Chapter Four- Feelings Out in the open.
Ron rather enjoyed the week that followed. For the first time in years he had a proper bed, which was in the Grangers' very comfortable guest room. Mrs. Granger fussed over him and strongly reminded him of the way his own mother used to treat Harry and Hermione during their summer stays at the Burrow. Mr. Granger was very friendly, too, and supplied Ron with clothes from his own wardrobe, which more or less fitted him. Hermione was right : after a few large meals (very large considering Mrs. Granger kept shoving seconds and thirds down his throat at every meal), a few refreshing nights' sleep in the softest bed Ron could ever remember sleeping in, a few long, relaxing showers and baths, a haircut and shave, Ron didn't recognise his reflection the following Tuesday when he awoke. His hair was orange again, brushed in the same way he had always brushed it before it grew. His cheeks were still rather shallow from his past starvation, but they were smooth and finally free of those annoying bristles that had covered them, his eyes were visible once more as no dirty fringe hung over them, his face was clean, and Ron was beginning to think that the last four years had almost been worthwhile just to be where he was now.
Quite apart from his physical condition, Ron enjoyed being surrounded by people who cared about him, and particularly enjoyed the extra time he and Hermione were spending together. Hermione's mother kept dropping very badly-disguised hints that the two of them should start dating, (which Ron would have like to have done but didn't mention to anyone) and complaining loudly that all of her friends are grandmothers and how she'd dearly love to be one herself. Hermione didn't groan or tell her mum off for this, but merely smiled back at her, something Ron was quick to spot and wondered if this might, just might just be a good sign in his favour.....
Hermione, on her part, was a great deal happier now that she knew where Ron was and what he was doing. Her feelings for him had intensified (assuming such a thing was possible, as she'd always love him very much) over his stay with her and her urges to spill the beans on her love for him grew more and more powerful. She wasn't sure whether her mum's obvious prompting were helping or not, though she did notice Ron glanced rather hopefully at her whenever her mum brought up the subject. Hermione spent the absolute minimum time she had to at work, and seeing as she was the boss, took a fair few days off, just to spend time with Ron.
By the following week, Hermione had taken Ron down to Diagon Alley where Ron bought his third wand, muttering apology after apology to Mr. Ollivander for ruining two of his best wands. Then they went down to the Ministry office building to plead Ron's case. Ron got a job after all, but it was far from being an Auror - he was a toilet-cleaner in the offices, which he didn't really mind. He didn't care that it paid very little, because it gave him plenty of chances to see Hermione during her coffee breaks. Even his pride wasn't hurting much, which, considering the job description, was quite remarkable. Ron also met up with Ginny on his first day at work, and it was a good ten minutes before she finally broke away from a very tight hug.
Then, one morning in November, Mr. Granger made them an offer neither Ron nor Hermione could refuse. As he read his morning newspaper at breakfast, he suddenly pointed out an article on the front page.
"Hey!" he said. "listen to this "The long-awaited Warner Brothers Blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is now out in the cinemas!"
Simultaneously, Hermione and Ron spluttered on their cornflakes.
"How do the Muggles know about Harry?" asked Hermione, shocked.
"How do they know about the Chamber of Secrets, when ninety percent of the Wizarding World has never heard of it?" said Ron, deeply amused.
Hermione's father chuckled. "Where have you two been over the past five years?" Hermione and Ron's eyes darted to meet each other's in an expression of utmost cluelessness.
"Fine years ago, this witch from your world, her name's Rowling, wrote the first of four books about your world, starring you two and Harry," Mr. Granger explained. "one book for each of your years at school," (Hermione looked scandalized, Ron looked like he was trying hard not to laugh) "…and us Muggles loved it so much, Warner Brothers went and made two film out of it. I hear the first film was pathetic, but this one's supposed to be quite good."
"Why don't you two go and see it tonight?" Mrs. Granger suggested, planting a cauldron-sized pot of porridge in front of Ron and encouraging him to eat. "It should be nice for you two to get some time on your own…you never know what happen..."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron.
