AN ~ Finally I got to writing my fourth book! The Dark Ages are over! So, to celebrate, I wrote this piece of Ron/Hermione, summer before 5th year fluff. enjoy ;-)
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When You Love Someone
-dutchtulips-
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Another pleasant summer evening at the Burrow. Outside, the balmy air mixed with crickets chirruping, the sweet smell of honeysuckle and lily of the valley, and a tranquil atmosphere. Inside, it was cozy; people were enjoying themselves, chatting amiably amongst one another as they sat in the living room and sipping on pumpkin juice and elderflower wine.
Ron Weasley himself felt cheery to some extent; he was curled in the old overstuffed armchair in the family room, in front of the chessboard, going over tactics in his head as he studied the board. Harry was seated opposite him, also staring at the chessboard, anticipating which move he wanted to make. They kept to themselves mostly, preferring to sit in the corner of the room and just relax.
Mrs. Weasley was also there, easing in her favorite rocker with her knitting basket resting on the floor by her feet, the knitting needles in her hands working intently upon what was a large afghan. Ginny and Hermione were perched across from one another on the sofa, the each of them reading their own fanfare of literary works.
The living room had mostly fallen into an aura of silence for a great portion of the evening, so, as Ron was sliding his bishop across the chessboard, Ginny's sudden voice chagrined him.
"Need any help on that, Mum? I could start the fringe for you."
Ron allowed himself to look over at his mother and sister for a moment; the latter had abandoned her book and was leaning over the arm of the sofa, watching the older woman darning a gap in the blanket with a few reinforced stitches. "Well, just on this side, love. I've still got a foot more on the other side to finish."
"What's this afghan for?" Ginny wanted to know as she picked up the scarlet yarn.
Mrs. Weasley twisted a bit of blue yarn around her knitting needle. "A new one to go in your father's and my bedroom. The old one is getting too worn to darn up anymore."
Harry's new positioning of his knight pulled Ron's eyes away from his mom and Ginny, and back into the game. He glued his eyes to the board, and scanning every piece carefully. Finally, he smiled. "Someday your prince will come, Harry," he said facetiously, placing his king in the empty square. "Checkmate."
The jet-haired boy slapped a hand to his forehead. "That's it. I'm through challenging you. You're undefeatable."
"Can't say I didn't warn you," Ron replied as he replaced the chess pieces in their proper squares.
"Can't say Grandpa never warned you," Ginny said, looking over at her brother. "He taught you everything he knew and still it took you a long time before you could finally beat him."
"I remember that," Mrs. Weasley put in, smiling as she put down her work and turned to the others. "Your father hung over Ron's shoulder all the time, practically shouting to him the next move he should make."
"Okay, Mum, I think we've all heard the story a thousand times," Ron mumbled, his cheeks twinging pink.
Hermione, who had previously been hopelessly lost in her reading, actually looked up, an amused expression on her face. "Ron? Once awful at chess? I'm speechless."
"Yeah, well, you should be," the redhead said sarcastically. "Now I can checkmate Gramps and Dad before they can even move a pawn."
Everyone laughed, including Ron.
"My, all this talk of your father makes me think about what he's doing right now," Mrs. Weasley said, a little forlornly. "He's been working terribly late every night this week. Sometimes he gets in too late for me to see him at all, just leaves a note saying he had to get up early, doesn't know if he'll be home for dinner or not. I'm worried about him."
"Me too, Mum," Ginny said softly. "He's had all those extra raids really late at night. . .something dreadful might happen to him!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a few uneasy glances.
"Now, now, love," Mrs. Weasley replied, reaching across the arm of her rocking chair to give her daughter a one-armed hug. "Don't think about such things. Your father is fine, I'm sure he is."
A terse, troubled silence cut through the room just then, and Ron, anxious to break it, said nonchalantly, to an obviously nervous Hermione, "Well, I think Harry's suffered enough for one night," he laughed, referring to their chess game. "Care to challenge me, Hermione?"
She looked over at him, and Ron was surprised to see that her lower lip was trembling. "N-no," she stammered in a strangely high voice. "I, er, I think a bit of fresh air might be nice."
Hermione jumped up from the sofa, apparently not aware that her book was still in her lap. Paying it no heed as it thunked heavily to the floor, she quickly breezed out of the room.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron inquired aloud.
"Oh, we must've upset her, the poor dear," Mrs. Weasley said sympathetically. "I know how worrisome all of this in the Ministry must be for you children."
Ron looked over at Harry. "Maybe we should go talk to her?"
"Perhaps Hermione just needs some time by herself, dear," Mrs. Weasley told her son, raising her knitting again.
The redhead hopped to his feet, nevertheless. "No, Mum. She's scared! She needs me!"
As Ron disappeared out of the room, the three remaining people exchanged a few interested looks and, as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny started to smile, Harry chuckled to himself as well and said, "Did Ron say 'me'?"
***
Ron could hear a gentle breeze swishing through the trees as he approached the back door, tentatively pushing open the screen and stepping quietly out on the porch. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ron could see, by the faint light of the moon, a slender, bushy-haired figure sitting on the porch steps.
Careful not to let the floorboards squeak under his feet, he slowly stepped closer to her. Reaching the steps, Ron quietly sat down next to Hermione on the edge of the porch. They were both silent for several moments, and then Ron spoke.
"Hey. Are you all right?"
She sniffled quite loudly. "Yes. No. I don't know."
