AN - gosh I'm bad at titles. O well. this ends sorta clike a cliff hanger, but never fear! the next chapter is here!
~*~*~
That night Hermione had another dream. She was standing at a little pool in the middle of a beautiful grotto. It was night and the stars couldn't be brighter. They seemed to smile down at her. The air was warm and sweet. Ron was there, too. They were having a wonderful time swimming, laughing, and splashing each other. They were just about to kiss when a noise distracted them. It was the sound of a twig breaking, a cloaked figure loomed from the dark forest. Hermione screamed. Ron seized her wrist and puled her out of the pond. They were running barefoot through the woods, dodging trees. Hermione tripped. her hand slipped out of Ron's. He was screaming for her. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Hermione tried to call out to him, but found she couldn't. She couldn't move or speak for fear. A man's burly frame was standing over her. He picked her up and started in the opposite direction. Hermione fought and kicked, could nothing save her? The man didn't flinch when she bit him, nor when she punched. He was calmly carrying her off, deep into the woods. All the while, he was laughing madly. "You are mine"
Hermione woke. She was extremely cold, and yet she was sweating. her hands were clammy and she was trembling. Hermione lied back down and fell asleep, completely forgetting her dream.
The next evening, Ron slipped her a note at dinner. On the outside, it said "read in private!" so she pocketed it until the meal was over. Hermione ran to the bathroom to read what it said.
Dear Hermione:
In the woods behind the house there's this little pond. It's right in the middle of a really awesome grotto. I was thinking that we could maybe go swimming tonight, after everyone goes to bed. You see, were not really supposed to go there, my mum doesn't like the woods very much, but it's really nice and I thought you might enjoy it. I wanted you to read this in private because you're nearly always with Ginny and she'd make you show her the letter.
With love, Ron
Hermione smiled. Ron was so sweet. He was right, though, what he said about Ginny. She had the ability to make you do whatever she wanted. Hermione knew that she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she'd tell Mrs. Weasley about Ron's plan the first chance she got. it wasn't as if she meant to, Ginny just let things slip sometimes.
Ron was in the kitchen, discussing quidditch tactics with all of the guys (Bill, Charlie, the twins, and Harry), Hermione sat down next to him at the small table.
" can I see you for a moment?" She asked.
"Er... sure." They went into the front room.
"I just read your note," she said, smiling. "It sounds wonderful."
Ron grinned. "I knew you'd agree. so, we'll meet at about ... midnight?"
"Sounds great."
"You just wait, the stars are so bright. You can see all of the constellations and planets. It's really gorgeous."
Hermione noticed how close they were standing. Ron was about to put his arms around her when -
"Hermione?" Ginny called "Where are you?"
Ron drew back. Not now, Ginny. She thought. "I'm right here." Hermione said, sounding rather annoyed.
It was about 11:30 when Ginny asked why Hermione was still awake.
" I just can't sleep." She said uneasily.
"Oh, then we could talk or play a game."
"No, on second thought, I am tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep." She lied down on the camp bed she was sleeping on.
"I'm not." Ginny mumbled. "Just one game of gobstones or something?"
Hermione sighed. "Ginny, you need to go to sleep."
"Why?" she asked, suspiciously.
"Because ... well, you just need to sleep."
"You're not telling me something, I know it." Ginny grinned. "Tell me."
"No."
"Please!" she moaned. She got that innocent 'I'm not going to tell' look on her face.
"Oh, okay!" Hermione paused. She, unsuccessfully, tried to come up with a quick cover story... "Fine, It was Ron's idea, but.... Ron and I are going swimming in a little pond in a grotto. The one in the woods." She added, impishly.
"We're not supposed to go in there."
"I know. Ron told me, but isn't that what makes it fun? There's an element of danger..."
" oooh." Ginny sighed. "That sounds so romantic. Are you sure it was Ron who came up with this?"
Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a look. "He's really sweet to me, you know. Even if he can tend to be a jerk sometimes."
Ginny giggled. "I think that's just a male characteristic."
Hermione and Ginny laughed about their experiences with men for quite a while before Hermione noticed the time.
"It's about midnight." She said. "I'd better be going."
