You are my love, you
take me high
You are my sunshine in my sky
I feel this love,
it's deep inside
Hermione Granger sat in one of the plush armchairs in the Gryffindor common room, dozing off as she stared into the fire flickering softly in the hearth. She ran her fingers through her hair, checking to make sure all of the glitter from the party earlier in the day was out of it. Of course, she had only been a bystander in the party. God forbid she might actually be able to partake in it as one half of a couple. Valentine's Day was one of Hermione's least favorite days of the year.
All of the couple cuddled close together in some of the chairs near her reminded her why. Hermione had never been in a position like that, on Valentine's Day or not on it. All of the love in the air, flowers, chocolates and other signs of love being passed around, and what did she get? A couple friendly hugs and a few pieces of chocolate courtesy of Ginny, that's what. Moodily, she tossed a scrap of parchment into the flames and watched it char and burn.
Of course she had a Valentine's wish, a longing for a sweetheart who she felt would never return the feeling. She glanced across the common room, where he sat, laughing with Harry, who's fingers were entwined with Ginny's. There had been some hope at the beginning of the year last year that Ron might be coming out of his shell to actually ask her out, but that had been before Lavender. Looking the other direction, Hermione saw Lavender laughing as Seamus said something. Hermione had felt a small hatred, mixed with envy towards the girl since she had gone out with Ron, but she ignored her now.
Sighing, she returned her gaze to the fire, but her thoughts were still wandering to Ron. The first time she had thought of him as more then a friend was back in their third year. That was when she had fist noticed his cute freckles and adorable eyes. Ever since then, every time he smiled, she thought she saw the glint of sun bouncing off, and every time he laughed she could have sworn she heard the angels singing. Sometimes she wondered if he felt the same way about her that she did about him. But no, then she would remember that he only saw her as his bushy-haired, book-loving friend; Nothing more, and nothing less. Feeling a brush against her legs, she looked down to see Crookshanks glaring up at her, begging for attention.
"You silly cat," she muttered as she lifted him to her lap. "Oh well, at least someone knows how to show they still know I exist."
I still see the way
you smiled at me
I still see the way you looked into my eyes
And
please don't ask me why
Why I have this magic feeling in my heart
for you tonight
I cannot hide
Ron Weasley laughed at Harry's jokes, but he couldn't help but get a guilty feeling every time the mid-sized box pressed against his skin through his robe pocket. Every time he tried to get up and deliver it though, his nerve failed, and he forgot about it for the time being. But now, as the clock ticked nearer to eleven with every passing second, he was running out of time to act.
He knew Ginny was watching him out of the corner of her eye, waiting for him to get up. Ron had told her about what he was going to do earlier that day at lunch, and she had encouraged him to do it. Running his hand through his hair, he looked across the room towards a chair near the fire. Hermione was still sitting there silently, stroking Crookshanks, as she had been for the past hour now. She stretched her arms slowly, before returning to her former position.
Ron had liked Hermione forever, almost since the beginning of the time he had known her. Her hair, no matter how wild and messy it looked to others, was always soft and silky in his eyes. Her golden brown eyes seemed to be endless, loving pits that drew him in, and her smile brought a grin to his lips no matter what the situation. He knew however, that his chances of her returning the feelings were slim at best. To her, he would always be her witless, chicken of a friend, and that meant that she could find better. She probably hadn't forgiven him for the Lavender episode the year before, a shame when he hadn't ever really meant to go out with Lavender in the first place. Sure he had kissed her, but that was when he had realized that all he wanted was for Hermione to fancy him.
The clock in the corner tolled eleven, the deep reverberating chimes making Ron jump. Sighing as he again felt the box pressing against his thigh, he knew the time was now or never. Pushing his seat back from the table where Harry and Ginny were now engaged in a game of chess, he slowly wound his way through the couples-filled maze, making his way towards the chair Hermione sat in.
Silently, he approached her chair until he was right behind it. She had still not noticed his presence, and he found that he was having problems making his voice work. Clearing his throat he nervously opened his mouth and muttered something even he couldn't hear. Come on, Ron! He admonished himself inwardly. What's she going to do? Hex you?
"Um…." His voice was still too soft. "Hey Hermione, could I um, could I have a word?"
She turned.
You are my love, you take me high
You are my
sunshine in my sky
I feel this love, it's deep inside
Hermione jumped, and whipped around when she heard Ron's voice behind her. She found her face inches from his, and she toppled off her chair in shock, crushing Crookshanks underneath her. Hissing, the cat streaked off, and she rolled over, to find Ron standing over her, looking worried.
