A Lost Moment

Author's Note: This story is set during the Half Blood Prince between Ron and Hermione. Hermione and Ron share a moment together on the train ride to Hogwarts. Hr/R. Oneshot. I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters made by the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

I read through 'Hogwarts, A History' for what seemed the hundredth time. Every time I read through it, I hoped to find some new pieces of information in its pages. Harry pressed for me to find something on the large cabinet we saw at Borgin and Burkes, but I couldn't seem to recover anything. This only made Harry more irritable, finally after a journey of high tension, he decided that he should do some investigating on his own. I urged that he stay away, Draco could be dangerous, but Harry ignored me and continued on his way, leaving me and Ron alone.

By this time, my feelings for Ron were fighting to surface, but I couldn't risk losing him if he didn't like me back. Instead of doing what my heart begged for me to tell him, I bore a hole in my textbook. "What're you reading about?" I could hear the quake in his voice as he asked. What was he to be nervous about? I could barely sit still with my want to be closer to him. After a minute of awkward silence I finally gathered my thoughts to reply.

"Um, Professor Armando, he was the headmaster before Professor Dumbledore." Rereading the page, I realized it had nothing to do with Professor Armando at all.

"Really? Sounds interesting, mind if I read with you?" His voice cracked. I couldn't help the smile that crept on to my face.

"You want to read? With me?" Nodding, he crossed the car to take a seat next to me. I could feel my face burn when his hand brushed mine. From here, I felt his warm breath on my cheek. All I wanted to do right then was turn and kiss those lips. Those rosy lips, always rosy, from him nervously biting his lip, I was always able to tell when he was nervous from those lips. I sometimes found myself biting my lip thinking about kissing those lips, being able to taste the spearmint from his toothpaste. I felt goose bumps on my skin and I tried earnestly to rub them away, I didn't want to give myself away.

"Hermione? You alright, you look a bit flush? I hope you aren't getting sick, imagine Harry wouldn't be able to contain himself if we were out of commission." We both laughed at our dear friend.

"I don't think I am, hopefully." Smiling a small smile, I flipped through my textbook. I may not be physically ill, but I may be love sick. I sighed heavily and agreed to a page about the introduction of transfiguration into the curriculum. Ron leaning in looked over my shoulder to read. I wanted to lean into his body, but I resisted. The train whistled to signal Hogwarts was approaching. I closed the book, my hand trembling from the closeness Ron and I shared. "We better get changed into our uniforms." I stood up and pulled the car's drapes down. Ron and Harry usually let me annex the car to get dress and then they would change in the train bathroom, but Ron stood there. "Ron, aren't you leaving?"

"I wonder if you would mind if I changed in here too. The bathroom lines are always busy and the bathroom is small. I wouldn't look, I promise." I didn't say anything, just nodded. I rummaged through my bag to pull out my uniform. I turned to see Ron doing the same thing.

I watched Ron start pulling off his shoes and his jumper. I blushed not quite believing we were actually changing in the same room. I kicked off my shoes and pulled my socks off my feet. He was beginning to pull his shirt over his head and couldn't help the blush from my face, but couldn't look away. I stood up and moved into my skirt, drawing it over my pants. Wriggling my pants off, I stared at Ron. Blushing fiercely, I managed to get my socks and shoes on before watching him again. He hadn't put his undershirt on yet, I was drawn closer by my overwhelming desire to touch him. My fingers grazed his naked freckle covered shoulder, his warm skin felt so inviting. I finally realized what I was doing and snatched my hand back. I threw off my own jumper, leaving me in my undershirt. Shrugging into my white button up, my hands trembled trying to button the many buttons. "Let me."

Ron held my hands and guided them to my sides. I observed as Ron buttoned each button with ease, but extremely slow, his fingers grazing my stomach causing my skin to burn with each touch. When he was done he stood straight but still gazed at me, I studied his eyes. They were turquoise with a spark of light behind them; something in between mischief and elation. I smiled, looking away from his irresistible gaze to his chest. I straightened his tie, but left it loose knowing how much he hated the feeling of being constricted. Smoothing the tie down his chest, I watched as he moved my tie around my neck and began to tie it for me. After he finished, I shrugged into my school jumper, my smile was uncontrollable by then.

I covered my mouth as I laughed nonstop at his hair; the fiery red mess, was sticking up wildly after getting dressed. I stood on my tip toes trying to reach the strays of hair to attempt to flatten the disorderly mane. I could barely see to his forehead, he smirked at my failing attempts to reach his hair that he hooked his arms around my hips and lifted me up. I ran my fingers through his head of hair, finally making it look a bit more manageable. I looked down at him, releasing me slowly to the ground till I was looking up at him.

"Ron." There was a knock at the door, Ron released me as the door opened fully, it was Ginny.

"You both want to take the same carriage as Neville, Luna and I? Where is Harry?" We looked at each other, then to Ginny.

"He'll be along." Ron said as he handed me my discarded bag on the floor.

"Thank you." I turned to Ginny, "We'll wait for him to get back you go ahead." She nodded and left Ron and I alone. My body tingled with the reminders of what happened and I wanted to admit my feelings right then and there but I repelled it. He slung his bag over his shoulder.

"You ready?" Nodding as I crossed him to exit the car, our bodies within inches of the other. Our fingers gazed as we walked next together to the carriages and I fought my urges to entangle them.

I sat across from Ron in the carriage and we never spoke about the happenings of the car on the train. I suppose it was just a lost moment from my imagination, but it felt so real though.