Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters.
A/N: Happy Saturday, all! This is the final (full) chapter of FMUTW, although I do intend to follow up with an epilogue of sorts here soon :) Thank you all so so so much for all of the lovely comments on this fluff piece of mine. I had to power through these last couple of chapters because I may have short-circuited myself with all of the love and fluff, but it was a lot of fun incorporating some writing inspired by my own travels. It's been a fun ride, and I wouldn't change a thing! Hope you enjoy 3
Huge shout-out to the most amazing beta crew as always: accio-broom, be11atrixthestrange, sm_jl, and adenei. You are all rockstars!
Find Me Under the Waterfall
Chapter 8
Home
Hermione
"I'm all in. Are you?"
A million little thoughts swirl through Hermione's mind. Her legs buckle, sending her momentarily off-balance from the impact of Ron's words.
When she opens her mouth, there is only one thing she can say.
"How will this work?"
Hermione is nothing if not practical, and the way Ron's lips curve up at her inquiry lets her know that he's figuring out the parts of her personality that she can't lose control over. Her stomach flutters, driven by the impulsive desire to just say yes.
Oh God, she wants to say yes more than anything.
Yet, Hermione needs a few questions answered first. She's already knee-deep in the water with this attractive ginger-haired man, and she knows she can't plunge all the way under until there's a set plan in motion.
Ron, however, seems to be uninterested in making plans at all. He shrugs with casual intention.
"We'll figure it out along the way. All I know, Hermione, is that I've had the best bloody week of my life. I can't let this," he gestures around the beach, "be all we have together."
Hermione's chest tightens and her heart rate picks up from his confession. She always considers herself to be a creature of habit. Despite venturing around the world, she's felt most comfortable having a set routine. One constant she's had while traveling is her alone time — the ability to indulge in new, pleasurable experiences without interference from other people, no matter how like-minded they are.
How would all of that change if she were to pursue something more with Ron? Is she willing to take a risk and widen her circle of adventure to allow someone else in?
Memories rush back through her mind of how wonderful and amazing it felt to wake up wrapped in Ron's arms. The possibility of that sensation going away, if they were to only have this one fleeting holiday…
It feels like a stab through the gut, the knife twisting for added measure. She doesn't want to — she can't think about life without Ron anymore. If she did, she would only be filled with regret for letting him go.
"Hermione," Ron's voice calls out to her, bringing her back to the present. He's shifting his weight from side to side, an apprehensive look on his face. "You sure know how to leave a bloke hanging."
Holding onto her belief — the belief that the benefits of having Ron in her life will outweigh any potential upheaval they may go through — is what spurs the bout of confidence she needs to finally give him an answer.
"I'm all in."
No sooner than the words leave her lips, she gets swept up into Ron's warm embrace. Her feet lift off the ground as he twirls her around, just high enough to make her toes kick clumps of sand into the air.
When her feet plant themselves back onto the Earth, Ron uses a shaky hand to swipe stray curls out from in front of her face. His eyes are a deep ocean, searching hers for any remaining hesitation.
"Fucking hell. We're really doing this, aren't we?"
Hermione's head falls into his chest, rubbing her forehead against the cotton of his shirt. "Must you always be so crass?"
A rumble of laughter leaves Ron's mouth. "I have a feeling we're going to get to know each other very well, Granger."
A sense of determination changes her stance, and she's lifting her head with a purposeful finger raised in the air. "Now, we should really discuss logistics. I mean, are we both going to be traveling together for the foreseeable future? What about your flight you've already booked for Romania tomorrow? Obviously, your job seems a bit more flexible than mine, but I could reach out to my boss and-"
He silences her mid-rant by pressing his firm lips to hers again, and Hermione makes a mental note to assure him that he will not always be able to use snogging to get out of answering important questions.
When his lips lift from hers for the briefest of moments, she snags the opportunity. "You can't just kiss me when I'm trying to have a conversation with you, you know."
Ron silences her protests by capturing her lips once more, a wave of dizziness flooding her already light-headed state.
He releases her mouth just enough to mumble against her lips. "You're sure about that?"
Hermione resists the urge to argue further as they continue their passionate snogging on a public beach in broad daylight.
"I'll just be about twenty minutes. I want to freshen up before dinner."
Hermione opens the wardrobe to sift through the dress options she has for their final dinner at the resort, deciding on one of an olive green color with a hemline just above the knee. She holds the garment in front of her body as she views her frame in the mirror, her eyebrows scrunched together in deep contemplation.
She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't hear Ron sneaking up behind her. "I'd love to see that one on you."
