IThe book was a cover.
He wasn't reading the words, only turning the pages to keep up the deception. His eyes weren't focused on the pages, but rather over the pages.
On the girl.
She sat, oblivious to the eyes that were trained on her from across the room. Her brow was furrowed as she read a passage in a book. She nodded and began to write some notes on the clean sheet of parchment in front of her.
He watched, delighting in the way her delicate fingers made the quill dance across the paper; captivated by her deep brown eyes that skimmed the words of her book so quickly; entranced by the way she carelessly brushed a few wispy strands of hair away from her face.
He could watch her forever./I
Hermione put down her quill and checked her watch. 11:45.
"Ron?" she said, standing up.
The boy in the chair across from her jumped, dropping his book on the floor. Hermione laughed as Ron grinned sheepishly and picked it up.
She grabbed her bag and hoisted it to her shoulder. "We need to get going, Astronomy's in fifteen minutes."
Ron groaned. "Astronomy! I'd completely forgotten about that." He sighed, a hint of sadness to the exhalation. "I had Astronomy. Staring up at a bunch of bright dots. It's so boring." Hermione shook her head as she walked over to him, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"You think it's boring, then? Honestly Ron, you've got about as much emotion as a block of wood. Don't you think stars are fascinating? I mean, we're looking at the same thing our ancestors saw then they looked up at the sky all those years ago." Ron snorted, and Hermione's smile widened. "Well, if that aspect of star-gazing doesn't appeal to you, don't you at least find it romantic? Being outside when everyone else is asleep, watching the twinkling points of light break through the absolute darkness. The feeling of a cold, crisp wind blowing through your hair, and wishing someone was there to wrap their arms around you to keep you warm." She broke off, grinning up at Ron. She was taken aback by the pained expression on his face. Ron opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but quickly closed it and turned, grabbing his bag in the process.
"Let's go. Don't want to be late," he said, an odd catch in his voice.
"All right," came the reply, but it was followed by a silence. Then, "Where's everyone else? They're going to be late if they don't leave soon."
Ron glanced around the deserted common room and shrugged his shoulders. "Then let them be late. We need to be early though. Professor Sinistra swore that if I was late again, I'd be in detention for a week." The effort he was putting in to making his voice light was obvious, but Hermione laughed anyway.
"Can't have that, can we? Okay, we'll go. I'm sure the others will meet us there."
IHe was painfully aware of how close they were on the narrow staircase up to the Astronomy Tower. He couldn't ignore the electric jolt that raced through his body as his hand brushed against hers, or as their shoulders lightly bumped.
The smell of her hair was distracting. He couldn't figure out what it was. Jasmine perhaps? Or maybe coconut. He stumbled slightly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, sending another wave of the delicious sent wafting over him. He froze as she reached out with a hand to steady him. He muttered his thanks and focused on climbing the twisting stairs.
Left. Right. Left. Right. Left - What is that smell? - Right. Left. Right - Is it Lilac? - Left. No, don't think about her hair. Right. Left. Right. Left. Maybe it's raspberries.
He was very grateful when they reached the door and walked out into the starry night./I
The tower was empty. No one was there, not even Professor Sinistra. Hermione frowned. This couldn't be right. She checked her watch again. 11:55, only five minutes until class was due to begin.
"Hey, Hermione, look at this," Ron called. He was staring at a sheet of paper stuck to one of the tower walls. Hermione joined him.
centerATTENTION STUDENTS
All Astronomy classes for the evening have been cancelled. Professor
Sinistra has fallen ill. Classes will resume next week./center
"All those stairs for nothing!" Ron groaned. All of a sudden, he realized something. "I bet everyone else found out about Astronomy being cancelled while we were at that prefect meeting! That's why we're the only ones up here." Hermione nodded, agreeing with his theory.
"It's a shame though," she sighed. "It's a perfect night for stargazing, not a cloud in sight."
Even though watching stars was low on Ron's list of fun things to do, he had to agree. The glittering stars stood out sharply against the velvet black sky. The nearly full moon cast just enough light to see by, though much was in shadow. An idea struck Ron, and he glanced at the dimly lit form of Hermione.
"You know Hermione, we could stay for awhile."
