Authors Note: You must understand, I'm a big Mandy Moore fan. I came up with this concept while listening to "I Wanna Be With You." It's a bit unrealistic, with the CD player, but it's alright to bend the rules just a little, right? :) I'm not the best writer, but I took a stab at it anyway. I hope you enjoy it, and reviews would be much appreciated :)
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. The song belongs to Mandy Moore, and the characters belong to The Goddess: Miss J.K. Rowling.
The light of the fire fluttered over the common room, flickering against the walls and creating shadows in every corner. The Gryffindor common room had emptied hours ago, and Hermione and Ron were the only ones awake. Ron had been having trouble with his Transfiguration homework, and Hermione, who had finished it days ago, offered to help him. He had gotten the hang of it a while ago, but Hermione had offered to stay awake incase he needed any more help.
That's what she told him, anyway. The truth was, she just wanted to be near him for a little while longer. It was rare that they got to be alone, and although she sat there reading, with her headset on, (her parents had bought a portable CD player for her birthday, and she had enchanted it to play without electronic power, since electronic Muggle devices didn't work in Hogwarts. It was very out of character for Hermione to do something like that, but she was so pleased that the enchantment worked, she thought nothing of it.) and although she wasn't actually talking to him.. Just his presence made her happy.
But she could never tell him that. She knew he didn't feel the same way. She knew he never would. They were just friends, just friends. That was all he would ever see her as, and, as hard as it was, she had learned to accept that.
Ron had been trying to finish his Transfiguration homework for hours now. He was going rather slowly, savoring the time he had alone with Hermione. She had been intensely focusing on her book for a while now, although Ron suspected she wasn't focusing on the book at all. She had been muttering the words to the song she was listening to, a song by a Mandy Moore or something or other. He didn't know what she saw in the stupid Muggle "pop" music, but she really seemed to enjoy it.
"I wanna be with you.. if only for a night.." She was muttering, staring blankly down at her book. Ron found himself smiling. She was definitely in a daze, he knew this, and he was in a trance, staring at her. Her face looked soft, shadows created by the firelight on her features. Her hair looked less bushy than usual, and whether or not he'd ever say it aloud, he thought she was beautiful.
"There's nothing else to say.. there's nothing else I want more than to feel this way.." She continued to sing along with the song, although Ron still didn't understand why she liked it. He was tempted to laugh, knowing how embarrassed she would be if she knew he were watching her. If she knew she were singing aloud.. if she were aware that he loved her. Ron sighed to himself and focused his attention back to his work.
"I wonder what it's like to feel that way.." Hermione muttered to herself, not realizing she said it out loud. Ron's head snapped up, and he looked at her. Hermione saw him out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look at him. She pulled her headphones off. "What?" She asked, confused as to why he was looking at her like that.
Ron paused for a moment. Should he ask? Should he leave it alone? Oh, hell. "Feel what way?"
Hermione felt the heat rise in her cheeks. 'Oh no,' She thought. 'Please tell me I didn't say that out loud!' She stared at him for a moment. 'I did! Oh, Hermione, you stupid prat! I'm so stupid!'
"What? Oh, nothing, I.. Just.. the song.. I.." Hermione stumbled to find her words, trying to find a decent excuse. Trying to find something she could tell him without looking stupid. But there was no way around that.
"Just. You know.. Loved." Hermione finally said, biting her lower lip. "I'm stupid, I know." She said quickly, before nervously turning the page of her book.
"What? But, you're loved. Harry loves you. I love you." Ron said, giving her a strange look. 'Boys!' Hermione thought to herself. 'He makes everything so difficult!' "No.. I mean.. you know.. love." For the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes, Hermione turned a deep crimson color. She kept her attention on her book, to avoid looking at Ron. She imagined he'd be smirking, thinking of ways to mock her.
But he wasn't. Rather, he was smiling. Smiling at how cute she is when she blushes. Smiling at how embarrassed she gets over little things. Ron wished he could just blurt out that he loves her. Ron wished he could tell her that he'd be there forever, that he'd never love anyone the way he loves her. But he couldn't seem to find the words. Any words, any words at all.
So instead, he gathered up all the courage he had inside him, and leaned over. He put his finger under her chin, gently lifting her head up from her book. His eyes met hers, they were full of confusion. He slid his thumb over her cheek, gently stroking it. She shivered. He had no idea if it was the right thing to do, he had no idea if there would be consequences. She could stay, she could run away and never talk to him again. She could even slap him. But whatever the repercussions turned out to be, he couldn't control himself. He leaned in, and planted a very gentle kiss on her lips.
When he pulled away, Hermione just stared at him. She looked into his eyes, searching for an answer. She didn't know why he did what he just did, why he.. kissed her.. But she was in no position to complain. Before she could think about what she was about to do, she leaned in and kissed him. The moment their lips touched, static ran through her body. He gently stroked her cheek, causing her to shiver. This was heaven. This was her happy place.
