Main Characters: Ron/Hermione
Prompt: Sliding
Setting: A Muggle ice rink, a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione's first date

Sliding

"Come on, Ron, you're not even trying!" Hermione squealed as she slid to a halt in front of her boyfriend.

As it was their first official date, they'd decided to both choose a place for them to go. As Ron has chosen a restaurant (no surprises there), Hermione had thought it would be fun to take him somewhere to do something he would have never done before. After all the drama and trauma that had been in their lives for the past few years, Merlin knows they needed a bit of fun in their lives. And what was more fun than ice skating?

"I can't do it," Ron mumbled, turning a bright shade of red, which wasn't to do with the icy temperature of the rink.

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "You can fight dark wizards, but you won't even try to slide across some ice? The Muggles can do it," she said tauntingly, indicating to the Muggles gliding gracefully along the ice around them.

Ron clutched the barrier of the rink more tightly. "S'not as easy as it looks," he mumbled somewhat moodily, glaring at a few young children who waltzed past them with effortless grace.

"Won't you even try—for me?" Hermione whispered flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes at him.

Ron gulped, loosening his grip on the barrier.

"It is our first date, after all," Hermione reminded him, with a meaningful look in her eyes.

Without warning, she kissed him softly on the cheek. Even when she pulled away, Ron could feel the blazing heat lingering from where her lips had touched him. He cursed internally; Hermione had a spell over him that had nothing to do with magic. And he didn't want to look weak and cowardly on their first date. He should be trying to impress her.

"Look, if it makes it easier, I'll hold your hand. We can do it together—I'll help you."

Ron beamed down at Hermione gratefully, taking hold of her outstretched hand. Slowly and steadily, he took his other hand off of the barrier and flashed Hermione a triumphant look.

"Well done!" she said proudly. "Now we're going to go from this side to the other."

Ron's heart jumped. It was quite a distance to get to the safety of the other barrier. There was nothing to cling onto in the middle of the rink, and he'd have to avoid all the twirling Muggle kids.

"Wait," he said, trying to prolong the moment before he had to take the first step. "So, we just walk over to the other side?" he asked, a little uncertainly. It all seemed so easy if you put it like that.

Hermione laughed, throwing him off. "Well, you don't walk, exactly."

Ron looked baffled.

"Okay," Hermione said with great patience, "don't think of it as walking—think of it as sliding." She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Are you ready?"

Ron nodded, taking a deep breath. And slowly, they pushed off, away from the barrier. Hermione guided them, as Ron wobbled slightly by her side. He gained more confidence as they neared the centre of the rink. This wasn't so bad; not really. In fact, it was easy!

And that's when he fell rather spectacularly to the icy floor, pulling a squealing Hermione on top of him into a heap, both of them laughing together happily.