Though the fire burns brightly, crackling and spitting and reminding Hermione of the summer when she and the rest of her school year went camping and ate greasy sausages straight from the stick, she can't get the goosebumps off her skin.
She's sitting a few feet away from the fireplace, and even though this distance is usually enough to warm her, on this night, she scoots closer.
She'll need a different hot memory to get warm. Something more...distracting.
As if by magic, the image of a different night springs into her mind. She's lying on the couch, fully dressed, wearing three layers of jumpers. Ron's just above her, also clothed, letting his hand wander along her waist, searching, she knows, for a hem. They've spent the day outside, freezing their arses off, all for the sake of seeing Ginny make a few goals in her team's Quidditch match.
But now, now is the time for them. The time for being warm but making each other warmer. The time for bringing the heat back into the places that had been neglected all day. The time for lingering, cuddling, whispering, and other fun words ending in -ing.
Hermione sighs and closes her eyes, sinking into the memory of when she and Ron last made love. She can feel the heat, starting to stir within her. This time, the goosebumps she gets will be for a different reason.
Fin