A/N: Thanks all for the fantastic reviews! I really appreciate them! I saw
Chamber of Secrets 3 times this weekend! LOL ^.~ It was great.and I love
the little bit Ron/Hermione cuteness they added on to the end. It was
fantastic!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The weeks following their goodbye were filled with an all-consuming tension. Every fifth year at Hogwarts felt it, they all knew the O.W.L.S. were coming. The week they finally arrived Hermione was ready.
Hermione and Ron were developing a friendship, and Harry had begun to really feel comfortable around them again. To him it was like old times, except that he had Cho too. He felt truly content, except of course for the major exams that had been fast approaching.
The week of the O.W.L.S. was nerve racking for all of the students, except for Hermione. She felt confidant that she had studied enough and that she was ready. As the students headed to Professor McGonagall's classroom to take the exam, she followed her friends striding confidantly and happily. She was going to do well, and she knew it.
"Hermione" Ron whispered. "What are you so happy about?" He was gulping air nervously as McGonagall passed around anti-cheating quills.
"We're taking the O.W.L.S. That's enough excitement, isn't it?" She beamed at him and he rolled his eyes.
"You may all begin." Professor McGonagall announced as she walked along the path between the desks. She had bewitched the quills to prevent the students from cheating, but she knew you could never be too careful.
~*~*~
Ron and Hermione walked out of the classroom together three hours later.
"Their getting pretty cozy, aren't they?" Ron asked, nodding towards Harry and Cho as the couple escaped the classroom, hands clasped. The two were gazing into each others' eyes.
"Oh, just leave them alone. They're cute." Hermione smiled over at her friend, watching him kiss the Asian girl.
"Gruesome is more like it." Hermione rolled her eyes. "If it were me, I'd rather have that sort of intimacy in private. I wouldn't just snog a girl out here."
Ignoring his statement as her face flushed with embarrassement Hermione said, "How do you think you did on the exam?"
"Don't remind me! Ugh, please Hermione, can't we talk about something else?" They turned a corner on their way back up to Gryffindor tower.
"Suit yourself." She smiled, wizened. She found herself curious about just how well the redheaded boy had done. She knew he'd waited till the last minute to study and she had lectured him up and down for it.
Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled Hermione into an empty classroom. "Ron! I-- -"
Hermione began to protest, but then shut her mouth again. Her eyes widened as her gaze circled around the room. It was full of floating candles, a levitating rose with the air littered by hundreds of rose petals, and near a desk was a small levitating box. She felt her breath escape her.
"Ron---"
He tugged at her hand and pulled her over the floating candles, careful to avoid hitting her with them and carefully dodging them himself. "Hermione. I've put a lot of thought into what you said that day, on the quidditch field. I've done horrible things to you, and I've worked hard to make it up to you."
He plucked the rose out of the air. Ron presented her with the blood-red, thornless rose. He swallowed, gazing into her eyes. "I love you, Hermione."
"I love you too, Ron." A tear escaped her eye and she reached up to hug him. They remained in the embrace for several moments.
Finally, Ron freed her from the embrace and touched her face, holding it still. Hesitantly, he looked into her eyes. She nodded to him, then he bent down, his lips brushing hers. They reveled in the first kiss they'd shared since the argument. It was a gentle, careful kiss. He didn't push her or try to pressure her lips apart. He simply, gently kissed her.
When they parted, Hermione's eyes drifted upward towards the small velvet box. "Ron" she said curiously "What's that?"
His ears went red. "Oh, that! Um, Hermione. This might be rushing it a bit, but," He plucked the box from the air and presented it to her. "Hermione, I wish you'd be my girlfriend again." He watched her intensely, tension overrunning his body.
She opened the little black, velvet box to find a small ring inside. It was a small opal stone set in a beautiful silver. She smiled up at him and then he sighed.
She slid it up her left ring finger and smiled at him again. "Ron, you have to promise me you won't pressure me again. You have to let me come around on my own time, okay?"
"Anything, Hermione." He smiled apprehensively.
"Yes, Ron. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend again." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you, Ron." She whispered into his ear.
