After a week or so, Hermione decided it was safe to go to classes again. The torture of watching her classes from afar had been too much, so now she felt she should endure the tortures of the whispers and looks the other students threw her way. She didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone, so she kept her mouth shut, even when she knew the answers in class. She decided that it just wasn't safe to raise her hand. Hermione had become gaunt, thin from the lack of eating…….and the lack of happiness. Dark circles hovered underneath her eyes, and she knew she looked awful.
She lay sprawled out on the plush, burgundy couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Books and parchment littered the floor beneath her, a text on her lap. She was studying for a Charms exam that was fast approaching when she heard a voice behind her.
"Um, Hermione?" Ron had walked up to her, and now stood between her and the warmth of the fire. She sat up, putting the book back down on the carpeted floor and began to stand when he put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Hermione. Just hear me out, okay? We've been having communication problems like this the whole year. Just give me a few minutes, okay?" He smiled at her and then sat down next to her on the couch.
"Well, okay, but make it quick. I have to study for that Charms test." Ron turned to look at her, shock on his face.
"Hermione! That test isn't for another month! I wouldn't exactly call that a pressing issue."
"Just because you want to fail the exam doesn't me you should have to take me down with you!" Hermione spat back at him, the heat of the retort pushing her into an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Please, lets not argue right now. I just wanted to speak to you, okay?" It seemed to almost pain him to let her win the argument.
'I wonder what's on his mind.' thought Hermione. She looked up into his puppy-dog brown eyes and forfeited. She'd stay here and listen. "Alright, Ron."
He heaved a wavering breath and then he began, "Hermione, what happened wasn't your fault. It really wasn't. And, maybe it wasn't entirely my fault either, but I still can't rid myself of the guilt. So, before we can move forward and continue our friendship, I need you to forgive me. You may think there's nothing to forgive, but Hermione, do it for my sake. It'll help me." He watched her reactions.
Hermione smiled for the first time, in a long time and it felt good. She took his hand in her own and whispered, "I forgive you."
She watched as the emotions contorted his face. He seemed happy, and sad, maybe confused too. She almost laughed aloud at all the confusion she saw in his beautifully freckled face. Then she saw something else, an unwavering determination.
"Hermione, it might not be right for our friendship, but…I've been feeling something for a really long time. And, well, there's something I'd like to do." He coughed and looked into the fire. Then, he sputtered incoherently, "Hermione,canIkissyou?" He looked back at her after he had said it. He must've seen the confusion on her face because he repeated himself. "Hermione, well, that is, um, can I kiss you?"
She didn't know what to do. She found herself nodding before she could even utter a reply. She wasn't even sure that was what she wanted, but she had nodded. He bent down awkwardly until his nose was mere millimeters from hers. He watched her eyes as he slowly, softly, touched his lips to hers. She closed her eyes, as if to make the sensation stronger. His lips were soft against hers. His lips parted, and she felt his hot breath sear her mouth. His warm tongue prodded her lips, and she gave it entry. She didn't know quite what to do with her own tongue, so she just attempted to mimic his movements. His tongue tickled the inside of her cheek and she had to fight the giggles down.
His hands went to her waist, to hold her into the kiss. Still unsure of what to do, even where to put her own hands, she wrapped her arms around his waist as well. She felt embarrassed at her complete lack of knowledge on how to kiss, this had to be the first subject she'd approached that she didn't know a thing about.
Ron pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. He smiled at her. "Hermione, this is your first kiss, isn't?"
"How could you tell?" She asked nonchalantly. She absently ran a hand through her tangled mass of hair.
"Hermione, it's okay. I was the same way my first time." She looked down, disappointment washing over her. This, of course, wasn't his first kiss. She could share no firsts with him, he'd experienced it all. She suddenly felt very unsophisticated, like a younger sibling trying to copy their older sister.
"But, I wish it was my first kiss." He took her hands in his again, and kissed them. His face had flushed to a bright shade of red, contrasting his orangey-red hair. "Hermione, I wish I could reverse the past, I want all my firsts to be with you. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk this year, I know it's all been really hard on you." Hermione knew then, that she did in fact love him. Maybe they had a future together, who knows? She would tell him that she loved him, but not now. For now, it would be her little secret. She'd wait till he was ready to hear it, till he felt the same way.
