A/N: So, this story has taken on a mind of its own. I'm thinking of renaming it, An Excuse to Have Ron and Hermione Make Out, but that seems a little long. Anyway, I will probably do one more chapter. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!
I finished eating and leaned back on my arms, smiling to myself as Ron continued to work his way through the contents of the picnic basket. Sighing contentedly, I looked out over the lake and let my mind drift. Watching the small waves lap against the shore, I suddenly had an idea. Normally, I would hesitate at such a plan, but today I felt free, like I could do anything. I sat up, turning to Ron, and said, "Let's go swimming."
He paused midbite, twisting to look at me, then slowly resumed chewing as he set down his plate. He swallowed, looking thoughtful as he said finally, "Aren't you supposed to wait like half an hour after eating?"
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, giving him a look. "Since when do you care about rules?" I asked.
He grinned. "Fair enough," he said.
Rising to his feet, he leaned down to offer me his hand. I took it, our bodies brushing slightly as I stood up. When did he get so tall? I thought, blushing as I looked up at him.
I turned away abruptly, keeping hold of his hand as I pulled him towards the water. When we got to the shore, I paused, suddenly feeling awkward as I looked over at him. Ron glanced at me briefly before looking away again. It's now or never, Granger, I told myself.
Kicking off my shoes, I placed them neatly above the shore on dry land. I then pulled off my socks, folding them, and stuffed them into my shoes, watching Ron out of the corner of my eye. He followed suit, removing his shoes and socks, tossing them into the grass haphazardly before reaching for the hem of his shirt. I realized I was staring and turned my face away as he pulled the shirt over his head. Focusing my gaze resolutely out over the water, I pulled my own shirt up and off, followed by my pants, moving quickly before I lost my nerve. I chanced a peek at Ron. He was gaping at me with a glazed look in his eye, his mouth half open, ears a bright red now while his shirt hung forgotten in his hand.
I felt my face turn hot under his gaze. "Ready?" I asked him.
The sound of my voice seemed to shake him from his reverie. "Oh – er, yeah – just about," he muttered. Fumbling with his belt, he undid his pants, pulling them off and throwing them into a pile with the rest of his clothing. I tried not to stare at his lean, muscular form as he stood in his maroon boxer shorts, running a hand through his hair as his eyes darted between me and the water.
Stepping onto the shore, I took a few steps toward the lake, feeling the sand squish between my toes as the waves lapped around my ankles. Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw Ron begin to follow as I walked farther into the water. When it was about chest deep, I sunk my body lower, tilting my head back to wet my hair. Ron suddenly dove, splashing into the lake, and I turned my head away to avoid the droplets that went flying. I was watching the surface of the water, waiting for him to resurface when I felt something tug at my ankle. Startled, I jerked my foot up, my face plunging into the water as my body dipped down. Spluttering, I stood back up as Ron reappeared, grinning.
"Very funny," I said, trying to look stern as I fought a smile.
"It was an accident," he said, still grinning as he flung himself backwards, halfway floating with his arms outstretched.
I gave up the struggle and let the grin take over my face, laughing as I splashed at him before diving under the water to swim farther out into the lake. Emerging, I rubbed the water from my eyes, kicking my feet to stay afloat as I looked around for Ron. This time I was prepared as I watched the water rippling, giving away his position. I took a deep breath before diving under the waves, feeling his hand just graze my leg as I swam quickly away.
Opening my eyes, I peered through the murky water to where Ron was now standing and circled back towards him. As I drew near, I reached out, only to feel my arms grasped as I was pulled above the surface of the lake. Gasping, I shook the water off my face and looked up at Ron. His eyes twinkled, a self-satisfied smile on his face.
"Got you," he said as he pulled me to him. I felt myself blush, not really minding that I'd lost our little game.
Noticing that he was standing quite easily, I dipped my toe down in search of a purchase, but found I wasn't quite tall enough to reach. Ron's hands slid down to grasp my waist, holding me up as I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. I felt my body brush against his momentarily, the waves causing us to sway slightly. My breath sped up, goosebumps breaking out across my skin as I became conscious of our close proximity. Ron seemed to have noticed it also. His expression sobered, the grin sliding off his face as his eyes darkened. I watched beads of water drip from his hair, over his forehead and cheeks, sliding down his jaw to drop onto bare shoulders. Reaching up, I smoothed his damp hair back from his forehead.
