"Ronald Weasley! How dare you!"
Ron saw that Hermione was furious. The fume was rising from her cap, which hid the wild and curly brown hair.
"What? It was just a snowball, Hermione! A snowball," Ron said, and pointed at the snow. "Harmless snow, you see?" Hermione's eyes flashed of rage.
"Harmless, hah! You hit me right in the back of my head! Git," yelled Hermione, and tramped back inside to the Burrow.
"Whoa, what's up with her?" Ron said puzzled, and looked at Harry.
"It was, after all, just a snowball." Harry shrugged and looked at The Burrow.
"I don't know. Did you throw hard?" Ron thought for a moment.
"Nah, don't think so. I didn't mean to, it was just too tempting… She just stood there… You know." Ron looked at Harry for some pity, but just got a You-know-what-to-do-look.
"Fine. Fine. I'll go and apologize," Ron said, and walked up and into The Burrow.
The warmth inside was swooping over him like Harry's Firebolt. Ron whirred off the scarf, laid the cap on the shelf, hung his mittens over the fireplace and took off the boots before he went into the living room.
"Gin," Ron said, "where's Hermione?"
Ginny turned around and said, "She flew up to my room, in rage over a certain git of a brother. I wonder how that could be," she said, and grinned. But the grin went as fast as it had come. "What have you done?" Ron sighed, and threw himself down in one of the chairs near the fireplace.
"I... threw a snowball at her. Hit her right in the back of the head. I didn't mean to hit her!" Ron said fast after the look he had got from Ginny.
"You threw a snowball. Nice move, big bro'. That's not the way to impress Hermione, you know." Ginny giggled when she saw Ron's mouth hanging open like a fish.
"Well. It's not like you've been hiding it. I know you like Hermione. I see it from a long distance – the looks you give her when she's
coming down the stairs, for example." Ron closed his mouth. "How-?"
"How I know? I'm a girl, Ron, and your little sister. Known you for some time, you see." Ginny got up, and yawned.
"Well. I'm off to bed. G'night," she said and rumpled up Ron's hair on her way.
Well. Fine, Ginny had put two and two together. Had someone else understood it? Ron didn't count Harry with it, he already knew. But who cared, anyway.
"Everyone…" Ron groaned, and turned around fast when he heard steps in the hall.
"Did you apologize?" Harry had come inside, his glasses all foggy.
"Can you see anything at all through those glasses?" Ron said darkly.
"Guess you didn't, then," Harry said and whipped off the fog on the glasses.
"I'll say it tomorrow," Ron said, and sat down in the sofa. Harry threw himself down beside him, sighing. There was a silence between them that Ron hadn't known before. Harry sighed again. "Ron, mate. Please tell her." Harry looked at Ron over his glasses. Ron felt that he became red on the ears. He cursed the ears silently.
"It's annoying, with all the yelling. And shouting. And fighting. All the Gryffindors are backing me up at this one," Harry said and grinned. Ron scowled at his best friend but cracked immediately into a loopsided grin.
"You know, it's not that easy, telling how your feelings are to a friend you've known for many years. 'Ey, Hermione, let's chat. I'm in love with you. Bye.' Come on! Can't say that," Ron said with a little hint of desperation in his voice.
Harry laughed and said, "Good point. Well… Can't you just take her out for a walk? I bet you know where to go," Harry added. Ron thought about it for a moment.
"You know… that's not a bad idea, mate. Yeah, I'll do that!" Ron said jumping out of the couch.
"You'll do what?" Ron froze at the spot.
"Erm…" Hermione came down the stairs in a black gown. Ron noticed she used the slippers he gave her as a birthday present last year. Harry coughed.
"Bad throat," he tried to say between the coughs, and dragged himself up the stairs. Ron felt the bloody ears being red again.
"You'll do what, Ron?" Hermione had sat down beside the fire warming her hands. Ron cleared his throat.
"I would apologize for being thick," he said while looking at his home-made maroon Weasley socks.
"It just sort of slipped out of my hands, you see… and… Sorry, Hermione." Ron looked up at her, meeting two brown eyes.
"It's ok." Hermione smiled and walked over to him. Before Ron knew it, she hugged him. She smelled of roses, and her hair tickled his nose. He really wanted to sneeze, but he couldn't – Hermione was hugging him! When they broke apart, Ron didn't know what to do. She had red cheeks, like if two roses had burst into blooming, and her eyes were sparkling. She was beautiful, lovely. Ron swallowed a couple of times, before saying ;
"Uhm… Could we go for a walk? I know you're just in the pyjamas, but… It's such lovely weather," Ron said, and pointed at the window.
What the-? When did I start babbling about the weather? Ron thought.
Hermione's eyes sparkled.
"Yes, just wait one second, ok?" She sprinted up the stairs and Ron heard a door silently closing.
