Title: In The Darkness
Summary: My first attempt at a one-shot and Harry Potter ff, so don't flame too bad! In the darkness of the common room, Ron and Hermione overcome arguments and compliments to reveal what they really feel.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the storyline
A/N: As I said this is a first attempt at a Harry Potter after a wave of Lizzie McGuire ffs, so if there is any criticism, please make it constructive! Keep r&ring and of course enjoy!
In the darkness of the common room, the only light keeping her focus on the Arithmancy essay was the collection of soft flames lapping at the fireplace. Struggling to stay conscious, her eyes flickered from the heap of books stacked on her knees to the mop of vibrant red hair, hidden within a collapsed tangle of robes. The tangle stirred on the table and she jumped nervously, her quill scratching loudly across the parchment she was supposed to be writing on. For a while he said nothing, then, without moving he growled, "Do you have to make so much noise? Some of us are trying to sleep!"
Sighing angrily he fell silent. The words, though short, were full of hate and tears stung her subtle blue eyes.
Hearing a door opening behind her she made a desperate attempt to wipe away any evidence of her crying, but she moved too quickly and her textbooks slipped off balance and crashed at her feet. She turned only to see her ginger cat trundle through the entrance and hop up on her lap.
"Keep that bloody cat away from me." The robes untangled.
"Crookshanks has never done anything to hurt you, you know that!" she snapped back, her eyes beginning to overflow again.
"Oh yeah? It's out to get me!"
"Don't be so ridiculous!"
"Hey!" A voice yelled, an attractive petite boy appeared out of the shadows, with untidy jet black hair and glasses protecting his dazzling green eyes.
"Oh Harry," she cried, running up and throwing her arms around him, dissolving into a deep sob. Harry awkwardly held her, rolled his eyes and mouthed over her shoulder, "Ron, what did you do this time?"
"She started it!" he shouted back, not quite getting the secrecy of mouthing.
"I did not!" she squealed in return, tears splashing down her pink cheeks.
"Stop it," Harry stepped in, "both of you. I can't stand your arguing for much longer. Whatever you two have got against each other or whatever you need to get off your chests," he shot a look at Ron, whose ears turned pink, "you need to do it now because I'm not sure how much more of this I can take!" Spinning on his heel Harry stormed off to the boy's dormitory.
Shaking, she hurriedly collected her scattered books and avoiding Ron's gaze ran towards the girl's stairs.
"Hermione wait!" This time his tone was different, it was full of guilt and was meaningful, she shivered but continued to run, his heavy footsteps behind her.
Up the stairs she knew he couldn't come after her, there were rules against boys in the wrong places, unless….
He has followed, the steps beneath her began to shudder violently and she slipped over as they titled into a steep slope. Hermione slid down to the bottom where she tumbled into Ron, who was obviously struggling to steady his balance. They landed in a heap of robes, parchment fluttering at their feet.
"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione asked flustered, untangling herself, embarrassed, from his arms.
"Harry's right," he grumbled, "we've got our NEWTs next year, and we need to be here for each other, not at each other's throats!"
Hermione smiled, he looked genuinely upset, and she had a sudden urge of compassion towards him. She got to her feet and held out her hand to help pull Ron up. He flinched and flung his arm out of her grasp.
"What's wrong?" she asked as he bit down hard on his lip, blinking back tears. He showed her his hand, his index finger bent at a funny angle. Hermione's knees buckled and Ron grabbed her with his other arm, she turned very pale and began to panic. "Quick Ron, we've got to go to Madam Pompfrey."
"I'll be fine," he said. Realising he was still gripping Hermione's waist, Ron blushes and took away his hand.
"No Ron," she stated, her voice full of concern, "that's broken," she whipped out her wand and tapped his finger with a spell which wrapped his finger in plaster, "that won't last long and I'm no professional, you need to go to the hospital."
"It's not broken, I'd know if it was broken, I'll sleep on it and if it's still bad I'll go in the morning. I don't want to go tonight, he'll be there."
