A/N: Thanks to Dark Midnightstar, Shadow Mouse, poeticlilshygurl, Cult of the Cynical Giant Cow, Tears from the Moon, Mione, CurlsofGold, Oppy, Digital Damita, Margarita Mocha, Tamashii, potterfan4life, kittychild, and Brittany for reviewing. I really appreciate it, guys!
Disclaimer: It JK's. I no JK.
The Broom Closet
By A.G. Wednesday
-
Hermione's Point of View
---
I love Hogwarts. I really do. There's just something about its atmosphere- something about its presence- that just feels so…
Magical?
Well, of course it's magical. It is, after all, a school of witchcraft. But aside from the obvious reasons, it really is an enchanting place.
I am always finding new things I love about Hogwarts. For instance, and don't tell Ron or Harry this, but did you know that they spend more money on the library than the Quidditch pitch? This school really knows how to prioritize, even if *some* of its students don't.
As much as I'd love to say that Hogwarts is utterly flawless (and believe me, I wish I could), I have found a few flies in the ointment. The main one is, of course, the tendency for bad things to happen throughout the school year. True, it has the adventuresome appeal, what with the three-headed dogs, the secret chamber that hides a murderous beast, and the former teachers who just happened to be creatures of the night or Death Eaters in disguise.
But danger is still danger.
Besides the danger issue, and the fact that they enslave house elves, the only other problem I have with Hogwarts is its waste of space. Like, for instance, the so-called broom closet on the second floor that stores absolutely nothing. Why they have an empty closet when there is a shortage of book space in the library is beyond me.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that if I'm such a bookworm, how do I know about this broomless closet?
It's rather embarrassing actually. Well, you see, it's because I'm stuck in it. With Ron. Which usually wouldn't be a big deal, if it weren't for the fact that I am absolutely furious at him. So instead of simply shooting the breeze while we wait for help, I am ignoring him. I'm not be irrational about it either- he deserves the silent treatment.
It all started about forty-five minutes ago…
---Flashback---
I was sitting in the Common Room, pretending to study for the N.E.W.T.S while I was secretly watching Ron massacre Harry in their current game of wizard's chess.
"Checkmate!" I heard Ron shout, and I gave a small smile. Cocky prat, I thought to myself, grinning.
Ron asked Harry to play another game, but he politely declined and went upstairs to the boys' dormitory.
After Harry left I returned to my studying. It wasn't long before I felt Ron looking at me.
Pretend you don't notice, pretend you don't notice, I silently chanted. But it was becoming extremely hard to keep in focus when he was staring at me so intently.
"Hey, 'Mione, how 'bout a game of chess?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.
Whoa. He'd never called me *that* before! My heart began to pound as I desperately tried to keep my composure. Why did he always do this to me? How is it that with one word he can make me lose my train of thought?
"Not now, Ron, I'm studying, which is what you should be doing as well." Phew. Safe answer. "And where'd that come from?"
Why did I just ask him that? WHY?!
He was obviously confused. "Where'd *what* come from?"
Oh Weasley, like you don't know. "That name you just called me."
He blushed a deep scarlet, and my heart beat still faster. He was embarrassed? Did that mean…?
"Oh, uh, you don't like it?" he mumbled, and I suddenly felt bad for putting him on the spot.
"No, I didn't say that, it's just…"
"Doesn't Vicky ever call you by a nickname?" he asked.
Lord al-friggin-mighty, WHY did he go and bring *him* up again?
"Don't call him Vicky," I immediately scolded, frowning again. Why does he always come up?
It was as if someone had flicked a switch in Ron's behavior, causing him to go from "calm" to "extremely pissed off" in .2 seconds.
"I'll call him whatever the hell I want to!"
"Ron! Don't swear!" Hermione, don't nag! I told myself. Stop nagging him to death!
"Why? Vicky swears all the time and you never give a damn when he does it-"
"Stop it! I don't want to have this conversation with you!" I interrupted him, extremely angry that he was able to push my buttons like this.
"So you're saying it's ok for him to do it, but not me?"
I stood up. "You know that's not what I mean-"
"It is TOO what you mean and you damn well know it!"
What is he doing? Why is he doing this to me?
"Stop swearing!" I cried, furious at his outbursts. "It's rude to swear in front of a lady!"
He snorted. "Oh, is that what you are? I never can tell, with that hair of yours and all those books you lug around."
That stung like no tomorrow. Though I always prided myself on being the strong and confident type, I felt tears forming in my eyes and I did *not* want to cry in front of him. So I flung open the portrait hole and escaped to the emptiness of the corridor.
"Hermione, wait, I-"
Darn it! He's following me! I began to run now, hoping that he would give up.
"Please, stop! I'm really-" he began again, but I hurried down the staircase and onto the second floor.
Yup. He was still following her.
"Hermione, look, I'm really, REALLY-" but I opened the door to what I thought was a classroom and stepped inside. He was right on my heels.
"Hermio-"
"Ron, leave." I said with finality. I did not want to be around him right then- not when I was so vulnerable to his hurtful words.
He sighed and opened the door to leave. Or at least, he *tried* to open the door and leave.
"It's locked," I heard him say, and I groaned. Quickly, I tried it myself. It still wouldn't budge. So I pulled out my wand and muttered "Lumos", revealing the "classroom".
Wait a second, I thought. This isn't a classroom, it's a…
"Broom closet?" Ron asked, obviously shocked. Well, no wonder there was nothing in here. There wasn't exactly a lot of room, given the fact that two people could barely stand side by side without hitting elbows.
"Great," I muttered.
---End Flashback---
It's been probably thirty minutes and neither one of us has said a word. I don't know what I expect him to do- it's not like he's going to apologize or anything- but I wish he would just say something, anything, to keep me from screaming in frustration.