Hermione whirled around to face him, her mouth open. "But Ron, we're prefects! What if a teacher catches us up here?" Ron couldn't help but laugh.
"What teacher is going to climb all those stairs just to see if there are students up here?" Hermione couldn't argue with this. Ron continued. "And if a teacher sees us on our way back to the common room, we tell them we didn't know that classes had been cancelled until we got up here, which is the complete truth. Trust me, we really can't get into trouble."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't think of a sound argument. And the stars really did look lovely, twinkling so far above.
"Well. I guess it won't hurt to stay for a little while."
IHe watched as she leaned over the outer walls of the tower. The wind was playfully whipping her long brown hair about. Her cheeks had become a delicate shade of pink, due to the chill of the wind. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as she gazed up at the stars. It was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her.
Involuntarily, she shivered. He cursed himself for forgetting his cloak. Of course, there was another option open. One he wouldn't mind at all. /I
Hermione stiffened as a pair of arms came from behind and wrapped themselves lightly around her shivering body.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"You looked cold and I didn't have a cloak I could give you," Ron replied.
"But you don't have to -" she protested. Ron cut her off.
"I want to."
She argued silently with herself. He shouldn't. didn't need to. what if he got the wrong idea? But then she realized that there was no wrong idea. And it was so warm, wrapped in his arms.
So she said nothing.
He took her silence as an 'okay'. After a minute, Hermione relaxed into his arms and resumed picking out the constellations in the infinite blackness above her.
IIt was incredible, the way they fit together so easily. He was tall enough that her head easily missed his chin, and she could tuck herself comfortably against his chest.
He hoped the thumping of his heart wouldn't bother her, but it couldn't be helped. To be so close to her was driving him mad.
He could hear her quiet breathing as she gazed up into the heavens. He could feel the goose bumps on her arms that disappeared once he had held her for a few minutes. And her hair. he could feel it tickling the base of his throat each time she moved. The scent of it was teasing, taunting him. He knew the smell, yet it hovered just out of reach. He couldn't stand it anymore -/I
"What does your hair smell like, Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the abruptness of the question.
"Er. vanilla, I think. Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Ron said quickly. "It just smells nice, that's all."
Hermione shrugged and settled herself into his arms again.
IVanilla! He should have known. His mother used it often in her cooking. But it wasn't quite the same. The scent in her hair was warmer; richer than the smell of vanilla in his mother's kitchen.
He inhaled deeply, basking in the lovely scent and the feeling of her in his arms./I
Hermione managed to glance at her watch without moving out of Ron's hold. 12:15; they really should go back.
Hermione turned around, Ron's arms still encircling her. They settled about her waist as she looked up at him.
"Ron, we need to." she trailed off as her eyes connected with his. She was unprepared for the intensity with which they gazed down upon her. Deep pools of a deeper blue, so full of emotion that she wondered why she wasn't drowning.
And she couldn't look away.
ISo close, so close! He could see the few near-invisible freckles that were sprinkled across her nose. He could count her eyelashes. He was drawn into those deep-brown eyes, flecked with a lighter gold. He heard her breath quicken as her eyes stared into his, and his own breathing nearly stopped. His heart thudded faster and he wouldn't be surprised if she could hear it.
He didn't even consider letting her go./I
Hermione's mind was reeling. She couldn't mistake the look in Ron's eyes. They were full of so many emotions, and all the emotions were for her.
Her senses were on overload. She breathed in, and detected a pleasant smell of soap with the faintest hint of cologne. She could see every freckle that dotted his face. She felt his breath gently stirring the wisps of hair that had escaped from her hair clip.
She noticed all of this, as she stared up into Ron's very blue, very loving eyes.
IHis gaze had dropped from her eyes to her lips. They were still halfway open, and lightly covered with a shimmery pink gloss. They looked so inviting, that without realizing it, he began to lean in closer./I
Hermione's eyes widened as she saw Ron coming nearer. But she didn't move way.
She didn't want to move away.
IHe was so close now that their breaths were intermingling. He closed his eyes, knowing that if he watched her face he would lose his nerve.
He hesitated for a moment before closing the distance between them completely./I
Hermione too had closed her eyes. She couldn't stop the shiver that raced down her spine the moment his lips touched hers. It felt so right. Hermione increased the pressure ever so slightly, and tentatively wrapped her arms around his neck.
