I stepped off the train and felt the cool wind ripple through my hair. At
last, this year at Hogwarts was over. It had been bloody hard, mainly for
Harry. He had had the whole ordeal with You-Know-Who to face and worries
still to come.
I tried not to think about it as I helped Hermione down from the train. What was it about her and I that was different? Oh yes, I remembered. I loved her.
But, hey- what's love when you're not loved back, right? Why the heck would Hermione Granger like a poor, red-haired Weasley?
Hermione and Harry followed Fred and George torward the platform with me trailing along behind them.
I saw Fred lean in and Harry give him something. The git. Did they think I was stupid? I knew Harry was giving the twins his winnings. I wasn't blind, you know. Though sometimes I think I might be.
How could I let this happen? Krum. Dammit! Why? Why did it take me so bloody long to see Hermione for what she was? Why was I so bloody dumb? Now she was gone. Forever. She'd probably go and visit Krum over the summer and....
Augh. I didn't want to think about that now. Not now, when I had to act happy, for Harry's sake. I gave myself a mental smack to awaken me from my not-so-pleasant day dreams. Fred and George gave Harry a pat on the back. Ginny waved lovingly at Harry's back.
And Hermione..... Oh my God....
She. Kissed. Him.
I watched in great disdain as Hermione kissed Harry goodbye. All right, so it was only on the check. But still! That one little act made my heart freeze.
Ignore it, Weasley, I told myself silently. Just pretend you didn't see it. Go up to your best friend and tell him goodbye. Do it!
I walked over and clapped Harry on the back. "See you Harry," I said cheerfully. Cheerful my butt!
Harry waved at me and turned to walk away. I looked around. Now where had everyone gone? My eyes fell on Hermione. She was sitting on her trunk, petting her cat. I went over to her and knelt next to her.
"Ron?" she asked, looking up. Oh, wow... what eyes... I shook myself again, remembering the kiss with Harry. The kiss..... "Hermione?" I asked slowly. I needed to be very careful about this. "Do you love Harry?" Damn.
Oh, yeah, that was subtle.
Hermione stared at me in surprise. Good, I thought mercilessly, let her be shocked. "O-of course not!" she squealed. "Why in the world would you think that?" And people thought I was thick. Good God. "Because," I said, standing up and enjoying the fact that I towered over her. "You kissed Harry."
I shouldn't have said that, should I? Hermione looked rather peeved. "It was a friendly kiss! Can't I do anything without you on my back?!"
"I was only asking! You don't need to get so snippy about it!" I shouted. A few muggles stared at us as they passed.
"Why do you care?" Hermione said, standing and rounding on me. "When have you ever cared about me?!"
That was it. This was the last straw. "When?" I felt a slight sneer creep across my face. "When, you ask? How about forever?!"
There. I said it. The only problem was she didn't seem to understand. She was just looking at me all confused.
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked angrily. "It means..." My voice trailed off. "Never mind!" I said, annoyed. I turned to walk away but Hermione had the corner of my shirt. She pulled me around with surprising strength for her size.
I spun around and was caught off guard at her closeness. "Don't walk away!" Hermione hissed at me. She pulled me down closer to her. "I'm not done with you yet."
Now I was the shocked one. "And what does that mean..." Hermione stopped me and coverer my mouth with her hand. "Shut up," she said crossly. "I can never get it right with you. Guess what? I've waited all year for this moment and you're not walking away without my favor."
I didn't understand what that meant. I must have given that fact away, too. "What do you want?" I said struggling. What favor? What the hell was she talking about? "Kiss me, Weasley," was what she said. I've found after being friends with Hermione Granger for four years, it's just better to do as you're told.
So I kissed her. I don't know what was more surprising, that she had asked or that I had had the guts to do it. It was all a little unbelievable. When we had pulled apart, we both smiled at the same time.
"Let's not.." I started. Hermione finished my sentence. "Tell Harry," she said. I nodded. "At least not yet," I said.