He swallowed, his hands tightening on my waist as he licked his lips. A soft breeze swept by, creating ripples on the surface of the water, the air cool against my wet skin. I shivered. He pulled me closer to him, my body pressed to his, bare skin against bare skin, warming me even as the wind chilled me. My teeth began to chatter and I clenched my jaw tightly, willing my body to calm down, but the tremor wouldn't cease, reverberating throughout my entire body in anticipation.
"Are you cold?" he asked me, and I thought of our first kiss, flying high above the ground just a short time ago. It felt like we were still up there – flying – like we had never come down.
"No," I said, and the tremor went through my voice as well, though I tried hard to keep it steady.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low tone, his voice sounding deeper than usual.
I thought it strange that he should ask, considering how many times that morning he had done exactly that. But, as his intense blue eyes bored into mine, I found that all I could do was nod, a pressure building in me like a storm rolling in. His head dipped towards me and I held my breath as his mouth came closer to mine. And then the storm broke inside of me, a thousand waves crashing against a rocky shore as his lips met mine.
I pressed my mouth to his eagerly, my arms wrapping around his shoulders, fingers digging into his back as I grasped him closer to me. His tongue teased my bottom lip before sliding over my teeth, delving into my mouth as it swirled against my own. His hands moved from my waist to my back, pressing my hips into his as one hand slid up to cup the back of my head, the other pausing before slowly sliding lower. I moaned into his mouth, the sound escaping my throat involuntarily as I lost myself in his touch, his taste, the feel of his lips against mine. I heard similar noises issuing from his own throat as I pressed my body more firmly into his, needing to feel closer, my hands threading into his damp hair. Then, as he pulled his mouth away, gasping, I realized that my legs had wrapped themselves around his waist.
"Bloody hell, woman," he groaned, his hands clutching my hips.
My pulse was racing as I struggled to catch my breath, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth as I looked up at him.
"Language, Ronald," I teased.
"I think you're trying to murder me," he said with a breathy laugh.
"Sorry," I said insincerely. Instead of pulling away, however, I shifted nearer, feeling his hardness press against me as my body settled closer to his.
"Hermione," he said, his voice catching on the word as he closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against mine.
I bit my lip, a warmth tingling through my body as I looked at him, blinking, his face so close to mine, before letting my eyes fall closed as well.
After a moment, I felt his lips grazing mine. He kissed me softly this time, slowly, his mouth warm and gentle as it moved sensually against my own. I let out a noise somewhere between a whimper and a moan, feeling an ache rising up inside of me, before I finally pulled away, gasping in air.
"Ron," I said, and the tremor was back in my voice. I cleared my throat, taking a deep breath as I moved my hands to his chest. I could feel his heart pounding against my fingertips, keeping time with my own. I let my legs fall from his waist, floating down beneath me once more, his hands on my hips still holding me, suspended in the water.
"We should – probably…" I said, trying to form my thoughts into some coherent words.
"Cool down?" he asked with a crooked grin.
I smiled. "Yeah," I said.
He blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair as he released his grip on me. I floated back a few feet, trailing my arms through the water and trying to still my rapidly beating heart.
Ron dipped his head underneath the water, shaking drops from his hair as he resurfaced. I plunged underneath the waves, swimming out into the center of the lake, loving the feel of the cool water flowing past me as I swam. As I came up for air, I looked over just in time to see Ron disappearing beneath the surface of the lake. I leaned back, letting my body float, arms outstretched as the waves gently rocked me. I felt the bright summer sun pouring down on my skin and closed my eyes, sighing as I soaked in its warmth.
Suddenly, I felt a tickle as a soft rush of bubbles arose from somewhere beneath me. Laughter welled up inside of me, spilling from my mouth as Ron emerged at my side.
"What was that?" I asked.
"It's a game we used to play when we were kids," Ron said, grinning. Then he took a deep breath and dove back underneath the water. Once again, I couldn't suppress my laughter as another wave of bubbles tickled my skin.
I was still laughing as Ron re-emerged from beneath the waves.
