"Forget it," Hermione Granger tried to make Ginny Weasley forget the subject, "How's Potions?"
"It's what you learned last year," Ginny retorted, giving her a look at clearly said she wouldn't be distracted. "What did you and Ron talk about last night?"
"Stuff," Hermione shrugged, unable to look at her friend in the face.
"What stuff?" Ginny prompted again, her voice had taken on a clear edge of annoyance.
"Just stuff – nothing important. Can I help you with your Potions essay?"
"Oh my gosh! Hermione Granger just offered to help me with an essay? What about your motto of letting everyone get their own work done? You know, because you think otherwise we will never learn."
"It's not my motto," she tried to clarifying, looking away still and grabbing her friend's notebook. "This is a mess! And wrong," she added the last bit as an afterthought.
Ginny yanked her work out her friend's hand and glared at her. "No thanks." Slamming a few books shut, Ginny gathered her things and look up. "I dare you to go talk to Ron again – then report back to me."
"Report back to you?" Hermione laughed. "No."
"What? Are your intimate's talks so personal you can't share them?" Ginny challenged her friend. "I dare you to tell me have a private conversation – a real conversation – with Ron and then tell me all about it."
She shook her head franticly. "No way."
"Hermione, why not?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I dare you. And don't dares mean anything to you?"
"Not particularly."
"What about friendship. A friend is daring you, so you should really follow through."
"So the friend says."
Ginny glared at her. "Why not?" she demanded. She still not letting the subject drop.
"Why should I?" Hermione retorted, glaring at her friend back.
"Because I dare you."
"Fine," Hermione relented finally, knowing her friend was more stubborn about such things.
"I dare you to have a private, personal, intimate conversation with Ron and tell me all about it." Ginny turned around, not waiting for Hermione to reply and walked out of the library.
Hermione was chewing her bottom lip and staring at her own Potions essay as she tried to think of a way to get out of the little dare she had just accepted. Slowly the thoughts of the dare turned into thoughts about Ron himself and the way he made her laugh as well as made her most aggravated than anyone she knew.
"Hermione, it's almost curfew," Ron's voice jarred her out of her thoughts. She jumped and turned to face her friend. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Hermione said in a hurried voice, trying to shove away the thoughts she had just been having.
"Ginny wanted me to come down and check on you. For some dumb reason she couldn't do it herself."
Hermione scowled, realizing her friend had set her up. "I'm coming."
Ron sat down at the table beside her and grabbed the papers in front of her. "Potions essay?"
Pulling her work back towards herself, Hermione said, "I'm sure you haven't even started your own."
He smiled, shrugging. "True."
Hermione allowed her gaze to wander toward the window and saw the moonlight and night slipping in romantically. She felt her stomach twist in response. Glancing sideways at Ron, she said, "I'm going for a walk." She jumped from her seat and started to gather her things.
"A walk? You're miss curfew," Ron warned, though he was obviously not worried about himself.
"You don't seem to be worried about curfew," Hermione told him, sliding her books in her bag.
"I don't particularly care; I've gotten away with a lot worse here," he informed her with a boyish grin.
"I suppose so, but not just for the heck of it."
He shrugged.
She swung her bag over her shoulder and looked at him, "Coming?"
"You want me to come with you on a walk?"
"Apparently I do, or I wouldn't have asked."
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Why not?"
"You have nothing to loose," she pointed out.
"You have your perfect record though."
"I highly doubt I went through almost six years of friendship with you and Harry and still have clean record."
She headed for the door, not waiting for him to response.
"Then why are you still a know-it-all?" he asked from behind her, catching up with her quick stride easily.
"I'm not."
"You are to. Always have been," he added grumpily.
"If that's what you think why are you friends with me?" she asked without even pausing.
"I don't know—" She could see him shrugging behind her in her mind's eye. "You're Hermione, that's why."
"Hermione apparently means a know-it-all."
"I didn't say that! That's not all you are."
They had reached the doors to Hogwarts and she swung around to look at him. He was holding something silvery and familiar out to her. "The Invisibility cloak?"
"Harry loaned it to me just in case I couldn't prey you away from your books fast enough," he explained easily.
Grinning, Hermione grabbed the cloak from him and threw it over herself. "Come on," she tried to urge him to come under the cloak with her.