IThis had to be heaven.
He stood, arms around her, kissing her gently. He could taste a trace of strawberry on her lips. (A.N. It's the lip-gloss. just in case you were wondering.) The wind whirled around them, but he no longer felt cold. Instead, he felt deliciously warm, and didn't think he would ever feel this happy again.
If it wasn't heaven, it was as close as you could get to heaven on earth./I
At last, Hermione reluctantly pulled away, her eyes fluttering open. She watched Ron, who did not open his eyes. Instead, he asked her something.
"I'm sorry, what were you trying to tell me? I can't remember." His voice was a mere whisper, but sounded deeper than usual. Hermione laughed and replied softly.
"I can't either."
Ron opened his eyes then, and Hermione was once again lost in that intense ocean of blue. His eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch in a question, and she answered him with a shy smile. He grinned and unwrapped his arms from her, taking her hand instead.
"We should probably get going. It's pretty late," he said quietly. Hermione nodded in agreement, forgetting that that was exactly what she had been about to say before. The two exited the tower and began the long trek down to the common room.
IHe savored the feeling of her hand in his, the intimacy of such a casual touch.
Almost an hour ago he'd been watching her over the top of his book. And now.
He gave a shake of his head; unable to control the silly grin that made it's way on to his face. He helped her through the portrait hold, one thought fixed in his mind.
Now he wouldn't have to hide his glances behind a book./I
Much to their relief, the common room was still deserted. Each shuddered to think of the awkward questions that would be thrown at them if they were coming in this late.
Ron walked Hermione over to the girls' staircase. They stood for a moment, studying the other's face. Hermione broke the silence first.
"Good night, Ron," she said. "'Night. 'Mione," he whispered, trying out the name he had wanted to call her for so long. She smiled and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss, before heading up to her dormitory.
Ron watched her until the door clicked shut.
IHermione. 'Mione. His 'Mione.
He smiled and climbed the stairs to his own room. The scent of vanilla followed him, and he could still taste strawberries upon his lips./I
He wasn't reading the words, only turning the pages to keep up the deception. His eyes weren't focused on the pages, but rather over the pages.
On the girl.
She sat, oblivious to the eyes that were trained on her from across the room. Her brow was furrowed as she read a passage in a book. She nodded and began to write some notes on the clean sheet of parchment in front of her.
He watched, delighting in the way her delicate fingers made the quill dance across the paper; captivated by her deep brown eyes that skimmed the words of her book so quickly; entranced by the way she carelessly brushed a few wispy strands of hair away from her face.
He could watch her forever./I
Hermione put down her quill and checked her watch. 11:45.
"Ron?" she said, standing up.
The boy in the chair across from her jumped, dropping his book on the floor. Hermione laughed as Ron grinned sheepishly and picked it up.
She grabbed her bag and hoisted it to her shoulder. "We need to get going, Astronomy's in fifteen minutes."
Ron groaned. "Astronomy! I'd completely forgotten about that." He sighed, a hint of sadness to the exhalation. "I had Astronomy. Staring up at a bunch of bright dots. It's so boring." Hermione shook her head as she walked over to him, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"You think it's boring, then? Honestly Ron, you've got about as much emotion as a block of wood. Don't you think stars are fascinating? I mean, we're looking at the same thing our ancestors saw then they looked up at the sky all those years ago." Ron snorted, and Hermione's smile widened. "Well, if that aspect of star-gazing doesn't appeal to you, don't you at least find it romantic? Being outside when everyone else is asleep, watching the twinkling points of light break through the absolute darkness. The feeling of a cold, crisp wind blowing through your hair, and wishing someone was there to wrap their arms around you to keep you warm." She broke off, grinning up at Ron. She was taken aback by the pained expression on his face. Ron opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but quickly closed it and turned, grabbing his bag in the process.
"Let's go. Don't want to be late," he said, an odd catch in his voice.
"All right," came the reply, but it was followed by a silence. Then, "Where's everyone else? They're going to be late if they don't leave soon."
