1 "Come off it, Fred, it's not funny…"
Hermione slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. "Where am I? What in the hell happened?" She said under her breath. She knew something big had happened the night before, but she couldn't remember…Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice to her left. She turned around to see Ron, one of her best friends from the school she had graduated from the previous year. His 18-year-old frame had grown taller, if that was possible, and he had grown out of his gangly form in their seventh year. His voice had deepened during the summer before their fifth year-all it did was make him all the more appealing to Hermione. She wouldn't admit it to herself, or anyone else for that matter, but Ron…well Ron had just always done something to her, ever since she met him.
"SERIOUSLY, Fred, it's not funny anymore!" She turned over to see his face, contorted with anger at his brother, Fred. He was sleep talking, dreaming about only God knows what…he looked angelic. Younger, even, like he had been transported a couple of years backward in time.
Hermione sunk back into the pillows, thinking of the events from the night before. They were slowly coming back to her, now that she had woken up a little bit.
It had all started at Percy's engagement party. Ron's bossy older brother had proposed to his school girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, and along with the six other Weasley children, Hermione and Harry had been invited as well, along with Percy's boss and co-workers. The night had been fun, Hermione hadn't seen Fred and George since she and Harry spend the summer of their sixth year at the Burrow, and Harry she hadn't seen since graduation. The trio of friends, once inseparable, had parted ways at Graduation. Harry had gone to live with his godfather, Sirius, whose name had finally been cleared, Ron off to Romania to visit his older brother Charlie and his wife, Lauren, and Hermione, who had always been interested in school more than anything else, had gone off to America to study the American wizard's way of life. It had been amazing, but she missed everyone from Hogwarts.
The three had spent the night talking, and long after every one had gone to bed, they were still up, reliving old memories. Harry had finally drifted off to sleep on the couch, so Ron and Hermione climbed the three flights of stairs to Ron's room, where they wouldn't have to worry about waking Harry. As they rested on the bed, Hermione told Ron stories about her year in America.
"After living in New York for a while, I decided to go across the country and visit California. It sounded positively wonderful, what with beaches and things. I couldn't help but to think of you, Ron, and how red your skin would get if you stayed out in that sun for too long!" She looked to Ron, expecting laughter, but that wasn't the reaction that she got.
"You…you thought about me?" He asked, sounding almost uncertain of himself. His ears turned bright red as he lowered his eyes. "Oh, of course you did, you had to have thought about everybody at one time or another…right?"
"Well…yes, right, but why wouldn't I think about you, Ron? I mean…you're one of my best friends." Hermione felt her face flush, and wondered why, even though she knew. She looked up at him, smiling shakily.
"Yeah," replied Ron. "Yeah, well, I thought about you too. I missed you. It was weird, being half a world apart from you. An-And Harry, too," he added hastily.
"I understand. I missed the both of you too, as well," Yes, but you missed Ron more, didn't you, Hermione? A little voice in the back of her head spoke up. Why don't you admit it, you stupid girl, admit it to him! "No!"
Ron looked at her. "Pardon?" Hermione flushed again, realizing that she had spoken her thoughts outloud. What all had she confessed?
"Oh, it was nothing. Thinking outloud, I guess. Sorry," she quickly explained to Ron. He looked at her, eyebrow raised, but shrugged it off. A sudden expression of pain crossed his face, and he winced.
"What's wrong?? Are you okay?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah…it's just my neck, it hurts a little bit. Fred and George were wrestling with Bill, thinking they could take him on, and they pulled me into it. They can be rough at times!" He reached back and tried to massage his neck, but it apparently didn't work, as he only winced more. "I was never really good at giving massages," he offered with a smile.
"Here, let me," she said. She moved over so that she was sitting behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders, her thumbs resting at the base of his neck. "My parents taught me once, it kind of stuck with me, I guess," she said, smiling weakly, even though she couldn't see him. Ron relaxed into her grip, exhaling deeply.
"That feels really good, Hermione…thanks," Ron said to her. His face was turned away, but she knew his cheeks were turning as red as his ears. He suddenly turned to face Hermione, his eyes searching hers. "Did you ever feel as though…it sounds stupid, but I have to say it…as though we were meant to be-"
"Something more than friends?" Hermione finished for him. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she couldn't help to smile back.
