A/N: Written for Fire The Canon's Canon Relationship Challenge and Louise Foxhall's Fanfic's Got Talent Comp II (also the Family Boot Camp Challenge with the prompt 'flower'), all on the HPFC forum.
A drabble(ish) with my OTP, Ron and Hermione's first real date after Voldemort's Death.
Enjoy!
)O(
Hermione's face shone with happiness in spite of herself when she looked over at Ron.
"I can't believe there's a carnival celebrating someone's death! Even if it's Voldemort's. Who does things like that?"
"I believe that the Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead, and then there's All Souls Day," said Ron, sounding unusually cultured.
"But those are general things, this is specific. How would you feel if I celebrated your death?"
"But I didn't kill thousands of innocent people. Think of this less like a celebration, more like a way to pay respect to the people who died."
Hermione looked around, taking in the surroundings of the busy fairground. People were laughing and chatting, skipping and dancing everywhere. They were dressed in every colour that robes came in, and some had even tie-dyed theirs. There were rides, games and booths everywhere. It was definitely a celebration.
Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and steered her towards a very pink building set up next to them.
"'The Garden of Love'," he read out. "Why don't we go check this out?"
Inside the 'garden', were about a thousand exotic plants, all blooming gorgeously and perfuming the air with seductive scents. Couples were milling around plants that influenced emotions, deepened love, made everything look beautiful, and strengthened the need for physical contact. Hermione began to examine a specimen natively found only in southern France that, if its flower was worn, would make the wearer desirable by everyone who saw him. 'A bit like 'The Rose And The Ring'', she thought.
Meanwhile, Ron was surreptitiously reading the label on Amora coitalis, a plant that promised to increase sexual activity.
"Ooo, Ron, look at this!" Hermione was now pointing to a flower that apparently could predict whether someone was in love of not. If two people touched a leaf, the colour would change according to what their feelings for each other were like.
"Try it out with me," she said.
"Surely you don't need a flower to tell you what you already know," Ron replied, smiling. He gave Hermione a fleeting kiss and put his hand on hers. "Or do you not believe it?"
"What I can't believe is my good luck in getting you to confess that you have feelings. Not just any feelings, too, but proper love ones. Ronald Weasley is growing up!" Hermione let out a shriek of laughter and hugged Ron tightly.
"Go on then, touch the leaf."
"Only if you will."
Together, they held out their hands and placed them on one of the soft leaves.
It went a bright, burning scarlet almost immediately.
)O(
Fin
Do tell me what you think. ;)