The bewitched sky in the Great Hall never looked so beautiful.
Bright stars shone with incredible luster and shooting stars painted the
richest shade of blue. Every milky way danced in great spirals, keeper
of multicolor jewels.
Dinner was especially nice because it was the start of a new year,
and although thunder roared outside...the evening was kindled with the
glow of every fireplace in the Great hall. The Hogwarts express had not
run this year, and so students came in on their own terms along with their
parents..and since apparation was not possible in Hogwarts territory,
most students took longer to get there.
Hermione waited at the Gryffindor table. She was one of the first
in her year to arrive but she could not wait until her best friends showed.
She had worried herself sick over Harry this summer. He had not returned
any of her letters and Ron had not either. She had no idea how they were.
She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, looking down so her shoulder
length curls covered her face. She looked up from time to time to see busy
house elves bustling by, happy as can be with pots of food. She scrunched
her nose. She never did help them be free and they were still cheery.
"Gits,"she mumbled to herself.
"Hello Hermione," said a familiar dreamy voice. Hermione did not
want to even look at this girl..but she did. Luna Lovegood was standing on
the opposite side of the table, dressed in a plum shirt under her Hufflepuff
encrusted robes. Her hair seemed blonder and her eyes disturbingly bigger.
"Luna..How are you?" Hermione managed. Not that she really cared..
"Oh fine..Where's Ron and Harry?" Her owl-like gray eyes twinkled
it seemed as she said their names..To Hermione it was revolting.
"Not here yet,"Hermione twiddled her fingers, bored. She wished they
were here.
Luna apparently got the message that Hermione was not at all in the
mood to talk to her and left. Thank Merlin.
Pretty soon, Neville and Seamus arrived, then Dean and some other
Gryffindor girls. They all sat around Hermione, talking non-stop about current
political statements made due to Mr. Weasley becoming the New Minister of
Magic. It was all very exciting, yes, but Hermione's head hurt and all the younger
students were driving her mad with their never-ending talks of crushes, make-up
and Cassandra Cauldron's new smash hit "Apparate to Me".
Hermione put her head down. The food had appeared and everyone was deep in
conversation and in their comsumption of incredible foods. She did not feel
very hungry. Neville gave her a comforting back rub and asked how she was.
"I'm fine Nev," she smiled meekly and put her head back down.
"If it makes you feel any better, there's Ron and Harry,"he told her.
With these "magic words", she looked up to the doorway. "Holy Merlin..."
It was Ron and Harry alright, but each had changed to a point
where they looked almost God-like. Ron came and greeted his guy friends
with his usual playfullness, not noticing Hermione's ridiculous look of awe.
Ron's hair was full of luster and his skin was sunkissed, making his
turquoise eyes shine with impecable gleam. He had managed to get taller and
his shoulders broader. He looked like a man.
Harry just stood behind Ron with his hands deep in his pockets.
He had let his hair grow to cover his eyes, that shone behind the long
black strands. He too had gotten taller..not as tall as Ron but still. His face was
more mature and his arms were strong. Harry though, looked like he spent
a long time indoors without much food.
Sitting down beside her, Ron smiled at her. "How have you been?"
he asked sweetly. Ron had not only changed on the outside, she noticed.
"Ok, i guess. You?"she asked.
"Been good. I spent the summer in Hungary with Charlie. He needed a hand
with a new dragon he got asked to keep. The thing's huge,"Ron told her.
She smiled.
"That sounds nice. You spending time with your brother, i mean."
"Well, i got burned pretty bad on my arm though.." he lifted his sleeve, and
past the tattoo he had also gotten, there was scar.
"Oh i'm sorry," Hermione touched it lightly and he flinched. "Ow.."he chuckled.
She giggled. Who was this charming boy and where was Ron!- she thought.
Hermione turned her attention to Harry. He was quiet and hungry. Eating
away through some chicken and potatoes. "Harry?" she said to him.
Harry looked up at Hermione with his trademark sad eyes, and smiled.
"Yes Hermione?"
"How are you? Why didn't you write me or respond to my letters?"
"I never got any letters this summer," he said in confusion.
"That's weird,"Hermione reached over for some water. She had
not eaten yet. " I missed you two so much."
"I missed you, too," Harry smiled sadly.
Dinner went by smoothly. It was a difference to see
the Great Hall not as packed as usual but it gave Hermione
some relief for her aching head. Most kids went to bed early,
but Ron, Hermione,Harry, and some other Gryffindors stayed
awake in the common room.
"Hermione, your turn.."Ginny spinned the butterbeer bottle
on the carpet.
"Um..can i pass?" she protested. She hugged her legs close
to her and cuddled next to a big red pillow. The bottle was
coming to a stop.
"Nope," Ginny laughed. The bottle stopped. "Ooooo!"
Hermione blushed furiously, looking to see that the bottle
was pointing to a very red Ronald Weasley.
"What do we have to do?" Hermione was afraid to ask. Ginny
squinted to look into the bottle for the answer. The bottle was
bewitched after all.
7 minutes in heaven
"Oooo lala!" Ginny exaggerated."You two have to stay in the
broom closet for 7 looong minutes.." Everyone started wolf-
whistling and laughing. Everyone except Ron and Hermione.
"Do we have to?" Hermione tried to hide the fact that she was
more than willing to be in a closet with Ron. He came over
and held out his hand to Hermione. Was it just her or were
his usual light blue eyes dark?
She took his hand and followed him out of the common
room full of dirty whistling. Ron had a content look on his face
like he knew exactly what he was doing and Hermione felt dumb
for the first time. He took her to the closest closet he found and
opened the door. Hermione went in first, seeing how cramped
the place actually was and even more so when Ron came in and
closed the door behind him.