"We both can't fit," he complained, but she grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him under the cloak.
Hermione was immediately aware of the proximity of their two bodies when under the cloak together. She could feel his body heat radiating from him and smell his boy scent. Clearing her throat, she said, "Walk towards the door." Hermione could see the blue in his eyes clearing as he rolled his eyes. She put a finger up to his lips. "Just do it," she commanded in a soft whisper.
He didn't argue, but he began to take tiny steps toward the door in synch with hers. It was a slow pace as they crept to the door and still tried to keep the cloak coving both of their whole bodies. Once they finally reached the door, Hermione reached over and tried to turn the knob but it won't budge. "Darn," she muttered. She had difficulty pulling out her wand from her robes without elbowing Ron in the face.
She whispered, "Alohomora," and tapped her wand on the door's lock. Immediately she heard the click of the lock unlocking. Pushing the door without trying to make noise, Hermione smiled. She stopped the door when there was just enough space for her and Ron to squeeze through, and she shut it fully afterwards, whispering the silencing charm to mute the thud and lock.
"You couldn't silence the lock before?" Ron whispered, annoyed.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I saw you helped so much!" Hermione could actually feel him shrug. "Over by the tree."
Still under the cloak, they shuffled towards the nearby tree. Once under the safety of the tree's shadow, Hermione threw off the Invisibility cloak and sighed with relief. "Who knew sneaking out of Hogwarts was so easy?"
Ron shrugged. "Harry and I."
"Ha," Hermione said, breathing the night air in deeply. "It's such a beautiful night, I don't think I could have stayed locked in the castle one moment longer!" Ron stared at her blankly, obviously not sharing her appreciation. "What am I then?" she asked quietly, turning back to the sky.
"What?" Ron asked, annoyed.
"You said being a know-it-all is not all I am, so what I am?" Hermione still didn't look at her friend.
Ron snorted. "You're Hermione."
"That's a vague answer." She sighed and looked over at him sideways. "So what is a Hermione?" She saw him shrugged. "I love full moons," she changed the subject.
"I think that means you're not a werewolf then," Ron tried to joke.
"And you're surprised?"
Ron shrugged. "Not really. I was just…"
"Kidding, I know. I know,"
Ron shrugged. "So do I."
"What am I?"
"Hermione!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "You're Hermione, that's all you are."
Hermione snorted. "That's all I am," she agreed sadly.
"That's not what I meant," Ron tried to explain. He seemed slightly harassed.
"Right," Hermione muttered. The breezed picked up into a cold breeze and Hermione crossed her arms around her chest.
Ron sighed heavily. "Hermione, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Hermione shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "You didn't."
"Then why are you quiet?" he retorted, uncomfortable.
Hermione shrugged. "Just enjoying the night."
"Right." He wasn't convinced.
Hermione sighed and looked upward. The dark blue expanse of the sky didn't were littered with stars, yet there wasn't a cloud in sight. Hermione wondered how a sky could look so perfect on such a normal night. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Ron move closer to her. "Cold?"
"What?" Ron jumped. "No, I'm not cold."
"Oh. I love nights like these. I hardly get to enjoy them in the castle every night."
"Locked away are you?"
"I didn't say that… not exactly. It's hard to get the full effect of a night like this from a window."
"You could open the window," Ron suggested, making Hermione smile.
"Not exactly the same thing, Ron."
"I was trying to be helpful."
"I know… But next time try harder."
Ron chuckled. "Will do."
"Good. It'd make things easier."
"Make what easier?"
Hermione shrugged. "Life."
"Right."
"Right."
A comfortable silence fell over the pair. Hermione took the time to enjoy the night as Ron seemed to be uncomfortable outside at all.
"What, you don't like nights like this?" Hermione asked conversationally.
"I like them just fine."
"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."
"How am I suppose to be acting, Hermione?"
"More at peace. Or something."
Ron chuckled again.
"What?"
"Nothing. That's just a girl thing."
"What? Enjoying a night is a girl thing?"
Ron shrugged. "Yeah. Guys don't get that way over something so… silly."
"Silly?" Hermione questioned, turning toward him and glaring at him.
"Yeah, silly."
