Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.
A/N: Oh. Hi there! It's been awhile. This little follow up to FMUTW came to me on a recent trip to the mountains, and I just couldn't get the scenario out of my head. This isn't the epilogue I still plan to write for this story, but consider it a little bonus to the main fic. There are a couple of HP Easter eggs in this Muggle AU - see if you can spot them!
If you've liked this story, please also go check out a lovely ficlet written by sm_jl titled "Making Plans" - it's an adorable, fun follow-up to FMUTW as well :)
Thank you all for reading! I truly appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to comment. Life is busy right now - I fully intend to update my other WIPs very soon.
Major kudos to accio-broom and sm_jl for betaing for me.
P.S. I don't specify a location this time. Feel free to imagine these characters exploring from your favorite mountain views :)
xx Cheesy
Find Me Under the Waterfall - Epilogue Part I
Hermione knows without a single doubt that today is going to be a memorable day.
Although one of the hardest treks she's ever completed has kept her on her feet for hours, she's certain that her blog post will highlight the benefits of hiking that go beyond improving one's physical health. Hermione has spent over an hour trying to keep up with Ron's quick pace as they complete long stretches of vertical climbing, only stopping for short water breaks, but it's all worth it once they reach a soaring altitude.
No matter how exhausted, hot, and grumpy she may be, her pain washes away as soon as her eyes fall on the jagged peaks surrounded by endless hills and ridges. There are no trees or shrubs to obstruct her view at the prominent high point, and Hermione can only stand in slack-jawed silence to marvel at its beauty.
She feels so tiny, looming high above the Earth, taking in the stillness of the world. It's important to carve a spot in her mind to remember every detail—terrain covered by thick, moss-green vegetation, hues of gray and silver-white coloring the mountain peaks. Hermione's senses soak up every moment, from the sun warming her face as the gentle breeze blows the stray curls that have escaped her plait into her face, to the sweet honey smell of flowers growing nearby.
She'll never be a mountaineer, but this is one trip she's proud to knock off her bucket list.
Next to her, Ron only utters one word in a breathy whisper. "Wow."
A slight tremble rolls over her skin as she surveys the precipice below her. A hand closes over her arm and tugs her back.
"Easy there," he murmurs. He pulls their bodies down onto a large rock, and Hermione nestles into his side. Her heart beats wildly in her chest as he plants a kiss on the top of her head.
She wishes she could take a photo, but today, her phone is ensconced in the bottom of her bag for emergency use only. They have always been conscious about when they need to take breaks from technology, no matter how much Ron's mum protests them going off the grid. Hermione can see herself curling up in the meadows to read a good novel while Ron scours the land for hidden caverns or peculiar sights that haven't already been featured by other travelers.
Yes, this holiday was much needed.
"How are you going to describe this view in your blog? Awe-inspiring?" Ron teases after a few quiet moments.
"Mm, maybe I'll advise future travelers to make the climb alone." Hermione cranes her neck to find his azure eyes twinkling back at her. "Wouldn't want any tall ginger-haired boyfriends blocking the view."
"Oi!"
In all honesty, Hermione doesn't know how she is going to describe this other than say just go. I promise you won't regret it.
Ron's rumbling stomach breaks Hermione out of her thoughts. "I'm hungry," he moans.
She throws her head back and laughs. "You're always hungry."
"Yeah, but we should've packed more protein bars. Why didn't we?"
"Ron, I don't think we could have crammed anything else into this tiny pack."
He sighs, squinting towards the sun as he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. "I wish there was a way we could extend the size of your bag so that it could hold anything we wanted, without it growing heavier."
Hermione hums. "That would be more efficient, wouldn't it?"
"C'mon." Ron ushers Hermione to her feet—despite their aching protest—and grins. "There's one more spot I want to show you."
"Does it involve moving?"
"Where's your sense of adventure, Granger?" He laughs.
Hermione clamps her mouth shut, fighting back her prepared retort.
Ron laces his fingers through hers, eliciting a spark that shoots up her arm. After two years together, it still amazes Hermione how affected she is by his touch. He flashes her his brilliant, lopsided smile as he pulls her along a connected trail that leads to the valley below.
The pathway weaves through the mountains, and after ten minutes of walking towards an unknown destination, Hermione can feel the blisters forming on her feet, making her groan.
Ron squeezes her hand, offering an encouraging smile. "We're almost there. I promise it'll be worth it."
She sighs, deciding to trust him even as her boots meet the rocky terrain crunch after crunch. Water splashes up against the back of her calves as she trudges through the unavoidable puddles from the rainstorm the night before. The fallen branches blocking their path add an extra obstacle to the already strenuous journey.
