Chapter 10: More flirting and more answers

It was mid-afternoon. Ron and Hermione were in the Burrow. They had dried off from the rainstorm. Hermione was able to change into some dry clothes she brought with her undetectable extension charm. Mrs. Weasley had come back from shopping and was working on a project in her garden after spending a little time with Ron and Hermione. It was a little strange for Ron to tell his mother that he was now officially dating Hermione Granger, but naturally, she was happy as ever, gave Hermione a warm, embracing hug, and set out to continue her project, which involved bewitching gargoyle statues into scaring gnomes away from her garden.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny eventually played a few games to pass the time. Ron was thankful his mother was not making him or Ginny do any labor around the house, something he was sure would be inevitable as Bill and Fleur's wedding drew closer.

After a while, Ginny decided to go back upstairs to do some reading. Unlike Hermione, Ginny was interested in romance novels, and was even able to sneak some Muggle romance novels from bookstores from her few trips to Diagon Alley.

Ron and Hermione were in the Burrow, practically alone again. It would be a few hours before dinner. The Weasleys tried to eat later and later to accommodate Mr. Weasley's late working hours.

Ron and Hermione were snuggled up together on the couch. Ron was playing with her hair with his left hand while she was playing with his right hand, messaging it and cracking his knuckles.

"What do Muggles usually do in their free time?" asked Ron, breaking the silence.

"You like to ask me more Muggle questions now, don't you?" smirked Hermione.

"Ever since I picked you up at your parents house, it got me thinking. I mean, I know they have television and movies and all sorts of things that for some reason, the wizarding world doesn't adopt. I mean, we have things like architecture and indoor plumbing, but we don't adopt things like electricity or pencils. Isn't that strange?"

Hermione could not help but smirk and giggle at these remarks. "Yes, I suppose it is. Maybe the wizarding world likes to pride themselves on their magic and not rely on certain Muggle inventions?"

"Yeah, sure," said Ron. "But I'd love to sit down and watch a movie with you right now if we had a TV."

Hermione, for some reason, could not stop laughing at everything he was saying.

"What's so funny?" Ron smirked.

"You!" she squeaked.

"What about me?" Now Ron was laughing at her laughing at him.

"Ugh. You're just so adorable. I can't get enough of you!"

"Look who's talking! I'm the lucky one in this relationship!" said Ron.

"No. I'm the lucky one," she said softly, raising up to make eye contact with him and smiling again.

"I still can't believe, after all this time, you had a crush on me," said Ron, still chuckling at her.

"It was more than a crush! And if you don't believe me, I'll have to slap you like I slapped Malfoy in third year!" said Hermione.

Ron guffawed. "Okay! Okay! You got me!" Something about the way she said it was particularly funny. It was probably the most he had ever laughed at anything Hermione had ever said. And then, Hermione did something very daring while he was still laughing. She started tickling him.

"Oi! You're being cute, aren't you?" asked Ron after laughing from the contact.

"I don't know. Am I?," she smirked. She continued giggling, tickling him a little more. Ron still couldn't believe her change. What if McGonagall could see her now? A little different from the Hermione that everyone else knows. This is like Hermione: unleashed.

"Hermione, you seem so relaxed now," said Ron. "I've never seen you remotely act like this in the six years I've known you."

Hermione's smile faded and raised her eyebrows. "Oh no. Am I being annoying?"

"Bloody 'ell no!" said Ron. "You're brilliant! As always! You just seem so much happier!"

"Well… so do you!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Yeah, but you seem so much more relaxed!" said Ron. "What is it?"

"You, of course!"

"Oh really?" said Ron sarcastically. "Sure it isn't anything else?"

"Oh okay, I'll try to think of some other reason." sighed Hermione sarcastically. "I don't know. These are completely mad times we are living in. Nothing to be happy about there. We aren't going back to Hogwarts which makes me sad too. We're obviously risking our lives to help Harry hunt horcruxes. That's scary and stressful. I guess I could say I'm less stressed about not going to school, but other than that, I'm only happy and relaxed because of you. You've released another side of me, Ron, a side that only my deepest emotions knew, emotions that I've always suppressed for a variety of reasons, emotions that I didn't even believe existed at times."

"Wicked," laughed Ron. "I feel proud. I feel like I've accomplished the impossible, making you act like this."

"I'm still me, silly!" said Hermione. "I'm just a little giddy! Is that okay?"

"Of course it is! I love it!" said Ron. He reached out and hugged her. Hermione moaned quietly again. Ron breathed in the smell of her hair.

"So!" said Ron.

"So what?" asked Hermione.

"How long did you tell your parents you'd be here?"

"I told them anywhere from one day to a week."

"Okay. How long do you want to stay?" asked Ron.

