of her refrigerator.

"Good morning, Ron." She asked inquisitively, hoping to startle him. He, however, replied equally smoothly.

"Good morning, Hermione. I was just searching for the Tropicana."

"Oh," Hermione squeezed her eyes in incongruity. "Weren't you allergic to Tropicana?"

Ron shut the door of the refrigerator and looked at her, "I do not remember so."

Hermione bit her lip. Alright, so this was Ron. Not some two-penny outsider pretending to be the gold-laureate. Hermione flipped her bushy hair behind and wrapped it in a lousy bun. She had to tell him the reason for her acumen. She had to tell him that he was not the person she knew.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about." She slipped onto the bed. Ron sat on one of the Aeron chairs and set his eyes on her.

"You're welcome, Hermione."

She bit her lip in frustration. How was she going to tell that to him?

"It's just that you have been acting quite......odd lately."

Ron didn't take his eyes off her. They stared directly into hers.

"I mean, not that you always weren't," Hermione rushed with her words. "But you have been behaving like a true gentleman lately. It is as if you have received some sort of 'enlightenment'. The Ron I knew would fidget before the camera, gulp down everything in vicinity and walk like a-"

"Wimp?" Ron offered. Hermione nodded reticently.

Ron stiffened his chest and shuffled with feet. But, his eyes never got mixed up. He stared straight at Hermione.

"Is this 'difference' a good difference?" Ron asked her tentatively. Hermione didn't take long to ponder.

"Yes, Ronald. It is an incredible difference." She flashed him a sparkling grin. "I mean, the purpose of a partner is to work on the flaws of her intended one. If that particular person has begun working on them already, without her involvement and with only her presence, there couldn't be anything better."

Ron stiffly nodded, and beamed at her, "Then, Miss Granger, say hello to the new Ronald Weasley.

............................................****.......................................

Who knew that Granger would be such a great kisser?

As Draco brushed his teeth, he struggled to recollect memories of the last night. He was drunk, alright. Hermione was not. Why did she approach him and smooched him right away? She had suspected him. Yet, she smacked his lips.

Draco rinsed his mouth. Granger was one clever witch to date. He had to take every step after thinking thrice, and unfortunately, he didn't have time for this.

"Ron!" Hermione ran to him with a roll of inked paper in her hands. Her cheeks were puffy with excitement and her eyes shone with ecstasy.

Draco was compelled to smile. The first edition of the new Daily Prophet was to be released today, and there Granger held it in her hands, the product of her years of diligence.

"Of course, Hermione." He wiped his face on the blue hand-towel and held the paper. "Congratulations!"

Hermione gave him a huge smile. "Thank you, Ron! You won't believe how tough it was, sorting out one out of the thirty-seven reports I get for every piece of news." She massaged her shoulders tiredly.

"Would you mind giving it a read?" She looked at him pleadingly.

"Why, of course not!" Draco grinned at her and took it to the dining hall to read.

As he skimmed through the reports, he realized that there were so many things that he needed to know. Sirius Black's innocence, The new Wizarding Laws issued by the Wizengamot, Kingsley Shacklebolt's vistas on the Blood Status et cetera et cetera.

After several minutes of isolation with the ivory sheets drenched in words, Draco's eyes fumbled to a tiny column headed with the huge initials of 'important'. He perused it.

As an addition made to the statement of Minister Shacklebolt, the last date of the submission of the time-turners shall be this very day of the following week. The reason behind this postponement of the deadline is a particular research facility issued by the Wizengamot."

Draco wasn't sure if he should dance with joy, or shrink with fear. Why would the Ministry want to defer the date of the return of the time-turners? What 'research' did it want to carry out? On the brighter side, he still had about a week to obtain the time-turner, which, according to him, wouldn't be an escapade.

"Why are you smiling, Ron?" Hermione eyed him warily.

"Just finding my enjoyment in your happiness, Hermione."