In Between

Author's Note: Hi again! This is the next installment in this series. Having such a lovely time revisiting this world. Fluff and lot of mature moments and sexy times ahead!

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read, leave a review and follow this story. Please do leave any ideas for moments you might like to see written between Ron and Hermione.

It goes without saying that nothing pertaining to Harry Potter belongs to me and is the work of J.K. Rowling.

Please review!

Chapter 9: Waking up Together

The sunlight streamed in the window of the Head Girl room in Gryffindor Tower as the first sunny day in a week began around the castle. One Gryffindor girl and a former Gryffindor boy lay asleep soundly in her four-poster double bed, nestled together, all tangled limbs and snuggled together bodies. It was a sleep free of nightmares as it usually was when these two people slept next to each other.

Hermione's eyes began to flutter open, the sunlight threatening to blind her and forcing her to open her eyes and face the bright room around her. She yawned and went to stretch but found she couldn't really move because she was being held down by another, rather tall body. She smiled. Ron.

He had surprised her the night before for her birthday. She originally thought he had forgotten because the day had come and gone and she didn't hear from him but then at 11:52pm on September 19th, he was flying his broom into her window and making her forget all about the day. She couldn't believe he had arranged with McGonagall to come and visit her. She wondered if he actually had permission to stay the night as he had but somehow, she doubted it. She glanced at the clock on her bedside and saw it was just after 7 in the morning. She sighed in relief. Plenty of time to sneak him back off the grounds if needed. She didn't care if it was against the rules; the night she had been able to spend with him was worth the trouble.

She looked over at the naked boy trapping her under his arms in her bed and felt her heart start to race as her mind went to the night before and all they had done. No one could make her feel the way he did. The fact that she couldn't keep her hands off him for even a moment was evidence of how unique their connection was. She had never felt this way before or for anyone else.

"Mmmm, 'Mione." He murmured in his sleep, a smile gracing his features and a shockwave of love, of attraction, of desire rocked through her body. Hermione nestled in closer to him, throwing one of her legs across his body and reaching her hand up to run through his hair, one of her favourite activities. She twirled a piece of his hair around her fingers and moved close enough to him that she could feel his breath. She could get used to waking up like this.

She looked at him for a long moment, studying his features and felt her heart swell just at the sight of him asleep. She was so entirely in love. She couldn't help herself, in the next moment she was pressing her lips to his. Even if he was sleeping, she wanted a kiss and it seemed like a nice and gentle way to wake up.

A moment, not even a second really, after her lips touched his did his eyes flutter open and when he realized what was happening, his grip around her tightened, his eyes fluttered shut again and he groaned low in his throat. His response to her was immediate, even when he was dead asleep moments before.

"Good morning." He said huskily, his voice low and full of desire for her, his grip on her tight, his arousal pressing into her thigh. She lit a fire in him always.

"Morning," she sighed, pressing herself into him.

He groaned again. "What…time is it?" He asked, wondering if he had to get a move on and sneak out before they got caught.

"Half seven," she sighed back breathily. "Plenty of time."

He let out a small growl at the back of his throat and kissed her, holding her, running his hands along her bare skin. His tongue immediately asked for entrance to her mouth and she granted it a fraction of a second later. "Fuck," he groaned, "Would love to wake up like this every morning." He muttered, moving his kisses to her neck, licking and nibbling breathlessly. His left hand slid down her body, over her hip, around to her stomach and started snaking lower, wanting to touch her.

Hermione moaned against him, arching her hips into his touch. She didn't care it was the morning and she had morning breath. The silencing spell should still be in effect on her room from the night before as well, so they didn't have to worry about that. She wanted him and she wanted him now. How was it possible to want someone so much every minute of the day? "Ron!" She moaned, her hips moving into his hand.

He felt himself get even harder than he was (it was the morning, after all), if that was even possible, at the sound of her moan and he found that spot that drove her mad, rubbing it in the way he knew she liked. It drove him mad that she would lose control with him, only him. He lost it every time she came undone because of him, at the sight of her head thrown back in pleasure and the sound of her giving in to her feelings. His fingers moved faster, wanting to get her there, wanting her to feel as good as possible.

"Ron… almost…" She managed to get out, biting her lip and clutching at the sheet under them. It was only a moment later that she reached her peak, letting out a high pitch moan and letting her forehead slump forward and onto his shoulder.

He grinned. He would always feel accomplished when he was able to do that for her. He would always feel good that he could make her feel good. The grin fell off his face, however, when she reached between them and grasped him in her hand, stroking intently.

"Merlin, Hermione!" He said in surprise, not expecting it. His hips bucked into her hand as she moved her hand over him, her hand picking up pressure and speed. But then she stopped and his eyes flew open. "What happened?" He asked, more surprised than anything.

She smiled shyly. "I want to try something." She said, turning her body around so that her back was to his chest. He looked at her confused until she reached behind her, grasped him again and guided him into her from behind.

