Disclaimer: As much as it pains me to admit this, I own nothing. All hail
queen JKR!
Hermione walked across the grass to the tree Ron was sitting leaning against. He looked different to her, more thoughtful than usual. Without saying a word, she made her way toward the tree, and sat down beside him.
"Hey." he said gently.
"Hey." she replied in the same tone.
It grew silent. It certainly wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was the sort of silence you can only share with someone you truly trust. Hermione smiled inwardly as she thought about this.
"Um. . . what time is it, exactly?" Ron asked.
"Oh. Like, 6 am or something. Which reminds me. What are you doing sitting out here so early, all alone?"
Ron sighed and answered, "I dunno. Just. . . thinking."
"You? Thinking?" Hermione giggled. Ron turned his head and gave her what would have been a reproachful look, if it hadn't broken into a grin right afterwards. "I'm only joking Ron, you know that. Um. . . what. . . what were you thinking about?"
"I dunno," Ron repeated, "Just, y'know, stuff. Like, this whole war thing. I know nothing has happened just yet, but the problem is, something will happen. And then there's. . . " He trailed off.
Hermione smiled sadly.
"Harry." She said simply. He nodded.
"He's not the same anymore. I know he tries to act like he's ok, but I know him, he's not. I can tell. Like sometimes, we'll be talking, and you can tell by looking in his eyes that he's just not completely there. It's almost scary. And I. . . I worry about him. I'm worried about what might happen if. . . well, y'know."
Hermione nodded. She was fairly surprised at this quiet outburst of Ron's feelings. As close and comfortable as Ron and she were, he had never been one to express his emotions so easily. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she was a little more than flattered.
"Believe me Ron, I know what you're talking about. And trust me, I'm really scared. I'm scared for so many reasons. I'm scared that things will never be the same for Harry. I'm scared that there will be a war. I'm especially scared that I'm gonna lose someone I love, like my parents. . . Harry. . . you. . . " she took a deep breath, "I just want one more chance to be innocent before that's taken away from us. That's something I really want. We're only 15 you know. We're still kids! But that's gonna be stolen from us because of. . . of. . . him!"
Ron looked at her, that same thoughtful look on his face. He stared at her, blue eyes to brown, for a few seconds before he turned away.
"Mione, I've done stupid things in the past, right?"
She giggled again, "Yeah, definitely!"
"But you always forgive me for those stupid things, right?"
"Of course! Well, so long as you apologize."
"So, if I were to do something stupid right now, but apologized, you would forgive me. . . right?"
"Ron, what. . .?"
"Right?"
"Yes, I s'pose I would."
Ron, obviously not wanting to lose his nerve, didn't hesitate in the slightest. He leaned forward and kissed Hermione gently. It was a very sweet, rather shy kiss, the sort of kiss that can best be described as innocent. It lasted about four seconds, no more. He pulled away slowly, and they both turned their heads a little, slightly embarrassed.
"Hermione, I. . . well, I can't exactly, um. . . apologize, like I said I would. . . " Ron said, rather awkwardly.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Well, that wasn't quite as stupid as I thought it would be. . . " Ron looked up, that famous, cocky Weasley grin on his face.
"That's ok. I didn't think so either." Hermione smiled back. Wordlessly, she leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder. They sat there together in comfortable silence for a while. Both were thinking the same thing. Someone was missing.
As if on cue, they heard a voice come from the house.
"Ron? Mione? You two out here?" Harry called out.
"Over here Harry!" They shouted in unison.
Harry walked up to his two friends. He stopped when he saw how they were sitting, Hermione's head resting on Ron's shoulder, his arm draped lazily around her. It didn't shock him, really. He had been waiting for this. Smiling to himself, he settled down beside his two best friends. No one said anything. Instead, they sat and stared at the sky and just enjoyed this moment of peace and innocence, one of the last of the like they would have in a long time. They loved the silence, the comfortable silence, and all three wished it would never end.
Hermione walked across the grass to the tree Ron was sitting leaning against. He looked different to her, more thoughtful than usual. Without saying a word, she made her way toward the tree, and sat down beside him.
"Hey." he said gently.
"Hey." she replied in the same tone.
It grew silent. It certainly wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was the sort of silence you can only share with someone you truly trust. Hermione smiled inwardly as she thought about this.
"Um. . . what time is it, exactly?" Ron asked.
"Oh. Like, 6 am or something. Which reminds me. What are you doing sitting out here so early, all alone?"
Ron sighed and answered, "I dunno. Just. . . thinking."
"You? Thinking?" Hermione giggled. Ron turned his head and gave her what would have been a reproachful look, if it hadn't broken into a grin right afterwards. "I'm only joking Ron, you know that. Um. . . what. . . what were you thinking about?"
"I dunno," Ron repeated, "Just, y'know, stuff. Like, this whole war thing. I know nothing has happened just yet, but the problem is, something will happen. And then there's. . . " He trailed off.
Hermione smiled sadly.
"Harry." She said simply. He nodded.
"He's not the same anymore. I know he tries to act like he's ok, but I know him, he's not. I can tell. Like sometimes, we'll be talking, and you can tell by looking in his eyes that he's just not completely there. It's almost scary. And I. . . I worry about him. I'm worried about what might happen if. . . well, y'know."
Hermione nodded. She was fairly surprised at this quiet outburst of Ron's feelings. As close and comfortable as Ron and she were, he had never been one to express his emotions so easily. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she was a little more than flattered.
"Believe me Ron, I know what you're talking about. And trust me, I'm really scared. I'm scared for so many reasons. I'm scared that things will never be the same for Harry. I'm scared that there will be a war. I'm especially scared that I'm gonna lose someone I love, like my parents. . . Harry. . . you. . . " she took a deep breath, "I just want one more chance to be innocent before that's taken away from us. That's something I really want. We're only 15 you know. We're still kids! But that's gonna be stolen from us because of. . . of. . . him!"
Ron looked at her, that same thoughtful look on his face. He stared at her, blue eyes to brown, for a few seconds before he turned away.
"Mione, I've done stupid things in the past, right?"
She giggled again, "Yeah, definitely!"
"But you always forgive me for those stupid things, right?"
"Of course! Well, so long as you apologize."
"So, if I were to do something stupid right now, but apologized, you would forgive me. . . right?"
"Ron, what. . .?"
"Right?"
"Yes, I s'pose I would."
Ron, obviously not wanting to lose his nerve, didn't hesitate in the slightest. He leaned forward and kissed Hermione gently. It was a very sweet, rather shy kiss, the sort of kiss that can best be described as innocent. It lasted about four seconds, no more. He pulled away slowly, and they both turned their heads a little, slightly embarrassed.
"Hermione, I. . . well, I can't exactly, um. . . apologize, like I said I would. . . " Ron said, rather awkwardly.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Well, that wasn't quite as stupid as I thought it would be. . . " Ron looked up, that famous, cocky Weasley grin on his face.
"That's ok. I didn't think so either." Hermione smiled back. Wordlessly, she leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder. They sat there together in comfortable silence for a while. Both were thinking the same thing. Someone was missing.
As if on cue, they heard a voice come from the house.
"Ron? Mione? You two out here?" Harry called out.
"Over here Harry!" They shouted in unison.
Harry walked up to his two friends. He stopped when he saw how they were sitting, Hermione's head resting on Ron's shoulder, his arm draped lazily around her. It didn't shock him, really. He had been waiting for this. Smiling to himself, he settled down beside his two best friends. No one said anything. Instead, they sat and stared at the sky and just enjoyed this moment of peace and innocence, one of the last of the like they would have in a long time. They loved the silence, the comfortable silence, and all three wished it would never end.