"Exactly," he said, his voice barely a whisper. He leaned to kiss her, and they met halfway.
When they pulled away from each other, each was breathless, but smiling like an idiot. It was the most intimate moment in either of their lives…or at least, for the moment.
Ron leaned Hermione back into his bed, still covered with the ratty Chudly Cannons bedspread. She sunk in to the mattress, with Ron's weight on top of her. His unsteady breathing relaxed her, because she knew that he was just as nervous as she was.
"Have you done this before?" He asked her, his voice shaking, even though he tried to hide it.
"No," she answered.
Ron let out his breath. "Me neither."
Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, feeling so wonderful that she was brought to tears, prompting Ron to ask what he was doing wrong.
"It's only what you're doing right."
They had fallen asleep together, Hermione nestled into Ron's arms, her back resting against his chest, one arm flung around her waist. She had been lulled to sleep by his rhythmic breathing on her neck. She remembered thinking that she never knew that he could be that comfortable, then finally falling to sleep.
Hermione sighed, then smiled. Ron stirred, finally waking up. She leaned over the side of the bed and pulled on his t-shirt, inhaling his scent. She reached over and ruffled his hair, jerking him out of his sleepy stupor. He automatically reached up to stop her, thinking that it was one of his brothers, but then smiled when he realized who it was.
"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, smiling. "Last night…it was crazy, but I don't have any regrets. Do you?"
"No. I don't," Hermione replied. "If I had regrets, I wouldn't do this," she said, leaning in to kiss him.
They were interrupted by somebody laughing, then bouncing on the bed. They looked up to see Harry sitting there, a childish grin on his face, his green eyes sparkling.
"I knew it. I told you I knew it, didn't I Ron? Didn't I?" He said, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in his voice.
Ron grinned, ears turning red again. "Yeah, you told me, Harry," he said, his grin spreading across his face.
Hermione caught Harry's eye, and he winked. "Get dressed, and we'll go break the news to everybody else."
Hermione smiled-and she knew that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.
Everything would be okay.
Hermione slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. "Where am I? What in the hell happened?" She said under her breath. She knew something big had happened the night before, but she couldn't remember…Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice to her left. She turned around to see Ron, one of her best friends from the school she had graduated from the previous year. His 18-year-old frame had grown taller, if that was possible, and he had grown out of his gangly form in their seventh year. His voice had deepened during the summer before their fifth year-all it did was make him all the more appealing to Hermione. She wouldn't admit it to herself, or anyone else for that matter, but Ron…well Ron had just always done something to her, ever since she met him.
"SERIOUSLY, Fred, it's not funny anymore!" She turned over to see his face, contorted with anger at his brother, Fred. He was sleep talking, dreaming about only God knows what…he looked angelic. Younger, even, like he had been transported a couple of years backward in time.
Hermione sunk back into the pillows, thinking of the events from the night before. They were slowly coming back to her, now that she had woken up a little bit.
It had all started at Percy's engagement party. Ron's bossy older brother had proposed to his school girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, and along with the six other Weasley children, Hermione and Harry had been invited as well, along with Percy's boss and co-workers. The night had been fun, Hermione hadn't seen Fred and George since she and Harry spend the summer of their sixth year at the Burrow, and Harry she hadn't seen since graduation. The trio of friends, once inseparable, had parted ways at Graduation. Harry had gone to live with his godfather, Sirius, whose name had finally been cleared, Ron off to Romania to visit his older brother Charlie and his wife, Lauren, and Hermione, who had always been interested in school more than anything else, had gone off to America to study the American wizard's way of life. It had been amazing, but she missed everyone from Hogwarts.
The three had spent the night talking, and long after every one had gone to bed, they were still up, reliving old memories. Harry had finally drifted off to sleep on the couch, so Ron and Hermione climbed the three flights of stairs to Ron's room, where they wouldn't have to worry about waking Harry. As they rested on the bed, Hermione told Ron stories about her year in America.