Without thinking, he inched closer to her, trying to get her to look at him. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Hermione had been staring at the grass since he'd sat down, most immobile, but suddenly her neck titled up and she met eyes with him. She seemed to stare at him for a long time.
He tried to say what, but abruptly found that he couldn't. His emerging feelings for her that he'd been aware of for months now seemed to be bubbling and boiling over now. A pang of love had twinged in his stomach as Ron looked her in the eyes, wanting so much to say something but found that words just wouldn't come. All of a sudden it was as if nothing else seemed to matter.
Hermione's eyes grew watery. "I. . .I'm scared, Ron. I'm really scared!" At that moment, she broke down completely, weeping and sobbing.
Immediately, no longer concerned about what she might think to it, Ron wrapped both of his arms tightly around her, embracing her warmly. Hermione nestled against him, still crying, her tears soaking into his shirt. Gently he stroked her hair, trying to soothe her and calm her down.
When you love someone, you'll do anything
You'll do all the crazy things that you can't explain
You'll shoot the moon, put out the sun
When you love someone
You'll deny the truth, believe a lie
There'll be times that you'll believe you can really fly
But your lonely nights have just begun
When you love someone
"Hey," he whispered, cradling her, "It's okay. You don't always have to be strong. It's all right to be scared sometimes."
Hermione gave another loud sniffle and she glanced up at him, tears still brimming her eyes. "Really?"
Ron smiled softly at her. "Yeah. It's okay."
She did something then that he didn't expect - she tightened her embrace around him, sending shock waves all through Ron's body. "But. . .he's come back, Ron! You-Know-Who is back! Before we know it, he's going to start killing again. . .and then, and. . .and then. . ."
He held her a bit tighter. "And then, what?"
"I. . .I don't know. And that's what I'm afraid of!" She exclaimed, and then began weeping into his chest again.
"Hermione. . ." He said softly, tenderly, trying to get her to look at him again. "Hermione, please. . .you - you can't let him do this to you. . .don't you let him do this to us. . ."
She peered up at him. "What'd you say?"
"Oh. About You-Know-Who. Don't let him scare you into what might or might not happen," Ron told her. "Remember what Hagrid said that day, to Harry? What's coming will come, and we'll meet it when it does. Don't let You-Know-Who make you terrified of what you don't know. That's what he wants."
"Thanks, Ron," she whispered, "but, I meant. . .you said. . .you said not to let him panic me. . .but you said us. . ."
His eyes widened. "I. . .I did?"
"Yes." Hermione wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "You - you said. . . 'don't you let him do this to us.' "
"I. . .I didn't even realize I had. . ." Ron murmured, a lump forming in his throat.
When you love someone, you'll feel it deep inside
And nothing else can ever change your mind
When you want someone, when you need someone
When you love someone
"I was wondering. . .just. . .what'd you mean?" Hermione asked him, her voice quivering.
"I. . .I meant. . .I. . ." He stammered, and looked down at her. Her eyes were filled with awe and inquiry, he saw, as he stared into them. Ron had fallen completely silent now, had stopped trying to search for words, as he lost himself in Hermione's brown eyes, staring into them, and staring into them. . .until he couldn't stop staring into them.
Slowly, methodically, Ron reached over and tucked a stray lock of her nutmeg-colored hair behind her ear. "I. . .I don't want to lose you," he at last elaborated, saying it so quietly Hermione almost wasn't sure what he'd said. "Everything's going to change because of him. . .but don't let him change you. . . .because I. . ." He paused.
Suddenly Hermione felt as if the air was standing still, like the whole universe was swirling around inside of the silence. He was going to say it. She stared hopefully and wondrously up at him as Ron looked nervously back down at her. . .Abruptly she knew he was going to chicken out. . .
". . .love you," she finished for him, saying the words tenderly and smiling to reassure him. Then as an afterthought, "I know."
With that, the nervousness in Ron's eyes melted, only to be replaced with a sparkle of joy, and then he leaned over her, to cradle her tighter and closer. "I do," he whispered, his happiness reflecting into Hermione's eyes as well. "I do. I really do."
She beamed at this, her eyes edging with tears again, as she reached up and put her outstretched hand against the side of his face, stroking his eyebrow with her thumb. Her grin suddenly widened, and she said, "Forgive me, Ron."
"What for?"
Hermione pulled Ron's face closer, close enough until she tilted her neck up and covered his mouth with hers, breathing him in as she kissed him, wrapping her arms warmly, lovingly, around him, feeling Ron do the very same.
She opened her eyes as the kiss ended, bringing Ron's smiling face and phenomena-filled eyes back into view. "Don't apologize. . .that was incredible."
Hermione laughed and beamed, her eyes aglow, she said, "You make me forget to feel sad."
Ron snuggled her closer as they both curled up on the back steps. "You know, Hermione, I want you to know something. No matter what happens. . .no matter whatever might happen. . .I promise that I'll never leave you. I want you to know that I'll always be here for you, and that I'll. . ."
She peered up at him. "What, Ron?"
"I'll always love you."
When you love someone, you'll sacrifice
You'd give it everything you got and you won't think twice
You'd risk it all, no matter what may come
When you love someone
"So will I," Hermione said softly, nestling against Ron again. "I love you, too."
And as they sat together on the back porch, holding each other, each of them thinking about the coming months, but knowing that no matter what happened in the future, they would be - as Hagrid had said - would be there to meet it when it did. But also Ron and Hermione felt a little less afraid, because they had each other.
You'll shoot the moon, put out the sun
When you love someone
***
el fin
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