Storm

By Hermione Starise

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AN- Just a piece of fluff that I suddenly had the idea for. Slightly poetic, please forgive my love of flowery words and sentences. Pure and utter fluff!

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Disclaimers- I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers do.

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Hermione's POV

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The stale air has a musty smell to it and no refreshing breeze penetrates underground to our secret hideout. One of the sentries has just brought news of a storm brewing outside, not that the hot stuffiness of the day has not already heralded that.

The dull pounding in my head is consistent and has plagued me all day. My throat is dry, for no amount of water will cure me of this unreasonable thirst.

The book in front of me has not had its pages turned for over half an hour. I simply can't concentrate. The lumpy couch that I'm sitting on offers me not comfort and I can barely focus on the dull lounge that I'm in.

My vision wavers, I feel slightly dizzy. My cough is coming back, oh why can't it go away? The room is spinning…

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Ron's POV

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I worry about Hermione you know. She'll accept even the most awful of living circumstances without complaint. I found her about half an hour ago unconscious in the hideout, for one awful moment I thought she was dead.

No- just fainted Ginny tells me. And no wonder, the air had all but gone from the hideout!

Ginny performed some sort of refreshing spell on Hermione, which made her regain consciousness. But she wasn't well. So we flew to Hogwarts, on a flying carpet, they're illegal but Hermione was in no fit state to fly.

Now I'm in the hospital wing, Hermione lies sleeping peacefully- safe. A storm rages outside, flashes of blue light fork across the blackened sky and thunder booms like a warlord's cry. The rain is torrential, as impressive as the lightening and thunder, soaking the land, hard and unwavering.

I'm glad to be inside. More than that, I'm glad Hermione's inside. If only one of us had been able to come inside, I would have gladly braved the storm. For her.

I've been obsessing over her for a while now. She may not know it but I've spent hours staring at her face, memorising its lines and admiring the roses in her cheeks. I know every tempest of her dark brown eyes and every stubborn curl of her hair.

I glance down at her sleeping face. If only she could love me back. If only she could feel for me the deep passion that I feel for her. But how could a smart, intelligent person fall for a guy like me? I shake my head- impossible.

It the dim light offered by the flashing storm I can she her features. She is too skinny and paler than I've ever seen her before. This life of uncertainty, of endless war, the fear of Voldemort is eating away at her. Destroying the vibrant, intense, perfect person that she is.

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Hermione's POV

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I wake up. The air is fresh here- wherever I am- I take greedy gulps of much needed air. My memories of the past few hours are clouded, I remember stuffiness- not being able to breath- Ron shaking me- voices- but nothing more.

My headache is gone. I feel much better. Only disoriented. I think I could be in the Hogwart's Hospital Wing. But how did I get here? What is this? Ron is sitting in the chair next to my bed. He's staring into space, lost in thought.

I smile; maybe he does care after all.

"Ron," I call out softly.

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Ron's POV

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"Ron."

I am startled. It takes a second for me to register that Hermione's awake. I sense that I am blushing as memories of my musings resurface.

"Your awake." I say awkwardly.

"Forever observant." She says sitting up.

She is wearing a simple white robe, standard issue for Hospital Wing patients. Her long curly locks are half-heartedly plaited and a few playful dark ringlets escape to cascade down her sweet face. Her dark eyes are staring at me, shining in the dim light.

"Uh-huh." I murmur. Thank god it's dark else she'd see me blushing I think as I struggle to break free of her penetrating gaze.

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1 Hermione's POV

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"Uh-huh."

Why is he staring so? I tug uneasily at an annoying curl that has dared to escape its confines.

"Forever articulate." I tease, unsure of myself.

"Hermione…" He says, somewhat wistful, longing.

Shaking, I meet his gaze. It is startling; his blue eyes stare at me with intensity I had not believed possible.

"I…" I whisper, unknowingly injecting the same wistfulness and longing into my own voice.

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Ron's POV

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"I…" Hermione's whisper hits me hard, I feel the emotions in her voice, and they are the same as mine. Daring I reach down to touch her cheek-

"I thought, for one horrible moment I'd lost you today." I state.

"You did?" She answers, her voice small and frightened. I feel very protective of her.

"I overreacted because I'm frightened of loosing you." I explain, taking her hand in my own.

"You are?" She asks.

"I care about you so much, I can't explain it. I…we…I love you!" I finally manage to spit out the words that have been in my mind for months.

She gasps,

"I love you too."

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AN- that was strangely written and I'm sorry if it's confusing. Please point out my grammatical mistakes (and of course any others) and please, please, please review! The tense was a little dodgy; I don't know where I've gone wrong.