"Not a bad idea," Ron shrugged, trying to keep the bubbling enthusiasm out of his tone. "We'll be able to see how inaccurate their impression of Hogwarts and everything is."
"And of us," smiled Hermione. "I'll bet the girl who plays me won't have as ugly teeth as I did at the age of twelve."
It didn't occur to Ron to correct her in front of Mrs. Granger.
The day wore on maddeningly slowly for both Ron and Hermione. Ron, hardly giving an ounce of his attention to his loo-cleaning, kept dropping things into the toilets by accident, and Hermione kept having to pull herself together, to prevent herself sending several mistreated house-elves to Azkaban by mistake. Both were desperately looking forward to the evening, when, as Hermione's mother had said, anything might happen.
At last at seven fifteen, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Warner Village Cinema and seated themselves in their places. The film turned out to be a bit of a joke. Not one of the Muggle actors looked anything like their roles did in real life (except Ginny who was almost the same, but still, not quite) and a lot of the props, like the Whomping Willow, the castle and the Forbidden Forest (or the Dark forest as it was called in the film) were completely wrong. As the film reached a scene where "Hermione" and "Harry" meet in Diagon Alley, Ron growled and Hermione said "The director must have been a H/Hr shipper."
"Sorry?" Ron inquired, raising his eyebrows at her.
"Oh, never mind," Hermione smiled, "it's this silly site on the Muggle internet…fanfiction.net it's called…never mind."
Ron looked fascinated, but the man behind them hissed at them to shut it and the two of them feel silent, though not before Ron whispered "if only he knew he was talking to the real Ron Weasley and the real Hermione Granger!" and Hermione giggled.
As the film wore on, Hermione's head, automatically it seemed, drooped onto Ron's shoulder and it was a while before even she realised. When she did, a voice inside her, she asked her why she was doing this, and the answer came immediately. It's ridiculous how long she'd loved Ron and it was about time he knew it. There was definitely no better time than the present, and she bit her lip, waiting anxiously and desperately to find out how he would react to such a gesture.
Ron's first impression when he felt Hermione's head lean on his shoulder, was that she had fallen asleep. Well, he couldn't really blame her if she had, as watching a Muggle perception of his early schooldays wasn't exactly what you'd call entertaining. But as he looked down at her gorgeous face and saw her eyes open, his heart began beating like a bongo. Slowly and cautiously, Ron slid his arm around Hermione's back and shoulders. A few seconds later, he felt another surge of bravery and gently pulled her closer to him. At this, Hermione lifted up the armrest separating their seats and moved as close to Ron as she possibly could, winding her arms around him. Ron gently rubbed her shoulder with the arm that was draped over her back and took her hand. Hermione pushed her head further along Ron's shoulder nearer his head. Ron leaned his head on Hermione's and the two of them sat there in total bliss and relaxation.
Then, just when instinct told both of them it was time for their lips to meet, Ron said, "Hermione?"
"Mm?" she replied, dreamily.
"What are we doing?"
Ron didn't know why he asking this, he should just be enjoying it, he was sure Hermione had her reasons, but on the other hand he had to know.... he had to know if this was real. He'd waited too long, been through too much to let this pass as just a spontaneous nothing.
"I don't know, you tell me," she replied quietly, a hint of mischief in her tone.
"I…dunno, that's why I asked you," Ron shrugged, feeling immediately extremely cowardly.
"You really have no idea whatsoever?"
Ron felt his ears redden slightly. "Um, well, I know what I'm doing, I dunno about you…"
"Well, okay, what are you doing?" Hermione challenged.
"Erm, well, I'm putting my arm around you, aren't I?" Ron muttered, the red of his ears spreading slowly to his cheeks.
"Why?" Hermione asked calmly, and Ron was almost hurt to think that she was gaining some sort of pleasure out of teasing him like this.