"Bloody fucking hell, Hermione!" He gasped, not expecting that at all but holy shit, it was good. "Give a guy some warning, will you?" He said, smiling into her shoulder blade as his arm went around her to rest on her stomach from behind. Oh, this was good. This was really good.

She moaned and pushed back into him as he slid in all the way and his arm wrapped around her. She reached her arm back and hooked it around his neck, threading her fingers in his hair. As he began to move, she moaned even more, her volume increasing. This new position was amazing.

"Nnngh, Hermione, you are brilliant." He muttered into her skin, moving in and out of her at a faster pace at this point. The arm that was around her slid up her stomach to grasp at her breast, massaging it in his hand as his hand swept over the soft skin and the nipple.

She arched her back, pressing herself into him and when he thrust into her, she pushed her own hips back and swiveled them a bit, groaning at what it did to her and how it made her feel.

He nearly lost it right then and there. This new position was enough to send him over the edge, and the way Hermione had just taken charge and instigated was unbelievably hot but now she was pushing her hips into him, swiveling them around and he didn't know how the hell he was still functioning.

She sighed, leaning back into him and moving with him, meeting his movements into her and moving back to create more friction. "Oh, ohhhh…." She moaned, gripping at his hair.

He planted kisses after kiss on her shoulder blade, the back of her neck, wherever he could reach as he kept up his pace. He wouldn't last much longer at this rate. "I love you so fucking much," He said into her skin, groaning low in his throat, "so much, 'Mione."

"Love you too!" She said, it coming out as a half moan. She was almost there and she could tell he was too because his movements became faster and more frantic.

He grabbed her hips and held her against him as he moved into her roughly, his movements fast, frantic, frenzied and in another moment, he came, grunting as he spilled inside her, feeling her walls clench around him as he did, knowing she had gotten there as well.

Hermione moaned his name as she came around him, her voice failing her at the moment as she slumped against him, breathing heavily. She turned around in his arms, moaning at the loss of him inside her, and faced him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. She felt his arms go around her, his hands moving along the skin of her back as he encircled her in his grasp.

He kissed her back, his breathing heavily as he started to come down from his high. He parted their lips to take in a breath and touched their foreheads together, letting his eyes open. "Well, that was the best wake up call ever, I reckon." He grinned, playing with one of her wild curls in his fingers, his other arm around her back.

She smiled. "I try." She said with a shrug, her smile turning to a smirk.

"Merlin, I missed you," he said, looking back into her eyes. "I can't wait until we can do this everyday." He meant it as a promise for the future but then a thought occurred to him. They could do it everyday. "Hermione…"

"Yes?" She asked resting against him, meeting his eyes.

"Want to move in with me after you finish school?" He asked softly, knowing it was what he wanted and knowing that he wanted to wake up next to her every single day.

"What, really?" She asked, surprised, searching his eyes. She hadn't been expecting that. She had thought about it before, but she wondered if that would be rushing things a bit. But that was silly, wasn't it? It wasn't until the end of the school year and they were adults and they'd been friends for 8 years and in love with each other without knowing for a good chunk of that time too.

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly, "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to. I always kind of figured we'd get a flat after school. I want to live with you, Hermione." He looked at her again, searching her eyes for any sort of indication of what she was thinking. "Please say something."

"Yes! Yes, of course! As if I'd say anything but…" She grinned and reached up to kiss him in celebrating.

"Yeah?" He grinned, returning her kiss with one of his own. "You mean it?"

"Oh honestly, Ron, as if I'd have said no!" She laughed happily.

"Well, I don't know. I'm not a mind reader you know." He said, unable to stop smiling, his hands traveling up and down her back as he held her close.

"You know you won't be able to get rid of me now, Ronald. If we fight, we'll have to work it out. No storming off to our own respective places."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, I know that, blimey!" He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We are going to fight sometimes, I mean it's us for Merlin's sake! But yeah, doesn't change anything. Wanna be with you all the time."

Her eyes sparkled as they threatened to cry happy tears. He somehow managed to make her so emotional all the time. Or maybe it was because they were post incredible shag and her emotions were heightened. Whatever the reason, she was entirely and completely happy.

"I want that too, Ron. After this school year, I want nothing but to be with you always." She smiled at him and chuckled against his lips when he leaned forward and stole a few kisses.

"So, I reckon when you come visit me at the Hogsmeade flat over Christmas it'll be like a dry run?"

"Oh, I never thought of that! Yes, I suppose so. That will be fun."

"Just don't be getting after me about leaving socks around the flat or tidying all the time. I really don't want to associate living with you with living with my Mum." He made a face at the thought and she laughed.

"I'll try to refrain." She said, holding back another laugh. "When do you have to get back?" She asked, glancing at the clock again. It was after eight now.

