A/N: This is a fic for QLFC and it is Round 11. We were given a song that had been chosen randomly and we were to select a lyric that we wanted to center our story around. Prompts, song, and lyric listed below:
Song: Take A Chance On Me by ABBA
Lyric: "We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we're together"
Prompts:
#7: (restriction) the whole fic can only take place in one room
#8: (word) determined
#15: (word) necklace
More Walk, Less Talk
They had been sitting in this room for hours without saying one word to each other. Hermione just stared out the window and watched as so many other happy couples passed by. Even the birds seemed to be having a much better time than she was. Of course, Ron didn't seem to mind that they had been sitting in silence. In fact, he preferred it. Lately, it seemed that one word could set Hermione off and they would be back to fighting.
That's not the way it had always been, you know. They didn't use to fight constantly or bicker with one another about the small things. On second thought, maybe they had but it didn't become such a problem until they decided to be a couple.
Hermione fumbled around with the necklace that Ron had given her and wondered when things had started to get so complicated. The war had been over for two years, they both had jobs that they dreamed of, and they were in a relationship that they were comfortable with. At least, it had seemed that way at first. Now they weren't so sure.
"I think I figured out what our problem is," Hermione said, thoughtfully.
She was afraid that since she had broken the silence that another fight would start. Ron didn't know how to respond to random outburst but he was willing to hear her out.
"Go on," he said, ignoring the book that had been in his lap for hours.
He never liked to read but he wanted to do something to keep himself from thinking. Too bad it didn't really help.
"We don't do enough things together," Hermione whispered.
"Come again?" Ron asked, turning towards her in order to hear her better.
"We don't do enough things together," Hermione said a little louder.
Hermione watched as this couple ate and laughed over an ice cream cone from the comfort of her own armchair. The girl would laugh at the undoubtedly stupid joke that the boy told but Hermione wished that it could be her. She missed those first few moments of her relationship with Ron. They had become busy and lost that time together. Maybe that was their problem.
"Alright, would you want to go dancing?" Ron asked, hoping that she would say no.
He hated dancing. He wasn't sure why he had suggested it but it was the first thing that came to mind. Couples dance, right?
"With your two left feet? Probably not the best idea," Hermione smiled to herself.
She didn't even attempt to hide the smile from Ron who was just glowering at her but he was determined to make amends. This relationship needed to be repaired.
"We can go for a walk," Ron commented.
"It's extremely hot out there right now. We would get way too sweaty and then our fights would become much more frequent than they already are," Hermione dismissed, pulling her knees up in order to hug them.
"Then what would you like to do?" Ron questioned.
"As long as we're together I don't really mind anything…except the two you named," she answered.
Ron racked his brain to try and come up with things for them to do but he couldn't think of anything. He was desperately trying to find way to get out of this one room that they were in.
"When did we stop doing the fun things?" Ron questioned, setting the book on the floor next to the couch he had been lying on.
Hermione shrugged and watched as the couple across the street got up to leave. They looked so happy and she could remember a time when it used to be her. She remembered when he would hold her hand in public and they would laugh while drinking their butter beer. There was another couple who walked around holding hands and obnoxiously staring into each other's eyes.
The clouds outside were starting to get darker and Hermione knew that the rain was going to start pretty soon. That would put a damper on anything that they would have had planned for that afternoon. Assuming they could get along for that long.
"We could read together," Ron commented, staring at the large bookcase across the room.
"You hate reading," Hermione stated, looking over at Ron and admiring his features.
She had never noticed how bunched up his freckles would get when he was thinking really hard about something. She knew that Ginny's freckles would do that but she had never thought about Ron's doing it.
Suddenly, Ron did the unexpected. He moved from his spot on the couch and wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her midriff. She just took in the surprise and closed her eyes. She could imagine those moments where they would have so much fun together. She was afraid the spark was dying out and neither of them wanted that to happen.
The rain started to pour from the sky with one lightning strike as its introduction. She watched as another couple shared an umbrella and laughed as the rain got heavier.
One kiss and one hug later, the couple began to dance in the rain.
"I want our spark to stay where it is," Hermione whispered, rubbing the back of Ron's neck.
"I agree," Ron answered.
Hermione lifted his head up and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. They were going to work things out because they loved each other. After all, that's what being a couple means.