She snuggled against his chest, and they laid there on the couch for the rest of the evening, watching the licking flames burn down to glowing embers.
She lay sprawled out on the plush, burgundy couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Books and parchment littered the floor beneath her, a text on her lap. She was studying for a Charms exam that was fast approaching when she heard a voice behind her.
"Um, Hermione?" Ron had walked up to her, and now stood between her and the warmth of the fire. She sat up, putting the book back down on the carpeted floor and began to stand when he put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Hermione. Just hear me out, okay? We've been having communication problems like this the whole year. Just give me a few minutes, okay?" He smiled at her and then sat down next to her on the couch.
"Well, okay, but make it quick. I have to study for that Charms test." Ron turned to look at her, shock on his face.
"Hermione! That test isn't for another month! I wouldn't exactly call that a pressing issue."
"Just because you want to fail the exam doesn't me you should have to take me down with you!" Hermione spat back at him, the heat of the retort pushing her into an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Please, lets not argue right now. I just wanted to speak to you, okay?" It seemed to almost pain him to let her win the argument.
'I wonder what's on his mind.' thought Hermione. She looked up into his puppy-dog brown eyes and forfeited. She'd stay here and listen. "Alright, Ron."
He heaved a wavering breath and then he began, "Hermione, what happened wasn't your fault. It really wasn't. And, maybe it wasn't entirely my fault either, but I still can't rid myself of the guilt. So, before we can move forward and continue our friendship, I need you to forgive me. You may think there's nothing to forgive, but Hermione, do it for my sake. It'll help me." He watched her reactions.
Hermione smiled for the first time, in a long time and it felt good. She took his hand in her own and whispered, "I forgive you."
She watched as the emotions contorted his face. He seemed happy, and sad, maybe confused too. She almost laughed aloud at all the confusion she saw in his beautifully freckled face. Then she saw something else, an unwavering determination.
"Hermione, it might not be right for our friendship, but…I've been feeling something for a really long time. And, well, there's something I'd like to do." He coughed and looked into the fire. Then, he sputtered incoherently, "Hermione,canIkissyou?" He looked back at her after he had said it. He must've seen the confusion on her face because he repeated himself. "Hermione, well, that is, um, can I kiss you?"
She didn't know what to do. She found herself nodding before she could even utter a reply. She wasn't even sure that was what she wanted, but she had nodded. He bent down awkwardly until his nose was mere millimeters from hers. He watched her eyes as he slowly, softly, touched his lips to hers. She closed her eyes, as if to make the sensation stronger. His lips were soft against hers. His lips parted, and she felt his hot breath sear her mouth. His warm tongue prodded her lips, and she gave it entry. She didn't know quite what to do with her own tongue, so she just attempted to mimic his movements. His tongue tickled the inside of her cheek and she had to fight the giggles down.
His hands went to her waist, to hold her into the kiss. Still unsure of what to do, even where to put her own hands, she wrapped her arms around his waist as well. She felt embarrassed at her complete lack of knowledge on how to kiss, this had to be the first subject she'd approached that she didn't know a thing about.
Ron pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. He smiled at her. "Hermione, this is your first kiss, isn't?"
"How could you tell?" She asked nonchalantly. She absently ran a hand through her tangled mass of hair.
"Hermione, it's okay. I was the same way my first time." She looked down, disappointment washing over her. This, of course, wasn't his first kiss. She could share no firsts with him, he'd experienced it all. She suddenly felt very unsophisticated, like a younger sibling trying to copy their older sister.
"But, I wish it was my first kiss." He took her hands in his again, and kissed them. His face had flushed to a bright shade of red, contrasting his orangey-red hair. "Hermione, I wish I could reverse the past, I want all my firsts to be with you. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk this year, I know it's all been really hard on you." Hermione knew then, that she did in fact love him. Maybe they had a future together, who knows? She would tell him that she loved him, but not now. For now, it would be her little secret. She'd wait till he was ready to hear it, till he felt the same way.
She snuggled against his chest, and they laid there on the couch for the rest of the evening, watching the licking flames burn down to glowing embers.