"Reckon I need to head back and shower before I start work at 11 so maybe another hour or so?" He glanced at the clock too and smiled. That gave them lots of time before he had to leave. He frowned a moment later. Ugh, he didn't want to have to leave at all. "Should give me plenty of time to sneak back out…" He said without thinking and paused, remembering her hadn't told Hermione that he wasn't supposed to stay the night.

She laughed at the look on his face, "Honestly, Ron, I figured out that McGonagall didn't give you overnight privileges about ten minutes after you arrived."

"You're not mad?"

She shook her head. "I didn't think you'd march up to McGonagall and ask if you could stay the night in my room. She may not be your teacher anymore, Ron, but she's still quite scary."

He made a face and nodded in agreement and they both laughed. He leaned forward and kissed her, smile still on his lips. "Such a rebel these days, 'Mione, it's kind of hot." He said with a playful nip to her lips.

"It's been known to happen." She commented with a smirk, trailing some kisses down his jaw, to his neck and sucking on the skin lightly there for a few moments. When he made a sound of approval, she smiled against his skin and started trailing her kisses lower and lower, down his chest and towards his navel.

He lifted his head off the pillow to look at her questioningly. "Hermione? What're you…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as she lifted a finger and touched it to his lips. "But, you don't have to…" He said against her finger.

She cut him off again. "Shhh, I want to." She trailed her kisses lower and lower and then paused, looking up at him for a moment before leaning down and taking him as far into her mouth as she could.

"Fuck!" He let out, his hands sliding into her hair. Merlin's beard that felt good.

She didn't really know what she was doing but she decided that going with her instincts was probably a good bet. She wanted to make him feel good like he had made her feel good the night before. Get him to that point of pleasure with her mouth like he had done for her.

"Nnngh, it feels amazing." He muttered and she took that as a good sign, moving her head up and down and using her tongue along the sides of him and over the tip. She noticed when his grip in her hair tightened and took that as a signal that she was doing something right.

He couldn't help it when his hips bucked up into her mouth as she moved that delicious mouth over him. Bloody hell, this was good. He'd never had anyone do this for him before but he had pictured it many times in his hormone riddled brain over the years. It was better though, better than anything he could have pictured. Hermione could do no wrong, that was for bloody sure.

"Yes, 'Mione, fucking hell." He groaned, gripping her hair and watching as she took him in and out of her mouth, watching as her lips moved on him. It wasn't going to be long, that was for sure. "Hermione, I'm…" He could barely get out the words. "I can't… hold out… much longer." He grunted.

She looked up and met his eyes, nodding before taking him back in her mouth and swirling her tongue over the tip.

"Hermione!" He groaned, gripping her hair as he reached his peak, spilling into her mouth. He had wanted to warn her in case she wanted a warning but there hadn't been time. He slumped back on the pillow, breathing hard and watched as she swallowed. Fuck, that was hot.

"How… how was that? Was that okay?" She asked, a little timidly. "I've never done that before."

Well, he knew that. "Okay?! Bloody hell, Hermione, the short amount of time it took for me to finish wasn't enough indication of how good it was?" He asked bluntly, wanting her to understand that nothing she did to him was ever not okay.

She flushed. "Oh, well, good." She said with a slight nod and he chuckled. She crawled up his body and settled into his side, snuggling against him as he wrapped an arm around her. She rested her head against his chest.

"Thanks, love. You didn't have to… but it was bloody brilliant all the same." He kissed the top of her head.

She glanced up at him and smiled, tilting her head in a way that said she wanted a kiss and he understood her meaning immediately, leaning down to kiss her.

"Can we lay here for a little bit before I have to get ready to go?" He asked softly, tracing patterns on the skin of her back with his fingertips.

"Of course." She replied. "I'd love that." She burrowed her face into his neck and smiled. What a visit it had been. It was too bad they didn't have a Hogsmeade weekend this month but at least the one in October wasn't too far off. She didn't think she could handle being away from him so long again.

"Love you, Hermione. Gonna miss you like mad these next few weeks." He said softly. "Now, since you're braver than I am, I reckon you could ask McGonagall for overnight privileges for the next Hogsmeade weekend? Reckon it's probably more likely to happen if you're the one asking, innit?"

"I love you, too." She said. "I'll miss you as well. I always do." She smiled at his suggestion and his attempt at rationalizing and nodded. "I'll try. No guarantees though."

"I'll cross my fingers, yeah?" He yawned. "Okay, 'Mione, as much as I hate the idea, I think we should probably get up because if we keep laying here, I'm going to fall asleep and George will kick me into next week if I'm late."

She looked up at him and nodding, smiling sadly. "Alright," she agreed. She kissed him and hesitantly slid out of his arms and onto the edge of the bed. She looked around. "Now where on earth are my knickers?" She asked, hands on her hip.

Ron laughed and retrieved both of their clothing from the night before from the sofa area of her room smiling as he did so. He could get used to this.