Disclaimer: Not mine...JKRowling's.
A/N: Just another oneshot fic. Sorry if it's out of character. As I've already said, I'm not JKR.
Hermione walked to her bedroom window, looking out to see the snow falling softly to the ground. Hogwarts grounds were already crisp and white as the sun arose over the frozen lake.
Thinking it was the perfect morning for a walk, she dressed quickly in warm winter clothes, wrapping her red scarf around her neck and pulling on her matching gloves.
Stepping out into the brisk cold air she was pleased to see that the snow was still perfect and untouched. Taking the first step into the winter wonderland she heard the snow crunch under her feet.
Happily she walked on, taking in the beautiful scenery. Everything was lightly dusted with white and the silence made the scene seem like it was a picture on a Christmas card.
A cool breeze nipped at her nose and ears and she pulled her scarf up higher. She wrapped her coat tightly round her, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she proceeded to walk towards the lake.
As she neared the frozen lakeside she saw a figure standing by the edge.
'How did he get here without disturbing the snow?' Hermione pondered.
"I thought you would come out this morning." He said to her.
"Well, I do love the snow... it makes the world seem perfect and pure." Hermione said as she came to stand beside him, watching the sun reflect off the ice.
"Yeah. That's why I took my broom, I knew you would want to be the first to make footprints."
"Thanks."
"Nothing to do with the fact that you love flying?" She added with a grin.
"Well of course Mione. Flying is great... especially when you're as good at it as me." He said with a glint in his eyes.
"Oh yeah, so good... and so modest."
"Of course."
They stood in silence once again as the snow started to fall more heavily. The breeze blew through Hermione's hair and she shivered.
"Cold?"
"A bit."
He took off his cloak, revealing an orange jumper, and offered it to her.
"Won't you be cold?"
"My Cannons jumper will keep me warm!" He said proudly.
"Isn't that the jumper your mum made you last Christmas?" She asked, peering at the woollen garment.
"Can't you just let a guy dream?" He said as he pulled at the sleeve of his jumper.
"Well at least you are showing your loyalty to the Cannons..."
"As you show yours to Griffindor."
They both laughed as they continued to look around at the scenery.
His eyes came to rest on her as she looked over the lake once more. She was wrapped up in his cloak, which was far too big for her. Her scarf was pulled up to just below her nose. Her face was rosy from the cold and her hair puffed out from under the cloak, and yet she still looked beautiful.
She turned to look at him and their eyes locked. A smile crept onto her face as she noticed the snowflakes that were scattered through his crimson locks.
"What?" He asked as paranoia swept over him.
"Nothing." She murmured with a grin. "We should get back inside. It's getting late and breakfast has already started."
"We're missing breakfast?!" He said urgently as he grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the castle.
The Great Hall was empty as it was still early and most of the students had left for Christmas break. In fact, the only 6th year Griffindor students were Ron, Hermione, Harry and Neville.
Ron piled his plate high with food whilst Hermione nibbled on a piece of toast.
"Ooou chould ea moore." Ron said, his mouth full to the brim.
"I'm not hungry. Really you should learn to not talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting!" She said as she playfully dusted melting snow of his shoulder.
"Mum's been trying to teach me that for years..." He said as he shovelled in another huge forkful.
"Well it is only good manners." Hermione said, smiling sweetly.
"It's also good manners to eat all that's on your plate." He said as he quickly placed some food on her plate.
"RON! I told you I wasn't hungry!" She pouted.
"What are you two fighting about now?" Harry asked as he sat down in front of them, pulling Ginny onto his lap.
"Ron's trying to force feed me!" Hermione stated.
"Now Ron, if you want her to eat you just have to know how to present the food..." He said as he took a spoonful of yoghurt and offered it to his girlfriend.
"That really is gross...it's put me right off my breakfast." Ron groaned as he pushed his plate away.
"Now Ron, you know it's bad manners not to finish all that's on your plate." Hermione purred with a sly grin.
He glared at her and got up from the table. Taking her by the arm he ordered, "Come on, we're going to the common room."
"That was pretty rude Ron. What if I'd wanted to stay with Harry and Gin?" Hermione scowled as they left the Great Hall.
"You really wanted to watch them make goo-goo eyes at each other? That's sick!"
"Okay, so I really didn't want to stay, but still! You should have asked me rather than ordered me."
"I'm sorry Mione, but just seeing them together puts me in a bad mood."
"I know, but I'm really impressed by your avoidance skills."
"I'm just glad you're around to keep me sane." He said with a wink.
Upon entering the common room they realised it was empty. The younger years were all outside wandering through the snow, whilst Gin and Harry were... well...