Where are we going?
Despite the mild fear that she won't have enough energy to complete the return journey, Hermione is even more curious as to where Ron is leading her. The dense air lingering in the forest is crisp and clean as the scent of fresh pine fills her nostrils.
A constant whooshing sound alerts her ears to a change in climate up ahead. Just beyond another cluster of trees and shrubs, a long, downward path awaits. It winds around a large plunge pool, with crystal blue water surging down the rocks at its widest point.
Hermione stops in her tracks. Blimey. A slow grin spreads onto her face.
A waterfall, of course.
Tiny droplets of water splash her skin, a cool mist that does wonders to evaporate her sour mood in an instant. A gentle tug on Hermione's hand redirects her attention to Ron. He's grinning madly at her. "So…what do you think?"
Water continues to clash against the granite rocks as she meets his ocean blue eyes—the ones that still make her heart go aflutter as it did the very first day they met.
"It's fascinating to see the waterfall up close, isn't it?" His whispered words tickle her earlobe—mimicking those he once spoke to her—and he has the same unmistakable gleam of desire in his glazed-over eyes.
Words fail Hermione as she holds his gaze. Although she would have been perfectly content exploring the mountains alone, it would never be right without him. Meeting Ron two years ago, when she least expected a man to enter her life, proved that anyone can strike up a conversation with a random stranger without realizing the stakes. For her, the stakes are completely and utterly worth it.
She doesn't want to go back to a time before Ron splashed into her life. She'll never go back.
"What is it?" Ron nudges Hermione, a line forming between his brows. He's so adorable when he's trying to figure her out.
"You."
He tilts his head, blinking for a moment before chuckling. Wrapping a hand around her waist, Ron pulls her against his chest with ease. Hermione's breath hitches in her throat just before his lips descend upon hers. The intimacy of his kiss, teasing her lips apart with familiarity, ignites the desire bubbling in her veins.
Ron drags his fingers through the woven intricacies of her plait before releasing the elastic, freeing her wild mane of curls. He moans as his hands disappear into her thick hair, gently massaging her scalp. Hermione finds herself softening under his touch, allowing raw physical desire to take over. He rains kisses down her cheek before exploring the column of her throat, causing ripples of pleasure to crash over her in continuous waves.
Although suddenly aware of her own rapid, shallow breathing mixed with the embarrassingly loud whimpers escaping her lips, it doesn't stop Hermione from pushing her hips against Ron's growing arousal. His hands burn a path down her back to rest on her hips, fingers splayed along the shape of her bum. None of this is appropriate for a public trail, but for once, she can't muster up enough reason to care.
If she had a line in her bucket list notebook stating 'satisfy your primal urge for exploration', there would now be a giant check mark next to it.
All too soon, Ron pulls away, his voice quavering in the aftermath of their wild and reckless exchange. "Fuck."
"Ron," Hermione giggles, observing the redness coloring his freckle-splattered cheeks that she loves so much. "That was—" She pauses, a quick glance at her surroundings confirming that they are the only ones standing at the base of the waterfall. "Very public. We're lucky we didn't get caught."
He pouts and maintains a tight grip on her waist as he brings her closer again. "Didn't stop us the last time." The huskiness of his voice sends a trail of goose pimples down her spine. A part of her wishes that she had a way to turn back time, to experience that head rushing, heart pounding, toe curling feeling she had in the pool on the fateful day they first crossed paths.
But this moment, knowing they belong to each other, is even better.
Hermione nestles her head into his chest, inhaling his musky, sweaty scent. "This was an excellent trip."
"Best one yet." Ron buries his nose into the top of her curls.
"Really?" She cranes her neck up to look him in the eye. "Better than Costa Rica?"
A smirk tugs on his lips. "Fine. Second best."
"I thought as much."
A fleeting thought crosses her mind—a moment of hope, perhaps. The setting, the sentiment, the waterfall…this could be the day that Ron asks her the very important question that's been lingering on her mind for months now. But then again, he is always full of surprises. His wanderlust has never slowed down, not even long enough to help her decide where they'd like to live. She knows she's met her person, and Hermione will wait for as long as she needs to for Ron to be ready too.
"If you had the opportunity to travel in another life, would you do it again?" she asks, her eyelids fluttering between states of consciousness as she awaits his answer.
Ron clicks his tongue, mulling over her question for a moment before asking, "Would I get to meet you again?"
"Possibly."
"If it's even a possibility, then absolutely. Every time."
Hermione's heart explodes into a million, tiny little fireworks in her chest, beating so loud that she almost misses Ron murmuring, "Where to next?"
Her answer is simple. Another waterfall, of course.