"How long do you want me to stay? Or how long will your parents and Ginny let me stay?" asked Hermione.

"I want you to stay with me forever," said Ron in a very cheesy manner, "but I guess It'd probably be best if you went back after a few days so you can spend more time with your parents before, you know, you leave them for who knows how long."

"Yeah," sighed Hermione. "I guess you're right. It's the right thing to do. And I do want to spend some time with them. Plus I need to work on my memory charms before performing one on them so I won't boggle it up and mess them up permanently or something."

"Yeah, that too," said Ron, his tone suddenly serious. He suddenly felt sorry for Hermione and her parents now.

"It's strange being a Muggle-born witch," admitted Hermione.

"Oh I don't doubt that," replied Ron sadly. "Always living in both worlds."

"And never fitting into either of them," finished Hermione.

"Hey now. You are always welcome at the Burrow. You're like family," said Ron.

"Really?" asked Hermione.

"'Course. Ginny loves you. Mum and Dad think you're brilliant. Fred and George… well they'll come 'round. Bill and Charlie...they'll like you. I'm sure of it. They were top of their classes at Hogwarts like you."

"And Percy?" asked Hermione, not neglecting to mention the third brother of the siblings.

"It's a sad case with him. We don't know if we'll ever see him again. Mum cries every time something reminds her of him. Dad clams up and doesn't want to talk about it."

"That is sad," said Hermione, thinking about her own family now. She was less close to her parents now than she had ever been as a little girl, but the older she got, the more she appreciated them.

"And of course, there's me. And you know how I feel about you now. Obviously, you're welcome here anytime."

"Oh yes," whispered Hermione. She instantly brightened up, putting her arms around his neck. "My favorite Weasley of them all."

"Mmmm," moaned Ron. It made Hermione blush, hearing that.

"Make that noise again," said Hermione, grinning.

"What? Why?" asked Ron. He was laughing now.

"Because!" she said.

"Because why?"

"Because I like it, that's why," said Hermione, biting her lip.

"Well I want to, but now you're making me laugh so I can't do it on command," admitted Ron.

Hermione laughed at him. "Fine, fine."

Ron moaned again, this time just to make her laugh. Then they nestled up to each other again.

"When are you gonna teach me how to fly on a broomstick?" asked Hermione. "That might actually help me one day."

"Let's do it tomorrow since it's getting late today, if you're okay with that. Fred and George left their old beater brooms with us since they started their business. They don't use 'em anymore. They're a little rugged, but they'll do. If you can fly one of those brooms, you can fly any broom. I'll fly with you so I can get a hang of it too. I've never flown one of their beater brooms before, actually.

"I can't wait," said Hermione softly.

"It'll be fun!" said Ron. "You might even like Quidditch more once you….."

"I've always liked Quidditch!" interrupted Hermione.

"Hang on," said Ron. "I thought you thought it was a silly game that was a waste of time and energy?" asked Ron. He had to hear her response.

"No," she said in a tone that sounded very much like the old Hermione. "I don't know the details necessarily, but I like it just fine. I don't think it's silly. I think people can be a bit stupid about it sometimes, but I like it okay."

"Really? I'm surprised at you, Hermione. I'm beginning to think I don't know the real you!"

"Oh, come off it, Ron," she said with a sarcastic sneer. Then she smiled at him. "I always enjoyed going with you to watch Harry's matches. Then I enjoyed watching you when you finally made the team. Didn't you like going to the games with me?"

"Oh! Of course I did!" said Ron, although truthfully he couldn't understand her. She was never as emotionally invested in the games as he was. "I thought you would rather be in the library though."

"Oh I suppose I did sometimes, but I'm sure it was good for me to get out," said Hermione, trying to sound cool in front of her new boyfriend.

"You know, I was so jealous when you were taking Cormac to Slughorn's Christmas party, but I knew I couldn't say anything 'cause I was dating Lavender," admitted Ron.

"I was trying to make you jealous," whimpered Hermione, who was suddenly blushing.

"Well, it worked," said Ron, a sad look on his face now.

"But there's something else I need to tell you too," admitted Hermione.

"Uh oh, this can't be good," said Ron, half joking but half serious.

"Well...I really hated Cormac just like you did. He was always a narcissistic prat…"

"And?" said Ron.

"I didn't want him to make keeper at tryouts. After he saved four goals, I was worried he was going to...beat you out for the position, s-so I-I...sort of….confunded his broom on the last goal."

"You WOT?" asked Ron incredulously.

"Ron, I don't know what came over me!" said Hermione, feeling bad again. Oh no! Why did I even bring this up?

"But you were so brilliant!" she continued. "I didn't help you on your tryout goals! And you saved all five by yourself! I was so proud! Don't you remember me telling you?" She was rubbing his arm, trying to comfort him and his newfound embarrassment.