"I wonder where Neville is." Hermione said.
"Who knows... probably looking for something. You know what he's like!"
Hermione stifled a giggle. They sat down on the couch warming themselves by the fire.
"Are you still really annoyed at Harry for asking Gin out?" Hermione asked timidly.
"It's not that I'm annoyed. It's just kinda weird."
"I know... Harry and Gin actually together. It must be weirder for you though, her being your sister."
"It's not weird cause of that though...well it is in a way." Ron blushed. "It's just that... she's my little sister and well she's found someone... and well... I haven't." Ron continued staring into the fire.
"Aww that's kinda cute..."
"It is not cute...puppies are cute. Kittens are cute. Babies in general...not me!" Ron stated forcefully.
"You think babies are cute?" Hermione asked slyly.
The colour drained from Ron's face. "No...I was just making a point that I'm not cute."
"Well I never said that you were cute. I said the fact that you thought that was cute."
"So you don't think I'm cute?" Ron pouted.
"Now you want to be cute? You're so confusing." Hermione shook her head.
"I just like to actually be able to confuse you." Ron said through a smirk.
"It's not really that impressive Ron."
"Sure it is...not many people can say they've confused a genius."
Hermione rolled her eyes and moved about in her seat. After a few minutes she pushed off her shoes and brought her feet up underneath her.
"Comfortable?" Ron questioned.
"Not really."
Ron put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Her head dropped on to his chest and she sighed. 'We're friends. Good friends. Best friends. Just friends.' Hermione thought as she listened to his heartbeat.
The past few weeks, since Harry and Ginny got together, Ron and Hermione had spent lots of time together. They messed about and talked about everything. Hermione was so glad to have such a close friend, but the lines had always been blurry. She didn't want to overstep the mark, but it was getting harder day by day. Every time she saw him her heart fluttered. She couldn't help but want to spend more time with him, to get to know him more, to hug him more and have more moments like this. But if she spent anymore time with him...
Now she had started thinking about him as more than a friend. She wondered what it would be like if he felt the same. She hated not being able to talk to him about something and sooner or later it was just going to slip out. It seemed to be sooner rather later.
"What are you thinking?"
"What it would be like for us to go out." Hermione said without even thinking. She quickly sat up and covered her mouth with her hands. Slowly she moved her head closer to her knees and covered her face entirely with her hands.
"Mione..." Ron murmured as he moved closer to her.
"Ron... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that. It just spilled out. Like I'd had truth serum or something. I'm so sorry..." Hermione tailed off as she ran up to her room in tears.
Ron just sat there staring at the place where she had once sat. Her shoes were still sitting in front of the couch and the cushions were still slightly indented.
"Me too." He quietly said to the darkness.
Ron lifted Hermione's shoes and flew up to leave them outside her room. When he was about to turn his broom to fly back down he heard voices coming from within
Hermione sat on her bed stroking her cat.
"Why do I always make everything so complicated? I mean, I had everything I ever wanted... well almost. But I did have the best friend in the world. He let me talk to him, so I didn't seem insane as I do now, and he makes me feel special. I don't know how but he does. Just that goofy lopsided grin that makes me think- "Hey, he's smiling for me. Cause I'm here." That's stupid. Why would he be smiling just cause I'm there?"
"Because you're special." Ron whispered more to himself than to anyone else.
"Did you hear something Crookshanks?" Hermione asked as her cat got up and slunk towards the door. She got up from her bed to let her cat out. As she opened the door...
...Ron fell on his back.
"RON! What are doing at my bedroom door?" Hermione scolded.
"Nu...Nu...nuthing!" Ron stuttered out as he stared up at her face.
"Well you really should get up and do "nuthing" downstairs or in your own room." She said in a tone not far off McGonagall's.
"I brought you your shoes." Ron said, gaining some composure.
"Oh.... Thanks." Hermione blushed as he stood up to face her. Even though she was a good bit shorter the he was, she still noticed how close they were to each other. Too close... 'I should take a step back... why am I not moving...why is he moving...am I moving?' Hermione thought as the gap between them closed.
Just when she was about to close her eyes.
"OW!"
"What Ron? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Hermione asked, puzzled as to what interrupted their moment.
"He scratched me! Your bloody cat scratched me! I always knew he didn't like me, but really. He didn't have to scratch me!"
"I'm sure he didn't mean to. Maybe he was just being protective of me."
"Protective my a..."
"Ronald Weasley! I'm sure he didn't do it because he doesn't like you. How could he not like you..." Hermione blushed.
"I don't know but he obviously doesn't, otherwise why would he want to attack me like that?"
