It's a little different than most of my stuff, but kinda cute. Anyway, it's at least good to write. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not even the pairing, this time.
It's Harry and Ginny's wedding reception, and it's been a long time coming.
Hermione comes into the room, shyly glancing around. She knows he'll be here. Of course he'd be here.
She catches a glimpse of him across the room.
Wow, he looks amazing.
Ron wonders how long it's been since they've seen each other. He knows she'll be here. Of course she'll be here.
He feels eyes on him and turns slowly.
She's breathtaking.
The moment seems to freeze as they cross the room to each other. It's in slow motion, each step just as crucial as the last. Neither quite remembers to breathe.
"Hi." Ron curses himself for the slight crack in his voice. He was pretty sure he was older than that now.
"Hey." Why does she have to sound so much like a little girl with him?
"How are things?" The awkward laugh. They hadn't meant to say it together.
Then again, we always did say things together.
She shakes her head to clear the thoughts.
"Things are good," she says clearly, hopefully even articulately.
"Me too," he says, a little more confidently.
"So where's..." Hermione trails, forgetting her name.
"Somewhere else," he responds. Far from me, wherever that is.
"So what happened?" She hopes she looks concerned.
He shrugs. "Just didn't work out."
"Yeah, common problem," she says.
"And yours?" The bitterness doesn't hide well.
"As I said, common problem," she repeats, a small smile forming in her eyes.
"I see," he says.
A slow song starts. A familiar song. She cringes almost noticeably. Of course.
For a tense few seconds that drag on for hours, no one speaks. She's looking anywhere but him. He's studying her face, wondering.
Then, almost imperceptibly, his hands are lightly on her hips. Her arms are just barely draped over his shoulders. They're moving.
"It's been weird without you."
She wonders if he's learned to read her thoughts in the time they've been away.
She holds him a little tighter, saying nothing.
"It's almost like we never left," he adds, just tilting his head to breathe in the scent of her hair.
"Like we shouldn't have, anyway," she says, so quietly he almost doesn't hear.
"Why did we, anyway?" he asks.
"I don't remember now," she says.
"All I really remember is my trunk just about flogging me in my head as I walked out."
"Yeah," she says. "You ducked."
He chuckles.
"Harry and Ginny look so happy together, don't they?"
That could've been us.
"Yeah, they do," he says.
A moment passes absorbed in their thoughts.
"Do you ever wonder..." Her voice trails.
"All the time," he says.
Her breath catches in her throat. They continue dancing.
Their song ends sooner than either had hoped.
Why didn't we choose a longer song back then?
"Well," she says.
"Yeah," he says. "We'd better get to mingling, huh?"
"Yeah."
It's another tense moment. They haven't quite let go.
His hands slowly, almost painfully, release her.
"That felt wrong."
She lowers her head. "I'm sorry," she says quickly. "We didn't have to..."
His fingers on her lips quiet her.
"No, not the dance," he says.
She tilts her head, confused.
"The letting go."
She releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Oh."
Another moment passes as he studies her.
She smiles a shy smile. "You know, we didn't have to..."
He smiles, bringing her back into his arms.
"Good."
Yeah. Very good.
A/N: Like I said, not quite what I normally write. Let me know what you think anyway. Please?