"Have fu-un." Ginny said, in a singsong voice.
"I wi-ill" Hermione replied, mocking Ginny's tone.
Hermione crept stealthily down the vast staircase. As she reached the last stair, someone's hand clapped over her mouth.
Hermione's scream was stifled by the hand. The person spun her around. Hermione was greatly relieved to see that it was Ron.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she whispered. "I thought you were that stalker or something."
"Sorry." He said, smiling. He kissed her. "let's go."
It was beautiful walking through the woods. The moon was just a tiny crescent, but emitted a soft, silver glow. The trees cast shadows over the forest floor, creating a striped look. A thin, nearly unrecognizable path led to a clearing.
"Wait." said Ron, as they approached it. He put his hands over her eyes.
Hermione grinned broadly. Ron removed his hands to reveal a sparkling fairy tale land. The bushes and trees were cascaded with little glowing fairy lights, each a different color. In the middle of the grotto was a crystal clear pool, sitting placidly like a gem. Ron took off his shirt and dove in. The air was warm and sweet. The stars winked and smiled. Hermione felt as if she had been in the exact same situation once before. But that's impossible, she told herself. I've never been here before in my life! So why does it feel like I remember this..."
"Are you going to swim or just stand there until the sun comes up?" Ron asked, jokingly.
Hermione laughed and jumped in. The water felt like silk. It was the perfect temperature, not too warm, so that it felt like a bath, but just cool enough to be pleasant.
Hermione admired the surrounding for a moment. She paid for her lapse of attention. Ron had swum up behind her and grabbed her ankles.
They laughed and played for hours. Their fingers had began to look wrinkled, and yet they had no intentions of leaving. Things were going perfect. It had gotten darker, indicating that the sun was about to come up.
Ron came up from below the water. "so, I take it you like it here."
"I love it." She swam over to Ron. He was at the middle of the pond, where Hermione's feet could just reach the bottom. Ron took her and held her close to him. They were about to kiss, when an owl fluttered by. It dropped a parcel in the water.
It was a silver envelope and a black rose.
Hermione screamed. Ron seized the note and tore it open.
You are mine
~*~*~
That night Hermione had another dream. She was standing at a little pool in the middle of a beautiful grotto. It was night and the stars couldn't be brighter. They seemed to smile down at her. The air was warm and sweet. Ron was there, too. They were having a wonderful time swimming, laughing, and splashing each other. They were just about to kiss when a noise distracted them. It was the sound of a twig breaking, a cloaked figure loomed from the dark forest. Hermione screamed. Ron seized her wrist and puled her out of the pond. They were running barefoot through the woods, dodging trees. Hermione tripped. her hand slipped out of Ron's. He was screaming for her. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Hermione tried to call out to him, but found she couldn't. She couldn't move or speak for fear. A man's burly frame was standing over her. He picked her up and started in the opposite direction. Hermione fought and kicked, could nothing save her? The man didn't flinch when she bit him, nor when she punched. He was calmly carrying her off, deep into the woods. All the while, he was laughing madly. "You are mine"
Hermione woke. She was extremely cold, and yet she was sweating. her hands were clammy and she was trembling. Hermione lied back down and fell asleep, completely forgetting her dream.
The next evening, Ron slipped her a note at dinner. On the outside, it said "read in private!" so she pocketed it until the meal was over. Hermione ran to the bathroom to read what it said.
Dear Hermione:
In the woods behind the house there's this little pond. It's right in the middle of a really awesome grotto. I was thinking that we could maybe go swimming tonight, after everyone goes to bed. You see, were not really supposed to go there, my mum doesn't like the woods very much, but it's really nice and I thought you might enjoy it. I wanted you to read this in private because you're nearly always with Ginny and she'd make you show her the letter.
With love, Ron
Hermione smiled. Ron was so sweet. He was right, though, what he said about Ginny. She had the ability to make you do whatever she wanted. Hermione knew that she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she'd tell Mrs. Weasley about Ron's plan the first chance she got. it wasn't as if she meant to, Ginny just let things slip sometimes.
