For the Five Senses Drabble Prompt Challenge at Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenge (link on profile)
Time: 7th year, after the war when they went back to school.
Hear
Hermione Granger stood frozen in the corridor shortly after dinner had just ended. She could hear him follow her. Even though his footsteps were as quiet as a mouse. She hid in the shadows to give him the element of surprise. She was really surprised when she heard he was going back to school with her. She thought Ron would stay, and help George with his shop, but also knew that Ron wanted to finish his education. It was one of the many things they often talked about with the time they spent together.
"Why are you following me?" She asked him. She did surprise him. He stumbled slightly because he didn't know she was there.
"Hermione, I need to tell you something." He looked at her. Hermione noted his eyes looked differently at her. They had a sort of glow in them like a firefly's lights in the summer.
"What?" She eagerly asked.
"I love you." He looked at her with a grin, and ran from the corridor leaving her frozen once more. She tore after him down the corridor to the left. She looked up, and down the corridor, but couldn't find him. He came up from behind her, and surprised her this time.
"Hermione." She turned around, and saw him standing a few feet away from her.
"What?" she asked again.
"Why are you following me?" He asked her.
"Ronald, you can be so childish sometimes. You left without telling you what I have to tell you." Hermione let out a giggle. She knew she was in love with him, but now she finally got to tell him. She felt like she was on cloud nine after she heard him tell her, "I love you".
"Which is?" Ron Weasley crossed his arms.
"I love you," she whispered. This time he heard her loud and clear. His eyes grew big and wide. He hadn't expected her to say it back to him.
"Since when?" He asked uncrossing his arms.
"Is that something you would say to someone who just told you they loved you?" She giggled again. She knew she was acting like a school girl, but she couldn't hold in her excitement any longer. She playfully pouted. "How long have you loved me?" She asked the same question back to him.
"I asked you first!" Ron exclaimed.
"Since you started dating Lavender in our 6th year. I realized I was in love with you when it hurt to see you with her, and to hear you talk about her. It felt like a stab in my heart every time I heard you say her name," Hermione was being very honest with him. This was something she shared with only Harry. She never dreamed she was going to tell Ron one day.
"I hurt you? I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I was just happy that I won at Quidditch, something other than chess. Lavender was the one who kissed me first," he said.
"Your turn," she said.
"I fell in love with you fourth year. After our fight and after seeing you dance with Krum. Then those feelings sort of hid for a while till the war when we kissed," he said. She heard him this time loud and clear. His words were music to her ears. Hermione walked over to him, held his hand, and kissed him.