"Are you okay with this? I mean, we don't have to do
this if you don't want to.." Ron began. His smell was absolutely
amazing according to Hermione's mind. And she knew that even
in the dark, her cheeks radiated the warmth they possessed.
At that moment, some buckets fell around her feet and she
scooted closer to him involuntarily. Hermione laughed nervously.
"I'm sorry, um..."her voice was unstable and went up an octave.
"You don't want to do this, do you?" Hermione could hear
the tone of disappointment in his voice. She did not want to disappoint
her favorite Weasley. Without saying anything, her hands pressed against
his chest and she heard him gasp when she began laying sweet butterfly
kisses up his neck. "Hermione.." he whispered. As soon as she kissed
the sensitive skin behind his ear, she heard him moan ever so softly.
She stopped her teasing just to let him know..."Of course I
want to do this, Ron." And with that slight purr of a response her
hand ran through his long hair..feeling its complete softness between
her fingers.
He listened so intently but couldn't help but get lost in his own desires.
Ron felt as though he needed to do something about
this situation immediately. He put his rather large hands on her
small waist and pulled her to him so they were pressed up against
each other. She smiled. Thank Merlin it was pitch black in there..she
was beet red. He cupped her face with one hand, letting his thumb
graze over her exquisite little pout lips with adoration. Then, knowing
his territory, he bent down and kissed Hermione with a roughness she
knew and loved about him. His rugged scent of musk and spices drove
her insane and those lips! Ron had the most tender lips and he worked
them to their fullest potential against hers, showing off his master skills
in the art of kissing.
Warm, soft, wet..what more wonderfully deliscious words could describe
this kiss?
Ron lifted her in one swoop of his arms while he nibbled on her neck.
She couldn't help but throw her head back and allow him to do as he
very well pleased. Her legs wound around his torso and her back was
flat against the wall behind her.
"You're wearing the perfume I gave you..."he mumbled against her neck.
"Hmm..." was her most desirable response. Everytime she spritz it on
after showers she would think of him.
She nodded with eyes closed, agreeing with his every action...
she just wanted to feel him right now. And she did..he was definetly
showing his excitement. "Hermione.."he groaned in a husky voice. "Do
you.."
"Yes Ron...Now.."she heard herself almost begging him.
His shot to the hem of her skirt and was pulling it up when...
Ginny, Harry, Neville, Seamus, Dean, and Pavarti stood in
the doorway. Their jaws were all dropped and some were snickering
with absolute amazement. Ginny held the door open. "Well well well.
You two do know it's seven minutes in heaven... strict emphasis
on the seven?" Ginny giggled most evily.
Ron set Hermione down, finally seeing her. They came out
of the broom closet, trying to fix their hair and twisted clothes.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Ron saw Hermione's eye twinkle. She
still wanted it and he clearly did, too. So much so that Pavarti and
Ginny saw the "bulge" in Ron's pants and were pretending to gag.
They all walked back to the Gryffindor common room, enduring
dirty questions from the boys and squeals of Ginny and Pavarti. It could not
have been more embarassing to be caught in such a situation.
Ron layed on his bed, hands beneath his head, staring blankly
at the celing of his dormitory. The cold air drafted in through the open
window and seemed to set right over his bare chest.
"So Ronald..How was your get together with Hermione?" asked
Seamus curiously. All the boys crowded around to hear the answer.
Harry went to bed as soon as Seamus dared to ask Ron
this bit of information. Harry knew Ron well enough to know he liked
to describe things a little well.
"Why do you guys want to know?" he asked, trying to seem calm
and distant. He actually knew exactly what they wanted to know, but
because of them, there was nothing to say now, was there?
"You pinned a girl in a skirt, a very gorgeous girl at that,
to a wall AND you were pretty damn straight ready to shag her right
there and then," Neville let out in one breath. Everybody, including
Ron just gaped at Neville. His ears turned pink. "Well...You did!"
Ron shook his head and went back to "not remembering
a single thing".
After desperate attempts to bribe Ron into spilling his dirty
closet routine, the boys gave up and went to sleep. This was one of
the times where Ron wished he had his own room.
Hermione's body against his felt incredible. Just thinking about
her legs around his torso gave him shivers no matter how hot he felt.
How he wanted to take her like that..he was so ready to..if it wasn't
for it being some stupid game. "Thanks a lot Ginny," he grumbled.
His eyes closed. Sleep was near.
"Twenty-three sprites were responsible for the Kellsoff Rebellion
of 1345..." The Professor went on and on. This was only the first official
day of school and this old man was driving the students to the brink of
death right there in front of him. The room was one big snore. Seriously,
one synchronized snore after the other.
Ron was almost dozing off himself, but before he had the
chance to do so, something hit him on the head.
"What the-" he looked back to see who threw and there was
Hermione with the most devilish grin..Ron smiled back and picked up
the paper ball that was on the floor.
It read:
Meet me in the astronomy tower at midnight.
Love
Hermione
"I'll tell you one thing Mr. Potter, you will NOT be able to use
notes on the test on the Sprite Revolution next week," Harry awoke
with drool on his chin. He raked his hair back with his fingers and it
still fell into his eyes.
Ron stared down at his own parchment..It read "Sprite".
"Impressive.." Harry snickered.
"Ha-ha-ha...What have you got Genius?" Ron looked
over at Harry's paper. It read "Sprites are". As if they
were eleven, Ron stuck out his tongue at Harry.