Ron glanced around the deserted common room and shrugged his shoulders. "Then let them be late. We need to be early though. Professor Sinistra swore that if I was late again, I'd be in detention for a week." The effort he was putting in to making his voice light was obvious, but Hermione laughed anyway.
"Can't have that, can we? Okay, we'll go. I'm sure the others will meet us there."
IHe was painfully aware of how close they were on the narrow staircase up to the Astronomy Tower. He couldn't ignore the electric jolt that raced through his body as his hand brushed against hers, or as their shoulders lightly bumped.
The smell of her hair was distracting. He couldn't figure out what it was. Jasmine perhaps? Or maybe coconut. He stumbled slightly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, sending another wave of the delicious sent wafting over him. He froze as she reached out with a hand to steady him. He muttered his thanks and focused on climbing the twisting stairs.
Left. Right. Left. Right. Left - What is that smell? - Right. Left. Right - Is it Lilac? - Left. No, don't think about her hair. Right. Left. Right. Left. Maybe it's raspberries.
He was very grateful when they reached the door and walked out into the starry night./I
The tower was empty. No one was there, not even Professor Sinistra. Hermione frowned. This couldn't be right. She checked her watch again. 11:55, only five minutes until class was due to begin.
"Hey, Hermione, look at this," Ron called. He was staring at a sheet of paper stuck to one of the tower walls. Hermione joined him.
centerATTENTION STUDENTS
All Astronomy classes for the evening have been cancelled. Professor
Sinistra has fallen ill. Classes will resume next week./center
"All those stairs for nothing!" Ron groaned. All of a sudden, he realized something. "I bet everyone else found out about Astronomy being cancelled while we were at that prefect meeting! That's why we're the only ones up here." Hermione nodded, agreeing with his theory.
"It's a shame though," she sighed. "It's a perfect night for stargazing, not a cloud in sight."
Even though watching stars was low on Ron's list of fun things to do, he had to agree. The glittering stars stood out sharply against the velvet black sky. The nearly full moon cast just enough light to see by, though much was in shadow. An idea struck Ron, and he glanced at the dimly lit form of Hermione.
"You know Hermione, we could stay for awhile."
Hermione whirled around to face him, her mouth open. "But Ron, we're prefects! What if a teacher catches us up here?" Ron couldn't help but laugh.
"What teacher is going to climb all those stairs just to see if there are students up here?" Hermione couldn't argue with this. Ron continued. "And if a teacher sees us on our way back to the common room, we tell them we didn't know that classes had been cancelled until we got up here, which is the complete truth. Trust me, we really can't get into trouble."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't think of a sound argument. And the stars really did look lovely, twinkling so far above.
"Well. I guess it won't hurt to stay for a little while."
IHe watched as she leaned over the outer walls of the tower. The wind was playfully whipping her long brown hair about. Her cheeks had become a delicate shade of pink, due to the chill of the wind. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as she gazed up at the stars. It was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her.
Involuntarily, she shivered. He cursed himself for forgetting his cloak. Of course, there was another option open. One he wouldn't mind at all. /I
Hermione stiffened as a pair of arms came from behind and wrapped themselves lightly around her shivering body.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"You looked cold and I didn't have a cloak I could give you," Ron replied.
"But you don't have to -" she protested. Ron cut her off.
"I want to."
She argued silently with herself. He shouldn't. didn't need to. what if he got the wrong idea? But then she realized that there was no wrong idea. And it was so warm, wrapped in his arms.
So she said nothing.
He took her silence as an 'okay'. After a minute, Hermione relaxed into his arms and resumed picking out the constellations in the infinite blackness above her.
IIt was incredible, the way they fit together so easily. He was tall enough that her head easily missed his chin, and she could tuck herself comfortably against his chest.
He hoped the thumping of his heart wouldn't bother her, but it couldn't be helped. To be so close to her was driving him mad.
He could hear her quiet breathing as she gazed up into the heavens. He could feel the goose bumps on her arms that disappeared once he had held her for a few minutes. And her hair. he could feel it tickling the base of his throat each time she moved. The scent of it was teasing, taunting him. He knew the smell, yet it hovered just out of reach. He couldn't stand it anymore -/I
"What does your hair smell like, Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the abruptness of the question.
"Er. vanilla, I think. Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Ron said quickly. "It just smells nice, that's all."