"Ron. I'm sorry on behalf of my cat, okay? It's not like he really knew what he was doing...he is only a cat after all."
"Yeah right, only a cat... I thought my pet was only a rat. Some rat he turned out to be."
Hermione motioned him out the door in the general direction of the stairs, handing him his broom, before returning to her room to reflect on what had just happened. They had come so close, and yet so far. And now Ron was off talking to himself. At least she was only mad enough to hold a conversation with her cat. She hadn't quite got to the stage of talking to her shadow.
The rest of the day Hermione hid away in her room. She didn't want things to be awkward between her and Ron, and more than anything she wanted to talk to him, but she still needed some time to try and get her feelings in check. It wouldn't do to run around acting like one of her fellow roommates.
The next day was Christmas Eve and was not unlike many other years. Ron was still his usual excited self and even the incident from the day before didn't stop him pouncing on Hermione when she entered the common room that morning.
"Ron...save it for tomorrow okay?"
"I can't Hermione. I just love Christmas! This year's going to be so good... I can just feel it!"
"Ok. I know you're a big kid, but as least save it until I've woken up slightly."
Ron bobbed up and down the whole way to breakfast. Normally he could control himself, but this year he was just so excited about Christmas. And it wasn't just about receiving presents.
After breakfast the pair decided to ambush Harry and Ginny as they went for a walk to the lake. After getting in a few good hits, Ron found himself under attack from thousands of pelting snowballs.
"Okay Gin, I get it! It was a bad idea...please... STOP!"
Ginny ended her attack with a flourish of her wand. She couldn't help but let a sly grin creep onto her face as she watched her good friend help her brother to his feet, dusting off his shoulders and hair.
On Christmas morning Hermione was woken early by an over excited redhead.
"RON! What on earth are you doing in my room? In your pyjamas no less!" Hermione scolded.
"I...er...I wanted to...er give you this." Ron's ears glowed as he handed her a small golden present.
Hermione eyed the present with excitement and apprehension. The presents Ron gave usually consisted of sweets, but this year couldn't possibly be. So what was it?
Her eyes widened as she looked at the delicate silver band that was set in the plush velvet box. She carefully took it out and delicately held it in her small fingers, whilst studying it thoroughly.
"It's a promise ring. Just cause, well, we, you know...fight and stuff. And I don't mean to...so yeah, it's just in case you ever...er... think that I don't like you or whatever. We're, you know...friends...forever..."
"Oh Ron, it's perfect!" She gushed, placing her small arms around his broad shoulders.
When she pulled back the blush was evident on both their cheeks. Hermione busied herself with putting on her present, before she searched for Ron's.
"It's not as special as yours, but I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I'll love it." Ron said as he enthusiastically ripped off the paper.
It was his turn to be surprised. In his hands lay a wooden picture frame. There were three pictures. The centre picture was of the Trio, enthusiastically waving back at him. The picture to the left was of Harry and Ron after they had played their first proper came of Quidditch together. Harry had obviously been congratulating Ron on a good game as his ears flushed.
It was the third picture, however, that kept Ron's interest longest. It showed Hermione and Ron at the previous ball. Ron's arm was wrapped around her waist and as he faithfully kept his eyes fixed forward as she looked up at his face, sneaking a quick glance, before looking back with a huge grin.
"Mione, this is the best present ever. Thank you so much!" Ron said as he engulfed her in another hug, this time pulling her in tightly.
When he finally let her go Hermione suggested that they both get changed and meet in the common room before they were walked in on.
Ron waited for Hermione at the bottom of the girl's stairs. When she finally made it down they heard a cough coming from the door. They turned to see Ginny, with a mischievous grin that would rival the twins. She nodded to the panel above their heads.
Looking up they found mistletoe.
Ron gulped and Hermione glanced towards her shoes. When she attempted to scuff her shoe she realised that her feet were stuck to the step.
"Ron, I can't move my feet!"
"Me either...I guess, well, I mean...we...er...that is we don't really have a choice...it being enchanted mistletoe and all."
"I guess not." Hermione sighed as she held back a smile.
As she stood on the step above him he didn't have to move his head down very far, which was fortunate, as she couldn't stand on her tiptoes.
When his eyes were at her level he stopped and somehow found the words to say, "The other day I was thinking about us too. I think it would be bloody great if we went out."
Hermione was just about to scold him when he closed the final gap and captured her lips with his. When they reluctantly pulled apart after a few minutes Hermione had completely forgotten why she would ever want to tell him off.
It wasn't long before the action was repeated and Ginny had promptly excused herself before she lost her breakfast.
'I don't think I'll ever be able to out-do that Christmas present.' She thought to herself as she merrily walked down the hall.