The Second
I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N – I know there are 535097509709530953 versions of Ron and Hermione's second kiss out there – here's mine. Hope you enjoy.
"That first kiss: it's the passionate one. It's the one filled by desire and attraction, and all of that, but the second kiss is rational. You got time to worry, and over analyze and most women...they prefer that first kiss, but I'm partial to the second one because it's about something more." -Bessie Potter, Dawson's Creek
She was so tired. Adrenaline can only carry a girl so long. Now that it was all over, all she wanted to do was lay her head down and go to sleep. Actually, strike that, she wanted to take a shower, and brush her teeth, and THEN lay her head down and go to sleep.
Part of her knew she should return to the Great Hall, see if she could help, although something about facing everyone, particularly the Weasleys and their breathtaking grief, overwhelmed her already exhausted mind. Ron seemed to sense her hesitation -- he took her hand and led her to Gryffindor tower, where the Fat Lady beamed at them, her eyes full of tears, and opened without a word. Once inside, he walked her over to the entrance to the girl's dormitories. "Go. Sleep. Everyone will be here when you wake up."
She turned back towards him and watched him walk grimly back towards the portrait hole, pushing his overlong hair back from his forehead with a sigh. "Ron?" He turned back to face her.
She crossed the room in a few fast strides and threw her arms around him. "We...I...Merlin, Ron, I'm so..."
He returned the embrace, looking down at her with his beautiful blue eyes. She thought she had never seen anything as magnificent as those eyes looking down at hers, even as they were right now, full of fatigue and sorrow. "I know." He released her, pushing her back towards the dorms. "Sleep now. We'll talk later."
"You need to get some sleep too." She was concerned at how tired and sad he looked, at how unnaturally heavy he seemed.
"I will. I just need to make sure everyone..." he trailed off.
Her eyes filled with tears at the man standing before her, the one who made sure everyone else was taken care of before himself. The man who was so very different than the little boy she had met on the train all those years ago.
"Alright. Good night" She turned and moved up the stairs, wondering with each step if she was going to make it to the next. She came to the familiar door, and entered. Suddenly she no longer cared about how dirty she was or how fuzzy her teeth felt, she fell into her curtained bed and let the world disappear.
He wanted her to come with him. There were only two clear thoughts in his grief -addled mind -- one, that more than anything he wanted her to be with him as he returned to his stricken family, and two, that he had never seen her look so exhausted. So as much as he desperately wished she would go back downstairs with him -- or, better yet, the he could pull her into his arms and snuggle up with her on one of the couches as they both slept -- he pushed her away from him, towards much-needed sleep. When she turned back, when she threw her arms around him, it took all his remaining strength to push her away a second time.
He watched her ascend the staircase, then turned and squared his shoulders to return downstairs. He thought Harry must be up in the boys' dormitory, and he intended to follow him there soon, but first he had to make sure that they were all ok -- well, not, ok, no one would be for a long time -- but he could not sleep until he had assured himself that his family was taken care of. So he wiped the unwelcome tears from his eyes and pushed open the portrait hole.
She awoke to dawn sunlight in her face, and red hair that was just as dazzling in the bed next to hers. For a moment she was confused, wondering how Ron had gotten past the "No boys allowed" spells, until she realized it was Ginny. She stretched and got gingerly out of bed, amazed at how sore she was, and trying not to wake Ginny. As soon as her feet hit the floor, however, her best girlfriend's eyes popped open.
Ginny yawned broadly. "Morning" She looked Hermione up and down. "You need a bath. And some clean clothes."
Hermione chuckled. "Thanks. You aren't exactly spring-fresh yourself." Suddenly the events of the previous night crashed in on her mind, and all thoughts of joking fled. "Ginny, are you ok?"
Ginny gave her a little half-smile. "I wish I knew. It's all a bit muddled yet, yeah? Happy and sad and hopeful and confused all mixed up in one. Sleep definitely helped though." She glanced toward the morning sunlight. "A lot of sleep, apparently."
"Did Ron ever make it in?"
"Yeah, the whole family's here somewhere. I think McGonagall put mum and dad in staff quarters, and everyone else is in the tower with us."
As the morning fog cleared from Hermione's head and she thought of Ron sleeping in his dormitory, another memory forced its way to the forefront of her mind, causing her face to flood with color almost worthy of a Weasley. Ginny caught her expression. "Are YOU alright?"
Hermione sat back down on her bed. "I kissed him."
Ginny looked amused. "So what's the problem?"
"I kissed HIM."
"And? He didn't puke or anything, did he?"
Hermione's blush deepened, if such a thing were even possible. "No, he...it was nice." She could not meet Ginny's eyes.
"So again, I must ask -- What's the problem?"
