Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.
A/N: Romione and Hinny go on an adrenaline filled double date. Enjoy!
Adrenaline Rush
For many people, the sensation of flying through the air was welcomed. For Hermione, it did nothing but elicit panic.
"No. No, absolutely not."
"Oh, come on, Hermione!"
"Can't we just go fly on one of your brooms? I won't complain ever again."
Ginny chuckled and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders, giving her a comfortable squeeze. "We already go for a fly all the time, Hermione. Besides, weren't you the one telling us that we needed to partake in Muggle recreational activities more often?"
Hermione peered over the ledge she was standing on, her entire body shivering as she realized how high up off the ground they were. She was harnessed to a pulley attached to a cable that stretched at great length from a high elevation to a lower elevation. The notion that she was safely strapped on, and had listened vehemently to the instructor's directions, did nothing to quell her fears. "I was wrong."
Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny had all decided to go ziplining in a densely forested area. It was a high-wired adventure that Hermione wasn't prepared for.
Ron, noticing the extent of Hermione's apprehension, nodded over at Harry and Ginny. "Hey, you two go on ahead. We'll catch up."
"Alright then, see ya down there!" Ginny grinned, and they both readjusted their harnesses to prepare for their flight.
With a whoop and a holler, Harry was off, gliding down the cable line with ease.
"IT'S JUST LIKE FLYING!" He shouted, his exuberant voice echoing off the trees.
"Harry James Potter, you get back here!" Ginny called, waiting until he safely landed at the bottom of the slope before zipping after him.
Hermione watched both of them go, mouth hanging agape, suddenly feeling even more intimidated by the speed of the pulley as it moved down the steeply slanted slope.
"A couple of show-offs, they are." Ron laughed while shaking his head before snaking an arm around Hermione's waist to hold her tight. She curled her body into his instinctively.
They both observed the pair for a moment longer, eyes widening as Harry and Ginny embraced at the bottom before sticking their tongues down each other's throats.
Hermione wrinkled her nose. "They are...definitely snogging."
"Oi! Just because you're down there, doesn't mean we can't still see you!" Ron shouted as Harry and Ginny cackled with laughter from below. "Blasted gits," he muttered under his breath.
Hermione whimpered, burrowing her face into Ron's jacket as the wind around them picked up.
"Love," Ron murmured next to her ear, "Look at me."
Hermione hesitantly raised her head and met Ron's gorgeous blue eyes and brilliant smile. He gently grazed her cheek with the pads of her thumb.
"I know you can do this. How about I go down first? That way, you'll know I'll be there waiting for you — I'll make sure you land properly on your feet."
Hermione's heart swelled with love for the man holding her tight. He truly was a gentle giant, and spoke so tenderly to her that she would almost do anything he asked.
After a long, thoughtful moment, Hermione inhaled deeply and nodded slowly. "I suppose we could try that."
"Don't forget, Hermione, I will still be here to ensure that you take off okay," the instructor interjected from behind, standing just far enough away to give them privacy.
Ron swiftly kissed her on the cheek and released his hold on her, making Hermione tremble without the heat of his body. He reached for the pulley as he balanced precariously on the edge of the wooden platform.
"See you on the other side." He sent her a final wink before gliding down the cable line with a series of exclamations that naturally involved quite a few expletives. It was Ron, after all.
The instructor walked forward to readjust the cable line, flashing a wide smile back at her. "Alright, Hermione, you are free to go. Just remember to place your right hand flat behind the pulley when you are ready to start slowing down. Have fun!"
Hermione took a deep breath, walking forward and grabbing hold of her harness. Cheers erupted from the bottom of the line.
"Come on, Hermione, you've got this!" Ginny screamed.
Hermione willed her eyes not to look down as she stepped as close as she could to the edge without sitting back and lifting her feet off the platform.
She closed her eyes to steady her breathing. Don't think, just do. This is an opportunity to challenge yourself and broaden your horizons.
Repeating her verbal mantra inside her head over and over, Hermione allowed her heart and her body to take flight. Letting gravity take its course, she propelled herself down the cable.
She sailed along the treetops at lightning speed, gasping for air, overcome by exhilaration from the feeling of flying through the air that literally took her breath away. Hermione found herself grinning from ear to ear as she continued to soar along the cable line — she was in a bird's natural habitat, flying amongst the trees. Off in the distance, she even spotted massive waterfalls cascading over a rocky mountain.
The view was magnificent.
She squealed louder as Ron's grinning face came closer and closer into view, and she closed her eyes as she braced herself to stop.
In the next moment, Hermione was crashing into a solid body with a loud "oomph".
"Open your eyes, love," Ron whispered in her ear, and she let her eyelids flutter open to firstly find the freckles that were peppered along the bridge of his nose.
"Told you I'd be here when you landed." He smirked at her in such a heated way that Hermione had every intention of pulling him forward to snog him senselessly.
"So? What did ya think?" Ginny butted in, resting her chin on Ron's shoulder from behind. He rolled his eyes, likely irritated by their interrupted kiss.
"It was...I mean…" Hermione fumbled, placing a hand on her chest, directly over her rapidly beating heart.
"An adrenaline rush?" Harry finished for her, raising his eyebrows wickedly.
It certainly was. And there was nothing better than the shared adrenaline bringing the four of them together.