Her stomach churned so loudly that her leg shook. Wrapping her cloak
tightly around her in an attempt of warmth, she headed to the staircase.
She was just about to go down when, instead, someone ran right into her and
they went rolling down the stairs.
They stopped on the first landing where the staircase turned, which she thanked Merlin for. Obviously no one had heard them, judging by the distant sounds of chitchat they heard from the Great Hall far below.
"Owww," a voice said in her ear, as she noticed that she was lying on top of her best friend. Her legs were spread over his, and her chin rested on his shoulder, they were cheek to cheek.
She lifted her head from his shoulder and slid off him, now sitting even with his waist. He sat up as well and blushed scarlet, mumbling, "Hermione, your cloak,"
To her utter horror, Hermione looked down to see her cloak had opened up and the buttons on her polo-style shirt had come unfastened, revealing more skin than she'd have pleased. She hastily buttoned them back and he turned his head back to face her.
"Where was the fire?" She replied sarcastically.
"Oh, nothing," Ron replied, his head low again.
"What happened?" She replied in a softer tone.
"Well, Fred and George, you know, they think it's a real riot to poke fun at me. And well, they just made me really mad this morning."
"What were they teasing you so badly about that you ran away?"
"ThatI'veneverbeenkissedonthelipsbyagirlbefore," he muttered, his head still down.
"What was that?" She inquired.
Ron took a deep breath and started again, "That - I've - never - been - kissed."
Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
"Yeah, that's right, laugh it up, no girl has kissed me." Ron said, looking back at her.
"Well, it's not like it's that big of a deal, really, we're still young."
"Young? I'm thirteen, Hermione, thirteen. And it is quite sad actually."
"Guys think it's such a big deal to be kissed or something."
"Hermione! You've been kissed!" Ron replied, his eyes burning holes in hers and it was her turn to drop her head.
"Well. no." She replied.
"Hermione, what is wrong with us? I mean, why can't we get kissed?"
"OH!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly, standing up, "Well since it's such a big deal to you, I'LL kiss you. Since we're best friends, meaning there's no romantic feelings between the two of us, it'll be nothing. And then you can tell them you've been kissed and not tell them what girl kissed you. That means NO telling anyone about this, we're just friends helping each other out."
"Ok." Ron replied softly, standing, as Hermione bit her lip.
Awkwardly, they moved slowly. Her nose slightly touched the skin next to his, and he felt her breath on his lips. They both closed their eyes and their lips touched softly. Then, as if on impulse, his hand went on her back and her hand on the back of his neck and their lips pressed together with an emotion that was certainly not awkward.
They stepped back speedily and they stood on opposite ends of the stairwell.
"Well, we better be going." She said, avoiding his gaze.
"Yeah," he replied, "Hermione?" he called after her.
"Yes?" She asked, her amber eyes glowing in a different light he'd never noticed.
"You should wear you shirt like that more often."
"Ron! Ugh," she said, continuing down the steps and leaving him to follow a few behind her.
They stopped on the first landing where the staircase turned, which she thanked Merlin for. Obviously no one had heard them, judging by the distant sounds of chitchat they heard from the Great Hall far below.
"Owww," a voice said in her ear, as she noticed that she was lying on top of her best friend. Her legs were spread over his, and her chin rested on his shoulder, they were cheek to cheek.
She lifted her head from his shoulder and slid off him, now sitting even with his waist. He sat up as well and blushed scarlet, mumbling, "Hermione, your cloak,"
To her utter horror, Hermione looked down to see her cloak had opened up and the buttons on her polo-style shirt had come unfastened, revealing more skin than she'd have pleased. She hastily buttoned them back and he turned his head back to face her.
"Where was the fire?" She replied sarcastically.
"Oh, nothing," Ron replied, his head low again.
"What happened?" She replied in a softer tone.
"Well, Fred and George, you know, they think it's a real riot to poke fun at me. And well, they just made me really mad this morning."
"What were they teasing you so badly about that you ran away?"
"ThatI'veneverbeenkissedonthelipsbyagirlbefore," he muttered, his head still down.
"What was that?" She inquired.
Ron took a deep breath and started again, "That - I've - never - been - kissed."
Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
"Yeah, that's right, laugh it up, no girl has kissed me." Ron said, looking back at her.
"Well, it's not like it's that big of a deal, really, we're still young."
"Young? I'm thirteen, Hermione, thirteen. And it is quite sad actually."
"Guys think it's such a big deal to be kissed or something."
"Hermione! You've been kissed!" Ron replied, his eyes burning holes in hers and it was her turn to drop her head.
"Well. no." She replied.
"Hermione, what is wrong with us? I mean, why can't we get kissed?"
"OH!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly, standing up, "Well since it's such a big deal to you, I'LL kiss you. Since we're best friends, meaning there's no romantic feelings between the two of us, it'll be nothing. And then you can tell them you've been kissed and not tell them what girl kissed you. That means NO telling anyone about this, we're just friends helping each other out."
"Ok." Ron replied softly, standing, as Hermione bit her lip.
Awkwardly, they moved slowly. Her nose slightly touched the skin next to his, and he felt her breath on his lips. They both closed their eyes and their lips touched softly. Then, as if on impulse, his hand went on her back and her hand on the back of his neck and their lips pressed together with an emotion that was certainly not awkward.
They stepped back speedily and they stood on opposite ends of the stairwell.
"Well, we better be going." She said, avoiding his gaze.
"Yeah," he replied, "Hermione?" he called after her.
"Yes?" She asked, her amber eyes glowing in a different light he'd never noticed.
"You should wear you shirt like that more often."
"Ron! Ugh," she said, continuing down the steps and leaving him to follow a few behind her.