Meaning

They were outside, laying side by side, gazing at the passing clouds and ignoring each other's presence until one broke the spell.

"Did you ever wonder what it means, Hermione?"

Hermione glanced at his profile before returning her gaze to the sky, "What what means?"

"Love."

"I'm sure it means any number of things, which are you referring to?"

"What a guy feels towards the one he likes."

"Hormones," Hermione answered simply, "that's all it is."

"Come on," he turned on his side to face her. She looked at him again. "You don't really believe that."

"I most certainly do," she again turned her gaze away from him, "There are more important things to worry about, Ron."

"That it then?"

"What would you have me say? Love conquers all? All you need is love? Love rules the world?"

"Well it's something more then hormones." He faced his gaze on the setting sun now.

"Probably, why?"

"Curiosity."

Hermione nodded, "You ever been in love, Ron?"

He shrugged as best he could laying down, "Not sure, what's it feel like?"

"You know when you're in love."

"Oh." Then, "How?"

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh, "I don't know, a flighty feeling, the need to be with that person, not eating, inability to concentrate."

"Really? All that's caused by hormones," he looked at her solemnly.

She rolled her eyes but smiled any way. He sat up to look at her better.

"You even been in love?"

"I don't have the time for it."

"Then how do you know it's only hormones?"

She shrugged then looked at him, "What do you think it means?"

He smiled at her, but didn't respond, instead concentrated on the sky.

"Do you fancy some one, Ron? Is that what this is about?"

"You called it hormones."

"Ron."

He smiled at her exasperation. Absently he brushed an insistent curl from her face.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something further, but Ron's finger touching her lips for silence stopped it, "For once don't analyze things."

Nodding she watched the colors forming from the setting sun as she took Ron's hand into her own.

********

What do you think? One shot, cute ficlet? Ha. Tell me what you think? J.C. Thomas