"Don't be so stupid! If you're talking about Malfoy, then you're going to have to face him some day. It is your fault that he's in there!"
"He deserved it!" Ron mumbled.
"Nobody deserves that. You're such a boy!" she said in her matter-of-fact voice.
"Oh I'm sorry," he snapped sarcastically, "why are you making such a fuss? You've hit him before!"
"Yeah but I didn't break his nose!" she screamed.
"I was only sticking up for you, he called you some really nasty names. I was only doing what any decent friend would do!"
"Look Ron it's okay I'm used to it, you've always stood by me and I appreciate that, it's just there are other ways of doing it!" she smiled at him, a smile that could melt the angriest of people.
"But I wanted to get my message across to him, I don't like seeing you get hurt because.........because I........because I care about you."
Hermione looked down at the floor very flattered, Ron had complimented her; maybe there was more to him than his girl-scared shell. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Hermione wondered back to the fireplace and sank into her favourite armchair. Ron followed, sitting in the opposite chair. He glanced at his watch which shone midnight. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever before Ron spoke again,
"Heard from Viktor Krum lately?"
Hermione growled loudly, "Rona re you kidding? I'm not starting all of that again!"
"No I'm serious; you haven't said much about him. I just wanted to know, you know, as a friend, if everything was okay between you two." He said with a genuine look of interest.
"There's nothing going on between us," Hermione stated, trying not to jump to conclusions about the subtle smile emerging on Ron's face, "I wrote to him a few months ago and...And..." There was something new about Ron, she couldn't tell what it was but she suddenly felt she could talk to him about anything and everything, "he said the distance wasn't going to work and Quidditch is his life, and I can't fit in it." Tears started to trickle out of her eyes, "And....and... he's got someone else, someone prettier I bet."
Slightly shocked and feeling very angry towards the Belgian star, Ron moved to the arm of Hermione's chair.
"He'll have a tough job finding anyone better." Ron smiled, Hermione blushed, another compliment, there must be something up! She placed her head on his knee, her bond with Ron feeling closer than ever. "He didn't deserve you. He was such a git. He just wants someone on his arm, someone he can show off."
"Then why did he choose me?" Hermione sighed. Ron began to stroke her curls of hair resting on his lap, comforting her.
"Because you're an amazing person. You're beautiful and the top of our class, our year; it wouldn't surprise me if you were top of the school. You shouldn't put yourself down all the time." Hermione moved to sit upright and Ron slipped down next to her on the chair. Nervously he placed his arm around her, "You know I meant it, don't you?" he asked, Hermione gave him a gentle puzzled look, "that I care about you."
"I know," she whispered, they sat close, their bodies entwined. Glancing at her watch Hermione gasped. "Gosh it's late; we've got to get up in the morning." She tried to get up but couldn't and fell back down, giggling. Ron was still staring at her and catching his eye she smiled, "thanks", she leant forwards and kissed him on the cheek. Turning as red as his hair Ron pulled her into an intimate hug.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly into her ear. Breaking away she apologised back.
"I better go to bed," he said, though she had no intention on moving, her arms were still linked with Ron's. They sat, enjoying the moment, staring deep within each other's eyes.
"I've waited for this for so long." He grinned as Hermione pressed her forehead against his, "I'm sorry I didn't admit it before, I'm sorry I've always kept it to myself, only expressing my feelings for you through arguments!" Hermione beamed and ran a hand through his hair,
"I'm sorry I didn't help you see it sooner." Her hand on the back of his head tensed lightly as she pulled him closer, her lips bumped his. They were both nervous, experiencing something new. Through laughter and a sparkling of tears Hermione kissed him, Ron tightened his arms around her waist, returned the kiss and deepened it.
"OW!!" he leaped away yelling, Hermione's heart jumped but calmed to see him laughing, "I told you that bloody cat was after me!" She helped Ron prise Crookshanks off his neck and they settled back in the chair, returning to their kiss before letting the warmth of the fire plunge them into a deep sleep.