A/N: This was originally posted as the first chapter, in case you're wondering for whatever reason.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I don't own the song…Lifehouse does…I only own copies of the books of the Harry Potter series and a copy of the Stanley Climbfall CD. That's it. Truly.
Chapter 2: Out of Breath
I still feel the same /
Though everything has changed /
He was still in shock. He really was. Watching her from under the cover of his lashes, he thought she'd never looked more beautiful. Seeing her like that, happy and bright-eyed gave him this strange feeling. He wanted to whoop for joy.
He always had wanted break out in a grin when he saw her laughing like that.
Ron Weasley watched his best friend break out in a fit of laughter. Her brown eyes glittered like topaz in the common room's dim light. He didn't even wonder what it was that Harry had said to make her laugh like that, he only allowed himself to observe her, to watch her hair shimmer in messy curls as the locks bounced upon her shoulders.
Ron hadn't seen her laugh like that in a long time.
He had however watched her cry when Viktor Krum had broken up with her. He had wanted to cry himself when Hannah Abbott had broken up with him; she had accused him of looking at Hermione more intimately than he had her. At the time Ron had scoffed off Hannah's remarks.
She was right.
He had wanted to cry because she was right.
The pain it cost now I feel lost inside of my own name /
Ron sighed. He didn't know what to do.
"Hey mate! How about a game of chess?" Harry asked from across the room.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly you two! You really ought to study! We've got that Potions exam in two weeks, as I'm sure you both know, and it's sure to be extremely difficult!"
Ron grinned. He wasn't going to accept Harry's offer; he didn't want the poor chap to lower his self-esteem too much in one day but now that Hermione had reminded them of the Potions exam, well…he couldn't pass up the chance to procrastinate! "You're on mate!"
He stood and started walking toward the stairs to the dormitory when Harry got up, giving Ron a knowing smile. "I'll get the set Ron," he offered, and before Ron could protest, that black-haired boy darted up the stairs. Ron made a mental note to suffocate Harry that night.
But I keep running /
I am running /
I keep living for the day that I'm with you /
And I am waiting /
I keep waiting for the day that I'm with you /
Hermione bit her lip as she looked up at Ron. She looked directly into his blue eyes and without a doubt knew she loved him. There was no one else in the world for her. There was only him.
Viktor was never for her, nor was Terry Boot or Seamus Finnigan or any other boy Ron might possibly think to throw into her face. Now, to convince him that.
Besides, she thought, their friendship had never really been the same as it was before last year's Yule Ball. Blast that night!
She had really though that maybe he liked her like, well, like the way she liked him. She would have dropped Viktor in a second if he had asked her to, but he hadn't. When Viktor had dumped her she had cried but for a different reason than Ron had thought. She had cried because it was useless, hopeless, in fact! Ron didn't feel that way about her. It was quite obvious by now.
The past has left its stain /
Now I feel the shame /
I'll seize the day if you take away the chains of yesterday /
She would do absolutely anything for the red-haired, hot-tempered Ron Weasley.
Still, as she looked up at that boy, young man really, and watched his cheeks turn a pink color as she watched him intently, she thought that perhaps there was something actually there. Harry had grinned like a stupid fool when she'd finally admitted her feelings for their best friend two nights ago. He hadn't said anything but he had grinned like he knew something she didn't.
She sighed, frustrated, and continued to chew on her lower lip, not realizing what she was doing to her best friend.
But I keep running /
I am running /
I keep living for the day that I'm with you /
And I am waiting /
I am waiting /
I keep waiting for the day that I'm with you /
Damn, but she did look cute sitting there like that, in obvious concentration as she chewed on the succulent lower lip. Where the hell was Harry? Shouldn't he be back with his chess set yet?
Ron plopped down on the seat next to Hermione. He immediately picked up her fresh scent; like rainwater and rose. It was so Hermione-like that it was driving him insane. Ron didn't even realize it but he had leaned in closer to Hermione, who was looking back at him with a sparkle in her eye that he had never seen before.
It really was like he was in some sort of trance; he wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been happening to him right now. He had always heard love was supposed to be like this.
Love? Where did that come from?
Ron stared at Hermione and she stared back, their hearts pounding together.
When they kissed the room disappeared. For a moment in time it was just the two of them. There was no one else.
A new day the sun is shining /
Seems like I'm closer to finding /
That life is more than what we hide /
No way that I'm turning /
As longs as this sun s burning /
It seems now that all I want is you /
Hermione pulled away first. He noticed that her eyelids were still half-shut and he grinned. Her lips were still partially puckered.
"Wow," she finally uttered, and in that single word, Ron's heart flew above everything else. It was flying above the clouds even. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and something like relief danced across her face. "Oh Ron," she began breathlessly, "for a moment I thought it all might be a dream! It wasn't a dream was it?"
I still feel the same /
Though everything has changed /
The pain it cost now I feel lost inside of my own name /
Ron grinned the famous Weasley grin and blushed when he heard catcalls and hollering from the other Gryffindors. He had forgotten they were sitting in the middle of the common room. He stole a glance at Hermione and seeing she was just as red in the face, leaned over and kissed her again.
But I keep running /
I am running /
I keep living for the day that I'm with you /
And I am waiting /
I am waiting /
I keep waiting for the day that I'm with you /
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