"Hermione. I would've never guessed…"

"Please don't be upset. Please please. I wanted you to make the team. Plus everyone knew Cormac was annoying. I knew how bad it would be if he made the team."

"Why did you care whether or not I made the team?" asked Ron, still surprised.

"Because I knew you would be great and knew how much you loved it," mumbled Hermione.

"Really? I would've never guessed you would care about my wants and needs like that two days ago," said Ron, giving her a hard time.

"Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do," said Hermione cutely.

"Maybe I don't," said Ron softly, leaning into her, wrapping his arm around her again. "Maybe I want to get to know you better."

"Maybe I'd like that," said Hermione. "Maybe I'd like to get to know you better too."

"Maybe I'd like that too," said Ron. He chortled, "'course, you probably know everything there is to know about me that's worth knowing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione.

"What it sounds like! I'm just an average bloke who makes average jokes," said Ron. "Nothin' special to me. You're the one who's special."

"You're a whole lot more than average, Ronald," said Hermione suddenly frowning.

"Speak for yourself," said Ron. "I'm not the one who made all O's on their O.W.L.'s and stays top of the class and knows how to solve riddles and puzzles."

"I made an E in DADA, remember?" said Hermione, still pleased with Ron's compliments. "I'm not the one who went to the forbidden forest to face my worst fear. You're the one who would lay down your life for your friends. That's extraordinary, Ronald. Not many people can say that and mean it."

"You're brave too though!" said Ron. "You would lay down your life for me and Harry!"

"Yeah, but I would probably panic so much that I couldn't defend myself if I was alone," said Hermione, now cuddling up to him tightly again. "You're so brave and strong," she moaned.

"You make me sound better than I really am," said Ron.

Hermione sat up, looking very serious all of a sudden. "Ron, please don't take this the wrong way. I love you as I'm saying this, and I can only say this when we're alone and no one else can hear us."

She took a deep breath, then continued. "You underestimate yourself too much. I think it's because of your family, and you need to stop it. I think you're brilliant in every way. Harry thinks you're brilliant. Don't worry about your mum or Ginny or Bill or Percy or any of them. They're your family. But you're Ron. Ronald Bilius Weasley. You're your own person. I love you like mad. Don't sell yourself short. You've done remarkable things with Harry and me that most others could only dream of doing. You've laid down your life on the line more than once. Don't underestimate yourself."

Ron was dumbfounded. He just stared at Hermione, trying to process what she had just said. No one had ever spoken to him like that before, not even Harry or his own parents. He had never thought of this before.

"Hermione…" he whispered.

"What's the matter? Crookshanks got your tongue?"

"No one has ever told me anything that before," he said, still in shock.

"First time for everything," she said casually.

"Hermione...I don't think it would be possible for me to love you any more than I do right now," admitted Ron. "That's quite possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Good," she said, smirking. Then she sighed. "That's what I'm here for."

"To do what?" he asked.

"To straighten you out," she said. Then she started tickling him again. Ron couldn't stop laughing. Ginny was coming down the stairs when she heard what was going on from a distance. Then she stopped, rolled her eyes, and proceeded to go back into her room quietly. She couldn't believe either of them. It also made her miss Harry even more.

"Hermione, why couldn't we be like this years ago?" Ron asked, now that they had assumed their former position on the couch.

"Bad luck? Miscommunication? Fate? I don't know. I don't believe in that rubbish from divination, but sometimes I wonder if fate has a way of bringing people together," said Hermione, examining her own statement.

"I think it does," said Ron. "At this point, I'm not convinced of Trelawney's skills either. But I think it was destiny that brought us together."

Hermione moaned. Then Ron whispered in her ear, "hey."

Then she looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "Hey," she whispered back, smiling up at him.

"Come 'ere," said Ron, closing his eyes as their mouths approached.

Then they locked lips for about fifteen seconds before they heard a door open to find Mrs. Weasley coming in with a gargoyle statue behind her being levitated.

"Oops!" said Ron, turning pink from exhilaration and from embarrassment. Hermione, likewise, was blushing. "You think she saw us?" she asked.

"Whatever. We're young and in love, what can she expect?" asked Ron humorously.

Hermione giggled again.

"Hermione, are you staying for dinner, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley from afar.

"Yes, if that's okay!" she replied.

"Oi, mum! You need any help out there?" asked Ron.

"Nope, not yet. Maybe tomorrow, but I'm done for today on that project," answered Mrs. Weasley. "Those gargoyles are hard to tame once they are bewitched."

Ron and Hermione snickered, then continued to caress each other, reminiscing and enjoying the lost time they were making up for.