Something She Didn't Know
Author's Note: This is set during The Goblet of Fire when the crew went to the Quidditch World Cup. I do not own Harry Potter, it would be great though. Also it is in Hermione's point of view. Hermione/Ron.
The campground was covered with tents; however there was something peculiar about them. Some had crooked chimneys, others had tiny flower beds with frisky gnomes running about them, and others had tiny witches and wizards playing with their magical toy brooms and wands. Despite the magical chimneys and gnomes, these tents didn't look particularly magical. If anything, I expected to see something like the Burrow, but the tents were small and made of canvas. How exactly are they supposed to fit the entire Weasley clan, Harry, and myself in a small thing like that?
When we finally reached the camp site, the tent was already set up. Nothing out of the ordinary if you didn't count the crooked chimney atop it. I grimaced at the thought of being crammed into something that small. How were they sleeping, sitting up? Harry and I watched as the Weasley clan filed in, Arthur, Molly, Percy, Fred and George, Ginny, and then Ron. How was it possible? Harry looked at me with a quizzical look and then walked in after Ron. What else was I supposed to do? So I opened the flap and was amazed, it wasn't cramped at all. In fact it was quite roomy; there were several rooms, a kitchen, a living area, and bathrooms! Arthur stood in the middle of the living room and was handing out room assignments.
"Percy, Fred, and George, the last room down the hall," the boys readjusted their bags and wandered further into the tent.
"Ron and Harry, the second room to the right," I watched as Harry and Ron disappeared from sight, down the hall.
"Girls, you both will be across the hall from Ron and Harry," Ginny grinned to her father and we shuffled to our room. Ginny pushed open our door and smiled. Two beds sat in the room adorn in an old flowery print comforter, it slightly smelled of pumpkin juice. Ginny dropped her bag onto her bed and I followed suit.
"Let's go explore," She was grinning madly as she seized my wrist. I quickly grabbed my wand, thrusting it into my back pocket. We crossed the hall to Harry and Ron's room, "Hey, you two want to go explore?" Ginny was faintly bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Loved to," Harry said, placing his wand into his pocket. He followed Ginny out and I remained with Ron.
"Don't you want to explore?" I asked. Ron shook his head, his red hair falling over his wonderful blue eyes.
"Not really, wanted to actually play a bit of quidditch. What about you?" Shrugging, I walked further into his room and sat next to him. The smell of freshly cut grass was intoxicating. Gathering my thoughts I replied.
"Not really in the mood, probably going to read." I was drifting in and out of conversation as I breathed him in. Looking at him as he pushed his fiery red hair out of his eyes, I wished it were me doing it.
"Do you want to play a bit of quidditch with me?" He asked grinning. Ashamed, I looked at my shoes. "What's wrong, Hermione?" He sounded genuinely worried for me.
"I can't fly," Whispering my shameful secret.
"What? No way is that possible. What about our class first year?" Ron was suppressing his laughter.
"I told Madam Hooch that I suffer from flight sickness, honestly Ronald control yourself!" I frowned as he tried to stop laughing at me. "Brooms just don't like me!" I crossed my arms and turned away from Ron.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, for laughing but I can't believe the 'brightest witch of our age' let a broom defeat her!" I lightly smacked him in arm.
"It isn't funny! I am the only witch I know that can't fly!"
"How about this," Ron gently moved my chin to look at him. "I will teach the Hermione Granger to fly a broomstick." I smiled, earning a brilliant Ron smile.
"Really?"
"Really."
Ron took a hold of my hand, causing my face to flush, and pulled me to a field a bit north of the camp ground. On our way up, Ron had given me his broom as he took his father's. He placed both brooms on the ground next to us and I stared nervously. "When was the last time you rode a broom?" He asked in all seriousness.
"Never?" Watching him look astounded, I could only grimace.
"That's okay; we can start from the basics then. First, I'll take you for a ride." Fear must have been apparent on my face because he gave me a comforting one armed squeeze. He mounted his broom and hovered off the ground, he looked so natural on the broom. Flying was basically breathing for him. "Come on Hermione; just throw your leg over." I anxiously placed my hand on his shoulder and threw my leg over the broom. It bobbed at my added weight, but stayed hovering. "Now hold tight." I grasped at his shoulders. "Not there, you'd fly right off, here." He moved my hands to around his middle. I felt my face flush at the sudden closeness, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling from ear to ear. I pressed my face against his muscular back and tightened my grip around him. He chuckled at me, "You ready for your first flight, Miss Granger?" I nodded against him and he took off.