"Right." Hermione grinned. "I'll have to be leaving in a minute, just one more thing." Yes?" I asked.
"Kiss me again Weasley."
I tried not to think about it as I helped Hermione down from the train. What was it about her and I that was different? Oh yes, I remembered. I loved her.
But, hey- what's love when you're not loved back, right? Why the heck would Hermione Granger like a poor, red-haired Weasley?
Hermione and Harry followed Fred and George torward the platform with me trailing along behind them.
I saw Fred lean in and Harry give him something. The git. Did they think I was stupid? I knew Harry was giving the twins his winnings. I wasn't blind, you know. Though sometimes I think I might be.
How could I let this happen? Krum. Dammit! Why? Why did it take me so bloody long to see Hermione for what she was? Why was I so bloody dumb? Now she was gone. Forever. She'd probably go and visit Krum over the summer and....
Augh. I didn't want to think about that now. Not now, when I had to act happy, for Harry's sake. I gave myself a mental smack to awaken me from my not-so-pleasant day dreams. Fred and George gave Harry a pat on the back. Ginny waved lovingly at Harry's back.
And Hermione..... Oh my God....
She. Kissed. Him.
I watched in great disdain as Hermione kissed Harry goodbye. All right, so it was only on the check. But still! That one little act made my heart freeze.
Ignore it, Weasley, I told myself silently. Just pretend you didn't see it. Go up to your best friend and tell him goodbye. Do it!
I walked over and clapped Harry on the back. "See you Harry," I said cheerfully. Cheerful my butt!
Harry waved at me and turned to walk away. I looked around. Now where had everyone gone? My eyes fell on Hermione. She was sitting on her trunk, petting her cat. I went over to her and knelt next to her.
"Ron?" she asked, looking up. Oh, wow... what eyes... I shook myself again, remembering the kiss with Harry. The kiss..... "Hermione?" I asked slowly. I needed to be very careful about this. "Do you love Harry?" Damn.
Oh, yeah, that was subtle.
Hermione stared at me in surprise. Good, I thought mercilessly, let her be shocked. "O-of course not!" she squealed. "Why in the world would you think that?" And people thought I was thick. Good God. "Because," I said, standing up and enjoying the fact that I towered over her. "You kissed Harry."
I shouldn't have said that, should I? Hermione looked rather peeved. "It was a friendly kiss! Can't I do anything without you on my back?!"
"I was only asking! You don't need to get so snippy about it!" I shouted. A few muggles stared at us as they passed.
"Why do you care?" Hermione said, standing and rounding on me. "When have you ever cared about me?!"
That was it. This was the last straw. "When?" I felt a slight sneer creep across my face. "When, you ask? How about forever?!"
There. I said it. The only problem was she didn't seem to understand. She was just looking at me all confused.
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked angrily. "It means..." My voice trailed off. "Never mind!" I said, annoyed. I turned to walk away but Hermione had the corner of my shirt. She pulled me around with surprising strength for her size.
I spun around and was caught off guard at her closeness. "Don't walk away!" Hermione hissed at me. She pulled me down closer to her. "I'm not done with you yet."
Now I was the shocked one. "And what does that mean..." Hermione stopped me and coverer my mouth with her hand. "Shut up," she said crossly. "I can never get it right with you. Guess what? I've waited all year for this moment and you're not walking away without my favor."
I didn't understand what that meant. I must have given that fact away, too. "What do you want?" I said struggling. What favor? What the hell was she talking about? "Kiss me, Weasley," was what she said. I've found after being friends with Hermione Granger for four years, it's just better to do as you're told.
So I kissed her. I don't know what was more surprising, that she had asked or that I had had the guts to do it. It was all a little unbelievable. When we had pulled apart, we both smiled at the same time.
"Let's not.." I started. Hermione finished my sentence. "Tell Harry," she said. I nodded. "At least not yet," I said.
"Right." Hermione grinned. "I'll have to be leaving in a minute, just one more thing." Yes?" I asked.
"Kiss me again Weasley."