"I love your laugh, Hermione," he said, still grinning at me.
A pocket of warmth formed in my belly at his words, spreading to my chest and rising up through me to emerge from my throat in another wave of laughter. Ron joined in this time and I felt like a madwoman as we laughed until my cheeks hurt, not even knowing the reason why.
When the laughter finally subsided, I looked up at Ron, his cheeks flushed red, eyes bright and shining and I thought, "I love you." I realized I had inadvertently spoken my thought out loud, however, as Ron's face split into a wide grin.
My cheeks were burning as I blurted out, "Race you to the shore!" And, diving underwater, I swam quickly away.
When I came up for air I heard a loud cry and looked back to see Ron standing still, his head down as he bent over the water. Suddenly worried, I swam back to him, placing my hand on his shoulder as I asked urgently, "Are you okay?"
I bent my head toward him as he whispered slowly, "Stomach…cramp." Then his head shot up and he grinned, plunging into the water as he took off swimming towards the shore.
"Ronald Weasley, you cheat!" I called after him, swimming fast to catch up.
He made it to the shore before me and was still laughing when I finally caught up to him. I marched up onto the grass, hands on my hips as I said, "Cheaters forfeit. You still lost."
"That wasn't cheating," he said smugly, "It was a tactical maneuver."
I crossed my arms, scowling up at him.
"Don't worry," he said with a crooked smile, "I'll make it up to you."
Then he grasped me by the waist and I had to laugh as he spun me around before dropping me back on my feet and planting a kiss on my mouth.
"Forgive me?" he asked, flashing me his most charming smile.
I tried to smooth my face back into a stern expression as I said, "I'll think about it."
He smiled, pleased as though I had answered in the affirmative. Then we began gathering our clothes and putting them on again, the fabric clinging to my wet skin as I redressed. I picked up my wand and, waving it, muttered a charm, instantly feeling the water evaporate from my skin as my clothes turned warm and dry.
"Go on, then," Ron said, holding his arms out at his side as he turned towards me. I looked him over, taking in the way his shirt clung to his torso, outlining his muscles, his damp hair sticking to his forehead as water dripped from the ends, and I almost didn't want to perform the spell for him. However, I aimed my wand at him anyway, hesitating only slightly before I waved it, speaking the words for the charm.
"You sure do know a lot of useful spells," he said, running his hand through his now dry hair.
"You would know them too if you paid any attention in class," I said pointedly.
"Why should I bother when I've got you for that?" he asked with a grin.
I sighed, exasperated. "Oh, Ronald, honestly."
He stepped towards me, placing his hands on my arms as he closed the gap between us. "You're just so much better at all that stuff than I am," he said in a wheedling tone of voice.
I crossed my arms, glaring up at him. "I know what you're doing," I said.
"Can I help it if I'm not as brilliant and talented as you are?" he asked, rubbing his palms from my shoulders to my elbows.
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I turned my face away, the corner of my mouth turning up involuntarily at his flattery.
He leaned in then, placing a kiss on my neck, and the smile took over my face completely. I sighed as I tilted my head back, frustrated with myself for caving as he placed another kiss against my neck. Does he have to be so damn cute?
"This argument isn't over," I murmured, closing my eyes as he wrapped his arms around me, his lips grazing the skin below my ear. But, as his tongue swept against my earlobe, I honestly couldn't even remember what we had been talking about.
"Mmhmm," he mumbled, the sound of his voice in my ear sending a shiver down my spine.
Just then I heard the low rumble of thunder in the distance. As I opened my eyes, peering up at the sky, I noted the dark, heavy clouds on the horizon.
"Ron," I said, trying to get his attention.
"Mmhmm," he mumbled again, his mouth continuing to work at my neck.
I took a shaky breath, placing my hands on his shoulders as I pulled away. "Ron," I said again as he blinked at me with a slightly dazed look in his eyes.
"What is it?" he asked.
"There's a storm coming," I said, gesturing at the sky as another low rumble of thunder vibrated through the air.
Ron looked up at the clouds, then back at me. Licking his lips, his eyes focused on my face, and for a moment, I thought he was about to argue. But then he just sighed, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck as he said, "I guess we'd better go, then."