"Hermione, are you alright?" he asked, sticking out his hand to help her up. Taking it, she pulled herself up off the floor and brushed herself off.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine," she said, but she couldn't help but say it in a tone of curiosity. Why had Ron come over to talk to her? Could it be...? Nah. He couldn't have come over for that reason. He had probably just remembered some essay or another that had to be checked (or in other words, redone). "Hello? Ronald? Were you planning on saying something?" Hermione felt a bit guilty for using harsh tones, but she was starting to feel slightly sick.
"Um….well," He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "You want to go for a walk?"
"Ron!" She felt herself getting excited in spite of herself, but couldn't help but try to stay in her normal mode. "We could get caught!"
"Nah, we won't. We'll carry the Marauder's Map with us. But please, come on," he pleaded, trying to get her to consent.
"If we get caught, this is all your fault!" Hermione followed him out of the portrait hole, and they walked a ways in silence, both hoping the other would break the nervous silence that lingered between them. As they turned a corner, moving towards the entrance hall, Ron moved closer to Hermione, and grabbed her hand. Ignoring her gasp, he led her quickly into an unlocked classroom, and shut the door silently behind them. Still without a word, he led her toward the desk in the front of the room. Halfway across the room, he stopped, and pulled her around to face him.
As the moonlight from the windows danced across Ron's forehead, Hermione couldn't help but feel that maybe for once, her day would have a fairytale ending. Could it? His eyes seemed to sparkle as he dug around in his pocket for something. It took every ounce of her self-restraint to kiss him right then and there. Realizing he was about to say something, she checked herself, and looked attentive.
"Here, I wanted to give this to you earlier, but, uh….well, I didn't obviously," he said, holding out a medium-sized red box. Hermione took it out of his hand and opened it. Immediately, a dozen red roses sprung up, and the box was filled with chocolate. Gasping, she looked up at Ron and grinned so wide that she was surprised she didn't stretch her face.
"Oh Ron!"
You are my love, you
take me high
You are my sunshine in my sky
I feel this love,
here in the night
Without thinking about it, without thinking about how they were in the middle of a smelly old classroom, enclosed in the cover of darkness, Hermione pulled Ron forward, and their lips met. It was as if fireworks were exploding in her mind as Ron pulled her closer in order to deepen the kiss. His hands moved to her back, sending shivers up and down her spine, while her soft fingertips ran through his hair. His tongue ran across her lips, seeking entry, which she gladly granted. Tongues entwined, Hermione found herself backing up quite rapidly, until her back met the hard corner of the desk. Needing air, she parted, gasping slightly, and looked up into Ron's eyes.
"You know how long I've been waiting for this to happen?" Ron asked, a mischievous smile playing around the edges of his lips.
"No, but apparently, you're going to tell me, aren't you?" Hermione smirked, as pulled a chocolate out of the box, popping it into her mouth. She tossed one to Ron, who caught it, and looked thoughtful. Hermione shifted from foot to foot, waiting for his reply.
"It would take way more then just tonight to tell you everything about my feelings for you, and to explain every detail of every moment I've fancied you. But let's just say," he said at length, taking a bite out of the chocolate. "Let's say that it's been a really long time." He hopped up onto the large desk and patted the space next to him. Hermione jumped up beside him and they sat there, each lost in their own thoughts, with their hands entwined between them.
Hermione broke the silence as she leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, "I've been waiting for this for a long time, too. But this is different then what I expected." Ron pulled her chin up so they were looking each other in the eye.
"How so?"
"It's better," she whispered, before leaning in to kiss him again. Unnoticed by either of the teens sitting on the desk, the roses on the floor were glowing softly in the moonlight, mirroring the happiness the two had in being together. The chocolates too, were sitting on the edge of the desk, being paid as much attention as a spot of dust on the floor.
Breaking apart, Hermione collected her thoughts into a short speech, wanting to say something to sum up all of her thoughts and feelings. She knew it was impossible, for she felt she could spend ages talking about Ron, but after a few moments, she had a short talk planned out in her mind.
I still see the way
you've cried with me
I still see the way we're dancing in the
night
And please don't ask me why
Why I have this magic feeling
in my heart for you tonight
I cannot hide
"Ron, when I first saw you on that train ride from London before our first year, I thought you were an absolute idiot. I figured there was no way I could ever fall for you and that you would be a pain in the butt forever. After the troll, when we became friends though, I still only saw you as that: a friend. In fact, the first time it ever passed my mind that you could be more then that was when you risked yourself at the chess match, so that Harry and I could go on. At the time though, I pushed those thoughts aside.
"Our second year rolled around and we had our "little snake problem." I found it infuriating how I seemed to be the only person who knew what was going on, and then I was petrified. I don't remember of course, all the times you came and visited me in the hospital wing (which was many times by Harry's reckoning) but I remember that you were one of the first people I saw when I was free to be myself again. You were standing right there, welcoming me back, and though it was awkward, I remembered it.