A shiver runs down her spine from his hot, husky breath against her ear, and she turns around in his arms so that she can see his face.
"If you insist."
His usual bright blue eyes darken as he dips his head to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Kissing Ron feels completely natural, and as he deepens their entanglement by sliding his hands to her hips and pulling her close, she drops the silky material from her hands.
When Ron's hands travel lower to grip her bum, Hermione can't resist the loud moan that escapes her lips.
Ron puts an abrupt end to what Hermione considers to be quite the brilliant snog fest, waggling a determined finger in her face. "Take off your damn clothes. Right now."
"Mmmm," Hermione hums, pressing into his growing eagerness, "I need to shower, Ron."
"Okay, then."
She can feel herself moving backwards as Ron coaxes them through the door to the bathroom, shedding their clothes along the way.
Ron leaves her embrace for a moment to reach into the large shower and turn the water on. He returns to her just as fast, eyes blazing into hers. He swipes a finger over her lips, leaving her mesmerized by how soft his caresses are — not knowing that a man could be as soft or gentle or caring as Ron is with her. Hermione parts her lips from his touch, a small whimper escaping her mouth as the desire mounts in her core. Her gaze never wavers from his lips — those lips she's dying to taste.
Ron swivels her body around so that they're both looking at each other in the large glass mirror hanging on the bathroom wall. His hand lingers on her hip before trailing up the side of her body until it reaches the curve of her breast. His naked frame presses into her from behind, a prominent bulge resting against the small of her back.
Without a word, she turns around to face him again, hands rising to grab hold of the back of his neck to crash their lips together, prodding open the seam with her tongue as she explores his mouth even deeper.
They stumble their way into the walk-in rainforest shower, feet slipping along the tiles as the warm water travels down their entwined bodies.
Ron pushes her back against the hard wall. His lips move to the base of her neck, sucking in hungry kisses on the most sensitive parts of her skin.
A sharp pain sears through her foot. Hermione hisses, clutching at Ron's elbows to hold herself steady. "Oh — OW!"
"What? Are you okay?"
Hermione lifts one leg, shaking it out. "Oh, sorry. It's just — I've got a cramp in my foot."
Something mischievous flickers through Ron's eyes, and she squeals as he grabs a handful of her bum and hoists her up on the ledge in the corner of the shower. "That better?"
Her legs curl around his waist. "Much!"
The water from the showerhead pulses down atop their heads from the new angle, and Hermione enjoys the view of Ron's wet hair dripping onto his shoulders.
The trickling drops move over his glistening skin, and Hermione relishes the way the wetness has her hands slipping all over his body, shelving any remaining inhibitions about going at it in a shower at a resort.
The water pressure is on full blast, the room's warmth evident when Hermione inhales a breath of steam. She lets the water wash away all of her questions about the future, making Ron groan as she wraps a delicate hand around his hard length.
Ron prods her legs open so that he can slip between them, her heels digging hard into his backside. He's holding her waist tight to keep her balanced on the precariously small ledge while using his other hand to guide himself into her.
A scream of delight leaves Hermione's lips as he slides in and out, over and over, body almost exploding from the pleasure of being consumed by him in such heat.
The way they move with each other is far from perfect. She almost slips straight to the tile floor a few times from their clumsy hand and footwork — "This is harder than it always seems," Ron grunts at one point — but as the water cascades down their hair and bodies, she allows her eyes to close and lives only in the sensation of Ron instead of her fast-paced mind.
Hermione arching her back, pushing her breasts into Ron's chest, is what seems to do him in, and he's groaning as he thrusts even harder when he reaches his peak.
His head drops to the crook of her neck, mumbling a series of barely coherent words through the steady stream. "Oh, fuck. I couldn't hold it — you just feel too damn good."
"It's okay," Hermione pants, threading her fingers through his wet scalp.
Ron recovers and begins trailing kisses down her cheek, neck, collarbone, all the while pinching and rolling her nipples between his fingers.
Hermione sighs, taking advantage of the leverage she has to push him into their still joined bodies.
Ron's attention continues lower and lower, and Hermione's calling out his name as she fists her hands into his hair.
For a few more moments, she exists in soaring agonizing perfection, in the midst of their own private waterfall.
The air is cool on their final night at the resort.
Their escapades in the shower lasted longer than anticipated after spending an additional hour lathering each other up with soap bubbles, distracting themselves with laughter and a bit of snogging along the way.
They end up skipping the fancy dinner entirely, instead opting for pizza and ice cream by the poolside.