Hermione snorted. "I can't believe you said that then said the word silly. That seems to… contradicting to me."
Ron shrugged.
Hermione smiled, leaning slightly to try to get in his gaze.
"What?" Ron asked, irritated, moving so she was no longer in front of him.
"I was just wondering, what you were thinking about as you stood there?"
"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to want to go back to the castle."
"Oh? Is that all?" Hermione asked feeling slightly disappointed.
Ron shrugged, uncomfortable. "As Prefects we really shouldn't be out here anyway."
"Oh and you follow the rules all the sudden?"
"No."
Hermione didn't know why, but she laughed. She smiled at her friend.
"What?"
She shrugged.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like that!"
Hermione raised her eye brows and looked at him. "I'm not looking at you in a particular way."
"That's what you think."
Hermione smiled. "What I know."
Suddenly Hermione felt the proximity of their bodies again. The air around her felt warmer because of his body heat, and his body seemed to block the breeze. Her heart beat quicken in response.
Ron sighed.
Hermione gave him a glance sideways.
"It is a nice night," he admitted.
She smiled. "I know it is. And it's definitely better to be out here instead of inside."
"Yeah."
Silence was her only reply.
"Hermione."
She turned to the sound her name spoken so softly and unlike Ron. "What?"
"This is nice."
Hermione grinned. Her hand automatically reached out but when Ron's eyes looked at her outstretched hand, she dropped it immediately. Ron reached out and grabbed her hand. Just as quickly as she grabbed it, he dropped it as if it was on fire.
Hermione turned away and grinned.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"Don't be," she whispered back, turning toward him.
He was looking at her, but trying his hardest to hide his stare.
She reached out and touched the side of his face, but he jerked backward like she was going to hurt him. She smiled instead of apologizing. Even with his physical reaction, his face and eyes betrayed him. He didn't look disgusted or scared of her touch as his reaction might mean. Instead he had a distinctive red shade to his cheeks. She grinned wider. "The night's beautiful. Almost… magical."
"Magical? The castle is magical."
"No, it just has hexes, curses, charms, and spells put on it to make it seem so."
Ron shrugged.
"Ron?"
He sighed. "What?"
"What am I?"
Sighing again, he replied, "You're Hermione."
"I'm still waiting for an answer."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Do you mean what will get me to stop asking?"
"Yeah."
"The truth."
He didn't say anything for a moment. He reached out, touching his hand to her arm and making her turn to face him. "You're Hermione. You're a know-it-all. You're my best friend. You're Hermione, I can't just answer that question simply."
She grinning, feeling warmth spread through her body at his words. "Yeah," she whispered, "The night is magical."
"Can we go back now?" Ron asked, obviously uncomfortable and trying to sound annoyed.
With one last look at directly at the moon, she sighed. "Yeah, I guess we can." She grabbed the Invisibility cloak and threw it over herself again. Ron joined her under the cloak when Hermione lifted it up for him. "Cozy," she whispered with a giggle.
He turned his face slightly and suddenly he was barely a breath away from her. All she had to do was lean forward… She could feel his hot breath on her face as well as his heat radiating from his body, making a small sweat break out.
"Hermione," he whispered, leaning forward ever so slightly.
She leaned in and their lips met quickly. The kiss was soft and sweet. The contact might not even be considered a kiss to some, but to Hermione it was.
Both pulled away as soon as the contact happened, but Hermione couldn't help but grin as she turned so she wasn't facing Ron.
"Come on," she muttered, trying not to sound too happy.
They trudged to the castle door, and unlocked it again this time with the using the Silencing Charm first to muffle the sound of the clicks. The pair kept the cloak on until they were safely in the Gryffindor common room. It was empty, which surprised Hermione.
"I'm going to bed," Ron said, throwing off the cloak with flourish. He didn't look at her, even though she saw that he was blushing as he rushed upstairs toward his dorm.
Hermione grinned widely and dropped down on a couch. The fire flickered and moved and Hermione felt memorized. "Magic," she whispered to the room. She decided as she watched the flames create shadows that she wasn't going to tell Ginny, she would keep this magical night to herself. She knew Ginny would be disappointed that she wasn't going to follow through with the dare, but Hermione found it hard to even remotely care.