"HE was supposed to kiss ME, not the other way around! At least he's...I mean, I haven't...oh bloody hell...I need a shower!" She started toward the bathroom.
"Hermione Jean Granger! Are telling me that last night, when you kissed my brother, that was your FIRST KISS?"
Hermione stopped but didn't turn around. "Yes."
"What about Krum?"
Hermione turned to face Ginny. "We never did. He wanted to, but when it came down to it...You know it's always been Ron."
Ginny laughed and grabbed Hermione's hand. "C'mon, we stink. We'll talk AFTER we shower."
CRACK!
Almost before he knew he was awake, he was on his feet, wand in hand, looking for the source of the sound.
"Relax mate, it's just Kreacher. Don't hex him, he brought food."
Ron collapsed back onto his bed, his eyes brightening at the word "food". He looked over to see the most beautiful sight (well, maybe second most beautiful) he'd seen in the last 24 hours -- breakfast. He reached for a plate and piled it high with bacon, eggs, sausages, and toast.
After finishing three helpings, Ron eyed the food again, considering a fourth. He looked over at his friend, who had laid back against his pillows contentedly.
"D'ya think she meant it?"
"Meant what?" Harry looked at Ron, confused.
"When she, y'know, last night..." Ron trailed off.
Harry tried hard not to smirk. He was almost successful. "It certainly looked serious to me. Did she say anything about it later?"
"No, but she was so tired, and all I could think about was my family. Do you think she's mad? Maybe I should have, I dunno, asked her out or something?"
Despite his delight at the thought that his two best friends might finally, FINALLY, get over themselves, and his intense desire to torment his best friend about it, Ron's voice was so strained that Harry composed his amusement to answer him seriously. "Talk to her. That's the only way you'll know. But first -- go shower. And for Merlin's sake, brush your teeth!"
Ron grinned ruefully as he got up and headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a few more pieces of bacon on the way past the table.
"Hey Harry, you think Kreacher could take some food to the girls?"
"Already done, mate."
"Hermione! The breakfast fairy came!"
When the girls returned to the room, they found a feast waiting for them, along with a carafe of hot chocolate and a vase of red roses. Ginny immediately filled her plate and set to, eliciting a giggle from Hermione. "You are certainly a Weasley".
Ginny shrugged. "I'm hungry. I know you are too!"
For a little while it was quiet, both girls enjoying the food. Hermione knew she had missed good food, but she had not realized just how much until it was there in front of her. Finally they both sat their plates down, looks of satisfaction on their faces.
Ginny broke the silence. "So, how did it happen? Not that I'm not thrilled, but really, I can't believe the two of you finally got around to it. And in the middle of a battle, no less!"
Hermione blushed again. "He said we needed to get the house-elves out of the castle, and I couldn't stop myself."
"You kissed my brother because of house-elves?"
"Well, not just house elves..." Hermione trailed off, and her blush deepened at the expression on Ginny's face. "But...that was it. One kiss, and I kissed him. He hasn't said a word about it since."
Ginny was silent, knowing that the best way to get Hermione to talk was to wait patiently.
Hermione took a deep breath, looking down at her duvet. Her words quavered with barely restrained tears. "What if he hated it? What if I, y'know, did it wrong? What if he is comparing me to HER?"
"You need to calm down. My prat of a brother has been in love with you for years. I am sure he was thrilled."
"You keep saying that, but he's never said anything...well, sure, he has been really sweet the last few months, and he seemed pretty happy about it at the moment, but there was so much going on, and it was just the once, and what if he thinks I am some great slag for kissing him first?" Hermione picked up her towel and began rubbing her hair. "What if he doesn't want to..." She trailed off, the thought too horrible for words.
"Hermione. You may be the smartest witch to come out of Hogwarts, but sometimes you are very, very stupid."
They emerged into the common room at the same time, Harry and Ginny just behind them on the stairs. Their eyes met, and Hermione was vaguely aware of Harry's chuckle. He gestured Ginny towards the portrait hole, and they quietly slipped out of the room, laughing to themselves, and looking forward to a quiet moment of their own.
They met in the middle of the room. He looked down at her, and she felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room.
"Hi."
"Hi." She broke their gaze, looking down at the worn carpet.
He reached down, and her tiny hands were enveloped in his.
"So about last night..."
"I was hoping we could talk..." Their words tumbled out at the same time, running over one another into senselessness.
She took a deep, desperate breath, and chanced a look up into his eyes.
Her eyes met his, and suddenly, Ron knew what to do.
Sometime later, minutes, hours, or days, she wasn't sure, Ron pulled away for a moment and she was enveloped by the light of his grin.
"Bloody brilliant!"