The moonlight shines on the calm waters, mixing with the in-ground lights that allow Hermione to see the different shades of blue tile on the floor of the pool. Light dances off the water, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The soft roaring of the water cascading onto the rocks can be heard from the pool's signature waterfall a short distance away.
The area around them is quiet, with most of the guests elsewhere, listening to the live music out on the beach. Hermione leans back on her hands with her feet dangling in the shallow waters. She glances over at Ron, who is busy chewing off the last bite of his pizza, making her giggle when he's forced to catch a long string of cheese with his hands.
"This is why there are rules about eating in the pool. There would be crumbs everywhere!" Hermione complains.
"Oi!" Ron defends through a mouthful of the cheesy dough. He swallows and then makes a show of rubbing his hands together in front of her face, dusting off all remaining crumbs into her lap.
"Ron!"
He doesn't give her any time to retaliate before jumping into the water, effectively soaking her hair and lightweight garment covering her swimsuit.
"You know, you're not supposed to get into the pool until-"
"Myth!"
Hermione huffs, "30 minutes after-"
"Myth!" Ron calls out again, hands cupped over his mouth before diving underneath the water.
Hermione rolls her eyes, trying to outwardly appear as if she was annoyed by his childish antics. Ron re-emerges above the water, coming to stand in between her parted thighs with his arms outstretched.
"Come on in. The water is perfect."
She chews on her lip while thinking, checking around the pool area to make sure there are no attendees watching them.
"Come on," Ron urges again, this time squeezing her thighs. "It's our last night. Can't you break the rules, just this once?"
Although her mind tells her not to give in, her heart says the exact opposite, overruling every instinct she's had before.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she lets him slowly wade her into the thermal pool until the water level reaches the bare skin at her waist.
"There's my Hermione," Ron whispers, the teasing glint in his eyes jogging her memory back to the moment she let "my Ron" slip to Seamus and Dean at Karaoke Night.
"I KNEW you heard that!" she gives him a playful shove on his shoulder, feeling the heat rise up her cheeks.
His smile is radiating in the soft glow of the nightfall around them. Filled with a sudden urge, Hermione hooks her arms around his neck, letting her legs find their way around his middle.
"You like being wrapped around me, huh?" Ron quips, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
A coy smile plays on Hermione's lips. "What can I say? I like being wrapped in your web of…" she contemplates how to finish her thought, "magic!"
Ron's eyes bulge out. "Oi, don't say web!"
"Still not keen on spiders, Ron?" she teases.
"I hate those blasted things," he mutters in response, and Hermione plants a lingering kiss on his cheek for comfort.
"In all seriousness, though," Ron murmurs next to her ear, "being wrapped around you is bloody fantastic. But it's your heart, your brilliance, that truly captured my attention."
Hermione pulls back to look into his eyes, surprised to find his usual lust-filled gaze having shifted into something different. Something quite reminiscent of...
Her thoughts are interrupted when she feels her body gliding backwards as Ron moves them through the waves.
"Where are we going?"
Ron flashes her his signature lop-sided grin that she's grown to appreciate. "You'll see."
The sound of rushing water grows louder and louder, and Hermione cranes her neck to glance behind her. The familiar sight of the cascading waterfall comes into view, and she beams as she thinks of this moment being a fitting end to their holiday together — where it all started.
Ron stops moving through the water once they're positioned directly in front of the drizzling spray, taking a moment to admire the architectural landscape that gave them so much when they both likely least expected it.
Hermione wiggles in Ron's hold, bringing his attention back to her face. "So, are you always going to be this romantic?"
Ron chuckles, giving her side a squeeze. "Probably not. Is that a deal-breaker?"
She lets out a breath she had been holding, the realist in her satisfied by his response. "Oh, thank God. I'd be a bit worried if you were always this over the top."
Ron arches an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
Hermione opens her mouth to respond, only to be once again silenced by Ron's lips crashing to hers. It's a kiss that she feels from her head to her toes, one that solidifies her love for this man. If she were to believe in fate, it would be because of this moment — a moment that almost has her wondering if they would find each other in every lifetime.
She's breathless as they break apart, vaguely registering the water now plummeting over their heads as they fall into the cool liquid shower.
Like endless rain, Hermione recalls thinking.
They're silent for a few blissful moments, foreheads touching as they breathe in the freshwater.
"You know, before," Hermione whispers, eyes locked on Ron's, "I was traveling all over the world, and I didn't have a place to call home. Now...I think my home is with you. No matter where we are."
A familiar emotion filters through Ron's glossy ceruleans again — an emotion she suspects they both feel and will share with each other given time. For now, it will be their best-kept secret.
Hermione believes they both found their home with each other underneath a waterfall.