"Because…..I….. am," he replied lamely. "Why, what are you doing?"
"Resting my head on your shoulder."
"How come?"
"Because I am," Hermione grinned.
Heart sinking, Ron muttered, "okay, fine," and raised his eyes back to the screen, where "Neville" muttered "why is it always me?" from the chandelier the "pixies" in "Lockhart's" class had tied him to.
Hermione gazed up into his face, which was bathed in the glow of the screen. She could tell he wasn't watching the film at all and was only using the screen as an escape hatch for his eyes to evade hers, and though his face was expressionless, she could see pain in his eyes, following their brief whispered conversation. Nervous as she was, she couldn't help but smile as she thought "right, here goes…"
"Ron," she said quietly.
"Yeah?" Ron muttered, turning his head in her general direction, though his eyes stayed firmly locked on the screen.
"I love you," Hermione said, trying hard not to sound too breathless or terrified.
Ron's eyes snapped to their widest extent and darted to meet hers. "You what?"
"I love you," Hermione repeated and, feeling slightly braver having said it twice, continued. "I know it's…generally accepted in this macho world that in any boy-meets-girl situation, Boy makes the first move and declares his feelings, while Girl blubbers joyfully before admitting the same, but well, I've waited years to be able to weep emotionally for you and let's just say I couldn't wait any longer, so forgive me for breaking the norms, but….I love you, Ron."
Still clutching his hand, she crossed her fingers and mentally bit her lip.
"You….love…me?" Ron repeated, in an obvious state of sheer blind disbelief. "Me, as in………me? are you sure?"
Hermione's expression changed to one of mock impatience, though her smile lingered. "Ron, I've had six years to think about it – I think I'd know by now, don't you?"
Ron's mouth remained open in incredulity, though no sound came out. He tried valiantly to jerk his vocal chords into life, though the sheer impossibility of Hermione's words kept them broken-down.
"Well?" Hermione prompted anxiously a few silent moments later.
"Well what?" Ron heard himself say.
"Well, do feel the same way about me, or am I going to feel like a real idiot?" Hermione blurted very quickly. Ron's mind and speech juddered into startup mode.
"Oh course I love you!" he burst out. "I've loved you forever, I - "
"How long is forever?" Hermione interrupted, and immediately felt extremely guilty for doing so.
"Well, eight years," Ron shrugged. "It's close enough, isn't it? Ever since our fifth year at Hogwarts. You've no idea how much you mean to me! I….I can't believe you feel the same…about me!"
"Believe me, Ron, I do," Hermione smiled. "I can't believe you've loved me for longer than I've loved you and you never said anything…"
"How could I? You and Harry are my only friends in the world – I couldn't lose you just because I happened to - "
"It's okay, Ron, I wasn't accusing you…" Hermione soothed.
Ron placed the hand that wasn't clasping hers on Hermione's cheek, half expecting her to flinch.
"This s a dream," he said firmly. "It has to be – Hermione can you pinch me?"
"Oh, I think I can do better than that," Hermione grinned and engulfed him in their first kiss. Lost in their own world of bliss and deep warm affection, Ron and Hermione held onto each other like the world would end if they ever let go. The warm soft touch of their lips expressed only too well what was and had been going through their loving hearts for what was surely an eternity. They only pulled apart when the grouchy man behind them told them to get a room.
"Hi, I don't we introduced ourselves," said Ron sardonically. "This is Hermione, Hermione Granger, and I'm Ron Weasley. And you are…?"
The man grunted. "I suppose you think that's funny. I'm trying to watch the real Ron and Hermione, if you don't mind..."
"You're looking at them," Ron growled.
"Come on, let's go somewhere else," Hermione laughed, seizing Ron's arm in utmost affection.
Ron gave her a very quick kiss before they got up and, hand in hand, Hermione head back on Ron's shoulder, they left the cinema.
A/N If you think this is the end, you'd better have another think coming, although it will be if there are no reviews…hint hint!