Feelings-a-brewing.
Read on… Chapter 3 - Behind Closed DoorsHermione awoke the next morning with the sun in her eyes. She started to sit up, but then realized it was Saturday, and she didn't have to get up yet. She leaned back down on her pillow and thought. She thought about Ron.
Ron, her best friend. The one who infuriated and provoked her. The one who drove her crazy, yet still managed to occupy all of her thoughts. Her feelings for Ron confused her. He was so annoying sometimes, but at other times, he was just...different. The things he said to her totally contradicted the things she felt from him. The things she felt from him were incredible. So if she thought she couldn't stand him so much, then why did she keep remembering how it felt to have Ron on top of her in the empty common room? Why did she keep remembering the way his body brushed against hers in the tiny closet, and the way his hand felt in hers? She couldn't possibly have a crush on him, could she? Wasn't there some sort of unwritten rule against dating your best friend?
Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples. This was giving her a headache. Reluctantly, she rolled off her bed and rubbed her eyes. She brushed her teeth and got dressed, then went down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast.
She spotted Harry and Ron eating their breakfast, and she took a seat next to Ron. She was still kind of sleepy, and her thoughts were still focused on Ron, so she didn't realize that she was staring straight at him. Ron started fidgeting a little, thinking something was wrong with his face. Why is she looking at me like that?
He looked at Hermione and cleared his throat loudly, and she snapped out of her trance. He cheeks took on a pinkish tinge and she looked down at her hands. How embarrassing!
Suddenly, and 6th year Slytherin slid into a seat next to Hermione. He was widely known for his bad reputation of cheating and taking advantage of girls. Hermione had never talked to him before, or even met him for that matter, so she was a little worried. Why would a Slytherin just come sit at the Gryffindor table? Weren't there some sort of rules against that too? Hermione bit her lip and looked cautiously at him.
He gave her a good long stare and a little smirk, and then got up and left without a word. Hermione shivered a little. The guy gave off a creepy vibe.
Harry looked a little confused at the strange scene that had taken place. Ron however, went into full Hermione-protection mode.
"Who was that Slytherin? You know him? Why didn't he say anything? He looked a little weird...what's his problem?" Ron started reeling off a list questions.
Hermione held her hand up to silence him and explained rationally, "I really don't know why he just did that. I don't know him, but I've heard of him. He gave me a creepy vibe though. I didn't like it.."
Ron looked like he wanted to go strangle the guy just for giving Hermione the creeps. But he knew he'd get a huge detention if he picked a fight with someone, just because they were giving funny looks or smirks. He balled his fingers into fists. His mind was in a frenzy of thoughts.
Harry noticed Ron's reaction and chuckled under his breath.
"I need to go take a walk...I'll see you guys later," Ron announced suddenly. He got up and left the table without another word.
Hermione exchanged a worried look with Harry. "It seems to me like that Slytherin guy bothered Ron more than he bothered you!" Harry told her.
Hermione's mind was whirling with thoughts and worries about Ron. "I'm going to go make sure he's okay," she said. She got up and left the table as suddenly as Ron had, leaving Harry alone.
Harry just sighed and continued eating his breakfast. Maybe those two will finally sort out their feelings...
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Meanwhile, Ron had wandered into an empty classroom and sat down on one of the tables. He put is chin into his hands and thought hard. He thought about Hermione.
Hermione, the girl who bossed him around and got into fights with him. Hermione, the girl he loved to aggravate. Hermione, the girl he loved.
Wait, did I just think that? Woah.
Everything seemed to dawn on Ron at once. His feelings for Hermione suddenly didn't confuse him anymore. He loved her!
Hermione was watching Ron quietly from the doorway. He looks so nice, sitting there thinking like that, she thought. The sunlight from one of the windows was hitting his face and making his eyes sparkle brilliantly. God, I love his eyes. She started getting a little nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she went on, and knocked on the doorframe anyway.
A sound from the doorway broke Ron's thoughts. It was Hermione. His heart skipped a couple beats when he saw her standing there, with a worried look on her pretty face.
He stood up quickly and she walked towards him, shutting the door a little behind her. She's so beautiful.
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but a bug flew right across her face before she started, and distracted her. Ron swatted it away with the back of his hand, and Hermione attempted to continue again. But the bug kept flying around her head.
"They really need to start keeping the windows closed here. These dumb flies are everywhere!" she said impatiently.
An unseen person behind the door laughed under his breath. Neither Ron nor Hermione heard it.
The fly flew once more around her head and landed on her shoulder. Ron lifted his hand and brushed it off, but his hand remained on her shoulder. He just couldn't bring himself to take it away.
Hermione sucked in a breath. They were so close. Her stomach twisted into a knot, and her supply of oxygen seemed to decrease. She'd never really been this alone with Ron before. It was making her feel things she'd never felt before.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Ron starting leaning in a little. It just felt right.
He's going to kiss me! He's going to kiss me! Hermione was at a loss for words. She just felt herself lean in a little too. She couldn't believe this was actually happening! She was going to kiss Ron!!
There was a sudden BANG! coming from behind them. Ron's hand flew off of Hermione's shoulder, and they backed about 6 feet away from another in a matter of seconds.
Near the entrance of the door were Fred and George Weasley in a lump of tangled arms and legs. They got up quickly and brushed off their robes, trying to look inconspicuous. George cleared his throat loudly and Fred looked a little pink at the top of his ears.
"Er, sorry 'bout that. Fell in the door there, er...thought it was a wall..." George said. He and Fred turned and walked quickly out of the room.
Ron and Hermione couldn't bring themselves to look at each other, after what had just almost happened.
"I should go find Harry," Ron lied to the floor.
"I should go study," Hermione told the wall.
They left the room quietly without another word, and went in opposite directions, both extremely embarrassed.
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