Ron was in the kitchen, discussing quidditch tactics with all of the guys (Bill, Charlie, the twins, and Harry), Hermione sat down next to him at the small table.
" can I see you for a moment?" She asked.
"Er... sure." They went into the front room.
"I just read your note," she said, smiling. "It sounds wonderful."
Ron grinned. "I knew you'd agree. so, we'll meet at about ... midnight?"
"Sounds great."
"You just wait, the stars are so bright. You can see all of the constellations and planets. It's really gorgeous."
Hermione noticed how close they were standing. Ron was about to put his arms around her when -
"Hermione?" Ginny called "Where are you?"
Ron drew back. Not now, Ginny. She thought. "I'm right here." Hermione said, sounding rather annoyed.
It was about 11:30 when Ginny asked why Hermione was still awake.
" I just can't sleep." She said uneasily.
"Oh, then we could talk or play a game."
"No, on second thought, I am tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep." She lied down on the camp bed she was sleeping on.
"I'm not." Ginny mumbled. "Just one game of gobstones or something?"
Hermione sighed. "Ginny, you need to go to sleep."
"Why?" she asked, suspiciously.
"Because ... well, you just need to sleep."
"You're not telling me something, I know it." Ginny grinned. "Tell me."
"No."
"Please!" she moaned. She got that innocent 'I'm not going to tell' look on her face.
"Oh, okay!" Hermione paused. She, unsuccessfully, tried to come up with a quick cover story... "Fine, It was Ron's idea, but.... Ron and I are going swimming in a little pond in a grotto. The one in the woods." She added, impishly.
"We're not supposed to go in there."
"I know. Ron told me, but isn't that what makes it fun? There's an element of danger..."
" oooh." Ginny sighed. "That sounds so romantic. Are you sure it was Ron who came up with this?"
Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a look. "He's really sweet to me, you know. Even if he can tend to be a jerk sometimes."
Ginny giggled. "I think that's just a male characteristic."
Hermione and Ginny laughed about their experiences with men for quite a while before Hermione noticed the time.
"It's about midnight." She said. "I'd better be going."
"Have fu-un." Ginny said, in a singsong voice.
"I wi-ill" Hermione replied, mocking Ginny's tone.
Hermione crept stealthily down the vast staircase. As she reached the last stair, someone's hand clapped over her mouth.
Hermione's scream was stifled by the hand. The person spun her around. Hermione was greatly relieved to see that it was Ron.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she whispered. "I thought you were that stalker or something."
"Sorry." He said, smiling. He kissed her. "let's go."
It was beautiful walking through the woods. The moon was just a tiny crescent, but emitted a soft, silver glow. The trees cast shadows over the forest floor, creating a striped look. A thin, nearly unrecognizable path led to a clearing.
"Wait." said Ron, as they approached it. He put his hands over her eyes.
Hermione grinned broadly. Ron removed his hands to reveal a sparkling fairy tale land. The bushes and trees were cascaded with little glowing fairy lights, each a different color. In the middle of the grotto was a crystal clear pool, sitting placidly like a gem. Ron took off his shirt and dove in. The air was warm and sweet. The stars winked and smiled. Hermione felt as if she had been in the exact same situation once before. But that's impossible, she told herself. I've never been here before in my life! So why does it feel like I remember this..."
"Are you going to swim or just stand there until the sun comes up?" Ron asked, jokingly.
Hermione laughed and jumped in. The water felt like silk. It was the perfect temperature, not too warm, so that it felt like a bath, but just cool enough to be pleasant.
Hermione admired the surrounding for a moment. She paid for her lapse of attention. Ron had swum up behind her and grabbed her ankles.
They laughed and played for hours. Their fingers had began to look wrinkled, and yet they had no intentions of leaving. Things were going perfect. It had gotten darker, indicating that the sun was about to come up.
Ron came up from below the water. "so, I take it you like it here."
"I love it." She swam over to Ron. He was at the middle of the pond, where Hermione's feet could just reach the bottom. Ron took her and held her close to him. They were about to kiss, when an owl fluttered by. It dropped a parcel in the water.
It was a silver envelope and a black rose.
Hermione screamed. Ron seized the note and tore it open.
You are mine