"One of the things I remember best from our third year was when you were there for me to cry on when we thought Buckbeak was being executed. Though I thought you'd give me a weird look, or pull away, you did neither, and that's when I realized that maybe you could be more then a friend to me. I tried to convince myself that you would never see me how I saw you, and for a while, that answer kept the thoughts out of my mind. But during our fourth year, they were kindled again.
"When the Yule Ball was announced, I waited for you to ask me. Every day I told myself that you would ask, but every day I was disappointed. I began to grow tired of turning people down, and when I heard you asked Fleur to go with you, I gave up hope that there was even the slightest chance of you asking me. Who, I asked myself, would choose me when they could choose a girl like Fleur? So I said yes to Viktor, and was content for the time being. Then we had our argument afterwards, when you told me how you figured that I was being stupid, going with Viktor. At the time, you had no idea how much it hurt me to know that you would've asked. I saw then that maybe there was hope, but I hated myself for thinking that I wanted there to be an "us" after everything you said to me.
"I remember how you protected me at the Ministry in our fifth year. You put yourself in harm's way so that I could come out alive. It was amazing, I reflected, how someone could be so blunt in their actions, yet not seem to see the obvious solution. I think that night when Sirius died was the night when everyone saw that there was a chance that there could be a Hermione and Ron, the couple, instead of just Hermione and Ron, two of the Golden Trio. You never knew that I talked to Harry about it. He said that he saw it too, and that you were just nervous. Happy, in some respects I couldn't wait for the next year.
"However, once again, I felt myself thrown aside for someone I thought you felt was prettier, and better. I had already confessed some of my feelings to you when I invited you to Slughorn's Christmas party, and I thought that you were agreeing with me by saying you'd go. My hopes were shattered though, when I walked into the Quidditch match after-party, only to find you tightly wrapped up with Lavender. You had been so cruel moments before, but this was a punishment worse then all the others. You had openly defied my intents, and all to punish me for something I didn't know I had done.
"So now, as I sit here with you, Ronald Weasley, I hope I'm correct in saying that you can now see your feelings, and are following your heart's desire."
You are my love
You are my love
You are my love
Ron stared at Hermione as she finished her speech. He wondered how someone could make him feel so happy, guilty, proud, and enamored all at once. She had a way with words, and he didn't care what else she said, all he knew was that she was right. He had been a stupid prick when he was younger.
"Hermione Jane Granger, you are absolutely right. I was young and I was foolish, and I hope there's a way to make it up to you," he whispered softly in her ear, kissing her lightly behind it.
"You already have Ron, you already have," she replied. Giggling, she hopped off the desk. "Now I feel bad because I don't have anything to give to you."
"You not rejecting me was a present enough," Ron said.
"No, no, no, that won't do." Hermione looked around the room thoughtfully. "Ah!" She went over to where the roses were still lying in the moonlight. Bending over, she picked one up, and pulled her wand out of her cloak. Tapping the rose gently, she then proceeded to hand it to Ron. "Here. I've just enchanted it to change colors whenever you want it to. Red symbolizes love, yellow- friendship, white is for peace, orange for passion, and blue is symbolic of ever-lasting life, which is something it is also charmed with." Ron took it, and tucked it into his cloak. Realizing it was past midnight, the two slipped quietly back into the corridors.
As they plotted an intruder-free path with the help of the Marauder's Map, the two walked in complete silence. When they were standing outside the portrait hole, Ron gave Hermione one last peck on the cheek before muttering the password ("Valiant love") to the Fat Lady. Entering the common room, they found a slightly put out Harry waiting for them.
"Where have you two been?" he demanded, not noticing their hands clasped together. "Ginny and I were worried you had been caught! I nearly had to drag her to bed because she wouldn't stop panicking!"
"Relax, Harry, we're fine. And obviously, we didn't get in trouble," Hermione soothed.
"That doesn't answer my question! Where were you?" Harry's breathing was slowing down to a normal rate again.
"I was just showing Hermione something I found," Ron answered. "Something we've both been searching for for a very long time." Bidding them good night, Hermione departed for the girl's dorm, as Ron and Harry trod up to the boy's.
Seventy years later, Hermione Granger rolled over in bed, playing with the golden band twisted around her finger. As she looked at the contents of her bedside table, her fingers moved softly over the photo of her and Ron, who had left the earth several years before. And as she lay in bed, taking some of the last breaths of her long and illustrious life, the memories flooded back to her. Closing her eyes for the last time, Hermione sighed contentedly.
Many years later, Ron and Hermione's great-great-grandchild came to the graveyard where their tombstones lay. Long since had the words on their gravestones faded, but there was one thing that still made the spot recognizable amongst all the other faded graves. As Jamie Weasley traced the ground with her fingers, she marveled at how pretty it was, the brilliant blue rose, still shining its colors after all the years.
You are my love, you
take me high
You are my sunshine in my sky
I feel this love,
it's deep inside