"Well sweetheart, I think you made it pretty clear earlier that you don't want to talk to him," my conscience said smugly.
I couldn't argue with that.
Ron sighed and began drumming an impossibly annoying rhythm on the wall.
Tap. Tap. Tap tap tap.
Wow, let's see if you could possibly irritate me any MORE!
He must've seen the look I gave him, because he immediately stopped.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Well, he'd better be! It's his fault we're in here in the first place! Ron opened his mouth to say something but promptly shut it.
I hate it when I cry, I really do, but I couldn't help it. The tears welled up in my eyes and I didn't try to stop them this time.
Why does he always do this? Why does he always make me doubt everything I feel?
"Hermione, I am so sorry."
Whoa. What did he just say? What did he JUST SAY?!
I whirled around to face him and he visibly winced. I could do nothing but stare. Did Ron Weasley just apologize to me? I must've been looking at him for quite a while because he looked somewhat freaked out.
"That's the first time you've done that," I whispered, hearing the surprise in my own voice.
"Yeah, er, well… I mean it. I am very sorry for what I said," he replied quietly.
He meant it! He meant what he said!
Slowly, and not without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him in an unmistakable hug.
"Thank you," I mumbled into his shoulder. He said nothing in response, but simply hugged me tightly in return. I buried my face in his jumper, breathing in his soapy scent. He was intoxicating. All of the sudden, I felt Ron's hands rubbing my back.
Oh lord.
To have this much of his attention was starting to make me weak in the knees. Did this mean what I thought it meant?
I looked up at him, my eyes questioning his actions. He must've just realized what he was doing because he jerked his hands away and shoved them into his pockets.
I nearly whimpered at the absence of his touch. It left me feeling… cold.
"S-sorry," he managed, turning scarlet.
I don't care! I liked it! Hug me again! I thought, but said nothing. I simply nodded and closed my eyes, preparing myself to ask the one question I'd been dying to know since last year's Yule Ball.
"Ron," I began slowly, "Why do you hate Viktor Krum so much?"
I can't believe I just asked him that! Apparently, he was having trouble processing it too, because it took him a while to answer.
"Because he's so much older than you," he replied. "He's old enough to make love potions, Hermione- he could be doing that to make you love him!"
LOVE POTION?! I nearly died on the spot from pent-up laughter.
I snorted. "Well, he's not doing a very good job then!"
"What?" he asked, obviously confused.
Oh, you poor boy. How can you NOT know that it's *you* I love?
"Ron, contrary to what you might believe, I am *not* in love with Viktor Krum."
Ron's eyes widened.
"You're not?" he squeaked.
Duh, you fool!
I laughed softly. "Not in the least bit. In fact, I find him rather annoying. Nice guy, but he sure does talk about Quidditch too much." He stared.
We sat in silence for a moment that felt more like an eternity. It was I who finally got the nerve to speak.
"So that's why you hate him? Because you're afraid he's seducing me with a potion?"
Please say no, please say no, please say no, please say no…"No."
YEEEEESSSS!!!I supressed the urge to do a victory dance. Instead, I gave a small nod, willing him to continue.
"Well-" he began, then paused.
Oh no you don't, Ron! Don't chicken out now! Just SAY IT!!! My brain screamed.
"I was jealous. Of him. Because he got to share a part of your life that I knew I never would. And it upset me quite a bit because… because I think you are the sweetest, smartest, most beautiful girl on this planet. Everything I said earlier was to cover up my feelings, because I knew you could never reciprocate them. And you're gonna hate me for saying this, but I am so bloody in love with you that I can't see straight."
OH. MY. GOD.
Oh my God. Oh my God. Did Ron… RON WEASLEY, her BEST friend, just say those wonderful things? I'm in love with you too! I wanted to shout.
But instead I took a step toward him and closed the gap between us. He flinched and closed his eyes.
"Ron?" I said softly.
"Yeah?" he mumbled, his voice fearful.
"Don't swear." And with all of the bravery I could muster, I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him gently on the lips.
Words cannot explain what I felt at that moment. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, most of them focused on the fact that, hey, I was kissing Ron!
I'm kissing Ron! I am kissing my best friend!
His hands moved to my hips and drew me closer. I moved my hands to the back of his head, pulling him closer as well.
Oh, wow.
I sighed against his mouth as he lazily traced circles on my arms with his fingertips. Quite frankly, I was ready to forget about schoolwork and studying for life and, for the rest of my life, focus all of my attention on the adorable boy in front of me.
After a few seconds I pulled away, and both of us tried to catch our breaths.
"So you don't hate me?" he asked stupidly.
You idiot, I thought, grinning.
"Nope. And you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm in love with you too."
Ron looked extremely relieved and smiled that goofy grin of his, pulling me into another warm embrace.
"Now if we could only get out of this closet…" he said.
I gave Ron an innocent smile and whipped out my wand once more.
"Alohomora," I muttered, and the door flew open. He stared at me, his mouth agape.
"And why didn't you do that before?" he asked with mock anger.
"Ron, think about what just happened, and then try re-evaluating your choice of words."
He went silent for a moment, then grinned again.
"Hermione, thank you so much for allowing us to spend such quality time together in a broom closet."
"Much better," I replied, and tucked my hand into his. Together, we stepped out of the broom closet and headed back to civilization.
"There's just one thing I don't understand," I said.
"What is it?"
"Did you use the word 'reciprocate'?"
---
Reason Why I Love Hogwarts #826: the broom closet on the second floor
-end-
---
See that review box down there? Feed me, Seymour!
I'd just like to say that I realize this PoV is nowhere near as good as the first- it's hard to do a companion piece about the same storyline without sounding too redundant, yet with keeping good continuity. These is merely another version of the same story. Thanks for reading!
-A.G.