Ron grinned. "Yes!" Finally he'd managed to do it, to ask the girl he loved out for a walk in the moonlight.
"Haha. What would now little Vicky think 'bout that, eh?" Ron said to himself, while trying to make his hair bushy. Ron hummed on a Christmas carol (which he hadn't done in years) and grabbed the mittens, scarf and cap from the fireplace. Then he tied on his boots, and heard Hermione coming down the stairs.
"Are you ready?" Ron pulled on his cap, mittens and scarf, and smiled to Hermione. Hermione nodded and Ron opened the door. The cool night swept over them, frost mist stood out of their mouths. The moon was up, making mysterious shadows of their silhouettes. It was starlit, not a cloud was in sight.
"So, what did you want to drag me out for?" Hermione grinned mischievously.
Ron grinned back, trying to be calm. But inside, his heart was beating fast like thunder, and within his mittens his palms were clammy. Ron drew his breath a few times. He didn't dare to tell her, he realized that now. Coward. A little voice in the back of his head whispered to him. You are a coward, little Ronniekins. Ickle little Ronniekins-
"Stop it." Hermione looked surprised at him.
"Sorry?" Ron started to blush when he understood he'd said it out loud.
"Nothing," he said, guiding Hermione down to the town.
"I dragged you out to show you something," Ron said. "Right outside the town there's a little lake with fairy lights. I thought it would remind you of Hogwarts," Ron continued, making a path through the deep snow with one of Hermione's clever spells.
They walked in silence for ten minutes. Ron's mind was working on high gear. What to say, what to do? Will she say something, or do something at all when I tell her? Oh God, please don't let Hermione run away from me, or shriek in shear fear or something, Ron thought horrified. No. Hermione wouldn't run away. She's not that kind of girl. Or is she? The little voice replied Ron's thoughts. No, she isn't like that.
Hermione must have seen Ron's face.
"Ron, are you sick or something? You look a little bit pale," Hermione said in a worried voice. "Guess it's just the moonlight," Ron grunted down in his scarf. But, in fact, he didn't feel quite all right. All because of that bloody voice inside his head. The bloody voice was ruining everything right know. Where was the Gryffindor courage when he really needed it?
Ron stopped and hinted to Hermione to come with him.
"Right through here," Ron said and walked through a portal of pine and snow.
"Close your eyes," he whispered, took her hand and lead Hermione through. He stole a glance at Hermione, which had her eyes closed and her face glowed of wonder. That's why I love her, Ron thought and smiled.
He placed her right in front of the decoration, and whispered, "Open your eyes, 'Mione."
Hermione gasped in surprise. "Oooh!"
It was fairy lights, flowers and snow, mixed altogether. There were roses in red and light blue, violets in yellow, lilies in all of the rainbow's colours and the fairy lights changed colours all the time. The snow was making it look like magic, which, of course, it was.
"Ron, it's lovely," Hermione said, and turned around to see him. Ron grinned down to her and said, "I knew you would like it. A fellow in the town made it for Christmas, he always does."
"He does?" Hermione's voice was full of wonder and admiration. "He must be very clever with magic," she said, and looked at the flowers.
"Yeah, he is. Here," Ron said, picked out a red rose and gave it to her. "The best is that it never dies. It's always in blossom," Ron said, and gave it to Hermione. She smiled and smelled at it.
"It smells like…cinnamon?" she said surprised and sniffed at it again.
"Yeah, it does," Ron said and laughed, "He thought it could be nice to have roses like Bertie Bott's," he said grinning. Hermione giggled at the idea.
"Clever man, I must say," she said, and sat down at a bench. Ron sat down beside her, knowing that now was the perfect moment. He swallowed and felt his Adam's apple was chocking him. Ron coughed and turned to face Hermione. He felt his hands were trembling.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?" She looked at him with big brown eyes, filled with warmth and care. Ron took her hands, but didn't know exactly what to do. This wasn't his field; he was walking on thin ice. Ron cleared his throat and took a deep breath. Do it. He cupped her chin and kissed her. It was quick and fast, but still; a kiss.
Ron didn't dare to look at her. He bet she was in shock.
"Ron." Hermione said softly. Blue eyes met brown eyes; both pairs were filled with love, astonishment and relief.
"Yes?" he said feeling that his hands were trembling madly.
"I love you too," she said, and kissed him. This time it was soft and gentle, both knowing that none of them would break apart. Ron's hands were trembling, not of cold or fear, but of excitement of kissing the one he loved.
When they broke apart it started to snow for real.
"It's like magic, isn't it?" Ron whispered to her.
"Yeah, it is," she said. He laid his arm around her, while looking at the decoration. "Can it be better, 'Mione?" She looked up at him, smiling.
"No, Ron, I bet it can't be." He kissed her, now knowing what to do, and hugged her. "Hermione?"
"Yes, Ron?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Ron."