"I love you too, Hermione." His lips found hers, and they shared another tender kiss, shimmering candles floating around them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The weeks following their goodbye were filled with an all-consuming tension. Every fifth year at Hogwarts felt it, they all knew the O.W.L.S. were coming. The week they finally arrived Hermione was ready.
Hermione and Ron were developing a friendship, and Harry had begun to really feel comfortable around them again. To him it was like old times, except that he had Cho too. He felt truly content, except of course for the major exams that had been fast approaching.
The week of the O.W.L.S. was nerve racking for all of the students, except for Hermione. She felt confidant that she had studied enough and that she was ready. As the students headed to Professor McGonagall's classroom to take the exam, she followed her friends striding confidantly and happily. She was going to do well, and she knew it.
"Hermione" Ron whispered. "What are you so happy about?" He was gulping air nervously as McGonagall passed around anti-cheating quills.
"We're taking the O.W.L.S. That's enough excitement, isn't it?" She beamed at him and he rolled his eyes.
"You may all begin." Professor McGonagall announced as she walked along the path between the desks. She had bewitched the quills to prevent the students from cheating, but she knew you could never be too careful.
~*~*~
Ron and Hermione walked out of the classroom together three hours later.
"Their getting pretty cozy, aren't they?" Ron asked, nodding towards Harry and Cho as the couple escaped the classroom, hands clasped. The two were gazing into each others' eyes.
"Oh, just leave them alone. They're cute." Hermione smiled over at her friend, watching him kiss the Asian girl.
"Gruesome is more like it." Hermione rolled her eyes. "If it were me, I'd rather have that sort of intimacy in private. I wouldn't just snog a girl out here."
Ignoring his statement as her face flushed with embarrassement Hermione said, "How do you think you did on the exam?"
"Don't remind me! Ugh, please Hermione, can't we talk about something else?" They turned a corner on their way back up to Gryffindor tower.
"Suit yourself." She smiled, wizened. She found herself curious about just how well the redheaded boy had done. She knew he'd waited till the last minute to study and she had lectured him up and down for it.
Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled Hermione into an empty classroom. "Ron! I-- -"
Hermione began to protest, but then shut her mouth again. Her eyes widened as her gaze circled around the room. It was full of floating candles, a levitating rose with the air littered by hundreds of rose petals, and near a desk was a small levitating box. She felt her breath escape her.
"Ron---"
He tugged at her hand and pulled her over the floating candles, careful to avoid hitting her with them and carefully dodging them himself. "Hermione. I've put a lot of thought into what you said that day, on the quidditch field. I've done horrible things to you, and I've worked hard to make it up to you."
He plucked the rose out of the air. Ron presented her with the blood-red, thornless rose. He swallowed, gazing into her eyes. "I love you, Hermione."
"I love you too, Ron." A tear escaped her eye and she reached up to hug him. They remained in the embrace for several moments.
Finally, Ron freed her from the embrace and touched her face, holding it still. Hesitantly, he looked into her eyes. She nodded to him, then he bent down, his lips brushing hers. They reveled in the first kiss they'd shared since the argument. It was a gentle, careful kiss. He didn't push her or try to pressure her lips apart. He simply, gently kissed her.
When they parted, Hermione's eyes drifted upward towards the small velvet box. "Ron" she said curiously "What's that?"
His ears went red. "Oh, that! Um, Hermione. This might be rushing it a bit, but," He plucked the box from the air and presented it to her. "Hermione, I wish you'd be my girlfriend again." He watched her intensely, tension overrunning his body.
She opened the little black, velvet box to find a small ring inside. It was a small opal stone set in a beautiful silver. She smiled up at him and then he sighed.
She slid it up her left ring finger and smiled at him again. "Ron, you have to promise me you won't pressure me again. You have to let me come around on my own time, okay?"
"Anything, Hermione." He smiled apprehensively.
"Yes, Ron. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend again." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you, Ron." She whispered into his ear.
"I love you too, Hermione." His lips found hers, and they shared another tender kiss, shimmering candles floating around them.