Happily Ever After
DISCLAIMER- Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. I am forever in debt to J.K. Rowling for creating such a wonderful world to play in.
DEDICATION- This story is dedicated to my friend Rayna who needed a push too.
AN- This story is set a few years after the war with Voldemort ended. It obviously ignores Ron and Hermione getting together in DH.
MAIN STORY-
Harry's POV
He rolled his eyes; Ron and Hermione were fighting again. He had gotten used to this over the years he had known them. They had fought quite a bit during their years at Hogwarts. They had managed to put aside most of their differences during the war. Once it was over they had started up even worse than ever. Harry had felt a bit adrift for a while once Voldemort had been defeated, and Ron and Hermione fighting was comforting, familiar and restful. Though not for them he thought as he watched a red-faced Hermione storm out and Ron collapse in his chair, his head in his hands. Trying to settle back into a normal life after all they had been through was not easy. He had realized just how precious time was and he had not wasted it. He had seized his chance for happiness and now that the danger was over he had married Ginny and moved into Grimmald Place with her.
Ron's POV
Ron was happy for his sister and his best friend he knew they loved each other very much and enjoyed seeing them every week for dinner on Saturday nights. But he always felt a twinge of sadness when he saw how happy they were together. He wished for that kind of happiness for himself. He had dated a couple of woman but nothing serious ever came of it. He knew why. None of the woman he dated could stand up when he compared her, as he always ended up doing, to Hermione. He had realized that he was totally in love with her in their sixth year at Hogwarts but he had not mentioned it to anyone not even Harry. He refused to risk the friendship with her first of all and like Harry and Ginny he thought that if everyone knew his feeling it would place her in even more danger in the war. Now that the war was over he was having trouble with his feelings. He thought that it was better to keep their relationship as friends then to cross the line and risk losing it all. He barely restrained his jealousy as he watched Hermione date a couple of successful wizards from her job at St. Mungo's. Every time she broke up with one of them he thought that he should tell her how he felt. However whenever they were together they always seemed to get into a fight.
Hermione's POV
She couldn't believe they were fighting again why did he always get on her nerves. He could irritate her so easily. She walked to the library; she had always felt calmer around books. Grimmald Place was almost unrecognizable. Harry and Ginny had remodeled the place in the year they had been living there and the change was amazing. Bright and clean they had managed to turn it into a home of their own. She was happy for the two of them and felt that Harry deserved his happiness after all he had been through. She had smiled as she stood by Ginny at the wedding and even claimed a dance with Harry at the reception. She also smiled when she came here for dinner once a week, but it was getting hard for her. She had to admit her major problem was being so close to Ron. She had maintained that they were good friends but she could not lie to herself. Ron had dated a couple of very pretty witches who she had taken a jealous dislike to. She wished that he would ask her out as more than just a friend but they always just got into fights. She realized that she could never compete with them for him so she resolved to move on with her life and had dated a couple of wizards that she worked with, but nothing ever came of it.
Harry's POV
"I mean it Ginny." Harry said as he washed the dinner dishes that night. "It has been over a year. They haven't made a move yet and I'm starting to think they never will."
"We could try talking to them again."
"No I think we need more drastic measures now, and I think I have a plan."
He put the finishing touches on the potion and set the parameters for the spell. A quick cooling charm and he was ladling it into a vial with an evil grin. He was going to enjoy this on so many levels.
Ginny's POV
She poured out the homemade beef stew making sure to split the contents of the vial Harry gave her between two of the bowls. She stepped into the dinning room with a smile setting the tampered bowls in front of Ron and Hermione, and giving Harry a wink to let him know. Soon none of the stew remained and Ginny was anxiously waiting for the end of dinner and the fun. Hermione was the first to leave the table. At least she tried. Ginny had to stuff her hand over her mouth when Hermione reached a few feet from Ron and sprung back landing on the floor. Ron was pulled mostly out of his seat and gravity did the rest as he also landed on the floor.
Ron's POV
He was keenly aware of her and when she left the table. He was in the middle of asking Harry a question when he was pulled almost out of his seat. Unable to catch the table before gravity exerted its pull he hit the floor with a thud. There was a small squeak of surprise followed by a similar thud behind him. Both he and Hermione were sitting on the hardwood floor. He scrambled to his feet aware of a pulling sensation on his left hand side. He moved to the right and Hermione gave another surprised squeak as she slid across the floor towards him.
Harry's POV
He couldn't help it he burst out laughing. Ron had moved over and pulled Hermione across the floor. She seemed to have been taking stock to make sure she was not hurt. Ron moved again and pulled her along the floor. He finally realized that every time he moved to the right Hermione slid on the floor, and he moved back and offered her a hand up. Both of them glared at him before experimenting with the odd sensation, moving to the left and right around the table. Eventually they discovered that they could not move more then two feet from each other.
Hermione's POV
This was ridiculous. She pulled out her wand and cast a Finite and tried to move. Ron stumbled. She looked shocked and tried several different spells to no avail. She was stuck to Ron. She glared once more at Harry who was still laughing before turning to Ron.
"What did you do?"
"ME!"
"Well I didn't do it."
They both looked at Harry. "I thought you two needed some time together." He said.
"Take it off!"
"I can't, you have to fulfill the requirements of the spell."
"What requirements?"
"That you will have to figure out yourselves."
She was gaping at him when her wand flew out of her hand. Ron's went spinning next and Harry caught them both before he banished them with a smile. She stomped off a foot before the tether pulled and she stumbled. Grabbing Ron's hand she pulled him out of the room.
"Where are we going?"
"To the library."
"Of course."
She carried a huge stack of books to one of the tables in the library. She would find the counter to this if it was the last thing she did. She couldn't live her life stuck to someone, especially Ron.