The wind whipped my hair around my face and made the intoxicating smell that is Ron, that more noticeable. He was possibly the only person that could do this to me. I had my eyes tightly shut since I sat on the broom and didn't plan on opening them any time soon. Ron nudged me to look around, but I shook my head in protest.
"Hermione, you will eventually have to open them, why not while I'm here?" I couldn't argue with that. If anything I wanted Ron to be there for every scary thing, to protect me from harm's way. I finally nodded in agreement and I slowly opened my eyes. We were really far up by then, but it wasn't that scary. Actually it was astonishing, other witches and wizards seemed to have the same ideas as we did. I watched as they played tag, diving through the clouds, zipping past us, teaching each other quidditch maneuvers. The sun was high in the sky by that time, casting golden rays over the entire campground. The camp looked so small from up here, but from here one could see the magnitude of the World Cup. Tents covered the entire valley, acres and acres of tiny canvas tents with crooked chimneys. "How do you like it?" He asked.
"This has to be one of the two most brilliant things I have ever had the pleasure of viewing." I grinned. "Can I have a go now?" He laughed at my sudden excitement and flew back down to the other broom. We landed and I hurried to climb off the broom. I bounced on the balls of my feet in anticipation.
"First lesson, you must respect the broom as much as you demand it." I gave him a skeptical look. "I'm not joking; a broom is like any other creature out there. It demands a little respect, not to mention it can hurt you just the same." I nodded. "Okay, stand next to your broom." Standing over Ron's broom, it was obvious it had been handed down from many generations. It was pretty banged up, but it looked sturdy compared to his father's which looked as if it were about to break in half. "Now call it, UP MIMZY." Mr. Weasley's broom shot up to Ron's hand.
"Mimzy?" I giggled.
"In my family, we name our brooms." He ran his fingers through his fiery red hair. I imagined myself running my fingers through his hair instead, I sighed knowing it wouldn't happen.
"What is your broom's name?" He blushed. "What is it?" I pressed.
"Granger…" I blushed at the name; he named his broom after me? "Okay now call her and get on." I laughed and nodded.
"UP, Granger!" The broom shot up to meet my awaiting hand. I jumped up and down in excitement. "Granger listened to me! We did it!" I gripped the broom and straddled it. "What do I do now?"
"Push off the ground and lean in the direction you want to go, but be warned the farther you lean, the faster you go." I was about to push off, when Ron stopped me. "Let me go with you, just in case you lose control of Granger. She can be a bit of a handful." I grinned as he mounted the broom and wrap his arms around me and held his hands over mine. "Hit it, Granger." I pushed off the ground and we shot forward, I involuntarily screamed and Ron pulled back. The broom slowed to a stop, I felt my heart thumping against my chest. "You alright?" I merely nodded in response and pointed in the direction of the clouds, we shot up. I felt Ron's grip tighten around my hands and him scooting closer to me. When we reached the clouds, I pulled the broom to a standstill. I reached out to touch the nearby cloud, it dissolving in my hand. "How do you like it?" Ron whispered in my ear, his hot breath made my skin breakout in goose bumps.
"I love it." I laughed at my pure bliss, being able to fly a broom and being here with Ron. I wandered around the sky till Ron admitted getting numb bum. I landed and Ron held the broom as I climbed off, he set both brooms on the ground. "Thank you so much Ron!" I dove into his arms into a thankful hug.
"No problem Hermione, I was glad to do it. Couldn't have my favorite girl not be able to fly," My face flushed at his comment. I looked up at him, his eyes bright in the twilight and his lips ever so enticing. "Granger, UP." I suddenly felt his broom lift me to his awaiting lips. It was everything I ever imagined kissing Ron would be like. His lips had the sweetness of his previous butterbeer and I smiled. So like Ron. The broom eventually fell back to the ground and our kiss ended. "Hermione, I love you. Have loved you, will love you." I grinned at his confession, my ears burned, was I hearing this right? Ron loved me as much as I loved him?
"I love you too, Ron. Always have and always will." He pulled me into another kiss before we started laughing. Laughing at our delightful new feelings and our disbelief in our stupidity, we can't believe it took this long. He picked up the brooms and took my hand to lead me back to tent.
"Hermione, remember when you said that the view while we were flying was one of two most brilliant things you had ever had the pleasure to view? What was the other thing?" I laughed at his memory for the smallest of things.
"You." I kissed his cheek and smiled.