Hermione shrugged and settled herself into his arms again.
IVanilla! He should have known. His mother used it often in her cooking. But it wasn't quite the same. The scent in her hair was warmer; richer than the smell of vanilla in his mother's kitchen.
He inhaled deeply, basking in the lovely scent and the feeling of her in his arms./I
Hermione managed to glance at her watch without moving out of Ron's hold. 12:15; they really should go back.
Hermione turned around, Ron's arms still encircling her. They settled about her waist as she looked up at him.
"Ron, we need to." she trailed off as her eyes connected with his. She was unprepared for the intensity with which they gazed down upon her. Deep pools of a deeper blue, so full of emotion that she wondered why she wasn't drowning.
And she couldn't look away.
ISo close, so close! He could see the few near-invisible freckles that were sprinkled across her nose. He could count her eyelashes. He was drawn into those deep-brown eyes, flecked with a lighter gold. He heard her breath quicken as her eyes stared into his, and his own breathing nearly stopped. His heart thudded faster and he wouldn't be surprised if she could hear it.
He didn't even consider letting her go./I
Hermione's mind was reeling. She couldn't mistake the look in Ron's eyes. They were full of so many emotions, and all the emotions were for her.
Her senses were on overload. She breathed in, and detected a pleasant smell of soap with the faintest hint of cologne. She could see every freckle that dotted his face. She felt his breath gently stirring the wisps of hair that had escaped from her hair clip.
She noticed all of this, as she stared up into Ron's very blue, very loving eyes.
IHis gaze had dropped from her eyes to her lips. They were still halfway open, and lightly covered with a shimmery pink gloss. They looked so inviting, that without realizing it, he began to lean in closer./I
Hermione's eyes widened as she saw Ron coming nearer. But she didn't move way.
She didn't want to move away.
IHe was so close now that their breaths were intermingling. He closed his eyes, knowing that if he watched her face he would lose his nerve.
He hesitated for a moment before closing the distance between them completely./I
Hermione too had closed her eyes. She couldn't stop the shiver that raced down her spine the moment his lips touched hers. It felt so right. Hermione increased the pressure ever so slightly, and tentatively wrapped her arms around his neck.
IThis had to be heaven.
He stood, arms around her, kissing her gently. He could taste a trace of strawberry on her lips. (A.N. It's the lip-gloss. just in case you were wondering.) The wind whirled around them, but he no longer felt cold. Instead, he felt deliciously warm, and didn't think he would ever feel this happy again.
If it wasn't heaven, it was as close as you could get to heaven on earth./I
At last, Hermione reluctantly pulled away, her eyes fluttering open. She watched Ron, who did not open his eyes. Instead, he asked her something.
"I'm sorry, what were you trying to tell me? I can't remember." His voice was a mere whisper, but sounded deeper than usual. Hermione laughed and replied softly.
"I can't either."
Ron opened his eyes then, and Hermione was once again lost in that intense ocean of blue. His eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch in a question, and she answered him with a shy smile. He grinned and unwrapped his arms from her, taking her hand instead.
"We should probably get going. It's pretty late," he said quietly. Hermione nodded in agreement, forgetting that that was exactly what she had been about to say before. The two exited the tower and began the long trek down to the common room.
IHe savored the feeling of her hand in his, the intimacy of such a casual touch.
Almost an hour ago he'd been watching her over the top of his book. And now.
He gave a shake of his head; unable to control the silly grin that made it's way on to his face. He helped her through the portrait hold, one thought fixed in his mind.
Now he wouldn't have to hide his glances behind a book./I
Much to their relief, the common room was still deserted. Each shuddered to think of the awkward questions that would be thrown at them if they were coming in this late.
Ron walked Hermione over to the girls' staircase. They stood for a moment, studying the other's face. Hermione broke the silence first.
"Good night, Ron," she said. "'Night. 'Mione," he whispered, trying out the name he had wanted to call her for so long. She smiled and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss, before heading up to her dormitory.
Ron watched her until the door clicked shut.
IHermione. 'Mione. His 'Mione.
He smiled and climbed the stairs to his own room. The scent of vanilla followed him, and he could still taste strawberries upon his lips./I