Rolling over in her bed, Hermione Granger-Weasley's hand brushed against her husband's bare back, and she sighed, content. The spring sun filtered through the windows, creating a hazy glow in the room as she opened her eyes. He dominated her sight with his broad shoulders, long frame, & brilliant red hair… Once again she was struck with the thought of just how lucky she was to have him- just how lucky they were to come out of the war alive, intact, and still together.
Cuddling up to his warm back, she threw an arm around him, murmuring a soft "Good morning, Ron," as she kissed a patch of freckles that smattered his skin. Ron's response was garbled against his pillow, and Hermione giggled. "Mmm, I didn't quite catch that, love," she teased, her left hand reaching up to play in his hair. The gold of her wedding ring shone in the early morning light, and she felt a well of emotions rush up inside her. How was it that they had managed to be all right? If their childhood could be described as horror, war, and death, then their adult life was contentment, peace, and life. That's what they truly had- a life together, just as it was always meant to be.
Sure, they argued all the time. He could be an insensitive prat, and Hermione could occasionally admit to being a tad bit bossy. They'd certainly had their problems in the past- Scabbers and Crookshanks, Fleur and Viktor, Lavender Brown… all were stumbling blocks on the way to their relationship. Now they argued about new things- Who's turn was it to wash the dishes? Why did Ron have to go pick up Hermione's laundry? Did they spend too much money on desserts? They were petty things, yes, but in a way it was how they communicated to each other.
"It's too bleeding early, 'Mione," Ron grumbled back, but he threw an arm back around her waist anyway, squeezing her lightly with his large hand.
"So you say," Hermione countered, her hand slipping down from his scalp to follow the path of his spine. "It's already ten in the morning. Certainly you've gotten enough sleep…we went to bed early last night."
"We went to bed early, yes…" Ron said, turning over, his eyes flashing an amused blue as he pulled her closer to his chest, "but I wouldn't call sleeping exactly what we were doing, would you, love?" As she laughed quietly, his lips skimmed down her lovely throat to nestle in the hollow of her collarbone, spreading warm currents of pleasure throughout her body.
"Mmmm, give me a proper kiss good morning, would you?" Hermione asked, swatting his arm playfully. This was how Saturday mornings were supposed to be, she thought with happy sigh. Ron was looking up at her with a smile, as his warm body shifted over hers so every inch of their skin was touching.
"A proper kiss, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked, his voice husky and warm. One of Ron's hands tangled in her hair, the other gently cupped her face, his thumb moving softly across her sun burnt cheek. Hermione nodded slowly, licking her lips unconsciously, as his gaze fell to her lips. A few seconds passed as Ron continued to stare at her, love present in his eyes, and Hermione let out a little whimper. "Please, Ron," she whispered, her hands looping around his neck, and she sighed happily as his lips fell upon hers.
They kissed softly for the next few minutes- mouths moving together, hands wandering, and when they finally broke apart, Hermione's skin was flushed, her heart beating madly underneath her skin. Ron buried his nose in the crook of her shoulder, and Hermione's hands traced over his shoulder blades, touching him lightly. The gentle kiss Ron placed on her skin made her shiver, and as he pulled back, their eyes locked, and he whispered, "I love you so much."
Hermione smiled blissfully, pulling him closer to him, but suddenly her vision was fading into darkness. "THANK YOU! THIS HAS BEEN A PRODUCT OF WEASLEYS' WIZARD WHEEZES! ON SALE TODAY- DEFLAGRATION DELUXE AND EXTENDABLE EARS! VISIT US IN DIAGON ALLEY!"
She groaned, opening her eyes, and stared up at the canopy of her bed, feeling profoundly lost. Hermione blinked back tears as she rolled over on her side. She could still feel the heat of her daydream-Ron's body, the way his lips felt, and how easy it was to love him. Currently, loving Ron just hurt; she hadn't spoken to him in months, and he was off with that – that idiot, Lavender Brown.
Hermione's bed now felt unbearably lonely. She absently kicked the box the daydream charm had come in, cursing Fred and George for giving it to her. The Ron in her daydream had filled up the bed with his long body and his intense heat, his large hands and his loving mouth. "It's so unfair!" she mentally screamed, burying her face in her pillow while taking a deep breath and attempting to calm down.
She could hear footsteps on the stairs, and she hastily prayed it wasn't Lavender and Parvati. Unfortunately, luck was against her, and she heard them giggling near the door to the room.
"He looks so cute when his ears go red," Lavender was saying, pushing open the door, and Hermione lay still, glad she had drawn the curtains. Just the sound of Lavender's voice hurt her ears, and Hermione shrunk farther into her bedcovers. "They used to whenever we - you know, kissed –"
"Kissed?" Parvati laughed. "I don't think what you and Ron do can be counted as 'kissing.' 'Frantically groping' might be a better description." Hermione closed her eyes, trying to will away the myriad images that hit her of Ron and Lavender, as Lavender laughed and threw something- a pillow, it sounded like- at her friend.
"You're just jealous," Lavender cooed. She could hear Lavender flop down on her bed, and she sighed with relief, hoping that both girls would be going to bed soon, and that this nightmare conversation could end.
"Honestly, Lav, I'm not," Parvati answered, sounding serious. Drawers were opening and closing and Hermione knew the two girls were changing into their nightclothes. "After all, I'm going to have 20 extra minutes of sleep tomorrow, and you're not."
"Why?" Lavender asked, sounding just as confused as Hermione was. What did snogging Ron have to do with waking up early? He always slept late, certainly Parvati knew that…
"Well…" Parvati drawled, laughter breaking into her speech, "that humongous love bite you have on your neck isn't going to cover itself up, you know." Hermione gasped, loud enough for them to hear her, and she groped for her wand, quickly muttering a silencing spell as she burst into tears.
"How could he do this to me?" Hermione whispered, sounding heartbroken as salty tears streamed down her cheeks and trickled onto her lips. Ron and Lavender hadn't even been friends before this year! They hadn't even spoken for more than a minute and suddenly they were snogging everywhere! It was stupid – ridiculous - idiotic - and Hermione let out a low moan of anguish.
God, he'd ruined everything. Hermione wished she could leave Hogwarts and never see his face again, but that wasn't an option. Instead, she buried her face in her pillow, and for the first time in her life, cried herself to sleep.
