The morning after Ron finds the courage to tell Hermione how he feels. Based on Elbow's "One Day Like This"
The characters belong to JK xRon came awake quickly from a deep sleep and groaned. Why did his head ache? Why did the sun that managed to peek through a crack in the curtain make his eyes hurt, even when they hadn't even opened yet? Why was his brain attempting to piece together what happened last night when he was barely awake? Something was definitely trying to make itself known and whatever it was, it was important. He needed to lie still for a moment and try to work out what had woken him.
He stretched, well attempted to. As he tried to move he found that he couldn't. Something ... someone was nestled into him and as he moved, they groaned ever so quietly and snuggled in closer to him.
And all of a sudden everything came back to Ron.
Had he really drunk that much fire whisky last night? It seemed like such a good idea at the time. The remembrance service for Fred had been too sombre for Georges liking and he had insisted that they crack open the butter beers and fire whisky as soon as the family returned to the Burrow. After a few drinks, the family started retelling stories of Fred and Georges antics over the years. Laughter, tears and alcohol were soon flowing freely.
But eventually, one by one, members of the family admitted defeat and drifted off to any bed they could find. Soon there was just Ron, Hermione, Mr and Mrs Weasley and George left. Mr Weasley, the most sober, had begun to make noises about George going to bed, but George kept declaring his love for everyone in the room. He was currently leaning on Ron's shoulder.
"You know I love you don't you Ron?"
"Yeah, n I love you too George" the two men lent drunkenly into each other.
"It dunt matt ... matter wha'ever pranks me n Fred played on you over the years. We loved you. Fred loved you, yeah?"
"Yeah, I know" Ron attempted to pat his brother on the back but failed miserably.
"I decided, I'm gunna tell my family I love em Ron, cos you never know. I loved Fred bu' I dunno if I ever told him enough. You know wha' I'm sayin' Ron?"
"Yeah George, I know wha' you're sayin'" Ron nodded his head drunkenly.
"Na! Na! Idunt think you do Ronniekins" Georges head was swaying side to side and waggling his finger in front of Ron's nose. "You got to tell her."
Ron found himself sobering up ever so slightly. He peered over the top of Georges shoulder to Hermione, who was helping his Mum gather up the empty bottles and glasses off the kitchen table. He could feel the start of a blush.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Tell her!" George was getting louder now. "You got to tell Hermione how you feel about her. You don't know wha's gunna happen. You could be gone" He waved the hand that wasn't holding onto Ron dramatically in the air "POOF! Jussss like tha' n she wouldn't know!"
Ron caught Hermione's eye. He could feel the blush spreading. How could she have failed to have heard what George was saying? He could see she was blushing too but there was a small smile catching at the side of her lips.
"Um! Yeah... OK George" Ron felt the blush warm him all the way through now. But Georges words and the fire whisky had helped him make a decision. He suddenly decided he needed to talk to Hermione.
"C'mon George!" Arthur slipped his arm around his sons shoulder and guided him towards the stairs. "I think it's time you headed to bed. George willingly allowed his father to point him in the stairs. George waved his hand towards everyone left behind in the kitchen.
"Nigh'!" he called back to the room "I love you!"
The family called back "Night!" and "Love you too!" as Arthur helped George negotiate the stairs. But before he disappeared completely, George managed to stick his head back round the corner and call out to Ron.
"Tell her!"
Ron smiled and nodded at George, then pushed himself away from the wall. The need to talk to Hermione was building inside him. George was right. He needed to tell her.
"Hermione?" Hermione looked up from the tray where she was placing glasses. "Will you come outside with me? I..." Ron found that the need to tell Hermione how he felt suddenly being drowned out by nerves. But then Hermione smiled at him.
"Come on then" and she led the way to the door.
Before Ron knew it he found himself outside with Hermione. The cool evening air appeared to clear his head. He found himself looking at Hermione who was staring up at the sky.
"Beautiful aren't they?"
"Huh?"
"The stars" Hermione pointed upwards. "Beautiful." Ron glanced skywards for a moment before looking back at her.
"Yeah" he said with a sigh, then found himself saying "But not as beautiful as you." Where had that come from? He expected Hermione to reply in the negative, but instead he saw the small smile he had seen in the kitchen appearing again. Ron felt himself reaching out to catch Hermione's hand in his own.
"Hermione?"
"Mmmm?"
"George, tonight, he was a bit drunk wasn't he?"
"You could say that." Hermione giggled.
"But I do think he was making a lot of sense. Hermione... Look at me ..." Ron took a deep breath. She stopped looking at the stars and turned to Ron.
"Yeah, you know. When he was saying we should tell people that we love them. Being friends with Harry has shown me that you never know what's going to happen. We might not have come out of that battle alive. I mean we lost so many. We lost Fred. And the chance we had to tell him how we all feel, it's gone."
"I'm sure he knew Ron."
"I know that but we never told him..." He couldn't avoid the moment any longer. It was here. "I ...I need to tell you Hermione. I love you"
Hermione's smile broadened ever so slightly. And before she reached up to kiss him she replied
"I love you too."
HPHPHPHPHPHPHP
Ron found himself lying in bed, smiling at the memories of last night and gazing down at his girlfriend who lay curled up next to him.
Hermione opened her eyes and looked up into Ron's eyes
"Hey you" she smiled up at him.
"Hey" Ron smiled back. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"Yeah... Hermione?"
"Mmmm?"
"This will probably sound stupid cos I'm not properly awake yet, but you know what I said last night?"
"Yes?" Hermione perched herself up on one arm so she could look into his eyes better. Ron read reached a hand up and stroked the side of her face.
"I meant it you know."
"Me too."
"You know, cos I do love you. And although Georges little drunken speech last night sort of, you know persuaded me to say it, I was going to say it, sometime soon."
"Ron, I know. I love you too." Hermione said.
"But you see I have loved you for ages, I love your eyes and your hair and how you love to study and hep me and Harry. I just love everything about you, but I was being such a bloody idiot I didn't know how to say it and if I hadn't had that drink last night and if George hadn't spoken to me..."
"Ron"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up and kiss me?"
Ron smiled. "Am I babbling?"
"Yeah, you are, just a bit" Hermione wrinkled her nose and smiled.
"Shutting up." He smiled back. The pair leant into each other and kissed slowly, before pulling away and smiling goofily at each other.
"Hermione"
"Mmmm?"
Ron lifted the blankets that covered them both.
"You know we're naked under here, don't you?"
Hermione laughed and slapped Ron on the arm. "I had realised that, you idiot" Ron pulled Hermione closer and kissed her again.
The suns beams had stretched a lot further into the bedroom through the small gap in the curtains before Ron and Hermione broke apart. Ron turned and flipped the curtain a little further open and looked out into a beautiful blue sky. "I think maybe we should think about getting up. It looks like it's a beautiful day out there."
But Hermione just pulled Ron closer to her.
"It's looking like a beautiful day right here." She said.