After a few moments of bliss, Ron broke the kiss. With a small smile, he looked into her eyes. "Does that answer your question?"
She smiled. "Yes. I think it does."
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. The song belongs to Mandy Moore, and the characters belong to The Goddess: Miss J.K. Rowling.
The light of the fire fluttered over the common room, flickering against the walls and creating shadows in every corner. The Gryffindor common room had emptied hours ago, and Hermione and Ron were the only ones awake. Ron had been having trouble with his Transfiguration homework, and Hermione, who had finished it days ago, offered to help him. He had gotten the hang of it a while ago, but Hermione had offered to stay awake incase he needed any more help.
That's what she told him, anyway. The truth was, she just wanted to be near him for a little while longer. It was rare that they got to be alone, and although she sat there reading, with her headset on, (her parents had bought a portable CD player for her birthday, and she had enchanted it to play without electronic power, since electronic Muggle devices didn't work in Hogwarts. It was very out of character for Hermione to do something like that, but she was so pleased that the enchantment worked, she thought nothing of it.) and although she wasn't actually talking to him.. Just his presence made her happy.
But she could never tell him that. She knew he didn't feel the same way. She knew he never would. They were just friends, just friends. That was all he would ever see her as, and, as hard as it was, she had learned to accept that.
Ron had been trying to finish his Transfiguration homework for hours now. He was going rather slowly, savoring the time he had alone with Hermione. She had been intensely focusing on her book for a while now, although Ron suspected she wasn't focusing on the book at all. She had been muttering the words to the song she was listening to, a song by a Mandy Moore or something or other. He didn't know what she saw in the stupid Muggle "pop" music, but she really seemed to enjoy it.
"I wanna be with you.. if only for a night.." She was muttering, staring blankly down at her book. Ron found himself smiling. She was definitely in a daze, he knew this, and he was in a trance, staring at her. Her face looked soft, shadows created by the firelight on her features. Her hair looked less bushy than usual, and whether or not he'd ever say it aloud, he thought she was beautiful.
"There's nothing else to say.. there's nothing else I want more than to feel this way.." She continued to sing along with the song, although Ron still didn't understand why she liked it. He was tempted to laugh, knowing how embarrassed she would be if she knew he were watching her. If she knew she were singing aloud.. if she were aware that he loved her. Ron sighed to himself and focused his attention back to his work.
"I wonder what it's like to feel that way.." Hermione muttered to herself, not realizing she said it out loud. Ron's head snapped up, and he looked at her. Hermione saw him out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look at him. She pulled her headphones off. "What?" She asked, confused as to why he was looking at her like that.
Ron paused for a moment. Should he ask? Should he leave it alone? Oh, hell. "Feel what way?"
Hermione felt the heat rise in her cheeks. 'Oh no,' She thought. 'Please tell me I didn't say that out loud!' She stared at him for a moment. 'I did! Oh, Hermione, you stupid prat! I'm so stupid!'
"What? Oh, nothing, I.. Just.. the song.. I.." Hermione stumbled to find her words, trying to find a decent excuse. Trying to find something she could tell him without looking stupid. But there was no way around that.
"Just. You know.. Loved." Hermione finally said, biting her lower lip. "I'm stupid, I know." She said quickly, before nervously turning the page of her book.
"What? But, you're loved. Harry loves you. I love you." Ron said, giving her a strange look. 'Boys!' Hermione thought to herself. 'He makes everything so difficult!' "No.. I mean.. you know.. love." For the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes, Hermione turned a deep crimson color. She kept her attention on her book, to avoid looking at Ron. She imagined he'd be smirking, thinking of ways to mock her.
But he wasn't. Rather, he was smiling. Smiling at how cute she is when she blushes. Smiling at how embarrassed she gets over little things. Ron wished he could just blurt out that he loves her. Ron wished he could tell her that he'd be there forever, that he'd never love anyone the way he loves her. But he couldn't seem to find the words. Any words, any words at all.
So instead, he gathered up all the courage he had inside him, and leaned over. He put his finger under her chin, gently lifting her head up from her book. His eyes met hers, they were full of confusion. He slid his thumb over her cheek, gently stroking it. She shivered. He had no idea if it was the right thing to do, he had no idea if there would be consequences. She could stay, she could run away and never talk to him again. She could even slap him. But whatever the repercussions turned out to be, he couldn't control himself. He leaned in, and planted a very gentle kiss on her lips.
When he pulled away, Hermione just stared at him. She looked into his eyes, searching for an answer. She didn't know why he did what he just did, why he.. kissed her.. But she was in no position to complain. Before she could think about what she was about to do, she leaned in and kissed him. The moment their lips touched, static ran through her body. He gently stroked her cheek, causing her to shiver. This was heaven. This was her happy place.
After a few moments of bliss, Ron broke the kiss. With a small smile, he looked into her eyes. "Does that answer your question?"
She smiled. "Yes. I think it does."