"After living in New York for a while, I decided to go across the country and visit California. It sounded positively wonderful, what with beaches and things. I couldn't help but to think of you, Ron, and how red your skin would get if you stayed out in that sun for too long!" She looked to Ron, expecting laughter, but that wasn't the reaction that she got.
"You…you thought about me?" He asked, sounding almost uncertain of himself. His ears turned bright red as he lowered his eyes. "Oh, of course you did, you had to have thought about everybody at one time or another…right?"
"Well…yes, right, but why wouldn't I think about you, Ron? I mean…you're one of my best friends." Hermione felt her face flush, and wondered why, even though she knew. She looked up at him, smiling shakily.
"Yeah," replied Ron. "Yeah, well, I thought about you too. I missed you. It was weird, being half a world apart from you. An-And Harry, too," he added hastily.
"I understand. I missed the both of you too, as well," Yes, but you missed Ron more, didn't you, Hermione? A little voice in the back of her head spoke up. Why don't you admit it, you stupid girl, admit it to him! "No!"
Ron looked at her. "Pardon?" Hermione flushed again, realizing that she had spoken her thoughts outloud. What all had she confessed?
"Oh, it was nothing. Thinking outloud, I guess. Sorry," she quickly explained to Ron. He looked at her, eyebrow raised, but shrugged it off. A sudden expression of pain crossed his face, and he winced.
"What's wrong?? Are you okay?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah…it's just my neck, it hurts a little bit. Fred and George were wrestling with Bill, thinking they could take him on, and they pulled me into it. They can be rough at times!" He reached back and tried to massage his neck, but it apparently didn't work, as he only winced more. "I was never really good at giving massages," he offered with a smile.
"Here, let me," she said. She moved over so that she was sitting behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders, her thumbs resting at the base of his neck. "My parents taught me once, it kind of stuck with me, I guess," she said, smiling weakly, even though she couldn't see him. Ron relaxed into her grip, exhaling deeply.
"That feels really good, Hermione…thanks," Ron said to her. His face was turned away, but she knew his cheeks were turning as red as his ears. He suddenly turned to face Hermione, his eyes searching hers. "Did you ever feel as though…it sounds stupid, but I have to say it…as though we were meant to be-"
"Something more than friends?" Hermione finished for him. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she couldn't help to smile back.
"Exactly," he said, his voice barely a whisper. He leaned to kiss her, and they met halfway.
When they pulled away from each other, each was breathless, but smiling like an idiot. It was the most intimate moment in either of their lives…or at least, for the moment.
Ron leaned Hermione back into his bed, still covered with the ratty Chudly Cannons bedspread. She sunk in to the mattress, with Ron's weight on top of her. His unsteady breathing relaxed her, because she knew that he was just as nervous as she was.
"Have you done this before?" He asked her, his voice shaking, even though he tried to hide it.
"No," she answered.
Ron let out his breath. "Me neither."
Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, feeling so wonderful that she was brought to tears, prompting Ron to ask what he was doing wrong.
"It's only what you're doing right."
They had fallen asleep together, Hermione nestled into Ron's arms, her back resting against his chest, one arm flung around her waist. She had been lulled to sleep by his rhythmic breathing on her neck. She remembered thinking that she never knew that he could be that comfortable, then finally falling to sleep.
Hermione sighed, then smiled. Ron stirred, finally waking up. She leaned over the side of the bed and pulled on his t-shirt, inhaling his scent. She reached over and ruffled his hair, jerking him out of his sleepy stupor. He automatically reached up to stop her, thinking that it was one of his brothers, but then smiled when he realized who it was.
"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, smiling. "Last night…it was crazy, but I don't have any regrets. Do you?"
"No. I don't," Hermione replied. "If I had regrets, I wouldn't do this," she said, leaning in to kiss him.
They were interrupted by somebody laughing, then bouncing on the bed. They looked up to see Harry sitting there, a childish grin on his face, his green eyes sparkling.
"I knew it. I told you I knew it, didn't I Ron? Didn't I?" He said, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in his voice.
Ron grinned, ears turning red again. "Yeah, you told me, Harry," he said, his grin spreading across his face.
Hermione caught Harry's eye, and he winked. "Get dressed, and we'll go break the news to everybody else."
Hermione smiled-and she knew that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.
Everything would be okay.