Ron's POV
He watched her pouring over dusty tombs. She nibbled on her lip as always when in deep concentration. He was supposed to be looking through his own books but he couldn't help but sit and stare at her. In the meantime there was a growing urgency in his bladder that he couldn't figure out how to remedy without great embarrassment.
"Um Hermione?"
"Umhm."
"Er I have a bit of a problem."
She turned to look at him. "What is it?"
"Well I have to… uh go to the… uh you know?" His face was flaming.
It took Hermione a few seconds to realize what he meant. When she did she blushed, but pulled him out of the room. She wandered into the sitting room glaring at Harry and walked over to Ginny whispering in her ear. A quick spell and Ron felt better. He looked at her questioningly.
"Medical spell. For use on unconscious or incapacitated patients."
"Oh."
With one last glare at a widely smiling Harry, they proceeded back to the library.
Hermione's POV
Her eyes were itching with tiredness and the words on the pages before her were blurring. Ron had plopped his head down on his arms and was fast asleep. Harry was standing at the library door staring at her. She needed sleep too. She shook Ron on the shoulder to wake him. He mumbled something and pulled himself to his feet. They followed Harry to the guest room. He had enlarged the bed so they could both use it.
Harry's POV
They stared at the bed horrified. Harry was trying not to laugh, but Ginny had her face pressed into his back shaking with silent mirth. He had to bite his lip to keep his chuckles in. Finally Hermione huffed and pulled Ron to the bed and climbed in. Ron settled next to her, both of them red-faced. Harry bit his lip again. They were lying stiff as boards next to each other with nothing touching. He playfully smacked Ginny, said a subdued goodnight, not that he thought they even noticed, and extinguished the lights before following Ginny to their bedroom.
Hermione's POV
She was going to kill Harry. Then bring him back to life and kill him again. She was still in her suit from the meeting this morning but there was no way she was getting in her normal sleeping gear. Normally she didn't bother to wear anything to bed, but she had napped in her clothes on occasion at work. She would just have to make the best of it for now. She was getting a headache from tiredness so after hearing Ron kick off his shoes she did the same and turned on her side doing her best to ignore Ron and fell asleep quite quickly.
Ron's POV
He was incredibly uncomfortable. She should have left him sleeping in the library. He swung his legs over the side and kicked off his shoes. A few minutes later and he heard her do the same. He was used to sleeping in boxers and an undershirt but there was no way he was dressing that way tonight. There was no way he was going to sleep tonight. Or so he thought, after little more than an hour of boredom staring at the ceiling he started to relax. He had felt Hermione drift off seemingly unconcerned with their situation. Slowly adrenalin washed away and sleep overcame him.
Harry's POV
Sometime around three am on his way back from the kitchen and a midnight snack, Harry popped in to check on his friends. They were both sleeping fully dressed. He shook his head. At least they took their shoes off. He grabbed his wand and transfigured their clothes to pajamas before heading back to bed.
Ron's POV
He was warm and comfy. As he slowly swam up to awareness he marveled at one of the best night sleep in years. He dreamed of her again, he even imagined he could smell her. He sighed and opened his eyes to a mass of brown hair, for a second panic rose, he had not had a girlfriend in over a month; there should not be anyone in bed with him. Then the events of last night came rushing back and he realized whom the brown hair belonged to. He took quick stock of his body and was distressed to discover that not only was her warm body squeezed into him, his right hand was in a compromising position. Apparently sensing his growing panic she stirred before he could move his hand.
Hermione's POV
She was warm and comfy, and loathed to leave her comfortable place. But, like every morning, awareness was creeping its way into her mind. She turned slightly trying to determine what woke her. Consciousness spread as she took stock of her body and found a heavy warm weight against her back. Her arm had curled under her head and there was pleasant warmth over her right breast. She moved against something warm and strong, and her nipple rose. Still half asleep she purred at the sensation. She took a deep breath and noticed a heavy weight that was draped over her side was hastily removed. Then she became aware that she was curled beside what could only be another body. She could feel the heartbeat against her back. Memories of the previous night returned and she realized who the other person was. Some small part of her mind took note that Ron's heart was beating awful fast for a man in a resting state. A blush rose to her face as she recalled her wanton movement against what had to have been his hand. Not up to the righteous indignation and fight for the wandering hand she just curled deeper against him.
Ron's POV
He had been panicking when she rubbed herself against his hand. He moved his arm quickly and began to mentally prepare for the yelling when she just curled deeper into him with a sigh. Maybe she was still sleeping? He moved backward slightly to give her some room and she just made an unhappy noise before following him. She still had to be asleep. He rubbed her arm to wake her.
"Hermione."
"Hmmm?"
"Time to wake up."
"I'm awake."
What! She was awake? What was she doing rolling into him if she was awake? He moved some hair over her shoulder so he could see that she did indeed have her eyes open.
Hermione's POV
It didn't take long after she realized where she was and whom she was with to decide that she was going to make the most of it until Ron freaked out and jumped away. He was trying to wake her assuming her to be still asleep.
"I'm awake."
He moved her hair so he could look at her. She smiled at him and turned over facing him.
"Are you going to get up?" he asked with that cute grin of his.
"I'm quite comfortable where I am. Are you going to get up?"
"If you don't mind I'm happy where I am."
"I don't mind."
"Then I guess we will stay here for a while."
He played with her hair for a little while running his finger down her jaw line and back up again. He looked to be gathering his courage and he moved his arm back over her side pulling her closer. They were chest to chest looking into each other's eyes when suddenly there was no space between them, and her lips were devouring his. She had no idea who kissed who only that with the joining of their lips came a small ringing and clapping.
Harry's POV
He was clapping loudly. "Its about time. You two can move apart again if you want."
They squeezed closer ignoring him. He smiled and walked out.